CitrusArms

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Stratya Durmand

Time: Evening
Location: The Park
Interactions: None
Mentions: None

The fireworks preparations had been proceeding smoothly, so she left the men to it. Needn't be an extra body in the way. She worked her way through the town a bit before she steered herself to the park, to observe the bursting starlight. That's how it had been described to her, and it was an exciting description. As she entered the park, the knight easily fell prey to the wonderful smell of funnel cake, and several other foods, before she finally went to find herself a place to lean and eat and watch the fireworks.

It was quite a satisfying show. The bright, colorful lights that filled the air were a beautiful sight. It went especially well with the meal, somehow. Her belly filled and the resulting debris properly disposed of, the knight drew a fife from a holster attached to her scabbard and began to play. The playful, lilting tones of folk music from the countryside would fill the air, between the bangs of the fireworks. It wasn't completely unlike playing over a roaring fire, though there were some rather staunch differences. She could remember the dances and festivals from her youth, especially during the harvest season. This was not unlike that at all. Just… bigger, more grandiose. This music would never fit in the castle proper, but here, it seemed to belong. She rather hoped a bard or two might join her, though. There must be a few wandering about, yes? Maybe they could even get a dance going.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Stratya Durmand

Time: Afternoon -> Evening
Location: Estate Zone and The Bazaar
Interactions: None
Mentions: None

A meal had been just the thing to ruminate about these events. While the one part of her brain that demanded food was let to occupy itself with eating and tasting, the rest of her mind could focus. According to the bazaar merchants, they hadn't seen anyone like what the knight was describing.

The knight had also returned to the alley (with food), to pour over the scene once again. There were a number of things that could have happened, but it didn't seem to her like any of them were the answer. It seemed like the suspect had simply… disappeared. It was an interesting situation, one which had only a few answers.

She should interview the target of the attempted assassination. She had a fairly clear picture of the chase, but the events before were foggy. She should at least get a look at the scene, but they'd probably cleaned up already. Well, she was a little late on that one. Oh well. Shall she ask the cleaning staff? Such an unusual incident must have stuck out in their minds, maybe they'd remember what the aftermath looked like. If she could clean up her image of what lead up to the chase, the moment in question would become clearer, too. Where did the perpetrator go? How did they escape? She had to be certain.

She broke her used wooden skewer into smaller pieces before scattering it into a flower bed she was passing. She had more interviews to conduct, but before that, she'd go talk to the royal guard she saw leaving the estates. They may have just done some asking, and it wouldn't do to go asking right behind them.

This time, she got some different information. They hadn't bothered the staff, so she went and asked some of the help some questions. Rather than try to explain all of it, they walked and talked their way to the scene, which had yet to be fully cleaned and repaired. "Ooh."

"It all happened so fast, ma'am."

"It wa' quick, was i'?"

A guard spoke from the hallway, "it was, I saw. One moment, nothing. Then, the windows break in and arrows start flying like a swarm of bats came in." He was a little jittery, and it seemed like he'd coped an arrow in the arm.

"Wha' o'you mean by 'at?" Arrows everywhere?

"It was like we were surrounded by murder holes, ma'am."

What?! "So they wehr…" Stratya trailed off as she turned to the room and made a motion through her finger, tracing random trajectories through the air. "Hmm." There were holes all over the walls, even the outer wall, where you might expect them to be coming from. This whole thing was reeking, more and more.

That was enough information for now. She might interview the attacked, but later. This whole incident must have been very stressful.

She went over the grounds once more, then it was time for dinner at a local tavern, and… there was something neat going on tonight, wasn't there? Aah, right, fireworks. Something she hadn't had the chance to see, yet. She'd better not miss it, either.

With her dinner scarfed down, she decided she'd inspect the fireworks launch before finding a good spot to watch from.

Rising Stars: A Fairy Tail AU

"Oooh~, weeee~'ve been to the mountains and been to the hills, been to the forest and the beach," a lazy mezzo-soprano came from a particularly tall tree in the forest north of town. One would spot the shining golden climbing equipment before the young lady doing the climbing. "We've crossed the desert thanks to a friendly oa~si~s," she missed grabbing a branch but caught herself from falling before she pulled herself up to have a seat. She requipped a small telescope into her hand, only good for scouting, and peered South, down the mountain side, "we've seen the lake and its pretty birds, and all its sprawling plai~ns," she turned her telescope onto the town finally, before smiling to herself, "but we still haven't been to my~ house!"

