Nanami Touko Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Alvira let out another sigh, glancing back at Miria and trying to smile for her. Their little hero was getting stuck in a conversation that didn't really suit her... "I, think she's right. Tasha, if... If you've got things to discuss with Syndra, I can wait, but I should go and see this Cyro fellow as soon as possible. We won't be in Cerezia forever... So I don't want to miss him. Even if it might be a ploy, if it's not, my siblings are the only blood family I have left... I need to know." Hopefully that would spur the commander on. It seemed that miss Mari was going to find out where the guy was staying and make her rest there as well, anyway... "I'll let you all handle that situation, just know that I'll be coming along now, especially with the Evokers taking a backseat for this new job of yours... While you're off, I've got something that needs taken care of, anyway..." Mikoto walked past everything happening, right towards Laniva, before she basically ignored the cat woman entirely, placing her face right in Syta's and giving her a rather uncomfortable smile. "Hello~ You've got something... Or should I say, someone... That I know, don't you~?" Syta pulled back a few inches, but Mikoto simply followed her, the fox's tails swaying. "I, er... uh... M-Maybe...? Do you wanna talk about that...?" "I'd love to." Siorel walked over with dresses over her arms and watched Cinaed pull through the fire resistant section, looking him over as he put things against himself. She felt her tail starting to wag as he found stuff, a smile growing that she just couldn't control. Right when he pulled the purple shirt off the rack she let out an audible gasp, almost vibrating in place. "What do I think? Go pay for it! Right now!" She ran behind him and basically started pushing him, only stopping to ask, "unless you had other things you wanted to grab too? If not, yes. Yesyesyes. Purple is SO your color. Yes~" "Thank you Koba~" Ren was all smiles again, their face bright and happy. The two women seemed to have an idea of where Koba could have gone and perhaps where he could still go, but Ren had an idea themselves. Jesse could answer about the whereabouts of Celine-- they seemed to have an idea of her, anyway. It was then that Koba said something concerning... Ren felt their shoulders shrink ever so slightly. Hoping Koba wouldn't back away, they took another step up to the man, leaning into his ear and whispered, "I'm not human," before taking a quick step back and nodding. "That said... I'm also not a knight. I'm working for the Lady Celine as a member of her Amaryllis, but I have no actual rank or position in the Knights Order in Hecatia. So... I'm not going to try and do what they would do; I have no intentions of turning you in. If you don't like what I have to say after we've talked, then you can find these two again and they can point you on your way; it seems they have an idea of something for you, anyway... So... Would you? Listen to what I have to say? Please..." Ren held out a hand, hoping Koba would take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 "H-hey, I mean. I should try them on first, right? Make sure they fit? I'm not exactly a standard size." She was pushing him along as best she could, which, while not overly effective, was certainly hurrying him along. He looked around, spotting the lone changing room and started to shift his path towards it, when a sudden thought occurred to him. A sneaky grin appeared on his face and, transferring both pants and shirt into one hand, he reached around with the other, picking Siorel up. He plopped her down on the countertop and pointed at her, trying to maintain a serious expression. "Wait here. I'm going to go try these on." He made his way into the changing room and quickly stripped out of his old clothes, pulling on the pants first. They were tighter than his older ones, hugging just below his tail, a perfect fit as he had expected. He then pulled the shirt on, finding it slightly more skin tight than he had expected, but still fitting comfortably. Well, only one thing left to do now I guess... He stepped out of the changing stall and gave a small turn. "Well, what do you think?" Koba flinched instinctively as Ren approached him, not knowing what to expect. When he was whispered a secret instead of anything else that he had expected, he found himself staring at the now mysterious figure in front of him, confused and unsure which direction to go. "I..." He looked over at Tio and Elisa for a second, before looking back at Ren. His hand twitched, as if it wanted to reach out and connect with Ren's hand, before falling still as he shook his head. "It's, nice of you to care. Especially about someone you don't even know. But I don't think this is up to me." He nodded towards the two Evokers with an inscrutable look on his face. "I owe it to them. To her especially. I need to follow what they want for me. I failed her once already. I don't think she'd take me doing it again very kindly and as nice as you and your friend seem... I don't know if me staying in this country long term is the best for my chances of staying on the straight and narrow." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 "I'm sure they fit! Come on, come on-- Whoa!?" Siorel's excitement was quickly quieted as she was lifted off the ground, carried quite closely, and finally placed onto the counter. When Cin ordered her to stay put, she blushed, hard, shrinking in place. "Yes sir." She batted her eyes at him good and her tail was practically uncontrollable-- She was lucky that the counter was relatively empty. When he came out in the clothes her swaying tail snapped against the countertop, startling even her, as she made sure to hop off of it right away. "Yes. One million times yes. Very very good choices." Ren's smile faded a little, but they nodded, turning towards the two women. "What would you like to have him do, then? Go along with this group from Glacies that you know? If you'd like to go about your day, I wouldn't mind escorting him to make sure he makes it there." They turned their head back to Koba with the smallest glance and stuck their tongue out at him for a moment before looking back at Tio. "You seem rather distressed, so I wouldn't want to make you go out of your way..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Laniva watched the conversation (calling it that might have been optimistic) continue, tail swaying a bit anxiously as her question hung in the air unanswered. From what she could tell, Alvira was heading somewhere to find her siblings, Syndra had kept quiet far too long about her own family and asked the Chief to hit her (and gotten rejected), and the Evokers had walked out over the news. "O-Oh. Not quite okay, then..." She remained in the doorway, somewhat uncharacteristically meekly, waiting for an answer... at least, until the fox declared her uninvolvement in the situation and waltzed right up to Syta without so much as acknowledging her. She'd been about to hold her tongue - she didn't know the fox much anyways - until she began to question Syta about something she didn't quite follow, her words sweet as salt. "Hey! Mikoto, you don't even know her, lay off... what are you even talking about, anyway?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 (edited) Well things were resolving it seemed. Jesse had chose to let the others talk the rest through, aside from saying hi to Saiga and giving him a hushed finger. She was definitely surprised the first people her and Ren would run into would be the Evokers themselves. Jesse still didn't know much about them but she noted that this was her chance. Well, it would be if the green haired one wasn't clearly out of sorts. "Good evening Lady Evoker. I'm sorry I didn't get your name. I am Jesse Flynt, member of the Shield of Calent militia and currently working alongside the Amaryllis under orders from Commander Celine herself." Knights and Lady of the Amaryllis Spoiler Jesse rode in slowly back into town. She was still feeling a little silly after butting her head into something that was probably leagues above her station a few days earlier. Still, she took her role in the militia seriously, and she wasn't gonna let anyone get unfairly accosted. Even if Syta didn’t trust her in the end, she knew she was doing the right thing. She gave her faithful steed a couple of pats for a good job today, he deserved a nice rest and some fruit. Thinking about her duties for the next day, the young knight made her way towards the stables. Beyond the regular highway patrol and reports, she did need to spend time training. It had been a while since she tested her… limits per say. The quick movement of Charlon's ears and turn of his head broke her from those thoughts. "Whatcha hear bud?" The rider matched her sights to where the horse was looking and could tell something was happening in the main square. A lot of voices could be heard scrambling about. Well if it's trouble I need to be there, and if it's not it's worth looking into in case someone needs help. Her brain briefly returned to her conversation from earlier, and how she was called out for sticking her nose into things, but for one she was a member of a militia, and two, her parents did raise her to be a helping hand where she could. So Jesse trotted her horse over to the source of the sound. “Is there no one here who knows the lay of the land well enough to serve as a messenger?” A red haired woman sat atop a horse dressed in armor. The one starred cape of the Altair Knights draped over her left arm, but on her chest plate was a beautifully engraved red flower. The mark of the fallen Celti Family, but few remembered it for that reason; they knew the mark for the Amaryllis Knights, an elite unit within the Altair Knights known for their effectiveness, and progressivism. One of two units that even allowed clouded, and monster knights into their ranks, the other being Sylph, but the Amaryllis was special even amongst those. “Apologies, Lady Celine, but the militia usually handles things locally; we haven’t many who travel the province, so I doubt that we have someone who we can spare.” The woman clicked her tongue. “If only there weren’t more reports to check into… I need someone who knows the land well enough so that they can get to Cerezia as quickly as possible. Leave it to the regent to make everything so much more difficult, if Sophia or even Syta were this wouldn’t be an issue.” Artorius’s policy of not allowing Celine to remain with the Amaryllis unless on mission was a crippling one. If nothing else, he knew how to keep himself insulated. “That’s… fine then. I’ll just have to find someone who can. I can’t spare any of these knights,” Nor do I trust many of them to do the job properly “And the one I’ve entrusted