New Las Vegas

Between Tolbana and now Karluin being their most active spots some people forget that Scale Emblem have a specific base of operations in good ol' Alne still. There had been a bit of a ... rough going up in the Palace Lands so Vertina had come back 'home' to pick up some other stuff, check in with her friends, and make sure things were going good with the Dragon's Larder in her absense before heading back.

As luck would have it some of the stuff she wants to pick up is the tools for weapon maintenance to take back with her, so she's making her way through the castle to the training area, so it wouldn't be too hard for someone to catch up to her.

And catch up Robert does, booted feet echoing down the stone corridor as he approaches at a jog, his pace slowing only once he closes to within ten feet. "Vertina!" he calls, just a bit out of breath. Someone should probably be putting in a bit more time in the training center, but then he's only recently returned himself. And his activities were less on the dust-up side. "Do you have a moment? May I walk with you? I'd like to go over our upcoming work in the Palace Lands."

Vertina pauses a moment to glance over her shoulder at her name being called. "Oh, hello Robert! I wasn't sure if I'd run into you here, or on the way back." Then the salamander gal starts walking again. "Sure, I was just going to grab some supplies and stuff. Need the proper tools for keeping our weapons and such in shape in the new region. Paying Lander repair services may be good for trade, but it doesn't always handle some of the more 'unique' properties Adventurer gear can have."

SpritesHero falls into position by Vertina's side, keeping his gaze more or less front, except when they come to an intersection. Wouldn't do to wander off in the wrong direction, after all. "You do your own weapons maintenance, then?" he queries. "Or do you own a maintenance...shop? Business?" Semi-idle chit-chat. He's not disinterested, but he's also avoiding a topic. Or trying to properly formulate his thoughts. Could be either, really.

"I have the game's weaponsmithing ability to yeah, I do some of the maintence stuff for myself and the guild," Vertina doesn't mind chatting as they walk. "I made my clawed battle gloves, and a pair of fire channeling gauntlets for Syx." She stops just outside the doorway out to the training area, instead opening a storage room off to the side and stepping in. "I'm far from a professional, but knowing how to do these things is usually helpful."

SpritesHero does not follow her in. Instead he remains outside, back leaning against the door-post, attentions turned outwards. Any passers-by are greeted with a curt nod. "Something you were interested in back home, or newly-found in here?" he queries, arms folding over his chest. "Or more a necessity that had to be filled?"

"A bit of both?" Vertina replies from inside, admist the sounds of moving and shuffling as she collects things. Make sure she's got a decent hammer, awls, so on. "I trained in martial arts back home, and the care for one's equipment is part of that. And I've applied it to what the game allows me to do." She walks back out of the room. "We can get supplies from the settlements in the Palace Lands as needed, but knowing you have the proper tools to do work with is also a plus." She shrugs. "And I tend to focus on training or work when I need to take my mind off other things."

Other things. That gets a curious tilt of Robert's head, and the faintest narrowing of his eyes. But the question remains unvoiced. There's the faintest of grimaces, then, and he straightens from his position against the wall. "Not sure what the best way is to address this, so I'll just come straight out," he begins. "I don't know much about where we're going, but we're likely going to be in over our heads, and there's a high probability we'll end up having to do things that are not exactly...well, in normal times we wouldn't do them at all. I don't really know you, but you seem nice. I wanted to make sure you are aware of what we might be getting into."

That.. actually gets a faint smirk from Vertina, showing one of the tiny fang-like sharp teeth she has being a Salamander. "Don't let the nice girl attitude throw you off. I am every bit as much a hotheaded thrillseeking adrenaline junkie with more courage than common sense as anyone else in this crazy Alliance. So being in over our heads is kinda to be expected!" She laughs a bit. "Com'n, if I was worried about occasionally having to do things that wouldn't sit right with some people, would I be -here-?" She waves vagely at the castle as a proxy for the group. "There's a time when it's appropriate to fight fair... and a time when it's appropriate to do everything to increase the chance of success."

SpritesHero considers this for a few moments, head still tilted ever so slightly to the side. At length he offers a nod of assent. "Very well then," he remarks, his expression neutral. Hard to say if he's pleased by the response, or a bit worried by it. The smile that plays over his lips is more automatic than anything else. "And you will tell me if, at any point, you want out, yes? Or you are beginning to have second thoughts? I understand the ends justify the means argument, but to an extent means are also ends."

Vertina picks up one of the bo-staffs and rests it against her shoulder. She didn't use one for actual fighting, but they were useful to have for training since they're used in a lot of balance exercises. With that she starts walking back towards the entrance. "Back out? You haven't even told me what it is you plan to do yet."

"If I had a good idea of what we plan to do, I'd tell you," Robert answers with a lopsided smile, falling back into step beside her. "But the general idea is this. We use your martial arts skills to get attention. We see who's in charge. And we get leverage over them. With luck, we won't have to use that leverage. But judging by Prophylaxis's description, we will." His shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. "Other than that, we wing it and make sure we've got an escape plan. We just don't know enough yet to have anything better, in my opinion. Not yet. I'm open to suggestions, of course."

"I can also bribe people with liquor," Vertina points out offhandedly. "If it comes down to 'negotiations'." That's one way of putting it. "But if we want to get attention through combat, I can certainly put punching and kicking things with fire and rocks until they explode to use." The whole thing is shrugged off. "That's okay, sometimes trying to plan too many details ahead of time just causes trouble when the things you planned for don't happen, anyways."

"Liquor would certainly help to smooth things over," Robert agrees with a chuckle. "We should be fine, in the short term. I would think we can get a decent chunk of what Prophylaxis wants. But I don't see such an arrangement holding long-term. They'll want more. Folks generally do, unless there's teeth in the agreement to pre-empt it. And these folks seem used to being in power. They won't like us butting in. And fundamentally, if we want a stable presence, we can't be at their mercy." Again a shrug, his smile turning self-deprecating. "But I'm rambling again. We'll have to see what happens. Pleasure talking with you, and I look forward to the next couple of weeks."

"They won't, of course. But if we want their attention, well, that's getting it. We'll see what we get and work from there, right?" Vertina smirks. "More my style, anyways." She's hardly a dull bruiser, she just doesn't care to invest too much into thinking ahead and then having to change tracks when things go sideways. There's enough people in the Alliance to handle the deep thought.

"Right. Why do I get the feeling that any trip with you around turns into an adventure?" Robert's tones are half-complaining, half amused, and he turns away to return to wherever he came from. "Until then, Vertina."

"That's what happens when you hang out with daredevils!" Vertina calls after him with a laugh.