2 Years Ago, The Yawning Portal
"Going to check in with Star. Are you alright here?" Colt said, putting his arm around Velhalla as she aimed at a dart board surrounded by other Black Hooks. "Yes, I think I got the hang of this," she said, squeezing his ankle with her tail as she closed one eye and threw a dart. It almost hit a gnome sitting near the dart board. She frowned slightly, "Almost." Colt gave her a squeeze with one arm and made his way up to the 3rd floor overlooking the bar. He grabbed two drinks from Durnan and made his way up to a table where Star was sitting and waiting for him. He passed a few other Black Hooks, other folks he knew, and some attractive waitstaff that made a point to brush up against him. Star had ordered a tray of meat and cheese for them to snack on. Colt sat, put the drinks down, and the two old friends embraced tightly for a few moments, sighing into each other before they sat across from each other. "Good to see you, old friend," Star said, sipping her drink. "Oh shit, Durnan made this good." "I told him I was taking it up to you, so he put a little extra in it. I think he has a crush on you," Colt said as they clinked glasses. "Who doesn't?" Star said, shrugging. "It's a curse." "It's why we were exiled," Colt said with a smirk. "That's.... a dirty jab," She said, glaring at him with a smile. "You and Velhalla did excellent work in Athkatla. Got that taken care of much faster than Marcus thought you would." "Marcus has always somewhat sold me shortly," Colt grumbled. "I liked it better when he worked for us," Colt said with a small laugh. "Well, he does have a talent for recruitment and running the organization. I'm not sure if either one of us could have done what he has done," Star said, popping some meat and cheese into his mouth.
"Well, he likes you more than me," he said, eating some meat himself. "That is.... practically universal," Star said with a laugh. Colt chuckled, "Except for Vel, of course." They both looked over the side and watched the Tiefling try to play darts, this time hitting the bullseyes. She leaped in excitement as Steo picked her up and spun her around. The other Black Hooks chanted her name. "I'm glad you two are working well together. You are much better when you are with someone." "I know. I still feel like you should come on the road with us," Colt said with a smile.
"I wish," Star said. "But we're both neck deep in tasks and responsibilities." She sipped her drink and smiled at him, "But I'm glad we can still find time for each other." "I will never not have any time for you," Colt said, clinking his glass with hers. "But I do have something to tell you. The last time I went to the Underdark to check on Ametrine's family... I... met... someone. And I don't want you to get upset." "Ooooo," Colt said, leaning in. "Dish the dish, bitch. Who? What? Where? How many times? What positions? Why would I get mad." Star sighed gently and rolled her eyes, "It's not like that, although I appreciate the assumption because, let's be honest, we both do that." "I learned it from you," Colt said from the side of his mouth. "You are god damn right you did," Star shot back quickly with a laugh. "While in the Underdark I came across someone with a penchant for stealing, lock picking, and sneaking about." She saw Colt's face sour slightly. "Hey, I am not replacing you." This fear/concern was common with Colt when they brought in a new rouge or thief. Colt generally did not get along with them. "However, your availability is a lot less now." "That's because you send me on missions," Colt said, throwing a hand up.
"I wish," Star said. "But we're both neck deep in tasks and responsibilities." She sipped her drink and smiled at him, "But I'm glad we can still find time for each other." "I will never not have any time for you," Colt said, clinking his glass with hers. "But I do have something to tell you. The last time I went to the Underdark to check on Ametrine's family... I... met... someone. And I don't want you to get upset." "Ooooo," Colt said, leaning in. "Dish the dish, bitch. Who? What? Where? How many times? What positions? Why would I get mad." Star sighed gently and rolled her eyes, "It's not like that, although I appreciate the assumption because, let's be honest, we both do that." "I learned it from you," Colt said from the side of his mouth. "You are god damn right you did," Star shot back quickly with a laugh. "While in the Underdark I came across someone with a penchant for stealing, lock picking, and sneaking about." She saw Colt's face sour slightly. "Hey, I am not replacing you." This fear/concern was common with Colt when they brought in a new rouge or thief. Colt generally did not get along with them. "However, your availability is a lot less now." "That's because you send me on missions," Colt said, throwing a hand up.
"You, and Vel... of which you both are amazing at," Star said, trying to calm him down. A waitress came over and refilled their drinks. "But we do need someone who can sneak around and is good at lifting things. And they do a very good job at it." "As good as me?" Colt said, huffing. "No," Star said with a smile. Colt smirked gently, hearing this. Star placed his knife on the table in front of him, "But they are certainly not a slacker." Colt looked at the knife and reached for his belt to find it missing. He frowned and turned a little red, angry for a moment, having been a bit sloppy not to notice. He looked around and thought about where this had happened. "The Drow," Colt growled, turning around to look at a Drow "Waitress" who gave him a little wave. "Her name is Rue," Star said with a laugh. "I brought her back on a trial basis for the last few months. His final test was trying to steal something from you," She said, eating more cheese and meat. "That'll never happen again," Colt growled, gently putting his knife back. "Inform her never to steal anything from me again," he leaned back, sipping his drink. "I'll let her know," Star said with a large smirk. She let Colt stew a bit and sipped her drink. Eventually, Colt restarted the conversation. "So you like her?" Colt said gently. "Not sure why you need someone like that." "I wasn't sure you needed someone like Vel, but you told me to trust you," Star said, reminding him. "You should trust me on this." Colt sighed, nodding, "Alright. Tell me about her." "She's a little vague on her background, but she was eager to leave the Underdark," Star said. "In the last few months, she has proven to be very loyal, so I've extended her the same courtesy." "Loyal to who?" Colt said with some curiosity.