with the message can’t exactly ride on their own…” Celine looked over her shoulder at the girl riding with her. Her unusual attire already made her stand out, but riding with her almost definitely amplified that effect. “Are you doing alright, Ren?” “Y-Yes, I’m fine.” The person riding behind Celine kept their hat down far, not exactly making eye contact with the intimidating woman. “I, er, uhm… My apologies for being unable to fulfill this for you. I know how to ride a horse, but… Without any offensive capabilities of my own…” Ren smiled wryly, knowing that their place in combat was behind someone, keeping them safe. They did look past Celine and maybe due to the stress of trying to find someone, there was something she’d overlooked. “Lady Celine, there’s a horse rider over there.” They’d just come into the square, so that might’ve contributed to Celine missing them. “Should we inquire? Strangers are a mixed bag, but, you trusted me enough, despite my story… So…” “Oh?” Celine turned to match Ren’s gaze, and saw the rider who’d just entered the square. At a glance, the rider looked quite competent, and had decent looking armor. “Hmm…” Celine urged her horse over towards the newcomer, “It’s really alright, Ren. Some of us aren’t meant to fight alone, and work best with someone to help. It’s a little inconvenient at the moment, but we’ll make do, I assure you.” They had to get the letter to Cerezia; judging by the reports, the thief would likely end up somewhere near Cerezia, and they needed to be alerted to increase patrols. Celine quickly switched targets to the rider, “Excuse me? Are you with the militia? If so, I have a couple questions, and then perhaps, a request if you can answer those. Apologies for approaching so haphazardly, I am in a bit of a bind, and rushed.” Jesse blinked. If she had a mirror of any sorts on her, she'd could see how her brain hadn't caught up to the situation yet. Somehow, after the events with the match earlier today and then the knights and Syta, Jesse would run into and be confronted by the head honcho Amaryllis? It took a few more blinks before her brain actually registered that it was being asked questions and for her sake and dignity she should probably do that thing where she speaks words. "Ah… Ah! Jesse Flynt of the Shield of Calent ma'am! It's an honor to meet you!" There was a quick stiffening and Jesse saluted the woman before her. "I'd be glad ta help ya anyway you can shake it!" Now that Jesse's brain was kicking in the horse power she shut her mouth upon realizing she was slipping into farm speech. It took a moment, but the young woman rider quickly found her footing. She apparently already knew who she was–a fairly common occurrence given that unlike her father, she was out and about quite often–so that saved introductions. “It’s nice to meet you, Jesse. Well, I hope you can help… Do you travel the province enough to know of a route that you could travel to arrive in Cerezia quickly? Unfortunately, there are reports that I have to respond to, but there is a letter that I have to get to Cerezia as quickly as possible, pertaining to the theft. Thanks to the lovely machinations of our illustrious leader, I’m left with barely enough of a unit to investigate, and not enough people to get the message to Cerezia. If you can, or know anyone who I could ask for assistance in this regard it would be greatly appreciated…” Celine gestured behind her, “I need someone to ride with my friend here. She can ride on her own, but… she’s not a fighter, and with everything going on, I can’t leave anything up to chance.” Hopefully Father is too preoccupied with getting reamed by the Saint for his mistakes to cause us any more grief… “Mmghn… Th-They,” Ren meekly corrected, peeking out from behind Celine and waving gently at Jesse. “H-Hello. My name is Ren… We've got a letter that needs delivered. I can’t fight, but I’ll make sure you’re alive and well.” They brandished their staff, only slightly cracked, but definitely in good enough shape to close up wounds. “Agh… my apologies, Ren. I’m speaking a little faster than I’m thinking.” Celine turned to offer an apologetic smile. “I-It’s okay. I realize how I look. I don’t blame you…” It seemed the concept of gender was pretty set in this world… "Ma'am I've been riding through these back roads since I was able to throw a saddle. I can get a message to Cerezia in a five days ride, given I get Charlon here a good night's sleep." Jesse gave her horse a few soft pats. She would get him to the stables soon. Looking over to the g- the person who would be her riding partner Jesse gave a smile and waved back. "Well if we take the route I'm planning in mind, we shouldn't hear much less see any trouble, but I gladly welcome anyone who can keep me in top shape." While Jesse was on the topic, she thought she might exchange some info herself. "Oh while we're at it, I believe I've met someone working under you ma- should I call you ma'am? Would commander or something be better?" The girl let out a nervous chuckle. "Anyways I met this girl named Syta the other night who I believe needed to give you a message?" Celine breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps the first she’d been able to breathe since this escapade began. The moment that she’d been given the news that Axios was not only attacked–a fairly common occurrence–but actually successfully infiltrated, and the Escaflowne stolen. To say that she’d been on a wild goose chase ever since would be an understatement; pulled in every which way to investigate, and to get other knights under control. She’d been hearing that many units were harassing clouded citizens, and she had to handle that as well. “Five days… that’s a relief, and quite impressive.” Jesse seemed to be rather earnest, and was also outside of the knights, which meant that she could expect that she wasn’t really tapped into politics. “Hmm? Have you?” Celine blinked at Jesse mentioned that she’d met someone who had a message for her. And then flinched as she heard the name, “Syta? Syta was here? She had a message for me? Where is she no–” Celine paused, and then slowly a hand slid up to her forehead. “...She’s on her way to Cerezia now, isn’t she?” Ren let the two of them discuss things, hopping off of Celine’s horse and slowly making their way over to Jesse’s. They weren’t going to climb on without permission, but it would be good for them to meet the horse first. Cautiously, they approached, giving the animal a soft smile. “Hello there~ I’m Ren. It’s nice to meet you.” They didn’t reach out to pet, knowing better than to touch a battle trained animal without permission and guidance. “I hope you’ll be content with a little extra weight… But I promise, I don’t weigh much!” Ren was met with a curious turn of the head and a few sniffs before Charlon turned, shook his head and slowly swished his tail. Jesse smiled. “Well, I think he’s charmed to meet you Ren, and don’t worry about him. This fella here was used to moving around big cargo before this, two of us riding would be a cake walk right fella?” Another quick pet and Jesse returned to talking to Celine. “I didn’t pry too much but I remember something about Cerezia, and whatever news she had it seemed serious and private. Like she needed to speak with you alone on the matter. I’ll probably need to stock up on supplies, but we should avoid any unruly guests sticking to the back roads. If you wish we can continue talking over a meal. I know the tavern makes a good steak.” Whatever was going on, probably best to talk inside and not in the open where anyone might talk. If there was something that Celine knew about Syta, it was that she was almost unconscionably earnest. It sounded almost unlike Syta, and yet, the likelihood of another person having the same name, and also searching for her… “That’s… troubling.” What could Syta have found? “Mmm… we have enough time to speak, and perhaps that’s for the best.” Celine turned back to the knights behind her, “Everyone, take a couple moments, gather your bearings and confirm our information. Once I’m finished here, we will have to move on in short order. Time is of the essence.” Celine ran a hand through her long, red hair, before returning to Jesse with a tired smile. “We can talk in the tavern, but I haven’t the time for a meal.” Jesse softly frowned at the exhausted expression before her. Seeing how worn out Celine was emphasized the direness of the situation at hand. “No meal is fine, but at least let me get you a drink commander. I think it’ll be good for a lot of people if you got even a little bit of that stress off of you.” Jesse turned around to the third member of their little party here, “Will they be joining us as well?” Jesse made a mental note of the two’s small conversation from earlier. "I'd like to join, if that's fine. I'll probably get myself something to eat, though. I'll be quick, promise. You won't even notice that I've finished by the time you're done talking." Ren did their best to smile and looked up at Celine, waiting for her to lead on so the healer could follow. Everywhere was foreign to them, so they didn't have the first clue about any eating places in this small town. “I can… acquiesce to a drink at least. I did say that everyone had a little break… and yes, Ren will be joining us. They’re integral to this request; given that they have the necessary letter. If you could lead the way, Miss Flynt.” “Right then, we’ll be off then.” With that Jesse led the way to the tavern. Once the horses were set, Jesse led the way into the tavern and up to the bar waiter. “Good evening John, think you can spare a room and some food for me and my two companions? We just need a place to talk and I’m paying.” “Yeah, I can do th–” John looked up, and nearly spat out the drink he’d been sipping from. “Holy Galari… Lady Altair!” He looked at Jesse, and then back to Celine before taking a deep breath. “Maybe you should have led with the fact that the Commander of Knights was with you? Oi…” He pointed towards one of the doors, “That room’s the best we got, and we’ll have someone around real quick like for your food and drinks.” “Sorry, didn’t want it to seem like I was stiff arming you here.” Jesse tented her hands as she apologized to the now flabbergasted man. “Thanks John, appreciate ya.” With that Jesse led the group through the doors into the room. There wasn’t much space, but a small tables and chairs with a candle and window would do plenty for their discussion. “After you two, and we can start whenever you like Commander.” "Oh dear. Pardon us…" Ren quickly bowed to the unfortunate owner and scurried their way into the room, plopping themselves onto one of the free chairs and holding their staff tightly against themselves. They didn't like big attention or inconveniencing others, but when you were traveling with Celine, it was hard to avoid either of those things due to her reputation… Celine sighed, and then offered a smile. “My apologies for a sudden appearance. We just need a safe place to discuss something, and then we’ll be out of your way. Thank you for you assistance.” Such reactions were hardly novel to Celine; she’d been living this for nearly all of her life. It was just a matter of fact when you were the Regent’s daughter–for good or ill. Though, she’d long since outgrown thinking of herself as Artorius’s anything. The man certainly wasn’t her father, and hardly passed as a regent. She wandered into the room, and slowly melted into one of the chairs. “Alright… So… Syta. Did she say anything else about what she’d found, rather, do you remember anything else? It… may be important to the request I have in mind.” Jesse took a free seat and looked out the window before answering Celine’s question. “No unfortunately? We had just met for the first time about two days ago when I helped her from being pressed by some knights. Whatever it was, she didn’t seem to trust anyone about it. I offered her a ride to Cerezia to avoid the trouble but she chose to go on foot. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was roped in with everything going on right now, and if so, I don’t blame her for not sharing it with anyone but you.” Jesse thought about the events of the prior days and then she thought about the actual first time she saw Syta. The fight she had with the striking silver and blue swordsman. She didn’t know if that was relevant to the situation, and Jesse wasn’t around to see the man nor the dancer that was with him leave the town. She chose to wait till Celine asked any further questions and only stick with the things she knew for certain. “...That’s concerning. Syta is… earnest, and trusting; she’s so incredibly sweet and wouldn’t turn down help from anyone. That… probably means she found something rather important… and I’m two days behind, and will be even more so thanks to all of these reports.” Celine looked over at Ren, and then back to Jesse. “Fine. I don’t particularly have much choice in the matter… I’ll be straight with you, Jesse. I need to know what you think of the Lord Regent before I continue. I do need someone to take this letter, and Ren to Cerezia, but my father’s policies make it difficult for me to send people I trust. This situation requires it more than ever, I think.” “If she’s truly that sweet, it must be grave indeed. Byyyy the way… How tall is Syta…?” It was a personal issue for Ren, but it was better to ask now than be surprised. “Mmm, that much is very important, yes… I’m from… Errr… Very far away, so I’d only learned about the Lord Regent recently, but he seems like quite the awful man. Er– S-Sorry to say that so plainly, but… Where I come from, such a ruler would be put to the guillotine– you all know what a guillotine is, yes…?” The conversation had suddenly turned serious, and there was a talk of guillotine? Focusing on the question presented to her, Jesse pursed her lips before she spoke her mind, placing her right hand over her chest plate. "I am a member of the militia Commander, not a knight. To be completely honest that man has never done a thing in his day that we couldn't do for towns the province over twice. If I had my way, and I'm probably not the only person who thinks this, I'd put you in charge yesteryear." It was after that moment of stout declaration that Jesse realized she still had her "armor" on. "Uh please give me a moment here before I embarrass myself." With that the glove on her right hand began to glow with a soft emerald light. Once the light had faded Jesse’s armor was gone, and she gave a heavier than normal sigh. She had gotten so used to the drain of the armor that she forgot her usual time limit. Celine let out a sigh of relief. It was always a coin flip asking such a question. Not in the matter of whether they supported Artorius or not–very few genuinely did, and often they were the nobility that he helped to line their pockets–but whether they feared saying that he was the worthless layabout that he was. Celine wanted little to do with the leadership of the province, but she wanted to see the place flourish. Relief quickly turned into confusion as Jesse’s glove began to glow, and within a moment, the emerald green armor had vanished. “I. What? Where did… your…” Celine took a deep breath, and then shook her head, “That’s far from the most confusing thing I’ve seen or heard in the past year or so…” Celine straightened her hair before she continued. “Very well… I believe that I can trust you with what I’m about to say. Frankly, I’m trying to recapture the Escaflowne before my father because I have reason to believe that he’ll use this happening as a way to further oppress the clouded and monsters in Hecatia. From what I learned as of now… our attackers, and our elusive thief are clouded. While he definitely wants the blade back lest he incur the wrath of Saint Veras, it also allows him and the knights to frighten, and even harm our clouded citizens. I have more than a handful of reports of various units doing so, and unfortunately, I can’t do anything about it at the moment. So… I aim to capture the blade before any of the others can. I may be commander, but it's clear where the allegiance of the knights lie. Which is why I can’t trust any of the knights to deliver this message to Cerezia, Portia and the Amaryllis. I have reason to believe that the thief is somewhere around there, and I’m… ‘choosing’ to keep this information from the other knights and my father.” Celine shook her head, “That’s the gist of things. I aim to put this all to rest before father gets any of his “clever” ideas.” “So… No one knows how tall Syta is…?” Ren didn’t say it very loudly, they knew their problem wasn’t the most important thing at the moment. They cleared their throat and swallowed hard, giving Jesse a smile. “Right. I’m going with you for reasons of trust, but also, if we’re accosted by the aforementioned knights, I promise that I’ll be able to keep you safe, both from their blades and from their magic, should they have any mages… Celine can trust me, because… Mmm. Well…” Ren fidgeted a moment, biting back a sigh. “You’ll probably call me crazy, but I’m not from far away… I’m, from another world? Ahah… I’m not sure what happened, but I woke up in the country you all call Kansei. It’s been a bit of travel, but I ended up here, met Celine, ended up telling her my story… And, here we are. I’m surprised she still believes me, but I suppose my magic is off enough that it doesn’t even fit into the… Lufirian, you said?” they asked, glancing at Celine, “standards of unique magic.” They nodded, gripping their staff a bit tighter. “So, I hope you’re okay with… All of that.” This was the second time Jesse was caught taking time for her brain to catch up on everything that was just dropped on her lap. A couple of silent blinks were the only response she gave until the words in her brain managed to escape. "Pa's not gonna believe this." Jesse looked at the door in hopes that whoever was bringing their food and drinks would hurry soon, not just for the fatigue from her armor but so that she could get some brain power in her. "Right. Uh. Well that's a lot. This doesn't change my answer, I'm still up for it Commander, but whoo boy." To be fair, all three of them showed off their own surprise, so there wasn't any room for Jesse to chide here. "To be honest Ren, if it weren't for this glove on my hand I probably would call you crazy, but I've seen, or rather done my own share of magic tricks for lack of a better word. Truth be told, I joined the militia to find out more about this thing. The armor is kinda sturdy but takes a toll on me after a while." Jesse rolled her neck just a bit, the stress of being free made her look almost as tired as Celine did. "Consider your messenger ready Commander." “I must admit, your magic is quite impressive. It still gives off the mana of this world, though. Allow me to demonstrate– and don’t panic, what I’m about to do is completely defensive in nature.” They were indoors, so fire was a bad idea. Water might get some of their clothes wet… So wind it was. Ren held out their staff towards Jesse, concentrating for a moment, “Wind protéger…”, before a collected gust of wind magic surrounded the woman, a thin film of a barrier coalescing around her. “There… It would be best to show you now so it doesn’t alarm you in the future. You can probably feel it already, if you’ve any attunement to magic… This, doesn’t use any of the mana that exists in your world. I’m very lucky that your world’s conduits even allow me to process my own magic for this…” Jesse suddenly felt cool as a feeling of magic enveloped her. She wasn’t versed in magic, but she could tell that whatever this was it was much different than what she felt when wearing her armor. “Well I guess I’m in good hands then.” Jesse commented as she looked over at Ren, curiosity bubbling in her mind. Just what kind of world did she come from? The fact that there was apparently a place completely different a cut off from Amaranth was already a big leap to take, to the point where Jesse decided it was best to not dwell on it less her brain hurt. She was still feeling exhausted, and would probably need to get some food in her stomach soon. “Syta’s… actually almost exactly your height, if I recall correctly, Ren.” Celine didn’t spare a glance, too focused on Jesse’s glove. There was an odd magical signature about it that she’d never felt before. Sensory, and magical artifacts were a bit over her head; her knowledge of magic was largely self taught beyond the basics. After the events with her brother, Artorius was not keen on letting Celine hone her magic. She’d found plenty of ways around it, but she wasn’t as skilled as her mother, or brother were. Her natural affinity was strong enough that she could crutch on that. That did bring the Evokers to mind, perhaps they would have an idea as to what Jesse’s armament was, but asking them here amidst everything would be nearly impossible. Speaking of, they’d surely want to see Ren’s magic. It really was something almost entirely removed from their realm; perhaps the only reason that Celine could believe that Ren was from another plane of existence. “It’s certainly a lot to take in… but I don’t believe Ren is lying, and on the mission, it’s the reason I’m choosing to act outside of the knights. I have countless reasons not to trust him, or anyone who would associate with him, but this is so unfortunately timed that I just know if I don’t act quickly many Hecatians are going to get hurt. So… Thank you for taking up the mission, Jesse, and you as well, Ren.” "Oh! Same as me!? Wonderful~" A sense of relaxation and calm seemed to wash over Ren, their entire body sinking into the chair more. "Well, you're more than welcome, Lady Celine. After getting driven out of Kansei under suspicion of being Lufirian, I'm quite pleased you've taken me under your wing. A traveling healer can only take care of themselves for so long alone…" It seemed like their travel plans were set and this Jesse could be trusted, so Ren maintained that newly found calm, idly humming to themselves. “Well I guess that settles things then. We can set off for Cerezia in the morning, with whatever letter you need sent, bonus points if we find Syta. The shield stopped over there when we first split up to help the knights, so I know where the outpost is. Anything else we need to talk about? I might poke my head out to see where tha-” Before Jesse could continue her stomach felt it was time to interject. “... I’m so sorry for that. I’m gonna go check on that food and drink. You should try the tea the owner’s wife makes Commander, it does wonders for fatigue.” Jesse half waited for a response and she began to rise for the door again. She knew John wouldn't mind if they ate back here so she hoped she could help bring the food to them. “...pfft.” Celine couldn’t help a snicker as Jesse’s stomach called out to them, and the rider made for the door. