GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Norman wasn't generally accustomed to giving out such things, but then this was a special case. How many customers after all could say they helped save a foreign dignitary? Not many, just these three right here in fact. That deserved a big reward, and the only thing he could offer with his expertise was some work on Cecil, free of charge. Though the Machina had initially been hesitant to accept his help, after some convincing it seemed like he'd go along with it. Hearing Amuné call Ethan something completely wrong, and seeing the look of surprise on the boy's face, he gestured for Cecil to come over to his side so they might speak a bit more in private; no way was he going to be in the middle of that. He had said he'd be willing to do more than he'd listed, yet Norman hadn't quite anticipated everything that Cecil was going to ask for. Work he could do, he could tune-up any Machina and make it like brand new, better even. But all of that?

"The tank of oil is no problem, I've got jars and jars of it lying around the place. That I can do for you... But telling you why you were made? Cecil I can't tell you that, I don't know if anyone but the person who designed you can. I'll take a look at your coding and see what I can find, sure, but I can't make any promises." What Cecil had just asked for was equivalent to asking someone why you existed, hardly an easy request to fill. Unlike most Machina too Cecil was wholly unique, enough so that he didn't appear to have any particular design plan. Was he a combat unit? Utility? Companion? A whole different kind that he'd not seen before? The latter most likely, as generally a Machina was built for one of those three aforementioned purposes. "I'll do that in a bit though, let's get your tune-up outta the way, okay? After that I'll see what I can do for you."

Had the little girl just mistaken the Muran for an Ydran? Nymira was surprised, they didn't look remotely similar even to someone with as limited experience as herself. Amuné seemed to be earnest about that though, and they really ought to correct her. Letting her think that this Ethan was one of her own wasn't fair, and she'd only be upset if she was allowed to continue thinking that. "Little one, there's something you should know..." the Dimuran woman began, "Ethan..."

"Yeah, I got it Nymira! What she was going to say was Machina don't have mommies or daddies," Ethan interrupted quickly, smiling as he spoke, "See... Machina are made in a factory or something, I think. They're not made like we are, so they don't really have a mom or a dad. Well... Unless you count the person who made them, but then that's not really how it works either..." Oh great, now he'd confused himself with his own bit. Could they just leave it at Cecil not having any proper parents? They needed a change of topic awfully quick, maybe they could get looking at the map now? Turning his focus back to the sheet of paper on the table he began by finding where Galloway itself was, doing so easily enough. Then, following the compass in the corner eastward he was able to see where the nearest three towns were. Lifting his head to glance at Amuné as she commented on his reading ability, Ethan grinned sheepishly and rubbed at his neck.

"I can read a map alright, it's following directions that gets me," he explained, pointing towards the doors, "If we were out there then I couldn't tell East from West, or North from South. I have to ask people all the time which way is which, and I'm fine until I stop, then I get all turned around and confused again." That... And maybe he had noticed one or two things about what the others were up to. He HAD been taught before, believe it or not, he'd just never had to use any of that information until now. Back home he just knew where everything was, there was no need for cardinal directions to help him get around. Out here though? "So like I said, three towns, just no idea what ones to stop at," Ethan continued, tilting his head slightly as he looked at them in thought. The biggest would be their safest bet, yet they had no clue where to head or which one was the largest. He supposed they could ask Norman when he was done with Cecil, might not be such a bad idea.

While deliberating that, Ethan glanced up when he heard Amuné meekly ask him about about her parents again. It broke his heart hearing her so upset, and he could tell she was just barely keeping it together. Knowing the pain she felt all too well, the Muran offered up a sympathetic smile and moved around the table to her side, kneeling down and giving her a hug. "You said your mommy was a healer, right? Well she'll take care of him, I'm sure of it. If he was hurt badly... It would make sense they'd come out here, don't you think? The cities are where all the latest, greatest things are, and it's where some of the best healers probably work too. If your daddy was hurt then that's where I bet he'd be taken," Ethan explained, pulling back and smiling as he reached out and booped Amuné lightly on the tip of her nose, "We'll find them, I'm sure of it. Maybe it won't be for a little bit, but don't give up hope just yet, okay?"

