Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Well, it appeared that Syndra was going to make herself known in the conversation, and in a way that hadn't crossed Tio's mind. First, she summoned Nyx who quickly explained that she'd heard of this Kazran because of her former employ in the Hecatian Underground. That would have been something to know prior to traipsing through Hecatia with not a single precaution put in place. But it paled in comparison to what Syndra then revealed. If Nyx's reveal was a shine spell, then Syndra's was a Gamma Ray seen through a telescope at point blank range. Tio's head craned slowly towards the blue haired woman, "...Belrose. As in, the Belrose family that is effectively in control of Islexia. Syndra. This is the point at which where you tell me that you're pulling a prank on us." Tio's eyes bounced between Nyx and Syndra before it dawned on her that Syndra--as on brand as ever--was being completely serious. Tio brought a hand to her face, and started laughing. "Un-fucking-believable. Anything else you forgot to mention, Syndra? Or did you just care so little that you would have let us walk into Islexia without knowing? Ha! I can only imagine that there are people out looking for you, and we couldn't have even been made aware! Of course it would be you, of all people." 

Tio very tightly netted her hands together, before glaring at Natalya. "Change of plans, Commander. I know that you and Alvira need to deal with this Cyro fellow, but you're going to have to handle this. Because. If I remain in this room for a moment longer, Nicholas Belrose won't have a daughter and you'll be down a woman, maybe two, I don't quite know if Nyx knew. Frankly, I'm not interested in finding out right now. My apologies, but for everyone's sake, I'm leaving. I've quite had it with today, and this is just the cherry on top. Ties to the Underground is one thing, but Belrose, and not a mention until now? Fantastic. Next she'll tell us that she knows where the Envoy is! If there is anything of absolute importance, and only that, come find me. Otherwise, do what you will." Tio gave Syndra a final glance, before storming out of the inn without another word. 

[JakezuGD]

"Gotcha. I do need to know most everything if I'm going to be effective at planning things out," Natalya replied to the older Evoker, turning her attention to the map now that Mikoto had produced it from... somewhere. They wouldn't have too long of a way between themselves and the Sands if everything went according to plan, even if going that close by Asqua to get through the shortest route was more than a bit daunting. Being able to get a Warlord who likes Clouded to gain more power in Islexia would only be a good thing, either way, and if it was being led by his family personally, there wouldn't be any uncertainties regarding allegiances. Plus they had the fox's offering of being ready to be there in place of the Evokers... smugly as she may have declared it.

Otherwise, their information could still have used filling in. The battle plan was clear enough - fight a person known for a land army with a naval surgical strike - but the potential consequences of it not so much. That was when Nyx, and Syndra, decided to chime in. So, they were assuredly going to upset the Underground by doing this, easy guess as it may have been, and the Underground might be providing some unaccounted for strength to the Warlord's forces. She didn't bother taking Nyx to task over her past now; sure, she was putting them in some danger going through Hecatia without telling them, but from knowing her for a while, she'd turned a new leaf by joining the Tigers in the first place, and had left for good reasons at that. If she actually had any animosity toward Clouded, would she ever have gotten close with Aegean? That at least was a purely personal matter that Tasha could disavow the group from if it turned into a problem... Less so with the other woman's revelation. "Excuse me?"

Tio had already said her part, stormed off even, and Elisa wasted no time in following her wife out, without saying a word herself. Natalya sensed a potential conflict of interest with Syndra being who she said she was and the matter of Marigold's employ, letting go of Alvira and placing herself directly between the two to stop anything from occurring immediately... and to give herself the time to speak her mind to the blue-haired lady, looming over her and gripping her shoulders tight. "You were going to mention this 'later'? When the fuck was 'later' going to be? We're a stone's throw from the damn Islexian border, and you thought to tell us 'later' that a mission we've known since day one is taking us through Islexia has us harboring a local VIP!? You knew that no matter what, we were already going to be drawing attention like a wildfire in a forest, and you didn't say anything about this? Do you have any idea how much danger you're putting us in just by being here!?" The safety of the Tigers was paramount... and it sure felt like Syndra was trying to get them killed by not talking. There weren't many things that got the tiger to bare her fangs, but such flagrant negligence was up there.

---

Outside, the strawberry blonde Evoker dashed along to catch up with Tio, easy as it was for her. Nothing about this day had gone to plan, nothing about everything they were finding out this late into their mission was good news, and all of it just kept making both of them more and more frustrated with little chance to wind down. "Seriously, how did Iseria manage to find a group where everyone has some way of complicating everything for us? Surely she couldn't have known, if even their commander didn't." Elisa sighed, shaking her head. "Well, what now? We're stuck with them at this point. Do we just deal with it, leave things to Natalya, and try to relax for the evening?"

[Nanami Touko]

"You're--" Marigold watched the women in front of her explode at the news, none too pleased to hear it herself. She felt herself instinctively going for her axe, until a certain magical energy stopped her body in its place, eyes shooting to the fox.

"Ah, ah, ah... This is for them to solve, little messenger~" Mikoto had wrapped the girl's legs and arm up with her dark magic, waggling a finger while holding her in place. "If Syndra truly meant harm, she'd have kept quiet about this, and we've had fallen into a lovely trap in the middle of your plan... So let them resolve this~"

"Fuck you," Marigold spat, quietly, sighing. Why the daughter of the Belrose family was in head cleaving distance was beyond Marigold, but she gripped her axe even tighter after being stopped. "She'd better have some good reasons, or not even this magic is going to stop me."

Alvira wasn't sure what to do in the situation at hand. Her first reaction was to try and deescalate things, but Tasha had too many good points. This was dangerous. Too dangerous... Nyx as well, but at least she wasn't actively still doing anything. While she was thinking, she hadn't noticed, but she'd put herself in front of Miria, hiding the girl from any harm were it to come. "Syndra... If you could've gotten us hurt, or worse, I'm not going to forgive you."

