"Sharing information, for a start. Resources." Elodia levels her stare at Shiva, gaze cooled at the insolence. "Surely I am not the first person to ever come to you with such a request."

Before Shiva can get more heated, Ling interrupts: "Yeah normally we get paid, you know. So it has to be good, but we all agree to hate that woman, so you're lucky. Nik, Alaris, what do you think? I did warn her not to double cross us." She turns and winks at Shiva.

Nikolai appraises Elodia for a few moments, sizing her up. “As long as we are all on the understanding that I will not tolerate any restriction of information on your part, Señora del Toro. Your husband pulled that once already and it nearly cost him more than he planned to pay. Depending on the job and your agreement to be utterly forthright, I’m willing to consider it, but…” Nikolai turns to glance at Alaris with a nod. “It’s not entirely my call. Shall we hear her out?”

Shiva leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. Looking from Ling to Nikolai, she angrily speaks under her breath, "This is bullshit. Why are we trusting her so easily?" Her foot begins to tap the floor rapidly as the discussion continues. 

Ling lets Alaris and Nikolai take the lead, leaning back along with Shiva. She slings her arm around her friend's shoulder and whispers in her ear: "Nobody suggests trusting her, we'll be on our guard. I'm not stupid." Pausing briefly to appraise Elodia's gems again, she then adds even more quietly: "I'm almost hoping this goes sour, she has some nice things that would look even better on the two of us." 

Elodia glances to Ling and Shiva as they begin murmuring to one another before looking back between Nikolai and Alaris, raising her chin. The deference surprises her; she hadn't anticipated needing to convince two leaders. What a strange group they've managed to assemble here. “I should hope I've proven I'm willing to be forthright with you by telling you who I am. I'm under no illusion it wouldn't have been far easier on me to withhold that.”

Caio watches the discussion with cold eyes. The hint of a smile is drawn from Ling and Shiva's exchange before his gaze cuts over to Elodia. "You say you wish to share information and resources. You offer us information on Clarissa, something we have clear interest in. But what is it that you are interested in? What information do you hope to glean from this exchange?"

"I'm looking for more than information; if you don't already know that this goes well beyond her, consider it my second divulgence." She looks intently at Caio, leaning towards him slightly across the table. "The family's influence has long since outstayed its welcome. I'd see it ended; and for that, I need your help."

Caio nods, then turns to Shiva. “There’s no need for trust when there’s a common enemy.”

Shiva runs her fingers through her hair, grunting in protest at the willingness of the group to work with Elodia. "Ugh. Fine. I just don't......UGH I DON'T LIKE THIS!!"  The anger that had been simmering begins to boil over as she raises her voice.

Nikolai leans over and gently places a hand atop Shiva's trembling fists. "Shivala, you think any of us like this? Calm yourself. Let us get a drink or maybe a few, eh?" He levels a look that clearly indicates it was not a question before moving over to stand next to her. He places his arm around her shoulders and gives a big squeeze with a knowing, half-cocked smile.

"F#%$ YOU, NIK!"  Shiva barks as she throws Nik's arm off of her. But there's a deeper sound beneath the normal pitch of her voice, something almost inhuman, and the spots where Nikolai's arm had been begin to shimmer from beneath the skin. She stands, backing several feet away from the group as the shimmering travels down her arms in the blink of an eye before stopping as abruptly as it started. 

Nikolai raises his eyebrow as Shiva's outburst. "Ling, control her before I am forced to do so. Everyone, please leave, especially you Elodia. Allow us to handle this." The tone of his voice leaves no question that he was not asking; this was a polite command that he fully expected to be followed. He looks to Ling with a nod.

Some of the Black Sheep's patrons begin to glance up from their drinks at the scene and behind the bar Andrei slowly sets down the glass that he is cleaning. He watches the trio with raptor-like focus.

