act complete Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 3 Reunion

[Jotari]

Emmet's immediate response was to go chasing after the butler but he once again realised he didn't have Pinaka and cursed silently Ignoring Serge, Emmet rushed into the library. Inside it was an absolute mess. He had been planning to head here earlier in the day to see if he could find anything about the vial or Malaphar's world but with this level of organisation it'd take the hours to even find the right book to search in. He barged over to the princess and the diplomat. "You've left her alone with someone" he said, trying not to make his words sound like an accusation. "Someone who has the vial. If she stabs him in the neck and robs him then all of this will be for nought. Come on. Help me get after them." He noticed Alain had the bard's weapon slung over his back. "And give me that bow. Engel knows I need to defend myself somehow."

[Dandragon]

"...The hell was that about?" Serge followed Emmet inside the Library, to find him demanding that Alain hand over the bow that Scuttle had been carrying up until the incident that apparently happened. At this point, Serge was slightly annoyed by this. He had outright ignored everything he had said about the job. Did he think he had actually resigned? Or that he had no responsibility?

"Right, that's enough." Serge grabbed Emmet by the shoulder and forced him to face him. "Every time that vial comes up, you get like this without telling us why. Now, as your boss, I demand you tell me what the hell is going on with you and that vial, because I sure as hell can't quite piece it together other than the fact that it is dangerous. And with the way you're acting right now, I don't exactly trust you with something dangerous, especially that bow." He let go of Emmet after that, breathing a heavy sigh once again. "Look, Sebastian tied up Scuttle before carrying her off with the vial, so there's not a lot of bad that could happen right now. So tell me Emmet. What is going on between you and that vial?"

Edited October 17, 2016 by Dandragon

[Xinnidy]

"Is that so..." It didn't help Owen feel any less embarrassed, but he took to the pat on his shoulder well, taking a deep breath. "Alright, then." He sighed, taking a moment before he met eyes with Adele again, his expression much softer. "I'll lead the way, then. Let's see if all these coincidences have meaning, hmm?"

Owen leads Adele to the Seer's Shack!

[Vestige]

"Perhaps," he muttered. "But unfortunately, I think you'll find things about the same as Wyke. Something of a taboo as it were. You're free to do as you like of course, but my advice for now would be to keep it subtle if you can," he said. "I doubt her Majesty would make much of a fuss about it, given her goal of uniting our kingdoms. But some of the nobles can be a bit testy," he said. "I've had to deal with as much myself," he grimaced, recalling prior events that were best left forgotten. "I wouldn't want you to have to deal with their incessant chattering during your stay, especially when you've dealt with enough to get there already."

Her apparent affections for Lady Adele did bring up an interesting point of consideration though. Weren't her and Sir Angus something of an item? Or supposed to be, anyway. Was Sir Angus in the know, or was Cassandra's relation with Lady Adele a secret even from Wyke's inner circle? He wanted to ask, if only out of consideration for Sir Angus, but it wasn't his place to meddle. Perhaps another time...

"Intimidating and almost? Well, I must apologize then. First for frightening you, and second for not quite managing to measure up to your standard of a good friend," he laughed. "I seem to have rectified the primary issue though, but I'll work more diligently on the second henceforth," he said, giving her a grandiose bow. "Though, since we're both being honest here, that first day I was quaking under my robes. This is basically the biggest assignment I've had yet, so suffice to say I was a little apprehensive about how I was going to do. I was glad to have to talk to Prince Owen instead of the King. And meeting you that day calmed my nerves further still, so I must thank you for that," he smiled.

"The issue with Scuttle though, I can't say I fully understand her motivations still, but I'm sure we'll find out more soon enough. I'm just glad no one lost their life today," he shrugged.

"Anyway, my brother huh?" he asked, rubbing his chin. This Princess was more shrewd then she let on. He had figured to make his request for after they reached Raewald, but Cassandra was asking now. "Very well," he chuckled, "I suppose I can spare one," he said. "Time spent before serving the crown though... a lot of that time for me was spent at the college--the one in Wihtwar to be specific. I guess I have some tales to tell from those times as well, but unfortunately none with my brother. He never was the studious type, and he's the eldest anyway. He spent more time at home getting familiar with the court and managing father's land. And when I say getting familiar with the court, I mean familiar with the women of the court," he sighed, expressing an obvious disdain for his brothers antics.