---

"Oh, no, I'm not-- well I am, but I know she's not your boss. She's my boss! I'm supposed to be meeting her here, but I haven't run into her yet. Was just wondering if you'd ever heard of her. She's head of the Amaryllis, you know! A pretty big deal here in Hecatia~ And--" Just then, the Evokers stormed out of the room they were staying in, Syta watching them go with some confusion on her face. "Whoa... Green hair there looked real pissed. Wonder what happened inside... Do you gotta check on your boss and stuff, Lani...?"

---

"Yeah, that was the agree...ment..." Siorel felt a shadow above her and looked up to see the woman, shrinking somewhat into a combat stance purely out of reaction. When it became clear that she was the store's owner and not there to cause problems, her stance softened, letting the lizard take a deep breath. "Goodness! You scared me... And did you hear all that~? Shucks! I promise I'll be on my best behaviour~" Siorel slid her hands behind her back and smiled up wide at the woman, pushing her chest out ever so slightly to emphasize the pose. "We'll be staying in this part of the city... So, if you've got something he can wear that won't incinerate itself, that'd be really helpful. I'm just here for anything, myself... Got any suggestions, ma'am~?"

Edited December 15, 2022 by Mel the DM

[mcd900]

Laniva nodded, understanding Syta's situation a bit better now. "Oh, so that's how it is... that makes more sense. I guess we can look for her, maybe take you to see--" The shouting from inside the adjacent room had grown louder, and she winced a little, and as the Evokers made their way out her tail flopped against her chair, somewhat anxiously. "Um... I have no idea what that was about... do you think you could wait here a moment while I check on that? Or, well... I don't know, you can come along if you like, I don't really know..." She sighed. "Those women that just left are our clients..."

She stood slowly, making her way over to the doorway after waiting a moment, seeing as nobody else seemed to be wanting to storm out too. Poking her head in the doorway, she saw... Nyx, Syndra, Miria, Alvira, the Chief... somebody she didn't recognize. She gave Alvira a bit of a questioning look, though she wasn't sure if she caught it; the situation in the roomed seemed gloomy at best.

"Um... hey, Chief... is everything alright? I just saw our, ahem, clients go by, and..." She trailed off before finishing the though.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Friends? She-- She called us friends! Miria could barely hold her excitement in finally being able to hear that from Alvira, but that could be saved for later. She gave a big nod, then began to focus onto Mari's battle plan. The girl knew she'd simply follow Natalya's lead, but it'd be better if she at least tried to understand and recognize the potential threat. Helping take down a bastard warlord in Islexia, Miria was already on board. She nodded along as she listened.

As her plan was fully presented, Syndra stepped in to have Nyx (who had been hanging in the back) explain her own relation to their target. Then, Syndra revealed the truth about her heritage. She wasn't the brightest, but Miria understood that this should've been brought up long ago. And she was proven right by the many people angry at Syndra's lack of doing so. First Tio, who stormed off followed by Elisa, then Natalya, and even caught the ire of Mari. None of this was truly surprising, it was more of the sheer rage that came from all the people angry at Syndra. And Tio made it very obvious where even Miria thought it was pretty stupid that it took this long for Syndra to say anything.

The cub thought for a bit until her thought was cut off by Alvira stepping in front of her, like... she was being protected. Miria couldn't help but blush a small amount, before shaking her head, trying to retain her thoughts. She could see both sides to Syndra's situation. She could've brought up her past, and this could've not been an issue, but Miria could understand the other side. The potential of people being suspicious of her cause of her father being complete garbage... She wasn't sure what she could do...

She was ready to speak up, but her train of thought was once again broken by Laniva suddenly coming in, Miria giving a smile and a small wave. Turning back, she stepped a little to the side, "I'm not sure how much what I say can help but..." Miria took a deep breath, "Syndra just brought up her family to me, and she's made it clear she's planned to confront them. Sure, not revealing who she is was... pretty careless and dumb, but... mistakes do happen, right? She's not a bad person, I trust her." Her voice stayed stern and serious, not a tone she typically carried, but she knew how important this all was. She had to say her piece.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"I don't know! I don't know, and just, ughhhhhhh! Of course it's fucking her." Tio felt bad about leaving everyone to handle that, Danica in particular, but if she remained in that room she absolutely couldn't guarantee Syndra's safety. Tio had taken the Belrose Family into consideration when she and Elisa had drafted their plans. They were the most powerful Warlords in Islexia, and have been heavily against Glacies ever since the collapse. If anything had happened to the envoy, they were definitely involved. "We don't have a choice at this point, but to deal with it, but now we have to consider that we've been stalked and watched this entire time. I don't believe for a second that someone isn't searching for a fucking--" Tio covered her mouth and paused. Saying the name out loud probably wasn't the best idea. Tio deflated, "...Yes, let's, let's go find something to just... forget about this. For a moment. What a day! What a fucking day."

[scorri]

Cin flinched as someone else chimed in on their conversation, verifying his fears in an instant. Siorel seemed altogether unbothered by having been overheard, something that shouldn't have surprised him at this point, but still managed to somewhat. He knew it would be a losing battle to continue though, so he instead focused on the shopkeeper. "Ah, no, nothing for you to worry about, I promise. It's just, I'm a mercenary, is all and I use my fire magic in a bit of a weird way that opens up my clothes to danger. I can never normally wear long sleeves for instance. And, well, you can see evidence of the last time I had to use my magic." He gestured towards the singed vest with a wry grin. "So, fire resistant clothing would be an amazing blessing for me, ma'am. Though, as you probably heard, the exact clothing situation is in her hands." He smiled at Siorel, wondering what sort of outfit she would pick out for him.