      Astrid once again looks up from her work after this outburst. Looking around the room to check the reaction of other patrons at the nearby tables, she shrugs her shoulders and offers an apologetic look. Her frustration with the constant outbursts rises and bit more, and she turns her holy symbol briefly towards their highly agitated companion. But thinks twice on it and instead turns to the source of the issue. She gives Elodia that same apologetic look and offers a suggestion. "Maybe it's best you step away for a moment to let some of them get used to the idea here?"

Shiva tenses, struggling against some force as her muscles tense and begin to grow. Her face is creased in deep stress lines as she attempts to endure whatever is happening to her, when suddenly her eyes shoot up to meet those of Nik. "You think you can control me, little man?"  Her voice is unsettling, the pitch both too low and too high. She then yelps as she doubles over in pain, beginning to visibly grow in size and stature.

With Shiva now causing a scene, Ling hops up and goes over to console her friend. "Don't worry, she's just had too much! She can be an angry drunk!" Ling calls out into the bar.

As Ling runs over to her and hugs her while attempting to downplay the situation, the anger melts from Shiva's face, with fear taking its place. "Ling, get away from me. Get away."  With a final panicked look into Ling's eyes, then to the group, she manages to seize control long enough to run out of the bar and into the street. As she goes, fulgurous cracks accompany the appearance of large bolts of electricity that jump across her back.

Nikolai frowns with worry as Shiva sprints out of the bar. "Ling, with me. Now." He starts to follow, then turns back to Alaris and Astrid, gesturing vaguely at Elodia. "Do something with her!" He then immediately rushes after his friend. 

Ling, eyes wide, nods to Nikolai and follows on his heels. "Nik, there's something wrong with her! This isn't Shiva. Don't hurt her!"

"I know that, Ling! I know her better than anyone. I don't want to hurt her, but we must stop her before she hurts someone else. HURRY!" Together, the two other members of the Trio Infernale burst through the door of the Black Sheep after their friend.

Bursting out of the Black Sheep, Shiva stumbles into the street, moaning in agony as her form expands. She bumps into several onlookers who begin to run the moment that they get a good look at her. A burning feeling emanating from her fingertips, she looks down to see black, razor sharp claws extending out from her nails. Bolts of electricity now bound across her entire body, and her vision slips away into a far off place as she loses all sensation.

Shiva now towers over the average person, having grown to double her normal size. Her musculature has increased significantly, with arms like tree trunks and an abdomen that looks as if it could deflect steel. As the transformation reaches its end, all the skin and muscle around Shiva's mouth and jaws begins to evaporate into wisps of black smoke, exposing a gaping maw of terrifying serrated teeth. The demon's eyes quickly darts around, taking in its surroundings, before throwing its head back and releasing a primal, booming roar that resonates in the chests of anyone nearby. 

Alarmed, Elodia barely has time to stand and push away from the table, away from Shiva, before the blue tiefling has taken off and the others have followed her out into Piotrgrad. Rather used to having the opposite effect on those she meets, for a moment Elodia can only stare after the trio. Do something with her, like she's something to be handled. Someone to be handled. She turns to those that remain, newly cold and hiding hands still shaking with adrenaline in the folds of her skirts. "I assume this isn't a regular occurrence. She didn't behave this way with Francesc, I would have heard of it." Her expression softens slightly as she sees the apologetic look on Astrid's face and she carefully rearranges her dress, pushing in her chair. "If my presence is this upsetting, perhaps this is ill-advised."

"Those who hunt monstrous things are often monsters themselves. But no, this is not a regular occurrence." Caio stands, then turns to address Elodia. "We may distrust you, but you'd do well to fear us." Caio darts out into the street and sends Ghoul into the sky to watch for approaching guards. His face displays both concern and confusion at Shiva's state, truly unsure if his friend was still there. At this rate, the Trio Infernale were going to be exiled from Piotrgrad. The ranger began a low chant, and as the sacred words spilled out so too did a dense fog. Within a moment, the street was filled with obscuring mist.