What a moron... Lying to Amuné like that, he had to know the truth. If the child's mother was concerned despite being a healer then it was very serious, perhaps beyond her control. And what had even injured him anyways? Nymira had a guess, though she loathed to think the Church had extended so far. Ydrans tended to be almost like Dimurans in the sense they kept largely to themselves, with rare exceptions of course. And while she didn't wholly know the territory of Amuné's people, if it was anything like hers then she was largely removed from the rest of society. Even if there was someone who could help, would her father last all the way? Despite knowing just how unlikely anyone surviving what sounded to be a serious wound, she couldn't bring herself to tell Amuné that either. Like Ethan, Nymira could only muster up a small smile and nod, trying to reassure the little girl as best she could. She'd have to face the reality some day, today just wasn't that day.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

So Nymira was throwing a massive wrench into their plans, no doubts about that. Ethan was even inclined to turn her down until she'd more or less forced her way onto them, leaving the group with no choice but to accept. Not wanting to say one way or another about Amuné's comment, he could only shrug before letting out a sigh. Cecil wasn't thrilled with this either, feeling like he was being used to strike a deal; everyone was reassuring him it was just an added incentive and not a bargaining chip, but he still saw it that way. So they would be taking the princess with them, like it or not. The only good thing was she didn't appear to be in any particular hurry to get anywhere, more or less just trying to meet people. So long as she kept that, Ethan figured, they'd be free to do what they had to do still.

"H-Hey, I'm not completely useless! I just get... Confused," Ethan said defensively, sulking and hanging his head with a sigh. Aw who was he kidding, he was totally useless! The only reason he'd even gotten as far as he did before was by hitching a ride with people who knew where they were going. Still, Amuné didn't have to bring it up like that. They had at least finalized their arrangements though... Well, almost. Cecil was still up in the air about getting a free tune-up, something Ethan figured their friend would be all for. Nodding his head in agreement with what Amuné had to say, the Magi offered a smile and thumbs up in turn. "We should probably figure out where we're going before we leave anyways, so why don't you get this done while we're doing that?" They could use the time to map out an actual course, and even see if they could find a place to get most of their work out of the way. As they got to the larger cities, he reasoned, the chances were greater they could find what they were looking for. Only problem there was where were the larger cities exactly?

Norman didn't dare say anything about Nymira's forced joining one way or another, lest he get a smack upside the head or something. Instead he jumped on the bandwagon that was in favor of Cecil getting work done, waving the Machina over to his side. "The work I would do is very simply, it will take ten minutes at most," the engineer explained, smiling as he grabbed his small device again, showing the screen to Cecil after bringing up a basic image of a Machina skeleton. "All I would do is oil your joints, replace any worn down components, which there should be very few, and reapply some sealant to help protect you from the elements. If there's anything you need or want done while here then I'll do that as well, free of charge." It was a once in a lifetime chance, he didn't hand out these free check-ups often. And not to boast or anything, but he thought himself quite good with machinery, which meant Cecil would be hard pressed finding someone who could offer the same caliber of work. "If you don't want to think of it as a bargaining chip... Then consider it your personal reward for saving Nymira. Protecting a princess is a big deal, you deserve at least something in return."

Nymira didn't care much what they did, not being on any strict timeline herself. So long as she got to meet enough people to secure some solid relations that was all that mattered to her. She could understand the trio's desire to go about their own business, she wasn't wholly insensitive to other people's wishes, she just didn't care. Their journey, whatever it might be, was likely of a personal nature; Nymira was here to ensure the survival of her clan, and that they might not be left behind in this technological age. She had legitimate cause to need to travel, and she'd not take no for an answer. "I was given a map by some men at an earlier town, it might help..." she offered, reaching into a deep pocket on her coat and brandishing a well-worn, crumpled up map. Meticulously laying it out on the counter she smiled proudly, despite not realizing it was a map of the immediate area she'd bought it, and not Adelon itself.

Even Ethan was able to discern that difference, but he didn't say much for fear of getting Nymira angry again. Instead he just gave a small smile and nodded, clearing his throat before grabbing his own map. "Er... Princess, if it's all the same, can we use my map? It's just the one we've been using so we're used to it." he explained, hopeful they might be able to avoid embarrassing her.

"Very well, if that's what you think works best. I leave our direction up to you three, handicapped as you might be," Nymira responded, watching as Ethan briefly became crestfallen again. "So long as we keep going East then I have no problems with where you decide to take us, that's my only rule." Tucking away her own map she folded her arms, watching Amuné and Ethan expectantly as she awaited their decision. Admittedly her knowledge of the area was lacking, but then that's what she had these people for, wasn't it?