After a bit of deliberation, he finally decided upon what it was he wanted to share. He had to be careful with his words, as he didn't want to let on his true heritage if he didn't have to, but he figured taking a few liberties with his story wouldn't hurt too much. "So you recall the story that I told you about my brother putting on his best impression of a cowardly dog? Well, allow me to give you some context as to how that happened," he sighed. The catalyst for the day's events were so stupid, every time he thought back to it he couldn't help but groan inside. A girl he didn't even know had changed his life in such a profound way.

-:-

"So, back when we were kids, we had this group of, erm, friends. Yes, great guys really, the lot of them. Didn't manage to keep contact with them though, a shame," he said, obviously joking. "So there were about six or seven of us as the time, maybe a little more but I can't say I remember too well. In any case, the oldest among us was something of our defacto leader. His name was--" he began, only to get cut off by the sound of a familiar voice. Emmet had stormed into the library, and for a man as wounded as he, Alain was surprised at the speed he moved. The vial taking effect, perhaps?

The prior atmosphere of amiability he'd maintained with Cassandra had vanished. Alain had been willing to let Emmet go without a proper chiding on account of the man's injuries, but if Emmet was going to come up to him and then try to feign unaccountability... well, that was his prerogative.

"I've left her alone with someone, and that's a problem with you because? Am I supposed to care about the vial after you so proudly drank what was inside? What, did you leave some because it tasted bad? Or did you want to double down on your dosage? Or better still, do you mean to tell me the glass itself has arcane properties as well? Let me be clear here Emmet," he scoffed, annoyed by his requests and blasé demeanor.

"I almost had to kill the woman because of you, and Princess Cassandra might have even lost her life trying to save you. You understand this, yes? And had you listened to me earlier and done what I had asked, take a guess as to who would have the vial right now. Yes, myself or Princess Cassandra, that's correct. In any event, I don't consider Sebastian having the vial of any immediate concern. Scuttle is out cold and Sebastian has been ordered to tie her up and keep her under supervision until she comes to. She's not a magician, she's not going anywhere. And Sebastian is Lady Adele's attendant. If there's something yet inside, I'm sure he'll have the foresight to keep it safe or return it to whom it belongs. If you have any further concerns you can take them up with your commander," he said, nodding over as Serge made his arrival. "Go on then, enlighten us."

[Nanami Touko]

"Drats." It was her hope that some neighboring country held more lax opinions on this, but it seemed, so far, that Magonsaete would be her best bet. It was not a pleasant idea for a bet. Such is the way of things, I suppose... It would be in my best interests to try and change Wyke from the inside, then. At least to try. I owe Adele that much for getting her involved with these silly things I call feelings... She didn't want to just uproot the poor girl and move off somewhere with her, but she didn't want to give her up, all the same. Definitely.

"Don't worry yourself on the friend front. Save me from my emotions once more, or stop a rampaging bard, and I'm sure you'll be spot on for my number one go to friend slot. Beating out Angus, a difficult task, to be sure. I've known the moron for as long as I've known Adele. He still doesn't know how to keep himself out of trouble, though..." She couldn't help the sigh. She was glad he'd returned from his side of their excursions, but his actions up until now had just, been... If she kept thinking about it, she'd sigh again, and Alain didn't need multiples. "I'm glad to be of use for something, especially calming nerves. I haven't been very good at that lately, so knowing I have in the past is a gentle reassurance. Let's hope it stays that way from now on, yes? I... Managed to get something of my nerves back, during that altercation. I should be fine, for quite a while now."

Good, story time~ A nice, light tale to take her mind off what had just happened. His brother was a bit of a lecher, was he? "Let's hope Sir Alain the diplomat doesn't share tendencies with his family, hm?" A snicker, and then paying attention, not wanting to miss what he had to share with her.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

He managed to mention his brother's moment of fear from before, but as he began to regale her, Emmet stormed in, quite upset, still wounded, and blathering about the damned vial.