---

A small, lithe figure sat, squatting on a barrel in an alleyway, watching people as they passed by. It was a good place good observation, one he'd had to fight over before, but it was worth it for the vantage point near some of the nicer inns in this part of town. There were certainly richer areas, but he wasn't foolish enough to risk that. Those areas were dangerous for thieves, especially those like him. The white wings on his back flexed unconsciously at the thought, memories of when he'd first arrived in town surfacing. Thankfully, a loud voice pulled him back into the present, and left him with a grin. Whoever was out there yelling was clearly distracted by whatever was going on in their life. The perfect time for him to sneak in and lighten their load a bit.

He hopped down from the barrel, taking a second to quietly whisper most of a spell, before sneaking out behind the two women. He reached out, finishing the spell as he did, resulting in a small blade of wind starting to form near his fingertip. As he did, he finally looked up, catching sight of the bright green hair and general appearance of his mark. No way. It can't be. Not again! What's she doing here? Fuck. Time to get out of here. He started to turn, panic setting in, but found himself blocked, perhaps even accidentally, from his best route of escape by the companion of his mark, forcing him to spin, trying to find a way to escape when his foot caught on something, sending him tumbling towards the ground.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Ever since the trouble with Mercuria. Tio had been searching for magical signatures just in case the "god" tried anything further. Her general annoyance and anxiety made sure that Tio hadn't stopped searching at any point since, which was why, she'd already begun moving when she felt the signature of magic approaching them. She stepped to the side, and turned... only to realize that at some point the approaching person had stumbled and that she'd stepped right into his path. Tio's first instinct was to cast, but her emotional state lended itself to a spell much stronger than would have been necessary, and could have harmed other civilians. There really was only one thing she could do, and brace herself. "Oof!" The person crashed into her, and Tio was not strong enough to help keep both of their balance, and the both of them fell to the ground. 

"Ugh..." Tio shook her head, and then looked down. Before she got all the way down, the first thing she noticed were white feathers, wings. Whoever was in her arms now was winged monster or clouded. However, she couldn't quite get a good look at the person's face as it was basically lodged in her chest. Tio started shaking, and she pushed the person back, so she could get a good look at his face. Orbs of light began to surround the pair, "Eyes. On mine. Now. Yo--" Tio blinked as she looked at her attacker, "...You?! You, again?! Elisa. Elisa, grab him and pull him away from me before I delete him from this plane of existence. Why are you here? What are you doing? Answers before I just end it! Now!" 

[JakezuGD]

"I've spoken with her a bit more, and I don't think she's acting out of malice or anything... speaking of which, I think she was supposed to apologize to you too back then. Put another one on her deciding not to talk purely to her detriment." It seemed that Syndra had failed to follow up on the discussion they'd had at Eibar, which just made the woman's actions feel less and less rehearsed, like she really didn't know what she was doing. But almost as soon as Elisa had managed to get her wife to acquiesce to a night of relaxing, they were interrupted again, this time by having someone knock Tio onto the ground. She'd barely heard the words as her hand was already on the mystery person's back, practically ripping him away from Tio and pushing him onto the nearest wall. "Talk. Now. You chose a great time to fuck with my wife, so make it snappy or you'll be gluing those wings back on in a minute."

[Nanami Touko]

"Yeah, sure, I'll come along." Syta waited for Lani to approach and say what she had to say, slowly walking over and peeking in behind the woman. A bunch of faces she, obviously, didn't recognize, in some sort of altercation. She didn't dare say anything-- it was then that she realized the animal woman in the back was staring at her. Staring daggers into her. She looked like a--

Oh no. K-Kisara? I, I think that's another kitsune--

Yes... She is. Perhaps the most reprehensible of us all... I'll speak with her. Don't run.

I... A-Alright.

---

"E-Excuse me!" A voice rang out at the altercation, someone running over to the situation with Tio, Elisa and their unfortunate thief. "Ah, hah, uhm... P-Pardon me, I, I don't mean to intrude...!" They paused and took a moment to catch their breath, having run over once they heard the shouting. They gently adjusted their sun hat and white dress, staff in hand, taking a deep breath...

Clothes Fit For a Slime

Spoiler

Ren held back a sigh. Jesse was quite excited over the idea of stuffing them into new clothes… They didn’t have the heart to tell them the truth about what they were currently wearing. This outfit is fabricated, but I guess I can try stuff on over it. Mmmm… “So… Jesse. Where did you want to go? I don’t know anything about Cerezia… So. You’re in the lead, here. What did you want me to try on, anyway? Or were you just worried because I was warm earlier?”

Jesse hummed along as the two walked down the street, this was the first bit of free time she had since this whole ordeal started, and she had someone to spend it with! Her guest was now asking her questions. Admittedly, she didn’t have too much of a plan. “To be honest, yes it was because of the earlier warm comments. I haven’t been here in a while, but I know there’s some cute clothing shops on main street, and they probably have summer wear on sale. A change of pace is always nice.” 

Ren’s outfit definitely was unique, Jesse had never seen clothing quite like it before, but from what Ren had told her, it would make sense. Still, it was definitely a way to pass the time until they met up with Celine. “More than that I just wanted us to enjoy this bit of downtime we have. I know there’s a library and a bookstore in town too, and there’s plenty of shops and benches where we can just sit down and relax.”

“Mmmm… Okay. Let’s just do clothes, then. We do still have to find Syta…” Hopefully this much of a detour wasn’t a detriment, Ren holding back another sigh. It was a little difficult to be doted on like this, but they would do their best. “So… Where to, then? Again, I don’t know Cerezia… Or, Hecatia, at all, so… please lead the way.” Ren nudged Jesse ever so slightly with their staff, hoping the woman would get moving. 

