Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by OwO
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OwO what's this?

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You wrote down what you wished to become on the paper. When you put down the pen, the many-faced man in front of you seemed to stare directly through you. You were frozen, not out of fear but out of anxiety. Something was about to happen. Without any provocation, your mind became flooded with memories. While most were instantly forgotten, you were lucky enough to keep a few. A few memories of skills—techniques, rather—seemed to stick within your mind. But besides a single memory of someone else, nothing remained. By the time your regained your lucidity, you were already outside of the building. Sheathed was a newfound weapon, worn were newfound garments. Though, the garments were hastily placed over your original, wet clothes making the entire ordeal feel wrong. Behind you was the door. It was now locked, and no matter what question you may have had, it refused to open.


The days preceding had been difficult for new arrivals. Awakening in a fountain was difficult, but finding a steady source of income was more so. Besides a few pride-buckling alms, the only way for a fledgling to earn any money was if they went and hunt. Hunting was, however, unreliable. Those armed with bows often had little trouble in the way of the hunt, but they knew nothing of the land. They didn't know how to track prey. Making coin was more of a matter of luck. However, a saintly innkeeper allowed you to sleep in her small, rustic inn—at least until you had the coin. Not like anyone else was staying there, however.

The city was bustling, however. Despite the initial difficulties, hope was still high.



"Oooiii! Feck'ff if ya thin...k thas rite!" A stout, bearded drunk managed to slurred.

"Wwelll it ain't wronnng!" A less-than-attractive patron taunted.

Nadya's was always an exciting place. Nestled deep within the alleys of Rengoku's west side, Nadya's was a bar built and maintained by Anton. He spent his days behind a counter, serving both day and night. While gruff in appearance, he was more accommodating than one would expect. For those without cash (especially new arrivals), he would put a few drinks out on a tab. Pay him back whenever, he would say, or pay him with stories. But Nadya's was especially rowdy for the city. A bad habit of Anton was that he always let his customers fight it out. It was the best entertainment in this city, he would joke.

Today was no different. Two drunkards were getting rather heated in some bizarre argument. Something about a woman at a club, who was more attractive, and who deserved her. Besides the slurred yelling, only brief words could be heard from their conversation. It was apparent that a brawl was about to break out between the two and nobody seemed to have any intention to stop them.



Old aunt Dinah, if you don't care
I'll leave my liquor jug sittin' right there
if it's not there when I get back
I'll raise hell in the Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap, Cumberland Gap.
Way down yonder in Cumberland Gap.


That man played in the town square. With high-quality fantasy-like clothes, a feathered panama, and a sheathed ornate sword at his hip, he was rather out of place in this city. He also seemed to be considerably older than any other resident, with a wrinkled face and grey hair and beard. While not traditionally attractive, his boxy face accentuated with a deep scar from ear to ear. seemed to be more interesting that most. His arrangement of the song felt a bit off, as if he himself didn't quite know what he was playing. His guitar playing was sluggish and felt incorrect and his singing felt slower than it was supposed to be. After a few verses of the song, he gave up and placed his guitar on the ground, only if to briefly rest. He was, by all accounts, a visitor to this city, but why was he here?



"Help!"

A young woman was screaming bloody murder. Dressed in bloodstained white garbs, she tried to restrain dead-looking man. She did a poor job at it, though. Her lithe, 5'1" frame was nothing compared to the 6'4" bear of a man she was trying to drag back. She was being dragged across town, her shoes mangled from the rough stones. The man appeared to be rather sick—in a mental sense at least—and was trying to leave the city. He was soaked in sweat and drooling. His eyes were glazed over, but a brief flicker of his fully-dilated pupil could be seen occasionally. His right hand was injured, with the thumb dislocated and his wrist covered in severe friction burns. It was a strange sight, but one that most people in the city chose to ignore. Despite the pleas of the young woman, nobody seemed to pay any attention to her.



"You know, that place is probably filled with treasure," A lanky man with long hair said.

"Not really worth my life, though," replied a large woman wearing a cloth tabard.

"You folks are always so safe, what's the point in living if there's no excitement?"

The two of them talked as they walked through the market. Their conversation was often repeated, with pleas of the lanky man to adventure and the rebuking of the large woman at the idea of danger. While they didn't explicitly say exactly what they were talking about, you could tell they meant the old castle ruins south of the city.

"It's just a few skeletons! You can hit them once and they just collapse!"

"They won't 'just collapse'. How'd you think they're able move?"

Their argument seemed to grow more and more heated until the lanky man finally had enough.

"If you won't go, then I'll just head there myself!"

"Good. At least then, I won't have to deal with you anymore."

The lanky man instantly became flustered. In a fit of embarrassment and anger, he stormed off south. The woman, however, paid no mind and just continued her rounds around the market, occasionally stopping to talk to someone who owned a stall.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by ShwiggityShwah
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ShwiggityShwah Good Diet, Sleep, Excercise, and Leeches

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Sometimes you just act.

Sometimes he just acted. Never really having a chance to think about it. It was a by product of his powers he guess. Impulsion was in his blood. Unpredictability guided his fate. But still, but still. Do the right thing. You have to try. You have to act. He had the power, and he had to pray that this time, just this time it do what it's supposed to do.

The man in ratty clothes arose from his quiet place and went to his feet. Honesty saw he looked the part of a beggar. His glasses, probably the most expensive thing on his lanky frame. He heard the woman's plea for aid. He wasn't from this pitiful town here. He wasn't drained of common decency. He ran, saw that she was attempting to stop him. Stop him? This made him slow to a trot.

The man looked... the man looked positively out of it. Injuries on his arm, but dazed. He was moving against her weight. Maybe the woman was his wife, daughter? She was trying to keep him from moving, and rightfully so. The man needed a healer and the look in his eye. He bit his lip. His magic was not meant for this. But still what could he do.

"I'll help!" He suddenly appeared at her side, adding his 5'11" thin frame to hers, having no idea if it was going to be enough. "What's the matter with him?" He asked her, as he tried putting his shoulder into it, hands gripping sweaty chest and shoulder. "Snap out of it sir!"

If he could not get any ground or answers from the man, he tried a gambit. He raised his arm back and attempted to smack the much larger man across the face. He was out of it, and hoping some kind of shock will bring him back to his senses.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial is trying to survive

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Town Square, Rengoku
Marketplace


When Lexa Dorociński was handed a battered katana and a shortbow, she was in shock.

The world of Rengoku was alien to her. Old and unfamiliar feelings sprung to her memory, calling out to her in the most terrifying way. Her glasses had been cracked when she awoke, but for some reason she could see clearer than she ever could before. When she had arrived she had stumbled forward until a man pushed a paper in front of her with an abstract question. Her answer had been the first thing that came to her mind after a few seconds of thinking. She had been still shellshocked from her experience before the fountain with the feeling of crunching steel suffocating her and crushing her bones. But she was here instead of in heaven? Was this heaven? Everything had been bizzare. All of these things scared her, but in a way it also intrigued her. As a career academic, Lexa had always held a keen mind to deduce and analyze things, but comprehending something like this? Even in a scientific fashion?

That was a hard thing to do, especially considering the fact that she was a mathematician and chemist. Matters beyond medicine and chemistry were beyond her threshold of knowledge. But she still had questions and curiosities. Perhaps it was one of the few reasons why she was not curled up in a ball hysterically crying.

Lexa leaned against a wall in the town square, within the marketplace; deep in thought. Talks of skeletons and adventure left the townsfolk's lips. For some reason, since she had awoken from her nightmare her left hand had rested itself on the hilt of the katana as if Lexa had been trained and conditioned to do so for her entire life. But as far as she could remember the most daring thing she had done in her life was ride a horse and climb a tree at her uncle's farm in Kamieniec. It felt like a lifetime ago. But yet here she was, her fingers drawn to the Japanese longsword like she was Musashi himself. It was a weird inkling, but it was part of her and she still did not know why. She looked over to the woman who had been arguing about the skeletons and to any others around her.