The song was over as she examined the town, "alright, new town. Maybe it's friendlier than the last place was, oof." There was activity in town that caught her eye, "is that a caravan? Interesting." The songstress collapsed and disappeared her hand telescope before scaling down the tree much easier than going up, whistling to herself as she did. Once at the bottom, the golden climbing equipment she'd been using was changed into a pair of boots, upon which she proceeded to glide along the ground, heading south to the town she'd seen at the foot of the mountain.

The boots carried her through shallow water and over thorny ground, all while she whistled merrily. As she went, she puzzled to herself, "how's that one even go, again? ~I've got a brand new~... Badup bah~ dabah. Ah well."

As she came into town, her long, gliding strides slowly morphed into a regular walking stride before the boots dissolved away from her feet, leaving only normal boots in excellent condition. It was best to scope the place out a little before being very showy. In the name of such, Trinity found herself a nice cafe with an outdoor section and got herself a coffee with whipped cream on top.

Rising Stars: A Fairy Tail AU

Trinity, Wandering Bard

Name: Trinity Rainsteppe
Age: 23
Birthday: May 7th
Magic: Energy Make - A powerful, old maker magic with many secrets and great utility. It is as obtuse as it is useful. It is easy to waste magic power during formation, and finding a substitute energy to use as "material" goes a long way in conserving magic power. Each energy type has its own properties, however. Additionally, lacrima can be used as batteries.
Bard's Legerdemain - A performance magic, Bard's Legerdemain enables a mage to remotely manipulate musical instruments. It's only really useful to musically inclined mages, who can play remotely using this magic.
Requip - Trinity keeps camping supplies and some instruments in her requip space.
Magic Level: B
History: Trinity was born into a quiet life in the countryside, in a small village by a forest. Her father and mother were both mages who were too traditional and stubborn to fold into whatever was happening to Fiore's magical community. In response to their daughter's interest and aptitude, they taught her their magics. Eventually, they left Fiore, seeking a country with a more traditional community for mages.
Once they did settle somewhere, after a time, Trinity decided that she wanted to see more. She'd been through several countries with her parents, in search of a new place to live. What other places were out there? As she grew older, the desire to see more grew. When she expressed the desire to her parents, they received her wish with supplies for the road. Her parents had, of course, seen the yearning in their daughter. They made her promise to return, to tell them where she'd gone, what she'd seen.
Personality: A young woman just trying to live a carefree life.
Guild and guild mark location: N/A
Team Members: N/A
Three Strengths:
1. Musical
2. Mechanically inclined
3. Inventive
Three Weaknesses:
1. Squishy mage
2. Loves animals
3. Hesitant combatant
Appearance:
Additional Details: Her mother has a lot of nice heirlooms, for someone without an ancestry to speak of.

Rising Stars: A Fairy Tail AU

Trinity, Wandering Bard

Name: Trinity Rainsteppe
Age: 23
Birthday: May 7th
Magic: Energy Make - A powerful, old maker magic with many secrets and great power. It is as obtuse as it is useful. It is easy to waste magic power during formation, and finding a substitute energy to use as "material" goes a long way in conserving magic power. Each energy type has its own properties, however. Additionally, lacrima can be used as batteries.
Bard's Legerdemain - A performance magic, Bard's Legerdemain enables a mage to remotely manipulate musical instruments. It's only really useful to musically inclined mages, who can play remotely using this magic.
Requip - Trinity keeps camping supplies and some instruments in her requip space.
Magic Level: B
History: Trinity was born into a quiet life in the countryside, in a small village by a forest. Her father and mother were both mages who were too traditional and stubborn to fold into whatever was happening to Fiore's magical community. In response to their daughter's interest and aptitude, they taught her their magics. Eventually, they left Fiore, seeking a country with a more traditional community for mages.
Once they did settle somewhere, after a time, Trinity decided that she wanted to see more. She'd been through several countries with her parents, in search of a new place to live. What other places were out there? As she grew older, the desire to see more grew. When she expressed the desire to her parents, they received her wish with supplies for the road. Her parents had, of course, seen the yearning in their daughter. They made her promise to return, to tell them where she'd gone, what she'd seen.
Personality: A young woman just trying to live a carefree life.
Guild and guild mark location: N/A
Team Members: N/A
Three Strengths:
1. Musical
2. Mechanically inclined
3. Inventive
Three Weaknesses:
1. Squishy mage
2. Loves animals
3. Hesitant combatant
Appearance:
Additional Details: Her mother has a lot of nice heirlooms, for someone without an ancestry to speak of.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Stratya Durmand