Jesse laughed at the nudging she got. "Right clothing store just around this corner." That turn led them to Cerezian Flair, one of the more popular stores in town for their selection. Once in, Jesse started to browse the sections. Truth be told, she didn't know what Ren might like for clothes, so she turned to look at them. "Is there anything you like wearing in particular? Aside from your regular outfit. Maybe something similar to where you're from?" Jesse's curiosity was slipping through, but she did want to know more about Ren, especially if the two were going to be working together.

"Something like where I'm from… Welllllll…" Most of the clothes styles were the same between these worlds. It was all in how they were worn and in what parts. "How about something nice and light, like… This." They picked up a nice, flowy, white summer dress, laced with a gentle skyblue line of color along its hem. They folded it over their arm and picked up a wide brim sun hat to go with it, something nice and straw woven. "Won't I look like I fit in just fine wearing stuff like this? And if you've got anything in particular you'd like me to try on, don't be afraid to suggest it."

"If we were in my town with a look like that they'd think we'd be having a festival tonight." They did do the dress justice. Such a modest look felt perfect for Ren. "Hmmm maybe we grab something light." Jesse began to look at the racks of shirts, finding a nice faded burgundy shirt with straps and a tan, knee length skirt. "Oh this could go well with your tights. Maybe some different shoes." Interestingly enough this was the most clothes shopping Jesse had done in her life, aside from being dragged into town with her mom. It was an… interesting change of pace. "So, and stop me if this is a bit too nosy, but what was your life like before coming here? You kinda dropped a bombshell on me and I can't help but be curious."

"Eh? Uh… Well." Ren squirmed just a little, perhaps uncomfortable, but started speaking. "We just… Lived as adventurers. Took on quests from folks. Stood up against evil. Banded together against those that abused their power… It was all very storybook, I suppose." They smiled, perhaps going over a happy memory. "I… I don't have anything to return to, though. Right before I was whisked away here, I… All my friends were killed. Quest gone wrong. Nothing nefarious, just… Just, got in over their heads. I was protected and hidden, so… Mm. Sorry, that, must've been a lot to suddenly hear, but… I didn't want you to think I held any regrets or wishes to return. I like it here. It's different, but not in a bad way."

They took the clothes that Jesse had picked out and moved towards the changing room. "I'll try these on too, then." With the curtain shut, Ren took a deep breath… Their clothes started to lose their color and fade into pink, slowly sinking into the healer. "Okay… Just, gotta…" They focused and with a few more moments of slime rearranging, they were naked as 'Ren'. "Then, just… O-Oh, right." They took a moment to fix the lack of underwear and then pulled the dress on, fixing the hat onto their head. "Okay, hooowwwwww… Do I look?" They poked their head out and then stepped out, doing a slow twirl. "It's pretty floaty, but not in a bad way…"

Jesse listened on as Ren answered her questions. These adventurers they mentioned sounded a lot like their mercenaries, if not a bit more on the 'do gooder' side than the 'get money' side. The other girl immediately felt like kicking herself in the ass for asking after hearing how their last group ended. Ren tried to assure her that she was fine, but Jesse still felt a tad bad. "Well I hope we treat you right then. Maybe once this is all done you should check out Glacies. I hear they're pretty up on magic things there and they're probably the friendliest nation in the alliance, to all kinds of strangers. A healer with some unique magic would fit right in there."

Ren had finished changing at this point and was seeking an opinion on the new outfit. "You look like you're ready for the sun and feeling like it too. It's perfect for you." Jesse gave a thumbs up with a small grin at Ren's choice.

"Heheh… Perfect, huh?" Ren smiled slightly, nodding. "Okay… One more. I don't know anything about Glacies, but if they research strange magic there, maybe it'd be a good idea. After we finish helping Celine, of course." They disappeared into the room and took off the dress, fitting themselves back into their leggings and putting that skirt on, then the shirts fitting the straps to the skirt. "And materialize the leggings…" One moment of pink later and Ren was dressed as Jesse suggested, no hat for once, stepping out with another spin while looking themselves over. "I think this is nice too… So I think I'll get both."

“That sounds like a plan then, anything else on your mind? This was the main thing I wanted to do so if that’s all you want from here we can find something else to do. Just give me an idea and I’ll find us a destination!” Clothes shopping seemed to be a success, so there wasn’t much else major to do. Well, besides finding Syta, but they would need to track her down first, and that could mean a number of places in town. Maybe sightseeing would help them eliminate some potential options of where the mercenary could be.

"Well… There is one thing, before we run off to try and find Syta…" Ren slipped back into the changing room and put the long dress back on, adjusting that had and collecting the other new clothes on their arm– Oh, uh… They panicked for a quick moment, pausing to think… I'll just say it's all in the satchel. If she asks. Phew… They came back out with the new clothes on one arm, pack strong over the other, ready to pay for it all. "I'll wear the dress out, it's nice… Mm, so. I know you told Celine before when we were talking, but… What made you get into all this? All this risking your life for the greater good, business. I'm… Well, I'm pretty durable, in a sense, so I know I'll be okay, but you folks seem very fragile at times. Feels so risky… what drives that?"

Jesse was a little surprised at how Ren managed to pack their old outfit and hat within their sack, which the girl was sure had other things inside, but she was now the one being asked questions. Something she hadn't really thought about in a while. Jesse looked down at the rack of shirts before she gave an answer. "My mom and dad were a part of the militia I joined when they were my age. It's how they met each other. They left in order to raise me, and while our farm was nothing grand or spectacular, everyday felt like sunshine and warmth. When I got this… thing here I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and my parents were the ones who pushed me to go seek out answers. So I guess you could say I'm doing it for them, that at the end of it all I can look at them and prove that I'm making the right choice. Do really know about that 'greater good' part, while I have my opinions about folks like a certain noble, can't really say I'm thinking that big." Jesse scratched her nose and gave a sheepish smile. "Besides this armor I'm just a regular gal who wants to do right by her family."

