Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 15/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby, Alarm traps in the street outside and in the doorway.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

['So... You two were alone together for an extended period?'] Annabeth asked cautiously, and after a moment she asked; ['Did anyone check up on you in that time? What did you do together? Have you noticed any... Changes, since then? About yourself?']

Dolly nuzzled into Naltaibur's hand as she stroked the little winged rat's back, giving a few squeaks intermitently as it sniffed around on her glove. The little creature was entirely docile, and had even shown itself to be fairly affectionate at times, a rarity for its kind that could likely be attributed to her regular gentle handling of it.

The autopsy of the dead woman revealed a number of things. Firstly, her sex did she signs of recent use. Very vigorous use. The wounds on her back were jagged and uneven, possibly in line with being rubbed against something, but they didn't cover the entirety of her back. Opening her up, Naltaibur found an unnatural stone inside of her chest, just next to her heart, and after cleaning the blood off of it she found that it was completely grey.

Her hunter returned upstairs with its vile, collecting some of the mysterious ooze it'd found on the floor and then searching the place for anything that might give up the inhabitants name. That search turned up results quickly enough once she opted to oversee it herself, as the creature didn't seem to have any memory of the written word. She found a letter addressed to someone, a Jeron Cavick, and if she wanted to be sure it'd turn up a few more in a drawer. Jeron was a masculine name, suggesting that the dead woman wasn't whoever had lived in the apartment, but in its search of the apartment her reptile had spotted some women's clothing lying about.

Returning to her allies while the lizard searched, Naltaibur made off with one of the women they'd rescued, much to the apparent confusion of Father Uldric, and gave her a similar investigation. Given that she'd seen her getting raped, it likely came as no surprise that the girl showed signs of abuse, but it became readily apparent to Naltaibur that she wasn't nearly as badly corrupted as the dead girl had been. She was soundly unconscious, and the faint spark of her soul was slowly reigniting itself in a manner that suggested that she'd be able to move on her own after a good long rest, and would be fine after a few days... Or at least as fine as one could be after everything that had happened.

Just as her lizard turned up proof of the occupant's name, Annabeth came in to find Naltaibur examining the girl, something that she didn't seem bothered by in the slightest. "Is she alright?" the other healer asked softly, "We didn't get a decent chance to examine them after that fight... I can help you do that, if you want to do it now. I listened for a while, but they got quiet a minute or so ago. I got a few names, Jennifer, Danton, Jeron, Senia, Krivo... But not much context around them except for that they talked about Senia like she was dead. Did you find out anything while you were doing... Whatever it was that you were doing?" Behind the woman's back, she spotted Mavra standing by the entrance, watching and listening quietly.

Spoiler

You can try with just a name, but it's not very reliable.

Corruption can come from other sources, like draining the energy of a supernatural creature, eating corrupted food or drinking corrupted water, or eating things like darkhearts and greyhearts.

Speaking of, you get one of those! And also superinadequatepostafterwhatyoumade ;-;

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur sighed with frustration. ['Would you perhaps like to ask me what really is concerning you? After Doraleous struck down that flying monster and Uldric told us what he'd been tasked with, we all decided it was best to be abed as early as possible, so as to start the earliest we could.']

Naltaibur crossed her arms low, encircling them about her waist. ['I'd rather we not speak of 'changes'. I was fortunate not to lose my soul to the invaders, but I am not unmarred.']


Satisfied that Dolly had survived their frightful encounter unscathed, Naltaibur put her back in her bag. That the little mouse was so trusting of her, even though she used her to conduct her research - and, even worse, that several other mice had died, and sometimes, even worse, before her - weighed on her mind. At any rate, she didn't think she could use Dolly as just a lab rat anymore...


With the finding of the grey stone, indicative of invader corruption, there was no doubt this poor woman had been turned. The find of woman's clothing in what was most likely this 'Jeron''s apartment was slightly puzzling - there didn't seem to be any evidence of the clothing's owner. The Turned she'd stumbled upon so far had all lacked clothing, if she recalled correctly. Perhaps Jeron's girlfriend, visiting...? But then, why would they still be there? Why hadn't she picked them up? And, if that were the case, why had Jeron stayed long enough to be assaulted by a monster, before they had fled? Hmmm.


Thankfully, the rescuee she'd chosen seemed to have survived her assault with her soul intact - given time, she would - or, at least, should - return to full strength. The mental trauma was another concern, though, and one Naltaibur was less able to answer. Naltaibur prepared herself to probe the woman's mind... however, Anna came up to speak to her before she could.

"She is alright," Naltaibur confirmed. "Physically and spiritually, at least - she'll but require a few days rest to recover. I cannot say for certain how well her mind will have taken that... but... yes, I suppose I could use the help in examining the rest. What's likely the most important will be whether or not they still have the spark of their souls in them..."

"Jeron is a name I found in an apartment upstairs, as well... he seems to be an alchemist. This poor woman..." Naltaibur indicated the headless cadaver, "...was also found in there. I assume she... was, the Senia they were talking about. The lizard found her in his apartment, sans head. I found this in her chest -" she held up the grey stone, "- so I at some point she was turned."


She would've rather wanted to secure the basement's survivor's help before examination, however... She showed Annabeth the diagnosis spell she'd developed, to be used after sensing for the subject's spirit, and then tried to contact Jeron with her mind, adding him to the already exhaustive network branching from her thoughts. Without meeting him personally, though, such contact was difficult, so Naltaibur focused on the things she did know. Jeron Cavick... male, Therionian... alchemist...lived here, in that apartment on the top floor. Mined the basement door. Hmm... perhaps she could read the letters to gain a little more insight into him?