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind that tea, if possible.” As Jesse left the room, Celine sighed, and then turned to Ren. “So… what do you think of her? You seem quite calm around her, but do you think you’ll be fine with just her until you get to Cerezia? Sophia and the others should be able to assist once you get there, but…” Celine sighed deeply, “Accursed Regent. So afraid of someone meaningfully turning the province against him that he’s willing to make the place worse just to protect himself. Ah… haha, I suppose I am getting rather tired; I’m complaining about him more than usual.” “It’s fine if you complain about him, I think. Again, someone like this would never have been tolerated where I come from. The adventurers guild would’ve hired a group to dispatch him.” Ren said as much rather nonchalantly, before giving Celine a small smile. “Jesse seems nice. I’m surprised she didn’t freak out about my being from another world, but… Maybe she did, keeping it in her mind, heheh…” Ren sighed a little, thinking about things. “Celine… If I were keeping a secret from you… One that, probably doesn’t matter, but, just… A secret nonetheless… Would that, be fine? If not, you should tell me now. I don’t want to reveal it, but if it’ll cause problems… I should.” “Mmm… I wonder if that would amount to much… he’s had his share of assassins come for him, but his defenses, at least as far as he is concerned, are incredibly strong. He has the backing of the Saint, the protection of the Knights, and, as I’m quite sure of nowadays, the assistance of the Hecatian Underground as well. Father unfortunately does have a talent for amassing power and not letting go of it.” Celine leaned back in her chair, “Caruso and Nimue are on his side too, and those two are the opposite of incompetent. But that’s not important as of the moment… if you have a good feeling about Jesse, then I have no reason to be concerned. Celine raised an eyebrow at Ren’s question. “Everyone has their secrets, Ren. I have plenty of secrets that I haven’t told you. I have two real thoughts about when it comes to secrets. First, if it doesn’t really change who you are, and the direction that you’re walking in, it doesn’t matter to me if you keep it to yourself. But, if it’s a secret that can be used against you, or could cause you to betray the people next to you…” Celine quickly glared at Ren. “Then I would like you to say it so that I can decide for myself.” She immediately relaxed, “Syta had a secret too. One that she didn’t see fit to tell me everything about, but it hasn’t changed what she plans to do. So if she wants to tell me in the future, I’ll listen without judgment. I trust you in that same way, too. I won’t force you to tell me if you believe that it doesn’t matter in the overall scope of things.” “Hoo, okay… uh…” Ren had to pause a moment to think, that glare scaring them into almost immediately giving it away. Celine was intimidating… Ren gulped, nodding. “I’ll, go… Halfway. I’m, uh…” They sighed hard, staring Celine right in her scary eyes. “I’m not human. I’m a monster. A… A slime. That is taking this form… I don’t think your world’s pure weapons will harm me in the way they do the Clouded or other monsters here, but… I’m sure, if our enemies got, a sample of me, they could… Make it work. Or make use of my magic against, practical defense… Th-That’s, all. Mm…” Celine’s eyes widened ever so slightly, “You’re… a… huh?” Celine’s head tilted back and forth a couple times as if she were studying Ren. Maybe even waiting for her to burst out laughing and reveal that she was playing a prank… which never came. “...My word. That’s… quite the ability to take a human form and be nearly indistinguishable. I guess… I wouldn’t really be able to tell because your mana is so… different from what exists here. I… don’t think slimes exist here? Maybe in the past but… if you’re really telling me the truth… then you’re almost definitely from somewhere other than here.” Celine pondered a moment. They’re explanation about Pure weapons would probably turn out to be true as well; pure weapons used some magic to attack the magical circuits of its clouded and monster targets. Ren’s mana was likely different enough that pure weapons weren’t going to affect them without tuning. Celine sighed before smiling at Ren, “It doesn’t change anything about you, as far as I’m concerned; you’re still Ren. As far as our enemies and pure weapons, you won’t have to worry about any of those. Pure weapons aren’t particularly crafted here so even if they somehow managed to get a sample to adjust pure weapons with, they wouldn’t immediately be able to make any changes, and I’d hopefully have incinerated them long before they could try. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this, Ren.” Celine seemed to be reacting very well to their explanation, so in a motion of continued good faith, Ren held their hand out towards Celine, the form of their hand slowly turning into a translucent pink substance and forming into a sort of hand nub instead of a full hand. “I’d rather not return to form completely, but, just to prove things…” At the same speed, their nub formed into a hand again, without a trace that it had been slime moments ago. “I’m very glad that you’re hard on pure weapons, they are a truly vile creation. I am slightly worried about parts of me being collected and used for offensive purposes; I can’t use any offensive magic, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be repurposed, but… I’ll just have to hide behind folks well so that I’m not captured. Thank you for being so understanding.” Jesse bumped the door open and backed in with two trays in her hands. "Alright, I got two cups of water, a cup of freshly brewed tea, two bowls of soup, and a complimentary salad on the house for the commander. I told them you just wanted a drink, but they insisted as thanks for all you do." Jesse placed the food and drinks down. "Uh, I apologize if I scarf this down a bit. My armor tends to take a lot out of me, so I need to fill back up." Another rumble came from her stomach and with a pout she looked down and whispered out "Quiet you, we're in company." “I’d be harder on Pure Weapons if I could be, but well, Artorius couldn’t care less, and in fact, likely wouldn’t mind if Pure Weapons became more prevalent in Altair.” Celine released a sharp breath. The name pure weapon bothered her; the name had been crafted in the belief that the clouded were tainted. Humans were the clear skies, the purest form, and the clouded were a distortion of that, and then monsters were monsters. Her mother hated it, and she was also raised to despise it, first by her older brother, and then by Pandora, her magic instructor, and aunt–even if the pair were separated by only three years. She hoped that her clouded aunt was doing well, but with her skill, there was nothing to worry about. “We shouldn’t have to worry about someone repurposing the pure weapons to cover for you… the crafting process isn’t very prevalent here, and most people aren’t very good at it. It would take months for something like that to happen, and I plan on incinerating them long before they would ever get the chance. And I expect that Jess–” The rider opened the door, bringing back a tray of food and drink. Celine relaxed, and then chuckled at the rider’s rumbling stomach. “No need to apologize. Any magic user, fighter, or hard working person worth their salt knows that they’ll need food in their belly to be able to work at their best.” Celine took the tea, and the salad–she wouldn’t have the time to finish it, but something was better than nothing, and they had gifted it to her–and turned to Jesse.“Hmm… that armor of yours, Jesse. It is magical in origin, isn’t it? Where exactly would you have come across something like that? I’ve never seen anything like it. Hmm… I wonder if Dora would know anything? Or maybe the Evokers if they were around… They might be called here given what’s going on… Ah… oops, sorry, thinking out loud.” Ren gave Celine a knowing smile and then turned to the food being brought in, happy to partake in soup after their travels. It always took a bit of energy to transform parts of their body, so they’d have to finish it, even if quickly, to not chance destabilizing. “Mmn, this is nice… Ah. Given how I was treated in Karavel for my magic, I’d assumed things like Jesse’s armor were commonplace in this world… Just originating from Lufiria. Is that assumption wrong? Are these things in fact quite rare?” Jesse was about 4 scoops of soup down when questions about her armor began to flow out. She took the time to finish the scoop she had just picked up and clean herself with a napkin before she answers. "Well, to be honest Commander, I know less about than you do. It wasn't till I joined the militia that I knew that armor could be magic. Guess pa was right, this was the best way to get answers…" Jesse leaned back in her chair as she recalled the events that led her here. "I was just a regular gal you'd find on any farm. Spending the days just attending to my small world. One day after hitting the market I decided to do a good deed by helping this old lady who was trying to get to her son's house a couple hills over. When she was close she gave me this glove as a gift, saying something about how lovely it would look on me. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I took it home. Spooked the hell out of Charlon the first time I caused the armor to come out. When I told my folks about it, they suggested I go out and find answers. That's how I ended up with the Shield, both of them used to be members with the militia before they settled down." Turning to Celine, Jesse gave her an earnest look. "If it's no trouble Commander Celine, could you get me in touch with these people you mentioned might know something? After we take care of everything going on right now, of course." Jesse hadn't heard of these Evokers, but it they were going to get involved in the Escaflowne matters then they had to know something? “It was just handed to you?” Celine’s surprise was obvious in her voice. “Magical armor is already impressively rare due to the difficulty to craft, and horrifically expensive too. This is… quite aways different from anything I’ve ever seen. Being able to conjure armor from only a single piece… I’ve never heard of anything like that, personally. I suppose it could be something Lufirian, given how little anyone outside knows of them. But that wouldn’t explain why it's here, nor how it works. You even explained that it saps you to make use of the armor as well…” Celine sighed as she took a sip of the tea. “Given that we understand that it's magic, the only person I could get you in touch with is my aunt, Pandora. She studied magic in Glacies, and is incredibly knowledgeable about history. The other option is the Evokers and that would be… difficult as of the moment. They’re the foremost magical authorities in the alliance, and because of that they’re rather hard to get a hold of. If they don’t know anything they could probably at least intuit more than anyone else in the alliance, that’s for sure. No matter, it will have to wait; Pandora’s back in Kanalet, and Galari knows where the Evokers are. If this chase continues for a time… they’ll almost certainly be asked to assist. I’m sure Dora would love to assist once she sees this, at least.” Celine took a bit of the salad. She wasn’t going to have much longer to dally about. “Any more questions for me? From either of you? I know I’m placing quite a bit on you both suddenly, so it is only right to answer what I can.” "Oh. I suppose it is quite rare." This world was certainly interesting. These things were, albeit much less powerful, a dime a dozen in their world. You'd never find a complete suit of magically responding armor on its own, of course, but single pieces that could be worn in tandem were all the rage for adventuring sorts. Maybe there's a catch… I suppose I'll have to see. It didn't matter much, in the end; Ren had no way back and no one left for them there, anyway. "I'm alright, Celine. I'll hurry up with this if we've got to get going." “You’ve done plenty for me as is.” Sure Jesse didn’t have any concrete answers, but she had a lead, and people she could seek out for that lead. Sure, getting to Lufiria where this armor may have come from was a crapshoot, but there was a chance to find those answers. If they could finish the task at hand. “I think I’m good over here too. Should we look out for Syta once we get to Cerezia?” “If you would, that would be greatly appreciated. The letter should cover things if you don’t see her before any of the other Amaryllis do.” Sophia and the others were almost definitely holding things down out there, and the letter would instruct Portia to get Sophia and the others to focus around Cerezia. Celine took a long gulp of her tea, and another bite of the salad. “Thank you both so much for this. You have no idea how difficult dealing with my father and his paranoia can be, and this is taking a small load off of my shoulders.” Celine fixed the silver ribbon in her hair. “Alright, I’d prefer it if you both took off as soon as you were able, but make whatever preparations you think necessary. I have other reports to tend to both regarding the theft, and pertaining to the action of the knights themselves. I’d leave that to my father, but he’s probably cheering on that nonsense… We hopefully won’t be long behind you, likely a day or so, but that letter needs to be there sooner.” Celine stood up, and gave them both a salute complete with a flickering flame, “I will be seeing you both soon the–” Celine took a step, and forgot that she’d moved her chair there, and gracelessly tumbled to the floor with a crash. “...Damn it… Always in a rush, and constantly forgetting about things in front of me…” “Celine!?” Ren dashed to their feet, getting to Celine’s side to help her up. “Did you hurt anything badly!? Goodness… You’ve really gotta watch where you’re going. Here.” Ren didn’t wait to be told, staff waving over the woman to make sure anything that had been damaged was quickly fixed. “Geez… I don’t think I have anything to get ready, so we can leave as soon as you’re ready, Jesse, but you’re going to make me too worried to leave you on your own at this rate, Celine. If a chair can defeat you…” Ren offered her a small smile, hoping it would be taken in good favor. It was definitely worrying, though… She must be exhausted… Jesse raised an eyebrow as she watched the commander, who had seemed very poised albeit fatigued so far, trip over the very chair she had just pulled away from. To make matters worse, her next words paired with Ren's joke made it appear that this wasn't the first time something like this happened. "Maybe you need some more rest than you let on Lady Celine. I'd like to give Charlon a bit of rest since we just got back from patrol, but I can have us leaving tonight once he's been fed. I'll get on that you can meet me by the stables in about an hour, Ren." And with that Jesse left. She also made sure to pay her tab before leaving the tavern, and an hour should be enough time to gather the rest of her belongings. The soothing light from Ren’s staff washed over her before she pushed herself to her feet with a sigh, and then a sheepish smile. “Haha… the admission that this is a fairly common occurrence probably doesn’t strengthen that trust now, does it? Mmm… I will be fine though. I would appreciate the rest, but unfortunately, there is too much to do, and neither my father, nor siblings are going to do anything about it… none of my living ones anyway.” The sheepish smile turned bitter for all but a moment before fixing her hair. “Either way. I’m quite a bit more capable than I’ve made it seem with that tumble, so you can trust that I’ll be fine on my own for a bit. If I’m lucky I’ll have time to rest a little when I get to Cerezia not too long after the both of you. With that… I’ll actually be seeing the both of you soon, take care, and thank you both for worrying about me. It’s… less of a common occurrence than I would like.” With that, the commander of the Altair Knights, turned with a flick of her cape. She’d gotten good at masking her embarrassment. She had to in order to lead the knights, and she could only really let her guard down when it came to the Amaryllis. “...He’s gone, you know, Celine? You can’t keep holding onto that memory forever… You’re the only one left now. Caruso, Nimue, Father, none of them care about Hecatia outside of amassing their own power. And… he’s gone, Virion and mom are gone. You’ll just have to do it yourself, getting help along the way.” She muttered, near silently until she reached the door. She then quickly straightened herself, and donned the mask that she’d honed for nearly twenty-six years. Now was time to be the commander of the Altair Knights. "As for the commander herself, she has yet to arrive in town, but she should be here shortly. I believe the two of you know about the current situation going on Hecatia yes? Well the Commander is on her way here to discuss further actions. We could discuss more, but it seems you two have had an already eventful day, so if you wanted some time to yourself I'd understand. Commander Celine should be about a day out from here, and we'll be staying in town until she arrives." Jesse knew that know wasn't an appropriate time to talk about her armor, so she withheld that information. She had hoped there would be a better opportunity in the future. As Jesse finished her sentence, she gave a quizzical eyebrow in Ren's direction. This was the first time she had seen the healer be so... adamant about someone and what they should do. As for the young man's opinions of herself, she didn't quite like it, but he did have a point. Knowing how the knight's we're treating Clouded recently didn't put Jesse in the right light, but whatever Ren whispered to him managed to surprise this Koba fellow, even if he still refused their offer. Edited December 17, 2022 by Bluemask 96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Well she was saved a beating at least. She still needed a solution though. "Well the real solution would just be cutting the head off the snake, but I know our group isn't strong enough to accomplish that at present. So a more practical idea would be..." Syndra looked at the map left out on the table. "My family basically controls most of Western Islexia as well as both of its major rivers. Even if we took the job Mari offered, we'd essentially have to go along the sea, which would take longer, or go to Asqua and then race to the Sands before my father has time to send people after us. As I was saying before, I do have some people that are loyal to me and not my father, if I could contact them I know I could get them to help, but they're hiding out in the other direction from where Mari planned on having us go. And last I heard there was a bounty out there to bring me in alive. 20000 worth but that was a year ago at least, it may have increased since then." Syndra sighed again. "If there is anything I do know about how my father works, its that he won't personally go chasing down rumors, he'd send one of my brothers to go verify it, and they aren't going to chase us into Lufiria. Even though I know my way through Islexia the safer way through would be to play the Gaffney's game." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 (edited) Miria nodded at Syndra's point, this was still a nistake she made. The brunette nodded and simply back up a bit, letting Syndra speak. The whole conversation was well and above what Miria could do to help at all. But, things ended about as smoothly as possible, Syndra giving out as much as she could to Natalya so they can be better prepared for her brothers. Mari, who Miria feared attacking Syndra, left to the tavern. Hopefully she'd be willing to help if things go south with Cyro. When Alvira gave Miria a smile, she did the best she could and smiled back. After Syndra's explanation, Miria gave her a thumbs-up, she had her friend's back. When Alvira showed concern about leaving without finding out about her siblings, Miria was quick to interject, "Don't worry Alvira. Miss Natalya wouldn’t think of leaving without seeing him." She kept her smile for the dragon, "We got this~" Edited December 17, 2022 by Silver Gallade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted December 18, 2022 Author Share Posted December 18, 2022 (edited) Tio clicked her tongue, and then sighed as Jesse--a member of the militia--revealed that Celine wasn't here, yet. "Of course, that would have made things easier, but what can I expect today? Yes, we are rather intimately aware of what's going on here in Hecatia. I would have liked to speak with her about it, but I expect that her arrival won't coincide with our departure. And, thank you for the consideration, I, uh, may have to take you up on that. Today has been far too long and there's still quite a bit of it to go. Speaking of which..." Tio turned back to the smaller knight; she was impressively adamant about helping Koba. Probably the first thing since arriving in Cerezia that made her smile. Though, it shouldn't have been a surprise knowing that Celine appeared to have picked them herself. "That was the intent. I admit, despite the fact that you two are Amaryllis, my opinion of the Knights is imperceptible due to how low it is as of current. So I can't say that I fault Koba's apprehension. That said... You've managed to be more of a knight than any of the knights I've had the pleasure of dealing with as of late. If you would take him back to the Dusty Frontier, and search for a tall tiger clouded woman by the name of Natalya. Introduce Koba to her, and inform her that it was both myself and Elisa who pointed him in her direction. Also inform her that we'll take care of his expenses at this point, so she needn't worry about that." Tio offered a small curtsy. "Thank you both. I-- Hmm?" Tio blinked a moment as she looked closer at Jesse, and finally realized that the woman's armor was giving a similar magical feel. "I... hold on. Elisa? Do you notice that too? It's... the signature is different, but... it's way too similar to not notice." The shopkeeper did everything she could to not burst out laughing at the spectacular display. "I may have to mention that the fire resistant clothing does not work on internal fire, so it won't help if you two light that kind of fire. And I would think that is something you'd like to keep between the two of you. I have children walk in this shop sometimes." She snorted, as she moved behind the counter and began to fix things up there. "Are you alive over there, yet?" Luia marched over to the Tanya, arms crossed. "Gosh, I know Lumina can hit hard with her magic, but you've been out for an hour or so. For a moment, I was a little concerned." She sighed, before placing Tanya's gold next to her. "Shake it off, and then beat it, this isn't an infirmary. The hell is with all of the crazy fighters today... Ugh... Vidar is going to laugh." She wondered if her brother was back from whatever nonsense he was up to. Ever since the evening before last, Vidar had been transient, suddenly doing a bunch of work. It wasn't for father, but he wouldn't tell her anything before her hoisted everything off on her. It probably had something to do with Lydia. That woman was a mystery to her, but Vidar was head over heels. She didn't even really know what she did for a living; only that she wasn't Hecatian. Edited December 18, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 "Mmm?" Mikoto tilted her head towards Lani, her smile fading, giving the cat a once over. "Would you like to come with us? Please, by all means... Natalya? I'll be borrowing your knight and this woman with her. We have things to discuss~" Mikoto didn't bother waiting any longer, grabbing Syta by the arm and beginning to drag her out of the inn. "Ah, hey! I can walk on my own... G-Geez, uh, s, sorry about this, Lani!" Syta was very aware of what was going on now, swallowing hard. K-Kisara? You there? What are we supposed to do about-- I'll speak with her... Once we're away from here, at least. I'm sure Cerezia has a quiet little spot... S-Sorry for getting you mixed up in this... On the contrary, this is a good time to find out how she's still alive. The last time I saw her was... Far too long ago. "The Dusty Frontier and a tiger named Natalya. Understood!" Ren was happy to have something to occupy their day now, since they'd be otherwise waiting for Celine to come about without any other things to take care of. "Shall we then, Koba? I suppose if you find employment, my suggestion doesn't matter all that much, especially if this group is as kind as the Lady is making it sound." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Siorel had surprised him, still waiting where he had left her, though as he thought about it, her reaction to being told to stay there had been, unexpected. The blush, combined with her calling him sir... I. Liked that. I, hmm. Something to think on later... His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the shopkeeper's teasing warning, and he could feel his cheeks heat up as he stammered out, "N-no, don't worry. Not anything like that. I. Ah. Siorel, you go find whatever you want. Ok? I'll pay for these clothes." He made his way to the front, embarrassed but happy. He hadn't expected a simple pair of pants and a shirt to have such an effect on Siorel. He was going to have to remember that in the future. Maybe secretly buy a few more outfits... "Ah, I hope you don't mind me wearing them out? And I'll toss on two more long sleeved shirts in the same size." He glanced back at Siorel and then quietly added, "And whatever dress she gets, I'm buying that one too, so I'll add in extra gold for it now." Koba stood, slumped against the wall, wondering if he should have never gotten out of bed this morning. While it was true that everyone here seemed to be debating over how best to save his life, he couldn't help but wonder how quickly It would fall apart. The Knights would eventually find a reason to arrest him or kick him out, and once a mercenary group saw how weak his magic was, they would drop him too. Ren's quick little face at him had left him distracted, but only for so long before he'd sunk back into his thoughts. Finally though, Tio's orders to Ren snapped him back to the present. It seemed that his fate had been decided, sent off to a mercenary group led by a Clouded, though still, it seemed, the responsibility of the Evokers. He almost wondered if they had a reason to want a personal thief, but he dashed that thought before it really even began. They wouldn't have needed all the extras for that. They probably were just truly trying to help him. Ren prompted him to start leaving, and without looking up, Koba nodded, holding out his hand to grab the hand he expected to be extended towards him. After all, the strange not-knight had done that earlier. When he met nothing but air, he quickly looked up, blushing, and dropped his hand back down. "Ah. Yes. Ready, sure. I would say you don't need to escort me but I'm aware not one here trusts me to not run, with good reason. So. Yeah. Lead on." Please don't notice the hand, please be distracted by whatever the Evokers are focusing on now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Ren couldn't have possibly missed that blush, nor Koba's holding his hand out. They quickly took it and started walking off, giggling quietly. "Jesse! I'll be at the inn they mentioned! Feel free to catch up whenever you're done!" With a big smile, Ren started walking Koba off, a little spring in their step. "I think this will be a good thing, don't you? It'll give you a place to put those thievery skills to good use. Stealing from bad guys and targets instead of well meaning citizens. Maybe even stealing things from feral monsters! I'm sure they'll appreciate you a lot~" Where Ren came from, thieves were quite popular! Most adventuring parties had one in their ranks to take things from their targets without issue. It was a bit surprising that Koba couldn't find work here, but maybe they just hadn't found the right kind of people to realize how useful this skill was. "Don't worry about me, big guy. I already found what I want. And the clothes I want too~" Siorel gave him a big grin and hopped off the counter, following after him to pay. She didn't quite catch the quip about him paying for everything, so she set the two dresses down, then quickly zoomed off to snatch a belt, black, and came back to add it to the pile. "Hokay! What do I owe ya? These are pretty fine make so I assume they won't be cheap..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 (edited) Well, that ended well, and Saiga didn’t even have to stand there and look too threatening! Although he suspected that wasn’t going to work too well on the thief - Koba, he thought he’d heard their name as? - or, at least, not like it did on Ren. If only he knew how to get them to open up a bit, so they wouldn’t be so scared of him… Come to think of it, he didn’t even really know why he was apparently such a fright, aside from being a big man with a big scary tail, and… oh. ”Huh. Alright, good seeing ya again, Ren!” Saiga called heartily, before turning his attention back to his ostensible employers. “Surprised you two are wandering around instead of relaxing at the inn. Something happen back there that I should know about?” He hoped that the Evokers would be nice enough to give him whatever info he apparently needed, but… well, hopefully he wasn’t hitting a sore spot. Nyx… really didn’t see that coming. For one, she kinda just figured that the other Tigers knew Syndra’s whole deal, or at least that Nattie did. Apparently not, which made her feel at least a little better that Syn had told her the whole thing before anyone else. Of course, she wasn’t quite dumb enough to bring that up in present company, so Nyx tried to switch gears a bit. And by that, she definitely hadn’t initially meant to wrap her arms protectively around Syndra’s side, but that’s apparently where she went with it now. “See? We gotta plan, all good. No need t’be tossin’ lasses outta the family. ‘Specially since s’not like she’s got anywhere else t’go… uh, no offence, hun.” Shit, that last bit wasn’t meant to be out loud. Oh well. “N’hey, if th’ lady wantin’ ta split some’un needs t’blow off some steam instead’a smackin’ Synnie ‘round, I don’t mind takin’ a round or two. Worst case, ye don’ gotta worry ‘bout th’Amaryllis lockin’ ye up fer harbourin’ a wanted crook.” Nyx thankfully had the foresight to lower her voice at that one, so that hopefully it was only Nattie and Syn who could hear. “Oh, an’, uh, sorry, Nattie. Meant t’tell ye as full o’ th’story as I could earlier, but then shit got hectic back in Liste. Plus, gotta fess up, m’havin’ problems rememberin’ everythin’ from that night. Mighta helped us out back in Liste though, cuz th’innkeeper’s a lady I bailed out that night, but m’pretty sure that y’ain’t gonna care ‘bout that.” Tanya grumbled and groaned as she dragged herself back to a seated position. “I’ve been awake… besides, me and light magic don’t mesh well. My eyes are a bit messed up, but that’s