Was this a sign from Jesus Christ? Was she a soldier of god now? Was it her moral duty to help these people in their dilenma? The thought gave her the initiative to step forward and talk to the woman. The language of Rengoku seemed to come to her easily, though she still was able to speak in German, French, and Polish just the same which gave her the impression that when she was brought into this afterlife of sorts she had been gifted with a new language on an innate level.

“If it is not too rude to ask... What's this about these skeletons he's worked up over? Are they a threat?”


Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Inertia
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Inertia Pretty Lackadaisical

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Rei was overwhelmed. Everything happened too fast to process. He was dropped into a world not too unfamiliar from his own, his breath became ragged. He knew that this wasn't his 'home'. Tightening the grip on his rusty machete, a long sigh escaped his quivering lips. After a few more seconds of composure a loud thwack was heard, turning a few heads. With reddened cheeks he wore a look of false bravado. He'll do what he does best, he'll get used to it. This has happened before.

Absorb your surroundings. Rei holstered his machete, his eyes lingering at the blade for a moment, then to the crossbow on his back. It was like memories were injected into him- ingrained muscle memory with weapons he had no idea of. He even felt that his walk was different. Careful and deliberate steps thud that left the earth undisturbed. He had never stepped with such purposeful gait. His curiosity began to well up, slowly overpowering fear.

On his way around he caught a swinging sign- he could vaguely make out that it read 'Nadya'. Mentally noting that he could read the peculiar language. He stumbled in, being exactly as everyone thought he was- no money with only the clothes on his back. The boy strode up the counter and barraged the bartender with questions.


A few days later




Thanks to Anton's advice, Rei managed to 'hunt' a few defenseless monsters. For him, the difficulty came in 'hunting' buyers- but eventually he managed to sell at a relatively reasonable price. He pocketed a bit of money or 'Pana'. A paltry but sufficient amount, enough to survive. Pulling the hood off his head, he stepped into Nadya's. Anton smiled at his entrance. With a curt nod signalling for a drink, he sat down an empty table. He started writing down on torn, loose paper like he usually did.



Rei's table shook, his next letter skidding off the edge. Two drunk patrons begun shoving each other. He hadn't noticed their escalating physical and verbal dispute. Unfortunately they were next to his table. "Look can you guys take this elsewhere?" he said, his voice lower than he intended- the two drunkards did not taking note of him at all. One of them eventually stumbled back onto Rei's table, spilling his drink. The cold drink slowly coated the paper and smudged the ink. He looked at the paper like it was his dying child.

Paper wasn't exactly a common good here, Rei had found that out the hard way when he tried to obtain some. Luckily he found a few scant pieces during his walks through the town. With that knowledge, Rei slightly lost his calmness. His mind flashed to 'pinning shot' to calm both down but dismissed the thought once he recalled what it had done to the boar. Taking a bolt between his fingers he threw it at their feet, edging slightly into the wood. It caught both their attentions.

"Either of you gonna reimburse me for that, or what?" he said, with louder intonation.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by ERode
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ERode Odd One Out

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@Burger

“Sure ‘bout this, Nano?” A bulky man spoke, leaning over the counter of a shop that smelled of oil and rust. “Yer a good kid, but the Brass City’s a bit beyond your talents, methinks. And monster hunting…never a safe choice.”

An ashen haired youth turned with a shrug, finalizing the contents of his tanned duffel bag. “Thanks for the warning, but I know all about the risks already, boss.”

The man snorted. “No, you don’t. Round the town’s plenty safe, and even the ruins aren’t bad. One week out though?”

“Orcs, kobolds, trolls?” Nano listed, tying up his bag, “Heard of ‘em as well.”

“Then you know it’s a fool’s errand.” He spat to the side, lifting a stump of a hand up onto the counter. “And I’ll always need another hand.”

“Maybe one day,” the youth laughed. “But not today.”

The older man snorted, a ghost of a smile on his face. “Don’t turn out like me, you little shit.”

“Love you too, Beil.” And without any more hesitation, Nano shifted his pack over his shoulders and left that small shop, his eyes as black as coal and as bright as stars.

Outside, the town square was as lovely as ever, people in various costumes mulling about in the morning light. It was a bright day, clear blue skies and crisp wind, and Rengoku was bustling. Adventurers hauled back their loot or bargained for discounts, children learned their trades as well as they could, and vendors hawked their wares to whoever walked by. Everywhere he looked, people popped out as individuals, sporting hair that didn’t make sense, eyes that didn’t make sense, clothes that didn’t make sense. Unique was a kind word. Disorderly was a cruel one. But it was always fun to spend a few moments to sweep the crowd, to make a guess at their occupation, their skill, their wealth, their class. But on that auspicious day, it wasn’t his eyes that were caught, but his ears. A nostalgic tune twisted through the air, mangled by footsteps and chatter, and, humming that same tune in his own mind, Nano pushed through the crowds, shouldering his way past armored warriors, stepping carefully around children lead by their adoptive parents. He spared a gentle smile at a sunny-haired girl with vines slowly curling over her hands, before slipping through the gaps of people and into an open space.

Well, that was certainly someone interesting.

A scarred face and a beautiful sword. A feathered hat and a bulky frame. Others bore their past mistakes on their bodies as well, but few did so as ruggedly as this adventurer. Far from his guitar playing, it was his own appearance that drew the most attention, and Nano could easily see a few others casting furtive glances at the man, half-intrigued yet with better things to do. That was their loss then. With a smile that burned like the sun, the ashen-haired youth stepped up.

“Trouble remembering how it goes?”
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Raijinslayer
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Raijinslayer .

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Korrey Brooks



"I can't thank you enough for helping out with this errand, young man. Hehe, I almost forgot how much easier errands were with a strapping young man around."

"Ah, don't mention it ma'am." Korrey grinned from behind a tall stack of flour sacks destined for the bakers, sticking his head out to the side every now and then to make sure he wasn't about to run into someone on the way. Walking right next to him was a short woman of some years, with the tan skin and rough hands of a farmer, tho whether she was from around the city or coming from someplace far off, he couldn't say, given his lack of familiarity with the area. "Not like I could leave you to haul all of this yourself with that broken cart of yours."

"Oh, you're much too kind deary. If only my lazy husband was even half as helpful, even a quarter as helpful as you. But oh no, he'd rather spend any time he's not in the fields on his lazy bum, whittling away at another of those projects of his. I tell ya, I'm about to whittle away his head if he doesn't get some more gumption to help out with these errands. And another thing-" As the woman continued her sudden and seemingly random outburst of marital anger, Korrey could only offer a small, somewhat uneasy smile. He didn't know who this husband of her's was, but he could imagine why the man wasn't exactly to eager to assist his spouse if she spouted into these kinds of tirades often. Still, he nodded along with the woman's words the rest of the way to the Baker's shop, offering a bit of advice here and there when he could.



After saying his good-bye to the woman, who was now deeply engaged in a match of ferocious haggling with the baker on the definition of a 'fair price', Korrey was resting beneath the shade of a tree growing near the road, wiping the sweat from his brow as he cursed the noontime heat. It was strange, really, ow different yet familiar this world was from his own. Sure it looked like something straight out of one of his friend's fantasy games with this old rustic architecture and weird looking outfits, but people still had relatively normal issues. Cat's still got stuck in trees, old ladies still need help to cross the street, and a few hoodlums needed to be shown that messing around with the local shop was just a bad move in general. At the end of the day, people were still just people, he guessed.

"Gotta say tho, still would like to know what that pretty boy-lookin' fuck of a clerk thought he was doing bringing me back to life for this place. Not really doing much here, am I?" Korrey muttered under his breath, fiddling with the hem of his leeve as he watched people walk by from the shade. It was true that, after spending a good 30 minutes trying to bust down a surprisingly solid door in the middle of town, Korrey had just lazed about for the most part. The innkeeper was a treasure of a woman to let him stay free of charge like she did and apparently several others that were in a similar position as well, tho he'd yet to meet any of them. Of course, Korrey had never been one to simply accept hospitality, so he'd practically forced the innkeeper to let him help around the Inn, whether it be cleaning, inventory, lifting heavy objects, whatever she needed done. it wasn't like he had anything better to do.