"I see… All that for such risky work…" Humans were curious. Ren was doing this because they wanted to live up to the memory of their friends and her… But just, because she wanted to 'do right' in such a vague manner. I suppose that's why you wanted to be a healer, Ren… To keep fools like this alive so they could keep chasing something so vast. 'Ren' smiled, nodding a little. "I see… That's very… Hmmm. Well, I'm glad it's driving you. Mm. We should get going, then. You can show me around Cerezia with whatever else it has to offer."

Jesse couldn't quite clock the look Ren gave her reply. From her perspective the two of them were doing the same thing: honoring the people they held close. However it seemed there was a gap between the two, and whatever it was it wasn't something that could be cleared in just a single conversation. "Yeah… we should look around some more, there's a sweets shop just down the street that everyone visiting the city should try at least once. C'mon." With that Jesse led the two out of the shop, having gotten some answers about her new friend, but probably gaining a few new questions as well, maybe some about herself.

"Uhm! My, my name is Ren! I'm... I guess, one of Hecatia's... Knights? Er, well, I've never been officially knighted into the order, but, I, er... I'm a part of the Amaryllis. In a way. I'm sorry, I heard the shouting and I couldn't help running over..." They glanced back at Jesse who was coming over swiftly. "Is there anything I can do to help the situation? Are you being robbed? Shame on you, sir." They pouted, staring down at the Clouded that seemed to be fearing for his life. "If you'd like, my friend and I can bring them to the knight's outpost... Assuming you've given back what you stole. It's not right to take stuff from good citizens, okay?"

Edited December 15, 2022 by Mel the DM

[Bluemask 96]

Jesse was a few paces behind Ren due to stoping and donning her armor, upon reaching to where her companion was, she came upon to women holding down a clouded man, a thief from the looks of things. Jesse paused for a brief moment as she noticed the absolutely livid face of the woman with Green hair, and magic all around her. The knight put her hands up in a defensive position before speaking "Evening ladies. Jesse Flynt, militia member contracted with the Amaryllis. What seems to be the problem?" Jesse turned to the strawberry blonde woman, who would hopefully be less volatile, and maybe someone's (or multiple people's) life would be saved today.

[scorri]

He'd known as soon as he placed his foot wrong that he was in trouble. It had been a while since he'd made such a mistake, so he had been due for one, but this was the worst possible time for it to happen. And as they fell, and he found himself in a position that many would have enjoyed, all he could think was about how things couldn't keep getting any worse. Until they did.

He found himself easily manhandled, shoved up against a wall by the other woman, his wings being threatened and her calling Tiora her wife. Dammit all. Her wife? That makes her the other Evoker. What are both Evokers doing in Hecatia?? And if that weren't enough, two bystanders showed up, revealing themselves to be members of the Amaryllis, meaning his time had officially run out. He hadn't tried fighting back at any point after he had been grabbed, knowing it was pointless, but he finally spoke, eyes closed, waiting for whatever was to come. "Do what you will. I get it. I'm here because it's the only option I have anymore. I tried. Promise. Tried to go straight, joined a mercenary group after no one back home would even consider giving me a chance. Not that it matters. Just ended up here again. It's all I'm good at, I guess. If I had realized it was you before I started moving, I would have never... Ugh. Whatever. Just hand me over to the Amaryllis and let them throw me in jail already."

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Tio dusted herself off, and looked over her clothing before slowly getting to her feet. Not dropping the magic about her. "No. The situation is rather fine." Tio's voice was very, very quiet. Tio paused for a moment, looking at the two new arrivals. They mentioned Amaryllis, which meant that the two of them were somehow related to Celine Altair, herself. Which was a hidden positive as far as she was concerned; losing her temper completely was out of the question now. She returned her gaze to the clouded man who was now glued to the wall by Elisa, "Answer me a couple questions. What you say determines what I do next. You recognized me, and considered trying to instead of steal my things, yes? I want you to show me proof that you're not lying to me. What you're saying is almost identical to what you said to me back then. I want you to prove that you haven't been doing this entire time. If you can't, I'm handing you over. Elisa, you don't have to hold him that tight."

---

"You get good at hearing things around these parts." She shook her head looking at Siorel. "So fire resistant stuff. Over right where I pointed. Got a decent amount of stuff. Vests, shirts, pants, even some dresses and such. Suggestions though, hmm?" She paused, looking over the two of them. The man was enormous, well built just about everywhere, and either wasn't shy about revealing his physique, or hadn't found clothing that properly accommodated his size. Admittedly, his current attire was quite good for him, but having alternatives was good. No reason to be guns out at all times. Speaking of such, the woman was rather similar. Short, but she had no trouble standing out. 

"Well, for you," She looked at Cin, "You'll probably want to look at some of the shirts. It sounds strange with your magic and all, but these shirts are quite durable. It's nice to have other alternatives to your vest and pants combo, though, you can definitely find fire resistant replacements as well. As for you, miss, I think your style of dress is quite impeccable on you. You might look into some high waisted skirts, but the flowing dresses seem like a good fit for you." She pointed towards the back, "They'd be that way. Otherwise, just ask if you've got some questions or such."

[Nanami Touko]

Ren smiled gently at Jesse, glad to have the woman behind them for support. The talk of throwing into jail and proving things were both a little troubling. "I-If I may..." Ren stepped over to the situation and placed themselves between Tio and the goose, nodding. "It would be very difficult for him to prove he has been doing things properly, right? There's no tangible proof for one's good deeds... On the flipside," they turned to face the goose, their smile a bit more pitying now, "it's very likely you've been doing this for a while if this is a repeat offense... Even if you've tried to go on the straight and narrow. So! Here's what I'd like to happen." Ren nodded, smiling wide.

