“I could do with a nice soak and some steam, I miss the hot springs back home. Let’s go.” Being a semi-aquatic bird, Ghoul seems even more excited for the bathhouse than Caio does. He flaps down to the door before turning with wings outstretched and squawking at the party, begging them to hurry up.

Alaris finishes cleaning the rented gear and wraps each piece back up in the linen it came with.

"Be easy, Ghoul -- it's HOT water they're talking about. I suspect you're more accustomed to the invigorating shock of cold natural waters, aren't you?" The paladin croons at the cormorant, talking to him like a beloved pet and tossing him a chunk of bread.

"Tell me where this 'fancy bathhouse' is," they say with abundance of trepidation. "I will meet you there after I turn these in and make my report. Astrid, would you do me a favor and pay for me when you get there?" Alaris steps close and passes a pouch with ten gold pieces in it to the dwarf. "Pay your own way in as well, and pay me back when you can."

Slinging the sack of gear over one broad shoulder, Alaris drawls, "Don't make any more deals with Breannian gangsters until I get there, okay Ling?" and steps out into the street, headed back to their temple.

'The Laughing Lada' is an upscale establishment in the heart of Piotrgrad's wealthy Primorsky district, just a short walk across the city from the Black Sheep. It's four stories high, with an expensive looking facade of dark wood. Windows are spaced regularly across the front, and on the top floor a central balcony protrudes from the wall. Stone columns support the porch over the entrance, atop which a pale stone statue of a laughing woman is mounted.

A short flight of stairs leads up to the front door, which is flanked by burning braziers. A well dressed and powerfully built human stands besides the door, beyond which a red curtain is all that can be seen.

"I'll try my best, but no promises," Ling teases before giving Alaris a quick description of how to get to the bathhouse.

Walking up to the Laughing Lada in their deep red and blue cloaks, Shiva and Ling are at the front of the group. With her hood up, Ling looks like any other girl, while Shiva's skin stands out even at a distance. Carefully eyeing the doorman, Ling tries to gauge his reaction to their odd group. He doesn't seem too perturbed by them, but appears to be watching Nikolai and Caio a little more carefully. Professional; let's see how long he'll stay that way. Leaning over to Shiva, she whispers: "Follow my lead" and heads up to the entrance of the establishment, throwing back the sides of her cloak, but not removing her hood. "My friends and I have been told this is the place you need to see before you leave town? It is your ladies' night tonight, isn't it? I'm Ling," she smiles wide, inclining her head a little, "and this is Shiva, and these are our chaperones. May we come in?"

The doorman shifts to look down at Ling and smirks.

"You lovely ladies wouldn't happen to be members, would you?"

"Don't we look like we'd fit right in, hm?" Ling says with a wink, putting her hand on her hip and posing to accentuate her curves. "What do you think?" Giving the doorman a second to admire her, she then slings her arm around Shiva's waist and drapes her cloak back too. "And we come as a set, so it's a double deal for the Laughing Lada!"

The doorman lets out a low chuckle.

"That you might. I'm afraid there's a charge for non-members. Can you girls put your money where your mouth is?"

His eyes twinkle at Ling provocatively.

Shiva smiles as sweetly as she can, though the doorman's lingering stare causes her an obvious amount of discomfort. Crossing her arms to accentuate her breasts, she leans forward as she speaks "We have the coin, but we're talking about enriching the environment of this lovely establishment. Surely Ling and I would be a stimulating sight for today's patrons?" She tilts her head to the side in an attempt at innocence, her eyes betraying her in a flash of less amicable intent before melting back into the facade.

Ling kisses Shiva on the cheek and nuzzles her face. "Come on, it's getting really cold out here, you wouldn't want us to get any frost bite, would you?" She looks up at the taller doorman from underneath her lashes. "Maybe we'll model those fluffy robes for you if you let us in. Would you like that?"

The doorman seems caught off-guard by the affection between the two girls and blushes in embarrassment.

"Um, yes, of course, right this way," he stammers, stepping aside and holding open the red velvet curtain.

Inside is a vestibule with a boy manning a cloakroom from behind a small desk. The discreet storage area sits in a cubby, nestled beneath an ornate staircase that curves up the wall overhead. The walls are hung with fine art, and a pair of potted plants contrast against the panelled walls with their greenery. A sign besides the cloakroom reads.

'Please leave all weapons at the door.'

Blowing a kiss, Ling answers: "Thank you kindly!" Before waving at the others to follow and dragging Shiva through the curtain with her. Once inside, she takes off her coat and lets out a sigh, revelling in the warmth after the cold streets of Piotrgrad. "So, where do we get changed?" she asks the boy.