However, while the innkeeper was as sweet as could be to him, he found the other residents to be . . . less so, to say the least. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to, with shopkeeps keeping an eye on him as he looked around their stores while on errands for the Innkeeper, most people avoiding looking in his direction or responding to his greetings as he walked the streets, and so on and so forth. Of course, it likely didn't help that he'd taken to weary his ordinary clothes over the ones he'd found covering them after talking with that damned clerk, wearing the main robe something closer to a jacket than it's intended function and packing the rest of the outfit away in his little area in the inn. The one other thing he did keep on him was the staff he'd found on his person, and while he was unsure what use it was supposed to have in the long run, he had found it made for quite the good beat stick when dealing with the few hoodlums he'd managed to find in this place.

Uggh. . . that little incident probably didn't help improve my rep with the people around here tho. . . Fuckin' hell.

Stepping out of the shadow of his tree witha yawn and a sigh, Korrey stretched his body up towards the sky, about to make his way back to the inn so he could help with oranging the pantry like he'd promised when he heard a commotion nearby. Turning to look, his eyes narrowed at first as he saw a small woman try to hold back a man close to his own size as he soldiered on ignorant of her pleas. An ignorance that was matched by all of the people busying past the scene as if it wasn't even happening. It was a scene of utter apathy that he had often seen, and sometimes even taken advantage of, a quite few times in his life.

People are still just that. . . He repeated in his mind as he closed in on the two, getting ready to hold the man down to the ground if he had to. However, he found himself somewhat beaten to the punch as another good Samaritan came up to help the woman in need. However, as they struggled to form some kind of connection the checked out individual, Korrey quickly saw them raise up their hand, the intent behind the action more than clear. Having been already making his way over, Korrey burst into a sprint, nearly skidding to a halt as he reached out and grabbed the man's hand by the wrist, his grip tight with one hand while the other pushed against the other man.

"Hold on there before you possibly end up making things worse, okay? Not sure that hitting a crazy person in the head is going to lead to the best result, ya feel me?" As Korrey spoke, he kept his attention on the rabid man, reaching deep inside himself for a feeling he'd quickly been growing accustomed to these past few days. A soft warmth bubbled up from his core and through his arm, words spilling out unbidden from his mouth in a language unlike anything he'd ever heard, yet he spoke it like a native, with speed and urgency. A soft golden-white light formed around his hands, seeking to flow into the wounded man and heal his wounds. Korrey was hoping that it'd be enough to get him to come to his senses as well, but even if it wasn't, he was sure he could deal with it if he had too. The guy was crazy, which made him unpredictable, but he was also out of it and pretty banged up. It'd be easy to take advantage of the hurt limb to help bring him to the ground, but for once, Korrey was hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. Well, he was mostly hoping that it wouldn't.

@ShwiggityShwah
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by SilverPaw
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SilverPaw

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She was floating. But it was not a comfortable sensation, not even close. She was cold, wet, shivering. Suffocating. A desperate inhalation spread the icy water through her nose into her lungs, freezing her airways, drowning her. She opened her eyes in shock, intuitively reaching forward and up. Thankfully for her, the body of water she lied in was a shallow thing, and she broke the surface easily, gasping and spluttering pitifully. It took a few good minutes of coughing, hacking, and even beating her own chest to get the water out of her. Quite the effort for such a small amount of water, but at least she was alive. The relief at being alive brought her to a sudden start, and to her embarrassment nearly caused her to slip. Frowning, Ann-Katrin clambered out of what she now saw was a fountain. She had almost drowned in a fountain! Only being done in by a spoonful of water or by a puddle might have been more humiliating. Possible it may be, but ridiculous nonetheless. She then sat down and wiped off her face, breathing through her confusion until she was at least semi-coherent.

As Kat absentmindedly wrung out her hair, still perched on the fountain’s edge, she observed her surroundings, noting the alien-yet-familiar look of the location. Several buildings sported names in languages she could at least guess at by sight, but others were definitely not something that existed on Earth. That coupled with her distinct memory of having died led Ann to believe this was an afterlife of sorts. She only hoped that her body back in Germany was still there, so her parents and siblings could at least have something to mourn. She hugged herself tightly and sniffled a bit as she thought of the family she lost, the people she would never see again. Or, if this was the one and only afterlife, hopefully wouldn’t see for a long while. Katrin pushed the beginnings of an overwhelming grief and self-pity firmly to a corner of her mind with a determined breath. She then stood up, still dripping and shaking as she stood in the middle of a city square which was strangely empty, as if everything and everyone purposefully steered clear of it. The few passers-by she noticed quickly averted their gazes and scurried away as soon as they caught her looking.

Ann pursued her lips in thought, then made her way to the most ostentatious building. The sign on the building proclaimed, “Welcome to Rengoku,” and Katrin was puzzled at how she understood the writing, even though the script was something like a bizarre and distorted amalgamation of braille and one of those ancient inscriptions, like old Persian maybe? A historian or a linguist may have taken their time to study the writing more fully, but Ann simply entered the building, met the pretty shape-shifting librarian, filled out a form, and was promptly thrown out. She was still reeling from the knowledge, skills, and a single but clear memory imparted to her when she noticed her new apparel. A dagger was sheathed on each of her hips, a curiously comforting addition to her black trousers and belt. A light brown leather breastplate rested over her long-sleeved black shirt but under her jeans jacket and a dark grey silk scarf dotted by small red and white flowers.

Ann-Katrin realized that the added weight of the literal weapons and armour should feel odd at the very least, however she was instead utterly confident that although she had never been ambidextrous, she could use both daggers expertly. A rather confusing insight into her newly gained abilities when she didn’t remember ever handling anything bladed except for a kitchen knife. Apparently, the bespectacled man had made her into a warrior…? Though if that one memory was anything to go by, her abilities were mostly suited to thieving, spying, or assassinating. And that was a notion she did not want to consider closely. After all, Ann-Katrin Bennewitz was still herself, she still had her own soul, mind, and body. Right?

With that disturbing thought quickly repressed, Kat wandered around, miserably wet, until she managed to find a small inn run by a woman who may very well have secretly been an angel. After taking a day or two to recover, gather her bearings, and explore the town a bit, Katrin repaid the woman’s goodwill by gifting her the scarf she wore. No, she needn’t have done it, and yes, she could have sold if for a profit instead, but how could she possibly let such graciousness go unpaid? After that, she managed to get a part-time job as a clerk, intending to work her way up to an accountant or some such. Though, as she soon found out, hunting monsters was more lucrative, and perhaps the best option for a new-comer, as apparently strangers such as her weren’t well trusted. The fact that she was obviously armed only added to the sentiment, and never-mind the poor state of her equipment.

Besides her almost daily four hours of mindless work at a small shop, Katrin found other, more engaging ways of spending time. She helped with the occasional horned rabbit infestation at a farm or a garden. Catching those little buggers was certainly harder then it sounded – as well as potentially lethal if the coward killer bunnies got too scared – but her new reflexes and skills (not to mention the other hunters, pitchfork-equipped farmers, and shovel-swinging gardeners) helped Kat get out of the encounters relatively unscathed. Ann even went so far as to use some hip-hop routines to perform at the markets and earn some more Pana for the effort – the dance was meant for the streets after all. Once Katrin got over the initial embarrassment of doing what she considered a variant of begging, she had quite the fun with it, occasionally spicing things up with a flip, twist, cartwheel, or split. With her newly gained skills, she could even juggle her two daggers, perfectly pinching the blades between her fingers each time, never injuring herself or anyone else in her performance.

