Laying Low [Everyone]

"Ye gods. Has there ever been a greater argument for replacing the city guard with something better?" Sithani mock-yawns and turns to Sunrise. "If you showed him the universe he'd turn away and say 'Not what I'm being paid for'. If we outlive him we can write that on his grave."

"I don't think we're going to get much more out of him. We should probably move on to whatever is going to be next for him." He looks around. "In all honesty I'd prefer to bring him to Callahan, but I can see that being dangerous given the current circumstances. What do you all propose?"

Sunrise snorts. "I propose, before anything else, getting a list of who else is corrupt. Regardless of what we do with him, Callahan will want that." Rising gracefully, she heads to a desk and returns with paper and an inkpen. Nodding at the man, she adds, "About 20, you said?"

"Yeah, and you're not wrong Callahan will want that," he agrees flatly. "So if you're really set on handing me over to him, I'll tell him myself in exchange for better treatment. If you want the names yourself, you can let me go. I'm done."

Thimb had been listening curiously up until now trying to hide her awe and not glance at Tree or Korogur for their reactions as it seemed rude. But she did ask, her voice small and a little shy, "Do you like being a guard? I mean, I know people do what they have to to survive and all, and not everyone is lucky enough to be able to do something they like, but guards can always move to like, private sector for better pay, right? Without having to do shady stuff? S-so is it just the money or were there other reasons for you to be a guard?"

Thresen blinks at the small woman, taken aback by the question. "Um. My father was a guard? And his father? Sort of the family trade, really. That was back when you could raise a family on a guard's wages, of course. Nowadays you have to sell something on the side just to put food in your mouth..."

"Wait- we pay our guards that poorly?" Thimb looked upset, "No wonder so many of them are corrupt," she mumbled. "That must be hard though, trying to follow a family trade and help people like that and not being able to like they did. I mean, I assume, anyways. You said you were done, what now? Are you going to leave the guards entirely? Because, if part of you started this because you wanted to help people... Well," she gestured around, "this could be a chance to help people. And then maybe we can try to help you, too."

He stares at her, genuinely confused. "I'll, uhh, have some decisions to make if your friends don't murder me, yes."

Glen gives a little 'hmph,' his arms still folded. "I think we've gotten all we can out of this one, and I don't think he's suddenly going to stop being a bag of crap. He's been... helpful-adjacent. But I wouldn't trust him to go any further with us. Best to just move on. I doubt he'll be any more of a problem for us." He grimaces at the man. "Right?"

The man snorts, looking sadly amused. "I fully plan to never see any of you ever again, yes. I need a vacation."

Thimb looked at Glen, but she supposed she couldn't blame him for not wanting to give this guy an inch. He had been murdered because of men like him, right? She had just gotten gouged by a rampaging chimera. Not at all what she meant when she said she had wanted her guts messed up like someone in one of her novels. Wrong one of her novels.

Still, she wanted to believe that appealing to people's inherent goodness could work. One last try, then. "Is there- is there anything else you could tell us? There are a lot of people in danger because of what's going on."

Thresen shakes his head. "Hon, I'm sorry. I really am; you seem like a cute kid. But I'm paid to not ask questions. You want to know why Durug wanted to see this chick, you gotta ask him. Hells, maybe he'll tell you."

Glen nods. "Clearly we need to figure out what's next, but I'd rather not let this heap of garbage listen in. I'd also just as soon not just cut him loose. Is there a place he could sit tight until we decide what to do? Sunrise? Luther?"

Luther nods. "I can put him in a carriage and send him with one of my men over to my house if you want."

"We're not..." Thimb trailed off, "I mean, I know he was, um, willingtokillus," she stammered out, "but, we're not- not going to- unless there's real and present danger... Right?" she asked Luther, moving closer so their prisoner didn't over hear her.

Sunrise's lip lifts in a delicate sneer; she doesn't try to hide it. "He's been playing games this whole time; I see no reason to think he wouldn't continue to do so with Callahan. We would honestly probably save the good captain a headache if we just took him out past Brilight waters and tossed him over the side." Sighing, she shakes her head. "But for right now - can you do that magical sleep thing again? If you can keep him unconscious until morning I can stash him somewhere."

"Um, yes? I think so?" she looked apologetic to the man, "This won't hurt," she promised, giving her fingers a wiggle and humming a lullaby again.

((If he has 22 or less HP it is NAP O CLOCK MOTHER HECKERS, if he has more than Thimb's gonna be embarrassed))

His head droops and he is soon snoring softly.

Sunrise lets out an explosive breath, a shaky grin spreading across her face. "Oh, wow. Uh. Being the mean one is harder than I thought!"

Shaking her head, she points through a door. "There's a closet in there; it's big enough for him, if someone wants to move him there."

Oh, good. She didn't mess up a beginners spell in front of the commissioner of the Fey Tower and Tree. And a certain pair of dashing sailors... She already felt like a kid playing at an adult's game (even though Tree was nearly ten years younger than she was) and botching that up would not have helped.

"I know he's... not a nice man," said Thimb, hesitating on those words, "I still don't think we should... you know. Kill him," her voice dropped, soft on the last two words. "I know I've lived a very different life than you all, but... I don't feel right being the judge, jury, and executioner for this guy." Who probably ended up in this situation because he needed money and wasn't sure how else to get it. How many criminals fit that bill? How many felt it was hurt of be hurt? Thimb was already feeling queasy from the fight earlier, she didn't have it in her to contemplate the ethics of capitalism and crime right now.

"I guess that can wait though," she said as Sunrise pointed to the closet, knowing her brother and Glen were going to be on it in moments. "So, um.... What now?"

Sunrise snorts and shakes her head. "Oh, yeah, no. I'm not gonna lie, I'm angry enough right now that I could. But coming up with a reason why we didn't hand him over to Callahan tomorrow would be a hassle, and frankly we've got enough on our plate right now. I just needed him to believe I would." Her smile turns crooked. "I didn't even get to the part where I threaten to sell him into slavery in Nightport."

Standing, she stretches and winces, her wounds healed but still a little sore. "In the meantime... let's see if we can make Veshti's 'dinner party' excuse a little more accurate. Luther, Tree, do you mind helping me get some food together for everyone?"

Luther nods his head with a smile. "I can run downstairs and relay any message you like to the kitchen, yes," he agrees.

Tree looks up from helping to put the unconscious guard to the indicated closet. "Nice sleep spell," she observes to Thimb. "You really kept your thumb tucked in good on the downswipe gesture. Lots of folks don't. Um, yeah, I can help carry things?" she adds to Sunrise, uncertain.

"Fantastic," she says with a smile, and stands from the couch to lead them to the kitchens.

(OOC: this is a not-so-subtle attempt to get a moment alone with the two of them, for both strategy and other reasons. Do you want a side thread for that so people can chat here?)

Glen's shoulders sag a bit out of exhaustion. Now that the prisoner is asleep, he walks over, drops his bow and pack, and lets himself collapse onto one of the plush couches in the room. Elen sits vigilantly beside him, licking his nearby hand.

Sithani flops down where Sunrise had been sitting, and looks up at Glen. "Ye gods, how do you manage to do that as a job? That was exhausting!"