This is the part where the author of a cartoon introduces something stupid like "thank you for rescuing me. Now I have to fight you because you injured my honor" for plot so the viewers can see the new character vs the old.

Or it's just the part where Pan was apparently wandering out of Luskan, where Joe was fixing to go originally anyway. Unless Joe goes stealthy, she'll likely notice him.

  In the old cartoons sense, technically Joe wouldn't hit a girl.  Because his Melee basic sucks to much to land a hit on Pan *rimshot*

  Joe isn't particularly stealthy for the moment.  Though he figures he'd save any actual calling out to the short fuzzy lady for until they are well out of town if the distance doesn't close by then.

Pan slows her pace some so Joe can close distance quicker, but they both are well away from the pirated bar by now. "I convincing display you did back there." Pan comments to break the silence, still with the gentle and accented voice.

  Joe shrugs, "Thanks for not kicking me in a sensitive area for added authenticity.  As good a thing to do before finally leaving town as any."  Something else is supposed to go here... oh, right. actually introducing yourself. (so much time spent avoiding giving out your name, bad habits).  "I'm Joe, and it's always nice when someone actually manages to come and go from Luskan safely."

"My name is Pan. A pleasure to meet you... you didn't really mean what you said about my mouth, did you?" Sure, he didn't actually taste Pan's lips, but there is always smelling bad breath. Which she doesn't have. She breathes on her hand as if testing to make sure.

  Joe shakes his head, "Just trying to discourage any follow up performances.  I'm sure you're mouth is perfectly kissable.  I'd offer mints if you were that worried, but I think it's best we don't go into candy from strangers territory just yet."

Pan nods. "...I do not know what this... "mint" is. But I thank you for offering it. I am not from Faerûn, so please forgive my limited understanding of the things and culture from your continent. Are you also passing through Luskan?"

  Joe manages to refrain from asking if where she's from didn't have cesspits of crime and necromancy.  "At least you have an excuse.  As for my time in Luskan... Well, I'll just leave it at a family request I've recently completed."

"So you've... lived here?" she asks in an almost "you poor thing" tone.

  Joe shrugs, "If you can come out of that place without ending up dead or an amoral headcase, something has to have gone right somewhere.  Besides, if places like this weren't around you might get the locals going to more respectable cities.  Then all the complaints about Luskan would dry up fast."

  sir, Jabba The Hutt has taken to lording over our local antiques show. Help?

Pan is a little confused, head tilted back while her eyes stay on Joe, she nods slowly like "uuhhhh huuuuh..." but then goes back to a normal expression. "But if you lived here, clearly there are others not so bad who live here. I should help..." She stops in her tracks, turning to look back at Luskan.

  "Most people who live in Luskan want to be there.  The ones who don't leave, or are too scared to go out into the world instead." a street scavenger's living is easier to pick up on than wilderness survival or leaving town to find a job somewhere else.

  "It's a nice thought, but how many people are you going to help before you stop?  Unless you are somehow able to find every single one of them, there will always be someone left behind when you are done."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 02:31, Wed 04 Apr 2012.

"An age-old question, Joe. The answer is simple: I will help who I can. But considering how deep the corruption, the approach is important. The best way to help everyone in Luskan would be to change Luskan for the better. I am not quite ready to do such a thing, but I will be some day. After I have gotten a number of good friends and allies. ....may I call you friend?"

  "If you think I deserve it, you can consider me a Friend Pan.  Crimes only half the problem anyways in Luskan.  Most of the organized crime wouldn't mind if the arcane and undead horrors lurking around were gone.  But like you said, they aren't quite ready to do such a thing."  Joe glances up at the floating Fang Island, "Even if any of them could reach some of the problems."

  When not spending weekends playing serial killer hunter, organized arson to dispatch structures completely lost to the undead had been another way to pass the time.

"Well then, my friend... we have a quest; Find heroes and rescue Luskan."

  Well that figures, first quest you pick up is to go back to where you just left later on.  BACKTRACKING.

  "I suppose it's obvious to say that the first part is the easy part."

"If I continue to be as lucky as I was just minutes ago, then the first part will indeed be easy. But most heroes can not be truly tested without danger involved." She comments. "But I am new here... perhaps you would know where to go next?"

    Joe says "Well, basically anywhere.  I don't know what things are like where you're from, but almost any place you travel to has some issue."  After all, you go to a quiet town and SHADOWFELL THREATENS TO EAT THE WORLD, and that's at low levels.

  "Worst case scenario, nobody's lives are threatened. Oh no."

"In that case, we follow this road." the road that leads south to Neverwinter. She continues onward. "So what is it you do, Joe?"

  Joe follows along, "Well, when acting like an idiot isn't a viable solution, I tend to default towards arrows.  Not being close enough to get stabbed in the first place is easier than dodging, and you remind other people thinking that nowhere is really safe."

  Bonus points when you're taking shots from outside standard issue spell range.

Pan ohs, not having expected that answer. "I see... so... do you do that for a living?"

  Joe shrugs, "It's hard to make maps of other places when you're in one city the whole time.  Same for hunting food that isn't a stray dog or something.  You happen to have any particulars when you're not looking to pick up heroes?"

Pan nods. "I'm a chef and wish to be a housewife some day."

  Yeah, can't say Joe the character saw that quite coming (The player had some suspicions).  "Well, that's kind of  nice.  I'm impressed you've got intentions to save whole cities when that's what you've done so far."  Now, if she had been a Plumber or something, then it would make sense.

Pan nods to Joe. "Thank you. I am impressed you turned out nice in such a crime-filled city."