Today she was out there on the market yet again, in the middle of her performance, thankfully not getting shooed away by anyone, earning her livelihood as usual. Most people passed by without even a glance, but some stopped for a while, clapping politely or throwing a coin at her – she caught each such payment swiftly and promptly stashed it into one of her pockets. During a short break in her activities, she heard a pair passing by, arguing loudly and clearly about treasure and skeletons and the ruins to the south. Ann wiped some sweat off her brow with a shirt sleeve. She tracked the woman and man with her gaze, intrigued by the possibility of riches but also extremely wary of getting involved in something so risky, especially when she was still practically clueless. Nevertheless, she bowed to the few observers, left “her” premises, and followed the pair, instinctively light-footed and quiet in her pursuit. It was but a few minutes when their conflict suddenly but inevitably escalated to the point of them separating, the male heading off south in a fit, while the woman started browsing wares rather nonchalantly. Worried for the male, even though he probably was an impulsive and single-minded idiot, Katrin sprinted after him.

“Sir? Sir, please wait,” she shouted after him as she ran south, hoping to outpace him. He hadn’t got much of a head-start, so Kat was soon enough jogging at his side. “Sir, please, wait,” she repeated, slightly breathless. Ann then stepped in front of him, her hands raised in the air so he wouldn’t suspect any foul play, ready to step back in case he managed to stumble into her despite her loudly announcing her presence.

“I couldn’t help but over-hear your argument with a companion of yours. It concerned a treasure at the old castle ruins to the south, correct? Well, I might be interested in such a venture, so would you perhaps tell me more?” Katrin flashed the male a charming grin, hoping to lessen his sour mood so as to get the desired information.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Kuro
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Kuro Sic Parvis Magna

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City of New Dawns, Rengoku
Fountain Courtyard

Being dead-but-not-dead was a strange concept that Emilia just couldn't wrap her head around.

The world of Rengoku had been foreign, yet her surroundings eerily looked just like home to Emilia. Every wall and building looked familiar, seemingly reminiscent of the old, medieval European aesthetic that a great number of cities in Europe have. Regardless, this place—whatever it was or is—was not home for Emilia.

She had many questions swirling within her thoughts, yet Emilia struggled to make sense of them all. Everything had seemed like a fairy tale—a dream, even—from the very beginning. From waking up in a fountain to the rather beautiful scribe to the fact that Emilia now had a breastplate over her chest and a chipped handaxe at her hip. A great fear held itself over Emilia, nipping away at her anxiety much like a bloodthirsty scavenger would. It bothered Emilia, who had always been a loner, that she was more alone and confused than ever.

Was this heaven, or was this hell? Had God been playing a cruel trick on her, laughing at Emilia's suffering? Emilia wanted to go home, to rest in her comfy bed, but now, that rustic Italian home seemed faraway, as if she would never return.

Thankfully, Emilia had the grace of a stranger—a saintly innkeeper, who allowed her to stay at her inn like many poor, and likely confused, arrivals before had done so. From her, Emilia had learned ways to make coin, especially in regards to hunting. Such methods seemed impossible to do so with a handaxe and a greatshield, therefore Emilia kept to the city in search of work. After all, if she was going to be stuck here without answers to her questions, Emilia figured it was better to waste away doing the odd job or two rather than trying to hack away at a skittish rabbit or some other creature.

It's better than nothing, Emilia would often think.

Town Square, Rengoku
Marketplace

"Good. At least then, I won't have to deal with you anymore."

Whilst the words hadn't been directed at Emilia, the words she overheard in the middle of looking for work stung. If there was anyone who knew how well being brutally honest hurt others, it had to be Emilia. She was someone who could no longer count how many friends she drove away by being horribly oblivious, and having been granted a new life, Emilia had to live with her mistakes. If anything, Emilia could at least try to talk some sense into the woman before her friend ran off and got himself killed. However, before Emilia could even approach the woman, someone else had beaten her to the punch.

"If it is not too rude to ask... What's this about these skeletons he's worked up over? Are they a threat?"

Whomever the girl was that approached the woman, Emilia found herself enamored. Despite her appearing quite clumsy, the clothing the girl wore had been quite elegant. A white coat was laid over a simple dress shirt, and the girl seemed quite capable and ready to use the katana that laid by her side. Still, Emilia shook her head as she watched the spectacle. Emilia couldn't let herself be distracted so easily; after all, she had yet to even speak to the woman.

"U-Uhm, like she said, but..." Emilia spoke as she approached the duo. "If these... skeletons are as dangerous as they seem, wouldn't that be telling him to go die? I... I don't think that's... That's the right thing to say..."
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Hero Sincerest of Knights

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Another day, another headache.

Whatever God or divine entity or mean spirited demon that had chucked her into this world sure had a funny sense of humor. Going from a life in the limelight surrounded by luxury to having to actually budget herself and scrounge for food had been such a whiplash that the few days had practically flown by in a blur. But as always, there was nothing to do but to roll up your sleeves and get to work, and the young woman was determined to do that. There was no use in whining, even if this weird town and its weird inhabitants and its weird monsters had initially freaked her out at first.

With her chin perched on the palm of her left hand, Étoile slouched forward as she let out a rather heavy sigh. She was at the bar just having come back from slaying a few monsters, but it wasn't exactly the most fruitful of tasks. Not that she was one to avoid work, but the felt sustaining herself was the real challenge. Letting go of a whole lot from her previous lifestyle had been a challenge, but she had no idea how many things she took for granted: a soft bed, hot baths, her hairdresser, her cellphone, the ability to walk around freely outside of a town and not get attacked by monsters or bandits.

Her right hand tapped the table, bright eyes staring at nothing in particular. Something needed to change, but what? What could she do to change her situation? Her thoughts went to that mysterious man she had met on the first day, but there was no going back to that weird place no matter how hard she tried. Being at a loss was a very odd feeling, and it was one she did not like. She just had to think, that's all. Not her strong suit, admittedly, but she could totally come up with something.

A commotion managed to catch her attention, the redhead sitting up slightly. A bar fight? The hell was wrong with people? Some drunken idiots starting up crap, though it seemed to escalate when some nerd's papers got ruined. It reminded her of those so called 'screenwriters' with their laptops at a Starbucks. Who the hell writes in a bar of all places, anyway? That's like being surprised when you wear all white then go to a paintball competition.

Letting out a huff, she straightened herself before giving the guy a look. "You're expecting a little too much if you think they'll compensate you," She raised her voice so he would hear her.


Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by OwO
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The Love Problems of Drunkards

@Inertia@Hero


The bolt Rei had tossed had struck the floor and rolled away. Thankfully, the damage done was negligible. If it wasn't, there would be no telling what Anton would have done in a fit of anger. After all, the bar was like his baby. While he didn't care for the furnishings, any damage to the building itself was like an insult to his mother. The two drunkards were stopped by the noise. They had instantly stopped what they were doing and watched as the bolt rolled. In fact, they watched for a bit too long as the bolt rolled across the entire room.

"Oi! Wha the feck was that for?" The stout, bearded drunk garbled in a renewed fit of rage.

"We couldda been injerd from that!" The ugly patron exclaimed with the ferocity of a drunkard.

Now that Rei had focused on them, he could tell that the two patrons were both considerably larger than him. While he was average height at best, the uglier of the two had been gifted by his height, towering over Rei. His body wasn't the worst either, with some considerable muscle outside of a beer gut. The stout man was shorter, but he more than made up for it with his width. Both of them looked tough enough to pick Rei up and snap his ordinary body in twain.

Rather than continue to keep their anger at each other, they both had redirected it towards Rei. Almost instantly, the two gained a brotherly bond as they went to attack the young ranger. First to bat was the ugly man. Moving far faster than expected, he swung his fist directly at Rei's face. An unprepared and untrained man such as Rei could only close in eyes in a vain attempt at trying to make the situation go away. The fist was coming and it came fast.

Only, it didn't collide with Rei's face.

