Novelux Downtown Novelux

[Jackie Cat]

Wyatt blinked, nodding vaguely.

"Uh, yeah. She tried to do this whole 'tribal' shtick but she just sounded like a normal frontier settler to me. She probably was half feral, though, judging by her ferocity... Never fought her myself, she just kinda dipped from the dome scene not long before we were due to get matched up, actually. I thought for a sec, maybe she got spooked? But nah, no way. That girl coulda put me through the wall if she wanted. Holding back all the time if you ask me."

The panda scratched his head, trying to recall something...

"This was a while back. Some number of weeks, I dunno. She said something to me about a dungeon? She seemed stressed out. But like I said, there're more than a few dungeons you can get to from here."

 

[Ambyssin]

Okay, those rusty gears were onto something. But what exactly could Nova do or say that wouldn't sound totally suspicious?

"Huh. There's a buddy of mine back west who was exchanging letters with a friend here." Nova feigned a pensive frown. "Said they'd stopped writing a couple of months ago, though." He tapped a claw on the ground. "I doubt it's a coincidence. From what you saw of her at the dome, do you suppose she's the type that could, y'know," he looked over his shoulder at one of the taller buildings, "ruffle the feathers of the powers that be?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

The Pangoro stubbed the end of his cigar out with his thumb, and pocketed it. His aura was more than strong enough to protect him from a little cinder.

"Is that so?" he asked, not really asking, so much as implying Nova knew more than he let on, and Wyatt wasn't so slow as not to catch it. "Well, could be you're onto something, there. Hard to cite anything specific, but you could just tell she wasn't exactly a squeaky-clean above-board type, yeah? Wasn't so keen on publicity – she liked the attention she got in the arena just fine, but she wouldn't do interviews or nothin'."

Wyatt pawed his chin, and thought hard for a moment.

"Y'know what, if you get a chance to hit up the Duel Dome, maybe you'll find somethin' more out there from the fighters. Or even Douglas himself, come to think. That guy isn't a distant investor, he's deeply invested in his pet project. He'll have paid attention to a rising star in legal trouble or whatever it was, I'm sure."

The bear pulled a well-worn pocketwatch from his coat and checked the time, then returned it, fishing out a slip of paper and a stubby pencil worked down to its very end. He scrawled a quick, illegible note.

"This'll get you or whoever you give it to an audience with Douglas Dunsmuir," he rumbled. "Don't waste it."

He held it out, offering it to Nova. Something in what the party had said to Wyatt seemed to have resonated with him. It was hard to tell what, exactly... Maybe he just liked rocking the boat.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova accepted the noted and stuffed it into his satchel. "I won't, Mr. Working 'Mon Hero."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Wyatt gave an upward nod – and a slightly bemused grunt – of acknowledgement.

"You take care of yourselves," he growled, amiably.

And with that, the Pangoro kicked up his pallet, put it under one arm, and headed off. His scheduled demonstration period was done – though whatever it was for still remained unclear. Perhaps Wyatt just wanted his cause to be heard. Or perhaps the hulking Pangoro, with his arena-honed battle prowess, sought to provoke something more practical in nature...?

In any case, he was gone – and the Wayfarers had a place to stay in town that they could trust, and a lead to follow, at the Duel Dome...

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