Luckily, it wasn't for her to deal with. Alain spoke for her, and perhaps for Serge, as he had stormed in after him. There was little patience for his obsession, anymore. An answer would do them all some good.

[Jotari]

"I didn't drink the vial" Emmet told Alain. "I didn't even remove the cork. It's still half full." Serge grabbed Emmet and started interrogating him. "What's going on?" Emmet said, somewhat confused. "Do you really not know? Weren't you there when I suggested we kill Malaphar? The vial can grant eternal life. Heal any injury, even death. Why wouldn't I be eager to make sure it's kept in the right hands? It's precious beyond belief." He turned his head and looked into the faces of all three present one by one. "Look, I know I'm coming across as agitated right now but I'm not wrong. What do we know about this butler? Adele might trust him be she's not even here to confirm that. None of us dreamed the bard would do something like that and look how it turned out! She snapped as soon as she discovered its existence. Can you say for certain Sebastian isn't harbouring similar ambitions? Even if his intentions are good he could still fall pray to her. We underestimated her. There's every chance that he might too. She's far more formidable than she seems. Driven by a passion that will let her stop at nothing. And to boot she's a very skilled actor. She could fool him. Or someone else could attack them. All I'm saying is that we Need to monitor the situation." Emmet was short of breath. His body was far from peak condition. "Look I know I scared you with my attempt to drink the vial but I swear it was a ruse. It is still very much out there. I thought she would surrender if it was gone but I miscalculated. No one is more sorry about that than me. Don't let my mistake blind you to common sense. We need to make sure everything is under control." Emmet was pleading now. Tired, angry and desperate. He took controlled, measured breaths in order to try and get his own state of being under control.

[Terrador]

Angus, Please Stop Talking

What triumph! Such majesty! Incredible excellence! Geoffrey was swimming like a fish! The waiting arms of his mother fling him upwards in celebration, allowing the furry cannonball to carve out an aquatic crater. That great black nose, cresting from his dive as if nothing happened, warmed Angus in a way the pond could never hope to chill.

Not even Nona's attention could frighten him at that point.

"Nah; if I cared, I'd have done it 'fore meetin' Perroy!" Angus nuzzles the bear's wet fur before releasing him. Geoffrey swam free, eyeing the ducks but staying close regardless. No doubt he considered the hunt hopeless. Speaking of hopelessness and fliers, the young Kearney only then recalled that he had no little unfinished business with the sisters. And... had he just been staring at Nona for the last few seconds...? Without a word, Angus baptised himself for a few seconds, enjoying the cold before what he had to say.

"Arright. Now, Nona... do me a great favor an' pass this on t'your sisters, would you?" Angus sighs, now diverting his eyes rather purposefully. "I'm sorry, for all o'this. I didn' think we'd have more'n token resistance gettin' out here. Those twins? Tha' thrice-damned wizard? Ywein? Engel above. Too much for me by half, even." Angus runs a hand through his sopping hair, the other nudged by his pet's muzzle; he hadn't admitted to being overwhelmed before, and it only added to his growing discomfort. "Funny thing is, this was my idea of makin' it up t'you three! 'less I can't see straight, you an' your sisters were miserable at home, righ'?" Only for the briefest moment does Angus meet Nona's eye. "So I says to myself, 'Kearney, you right bastard, take 'em on this nice diploma'ic trip, give 'em good reason t'leave that bug-eyed old-timer for a spell', knowin' full well how things shook out, what with you an' Decima an' Morta an' Cass..." Each name brought difficult, specific memories to mind, and surely some too for Nona.

"Well... it wasn' right, any of it. With Cass, tha' was overnigh', an' I... couldn' have done that any other way." The details of his arrangement with the Princess rather pointedly omitted, Angus continued to babble. "But tellin' you lot with a damned letter? Not even stickin' around for an hour t'hash anythin' out that mornin'? Not a word to any of you 'til jus' now?" The knight shakes his head, fully turned away from Nona at this point. "Disgraceful. I'm sorry, 'bout all of it. ...tha's all."