If that failed, Naltaibur would gather up a few of the fighting men, make a rough guess as to where the basement would be, and start stomping out a short, well-known tune in unison with them, repeating it a few times with a pause in between each repetition, hoping Jeron and company would come to investigate.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 13/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby, Alarm traps in the street outside and in the doorway.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Annabeth bit her lip, but opted to not hold off on confronting Naltaibur. Squaring her shoulders with those of the masked night elf, though she opted to continue over the privacy of their mental link rather than start speaking out loud; ['I think... That you had sex with that demon, and that that could endanger the group if she has you enthralled. Even if she doesn't, I've seen people do some silly things under the effects of normal infatuation, and that could put us all at risk if you've got choose between your demon and the rest of us. I know it sounds cliche, and that you probably think she's not the type of person to do that judging by how you've defended her to this point, but it's something that needs to be addressed.... Even if it's probably not what you want to talk about right now.']

Later, after the star priestess had asked after her subject's well-being and offered to help with examining the dozen wounded women, she nodded silently at Naltaibur's reply as a look of relief came over her face. "Good.... It would be a great loss to lose any more to these... Abominations!" she said softly, and then listened silently to Naltaibur's explanation about her status and then about the alchemist in the basement. She paled and frowned at the news that the corpse her hunter had found upstairs was likely the woman that the people downstairs were talking about, clearly upset by the news of the woman's fate despite having likely seen the same multiple times by now.

The diagnostic spell that Naltaibur had created was a fairly simple one, and Annabeth picked it up with ease despite having never used it before, likely a byproduct of her own focus in healing magic, and after practicing it on the woman that Naltaibur had already examined she announced herself ready to utilize the creative cantrip. That left her with a moment in which to attempt to contact the alchemist in the basement. Reaching out with her mind, Naltaibur felt around among those hiding beneath them, trying to match a person to the concept that she held in her mind, but to no avail. Try as she might, it proved impossible for her to establish a link with the alchemist, and so she was left with her alternative.

Gathering up a handful of the soldiers while Annabeth had one of them helping her carry the rescued women to the other room and ferry the one she'd examined back out, Naltaibur had them pound out a rough version of the beat to Therion's anthem, a tune that any long-term resident of the city would likely know by heart. They repeated it several times, and just as some of them were starting to look nervous at the racket that they were making the door into the basement let out a soft click followed by a shifting noise. The door opened a moment later, slowly creaking open before a man in a long coat stepped out and lifted a crossbow, which he aimed at Margarett's face immediately, she being the closest to the door. "That'll be quite enough of that racket!" the man said irritably, eying them all sternly even though the soldiers had already stopped their impromptu dance.

"Who are you lot, and what the fuck are you making that racket for? If you want someplace to hide, fuck off and find someplace else before you bring the greys down on us!" the man grumbled softly, sweeping his crossbow across the room and taking in each of those within his range of sight in turn. He was in a narrow alcove, however, meaning that he couldn't see the entirety of the room and thus hadn't seen Kormack or Annabeth, who were in the side room with the other healer's second patient, nor could they see Mavra who was hugging the wall near the door leading outside, a wary expression on her face. The others looked to Naltaibur to speak, but across the mental link she heard Mavra ask; ['Should I try to disarm him? It shouldn't be too difficult, and I think we'd all feel a lot better talking to this guy if he didn't have a crossbow pointed at us.'] Despite the continued distrust issued towards her demon lover, there came a few murmurs of agreements at her expressed sentiments, particularly from Margarett and Gloria who were closest to the man.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur's brow creased in annoyance behind her mask. The thought had crossed her mind, but she'd quickly ruled it out. What could Mavra have done to enrapture her before she'd even spoke to her? She'd admitted to having contact with her while she was unconscious, but she didn't think a succubus could make a mind favor them without that mind actually being conscious to realize what they were doing. ...But then, now that she thought about it, that could be folly - after all, she could project control over a creature at no small distance with her magic - which was even completely artificial, an accidental byproduct of her experiments! What could a succubus do - gifted with power over heart and mind, devourers of soul that they were?

The sincerity of her distaste for Hell when she'd peeked into her memories, If she were favorably dispositioned toward her right from the start, did that not mean her experiences were invalidated? If that were the case, though, she still had the testimony of Doraleous and Uldric, didn't she? Or would enthrallment change the way she perceived Mavra through even second-hand experiences like that, as well? Surely that could be the case...?

Naltaibur sighed. ['Despite the chance that that has happened, I am quite sure it has not,'] she started in her reply to the Star Priestess. ['I wouldn't, if - if - I were so-enthralled, of course. I assume my ability to actually be skeptical of your assertion is a point in favor of my freedom of mind, but not conclusively so. Either way, given that under your hypothesis I am not a reliable source of opinion, Father Uldric will vouch for her - has, even.']

['As for calling my judgement into question... I am determined to see us to safety, and have at least some measure of talent that empowers me to do so, I hope you would agree. I feel it is unfair, for Mavra - what I have seen and what I know of her tells me she is a good person - and yet she is treated like a monster, because of her infernal heritage. After all - what makes you so suspicious of my enthrallment?'] Naltaibur asked the priestess. ['Has Mavra ever given you reason to expect her trustworthiness, other than 'being a demon'? Would you question her and my relationship with her so closely if she was simply another woman of Therion?']

The doctor sighed, audibly through their mental connection. ['I've gone off track. I've been doing my best to keep us all safe. Caution, preparation, marching order, retreating as I have thought necessary - I have been attempting to maneuver us into positions that would keep me from having to make such a choice. It has worked so far, and we are all still alive to show for it. I cannot say I am utterly certain that I will have to make that choice, much like anyone can say anything for certain in such a precarious situation, but I am doing my best to keep it from happening. At times when I have been forced to make such choices and command the group's actions, I have done so quickly and - if our relative unharm against fiends that have torn through our entire city dictates - wisely.']

['A few of those choices have included to support Mavra, including the time we were ambushed at the clinic. As I stated before, she had little help nearby, and you had the benefit of the proximity of the other soldiers. She'd fallen unconscious - you, meanwhile, were wounded, but not badly enough to fall as she had. You are also a healer. As she has demonstrated consistently, Mavra is a skilled healer and able combatant - healing her wounds allowed her to cut down our foes more quickly and safely, benefiting us all as a whole.']