Echoing throughout the bar was a distinct sound. Bone and flesh striking metal. Instantly, the ugly man yelped out in pain as he withdrew his possibly broken hand. A shield had been thrust in front of Rei from a patron. This patron, even if Rei could only see his arm, looked considerably stronger than the two drunks. However, it was much less about physique. The stout patron certainly had more muscle on him and the tall patron was better built. The man had a certain air about him instead. While the two drunks were strong, the man exuded an invisible strength as if he were more lion than man.

He had came up behind and protected Rei from the drunken assailant.

"Well, my drink tastes like shite now," he voiced in a distinctly Scottish accent, "put it on my tab Anton. And boy—you brought this onto yerself. Yer on matchmakin' duty now."

He had left without Rei or Étoile seeing his face. Even then, they knew that his presence would be unmistakable.

The two drunks had been defused. The ugly one was still clenching his hand and the stout one was confused trying to figure out a way to console him. Despite the pain, the two of them began to explain the troubles to the half-blood ranger and anyone else listening.

They had fallen in love with the same woman, they told him, and needed to figure out who would confess. They decided to do it over a few drinks. They'd stop drinking and confess to the woman as soon as they figured out who got the honor of going first. One thing led to another and they spent a very long time drinking. The two of them buckled down whatever pride they had and looked for Rei to an answer. Offhandedly, the stout man even said they didn't know how to confess to a woman. With the promise of an actual notebook or coin as reward, the two waited for whatever decision and advice anyone had.



The Inevitable

@Raijinslayer@ShwiggityShwah


With Jacob's help, the zombie-like man's movement was halted. Even if it was just momentary, extra restraints allowed the small woman to focus at the task at hand. She had let go of the man, but Jacob didn't notice; her small frame did practically nothing to stop the man. Frantically pulling out items from every single pocket of her garbs, she placed them all out on a thick fabric mat. Two phials of liquid, a pouch full of thorn-like needles, and a clean looking cloth were all seen. She was focused too intently to notice Jacob trying to slap the man back to his senses.

However, a second man—Korrey—had gone to protect the zombie-like man. He stopped the attempt at a slap and had gone to heal the man instead. With words foreign to everyone who listened, he mouthed his prayer. The light flowed from the delinquent's hands and showered the man. However, it did little to change his actions. The severe friction around his wrist vanished as new flesh replaced old, but his thumb still remained dislocated. He still drooled like a lobotomite and was just as aware of his surroundings as one.

As Korrey had done so, the small woman continued her preparations. She poured the first liquid onto the cloth, then ran a thorn-like needle over the wet cloth several times. The needle shook in the air as she quickly dried it. She then dipped the needle into a second phial, holding it inside for a brief moment before pulling it out. Without much hesitation, she grabbed the wet cloth and quickly grabbed the man's right arm. The wet cloth was hastily put to use, cleaning away sweat from the man's elbow. Next, the small woman bit into the man's bicep. Not enough to rend flesh from bone, but enough to certainly feel it. The zombie-like man's bicep instantly tensed up, muscles instinctually contracting in a vain attempt at getting her to release. After a few brief seconds of biting, she let go and quickly inspected the man's arm. Finding a suitable spot, she jammed the needle deep inside his arm.

The zombie-like man stumbled briefly. He began to have troubles with balance, trying to stay upright but barely managing. Like a sack of bricks, he fell backwards and onto the ground as his eyes glazed over.

"Help me carry him back!" She demanded the two strangers. Before the duo had any chance to argue, they had found themselves carrying one side of the man each.

They had moved the man a short distance to a large building separate from any other building. It was isolated by at least one building's worth of space on each side. Inside was a sorrowful sight. Dozens of beds, most of them occupied by a body. However, they didn't seem sick or injured. Rather, they all seemed emaciated and catatonic. They were all bound by lengths of fabric, unable to move. Frantically, a woman with plentiful burn scars seemed to tend to their needs.

The two placed the man in an unoccupied bed and the small woman quickly began to bind his legs and arms to the bed. Sitting down at what could only be described as a mess of papers was a haggard looking man. He certainly had the air of a doctor, but he was considerably unkempt. Reckless stubble forming a gross beard, greasy curly black hair tied into a bun, and thick-rimmed round glasses that had been smudged beyond belief. In his mouth, a single cigarette that filled the room with the smell of tobacco.

"Don't worry. It's not contagious." He assured as he got up to check on his returning guest.



No Heroes

@Inkarnate@Sola


"Threat?" The large woman mused. In a moment of thought, she began to size up the woman before her. Weapons, armour, expression, everything about her. It was a moment that allowed Lexa to do the same. The woman was considerably tough looking. Despite her weight, a thick layer of muscle could be seen. The woman seemed to be considerably older than Lexa, as she seemed in her late 30's. The cloth tabard she wore was thick, but covered in scratches and patches where it had been damaged and mended. On her back was a spear, but it wasn't anything special.

The large woman opened her gob to deliver a rather harsh message. "You're new here, aren't you? There's old ruins filled with skeletons that collect trash. They don't leave the ruins unless it's night, and they aren't really a bother unless you get swarmed by them. Don't blame me if you get killed by them, though."

As the woman turned to leave and continue her rounds, she was ganked by another person: Emilia. Emilia had unloaded a nervous disagreement to the large woman's actions.

"Harsh, but we all have more than enough things to worry about. Why should I worry about someone who dies because he can't keep his dick in his pants?"

The large woman had turned about face and walked away from the two, continuing her rounds and talking to various shopkeepers around the market.



Heroes Wanted

@SilverPaw


As Kat had caught up with the man, he seemed to get a bit giddy. Up close, the man was a lot more attractive than he seemed at first. He was tall, thin, and his long black hair was styled into a pony tail that suited his thin face. On his hip was a maul made from steel and it was apparent he wore simple chainmail under his ordinary clothing. Kat could easily tell that the man's slim physique was entirely muscle gained from combat rather than meaningless weights. Not a single ounce of fat remained on his body. Trying to hold back excitement, the man's eyes lit up as he began to explain. The charming grin didn't even matter. Someone actually being interested in the man was enough for his mood to do a complete 180.

"Well I'm glad you asked," he yelled in an exaggerated manner, "let me regale you with a tale from beyond any of our times!"

The man began to explain an extraordinary tale of the undead prince. The prince had, according to the story, existed long before Rengoku. He desired to become king of a nation, so what other way than to create that nation himself? He began by creating a castle, enough to repel any invasion. With thick walls of stone, the prince was safe from any danger. For military campaigns, he would need a treasury. He had all of his knights go out and collect whatever treasure they could. Coin, weapons, food, anything. At first, it was innocuous. Hunting monsters, foraging, trading were all their primary methods. But the prince's greed continued. They began to pillage. They took everything around them. Of course, the farmers and settlers near were upset about it. They took up arms to oust the prince.

It didn't work, as the castle was too fortified and knights were too well armed. Despite this, the citizens had nothing left; they fought to their death. Corpses began to pile up at the castle, but the prince and his knights lived. But the prince wasn't immune to death. It was not sword but a sickness that had slain the prince. But the prince's greed couldn't be sated by something like death. He rose from the dead as a cruel shard of once he once was. Fueled only by greed, he resurrected his knights and forced them to share in his fleshless form. Then, they would collect treasure unto eternity. Even as the walls of the castle were destroyed by the ravages of time, the skeletons remain collected wealth unto eternity.

"but that's just a story!" He laughed, "but the wealth bit is true! That place is filled with treasure! So, are you in?"



An Old Man and His Guitar

@eRode


As Nano approached the man, he seemed to be a lot less intimidating than his physique would lead on. Despite his bulky body and scarred face, he had a certain kindness in his eyes. He felt more like a grandfather rather than a wanderer. For one reason or another, the youth had spoken to the old man.

"Not quite," the old man mused to Nano, "I may be getting a li'l up there in age, but I do believe my memory is still there." He had paused only to look at his hand. It was large and muscular like the rest of him and his knuckles were covered in thick callouses. His fingers, however, seemed misaligned. Constantly broken, they all had slight bends in them. He took one glance at the guitar that was on the ground and gave out a sigh.