"Please apologize, properly, to these nice women, and come with me. Not to put you in jail. The knights already have their hands full of things here and you'd just be put into a cell to rot... What's the point in that? How does that teach you to mend your ways? You would simply wait out your sentence and then return to committing crimes... I'd like to talk about how better to put those skills to use against people that deserve it, instead of the kind townsfolk of Cerezia. Is that acceptable, mister...?"

Edited December 15, 2022 by Mel the DM

[scorri]

"Yes I recognized you. Too late. I knew I was making a mistake at that point and tried to run. Didn't succeed but, well. Here we are." He laughed bitterly at her next question, though one of the Amaryllis stepped in, stealing the argument from his mouth before he could say it. The follow-up directed at him made him laugh even more though, a sad, bitter laugh. The words that spilled out next were barely even thought out, as he found himself ranting. "Yeah, right, just prove I've been doing something else for the last two years. How, exactly, am I supposed to do that? They're right, you know. I don't carry around proof of the mercenary work I did, or the odd jobs I tried to do that just ended with me being kicked out early, cheated of wages, or never even hired in the first place. It's so easy to judge from your position. You've made it. Money, power, position. What could you possibly know about fighting just to survive one more day? Of scrounging up every copper to send to support a family you haven't seen in two years? Of knowing that, some day, the noose around your neck will tighten and you'll be done?" He shook his head, looking down at the hand forcing him against the wall. "It had to happen eventually I guess. Didn't expect it from you of all people but so it goes." Looking over at the one person advocating even a little for him currently, he shook his head. "You're better off spending your words elsewhere. I don't think you have much control over what happens to me here. I'm not the kind of person people give second chances to."

[Bluemask 96]

"Maybe not wallow in self pity for five seconds. You have people actually giving you a chance here." Jesse had chose to be quiet and let other speak, but the man's responses were not helping the situation in any way, and the look on his face gave him away too easily. This wasn't a evil person, but rather someone way too down on their luck.

"Considering how the lady in green spoke, this isn't the first time she's met you, and she's managed to not blast you to pieces with magic. Crazy for someone who supposedly doesn't deserve second chances. Now, yes records might be null, but actions can mean a lot now. So what will yours be?" Jesse looked the thief earnestly in the eyes hoping something would reach him.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Bluemask 96

[Mercenary on the Winds]

One of the Amaryllis placed herself between her, and the boy. She had half a mind to dismiss her, but she had a very good idea as to what to do with the boy. One she also happened to have in mind, and then the boy bitterly laughed. He had no proof of what he'd been doing before this point, but he continued further than that. It was just an obvious direction to go. She was an Evoker of Glacies, one of the most famous mages in the entire world, and effectively nobility. So far removed from the common people. Tio started to shake again, but this time, it was her own bitter laughter. "Yeah. I guess it would be pretty easy to look down from my position at you. It makes sense, doesn't it? How could this woman who has everything ever know what someone like me has to deal with, and in a way, you're right. Not in the way you think though. I'll never know what it is like to truly despised, hated, reviled just for my existence, not in the way that Clouded and Monsters do every single day. You're right, I made it. By surviving every single day after my home was torched to the ground, and any from my home were labeled traitors. Practically branded for doing what was right back in a time when Glacies was only just starting to improve. There I struggled. Alone, hungry, desperate, I wonder how many times I'd been thrown out because of having to steal my way to survive. Taken advantage of. Until I was given one chance. A destitute family who gave me a home, and some food, and a direction. It was truly a wonderful experience having to watch them waste away, and I could do nothing about it. Me. The Evoker of Light, the most powerful Light Mage in the world, gifted everything, couldn't do anything to save the people who saved her. Then everything that happened at Solara, I'll never forget all the abuse and pain that I had to suffer there either. Surviving on sheer will alone, until someone reached out to me, and allowed me to become the woman I am now." 

Tio wiped at the sides of her eyes, before turning to Ren. "...You had such a lovely idea just now, miss. One that I plan to take to heart." She looked back at the bird, sniffling something back, before giving him a dead serious look. "And don't play that with us. If you haven't forgotten, you did this to me before. Back in Glacies. I didn't turn you in then, because it wasn't right. You were given a second chance then. But I guess that one doesn't count so perhaps I'll have to make it explicit. If you're genuinely looking for a second chance... then I'll give it to you. How about it?" You're the second person on this trip to assume anything without knowing anything at all... Guess that's just life. I'll never be able to get away from it. First Syndra-fucking-Belrose, and now you... Asking for second chances when I'm not even afforded the first... That's just life.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[MRDRHAWK]

Saiga was in higher spirits after having gotten his supplies. It made sense, of course; now he had nothing to worry about, and was able to relax in this unfamiliar city. Only… being so unfamiliar with it, he found it hard to navigate, especially with no clear goal in mind. Well, maybe it was for the best - wandering might help him find some perspective.

Well, if one counted Ren & Jesse as perspective, anyways. And they were… talking with the Evokers? And some… other fella, too. Huh. Something in the back of Saiga’s mind told him that maybe he shouldn’t intervene here, but then again, was it really an intervention to just pop his head in and say hi, while checking in with the bosses? Eh, probably not.

”Yo! Good to see you two again!” Saiga gave a friendly wave and greeting to Ren and Jesse, trying not to put himself too close to the former given how they’d reacted last time. “And hey, bosses! Uh, who’s this guy? Are we bringing another person along with us all of a sudden?” Sarasin might not be too happy to hear that, but more bodies meant more protection for the Evokers, which he would appreciate knowing how he felt about them.

[scorri]

He hadn't expected this. He'd figured his rant would get him a punch, or a blast of that magic, before being tossed to the Amaryllis duo to be locked up, no matter what the cute one standing between him and the Evoker said. Instead, he'd gotten a lesson in her past, the troubles she'd faced, hardships that felt all too familiar. He flinched at her look, feeling the anger and frustration directed at him, quickly looking away, unable to meet her gaze. In this moment, after she had been so blunt and open with him, he couldn't help but feel the urge to be fully truthful with her. He put his own fear and anger to the side, just for the moment, and for once, finally answered her, even if he couldn't meet her gaze.