['It has been perilous, but in our travel through Therion not one of us has been killed or turned. Even if I am infatuated with her, my actions have been quick, decisive, and have kept us safe up until now. Please, trust me.']



The man that emerged from the basement was understandably cross with them. The noise they'd generated was less than ideal, but approaching the door would have been folly, if they'd planted spellcharges to deal with intrepid monsters. She hoped that the building's lack of windows and thick walls would aid her in keeping it unnoticed from others...

Naltaibur was regretting not having thought to put a paralysis trap or something of the sort by the door, though, as he popped out and threatened them all with a crossbow. She bristled behind her mask especially as he threatened Gloria - her mind told her his caution was warranted, but still, she was unarmed!

"I am Naltaibur, healer, graduate of the Academy," she stated quickly, stepping forward a tiny bit, hoping to draw his attention away from the others - but not enough to anger him into firing at her. That would have been... bad. Very bad. "We'd heard you speak of spelling the doors, and were reluctant to approach. We offer you a proposal."

"Secure the doors," Naltaibur said to the others, sending off some of the soldiers to watch the front. ['Stay back some, lest a giant attempt to ram the wall. Gloria, Margaret, move away so he can't see you.'] She instructed the lizard to relax, but lay down on his front, arms behind his back - and then instructed someone to stand guard over it, in case she was shot and lost consciousness.

"We are heading towards Avenshire to establish contact - we come from the Dragonsbane fortification, five thousand strong. We are to secure Avenshire and set up a safezone. We would ask you to watch our rescuees -" she bade someone bring up a woman, wrapped in a cloth if they had one -"while we continue on to the fortress, twelve in total. We also ask momentary succor, and allowance to join you in resting for a moment. In return, when safety is established, we will come back and escort you personally there, should you wish safety. We can give you these, as proof of our ability to prevail against the aliens." She brought out a few of their lizardskins, as well as a handful of the grey stones pulled from the tentacled beasts they'd fought. "A cursory glance over them has revealed them to be very similar to other magical materials - valuable, and possibly usable as magical catalysts if you have someone capable of using them here. As I understand, an alchemist lived here...?"

Spoiler

Oh fuck I forgot to keep track of my phat loot. I'll do that later on. <_____________>

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 13/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby, Alarm traps in the street outside and in the doorway.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

