[color=96C8A2][h3]𝓠𝓾𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓵[/h3][/color]

A few moments passed while Quarel tried to distract himself from his ire.  He stood still with his arms crossed and cycled through everything he could see in order to calm down, turning only his neck.  Naturally, the strigiforme's glinting eyes fell on those around him, and for the first time to gave the other foolish hopefuls a good look.

One, skinny and garbed in robes as flowing as his dark hair, gave off the impression of a mage, but having heard him talk, Quarel likened him more to a costumed student.  He possessed none of the reservation, pomp, or mystique that one might expect of a wizard.  Then again, he looked young -as best Quarel, with his limited experience with humans, could guess- so maybe he didn't know any better.

Not too far away, but on his way out in a rather amusing anticipation of Quarel's own intentions, was s staff-bearing individual garbed in a unique mix of robes and armor.  Not an inch of his skin was visible, so while Quarel assumed he was human given his general shape, nothing could be said for sure.  What he could discern, however, was that in only a few moments the stiff, well-clothed man would be out of sight beyond a riverside copse.  [i]What a fascinatin' fellow.  No hello, no goodbye...guess he likes his own company.[/i]  Armor meant wealth, but a staff meant a cleric.  Didn't he know that well-to-do healers plus lonely roads equals bandits?  [i]Don't wait up, sir, but I'll be on your tail.[/i]  On second thought...if he was walking away from this scene, it seemed very doubtful that he could cough up much for any thieving marauders.  [i]Drat.  I'm so mad, I'm not thinking straight.[/i]  He resumed his omnidirectional watch

Onto the scene trotted someone new and, to Quarel, very strange and unusual.  With long, blonde hair, fair skin, and a distinct weak spot in her steel cuirass that left her heart dangerously unprotected -[i]perhaps baring skin in such a way is customary for females of this region?[/i]- she appeared human...from the waist up, at least.  Below the belt, this woman had the body of a horse, her torso emerging from where one's neck would normally be.  The sight befuddled and amazed Quarel, and he didn't like the sensation.  [i]What in the world?  What is this freakish combination of human and animal?  Pick one or the other, dammit.[/i]  He fixated upon the sack slung over her 'back', whose soft clinking noises suggested the presence of an attention-grabbing amount of coin.  Its owner seemed intent on butting in now that Xiang's show was over, and the look in Quarel's eyes warned her that she wouldn't be spared his irritation if she disturbed him while he was busy being upset.  Eyes narrow, he watched as she traded a few words with the sappy necromancer, but all of a sudden she reached back for her bag of treasure, brought it forward, and withdrew a handful of money she held out to Shiroe without hesitation.  

Quarel's brow-tufts shot up.  [i]What.[/i]  His mind raced with questions, as well as a pointed anger at himself for not paying attention to what he was asking, and like everyone else he stared at Yuji as she asked for everyone to produce their 'adventurer cards'.  Not having a clue what she meant, but desperately wanting to, Quarel followed by his first instinct to rummage around in his pockets, pretending he was looking for something.  A moment later, though, the centaur seemed to come to a realization, and after plopping down the sack of cash she invited everyone present to take as much as they needed to get a card.

A lot ran through the strigiforme's mind in the instant that followed.  The hubbub between his eartufts included, [i]it's about time![/i], [i]music to my ears![/i], [i]how interesting[/i] and of course, [i]yesyesyesyesyes[/i].  In the end, he stepped forward with a comical lack of hesitation and with a “Don't mind if I do,” made his withdrawal.  A look of thankfulness came over his face as he stepped away again, but he stopped well short of fawning.  It didn't take a genius to know that money was the manipulator among manipulators, spent to buy favor as easily as food or fine things, and he wondered what agenda this horselady had in mind.  Then again, not even the Nightcrawlers' bosses played money games with their underlings; it was a waste of resources, and these mobsters were more businessmen than sadists.  Smiles could be faked, but Yuji's looked real, even if Quarel couldn't say he ha much experience with human faces.  He decided to incline his head in a polite bow, and to say, “Your generosity will not go unremembered.”

Of course, remembering a good deed and paying it back were two different things.  Quarel had no intention of reimbursing his benefactor.  She'd made the decision to throw her money away to this gaggle of misfits, so he figured she had more where that came from.  Yuji lacked the sharpness in her eyes, the gauntness in her face, the forward, seeking bend of the body—she did not share his hunger.  He did not resent her, but he felt no urge to put on the mask of an altruist for a lucky bolt out of the blue.

So, he was to buy an adventurer card.  The temptation to put these fortunate funds elsewhere was not insignificant, but the gift had weighed on his indecisive mind and started to tip the scales.  Even if it looked like a dead end, he could give this adventuring thing a try.  That much he could do in gratitude, at least.  There was only one small problem.  “So, Miss.  Where might a poor lad purchase such a card?”  After all, Xiang hadn't mentioned any specific headquarters building for Axel's adventuring folk.