Time: Midday
Location: Estate Alleys -> Bazaar
Interactions: None
Mentions: None

Stratya had been conducting a few interviews with guards that had been part of the gunfire exchange and examining the alley itself. The the guards all had very similar statements. From what she was able to piece together, the criminal in question fired back, startling the guards in pursuit and buying them distance with which to flee. The guards all insisted they were not that far behind when the criminal vanished. That part was also common. They were in pursuit when suddenly they could no longer find a trace of the criminal. It reeked... But she couldn't be sure. As she examined the alleyways, a number of possibilities came to mind.

"'ow far be'ind were the lo' o' ye? Show me, stan' so far away." She motioned vaguely with her hand, her gauntlet clacking lightly.

"I was about here, ma'am, the distance from here to there, where you're standing. But there were a couple of other guards in front of me."

"Righ'. Th' chase led down this way, aye, and then..."

"The criminal turned at the crossing. That's the last time I saw the two of them."

"Break your sigh' on them, then do somethin' unexpected and disappear. Kee' pace with me from there, lad." Stratya walked to the corner and used the guard as reference for how much time there would have been to disappear. She looked the alley over closely, observing possibilities, before looking to the guard she had with her, "righ'. Stand there for m' reference, would you?" She ventured into the alley, considering how much time each option would take. There weren't many good avenues to escape by, and they were all...

Did that guard say two people?

The knight came back to the intersection. The guard she left looked bored. "You said there were two?" The guard nodded and Stratya nodded slowly. "I see... Awrigh', tha's all. Thank ya, 'ave a drink at the tavern tonigh'." Stratya flipped the guard a silver as she paced back down the alley, looking things over carefully, and then proceeding down. Eye balling measurements, thinking about time. Balancing different ideas against each other, and wondering if maybe she was overlooking something.

She wandered her way back out toward the bazaar as she thought. She was hungry again, too. She could go for a... Something on a skewer. Yes.

Pokémon: There and Back Again

Stella Lumite

Inventory

GP: 1000
Items: PokeBall 6x, Potion x5, Antidote x5, Escape Rope, Repel

Roster

Kaebe

Tyrunt, Lv 8 HP: Full/??
Tackle, Tail Whip, Roar, Ancient Power

Ocul

Blipbug, Lv 7, HP: Full/??
Struggle Bug, Infestation

Scamp

Tamper, Lv 5, HP: Full/??
Tackle, Tail Whip, Nuzzle

Niblet

Joltic, Lv 7, HP: Full/??
Absorb, Fury Cutter, Electroweb

Sterk

Rookidee, Lv 5, Full/??
Peck, Leer, Power Trip

PC

Empty

"Aah, a museum. A wonderful idea, I think it fits the place perfectly. It'll be something if a shame, though. Whenever that kind of thing happens, it seems like there's always some... Personality lost, in the building or what have you. But, perhaps they'll do it justice." Stella had herself a seat as directed, sitting straight and letting the host take care of her. She wanted to help him, but he seemed able enough, and she got a certain sense of... Stubborn off him, too. She wondered how long his daughter had to argue with him.

"Thank you." She took a sip and savored it slowly, like her mother had taught her. Yes... She could tell it was a black tea, but wasn't sure what had been done with this one. She looked up from studying her tea, and the teacup, to the old man's question, "you have need of a trainer? Certainly. Unless you're one of those intense types, we don't tend to be incredibly busy, right? How can I help? Excellent tea, thank you."