['Unfortunately, I know all too well that members of the clergy are not immune to corruption.... Clergy of any religion. He was allegedly around her a great deal more than you were, making it entirely possible that she got to him even before she got to you. Have they ever been alone together? Demons have their reputation for a reason. There are exceptions with every race, including the infernal, but most beings don't act against the nature to which they are born. That she hasn't done anything to harm anyone else as far as we know yet might merely indicate guile rather than benevolence, something for which demons are famed as well. Nothing she's done couldn't be explained by mere self preservation. I only fear what might come to pass if we were to get into a situation in which leaving one or more of us to die would be more beneficial to keeping us than trying to help us. I'll trust your judgement.... For now, but I've never heard of it turning out well when one consorted with demons.'] Annabeth finally seemed to have said her peace on the matter, and left it at that once her question had been answered.

~~~~~~~~~​

The man who'd come up from the basement turned his gaze upon Naltaibur as she stepped forward and spoke, but while her comrades moved immediately to follow her mental commands the man raised his crossbow threateningly and growled; "Any one of you moves and I'll put a bolt through this cunt's eye!" He jabbed his crossbow towards Naltaibur threateningly, and everybody froze instantly and looked to her questioningly save for her hunter, which instinctively cloaked itself against the wall where it waited up the stairs.

If Naltaibur still explained her purpose and her desire, the man would grumble wordlessly to himself and lower the crossbow just slightly, and after a moment he replied; "I don't need any damn leather, or whatever the hell that is. Don't need any rocks either. We've got nothing to offer you lot, so you might as well move on. We don't even have enough food or water to last us the next few days, much less enough to keep another dozen freeloaders around. I don't know about Dragonsbane, but Avenshire's a hive. The only thing you're likely to find out there is your own deaths, but I don't care to stop you if that's your goal." His eyes narrowed, "And how exactly do you know about who lives here, hrm? You been snoopin around, stealing people's things?"

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur could have continued the argument - lord knew she wanted to tell the Star God's Follower that the one was not the many - but her head was really beginning to feel like it was being beaten in and stabbed through at the same time, so the Night Elf was content simply to let it drop. When it felt like her head wasn't going to burst, perhaps, she could renew the point of contention. Perhaps.


----


Unfazed - or at least, hoping to look the part - Naltaibur brushed off the threat. "I was searching for an inkling of who you lot were, and if there were any invaders lurking in the building. Look - the attack was horrific, and you're worried - over food, over being found. I understand. You have much to gain here - we have twelve fellow Therionians with us, all rescued from the clutches of the invaders. They're still out from their ordeal - they will pose little burden on your supplies. We mean to come back for them - elsewise, we would have just left them in the street. Look at us - we have obviously weathered combat with the fiends, have we not?" She gestured to the gashes in her and her soldier's clothing, and the blood, human and invader, that stained their clothes. "We can offer healing, should any of yours need it - hell, if you need food, I have a scout out right now - I'll tell him through my magic to search the area and get some for you. All we wish is enough time in your shelter to regain our breath and the safekeeping of our rescuees until we return for them."

Naltaibur sighed. "Your supplies are low, are they not? We're offering at least a chance at salvation and an extension on your stores - the alternative means we leave, you gain nothing, and you either starve to death or are found and taken by the aliens when you leave to find food. To be honest, we simply can't take them any further - would you rather have them laying up here, to be stumbled upon by the monsters, or hidden away where they won't attract attention?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 13/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby, Alarm traps in the street outside and in the doorway.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

"Uh-huh. You really think I'm going to trust you? After this? Even if you're telling the truth, you're just putting a burden on us for some theoretical benefit. Besides, all I've got is your word, and your word is worth less than a goblin's foreskin from where I'm standin!" the man snarled slowly, sweeping his gaze across the portion of the group that he could see. "I don't give two shits about my fellow Theronians at this point either!" he added as his gaze settled back on Naltaibur, "Far as I'm concerned, that lot is your problem, and I'm happy to keep it that way and leave you with your empty promises. Don't you even think about leaving 'em here either, they'll attract those things right to us when they start waking up, assuming they haven't all been turned already! You get the fuck out of my building and take your parasites with you! I'm having none of it, understand?" With that, the man promptly started backing toward the door to his basement, which he would promptly enter unless she made some effort to stop him.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur let him back away down into his hidey-hole - one hand coming up to slap against her mask, and then drag slowly down the glossy white surface, as soon as the door closed, and he was out of sight. "Asshole," came a quiet whisper from the tainted elf's lips.

She understood his caution, of course, but she was nevertheless unable to muster up the sympathy to much care. Her head was pounding, her nerves fraying from the near misses they'd had so far, and as far as she'd made it now, she was very loathe to end her streak of victories and give up here. She abhorred the thought of having risked their lives to rescue these women, only to decide that they couldn't secure them simply because they lacked the equipment or manpower to transport them, and those that could help them simply were too scared to do their part in restoring their city as a safe haven and home for them all. She really contemplated what she could do to strike back at the stubborn bastard... leave the girls here and force him to care for them, lest they attract the monsters... take them, scream and shout as they left... maybe just set the place ablaze as they left...

But no. These would help no one in the long, or even short run. They were petty, vindictive thoughts... far too murderous for her to be either considering or entertaining. Instead, she stood in silence for a long while, rooted, as she tried to puzzle out a solution...

...And then, almost as if someone whispered it into her ear, it came to her. [Well... we don't have anything to ply him with at the moment, but I can fix that, I'm sure.] Beckoning and sending a thought for two of the soldiers to follow her, she checked for a back entrance, or something otherwise more secluded than the front door. To the others, she simply stated to wait and hold secure.

Once another entrance was located, she called for her lizard and had it make off outside, closing the door behind it as it headed off on the aforementioned mission to find food. She placed an alarm trap outside the door, some distance from the entrance, along with an electrical trap on the inside, precautions much like she'd left at the front. There, she waited with the others, watching the entrance, in case trouble tried to come through it.

Well, half-watched, really. A not insignificant portion of her attention she devoted to practically hovering over the lizard's shoulder, inspecting what it gathered - looking for spoiled or otherwise ruined foods to ignore, while also trying to ignore overly smelly foods that might have their scents trailed to the survivors. It could probably find something to help it carry things as it went - a basket or equivalent seeming easy enough to locate.

