Downtime 3 - Anji

Prior to Anji's First Session, Before Session 4
She lives in a pretty small, bare efficiency/studio apartment in the Merchant District with a bed, nightstand, and small garment rack. Walls and windows are bare. She's planning to decorate it later once she's settled in

Keeps it clean, walls aren't super thick but she can't hear the neighbors breathing so it's not super duper awful.

As she settles into her apartment, she notices the afternoon sun just starting to set through her curtain-less window when Anji hears a knock at her door.

Anji, totally not expecting a visitor, jumps. Her dinner falls all over the front of her PJ shirt and there are noodles on the floor. She sets her mom's Tupperware down on the small table and, brushing the rest of her dinner off her pajamas, approaches the front door.

"Delivery for an... Anne... Jie?..."

Anji can't really remember ordering anything, but with the hectic move she can't remember a whole lot anyway. She opens the door, conveniently hiding the floor noodles with her own body.

"Hi!" she greets, "Mrm, what did I order?"

The Dragonborn deliver girl wears a goofy hat and vest that you can tell are part of the uniform and have no consideration for Dragonborn dimensions. "Something from a... Cityopolis...? For Anji Honeycomb?"

"Oh! Oh! Ahh," Anji pauses for a moment, "I bet it's from my mom... Okay! Do you need a signature or a handprint? Maybe an ID?"

"Uh, just a signature, ma'am." He hands you a pen and a sheet of paper.

"Okay!" Anji hops as she grabs the pen and paper and signs it on her open door. "Here you go!"

"Here you go!" The courier hands you a box and then heads out the door.

"O-oh okay thank you! Thank you so much!" Anji calls out after her before shutting the door. She glances at the noodley mess on the ground and vows to clean it up later, instead setting the box down on her bed. She peels the tape off the side- her only knife is dirty- and opens it to reveal...

...a care package from her home town! It is full of food, flowers, sweets... all of the tastes and smells of home. It makes her homesick but also less lonely, at the same time.

She also sees a note in the box.

Anji smiles - the happiness and love her family sent wells up in her chest and tears come to her eyes. She picks up the note to read:

"My dearest Anji,

It is beyond hard to see my daughter leave out into the big world and begin to spread her wings, but know that I am very proud of you and know you will do great things.

''When you get in Los Aasimar, remember to look up an old friend of the family - a half Orc by the name of Korvus Kragstaff. He was an old companion of mine decades ago and owes me a favor - he can take care of you and keep you safe. Just ask anyone in town about him... he is a big time name there now, apparently.''

''Best love and wishes! I am always thinking of you.''

With Love, - Your Mother, Reanne Honeycomb"

The words her mother wrote brings those tears of pride and love down her face. She wipes them away, smiling, and looks out the window. There's still some daylight, and after the surprise delivery she has tons of energy.

"Korvus Kragstaff..." she mutters. She hasn't heard the name. How much had her mother done that wasn't brought up? She was always so full of stories. She must have lived an exciting life.

Anji is so caught up in her head she's surprised to find she made her way outside. Did she lock her door? Did she even clean up her dinner? Too late now-- she's already halfway down the block looking for a friendly face.

"Ah, excuse me?" she stopped to ask an elderly merchant sitting behind their table of wares, "Can I ask you something? Do you know who, um-" she checks her mother's letter, still in her hand- "Korvus... Kragstaff is?"

The merchant looks at her and blinks. "Korvus...? I, uh... of course I do. Why... do you ask?"

"Oh great, thank you!" Anji almost runs off before realizing why she was asking. "Do you know where I can find him?"

He stares at her. "Korvus? Kragstaff? I mean... I would check at the Salsa Psuedodragon. If I wanted to find him...?" He is saying this all like she were asking where you could find the moon at night.

Anji doesn't notice the condescending tone. "Wow thank you so much for all your help!" She is, frankly, dumbfounded that a stranger would so willingly help her. That's just the good nature of people in this world!

She runs off to find this Salsa Pseudodragon and quickly realizes she doesn't have a map and has no idea where that would be. As Anji is walking along, she (as luck would have it) sees a flier reading "Ladies Night Tonight at the Salsa Psuedodragon! No Cover Charge, Live Music! Best Place to Party in the Merchant District!"

Wow! What a conveniently placed poster suited to her needs!

Anji tears down the flier to get a closer look at it, holding it in the same hand as her mother's letter. She sees the flyer has a silhouette of a scantily dressed (maybe naked) woman and bright colors that remind her of a garish rainbow. Anji can tell from some of its references that it is in the southern area of the Merchant's District, close to the city wall between the District and the Docks.

She's already heading towards the south, continuing to examine the flyer.

"Geez, mom, what were you doing with this guy?" she mutters amused, making her way southtown.

Anji makes her way to the address. The building looks a little rough in the light of the day, but clearly says "Salsa Psuedodragon" at the very top. Anji walks inside and is greeted by an Ogre bouncer. "What's your business, sweetheart?"

