[center][img]https://imgur.com/XShqxhB.png[/img]
[h1][u]Elys Adair[/u][/h1][/center]
[i][color=gray]Oratorio, //O3 - The Pallid Mermaid[/color][/i]
[@ERode]
[hr]

The crack across the skull told all. A direct hit, that sounded like it would be an exceptionally hard one to simply [i]walk off.[/i]

[b][i]“I’ll tell ya where a naked blade can be best used.”[/i][/b]

Elys listened as the cylindrical mass was placed on the floor - a bucket. Her lips gently pursed as she heard the scraping of cloth and boots on worn wood. The one-handed man was thrown out, and she had no way of knowing exactly how close to [i]death[/i] he was.

[i]Serves the bastard right.[/i]

She stood there for a moment, the chatter of the tavern swirling around her as she considered the bucket in front of her.

She was willing to kill rats, was she also willing to wash floors for a lead?

She was used to taking whatever work she could find to scrape by, be it bodyguard duty or eliminating pests. Surely, she could do this too. 

There was the promise of a lead afterward, and the mess was partially caused by her, anyway.

The only question left was how to start. She couldn't [i]see[/i] what was on the floor. It could be painted roses for all she knew. The rest of the patrons seemed to be minding their own business enough that she'd have free reign to tackle this her way.

And she at least wanted to avoid having to wipe down the entire floor.

She could see the steps she took in battle in her mind. The likely direction of the spray of blood, and how it trickled and was wiped as the man was thrown out. So, there was likely a blood trail on the floor around the bar, which then led out to the door.

She would give more of a buffer to the trail, just in case she was off her calculations and missed a spot. But the owner would at least not say she didn't put effort into cleaning up her own mess.

She gathered the hem of her robes and held them at her hip, to the side so as to avoid the wet floor as much as possible. Her staff was placed leaning against the bar, and a careful ‘eye’ was kept on its mass. Stooping down and following the scent of blood, she reached into the lukewarm water, found a cloth, and proceeded to wipe up and down on the worn wood. Her hand wasn't practiced, but she still took the time to give the surface an even wetness.

She followed the presumed trail, scrubbing back and forth, going a little extra out of her way to ensure the floor was still cleaned if her assumptions were off. It took more time, but she was a stranger in this city. She needed a lead beyond simply diving head first into the Abyss that called her, needed to know what she was getting into, and needed to get to know her new home.

How could she share her influence without even knowing the people of this dizzying place?

So, she scrubbed. She scrubbed until her hands ached, and then she scrubbed a little more. Finally, she had cleaned every part of the floor she had wanted to. With a slight sigh, the cloth was dropped into the bucket, and the bucket was returned to the owner.

[b]”I've done what I could. If there's spots I've missed, you'll have to mark them with your feet.”[/b]

She picked up her staff from the edge of the presumed bar counter.

[b]“What can you tell me?”[/b]