"Alicja will be right down to show you to a room," the boy tells Ling with a smile as he hands her a ticket. Moments later a dark haired woman dressed in black and red appears on the stairs, coming down the greet the newest guests.

"Welcome, dearest, to the Laughing Lada. What is it you are looking for today? I have a room ready for you just upstairs."

     Astrid isn't quite sure what to do at first with the pouch from Alaris. She was ready to enjoy a quiet night a the Black Sheep until the paladin to pay her way into the the upscale establishment that appears to be the destination for the group's relaxation. She stammers a bit at the paladin's generosity before simply whispering back, "Thank you. You can be sure that I will pay this back as soon as able." She stuffs the pouch into one to the pockets within her robe. 

     Upon reaching the The Laughing Lada, the dwarf quietly watches the banter between the tieflings and the doorman from the steps below, wondering why all the trouble. She follows behind as the pair have worked their usual brand of magic to gain the group's entry. She stops as she passes by the doorman. "There will be another friend coming along shortly. Will that be a problem?" 

The doorman arches an eyebrow at Astrid, and discreetly holds out an expectant hand at hip height.

       "Oh... Yes. Let's see." Astrid digs into the coin pouch in her robe and places a few gold coins in the man's hand. "Will that be good?" When the hand retracts she looks up and gives a weak smile. "Thank you," she says before providing a description of the paladin that will be join and the entering the establishment. She deposits the majority of her belongings with the boy and waits for the dark-haired woman to lead them to their room. 

 Nikolai spots the sign and frowns as he turns to the cloakroom boy with narrowed eyes. He draws Astra furora from his shoulder holster and passes it over to the boy. "Boy, this is an antique and worth more than your life. Damage it and I'll take it out of your hide." He passes over any mundane weapons he possess without complaint, accepting his ticket. He turns just in time to spot the beauty coming down the stairwell. He steps over and takes her hand if allowed, planting a kiss upon her knuckles. "Madam, thank you for being such a gracious host. We are hoping for a nice, hot bath after a rather dreary day of crawling through muck and other... unpleasantness. Perhaps some drinks could be arranged? As well as some... entertainment?" His smirks as he rises an eyebrow in inquiry. "What sort of wonders does your establishment offer?" His smirk turns into a toothy grin, showing his elongated canine teeth as his tail swishes behind him in an almost peacock manner.

Ling looks Alicja up and down, seizing her up, but smiling. "Does the room have a bath? And how many does it fit?"  She asks with a wink. In her peripheral vision, she notices that Nikolai isn't handing over quite all of his weapons. Having been in situations like this many times, she gives nothing away. She follows his exchange with Alicja closely before answering, perhaps a little over enthusiastically, "yes, drinks! We need some of your house wine, let's drink!"

As the boy approaches to take her weapons, Shiva raises her arms to indicate that she has none. After a quick pat down, he waves his hand to pass her through, to which she smirks to herself "I am the weapon."

When Alicja appears, Shiva's teeth shine in the light as she smiles wide. "What a lovely few days this has been."  At Ling's insistence on drinks, she pipes up "Yes! We need drinks, we've had a challenging, yet victorious day!"

Alicia smiles knowingly.

"Of course, I will have bathrooms made ready for you, and wine is waiting for you in your suite. Follow me, right this way please..."

The woman guides the group of tieflings and their friends up the winding wooden staircase. It creaks under their weight, and soon the five of them emerge onto a narrow landing from which a dark corridor runs deeper into the building. After a couple of twists and turns, Alicja unlocks a door showing the group into the living area of an extravagant suite of rooms. As promised, wine is waiting on a table in the middle.

"Somebody will come to tell you when your bath is ready. Can I get you anything else?"

Meanwhile, Alaris trudges west across the city, lugging their heavy load back to the temple of Vida. Wherever they can find shelter, beggars huddle in clusters along the edges of the streets, and the sky looks like it might soon snow. It's not long before the paladin arrives at the temple, and Anatoly looks up with a smile to greet them.

"Alaris, mój książe! Back so soon? You look tired. Hard work?"

"We've got everything we need right here!" Ling replies, cutting straight across the room to the table with the wine. She opens the bottle and pours a glass for everyone, even Astrid, but the biggest for herself. Lifting her wine, she cheers: "To living another day! Unlike those bat bastards!" Without pausing, she drinks half the glass, staining her lips a dark wine red.