The initial shock left Joseph as the woman explained herself. A sentence in and Joseph had already made a gut call. He didn't like how she spoke so casually of fighting them. As she took interest in the child, he gladly shifted back, batting at Piper to hopefully move her just the same. More talk of fighting from the woman, and again, he soured. His expression darkened considerably. [color=6ecff6]"You're terrifyin', really."[/color] His tone dripped sarcasm. [color=6ecff6]"Quit runnin' your mouth! We're not thugs, enough goading."[/color] He brushed her comments off, folding his arms. Frustration grew briefly, he was as hotheaded as ever. He never liked fighting, not like this.

[color=6ecff6]"Have the kid."[/color] He concluded. [color=6ecff6]"He's--"[/color] And then, screams and cries from the street out beyond the alley. The man bristled and turned about, his feet shifting to sit a little further apart. He was used to the town's frequent commotions by now, but something about this struck him differently. The strange woman asked if it was normal, and he wasn't sure how to answer. ...Could he smell burning? His nose twitched, before he came to his senses and pivoted around yet again. He still wasn't comfortable with the skulk getting near Piper. She was every bit as hardy as him, but such a long-time friendship had left him protective, and he shifted to stand just a little more boldly as the woman tried to address her. He still didn't trust her, but she seemed to have the right idea. He wanted to see what the fuss was about. 

[color=6ecff6]"No. Bloodshed."[/color] He addressed that first. Hells, this woman was violent. He glanced upwards idly, then down, then back up again. He saw the bellows of black smoke shrouding out the sky. A large fire, to be certain. Now his interest was piqued. With a palpable pause, and a glance down to the mysterious woman, he eventually shot her a curt nod, reluctantly agreeing. [color=6ecff6]"Enough talkin'. If--If I hear one more threat, we're done. We got no time for thugs."[/color] He warned. [color=6ecff6]"But... We need to see this. We gotta' go."[/color] And just like that, with a glance back to Piper and a jerk of his head, he uneasily lead the move forward. He brushed past Isabeau, but thought to give her a flatly muttered [color=6ecff6]"C'mon."[/color] That was tricky for him, she hadn't made the best first impression... But more people never hurt, right? As Joseph and any and all who followed neared the light at the alley's end, the screaming grew louder, smoke grew thicker, and the telltale sound of steel biting against steel filled the air. Fighting. The man's jaw tensed as they stepped into the light.

[@Ryciera][@Strafe][@IcePezz]