Pokémon: There and Back Again

Stella Lumite

inventory

GP: 1000
Items: PokeBall 6x, Potion x5, Antidote x5, Escape Rope, Repel

roster

Kaebe

Lv 8 HP: Full/??
Tackle, Tail Whip, Roar, Ancient Power

Ocul

Lv 7, HP: Full/??
Struggle Bug, Infestation

Scamp

Lv 5, HP: Full/??
Tackle, Tail Whip, Nuzzle

Niblet

Lv 7, HP: Full/??
Absorb, Fury Cutter, Electroweb

Sterk

Lv 5, Full/??
Peck, Leer, Power Trip

PC

Empty

"It's the best way to deliver criticism, after all. Kindly. It takes a while if you're too nice about it, though." She couldn't stop noticing little details about the building. It was falling into disrepair, but the quality was still apparent. It was unfortunate to hear that finances were tight for the old man. She wondered if there was anything she could do to help, but doubted it.

"Oh, tea sounds wonderful. Thank you. Suppose I'll come in, then. I'd love to see the interior." She smiled sweetly, stepping through once invited. "Do you live here with anyone?" It would be kind of lonely, on your own, wouldn't it? If he was here on his own... Would Pokemon set up shop in here? It might be spacious enough. "Hm... Would you be interested in a Pokemon to help with maintenance? I might be able to find a good species for it." There were construction Pokemon, but maybe something else might be a better fit?

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Stratya Durmand

Time: Midday
Location: Castle town, Park Festival -> The Bazaar -> Estate Alleys
Interactions: None
Mentions: None

Stratya had been trying her hand at a festival game, just some small game of skill, when she heard something. It sounded different from the din surrounding her. If you payed attention to it, it definitely stood out. It sounded like a bit of shouting and maybe glass? That was never good. Even worse was the timing, with all the foreign nobility around. Although, all the foreign parties about may have had something to do with whatever was transpiring. It was too early to say.

The soft 'pop's were the last straw. Those were gunshots. So much for the festivities, there was work to be done. The Caesonian Knight tossed her remaining rings with a single flip of her wrist before making her exit. By the time she reached the bazaar, however, it would have seemed the commotion had passed. She looked around briefly, spotting a guard at his post and approaching. "Ho, guardsm'n. You 'eard all 'at ruckus? What's it on about, eh? Repor' for me."

She listened as the guard described shouting and glass breaking, and finally the three gunshots. "Aaah, though' so. The rest o' yer post is after it, then? Good man, keepin' ya post. Can't everyone go to th' chase." She pat the man on the shoulder as she moved in the direction he indicated, toward the guards she saw pouring out from an alleyway, looking determined. She'd have to get another report from someone involved in the incident.

Horsemen were arriving, as she approached the scene. The next report informed her of the fire exchange. Interesting. "Awright, I wan' eyes on Eden and Flora, Flora and Wickah, and sout o' the library. Anyone 'o knows 'o it is you're lookin' for, get a ride over there. Horsemen, take 'em, and then patrol th' streets. Take wor' to the ware'ouses, make sure they watch the road to th' mines. The rest of ye, search the alleys. They can't have gone far..."

Herself, she followed the trail back the way it came, back to the gunshots in the ground. She wanted a better picture of what had happened.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Stratya Durmand

Time: Midday
Location: Castle town, warehouses -> park festival
Interactions: None
Mentions: None

Well, that had been fruitless. Everything was as normal, and the Admiral had escaped her company. Well, she'd probably gotten bored of investigating some small rumors in a bunch of warehouses, of all places. Not exactly great scenery, not even a good food stall around.

Which meant she'd have to go somewhere else for lunch. She could do with a good meal. As she stepped from the warehouse district, it was impossible to miss the festivities in the park, just across the way. Festival food was usually pretty good, too.

Once she'd found herself something to fill her belly, she found herself thinking. She supposed her investigation wasn't a total loss. She'd solidified facts about the warehouses down in her mind, after all. The locations were fairly secure, as one might expect. She'd have to double-check with the guard to see that there hadn't been any reports of a break-in, but it didn't seem that way while she was snooping around. If there were any truth to the rumors she'd heard, and there usually was some truth, depending, then someone must have let them in. Could have been a bribe. Alas, she didn't have enough information to speculate much. If she were to investigate further, she needed more confirmation that anything had actually happened. She could not continue on what may be some baseless rumor.

She could go the direct route and ask the princess directly, but nobles are so fussy that she was sure she'd have to ask in private, and that would be a rare opportunity for her position. For the time being, she'd relax a little and enjoy the festival. Though she'd done plenty of relaxing already... Eh.

She disposed of the refuse from her eaten meal properly, before participating in some of the games found around the festival. Aah, the capital has such nice things.