Provided nothing went wrong, she took the food, allowed a break to eat to her own, and then tried to connect minds with the survivor's cranky apparent leader, sending him a mental image of the supplies in front of her.

[Would you reconsider my proposal?]

Spoiler

Casting Alarm and Shock trap. <_>

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success, as usual.

Resistance to keep control of the lizard: Naltaibur wins.

Perception of the lizards coming to rape you: Priceless. But not enough to not set off the alarms.

Sending the reptilian hunter forth and letting it out via a door in the rear of the building, Naltaibur was left relatively at peace for a good while, Kormak and Jenkins watching over her with expressions of boredom. The creature didn't have much in the way of context when it came to food, as it seemingly thought of the corpse of a dog that it found in the backyard as food, but with some prodding from her it went out into the street to search for more edible subjects. She seemingly hit the jackpot upon finding a bakery only a short distance down the street. Unfortunately, just as she had the beast go inside and found it filled with plentiful quantities of at least edible looking bread, the alarms she'd set outside the front door went off.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

[Stay calm and no noise, my spells are saying someone's at the front,] Naltaibur thought to the rest of her group. [Gloria, Margaret, get up and start to the hall where I am, quietly. Anna and Mav behind them, soldiers between them and the door, don't get too close to it.] To her mind-bound invader thrall, she immediately instructed it to get back out onto the street and find the nearest thing and hoist it up and throw it back down the street, towards their apartment. She hoped so badly whatever it was out there wasn't yet more invaders - instead, another band of survivors. She didn't even think she'd mind if they were hostile - at least they could potentially reasoned with and bargained with. If they were Therionians, she wouldn't have to worry over them having another one of those giants in tow, either - one of those demolishing the building was all she needed.

[Kormac, Jenkins, let's go,] she thought, creeping forward with the pair towards the front, slowly pulling out her sword. She had one keep an eye on the back, just in case something tried to creep in on them.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Rolls

Spoiler

Good hunter: 47 stealth and 39 perception
Bad hunters: 38 stealth and 33 perception
Naltaibur's Perception: 39

Acknowledgements came quickly from Naltaibur's followers, who started moving as silently as they possibly could. Given the nature of the situation, every tiny noise that they produced seemed to be magnified, but after a few moments the noncombatants were edging up the stairs and the soldiers were arrayed behind her with their swords and crossbows at the ready. Through the eyes of her hunter, the corrupted physician watched the creature return to their street only to see nothing... Nothing immediately, at least. After it dropped the food she'd ordered it to collect and hurled a brick out into the open, it spotted movement from around the entrance of the house. Very quickly the controlled alien's eyes adjusted, and soon Naltaibur realized that it was looking at several of its kin, she'd guess four in total. The creatures held a hushed conversation as her creature observed, unable to hear it, before one of them started off and the other three started heading toward the door. Its path would take the alien monster past her own hunter, but to have it attack then would be doing so right out in the open, and would most likely result in her losing her dominated creature. She could instead opt to have it follow the other creature until it was out of sight of its comrades, but that would be risky and ensure that it couldn't help in the fight if she and those she was trying to protect were discovered. She could also come up with some other solution, of course, but that would be up to her to puzzle out.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

She bid her lizard to hiss down the street towards that it had prey, but it was getting away, and that they should chase it down with him. She let him run the thought through it's head, watching carefully to make sure the idea didn't spark a rebellion in it's mind - or if it did, she was there to quickly stamp it out before the lizard could pull it's mind from her grasp - hoping to draw the rest of the hunters away from discovering them.

['Careful... if they discover us, we must kill them quickly, before they can make a sound.'] She wondered if the xenos would investigate blood of their own kind... she hoped they wouldn't, as she had little strength left in her for another battle, and wished not at all to be caught outside, cleaning the doorstep of the monster's ichor. Even if her magical training had included a spell that would do it easily (quite handy, really), she feared the time she spent outside, exposed; every moment was one more moment she risked tipping off a group that there were survivors in this building. She needed them to take her rescuees - it would all be for naught if she had to leave them exposed, where they could be taken... or if she brought the invader's eye upon this building, and one of their brutish giants destroyed it... and Naltaibur herself desperately needed rest. She supposed they could rest in the building without the added safety of the survivor's basement, here... but it fell in line with her other goals. Besides that, she could not rest properly unless she released her lizard, whom she found immensely useful. She would not do that unless she were rested well enough to comfortably dominate another.

She should have barred the door, damn it, she berated herself. They would have found it closed, and in all likelihood, left. Any piece of wood would have done, stuck through the handles - or perhaps her falchion, to be reclaimed later. It was a moot point now, though. She prepared a spell, her finger tracing runes in the air, praying she would not have to use them...

Spoiler

Get ready for SURPRISE ROUND SPELLS with Mana Leak, L5 Arcane spell, if they end up not taking the bait.
BC 34 vs DC 40
Bolt damage (2d4 + 8 [mind/6]) * 5 on EP
1/3 dealt restored to my EP

PANIC

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

Her hunter did as she instructed it, hissing in a language with which Naltaibur was unsurprisingly not versed at the group assembled in front of her group's hiding place. Her fellow fighters gave a nod and followed her lead, preparing to kill the first thing to come through the door. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be necessary, as the other aliens left their building alone and opted to pursue her own instead. The problem then was, where to take the creatures that it might lose them, or what to do with it in general.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

The doctor breathed out with relief as the lizards took her bait, waiting until they had gained some distance from the apartment before reporting their departure. ['They're gone,'] she started, as she unraveled what structure she had started of the spell she planned to defend herself with. ['My lizard has lured them away. Find something stout to bar the door with - not yet, though, I need to reset my alarms - and then relocate to some distance from the rear door. We don't want to be upstairs if one of their giants decide to... 'investigate'.']

Meanwhile, she sent her lizard hurrying down the street, away from the apartment, but not quite quick enough to lose the lizards. She plumbed it's mind to look for memories of hunts here in Therion, how it tracked, how it communicated. She needed it to signal to the four that they had to split up - three to one group, while one more with him, since he had the prey's scent. She had to make sure they hurried, had to make sure they had no time to think... had to get them away from them.

When it came upon an alley, Naltaibur bid it to go through it, and then smell at the ground. She would have them split up there, and if it managed to get one to follow it alone, she could have them continue along some distance before murdering it and continuing back to pick up her food - watching carefully and staying camouflaged, in case the three others caught wise to her tricks.