"You're right. You gave me a chance. I tried... I tried to do right, by you. I... I wanted to be like you. Foolish, I know. I still tried though. I wanted to go to a magic school, strengthen my skill, but I was either too weak or too poor and, so I tried merc work. No one wanted me in Glacies. I was too young, too weak, too... untrustworthy. That one's fair I suppose. So I came here. Figured magic was less common out here, I might do better. And it worked, for a little. Not long enough." He sighed, finally looking back up at her, before glancing at the one who kept trying to defend him. "All this to say, I'm really only good at the one thing. I don't, I would rather be making money in a better way, a more stable way. My family back home... I need what money I can get. But this is all I'm good for. So don't, don't be disappointed if you give me this and I don't live up to your expectations. If you have some big lofty plan for me just, put me in jail."

[Nanami Touko]

"Could you please stop?" Ren sighed, moving to take this Clouded man's hands to seriously try and talk to him, but a newly familiar voice made them squeak and shrink down to their knees, hiding under their sunhat. "Mnnhgnnnmmm... H-Hello, S, Saiga..." Ren gently peeked out at the taller man from beneath their hat, taking a deep breath and standing back up, trying to focus on the situation. "There, th-there seems to be a lot of history here, that I am unaware of, but if this IS a repeat offense and she isn't asking us to put you in jail, then I am not going to turn you over to the knights. Please, listen to me."

Ren took a deep breath, gently taking their hands, staring them straight in the eyes. "There is plenty you can still do. Plenty. Just come and talk with myself and Jesse, that's all I'm asking of you... There's plenty that can be done with this kind of skillset, you know?" They did their best to smile and hoped that this clouded would be willing to listen, even if a little. "I still didn't get your name... Like I said, my name is Ren. It's nice to meet you."

[Billy12510]

The outbursts were to be expected, this was long overdue for Syndra.  Nothing anyone said to her about how long she kept quiet was wrong, and Syndra knew it. Her commander was grabbing her and yelling about what she already knew. Miria had chimed in on her behalf, which was comforting to her, but she still had to answer for herself. "Miria, thanks for speaking for me, but they're right, all of them are. My not disclosing my identity sooner was a potentially fatal mistake, and it's my fault for waiting this long to say. There isn't any excuse for it. I also know there isn't anything I can do about who I was born to, except do whatever I can to prove I'm my own person and not just a product of what they are." Syndra paused and tried to peer around Natalya over to where Mari was, it looked like she was being held back by magic. She was going to ask her for something but she still had to answer her commander. "Believe me Natalya, nobody knows what my father is capable of doing more than I. I've wanted to wash my hands of them for years but I lacked the power to do so and keep them away for good. And now I've potentially ended up dragging all of you into my own problems, and there isn't enough apologizing in the world I can do to make up for that." Syndra paused again and thought for a bit, and then decided to ask a question. "Commander, can you let go of my arms? And lady merchant, can you let her go from whatever spell you're holding her with? As long as she doesn't use her axe she's free to take her pound of flesh from me if that's what she wants to do. You can take some shots as well Natalya." It wouldn't repair the damage done, but it would be a start.

[JakezuGD]

Much as she knew Miria was right, Natalya couldn't overlook any of this... and Syndra's awkward way of addressing it only made her more frustrated. "Don't you think I know that people can't help who they're born to? That's the whole reason I don't do much of a background check on people who want to join, only cross-referencing Glacian criminal and mercenary records, no prodding at people's pasts. All I expect is that people bring things up at the first moment they think would be relevant for the job. Is that really that much to ask?" The tiger let out a heavy sigh, giving the blue-haired lady a small shove to separate them. "And no, I'm not gonna deck you. What the hell do you think that'll help with? Me being angry with you? That's not the problem. Use your words, dumbass, and not to waste time by apologizing. Tell me how you're going to help us through Islexia since you know the damn place so well."

That might have been an unexpected pivot to the discussion, especially since it felt like Syndra was asking for some kind of repentance for her actions or whatever, but Tasha was far more practically concerned now that she had confessed to her oversight. If they weren't harmed or dead already because of it, her knowledge would come in useful to prevent it going forward. But since she'd addressed Marigold as well... "As for you," the tiger began, turning halfway between the two, "even though she asked for it herself, you can consider our discussion over if you indulge that stupid request. You won't find an agreement with me if you attack one of my people." The other people who had intervened she could talk with later, if they wanted to. For the moment, the commander had come back to a somewhat exasperated seriousness, feeling like it wasn't worth spending the energy to be angry over someone who thought flagellation would free her from a pragmatic solution.

---

Though she wanted not to ease up with how annoyingly cocky yet defeatist the bird was being, Elisa let some of her strength slip listening to Tio thoroughly rebut his assumption. She never liked talking about those times, not even with her, and that she was so casually saying all of this now... The older Evoker must have been at her wit's end at this point. She wanted to get angry for her wife, but with more onlookers showing up and the mood just being dour all around, it was up to her to make something out of this dumb situation, and something the goose and Saiga said gave her the direction, letting the bird down from her pin as the diminutive girl(?) came up to speak with him, offering an alternative once they were done. "Nobody in Glacies would take you? Sounds like bullshit to me. I know one company that would've taken you if you'd have bothered to apply for them," she said, turning to look at Tio, giving her a wink. It was a bit of an audacious suggestion, sure, but it felt like a solid option, considering what else had already been suggested by the Amaryllis people.