not… what’d you say her name was, Lumina? That’s not her fault.” Not that the arena lady needed to know details. She just needed to be sure that Tanya wasn’t dead. The other name, however, gave Tanya something to poke her nose into, if nothing else. “Who’s Vidar? Guy friend of yours? Or a brother, maybe?” That second one, at least, would be something else they’d have in common - brothers they aren’t always on the best of terms with. Edited December 18, 2022 by MRDRHAWK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Jesse, began to call out to Ren to wait, but they were off with winged boy in tow. With a sigh, the knight just responded with a shout "Just look out for tall people!" Jesse had a little bit of worry for the enthusiastic healer, but they had someone else with them, and Jesse would eventually join them. Returning to the conversation at hand, Jesse was expecting the two ladies to be on their way once they had asked for them to escort Koba, but it seemed she might be getting her chance now. "Ah, you can tell? Commander Celine said you two might now something, but I thought you might not want to talk tonight." Jesse did feel a little bad after the green haired lady's comment about the arrival time of the commander, her letter was still with Portia, and Jesse didn't feel right discussing things out in the open. "You speak as if you've seen something like my armor before, so I guess I can show you this." With a hand on her chest plate, the crystal on her gloved hand glowed, and in a flash of light came out a de-armored Jesse. "I have this gift, as you can see, but I know little about it. Please madam Evokers, if you have any knowledge on this could you share it with me? I'm so sorry to spring this on you with all that just happened." There was clear sincerity and earnest in Jesse's voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Koba's blush deepened as Ren quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him along, leaving him feeling off kilter. Somehow this stranger was squeezing past his barriers, seemingly only caring about his well being, despite not even knowing him. "... My name's Shikoba. My full name, I mean. Shikoba Wayra. I don't, ugh. I don't tell anyone that. But you trusted me with a secret, so I owe you one." He sighed, trying to collect himself, keep up some barriers, but it was hard to do when his hand was being held so gently. "A good thing, huh? I hope so. The Evokers, ha. They really are better people than I deserve to know. You too, I'm thinking. Ah well. Lucky break for me, I guess. I just hope they aren't disappointed when they see the extent of my abilities. I mean, I'm good at lifting things from people, but beyond that, I'm not sure I'll bring much." He couldn't help but be both frustrated and hopeful at the turn of events. On the one hand, to be caught like this made him doubt his abilities, especially if he was going to have to do it on a battlefield. On the other hand, though, it gave him the potential to send so much more money home. This was maybe the chance that he needed to finally make a difference for all his siblings back home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "You didn't have to share that if you weren't comfortable. I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea about me... I've seen firsthand the kinds of discrimination that come with being what you are." Ren hadn't been hit with the specific kind that Clouded or Monsters did, but people mistaking them for being Lufirian told them everything they needed to know about the current state of world affairs. It was likely more difficult for Clouded, though, since from what Ren had learned, Lufirians didn't look any different from humans. They could hide their lineage, at the very least. "I don't think it has anything to do with deserving. You've been dealt a bad hand in life and now you're coming into the good part. I'm sure that whoever the... Evokers? Had in mind for you, will take care of you properly. They seem like nice women. Who are they, anyway? I'm... New, here? So I'm afraid I don't know a lot about world affairs. Is that some important title?" Ren couldn't tell who they were meant to be at a glance. Because their mana was different, Ren couldn't exactly get a sense for the scale of others; they couldn't feel it out by proximity, so if they were strong in some way, Ren had no idea. "Have a little more faith in yourself, Koba. Being a part of a group is never about how much you can do by yourself. It's about how much you can do alongside everyone else. I'm sure you'll make friends and find a place for yourself~ Adventuring groups always have something for someone..." So long as they stay alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "It's fine. A secret for a secret, I wouldn't want to be in your debt. It's how things work for me, so just accept it." But no more secrets unless you give me one, so hopefully I'll be safe for a while. I can't be getting too close. Thankfully, it should be just as easy as getting dropped off and then I won't have to worry about them again. He sighed, slowing his pace a little, dragging at Ren's hand as he did, not wanting to rush too fast to the unknown, even if the current experience was somewhat unsettling. He flexed his wings slightly, the reminder of his lineage, his obligations, and the dangers he faced here. "Life is, mmm. It is what it is. I'm not as bad off as others, so I should be grateful for what I have. Especially given how much I risked my life trying to steal from an Evoker twice." He laughed, a short burst, before his wry humor turned to slight confusion. "You've never heard of them? Huh. You must be from far off. Yeah, The Evokers. It's a title, to denote how important and powerful they are. The Evokers of Glacies, specifically. It's more than just power, like Tio, her full name is Tiora but I've heard she extremely prefers Tio, like she hinted at, but they are both very strong. I almost had my hand blasted off by light magic the first time I ran into Tio. You saw how she reacted this time. Though, there was a little bit of extra anger added in there, I think, because of, uh, my unfortunate landing..." This was safer territory, talking about others, instead of his past or just him in general. Until Ren managed to swerve it right back to him. He sighed, wings fluttering slightly as the blush started to return. This wasn't how he'd expected any of this to go, but they were just so damn friendly. "Ugh, you never stop, do you? Just a never ending source of optimism, huh? Maybe you're right. At least about the group bit. I'm less convinced about the friends and the place for myself, but, we'll see. You've got your place, at least. How'd you end up with the Amaryllis anyways?" Turn the conversation away from you, keep things safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 The Evokers of Glacies. Glacies was the island nation to the northeast, the one with ties to Lufiria. Ren made a mental note that the two women were incredibly important and incredibly powerful. Do my best not to upset them, understood, especially since Tio uses light magic. I can't handle that... Ren nodded, slowly doing a little as they felt Koba's hand dragging. "I just ran into Lady Celine and after some talks, she took me in because of my abilities with magic. I can protect you from the elements with a flick of my wrist~ ... Well, most of the elements. Light and dark magic are too complex for my abilities, so stick to anima and I'll keep you safe, heheh." Ren did their best to smile about that. It was a little frustrating that this new kind of magic existed here, but they would just have to learn, eventually. "And yes, I am optimistic. I hope it's a good thing... I like to look at the bright side for folks and do what I can to help that side flourish. Like I am right now! Hopefully." They looked Koba's face over, wondering if it was becoming a bother to hear. 'What about you? You said life is what it is, but... Well, I'll try not to hope too far forward. I'll just see you to your new friends and, if I see you again, make sure I check in on how things are going and that you're getting along with them. You have to do your best to try, okay? No joining up and then being a loner. You've gotta make friends!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Somewhat ironically, given how their visit to the Iron Scales Forge had gone, Alriana had decided that the arena was their next place to visit on this test date with Versaris. She hadn't even begun to guess what today was going to be like, but found everything so far to have been mostly enjoyable. Versaris' wont to tease her anytime and anywhere was annoying, but when the not-elf was behaving himself he was decent enough to be around. As they arrived at their destination she turned to Versaris, a question from their time at the forge on her mind. "Is it really so bad to enjoy fighting? Fighting is all I know, other than my methods to pass time. If I couldn't fight, I wouldn't be able to earn money to buy food. And I'm good at it. Should I not enjoy what I'm good at?" She hadn't even realized she'd slipped into full sentences, her subconscious desire to understand this ideology so great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Versaris had figured that the question might still be on Aly's mind, but when she asked him in full sentences he was a bit surprised. Was it weighing that heavily on her? "There's nothing wrong with enjoying fighting, Aly." He reached out and pet her hair some, a calm smile on his face. "The issue is enjoying killing. There's nothing wrong with anything else, at least in my mind... So if you enjoy testing your strength and fighting against other people, by all means. Fight to your heart's content... As long as it stays there, I don't think anything's wrong with it. You understand, right?" Hopefully she did, they were about to go into some serious sport fighting. "There will always be people that won't understand and might even judge you for it, though. Some people hate fighting. That's just how some people are... So long as they don't try and change who you are, you can ignore them. But, me? I think you're fine. You're really good at what you do~" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "Mhhm..." This was about the response she expected from Versaris, not that she thought it was being said only to placate her; it lined up with what he'd said at the forge. "I understand that. What I don't understand is why people would judge me for enjoying fighting." She let out a small huff, frustrated, her sentences slipping back to her normal with her growing frustration. "If people not care for fighting then should distance self and stay out of business. Not care what they think, won't change just because random person think should. Still annoying be told what do by person who know nothing." As her minor rant came to a close the pair were well into the lobby, the lizard spotting someone, Tanya, one of the cat clouded, from their group speaking with someone. They arrived too late to hear what was said, however, given where they were, whoever Tanya was speaking was likely the fight manager. Or, in the very least, Tanya would know who that would be. Never really one for tact, Alriana walked right up to them in the middle of their conversation, staring up Tanya's conversation partner. "Want fight in arena. Know who talk to?