Once again, Angus submerged, a rather pitiful and half-hearted attempt to hide from Nona; this time, though, he popped up in a different place, surprising the paddling bear. With any luck, Nona would not feel the need to respond to that rambling mess, and take this opportunity to depart.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Terrador

[Nanami Touko]

"There is no possible way that Scuttles is going to act her way around Sebastian," Cass chimed in, though she wasn't about to tell Emmet why. In his rather upset state, hearing that they knew each other, it would probably be the tipping point for rational thought.

That was the only chiming she was going to be doing. Time to take control of this mess.

"You listen to me, Emmet," she began, stepping over to him. "This news of your gambit is not the most pleasing to hear, but the vial is currently in safe hands, and I will not have you rushing off to try and find it right now. As you are, you would collapse in some random part of the village, waiting for one of us to stumble upon you to help. I am a healer, but I am not perfect, and Scuttles was shooting to kill. Your wounds will not be so easily mended. Go with Serge. That is an order. Go with him, and do something else. I will find Sebastian." She'd seen the way that he'd walked off, so even if she didn't know his destination, at least she had some place to start.

"And once I do," she began to add, "I'm taking the vial. Claire was attacked over it, and your obsession with it is honestly unnerving me, right now. I know what it does. It also drives you insane! It's not just some magical cure all to your wounds, and to save your life. You were not with us when we fought a man named Baleros, but he was a giant, insane, and powered by-- no guesses as to what, the liquid inside your precious vial." She huffed, glancing back at Alain.

"Alain, you can come with me if you want, but this farce is beginning to upset me more than it should. And before another protest from you, Emmet," she spun back to him, raising a finger up to him.

"If everyone involved who wished to use this for their own gain thinks you drank it, I want it to stay that way. Whatever caused it, your relationship with Lady Claire is not a pleasant one right now. Keep it like that. I will order Sebastian quiet as well, and the five of us will be all that know-- I hope you're paying attention, Serge." She looked to the commander; this might've been over his head, but he was present, for better or worse. "If the vial is no longer on the table then no one will try for it, anymore... And we'll be safer."

"If that is all clear, I'm leaving. Any questions? Ah, but-- I will not accept any refusals. You are too wounded and upset to be part and parcel of this ordeal, anymore. If you follow us, you're still not getting your hands on that vial again."

Edited October 17, 2016 by Narmaya

[Jotari]

Emmet laughed slightly. "Yes princess" he whispered. "That sounds good." A very large part of him considered it a relief to be able to just rest. "I trust you." He glanced at his commander. "But I would feel a lot safer if Serge would go with you."

When Cass mentioned keeping him drinking the vial a secret he gave a start. It was an extremely good suggestion. But the thought of Charlotte thinking him some reckless fool irked him a great deal more than he was comfortable with. Additionally it also made him a rather large target for anyone wishing to test the vials true power. "You will have to swear Sebastian to secrecy too" he pointed out. "And of course Prince Owen must be told." But what of Adele? Can the princess bear to keep a secret from her? And would the butler willingly partake in this secret pact?

Edited October 17, 2016 by Jotari

[Dandragon]

Serge shrugged, then nodded at Cassandra. "S'fine by me. All I gotta do is say Emmet drank it. I can do that." A lot of this was going over his head, but what he did understand was to keep quiet about something.

Of course, Emmet still seemed to rub him the wrong way. Particularly, the way he kept making demands of people. "You know, I don't think we're in a position to be suggesting things to the Princess like that. Besides, I still have to find Morganna and tell her about the job we just got ourselves...Among other things..." Then he turned to face the Princess and Alain. "I'm awfully sorry about this. I take responsibility for one of my mercs upsetting you, Princess." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Maybe Emmet resigning wasn't the worst thing in the world. At least then he didn't have to struggle to control him as he usually did.

[Vestige]

"Tch," what a bother this had all turned out to be. "Of course Princess, let us be off then," he nodded. He might as well see things through to the end, after all that had happened. He wasn't so sure he agreed with Cassandra's idea of keeping the vial on her person permanently, it seemed far too dangerous, but that was her decision to make.