She asked Annabeth to listen at the door in case anything still waited outside. She bid her and one of the soldiers come with her to reset her alarm spell - this time laying a series of Flash mines a short distance away on both sides of the street - roughly in front of the buildings on either side, with alarm spells to warn her if anything wandered into them. She keyed them not to go off except on her command, or if she allowed them to explode normally - at which point they would be triggered by invaders (save her lizard) breaching their radius. If worse came to worse, her lizard could retreat through here - the blasts should take care of those monsters. She prayed it would do so without drawing yet more interest towards them - Naltaibur was far too spent to do much good in another battle.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door. A wall of flash mines across the street.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

The people around Naltaibur relaxed visibly at her psionic message that the danger was passed, though they quickly retensed as she delivered her next set of instructions. The next phase of her plan for herself went off with a lot of nervous fidgeting from Annabeth and her armed allies, but thankfully no more of the aliens opted to show themselves while Naltaibur laid a series of mines around the door and remade her alarm. The mines were laid, the alarm reset, and as she commanded it the mind controlled hunter led its comrades on a wild goose chase. The unsuspecting creatures were easy to trick and bought the lie, splitting off save one, which her own hunter gleefully murdered before returning with bloodied claws and an armful of stolen food. It seemed to have returned alone, and all that Naltaibur had to do was let it in to seemingly confirm as much, as it would deposit its ill gotten gains at her feet like a dog playing fetch before standing there to await further orders. Whether she wanted it to go and get more or try the people downstairs again now, was up to her to decide, but it was clear that some of them, the mercenaries in particular, were starting to get antsy being made to sit around in here for so long while remaining on high alert the entire time.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur wiped off the monster's claws before leading it to the back. Just one armload for the lot of them and her twelve charges wasn't going to be nearly enough... even if she told them not to feed them, she could leave them a few loaves of bread and some water, or something, in the event that they woke up, no?

Making sure the triggers on her spells weren't going to activate when she or the lizard passed through them, she let it slip out the back, to gather up another load.


Sensing that their nerves were starting to frazzle, Naltaibur bid her other, more willing compatriots to get into more defensible positions - preferably in the center of the building, so they wouldn't get split up if one of the invader's giants tried to smash through the building, or some other dangerous circumstance befell them. If anyone wished, they could climb the building to the open apartment, if they wished to attempt to survey the area... Naltaibur's beast had gone through the building, so it was almost certainly safe... but, ever the paranoid one, Naltaibur would suggest whoever went up not go alone, anyway. She also warned against being seen - not to open any windows or lean outside or anything, despite the fact that that was practically a given.

While they waited, Naltaibur sat and thunk. If what he said was true... if Avenshire was overrun... maybe she should consider leaving Margaret and Gloria here, with the rescuees. They would be safe, at least for awhile, if they failed... they weren't fighters, after all - there was no point in subjecting them to the breaking of a siege of monsters...

Seeking their opinion, she called them over. ['Gloria, Margaret...'] she began, ['...What do you think of staying here, until we come back?'] she asked. ['According to them, Avenshire is going to be very dangerous - it would be unnecessary to put you two at risk there, and - if you two were here, there would be someone we can trust here, watching over the rescued lot. I'm not asking to decide now - I would have us meet the others here, first - but it's an option to consider.']


Assuming the lizard returned without incident (which Naltaibur silently whispered prayers was the case - she really wasn't sure she was capable of another fight), Naltaibur would bid everyone but her, Aluwin, and his men to move out of sight of the door to the basement, so that they would be safe from Jeron's crossbow - and then reached for Jeron's mind, showing him what was in front of her... the first half bundle of food - and some of the rest, if it was available - inspected and wiped as clean as Naltaibur could get it might have sullied it in it's transport. ['What do you say? Will you house my girls for this food?']

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor, Dominating a Hunter
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door. A wall of flash mines across the street.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Delivering its first load of food, her hunter was off again in short order to go and get more, leaving Naltaibur to allow her comrades to fan out somewhat in the building proper. Given her permission, the mercenaries quickly did a couple of rounds of rock-paper-scissors before deciding that Jax would stay with the rest, while Caden and Aluwin would head upstairs. Gloria opted to go with them, believing it to be safe and promising to stay away from the windows.

While that party was exploring the upper stairs, Naltaibur delivered her offer for the two women to stay. Gloria was immediately hesitant, while Margarette was all for the idea, saying that Naltaibur could contact them when it was clear to start moving the party, and that they could work on getting the alchemist's group more agreeable to the idea of working with them in the meantime. Her hunter returned with its second load before any decision was reached, and the two retreated into their own thoughts when Naltaibur reached out to poke the difficult man with her mind.

He responded predictably, refusing the contact immediately, but he was back upstairs in short order, at which point Naltaibur once again found a crossbow leveled at her masked face. Mavra, who was standing just barely within sight of the man but apparently beyond his notice, seemed to be getting extremely sick of that. "I told you lot to fuck off!" he growled angrily, speaking before Naltaibur could even open her mouth and refusing any further attempts at mental contact that might make the conversation more discrete. Aluwin and his men were back downstairs to support her, with the militia soldiers remaining out of sight but not out of earshot. After Naltaibur delivered her request, however, the man growled irritably and glared at her for a moment, but then glanced between the food and her, apparently weighing his options.

"You want us to house your turned, and in return you'll give us this?" he demanded, eying her cautiously, "You know full well that as soon as one of them starts attacking one of us, I'm going to put it down, yes? I would just stick with no... But if you're handing all of this over for that little bit of hassle, then fine, I'll keep 'em locked up downstairs until they start trying to claw their way out."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Naltaibur sighed. "They haven't been Turned - there are two Healers in my group, and we've both checked them over. I plan on re-checking them, once we are down below and safe amongst you folk." Naltaibur looked him in the eye from behind her mask. "I of course expect you to do what must be done if we are wrong. However... just to make it clear, my terms are that you also provide my group - all of it, mind - and I space downstairs to rest, until we've caught our breath enough to continue on. We also wish to leave a few of our non-combatants here - if Avenshire is overrun as you said, I don't want to have them risking themselves pointlessly."

She bid Gloria and Margaret, hiding out of sight, come out from behind the wall, holding more of their scavenged food. "We will leave more food with you for this, of course."