[Nanami Touko]

Siorel did a smirk over the idea of some high waisted skirts and maybe even other dresses, humming quietly. "You could do with some shirts, Cin, so I think her suggestion is a good one~ Hide all that so I can keep it to myself." She giggled a little, walking over to where had been pointed out, fishing through some of the dresses. "Ciiiiiin, go find those fire resistant clothes and put on a shirt with some pants. I'm not saying you should change your style entirely, but, I do wanna see how you look in them~" She fished out a nice, long, white dress, along with another black one, giving them some looks over. "You got any belts? I'm gonna need a few for these dresses, otherwise..." She looked down for a moment and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure you understand."

---

Mikoto let go of Mari as she was asked, shrugging, her attention focused much more on the blonde in the door way. Mari was about to storm over and deliver that punch until Natalya spoke and promised that their business would be concluded if she did as much. The undead seethed. "Do you realize how much her family has done to us over the years? To our kind?" Mari's fists were shaking, but she managed to walk up to the situation, keeping Natalya mostly between herself and Syndra to prove that she wasn't doing anything...at the moment. "You listen to me, Belrose, you listen well. For the sake of the people that took me in when I had nothing to my name-- for the sake of their aspirations not being shot down, your face gets to stay pretty today, but you fucking listen to me. If you don't solve this situation with your boss; if you lead those Belrose dogs right to us as soon as we start moving, I'm gonna fucking gut you, alliances be damned. You get a pass until then, but you'd best solve this. I'll be at the bar where your friend is apparently waiting, whatever his name was... You come find me to finish our talks once you've sorted out this fine fucking mess."

With a hefty sigh of frustration, Mari left, pushing past the onlooking cat and woman that were now peeking into the room.

Alvira felt some tension leave her, sighing. "Syndra, I know that we haven't spoken much, but the Tigers are my family. If you're going to stay with us, you need to tell Natalya everything, and now. This is far too dangerous of information... Especially when we're right on their doorstep."

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Tio let out a sharp sigh. She was so done with today. At this point, she just wanted to return to the inn, go to the room, and remain there. There was almost nothing that could go wrong in there, but her work wasn't finished here. She had to live up to the people who let her become who she was now. Tio sniffed back more tears, "The Knight is right, there is plenty that one can do with that skillset that isn't pilfering from regular people. I could tell; you have a fairly adept understanding and control over your magic. Someone other than Elisa and myself might not have ever noticed that you were using magic at all. That is a valuable skill. Magic is not all about power; there are plenty of mages that will be as strong, if not stronger than even myself. But most of them will never reach the level of myself or Elisa. Control, speed, versatility, ingenuity, and above all else, a willing to test the limits of their understand of magic is what truly separates a person who can use magic and a true mage."

Tio caught the wink from Elisa, and nodded slowly, "I do find myself agreeing with my wife as well. I know Glacies is hardly perfect, but I find it hard to believe that no one would take you. Why, I happen to know someone who is currently in town and from Glacies, who would have accepted you without a second thought." For better or worse, sometimes... "Oh, and one last thing. It's rude to keep someone waiting when they ask your name. The Knight is willing to help you, so you should show them a little courtesy. Speaking of which..."

Tio turned to the woman in green armor, "The both of you mentioned that you're with the Amaryllis. Does that mean that Commander Altair is about? Apologies, I missed your name. As you might be able to tell, I'm having a, frankly, awful day. I also apologize for the disturbance, and my less-than-amiable behavior."

---

The woman snickered at the woman's playful nature regarding the shirts. "That's a lot to keep for yourself, heh. And yeah, I completely understand; a lot to keep in place." She snickered again before pointing to the nearest wall. "Got a bunch over here. Only the simple stuff, but I don't think you'll need too much more than that." 

---

Danica watched the proceedings intently. Tio must have been having a lackluster day, and the mention of the girl's name was the nail in the coffin. It wasn't like she didn't know why; the Belrose family were the defacto leaders of Islexia, and if not the reason for Glacies and Islexia's poor relations, they were the ones perpetuating it. The woman that they were speaking with seemed ready to crush the Belrose woman, but Commander Natalya seemed to have other ideas. Ideas that allowed Danica to relax the spell that she'd been preparing if things got too heated. She eventually did as Tio did, and left the inn in a huff. 

"If I can say a couple words... I'm not entirely caught up on this situation, but it would be best if we start lowering the temperature in this room. I'd appreciate it if we weren't fighting in the lobby of my inn. I would also say just because of who she is," Danica pointed at Syndra, "That you try to keep it down as best you can. I don't think there's anything to worry about right now, but there is a fair amount of Islexian influence on Cerezia." 

[scorri]

"I, uh, yeah. I mean, I had been thinking about a shirt anyways. So that works." Glad he wasn't blushing enough to be visible at the teasing coming from both ladies now, Cin made his way over to the area that had been pointed out as containing the fire resistant material. He quickly found a pair of black pants that he thought would fit him, but took longer looking through the shirts. He flipped through them before finally pulling out a deep purple long sleeved shirt, holding it up against himself. "Think this one might fit. What do you think about it?"

---

"... Koba. You can call me Koba." It wasn't his full name, much less including his last name, but hopefully it would be enough to satisfy both of the ladies asking for it. Freed though he was from the tight grasp, he didn't move very far except to slump against the wall further. "Look, I'm sure you're right, that some group in Glacies might have taken me. But none of the ones I tried would. And I did try. Promise. Just like I tried finding a school to take me. I just. I couldn't afford to wait around, getting rejected without a way to make money. There are... I have my reasons for that. So I left, hoping to have more luck here." He sighed, looking at Ren, a wary look in his eyes. "I don't... Look, you've been plenty nice but you have to understand why someone in my world wouldn't just blindly follow two members of the Amaryllis, right? I'll, listen to these two. Do what they want of me. I owe her that." He nodded at Tio. "But the Knights... I can't risk that. Surely even a human like you can understand? You see kind enough to get it."