"My body just ain't what it used to be. Don't help that I ain't learn to play no guitars," he joked with a barely stifled chuckle. "I'm Clyde, by the by. So, why'd you decide to give this old man the time of your day?"


Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by ERode
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ERode Odd One Out

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@Burger

“Well, not that age changes much here, eh?” Nano replied with a boyish grin, thrusting a hand forward for a shake. “I’m Nano Lemmings. Nice to meetcha.”

The man’s hands certainly were rough, thick and callused from the many blisters that one must have earned in a physical job. Adventuring, perhaps, but even a blacksmith or a construction worker could accrue such marks of hard work overtime, couldn’t they? Nevertheless, the ashen-haired youth was glad that Clyde hadn’t lost his mind yet. Clicking his tongue lightly at how badly those broken fingers had been set, the youth turned his attention back to the wizened man.

“The song you tried playing was pretty familiar to me,” he said, removing one strap of his backpack before pulling out a thick, leather-bound book and a graphite pencil. “Mind if I bother you for the lyrics? Sorta in the habit of writing down anything I remember and all…” A cheeky grin then surfaced, his coal eyes flickering towards that fancy sword by Clyde’s waist. “…though if you could tell me how to become an adventuring type like you, that’d be cool as well.”
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Inertia
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"You're expecting a little too much if you think they'll compensate you,"

"Doesn't seem too unreasonabl-" his words cut off when he the towering figures came up to him. It seemed that their hazed minds had now directed their anger towards him. Rei was about to open his mouth before the bulky fist came flying at him. Flinching on reflex. Luckily, a shield had appeared infront of him- held by an even bulkier man. Like his muscles had muscles. It was abit disconcerting, honestly.

Thinking back, it's odd how the general populous is fit. Even the drunkards are well beyond the average physique back on my earth. he thought. Indifference began to slowly crawl onto his face. This whole debacle was of little interest to Rei. He wanted to get back to his writing. Still, he felt a small debt to the stranger. For now he surrendered to the request. With an annoyed sigh, he dragged a tipped over chair and faced the backrest towards the table.

"I wasn't listening at to your bickering." he said, his voice clearly annoyed, "Enchant me with oh-so beautiful tale."


After an explanation...




Rei was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Seriously." he said, gesturing towards his doused papers, "That's why my papers got ruined?" Their conflict made little sense to Rei, whom never really had a relationship. Never bothered with it, really. He wasn't sure if he was most suitable for this. The reward of the book was alluring atleast.

"Alright, I got the gist of it. This is what I think. Listen or not, I couldn't care less."

"I can't give you advice on how to confess. he confessed, his disinterest bleeding into his voice, "If I had to say: Go direct and leave no room for doubt. Make it clear that you intend to court her." Rei shrugged. This probably wasn't how one should go about it but that was how he would do it.

"What do you mean if she says no?" he asked, "If your resolve to court that woman is weak, then don't bother."

"As for who goes first? It doesn't really matter but..." he said, pondering a bit before stepping out of the establishment and coming back with a fistful of stones. "Guess how much stones are on my person. Whoever can get it closest gets the privilege of going first."
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by ShwiggityShwah
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ShwiggityShwah Good Diet, Sleep, Excercise, and Leeches

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@Raijinslayer

He felt his hand stop as someone hand closed around it. He was about to put his shoulder into it but only felt resistance. His face, glasses framing them, and as clean as he could manage in these hectic days was a far cry to the singed and ratty bits that he called a robe. He was face to face with what seemed to be a man beaming with charisma and charm. A red head that could only be described as dashing, just as Jacob could be called bookish. He was confused for a moment as he felt the matter pressing in front of him and the man's words. And then, something else.

He'd seen this man.

Yes, one of those people at the inn. The shade of red was hard to miss. The kind woman who said he could stay. He took her up on the offer for a single night and spent most of it just trying to get his thoughts together. How he seemed to have the memories of two lives swirling in his head and that he had barely any knowledge of who he was in the moments leading up to 'a man' a man with alot of books and a question. He walked away, his head swimming and mind throbbing as symbols and words, all nonsense in the moment began to make sense to him. All a swirl of incantations that together made wonders, great and terrible. He tried one the next day... An attempt to maybe find some kind of rabbit to bring home to the woman for her kindness. The creature grew two more heads. Jacob thought it best to not be in such a close place with so many others, and thus had to rough it as he tried to make ends meet, do odd jobs, and think of a plan.

He shoke his head, why think of all that all of a sudden?

Regardless, Jacob was in no mood to deny help when offered. "I'd call him more out of it than crazy but yeah I dig it." He shoke his hand away and went back to his duty, keeping the man in place. "Options are a bit limited, and the alternative is mess-." He said as he noticed the mutterings of power and the ever prickling feelings of the universe being molded by another. But this wasn't a torrent of screaming causality- this was directed. The man was a conduit for something else, and his power was as gentle as a warm breeze in chill autumn. It was healing him. Something more infinitely useful that what Jacob is capable of. "That's a neat trick." Jacob commented but then the man lurched forward. It wasn't working either as he pressed against the man, straining.

That's when Jacob noticed the woman was not doing the same, but a flash of her clothes showed she did not abandon them, no she was working just as hard. Working on medicines. Was she a doctor? She tied the cloth around his arm, reminding him of a time he donated blood, which may or may not have actually happened in his past. Then she bit him, which made the mage jump a bit. "Jesus!" He said in alarm, wondering her intent. The needle set his questions to rest.

The man fell like a tree. Jacob was not strong enough to keep him on his feet and winced as his body hit the dirt. "That did it." he said to the woman who barked orders at them. In for a penny, in for a pound. Jacob didn't argue as he got to a knee and propped an arm over his shoulder. "On three... One two-" A body is much heavier than it looks, having the limbs flop this way and that like carry a net of fish that keep slipping through the holes. Still, Jacob managed with the help of the red head. The woman gave them no other instruction and instead led the way. "No good deed I guess..." He said as they began the trek through the village.

To help deal with the drudgery, Jacob turned his attention to the red head. Regardless of how little he knows, Jacob was cordial. A magic user, thus intelligent as he could assume, and willing to offer assist, making him at first glance, kind. "Thanks for the assist." He said it, cause it was doubtful the woman was going to. "Name's Jacob, and - you don't happen to be staying at the inn right? With that nice old lady? I recognize your hair." He said remembering that he was barely at the inn for a night, and was more worried about his own needs than getting accustomed to the others that tried to stay.

Whatever quick formalities could be gotten, Jacob did try to atleast find out whats up. He addressed the woman, the doctor right before they entered the building, regardless if she paid them any mind. "Who are you, and who is this guy? What's wrong with-"

The scene of the triage and the wounded and the sick made Jacob's words catch in his throat. Did they walk into a pandemic? Was this plague? Why wasn't the city in more panic if this was just a stone's throw away? He continued to carry the man but the concern for the people and himself was ever present. The woman seemed to focused in her duties that he didn't address her, instead only seeking to glean whatever he could by observation alone. Tying down, completely out of it. Almost catatonic.

A man who had seen better days addressed his mental concern and question, and while it came as a relief, it also confirmed that this affliction was some kind of disease, or perhaps magical in nature. Jacob was still playing the part of good Samaritan and his curiousity got the better of him. "Good. What is wrong with them? What's causing it?" He asked the doctor.
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial is trying to survive

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Town Square, Rengoku
Marketplace
@Sola


The woman's tone and manner made Lexa uncomfortable, but she managed to grit her teeth on far worse encounters back in Germany and she would do the same here. That said, she didn't feel the best as she was simultaneously worried about someone's life, scared about skeletons, and anxious from the screaming. The appearance of the other girl had been also added a docket to her social anxiety, but she seemed to be asking polite questions and being worried about a stranger's well being just as she was. Perhaps that was a common ground that would ease her nerves and finally break the ice for interacting in this strange afterlife?

Lexa composed herself as she turned to the other girl, realizing it was all she had.