If he accepted, Naltaibur would help in bring the unconscious girls down the stairs, situating them wherever they were going to accommodate them. She would stand in front of Mavra as they went down - and in case anyone decided to hassle her, she would intercede - "Do you want our food or not? The Invaders are as much a threat to her as they are to the rest of us - she is on our side."

The lizard would standby upstairs, out of the way, just in case things started to sour; if everyone managed to get downstairs without incident, then she would return, and take him one floor up and around a corner, away from any windows, so whatever sounds it might make were less likely to be heard, asking Cormack or one of the other men to accompany her. And of course, Mavra was welcome to join her as well, in case the basement's reception of her was... chillier, than she would've liked. There, Naltaibur would pat the lizard on the head and praise him for all his hard work - and then tell it that it had earned a rest. Having brought some of her manacles, she would find something sturdy to cuff it to, and then lie down near it. She would plant peaceful seeds of thought in it's head - a sort of mental lullaby - before twirling some of the power left in her waning center of magic into the rough form of the spell she had cobbled together that would put her patients to sleep. She pulsed it into him through where the base of his spine would be, had he not had a tail - she'd found the spell worked best when applied there. As it shot up his backbone and took root in his brain, she felt him drift into unconsciousness - hopefully letting the thoughts she'd planted find their way into his dreams, where she hoped they would assuage some of the murderous intent his mind seemed to be purposed for. If she could restructure the minds of these creatures... perhaps she could turn them, as they turned her countrymen?

Once the thing slumbered, she would place her manacles around it's ankles, and then manacled the chain of those to whatever sturdy object she'd found nearby. She then manacled the thing's hands behind it's back - thinking pleasant, soothing thoughts into it's mind all the while. Not the securest shackling... but she didn't want to make it too uncomfortable, lest it wake from it's sleep before she wanted it to. Lastly, she wound a spare bandage around it's mouth, muffling it in case it did awake, and tried to scream out for it's brethren.

["Experiment. And they're very useful as scouts,"] she would explain to her companion(s). ["I don't want to wait until they stumble on us again to reacquire another one."] She tried to tell herself there was no affection towards the monstrous thing, having seen it so eager to please and friendly as it retrieved the food for her... a far cry from the murderous, brutal monsters she had seen tearing into Therion's people. It had probably snuffed dozens of her countrymen in it's claws...

Only when she was done and had taken several steps away from what looked to be the furthest it could move in it's bindings did she relinquish her hold on the thing's mind, letting it slumber.

Once back downstairs, she checked on Dolly (again) and then looked through her sack of herbs and medicines. Mayhap she had packed some of the herbs she used to treat these headaches...

A bare quantity of the food retrieved by her lizard, she had held back from the offer, and told the group to divvy up and eat. She had work to do, though... while her headache-tea brewed (if she had found any), she re-examined the rescuee's bodies and souls, using her diagnostic spell to check for any formation of the telltale stone-like core of corruption near their hearts. Though her energy reserves were low, she also tried to examine a few of their minds - hoping to see them structured normally, undamaged - both in the sense that their architectures resembled perhaps Gloria's, and also in that they were not addled or disposed towards favoring the invaders or dominated by sex - hopefully, their unwaking minds gave her enough to work with that she could do this.

The orc was one of her primary interests, given that the green skinned race was martially-inclined almost genetically on top of being powerfully built - very handy traits for the work Naltaibur had ahead of her. As she recalled, though, her people's native culture was none too fond of mages like her... that might be problematic, if she were a traveler, and not a Therionian.


She sat next to Mavra when she was finished, yanking her mask up just enough to expose her mouth, as she usually did to eat when she was still in her plague doctor's outfit, and scarfing down whatever was left for her. She wondered... did she recognize any of the people down here as ones she'd treated before?

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

Spoiler

Naltaibur: HP = 45, PP = 53, EP = 11/49, Status = Fine, Telepathy to 10 different people, +21 Resistance (38) from Arcane Armor
Lightning Bolt Trap in the lobby and at the back door, Alarm traps in the street outside, at the back door, and in the doorway of the front door. A wall of flash mines across the street.

NPC Stats
Mavra: HP = 63, PP = 54, EP = 42/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Father Uldric: HP = 53, PP = 38, EP = 61, Status = Fine
Annabeth (Wizard Template) : HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 49/55, Status = Fine, +24 Perception on Self, +24 Body on Kormack, Eavesdrop

Given that he could barely even see her eyes through the lenses of her mask, it was difficult to say whether the lazy-eyed alchemist was trying to meet her gaze or if he was simply watching while she spoke lest she attempt some sort of trick. His expression soured at the added stipulation that she and her group be given sanctuary downstairs, but he simply nodded at the demand that some of the non-combatants be left behind. Naltaibur could feel Gloria's protest at that over the mental link, but the girl didn't put it into words while Naltaibur was speaking to the stranger. She did come forth bearing some more of the food though, and she and Margarett stared back at the man impassively as he glanced them over for about two seconds. "If you want to bring yourselves down there I'll have to have a talk with the others first," he said gruffly once it was clear that she had finished. Turning back towards the door, he spoke over his shoulder; "I'll be back in a minute."

True to his word, the strange man was back upstairs a few moments later, and this time he brought two other men with him. The scowl on the man's face was fairly plain for her to see, but the two men beside him, one a short stocky man with dark hair and a big bushy mustache and the other a taller man with long well groomed blond hair and the build of a workman, didn't seem particularly bothered. "We're up to help," the taller man supplied, and the stockier man nodded in agreement. Still frowning, the alchemist said; "We have us an accord then. You lot can come downstairs for a rest, but not for more than long enough to catch your breath. We don't have a lot of room down there. Got it?"

After that, shuttling the unconscious women took a good bit of time and effort, and produced a great deal more noise than any of them liked, though it didn't seem to attract any attention. Predictably, the sight of Mavra had the nervous bunch located downstairs more than a little put off, but nobody made an issue of it beyond keeping as far away from the unnaturally beautiful demoness as was possible. The basement of the apartment complex was fairly cramped, largely due to a large quantity of stored boxes and the like, but they managed to squeeze the victims into the store room where they'd been directed. After that it was back upstairs to see to her lizard, a journey that Mavra happily took with Naltaibur in order to get out of the oppressive atmosphere of the basement, leaving Annabeth behind to watch over the sick. She needed little justification for keeping the hunter alive, not after the obvious use she'd made of the creature via her psychic control of it, and nobody bothered to argue with her, instead silently aiding in binding the alien after she'd knocked it out.

There was one thing that did happen between her binding of the hunter and her return downstairs, however. When Kormac wasn't looking at them, Mavra bumped her hips lightly against Naltaibur's, and when the corrupted elf looked her way she would find the demoness looking at her with a soft but sly smile. ['It is very quiet up here, and there is so much room.... Perhaps we could come up here while the others rest? I would certainly like to make you.... Comfortable...'] she said, and a whiff of the demon's pheromones through the assorted ruptures in her suit served to make the idea all the more enticing, and as if to make the idea more enticing she licked her lips and added; ['I saw a bed in one of those apartments that looked very... Very... Comfortable~']