Her orders at least had been enough to quell Emmet's burning desire to go chasing after the vial, which was well and good. "You needn't take the blame upon yourself," he said, turning towards Serge, "but unless the Princess deems otherwise, I think you should stay here with Emmet. Despite his protest. He looks just about ready to collapse, and leaving him alone in this upturned library might prove problematic down the line. The villagers already have reason enough to be wary of us. Bring him somewhere he can recover, and we'll let you know once we've retrieved the vial. You can search for Morganna in the meanwhile," he suggested.

[Nanami Touko]

No fight? No struggle? Was Emmet the same person? "Are you sure you didn't manage to drink any of that vial? You agreed to my terms... Almost too quickly." She wasn't complaining in the slightest, just surprised. This was, well, the vial. This was what Emmet had been obsessing over for a good while. Even before helping her heal Claire, he'd snatched it. And he was fine with leaving it in her hands? Perhaps he truly did trust her. And perhaps, Claire and him just didn't get along.

"No," she finally managed to respond, through her bewilderment, "Serge is going to stay here with you. Alain couldn't have said it better, Emmet, you look ready to fall apart. Stay with Serge. I'm not risking you being alone if something does happen. Is that understood?"

Serge apologized-- for what? "He's not upsetting me, Serge. In fact, Emmet's compliance has about turned my mood right around. I thought I was going to have to start another argument over this damn medicine. I'm growing very tired of it, truly. Let's be off, then, Alain."

She made to leave, hoping that the ever increasing list of tasks for poor Alain wasn't getting under his skin.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Narmaya

[riariadne]

"Well, for now it is a problem..." Sidney pat Claire on the shoulder, scanning the bar now that immediate concerns for traveling were out of the way. "This place is alright enough to stay for now, I think. Hmm, I don't have money for anything if you need a drink or something like that, though... ugh." She helped the mage girl over to proper seats at a table, at least. "You alright? I guess we can just relax here for now..."

[SB.]

"I'm not thirsty or anything." Claire shrugged. She wasn't exactly a heavy drinker either, and although the thought of knocking herself out with alcohol was a little tempting, she was aware it was a stupid idea. And they didn't even have the money for it anyway.

"I'm fine." she lied, feeling like a broken record at this point. She kicked her legs backwards and forwards absentmindedly, only a little bothered by the pain, but it was barely an afterthought. "It's, just..." She paused and glanced around the tavern. She wasn't sure if the fact that they didn't know anyone else here or not made her feel any better. As things were, she didn't really feel comfortable saying more until it looked like nobody was going to bother them.

[Shin]

Total Eclipse

Nona was puzzled by Angus' apologies, she seemed to be following his words, but the logic behind it didn't seem right. What did he have to apologise for? Standing up, Nona removed her own boots, walking forward until she was up to her knees in pond water. She certainly thought he was strange, but necessarily in a bad way.

"It's OK, Angus. You don't need to be sorry." Nona replied, splashing idly in the water. "Decima and Morta have never really had a chance to visit other places. I think it's good that they got to see other parts of the world. Daddy means well, he's not a bad man, but he finds it hard looking after us all by himself. Especially when we cause so much trouble for him."

The memories of Angus' visit to the Valter residence were somewhat unclear in Nona's head, there was a good portion of the evening she did not remember.

"I think all three of us came for own reasons, but I'm really glad we did come along." Nona added, stepping deeper into the water. "Just don't cause too much trouble, it would be bad if Prince Owen's advisor... and Princess Cassandra's husband-to-be got caught doing something he shouldn't. I don't have to worry about getting into trouble, but you need to."

-

Service from Heaven

Celia had not moved since Owen had left her, her crystal ball seemed like more than enough to keep her occupied. Without even looking up, the seer spoke. "Prince Owen, you bring the daughter of Herman?" she asked, again her question more like a statement than anything else.