“Maybe we can get to him before he leaves town?” She proposed to the other girl. “I'm still... getting used to this place still. I've never fought someone in my life, let alone skeletons.”


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As soon as the male noted that there was a person interested in him and his story, he practically overflowed with excitement, and Katrin couldn’t help but wonder whether he was manic or something. Nevertheless, she listened as he recounted what she assumed to be a legend or at the very least a well-known story. She nodded, gasped, and expressed her amazement at the appropriate moments. The man was quite the able story-teller, she had to admit, even though his unfaltering cheerfulness may have been slightly suspect.

Kat nodded as the man finished, somewhat impressed how the male had managed to draw her in with his tale. It certainly was an exciting thing, if not exactly persuasive. “The money is real, you say,” she replied neutrally, as if assessing his claim but not judging or outright doubting it. “You sound certain about that,” she noted, with that same tone. She then nodded once, decisively, and looked him straight in the eye, a small smile playing about her lips. “Alright. I’m willing to help you,” she declared, then stuck out her hand in greeting. “My name is Ann-Katrin by the way, but Kat is fine if you prefer.”

The greeting over with, Ann continued with a proposal. “Now, since I’m not the type to rush into such an unknown situation, let’s exchange some information first. I would also suggest that we try and find at least, say, three other people to join us. If the treasure part is real, I can’t help but assume the numerous wandering skeletons are a thing too,” she smirked. “I will help you advertise, of course,” she added with another firm nod.

Presuming they were to head to some populous location, Ann turned towards the centre of the city, intending to go elsewhere for recruiting purposes and hoping the admittedly handsome man was willing to go along with her advice. Even if he was as competent as his fitness level and the nature of his gear lead Ann to believe, she certainly had no illusions to the nature of her own abilities – she was a beginner, nothing more, nothing less. “To begin with, let me tell you a bit about myself. I don’t have much experience to be honest, but I’m good at using daggers and bringing down things when they’re not expecting me. A sneaky type, you could say.

“Also, if there are any mice, rats or other flesh-and-blood beasts in the old castle ruins, then I could use those to scout the grounds, maybe even find a good path towards wherever the treasure is. Assuming the skeletons don’t attack anything in their sight, even if it’s not humans, of course,”
Kat’s smile was a bit wan this time, though she valiantly tried to keep an optimistic outlook regarding what she may have gotten herself into. The possibility of earning more than the bare minimum for survival was quite tempting, but if the attempt killed her…Well, I just need to avoid dying again! With that decisive thought, she strengthened both her heart and mind. Knowing that she could still decide to not do this (even if it made her a coward and would most likely leave her feeling tremendously guilty afterwards) helped too.

“So!” she exclaimed, trying to not let the mood get weird. “What about you? You look like a reliable fighter, but what are you best at? Are there any particular skills or styles you’d like the other people we recruit to have? Other than that, whatever else you know about the ruins or the skeletons would be awesome to know, if you don’t mind sharing,” Katrin winked at the man, now feeling that this adventure was certainly doable, as long as they prepared as well as they could – and left themselves with the option of escape and failure if the risks didn’t prove worth the rewards.
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Hero Sincerest of Knights

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"Comment pouvez-vous être stupide?"

The utterance came after Étoile had eavesdropped on the conversation, although really, they were loud enough so that anyone who cared would hear it anyway. She genuinely didn't know what was dumber; the entirety of the situation or the completely clueless response the writing nerd decided to give them. That's quite the assumption if you think the woman would say yes to either one of these bozos. She mentally scoffed. The pair were spineless if they had to resort to asking for favors from random people to solve their issues and neither one of them deserved to have anything in her opinion. Truthfully, she vied for ignoring the whole situation, but her empty stomach demanded otherwise.

With a somewhat exasperated sigh, Étoile would finally push herself away from her table and stand, her heels clicking against the floors as she made her way to the hapless duo and the nerd. Her arrival was anything but quiet considering that she walked without bothering to excuse herself if she got in anyone's way or outright shoving drunks aside if they got too close. She only stopped once she made sure the three could see her, flipping her hair off her shoulder.

Her eyes landed on said nerd once again, her eyes examining him for a moment. He looked a little different from other people she had encountered, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. For one, he enjoyed writing, which wasn't exactly common in what was essentially a bar where all people did was drink. For another, he just looked weird facially. If she were back in France, she would have thought he was an odd ethnic mix or something. Did that happen in this world?

Either way, she gave him an unimpressed look. "How cute, Mr. I've-Never-Had-A-Date telling two hapless virgins what to do," She huffed at him.

"If you're going to be so indecisive, don't bother," She stated outright once she turned her attention to the other two, hands on her hips as she let her domineering presence take over without a second thought. "You value your friendship, don't you? Then make her do the work for you. Fess up at the same time and whatever happens, happens. Can't have hard feelings if the decision is out of your hands."



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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Inertia
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Steady steps made his way to Rei's table while he was conversing with the drunks. His eyes landed on a small, fiery woman. With a swipe she brushed her hair away. Her voice was familiar but he couldn't quite place her it. Before he could think about it any further she noticed her eyes on him. He shot her back with an incredulous look before pushing it out of his mind. Rei had little idea who this was and even littler idea why she would provide assistance.

"Who were you agai-"

"How cute, Mr. I've-Never-Had-A-Date telling two hapless virgins what to do,"

"If you're going to be so indecisive, don't bother. You value your friendship, don't you? Then make her do the work for you. Fess up at the same time and whatever happens, happens. Can't have hard feelings if the decision is out of your hands."

Rei sighed, her method was another way to go about it, "Well, what happens if one does get accepted?" he asked, leaning forward onto his chair, "The other just gonna pat his back, and send him on his merry way?" He really didn't have the highest expectation of these two, but he didn't think they were bad guys. Even if they did almost deck him. His face tiredly sank into his arms. He eyed the interloper once more who exuded a very confident, ostentatious aura. It's like she was looking for a fight and he'd rather not get into a brawl. Getting injured haphazardly isn't a good idea especially with the little Pana he had on hand.

"Well, you guys can choose how you want to go about it." he said, "I've pocketed the pebbles so you can still guess."

He got up abruptly and sauntered to his crossbow bolt, which luckily, was still there. After sliding it into it's quiver his mind flashed back to the man who helped him out. The person was atleast a little interesting. Rei mentally noted that he would ask Anton before walking back and slinking down into his chair.

"So," he finally said, "What will it be?"
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Kuro
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Kuro Sic Parvis Magna

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Town Square, Rengoku
Marketplace

@Inkarnate

Emilia bit her lip upon the woman's stinging remark, yet she was rather quick to realize that her way of thinking was much different than hers. Whoever this woman was, her way of thinking was directed towards herself, ignoring the plight of others for her own gain. The Italian may have been just as dimwitted as the woman, but at least she spoke the truth in concern for others. Watching the woman disappear off into the crowd within the marketplace, Emilia turned her attention to the woman with the coat. They had yet to introduce themselves to each other, yet the two of them appeared to be thinking on the same wave length.

"I don't think he's left the city yet, so we might be able to catch up with him." Emilia replied, before glancing to the chipped handaxe by her side. The girl raised a good point—neither of them had yet to actually fight someone, much less a spooky, scary skeleton. Since the meeting with the clerk, Emilia felt as if she knew how to use the weapon at her hip, but the Italian often wondered if she could truly strike something down with the handaxe.

However, Emilia found herself more intrigued by the fact that her newfound companion mentioned that she was still "getting used to this place." Was she just like Emilia, having woken up in whatever this place was? Perhaps, but maybe it wasn't the best time to ask questions when they still had to chase after someone possibly running straight to their death.

Taking a few steps forward off into the distance, Emilia turned around to the girl. "I think we should probably hurry if we want to catch up with him. Perhaps if we get there quick enough, we could talk him out of it. That way we don't have to fight either way." Emilia replied, offering a comforting smile.
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Raijinslayer .

