Rieka smiles, a little more comfortable now that she understands the connection better. Sounds like a plan, she thinks, carefully directing her thoughts towards him. Dibs on not being in Malikily's team. 

She glances over at the high elf next to her. Maybe I should go with Thalinel's group, we're already pretty well acquainted and he seems to feel comfortable around me.  

Thalanil is caught off guard by Malikily's comment. "I can assure you sir, that I can handle myself very well." He half steps away from Xo, but he tries to stay in between the him and Rieka. "I am also very sure that Rieka here can clearly take care of herself too!!" He tries his best to put up a brave face, and when his eyes meet Rieka's, he understands that he should follow her. Something is happening and he has no idea what.

"I knew she would say that," Akyan thinks to himself. Sighing internally he replies, "Well then that's settled. Just don't expect me to come back with much information. I have a feeling I'm going to have to keep him from doing something stupid. If you or Thalanil find anything useful, let me know. I'll do the same for you if Sheerow or I learn anything."

"Sounds like a plan!" Sheerow flashes another smile at both Akayan and Reika, nods, and steels herself for what might come next. Let's hope I don't mess it up... Don't want to get, uh, kidnapped... again. Shut up, you've got this. You've got this! She thinks to herself for a second, then waves over to the barkeep. "Hey, uh, excuse me, barkeep? Is there a bathroom in here?" Her voice is slightly more nasally and annoying than before.

Rieka gives Akyan a barely perceptible nod, and then fully turns to face Thalinel. 

"Don't mind that jerk. Of course I would protect you, we're companions, after all." She says, trying to cheer the elf up. "Besides, Waterbearer over there probably couldn't win against a fire elemental if he was underwater. Now, how about we try to find out more about this place and the Rightful queen? Knowledge is power, right?"

Malikily's smile fades as he hears Rieka's comment. Malikily says from across the bar, "You have no idea what I am capable of."

Akyan walks over to Malikily leaning close to him. In a low quiet voice he says, "We need to talk." He makes a small gesture towards an empty corner, "Where we won't be overheard."

 Malikily puts the coin in his pocket and nods to the barkeep, "Until next time." And he follows Akyan to the corner. "What do we need to talk about?"

Akyan sighs, “I’m honestly not sure why you’re here, and frankly, I don’t really care. Nevertheless, you have decided to tag along. That said I expect you to work with us. Sheerow, Reika and I have decided to split into teams to gather information on our target. Sheerow is making sure the creature really is in that room before we try to get in there. While she’s doing that, the rest of us will look for other information that could help us. Like I said before, I think this is about more than a cat, so that doesn’t have to be our main focus.” He glances back towards the rest of the room before continuing, “Any information they find, I’ll know about. And if we find anything, I’ll let them know.” He looks back at Malikily, “Try to be inconspicuous when your asking around. By that I mean don’t go demanding answers, and proclaiming your a prince. Trust me, the only thing that’s going to get you in a place like this is a target on your head.” His eyes harden, “Am I understood?”

Malikiky smirks, "I don't need a drow to teach me how to get information without being caught." He then walks toward the barkeep.

Watching this exchange from afar, Sheerow sighs and quietly whispers an "Oh no," under her breath. She turns back to the barkeep, waiting for an answer.

“There is a bathroom down the hall and to the left.” The bartender says. “Say, I don’t recognize you. What’s the name?”

Leaning back, she nods. "I'm not from around here. Never been to this city before. Name's 507." She says this loudly enough so her group can hear her, and so she can try to hide her apprehension for calling herself by her... old name. She hasn't been called that since she escaped years ago. "You said down the hall and to the left? Thanks." Assuming the bartender doesn't want to talk to her any more, she leaves to go and find the bathroom. On her way there, she tries to look for any potential back rooms, other hallways, vents, doors, or exit points in the establishment. She quickly shoots Akayan and Reika a message, "I don't know if you guys caught that. While we're in here, call me 507. That's how I introduced myself to the bartender. I suggest that if anyone asks, you also use some sort of alias as well."

Scowling, Akyan watches Malikily leave, "That went about as well as I expected. So, be it then. If the idiot gets himself captured, I certainly won't be the one to get him out. I'm still going to have to keep my eye on him though. I don't need him getting the rest of us in trouble with him." 

(Technically, Sheerow and Rieka can only hear what Akyan is thinking. They won't be able to hear what one or the other says to him. He will have to relay that information.)

"All right then, I'll let the others know." Akyan responds to Sheerow. He relays this to Rieka. Then he says to both of them, "If anyone else wants to adopt an alias, now is the time."

Rieka shoots Akyan a sympathetic look. 

Sorry about that, she relays towards him. In terms of an alias, well...

She pauses for a moment, then lets out a deep sigh. I suppose you can call me Isla Smithsdaughter. 

Rieka then relays this information to Thalinel, her mothers first name feeling heavy on her tongue, making her swallow a few times to get rid of the taste of it. 

"Yeah...um..you can refer to me by that name in case any sort of trouble arises. It was Sheerow's idea."

Xo figures out, by the unusual head nodding and speachless stares, that there is a conversation that he is not a part of. He does not want ask, or even join in for that matter: he just feels like he is supposed to be doing something other than standing there akwardly.

"Xo, did you catch that?" Rieka turns to the tortle. "We're adopting aliases in case anyone asks. Refer to me as..as Isla."

Biting her lip, she looks around the bar for anyone who looks like a local, or alternatively, someone who might be willing to talk. 

Perception: 5

Unexpectedly given information, he did not quite catch what Rieka had said at first. But Xo got the jist that he needs a new name, and follows up "Oh, alrighty then, 'Isla.' Thank you," he says with a straight face. He continues to stand there akwardly, but is now pondering for a good alias.

”We can refer to me as Arannis Flamestar,” Aaron said. “It’s an alternate reality of myself.”

Since Malikily is over by the bartender he doesn't hear about adopting aliases, and so when he hears Sheerow refer to herself as 507 he looks at the fairy with a quizzical look and shakes his head. "So now we're changing names?" He asks the fairy.