"She should be more than able to reach the man you wish to speak to. Unfortunately, the ritual will require some time to prepare, even with the spirits' warning in advance. If you can return in roughly two hours time, I should be complete with all the preparations by then. It is a complex task to communicate with someone who has passed beyond this world."

-

Chapel Motel

As Cass head south, following after Sebastian's trail, she soon came across the chapel. An elderly robed woman, most likely a member of the clergy was at the front tending to the plant life. Noticing the princess, she pointed to the chapel door. "A young man came here carrying a girl earlier, you seem rather desperate to find him. I believe he's still inside." she informed, returning back to her work.

The butler could be seen through the open door, placing the bound Scuttle on a bench. Looking up and spotting Cass through the door, he stood himself up, curious to what the Princess had in store for him.

[SB.]

Claire waited until she felt like they weren't being listened in on to begin speaking again, although her voice was lower than before all the same. "I've never felt that weak before." Her eyes were fixed on the table now, rather than Charlotte or the other bar-dwellers. "When she caught me, I thought that was it. I was in so much pain I could barely think, and then I just... blanked out. I thought I was going to die." She'd been terrified, to the point that losing her conscious could've been considered a blessing in disguise - considering her rescuers had arrived in the nick of time.

"But that's just what we have to deal with when we fight anyway." Claire continued, as if she was trying to reassure herself more than she was talking with Charlotte. There were differences of course - she'd been ambushed, and she'd been alone. But it shouldn't have had this kind of impact on her.

"I'll be alright." she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to try and clear her head. It'll be alright. It was like she was repeating a mantra to herself. She almost believed it. Scuttle was being restrained, and they would find a way to deal with Malaphar and their other problems later. It'll be alright. Once they opened again, she looked back towards Charlotte, face still looking a little down about things. "Sorry for dragging you into this." It really didn't concern her, but Claire had told the rogue everything anyway. She wasn't sure what she was expecting.

Edited October 18, 2016 by SB.

[riariadne]

Sidney listened quietly as Claire confided in her. It felt very personal, and while she considered Claire a friend, it still came as somewhat surprising. "Poor you..." She gave Claire a small hug- not a very long one, but she felt it the right kind of gesture to give. "You're right, it'll all be okay. No need to apologize for anything like that. We're on this journey together, and more than that, we're friends, right? Just take it easy for a while. Listen, here's what we're doing- when we get to Tytila, you're gonna come with me for a day. I'll show you the nice things in the city, let you relax, take some time for yourself. Got it? No objections allowed to you having fun!"

[Nanami Touko]

"How insightful," Cass remarked, leaving the woman to her work. They had been hurrying, but did they look that hurried? Well, no matter. Sebastian was there, no need to look for him. A chapel though, eh? I haven't been inside one of thing since... Back in Wyke, but before that, not for a long time. I wonder if I'll burst into flames under Engel's judgement if I walk inside, hah...

Foolish worries cast aside, she entered the building, approaching Sebastian with purpose. "Give me the vial, and don't tell a soul that Emmet didn't drink it," she began, starting off strong. "I'm going to be holding onto it, and we're not telling a soul that it's still here, until all of this has blown over. No one except for Owen... I'll be speaking with him privately about the vial, and we can tell everyone else about Scuttles... Decide what to do with her later. But, for now, hand it over. And..." She had to offer him something lighthearted. He'd done a lot, since they left Wyke. And barging in at him so hurriedly would just be rude. "Thank you for watching over us so well, Sebastian. There's been a few times, now, that we would've been left to dry without you. I don't have to say I hope you'll keep it up, because I know you will."

[Jotari]

Emmet left the quest in Cass and Alain's hands. He was slightly worried what the diplomat might be planning. It did not go unnoticed that he had tried to get his hands on the vial during the conflict with the bard too. They were compatriots but Emmet really didn't know Alain all that well. At any rate he was sure he could trust the man wasn't stupid enough to try and murder Cass for it in broad day light...though he would have said the same thing about the bard two days ago...