"To me," She said with a smile. "Me, then us, then the Black Hooks." Colt nodded gently. She had used the exact phrase he had when Colt went to bat for Vel for recruitment. Colt glanced back to Rue again and gave a respectful tip of his hat. Star gave her a nod, and she slipped back downstairs into the crowd. Colt and she looked at each other, each with a slight smile. Colt switched to the Elvish dialect that they both knew, "So she's been working for you for three months? Why didn't you bring her up sooner? When I met Vel, I told you about her pretty quickly." "You were out," She said with a smile. "And I wanted to make sure she was a good fit for the Black Hooks. I answered Marcus, you know, so there were other considerations." "What do you like about her, other than her sticky fingers?" Colt was leaning back a bit.
"She's very eager to prove herself to me, which means I can guide her to the type of person we need. Someone who does not care will not adjust to fit expectations. She is funny, and she is a bit chaotic." She pauses for a bit, "Very chaotic. She loves to steal things and put them on other people. As of yet, she has not let me down and has made no excuses for anything that did not go to plan." Colt nodded and then laughed, "Why to take things and plant them on other people?" "I don't know. Because it is funny?" Star said with a laugh. "That is a terrible reason to do something," Colt said, shaking his head. "You said the same things last month when you and Vel joined a community theater group for a week as understudies to sneak into that royal engagement," Star said, looking at him with a mock scolding. Colt paused for a moment, "Well..... that was funny." They both laughed and paused, "Alright, well, I trust you. I trust you with all that I am and always will. If you see something in Rue, then.... There must be something there. If you need me to train her, I'm more than happy to."
"She's very eager to prove herself to me, which means I can guide her to the type of person we need. Someone who does not care will not adjust to fit expectations. She is funny, and she is a bit chaotic." She pauses for a bit, "Very chaotic. She loves to steal things and put them on other people. As of yet, she has not let me down and has made no excuses for anything that did not go to plan." Colt nodded and then laughed, "Why to take things and plant them on other people?" "I don't know. Because it is funny?" Star said with a laugh. "That is a terrible reason to do something," Colt said, shaking his head. "You said the same things last month when you and Vel joined a community theater group for a week as understudies to sneak into that royal engagement," Star said, looking at him with a mock scolding. Colt paused for a moment, "Well..... that was funny." They both laughed and paused, "Alright, well, I trust you. I trust you with all that I am and always will. If you see something in Rue, then.... There must be something there. If you need me to train her, I'm more than happy to."
"Uhh... no," Star said, shaking her head. "I will handle her." "Why? I'm a great swordsman, very good a sneaking around, and am a damn good lock picker," Colt said, a little annoyed. "True, but you are also a terrible influence," Star said, eating more meat and cheese. "That is not even.... I mean... I've spent a lot of time with Vel," Colt pointed over to her, and they both looked. Vel was talking to a BugBear, rather intensely. She then threw a mug full of beer into the BugBear's face and cracked her across the face with the empty mug.
"You motherfucker!" Vel yelled as other Black Hooks picked her up and carried her back to separate her from the woozy BugBear.
"You were saying," Star said, looking at him. "I learned that from you," Colt stood up. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "Sunrise tomorrow?" "Always, old friend," Star said as Colt went off. Rue came up from behind the shadows and sat in Colt's seat.
"How did that go, Star," she asked, watching Colt hustle downstairs.
"Fine," Star said with a smile. "I told you it would be fine." "You paint him as being very protective of you," Rue said, watching Colt. "I wouldn't think he would want someone close to you that you just met." "He is very protective of me, and I of him," Star replied as she poured her new Drow friend a mug of ale. "But you will soon learn that Colt and I have a level of trust that can not be easily bent or broken." She looked and watched Colt trying to talk down Vel, who wanted to burn someone for something. "It's a bond I have with him, and he has with Vel, which you'll probably meet tomorrow at the Black Hook gathering." Star looked at Rue warmly, "A bond that's earned." "How have I been doing?" Rue asked a little sheepishly.
"I don't normally inform Colt who I've taken on and recruited," Star said with a smile. "Unless I have to or I want to."
"You motherfucker!" Vel yelled as other Black Hooks picked her up and carried her back to separate her from the woozy BugBear.
"You were saying," Star said, looking at him. "I learned that from you," Colt stood up. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "Sunrise tomorrow?" "Always, old friend," Star said as Colt went off. Rue came up from behind the shadows and sat in Colt's seat.
"How did that go, Star," she asked, watching Colt hustle downstairs.
"Fine," Star said with a smile. "I told you it would be fine." "You paint him as being very protective of you," Rue said, watching Colt. "I wouldn't think he would want someone close to you that you just met." "He is very protective of me, and I of him," Star replied as she poured her new Drow friend a mug of ale. "But you will soon learn that Colt and I have a level of trust that can not be easily bent or broken." She looked and watched Colt trying to talk down Vel, who wanted to burn someone for something. "It's a bond I have with him, and he has with Vel, which you'll probably meet tomorrow at the Black Hook gathering." Star looked at Rue warmly, "A bond that's earned." "How have I been doing?" Rue asked a little sheepishly.
"I don't normally inform Colt who I've taken on and recruited," Star said with a smile. "Unless I have to or I want to."
"Which one was I?" Rue asked with a smile. Star smiled, "Finish your drink. We're meeting someone from Mintarn at the docks. There was a change in leadership on the island, and I need to get more information about it."
