The ship was going about its business, floating in the harbor as usual. People drifted in and out of common areas, including Nili who typically dragged her ass out of bed after noon, well after most of the rest of the crew dispersed for the day. Mel, her oldest, was sitting at one of the tables with six books open to different places, peering through his glasses from page to page.

Nili settled on the edge of the table, nose wrinkled, and waved a finger around at all the word-chaos. "What's all this about?" She asked, the lenses on her goggles turned as they automatically adjusted her range of vision.

Mel beamed at her, like he did. The kid was never without a smile. "I'm reading about the biology of snakes. Some of their internal structures seem to suggest that they used to be quadrupeds and lost those vestigial limbs over time, which is really exciting because it means that creatures might change to adapt to their environments which suggests that there are circumstances where it's better to NOT have legs."

People didn't ask Mel to explain stuff much, so on the occasions that they did, he was bubbling with information - usually too high-level for Nili to catch what the fel he was on about, but she nodded along with it anyway with an occasional really-that's-crazy to show she was listening--

There was a creak of the boards outside that got Nili's head turning to the doorway, and a "Species, Goblin" from the overhead sensor that got that head whipping around FASTER.

"Hey there, girlie," the short green figure at the entrance said, dressed in white robes with her weight on one hip.

"…Roz. Hey," Nili said after a gut-lurching moment. The last time she saw Rozwix Spazratchet they were on good terms. Good…ish.

"Woooooow, look at all this! Fancy. Dark wood, this is a new ship, right?" Roz asked as she strolled into the cabin, touching passing surfaces like she was checking out something she just bought. Her robes were nicer these days, now that she was heading up the Spazratchet Cartel. She had a real nice gold embroidery action happening, some gems here or there. She was a living, breathing example of how you didn't need to be a good person to wield the Light, her motto was 'Will Heal for Tips'.

Nili pushed off the table in a clatter of hooves on wooden deck, she subtly moved herself between the Goblin and Mel--

"Oh WOW, is this the kid? THE kid? Has it been that long? He's a bruiser!" Roz said with a bright smile, circling around to one side so she could look Mel up and down.

"Yeah," Nili said, simple and curt, holding up a hand in Mel's direction as he took in a breath to comment with a smile. Always smiling. "Go hang out in your room for a while, okay kiddo?"

Mel gathered up his books, unbothered, and took them up the stairway in the back to his room that was more library than living quarters.

Roz laughed, sharply. Just a hint of ugliness in the tone. "Don't worry, babe, I ain't here for him. That was Gilbix's deal, and…well. You remember what happened to him." She pressed two fingertips to her temple, bending a thumb with a pantomimed sideways jerk of her head.

Nili squinted a little, folding her arms and shifting her weight to one hip. "So why ARE you here, Roz? You got more Irvaaal action figures to drop off?"

Roz waved a hand. "Naaaaaah." Her eyes dragged over Nili, looking her up and down. "I got business to discuss with one of my favorite business-type people. I hear you've got lots of connections these days, lots of people runnin' when you come calling. Wiiiide variety of specialized people." Her eyes narrowed a little. "We used to have the same back in the day, in the Cartel, and then one little loot transport went wrong and suddenly a whole lot of our crew is dead or scattered."

Nili deadpanned at the wall to one side. "Crazy how that happens. Spit it out, what do you need?" She didn't say 'and why should I help you' out loud, but…well. It was implied.

Roz leaned up against the table Nili had been sitting on, lifting a hand, rolling her fingers in the air. "You been keepin' up with the news?" Nili started to take a breath, Roz cut her off, turning her hand with a quick sideways sweep. "I'll cut to the chase. Undermine has opened up for visitors and adventurer-type people. Commerce and vacations and shit."

"You selling vacation homes or something? We're good," Nili said, flat. Her tone, her stance, even the way she spoke Common was similar enough to the Goblin's that some might have called it mocking, but it made sense. Watching Roz, listening to her, trying to BE her while she tried to mash her broken pieces back together into someone who was as not-her as possible was where she got a lot of that stuff in the first place.

Roz laughed, another sharp, harsh bark. "Nah…but the Spazratchet Cartel has been on the outs with Gallywix for a while. Enough that anyone with us would be blacklisted from being allowed to go down there and stroll around, poking at shit." Her grin widened as she watched Nili like a bug under glass, despite their height differences. "I did you a solid, didn't I? Got rid of a problem for you."

Nili's finger came up quick, her head weaved to one side. "You got rid of Gilbix for YOU. He was weak and crazy as fuck, and with him gone, now you're the High Mucky-Muck."

Roz brought her hands up, pressed together, all innocent-like as if she was praying. It was a weird look on her, despite her literally being a Priestess...technically, anyhow. "Nili! Nilllllls. I thought we were pals. Gal pals! Ladies lookin' out for each other." Her lashes fluttered. "I don't need you to whack Gallywix for me or nothin', I just need eyes and ears on the ground to take in the lay of the land, lookin' out for how things are goin' down, annnnnnnnnd…"

She produced a large envelope from behind her back. Had it always been there? "Find the files on the Spazratchet outfit, and replace them with these."

Nili sighed, taking and holding up the envelope. "Roz. ROZ. Do you have any idea how much bullshit we're dealing with right now? You think I've got the time to go down to fuck around in Goblin politicals?"

Roz spread her hands. "It doesn't gotta be YOU. You've got people, right? People with skills?" Her grin went wide, with just a hint of an edge to it. "Nice big burly types who can throw a punch? That goes a long way in the Undermine."

The only part of Nili that moved was her eyebrow, quirking up over the rims of her goggles, unimpressed. "What's in it for us?"

Roz, likewise, didn't move. Still grinning. Hands still spread. "On account of you owe me a solid?"

Nili's eyes narrowed into a squint. "Ten k."

"DONE." It was so quick that Nili instantly knew she should've asked for way more. "I'll have my mooks bring up the payment." In advance. Shit. She should've asked for like ten times more.

Nili pushed her goggles up a little to rub at the bridge of her nose. "Okay…okay. Between you me and the wall, on a scale of one to yikes, how dangerous is it down there?"