Edited October 18, 2016 by Jotari

[Vestige]

Inside the chapel? Hopefully Engel's divine judgement doesn't smite me as I walk through the front door. He showed no outward signs of apprehension, though admittedly he was a tad unnerved. Little did the diplomat know, Cassandra was having much of the same thoughts. They passed by the clergy woman attending the plants at the front, and Cassandra went to confront Sebastian. Scuttle seemed to still be out cold, which was well enough. It meant she at least wouldn't know the vial was still around. There wasn't much for him to add though, so he remained quiet and let Cassandra handle the talking.

[SB.]

Charlotte's attempts to comfort Claire helped a little. She accepted the hug in silence, and took in a deep breath as she listened. It almost felt like she'd forgotten to breathe since the library incident began. "That... Okay. No objections here." she laughed quietly. They'd made plans back in Hull, but considering the journey to Raewald had sprung up so quickly, it was like adapting them now.

"How long has it been since you've been home, Charlotte?" She attempted to shift the subject. She seemed pleased enough that they were going back to Raewald, so the mage figured she was comfortable with the question. "It always felt a little strange to me, when I came back from Wihtwar." Neither had felt much like home by that point, with her father gone, but she still had more of an attachment to Hull than the college.

[Shin]

The Butler did it

"Oh, Princess Cassandra, how kind of you to join us here." Sebastian replied, bowing as Cass walked in. "My apologies for arriving so late on the scene, I had been caught up with other tasks. There appears to be no hostile forces in the village, and the village itself has a reasonably positive relationship with the bandit tribes surrounding it."

Her request for the vial was more than interesting. Ordinarily, allowing such a high profile member of nobility to carry such a desired target would be a poor choice - but perhaps there were merits to it after all. Removing it from his pocket, Sebastian presented the container to Cass, its inoffensive form completely unfitting of the monstrosities it was capable of.

"I am happy to oblige, Princess Cassandra." he added, his face still carrying its sly smile. "If there is anything else you require, do let me know. It's rather amusing to think so many would throw away all the bonds they'd built just to grasp at something so small."

[Nanami Touko]

"It's nothing to stress over, Sebastian. You were there when it mattered; no harm, no foul." She took the vial, this small, ridiculous container of liquid, and stuffed it into her dress' top. She'd find a better place to hide it later, but considering her set up with Angus, not even Adele would find it in there, for now.

"Nothing else, just-- promise me that you're going to stay quiet about this. Don't tell a soul. And make sure that, no matter what, Scuttles doesn't run off, once she comes to... I've a feeling she's going to be out for a bit, but once she comes to... I-I don't know if she's going to be Scuttles, or that Susan you mentioned. Please, take care of yourself. You seem to know each other; I don't want her to use that against you."

She turned to Alain, smiling. "That solves that, then. I suppose?"

[riariadne]

"How long has it been? Well, depends where I'm counting as home," Sidney reasoned. "I'd go with... about five years since I've been to my actual house, a bit over four since I've been in Tytila, and about two and a half since I left Raewald." She sat in silence at the memories for a bit. "My father's lands are nowhere near the capital. I actually stayed hidden around there for a while before I went over to any new countries. My father's best friend, Emmanuel, was his trading partner when he was a young Baron, and when my father became a Marquess and council member, Emmanuel was made Earl to watch over his expanded lands. I don't know him too well personally, but we sort of had something of an understanding, I think." She smirked at the thought. "He wasn't always a big fan of going completely with the rules, either. So I'm sure he knew I was skulking around there somewhere, but let it go."

She shrugged at the thought. "I'd rather just leave that behind me. I'm not Charlotte, the thief who left in disgrace... I'm Sidney, I'm with the prince now. It's a new me." Hmm, like that song I started, wasn't it? It went by like dusk to dawn...

[Juliette]

"Better news he wasn't up to much than anything else, then. Seems to be fairly normal," Freya concurred along with the brothers. "If we've no luck, then I'll wait until we reach Raewald for a sword. I would need to borrow some money as it is, so I was mainly just looking to scout first."

Hans' next question was more interesting. "Ah, Scuttle the bard... she did get rather lost along the way, didn't she? Hmm, maybe you're onto something. Her mannerisms certainly are very peculiar. If we run into any of the others, we should probably ask them if they saw her."