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "Some people are rude. They think they know better. I'm sure you know what you're doing, Aly." He sighed as she walked off to interrupt a conversation, wondering why this was eating at her so much. I agree that her eagerness was worrying, but she didn't seem very happy when Rustal died. Wasn't overjoyed by his passing or being the one that did it... So I don't think she's going to fall as far as this Balsa was worried. I'll keep my eyes on her, either way, to make sure she doesn't stray. There's nothing wrong with enjoying fighting for the sake of it. He nodded, following after her. "My apologies for my friend, but we both would like to take on this arena, her first, of course. If you've a moment to show us to who runs the place... or, if you are the owner, to process our entry fee, we would appreciate it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) "Nah. I hardly mind people wearing the stuff they buy out; it's good marketing." This was too precious. It seemed like the young woman hadn't heard the object of her affection's request to pay for the trip. Both of them were very excited, and it was just so cute. "Mmm... the two dresses and the belt, both are about fifteen gold apiece, and the belt's like four gold. So that's fourty-four right there, and then..." She turned to Cin, taking note of the pants, and shirts. "Fire resistant makes those also about eighteen gold apiece, so three of those for fifty-four gold, and the pants are about ten gold. So hundred and eight gold... ah, slip of the tongue, I did mean ninety gold for it all." She winked at about Siorel and Cinead, "Couples' discount." Luia looked up at Tanya, and then sighed. "Brother of sorts is more like. Vidar Emeria, he's the son of Tristan Emeria, one of the biggest merchants this side of Hecatia. I'm technically his cousin, but I've lived with them my whole life so he's more of a brother than a cousin, I guess. Eh, doesn't really matter. He's off doing whatever he's off doing... Probably has something to do with Lydia--Mmm?" Luia looked down as their conversation was interrupted by... what exactly was Luia looking at? She tilted her head before just throwing her hands up, "This is about par for the course today... I'm the person you're looking for... I'm guessing you're both interested? Just give me a moment, and we'll get you both processed." Both of the new arrivals looked strong, even if she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking at in the lizard's case. Especially the taller man with her; he gave off a similar vibe to the woman that had appeared before with her brother, except more honed. Oh boy... She looked at Tanya and waved her along, "Business calls, I shouldn't really be sharing life stories, anyway. Thanks for the breather, I guess. Alright," She turned back to Alriana, "What am I calling you two?" Tio sighed, she did walk right into this one, and she did have some information on what the armor was--She and Elisa had been hard at work during their travels. "Yes, well... There isn't too much that I'm able to impart. What I can say is that if your armor is the same as the other that I've seen then it is ancient in origin, and likely doesn't resonate with many people other than yourself. As I'm sure you can tell, it's magical in origin, but the mechanism for how it works exactly escapes even me. It may also be imparting some magical power to you, as it does with the other person I've seen with armor like this... That's about all I've got." The difference in color seemed to give Tio some ideas about where to press their research forward regarding Miria's armor. If they were to follow one of their lines of inquiry; the woman's armor may have had something to do with wind magic, which meant that Elisa might be able to pick out those elements in its magical signature. If she could, that would lend itself to the idea that the color of the armor had something to do with a type of magic. And would explain why neither she or Elisa could figure out Miria's; Golden would probably end up being related to earth, and thus, dark magic. Perhaps their trinkets would resonate if they were close? I'm too tired for this. "I would be willing to help more, but I am rather exhausted, and I don't think I'm in a proper mind space to deal with delicate magical matters right now. Perhaps if you're still around tomorrow Elisa and I can see if we can figure out a little more about your armor, but we'll be on our way tomorrow as well, and tonight will not be a possible time." She curtsied to Jesse, "My apologies for not being able to help more, Miss Flynt." Edited December 20, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "Ah perfect." Cin quickly pulled out the ninety gold and placed it down, with a smile. "Thank you for your help, ma'am. It has been appreciated. Siorel, I'm going to go grab two more shirts real quick if you don't mind waiting?" He quickly moved back towards the shirts, hoping she wouldn't object too strongly. After all, she had paid for lunch. It was the least he could do to buy her some nice clothes as well. He quickly pulled a deep blue shirt and a burnt orange shirt off the racks and held them up for the shopkeeper to see. "These two will work. Thank you again." That would do it for him, so he started towards the exit, assuming Siorel would be close behind. "Interesting magic, huh? I bet the Evokers would have been interested in that if they knew, given everything they can do. Still, even if you can only protect from anima, I can see why Lady Celine would have recruited you." He didn't give respect to many humans from Hecatia, especially those with power. Even if he didn't trust her enough to join up with her group, the Lady Celine had done enough for Clouded that she deserved her title at least. As Ren continued bubbling about optimism, Koba couldn't help the small laugh that escaped, shaking his head. "Well when you put it that way, who am I to argue? Watching you talk about it like that, it's cu-cool. Cool to see how much you care." Don't use words you can't back up, idiot. They may be cute, but pointing it out will just get you in deeper. Remember, after today you won't see them again, so just be polite and then move on once you've joined this group. He sighed, quietly, and nodded. "I'll see what I can do. I'm not great at friends, but maybe this group will be different. We'll see." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "Ah, so you do own the place. You can announce me as Ingverd. I do hope you're not opposed to losing a large share of gold, today~" He sported the smug personae that went along with his name, confident that nothing here was going to stop him. Alriana could put on whatever stage name she pleased. "You can run her through first, I'll be upstairs watching. And, Tanya, do take care of yourself. You don't look so well... Rough run of the arena?" He gave her a sympathetic smile and moved towards the viewers stand, ready to watch his favorite woman crush the entire lineup. "Heyyyyyyyy~" Siorel wasn't going to seriously complain, as Cin paid for both their clothes, latching onto his arm nice and tight as they walked out of the place. "Pullin' a smooth one on me, are ya~? Well. It's working, sir. Guess I'll have to reward you once this date is over... Hope you're looking forward to it." All eyes were in Cin as Siorel did her best to walk while looking at him, not missing a single moment of his new look and how smooth he was finally being. Maybe he's not so green after all~ "It's cu-cool? Huh. Haven't heard it put that way before." Ren stuck their tongue out at Koba, glad this little thief seemed to have a good personality behind the occupation and life worries. He'd just taken some wrong turns because life hadn't been kind to him, that was all. "As long as you do your best, I'll be proud of you, and I'm sure the Lady Evokers will be too. And, who knows? Maybe I'll get the chance to show them. If they're still in town and they're that important, Celine might meet with them tomorrow. Which meeaaanns I'll be there~ Hopefully I can see the start of your progress, huh?" They gave him a big smile, tugging him along a little more quickly. "Here's to your new life, Koba! I'm sure it'll be great~" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 "Well, you paid for lunch, so it's only fair..." And there she was again, with that sir. He almost stumbled at her promise of a reward, but he managed to keep moving, though he did look inquisitively down at her. "Sir, huh? That's a new one, both from you and in general for me. I mean, I've been called sir before, but mostly by shopkeepers and the like. Never by a partner... Not that I'm complaining." He reached down and gently bopped her on the nose. "I actually quite like it. Especially since it's you saying it." I'm going to have to remember that taking charge like this works well to help keep my footing against her... She's on the offensive so much, I have to take my wins where I can get them. Koba muttered something under his breath as Ren immediately called him out over his stumble in words, accompanied by sticking their tongue out at him again. Grumbling, he shook himself off, wings fluttering, with a stray loose feather floating to the ground. "I meant cool, you know that. I just misspoke. And I don't need you or the Evokers being proud of me. It's just a job. I need money to survive, and this will give me that chance." He wondered what they would think of him if they knew about the stolen objects in his pockets. Best not to mention the gold or the elixir, in that case. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Ren once again surprising him, this time with the promise that their reunion might not be as unlikely as he'd been thinking. "A-ah, really? I mean. That makes sense, I suppose. Still, I wouldn't get your hopes up. Not sure how much progress in making friends I'll be able to make in a night. So, don't get disappointed if you don't see and changes." He allowed himself to get pulled along faster by them, caught flat footed once again by their impossible to defeat optimism. Maybe they're right. Maybe this is a change to something better... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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