First, the Last Stop [D3, EM]

[Quinn Largo]

Quinn had rushed and skipped most of her morning routine. She didn't even have any breakfast. She had a trail to follow. Or a hint. Or a vision. Or whatever it was. Hell, it might have been a warning and she's heading in completely the wrong direction. But if she was, she'd figured it was supposed to happen that way anyhow.

Unlike last time, she found herself heading to the small town just outside the forest first; and then made her way into the tavern. Maybe it was hunger drawing her there. Hopefully they'd have something to eat this early. 'Cause she could already hear the 'don't be stupid kid' lecture on going into the forest, and she wasn't looking forward to enduring that on an empty stomach.

[Honorordeath]

Even from outside the closed doors of the place the telltale smells of breakfast wafted out from the building. Just inside there was a veritable crowd in the establishment. Almost every table and seat seemed to be taken up by one group or family or another. Light, pleasant, conversation seemed to consume the room and Aislea Griche moved about from table to table ensuring everyone was happy personally. Staff she'd not seen on her previous trip, an older heavy set gentleman with a graying beard, moved in and out of one of the doors to the back right which must have been the kitchen by the looks of their attire. Carrying out the trays of food directly to the customers and taking a moment to chat and talk before disappearing back behind the door.

Looking up from her table Aislea saw Quinn as she entered the woman offered a wave with her pen still in hand, "Heya! Come on in, we'll find ya a seat," she called out with a welcoming cheer.

[Quinn Largo]

Having the place be crowded certainly made for an entirely different feel than the other day. She came inside and looked around, taking the measure of the people who were in there, before trying to find herself a seat.

[Aislea Griche]

There was an open seat by the end of the bar, most of the patrons had some variant of breakfast on their plates and as bustling as the staff seemed to be, Aislea and the chef, the guests were calm and slowly went about eating their morning meals. Most of them were near finished and the few that already were just sat with some caf and talked idly.

Quinn didn't have to wait too long before Aislea bid farewell to the couple she was speaking with at the table and came back around the bar to where Quinn sat, "What brings you back this way?"

[Quinn Largo]

"I'm going back into the forest," she said, "also I'm hungry."

[Honorordeath]

Aislea gave a sharp, almost musical but not quite, whistle. Responded to, seemingly, by the shouts that came out from the kitchen immediately afterwards. "Well, you're long since passed the morning rush but we can feed you. Think I can convince you not to go off wanderin' into that forest again? There're nasty predators in there like you wouldn't believe."

[Quinn Largo]

"Thanks, but I don't know of any other place where I can find that guardian spirit with the blue light. It didn't want to stick around my room this morning."

[Honorordeath]

"Don't got any protection with you? A friend? Someone who might know a thing or two about keepin' ya both alive?" she asked, laying her hands out flat against the counter. Bustling and clanging could be heard from the kitchen as the older gentleman from before made quite the racket on his reappearance at the door.

[Quinn Largo]

"Maybe. But maybe bringing someone else along will scare the thing off."

[Aislea Griche]

"That could be a risk you're taking with your life," she said, a touch grimly but it was earnest. However, the bubbly chef overtook the moment when he arrived and looked right to Quinn. Boisterously announcing, "Little miss! What is it, on this fine day, that you might wish of my humble grill? You can be certain I will be sure to not allow the good name of Aislea here to be sullied by anything but the best of the best."

[Quinn Largo]

"Not the best advice to give to someone who likes to gamble," she said with a smile, before the chef came.

"Oh, well, what's your specialty? I'll have that."

[Honorordeath]

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, slapping a hand down on Aislea's shoulder with a broad grin. Aislea herself just looked to Quinn, concerned. "So, what brings ya in to our little town little miss?" he asked, his voice deep but warm and inviting.

[Quinn Largo]

"Why the forest of course," she said, looking between the two of them.

[Honorordeath]

"The forest!?" he exclaimed with a surprised laugh, looking to Aislea. Shaking her head the woman inclined it in her direction, confirming the thought. "Well, I'll be damned. Kid like you goin' off into that forest alone. That's a spirit I've not seen for quite some time. Somethin' bout ten or so years ago was the last time I saw that kinda gumption. Well, if yer anything like that other kid you'll turn out fine little one."

[Quinn Largo]

She looked confused. "Huh? What kid?"

[Aislea Griche]

With a soft chuckle the chef rubbed Aislea's shoulder before giving Quinn a knowing look and slipping back off into the kitchen.

"Look," she said, leaning into the table again, "just cause I made some risky decisions when I was younger doesn't mean that you should too. If anything you should know this means I understand that forest just about as well as anyone. There's a danger in there, and I almost didn't make it out back then. Not that a scared to their toes little kid like I was woulda gone and said anything to anyone but I could have died back then. So listen, don't listen to what anyone tells you about that place. You get caught in there, there is no sense runnin' or hiding, things in there know that forest better than you or I ever can or will. Gotta find a way to protect yourself."

[Quinn Largo]

It took a moment to dawn on her, but then she nodded at the chef, before listening to the spiel.

"So? What'd you suggest? I mean, I was kind of hoping to find the thing I need to protect myself in there in the first place."

[Honorordeath]

"If you gotta go in, you go with protection.." she looked Quinn over once, "real protection. Don't look much like the soldier type yourself so someone who knows their way around a blaster would help. Someone who can avoid being tracked by the predators in that place."

"Other than that.." she paused, thought, then moved around the table to lean in and whisper some of the secrets she'd learned during her times back in the day. Little ways a young mind was able to figure out how to figure out where they were going.

[Quinn Gains a Boost on any Check in the Duskeen Forest toward Survival checks to find: direction, food, water, etc.]

[Quinn Largo]

She listened, and nodded. Little tips and tricks were always useful.

Then she pulled back. "Sounds like you're the best person to come with me, then."

[Honorordeath]

"Can't do that," she shook her head, "who would be here to warn the next batch off from wandering off into the Forest alone?"

[Should Quinn attempt a Charm roll, difficulty will be Hard with a Setback.]