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Korrey Brooks




"My hair, huh? gotta say, that's a bit of a first. Most people tend to notice my height before the hair." Korrey chuckled as the stranger introduced himself as Jacob while they hefted the doped up patient behind what Korrey could only assume was some sort of nurse or doctor considering how she acted. Korrey had met quite a few medical types, and every single one of them had been just like this chick: bossy and demanding with little care for answering questions when they were busy doing something. Really, being ignored like this was one of the few things that really dug under his skin, but given that he had already decided to help her out, he couldn't really start chewing the woman out over her lack of manners. With not else to do, the giant man let out a sigh as he adjust his grip on the passed out crazy in his arms before turning to offer Jacob a free hand. "Pleased to meet ya, man. Name's Korrey."

When they finally arrived in the building the woman had led them too, Korrey gagged at the smell that filled the room, a mixture of antiseptic and sickness that made his gut churn. Looking around, he couldn't help but wonder what was causing all this. . . and why he hadn't known about it till now? While this place was big, any illness that could put down dozens of people like this was something that would usually get any rumor mill churning. then again, it wasn't like he had become well entrenched in said rumor mill to begin with . . . especially after he beat the tar out of those ruffians. People seemed to give him a wide berth after that particular incident. As they put the sick man down to be more securely restrained to his bed, Korrey left the questioning of the tired looking male doctor to jJacob, deciding to instead see if he could make himself useful in some respect.

As such, he walked up to the woman with burn scars, clearing his throat slightly to alert her to his presence before hand, so he didn't spook her.

"Excuse me ma'am, but is there anything I can do to help ya out? Clean out washtubs, change sheets, that kind of thing?"
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The Love Problems of Drunkards

@Inertia@Hero


The duo of drunkards had, surprisingly, attentively listened to Rei and Étoile. The drunks couldn't seem to contain their excitement after hearing Rei's battle plan of "just confess, pussies". Their virility seemed to double when Étoile suggested going at the same time.

"Thas fekking genyus!" The stout, bearded drunk exclaimed with the ferocity of ten drunkards.

"Ye! If confess at the same time, we ain't gonna fite. An-an-an there ain't no way she can reject us both!" The ugly patron yelled out in a fit of excitement.

"Les fekkin' go confess!" The stout, bearded drunk exclaimed with the ferocity of ten drunkards.

The duo dashed out of the bar like a bat out of hell. Whatever was going to happen was sure to be a good show. Surprisingly, the duo didn't run far. Across the street from Anton's bar was a small building sandwiched between the walls of two buildings. About the size of an ordinary room, the building was unassuming from the outside. The only difference seemed to be the blacked out windows and the thick cloths that acted as a door. Without any hesitation, the duo swung the thick cloths open. Light seemed to stop at the doorway. A thick haze of smoke seemed to emanate through the room, but it refused to escape. With the only light of the room coming from blue flames that aimlessly floated through the room, a single figure was illuminated.

Sitting behind a table with a crystal ball was a woman. She held a long cigarette holder and blew a thick plume of smoke into the room, only adding to the considerable haze that enshrouded her. Her face was concealed by a black veil that ended at her mouth. Her long wavy silver hair seemed to glow alongside the will-o-wisps. Her appearance seemed to make Étoile look like nothing more than a child.

The duo, with the directions of Rei and Étoile, confessed their love in the most appealing the way they could.

"Magnolia! I love you! Go out with me!" The stout, bearded drunk confessed, his words careful to hide his drunken stupor.

"No." Magnolia bluntly stated.

The ugly patron licked his lips and ran his hands through his hair. He was obviously excited. "I love you Magnolia," the ugly patron confessed, "go out with me!"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"You rej-"

"No."

The duo were defeated by a single word. Dejected, they solemnly walked back to the bar.

"Ya tried... kidsh," the stout, bearded man said. He took out a small notebook from his pocket and ripped out half of the pages in a bizarre feat of strength. With a half-used pencil stuck in the rings, he handed the notebook to Rei. It was half-used, but it was a marked improvement over scraps of paper and borrowing an ink and quill. He pulled out a small leather bag from his other pocket, giving it to Étoile. It was coins, enough for a few days worth of expenses. Without another peep from the two, they walked together to a table and began to weep.

What a bizarre day.



The Inevitable

@Raijinslayer@ShwiggityShwah


"I'm Gideon, but most people call me Gil," the doctor said, "that man you were carrying was a man named Daniel, but he's more or less lost it."

Gideon walked over to the sedated Daniel and pulled out the needle from his arm. From a nearby table, Gideon tore off some loose cotton fluff and rolled it into a ball. He placed it where the needle had entered and asked the small nurse for pressure. The small nurse jogged over to the other end and pressed down on the cotton ball for him.

"So many questions," he sighed as he walked to another patient. "As far as I know, nothing. Don't know what's wrong, don't know why. Every few weeks, someone just goes insane and tries to kill themself by walking into the wilds. Kind of like ubasute, but, you know, suicide and not senicide."

The nurse with burn scars took a step back from Korrey. Rather than being spooked or intimidated by the appearance of Korrey. Rather, she seemed to be more annoyed by him if anything. She pulled out a bell from her pocket and rang it. Gil looked up from the patient. With rapid-fire speed, she made dozens of quick movements with her hands.

"She said that the man we get out medicine from is surprisingly late. None of us are in a position to check out what's going on, so she's asking if you want to head out about five hours north to check if he's okay."



Heroes Wanted

@SilverPaw@Inkarnate@Sola


"That's one hell of a long-winded introduction," he teased Kat, "to answer your question, my body may look wonderful, but I'm a geomancer, a mage tried and true. Name's Tien." His excitement seemed to ooze from every action he took. Finally, someone took interest in conquering these ruins with him. He took to answering whatever question Kat had. After all, it wasn't often that he would get an interested party.

"There isn't really any flesh and blood inside, but I can grab something along the way, if you'd be down with it. Kinda weird though."

He told her everything he knew about skeletons and the ruins. The layout of the ruins was a bit difficult to surmise. The ruins were considerably large, but paths kept on being opened and closed due to falling rubble. This made it difficult to find a safe route inside and outside of the castle. Skeletons were rather standard. They often wielded terrible weapons and wore no armour, keeping the good stuff unused in their treasure piles. They often came back to life, unless the skull had been destroyed. Thankfully, the skull was usually brittle enough that a well placed stomp turned the skeleton to dust. Skeletons were also aggressive little turds. Unless they were hauling treasure back to the castle, they were willing to sacrifice their lives for whatever gear an adventurer was carrying. Wild animals tended to ignore skeletons and vice versa.

"I'll stay about here if you're looking to recruit elsewhere. Maybe someone else heard the little conversation from earlier and wants to join in. We should meet up at the south gate in about two hours, then."



An Old Man and His Guitar

@eRode


"Don't mind at all," Clyde laughed, "never seen anyone so interested in folk music before."

Without much hesitation, he rattled out a few verses. With the only common theme behind them being 'Cumberland Gap', the verses were considerably different. Hilarity, joy, sadness, each verse varied in the amount of emotions put into words. His singing was considerably less laboured. Without having to stoop to the poor level of his guitar-playing, he was able to sing at a more frenetic pace, adding a new layer of complexity into the song. Still, without an accompanying instrument, the song felt considerably empty.

"Well, that's just some verses," he said, a happy grin stretching across his face, "but the entire point of that song ain't really to remember the lyrics exactly. It's to make your own." With a strenuous bend, Clyde had bent over to pick up his guitar. "And that's what adventuring is like. No real point in tellin' you exactly what I did. We all go at different paces. What could've been hard for me could be easy for you and likewise. Just move at your own speed and don't worry too much 'bout what others are doin'. There ain't no rigid process to be an adventurer."

At this point, his smile had faded. It had been replaced by a more stern, serious look. "Adventuring is dangerous. I was lucky enough to make it this far. Lotsa people I knew weren't as lucky. It's a rough road if you want to be an adventurer. Should get going, though. They should be done filling up my supplies, so I should go where the wind takes me now. You can see me off and ask a few more questions, though."


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