However she might respond to the demon's temptations, Naltaibur was soon downstairs among all the others, and was able to check on Dolly again while the others passed around her food. The winged rat seemed quite alright, though she lightly nipped at Naltaibur's finger when initially let out, signalling that she was hungry. They didn't have any way of brewing hot tea, but she could at least soak the relaxant leaves in the water for a bit before drinking it, helping a bit to alleviate her magic-caused headache.

Then, while the others ate, Naltaibur took a bit of time to check over their rescued victims, and her diagnostic spell gave her some interesting results. They didn't have the stones that were created in the body when it was exposed to too much corruption, but they did have the early signs of such, which Naltaibur would recognize from other subjects that she'd studied in her quest to understand corruption. That meant that they hadn't been fully corrupted, and as she examined them in mind and spirit too she would find their souls recovering and their minds undamaged.

When she finally sat down beside her lover to break her own fast and swept her gaze over the handful of survivors sitting across from them, Naltaibur actually did recognize a few of them. The man with the bushy mustache was a regular customer of hers, frequently buying potions to deal with male impotence and assorted minor illnesses that seemed to plague him. One of the others, a bedraggled old woman with gray hair, had gone to her for cures for her arthritis. Also, another of the men, a young lad who looked barely old enough to hold a training sword, much less the real one now hanging at his side, had been taken to her when he'd broken his leg as a boy.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Dr. Love, Dr. Death (GargantuaBlarg)

"Got it," the doctor replied, extending a hand to shake the alchemist's hand. She hadn't had much time to think it over, so Naltaibur wasn't too surprised by Gloria's protests. Surely the girl realized how dangerous it would be to go with them to clear out Avenshire... and since she couldn't fight with them, there was almost no point in it, either - Naltaibur would speak to her later.

---

That beautiful red-skinned temptress... with her head still pounding and her vitality drained from all her magical exertion today, Naltaibur wanted nothing else than to unwind with her Mavra, just like she had last night... but, she knew she couldn't. They'd been safe there... she could afford to scream there. In this place, mere wood walls, with dozens of people under her protection just downstairs, and monsters lurking in places she couldn't see and where she couldn't know, she simply couldn't. She didn't know if she could stop herself from losing control, like she had last night, when she screamed...

That heady scent of hers made it's way to Naltaibur, making her loins stir and her lover's intentions clear. Nervously, she looked at her demoness, that little tongue of her's gliding across her lips. She looked back behind them, at Kormack.

Looping her arm around Mavra's, she silently hurried off with the demoness, to find some privacy.


...

Naltaibur sat heavily on the bed, feeling her fatigue catching up with her. Through the glass of her mask's eyelenses, she looked up at Mavra, and then undid the straps securing her mask in place once she'd closed the door, pulling down the coif-hood over her hair and shaking her red-rooted tresses out.

The air smelled... dirty, and stale, with all the old death and ruins caking the streets, lacking too the smells of regular Therion life - people going about their business, baking bread, animals pulling carts. Naltaibur motioned for Mavra to sit with her, if she hadn't yet already, and then leaned against her - the smaller elf's head falling onto her shoulder. "Mavra, I... I um... I don't think I could keep quiet if we started to... you know..."

She pulled off her gloves, laying them with her mask. She felt along her mental link to her companions - if anything bled over that, too...

"If anything heard me scream out, it would be disastrous, so... so, I think things like that... will have to wait." Naltaibur said, with a twinge of regret. "Can we, um... can we just cuddle?"

If she said yes, Naltaibur would pull her down onto the bed, holding her from behind as she curled up against her back, nuzzling against her back. The elf hadn't counted on the effect Mavra's nearness and her pheromones would do, though... When she could no longer take it, the Night Elf swung a leg over the demoness, an arm on either side of Mavra's shoulders. "Mavra... um... you know, since... since you saved me today, and since I'm going to rest once we return downstairs... Mavra... I want to give you a little more of my vitality..."

Naltaibur licked her lips, bringing them down to meet her demonesses' own pair. "Don't... don't let me pass out, okay? If I... if I did, and the telepathic links went down, the others might come looking for us..." The doctor brought a hand up to stroke her lover's hair, and then gently cradled her behind her neck, the tip of her long tongue flicking out to run along Mavra's soft lips. "I can give it t-to you like this, right...?"

Mavra wouldn't have a chance to answer, as Naltaibur closed the rest of the distance, mouth enveloping the demonesses'.

---

Naltaibur shook her finger when her little mouse bit it. She barely noticed, since her hand was sheathed in it's protective leather glove - her face once again concealed as well, of course.

Damn mouse. Why was she biting? She was sitting in a sack of feed! She scooped up some of the grain in her hand, presenting it to the little winged mouse. If that didn't work, she could just crumble up some bread for it when she took her own meal, or something.

Speaking of feed, now that she had the count of people down here, she wondered how long the supply of food she'd traded to them would last for, assessing about how long it should take them to eat through it. She didn't include Gloria, Margaret, or the rescuees in her assessment at first, given that they might not feed her two girls. She was almost certain they wouldn't feed the rescuees, either. After that, she included her two girls and her rescuees into the figures - the rescuees would be famished when they awoke, she figured, so she had to take that into account... most likely, Naltaibur would have to send the lizard back out to find more food, once they were ready to leave. She thought these things over as she soaked her tea - and, if whatever cup she happened to have looked sturdy and inflammable enough, heated it up with some very elementary Fire magic.

She wasn't sure if sharing her results would assuage or inflame the Alchemist that appeared to be the leader of this little group's mistrust of her rescuees, so she simply reported that they would be fine once they awoke, and - once again - they had not been Turned. Afterwards, she waved Gloria over, asking her to sit next to her as she ate. ['I only negotiated for the possibility of your staying here earlier, you understand, Gloria,'] she thought. ['Was there some reason you were against staying when the alchemist and I agreed to it? The fight we're going to be picking will almost certainly be even worse than the one outside the clinic, earlier - I don't want to endanger you needlessly in it.']

Truthfully, Naltaibur was practically certain no good would come of letting the girl follow them to the fortress, and planned to persuade her to stay here until they came back. If she could resolve this without problem, Naltaibur would gladly alllow the magics her core was sustaining right now to unravel, and the group's mental network to shutdown, while she leaned against the wall, eyes shut, letting her tea do it's work, and her core to rebuild it's strength.

Spoiler

If you want to get technical, Mavra totally could respond anyway, via MINDBULLETS. <_>

Using, uh... I dunno, a really shit version of Torch on my tea, also, if possible and if I have to actually pick a spell or whatever.