How nice! "Hi! I'm looking for Korvus Kragstaff?"

The Ogre looks at her, towering over Anji's halfling form. "Uh-huh, sure... why are you REALLY here? You going to try out for one of the dancing jobs?"

Anji's head is craned back so she can see the ogre's face. "Dancing? Oh I can't dance!" Anji starts laughing. "See?"

She pulls some sick moves to prove dancing is not her intention, nearly punching herself and any nearby folks.

Still laughing she says, "No no, my mother said to find him! She said they used to be friends. Not that she's ever talked about him before. She's had so many adventures!"

The ogre is looking... he's not sure what he's seeing, but he's looking. And he is very confused. "Your... mother? Uh... what was her name?"

"Yeah!" Anji hops back to attention, "Her name is Reanne Honeycomb!"

Every eye in the club swings towards Anji. The magic music box playing a song skips abruptly and loudly and turns off. The whole room is looking. "Reanne... Honeycomb?"

"Yeah!" Anji looks around excitedly, "Do you know her?"

"I... you maybe SHOULD go talk to Korvus." He stands out of the way. "Head up to the stairs by the stage. Tell the guards at the top what you told me."

"Okay! Thanks!" Anji smiles and bounces up the stairs, excited. She knew her mother was quite the lady, but for all these people to know!

She's practically glowing by the time she reaches the guards. "Hi! The nice man down there told me to say my mother sent me to talk to Korvus Kragstaff. Her name's Reanne Honeycomb?"

The guards stand stunned and then a voice speaks out from behind them. "Did someone just say Reanne?" Beyond them is a man behind a desk, looking positively stunned.

Anji bends her body so she can see around the guards to the man behind the desk. "You know my mother?"

"Let her in, you numbskulls! Come on!" The guards quickly part and the man behind the desk steps up. "Son of a balor... you are Reanne's daughter? I'll be!"

Anji skips straight into this guy's office. "Yeah, Reanne's my mother!" She has a huge smile stretching across her face. "Are you Korvus? She told me to find you!"

The man, who you would at first glance think to be human, but now see has subtle half Orc traits, throws open his arms. "Hot damn! Any daughter of Reanne is a friend of mine! Come here, you scamp!"

Anji's face would break if she could smile harder. She ran into Korvus' arms and gave him the biggest hug her tiny little body could give. "Hi, I'm Anji!!"

"Oh! You pack a bite-sized kick, just like your mom! Here, let me take a look at you..." he steps back, admiring Anji. "You've got her eyes. And her nose! Where is your ole mom these days? Last I heard she has headed north to be Great Plains. In... Townsville?"

Anji giggles and laughs at Korvus' commentary; he sounds just like the villagers where she's from. "She's in Cityopolis to the north! She leads the town militia. Not that we really need one anymore, things are very peaceful!"

"Ha! I'm surprised she's not taking the militia and conquering the countryside! She was always a fiery one for a halfling. So!" He turns back and sits at his desk. "What brings you to the big city? Going to adventure like she did? Dive into dungeons? Slay beasts by the hundreds? I really miss those days."

Conquering the countryside? Her mother certainly had tons of stories, but nothing that sounded like that! Before she had a chance to respond though, Korvus followed up with another question and her surprise was wiped from her mind.

"I'm doing what she did for Cityopolis!" Anji replied, "I'm bringing peace to Los Aasimar! I'm not strong enough to lead a militia though, I'm working with the police force!"

Korvus' smile hits a snag just a moment. "The... City Guard? I... of course! You'd be doing your mom proud!" He now broadens his smile, all teeth. "So how long have you been here?"

"Thank you!" Wow, he's smiling so much! He must really miss her mother, they were probably great friends. "I've only been here for a few days, I'm still getting settled in! I only found you because someone on the street was very nice and sent me to you!" She holds up the flier, her same hand still holding her mother's letter.

He glances at the letter, seeing his name in Reanne's handwriting. "She sent you to me? Why, that sweet old bittie! Where are you staying?"

She pulls the flier and letter back to herself, "I'm staying in a cute little apartment not too far from here!" She grimaces a little bit remembering the state she left it in, "It's a little bare still, but it won't be for long."

"Apartment? No, no, no... come now, your mother would have my hide for second breakfast if she knew I let you hole up somewhere. I can put you up in one of my villas in the Finance District! Whole place to yourself - I insist!"

Anji's draw drops. "What? Wha- that's- that's so nice of you!" She looks around in disbelief, "I- I can pay for it! Well, maybe not yet..." She looks back at him, stunned. "I - are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose..."

Korvus waves his hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. It's the least I can do for a child of Reanne." He nods over to one of the guards at the door. "Johnson here will give you the keys and the address - I know you probably have work soon, but feel free to head over there after patrol and let me know if you have any complaints."