"Oof!" Lu-lu rubs her rump as she stands back up grumbling, "Look, Lif, we want to get this place fixed up and open as a tavern again, ok? We'd love it if you could get on board, because I don't think you're evil, maybe a jerk, but not evil."
listening to the others talk about the various invites, lu-lu chimes in, "The Zhents...aren't they a shady bunch? I heard they were cutthroats and spies, and they have these cute winged snake friends. She gets lost in thought for a second trying to imagine a snake with wings flying around the taproom. Her eyes start to sparkle as she says, "I've read stories about force grey, they are hardcore adventurers, they do the jobs that our too dangerous for the city watch! It sounds exciting." Lu-lu's eyes sparkle at the thought of the heroics they could perform.
The lord's alliance are usually pretty good people, they try to keep the sword coast safe, but I don't want to go to trial, I didn't do anything wrong! She looks at Heishe with concern, figuring she might have misunderstood something Heishe said and looking for confirmation, since no one else seemed concerned about a trial.

"No, a trial period is a test period, to see if I'm a good fit and also to make sure I'm not planning on bringing them down from the inside or whatever," Heishe explains to Lu-lu with a faint smile.

“Got it” Lu-lu nods, pretty sure she understands, “But why would they need to worry about that? Is that something people do? Bring down good organizations, why?”

"Yes." Cora says. "They are indeed a shady bunch."

"A variety of reasons. Personal power, trickery, long-standing grudges. There are plenty of motivations for hurting others." Heishe shrugs.

Lu-lu shakes her head, “I don’t think I’ll Ever understand that.”

"The motivations of those who wish to bring about destruction are irrelevant. All that matters is the fact that they must be prevented from doing so. Now if you excuse me, I will go to meet with the Blackstaff. All those who wish to accompany me may do so."

Drusilla pretty much said all that needed to be read regarding Force Grey, so Vincent merely listened to the explanation of the other alliances from the others. Zhentarim didn't seem like a good fit for him himself, maybe more for Cora than any of the others here, but it was a decision for her to make, not him. The Lords Alliance sounded rather... vague. He assumed the offer was more just for Heishe than anyone else though, so he wouldn't press on it.

The fighter gets up from his place on the ground, wiping the light sweat on his brow after fixing one of the chairs, just in time to join Drusilla in meeting Force Grey. "I'll go with ya. Might as well see what these people are all about, aye?"

Heishe nods. "Certainly sounds interesting. I'll tag along, if you don't mind."

“I’m coming! I don’t have class tonight and I REALLY don’t want to work on my theology paper right now.” She turns back to Cora, “Cora? You wanna come to?” Lu-lu puts on her BIGGEST puppy dog face and eyes, PERSUASION: 18

"No thanks." Cora said.

Big sigh, “Ok.... you need anything while we’re out? Oooh! A cupcake??”

"No, i'm fine, thank you. I don't eat cupcakes." Cora admitted, still cleaning. "Too much sugar. Have a good time." 

“oh..ok..” lu-lu turns back to the group and walks out quickly, before realizing once again that she has no idea where she’s going.

You approach Blackstaff Tower, it is a tall and imposing structure. Vajra is diminutive; with olive skin, short black hair, and indigo blue eyes. She is rather young as well. "Welcome. I have heard much about all of you. I am Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff. I lead Force Grey and the Grey Hands. I would like to offer you a chance to serve the city and join the Grey Hands. They are my private security force. In time, you may rise to join the legendary Force Grey. There are a number of benefits that working for me brings. I do hold a lot of power in this city, and let none say that I am not generous to those who aid me." She reaches under her desk and pulls out a small box. Inside are five small badges made of iron with a hand in a fist on them. "I see we are missing one of your friends... I am always open to them, should they want to join." Her expression darkens before she offer the badges, "Do know, as a member of the Grey Hands, you will be expected to quickly respond to any requests sent to you. We are one of the first lines of defense of the city. Join me and protect this great city."

Once the three of them had left. Cora sighed and rolled her eyes. Wow, that one was really trying her best.

Cora wanted to have friends. The things is, it took a very certain kind of personality to tolerate Cora, and she knew this - it's why she was distant and quiet. Most people found her too rough around the edges. Of course, it used to be much worse. She had mellowed out over the centuries, of course. In fact, on Eberron, she considered herself to be actually pleasant.

She stopped cleaning for a moment and took out the Zhent invitation - read it again. She wouldn't lie - it made her curious. Besides, she was only in this for the money. She wasn't very interested in helping people for the greater good. 

Even if she tried, she couldn't be that shining star blazing with lawfulness and goodness. It just wasn't in her nature. When she was picked up from the gutter, dying, and the Commander took her in, she was refined and taught to use her negative emotions for a different purpose.

"I don't think that our friend will be coming. She didn't seem too interested in joining."

"Lif." Cora called out. "Lif, are you here? Come out. We have to talk. There are terms we need to..discuss."

SO VERY FAR FROM NOW

"You don't get it, do you." Cora sighed. "Do you know how many times i've saved people? Helped people? Worked with people? Do you even know how OLD I am? What i've done? How ******* tired I am?" she paused a moment to let her anger simmer. "You? This..VERSION of you." she spat, waving angrily at Yasei. "YOUR adventure has just BEGUN. I want mine to be OVER. DONE! I have NO skin in this game, NO fish in this tank. I've been hurt, beaten, ****ed up, i'm so very SICK in the head, and my life has been nothing..NOTHING but pain and..and watching people i've loved DIE. I don't CARE about ANYONE..ANYMORE!!" she screamed.

"You care about me, no?" Yasei dejectedly intones.

"Yasei, for ****S sake--" Cora began, but Yasei held up a patient hand. She was always patient with Cora.

"Love without friendship is like a shadow without the sun." She pondered for a moment, then continued. "There is certainly nothing more important in life than what we do at the present moment. A person’s entire life consists of nothing more than one moment piled on top of another, over and over again. Once enlightened to this, the warrior has nothing else to worry about, because he realizes that he has only to live in the present moment with the utmost intensity."

Cora sighed. She wanted to sleep. She wanted all of it to end. The combination of the desert world of Eothia plus regaining her memory after two millenia of Hellish servitude were grinding against her so hard, she just couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to die.

But most of all, she just wanted to cry.

Cora, you see a ? appear in the dust next to you.