Huh, so there were rules on picking where to travel now? Ethan supposed that wasn't really a bother, they'd be heading in that direction anyways. Trying to please Nymira just meant avoiding small vales and villages though, a shame since he preferred those to bustling centers. Laying out his own map where the princess' had been, he pinned the corners down with a few random bits and bobbles he found lying nearby. "So we're in Galloway now, which is right... Here..." he figured, being perfectly literate if not directionally challenged, "And east is... This way..." The only reason he figured that just now was thanks to the compass drawn up in the top left corner, even he could recognize how that worked. "So I guess the question is, which of those towns do we stop at next?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"It would be normal for your heart to work a bit harder here, that's what intensified gravity will do to your body. If we were to forgo the gravity and train as I had planned earlier then your heart would be working as well, so you'll experience that regardless." Frankly increased heart rate was just an aspect of exercise, had Viral forgotten something so simple? Yes his body may work somewhat harder now with being heavier, but he would still be able to do as he was asked. Push-ups seemed a simplistic enough exercise to begin with, the Beastman could gauge himself based off a handful of those. Watching as Viral went ahead and did the first without much strain, Vegeta smirked and crouched down, laying his arms across his knees. "They're easy then? Good, do a dozen. Then after you've done that, do a dozen crunches. We'll keep going with your training, I just want to see just how well you handle this before we get into anything serious."

So perhaps Leto wasn't the most... Discreet of people to have along, but they would be safe with him. Who cared if someone saw them? So long as he vouched for them then they would be clear, it was easy as that. Sasha certainly preferred that over having to somehow clear Kiton herself if it came to pass, even if it meant bringing along the overly-loud meat head that was the Yulian. Kiton ought to be happy he had agreed to this, it meant they weren't stuck in the compound any longer. Rolling her eyes when the Frost Demon made a snappy remark, she reached over and prodded his shoulder before making a zipping motion across her lips. "Hey... He's agreed to help you, so unless you want to get sent back to the compound I'd suggest you don't be a smart aleck."

"Oh he's fine, Sasha! He's never been to Uuonoe before, I can understand why he simply does not appreciate its majesty!" Leto interrupted, thankfully not quite yelling anymore, "You'll see my young friend, it is an exquisite world! So many different peoples live here, there's nowhere else that's quite the same! So many cultures, foods, music, even the architecture is beginning to vary. What other planet can you go to that has such diversity?" Turning around abruptly he then pointed down at Kiton, an excited gleam in his eye as he spoke. "None! That was rhetorical! Uuonoe is wholly unique because of that! You'll see, it's a wonderful place to be!" Was he trying to be a tour guide or just escort them? Sasha and Kiton may both well be a little lost at that front, because goodness only knows what Leto was doing. Inane ramblings aside he was still escorting them though, and for that much they should be grateful. Now only if he'd shut up.

"No, you won't have to change for this buddy," Takeshi said, hoping to keep Shu at least somewhat content. Krom immediately ruined that however by not only saying he could potentially change, but it could be problematic. Sure, he'd calmed Shu once or twice before, but what had he done? The only thing he could think of right now was talk to him, yet last time that had amounted to jack all. Maybe he could bribe him with something? Food maybe? Animals liked food, and his little brother kind of turned into a wild animal when he changed, right? Shame he hadn't though to bring any fruit with him though, it'd be kind of hard to bribe with food with nothing to eat. "I... Well sometimes he recognizes me, so maybe that will work...?" Takeshi offered lamely, hoping to get Shu involved with this. His kid brother needed training too, they couldn't exclude him just because there was a chance he'd change. Hell, there was a chance that the older boy himself might get mad and attack Krom too, but he wasn't seeming to care about that. "Just... Leave Shu to me if he changes, okay? I'll figure something out, and I've got the two of you guys here too, you know? It's not like I'll be completely helpless if things don't work out."

Uchiha Reborn

Sasuke only shrugged, not really having brought up an issue with it before. He supposed he ought to just be grateful he was getting any food at all, instead of being left to starve. Truthfully he had no idea what he should expect for aid after a tragedy like that, if any at all. Getting any amount of aid was nice, and he tried to be grateful for it, however much or little there might be. Still... He couldn't say he hated the idea of Yura being around to cook him meals, that would be rather nice.

So she was meant to become his guardian now? Even with her reassurances he was still a little tentative about having another figure like that in his life. She might say she wasn't trying to replace his parents, but she'd be doing everything they would have, so didn't that make her a replacement? "I... Yeah, we'll do that," Sasuke agreed, nodding despite not sounding completely certain. How was he supposed to take care of her? She was the adult here, what could he possibly do for her? He didn't get it, but if she was doing something for him then he should try providing something in turn, he supposed.

Before long they had made it through all the arrows, managing to salvage six of them. It was somewhat disappointing to have to get rid of any, yet he also recognized that he'd be getting a new set sooner or later too. Like a lot of things in life he realized they weren't permanent, and sooner or later they might end up gone before he knew it. A somber and rather depressing thought for a child, yet it was one he'd entertained quite a lot as of late. It was nice that they were leaving the compound now, he needed to get out of here for a while, even if he didn't feel like it. A little socializing and seeing some friendly faces would do him some good after being shut in for a while.

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

It was no secret that Link wasn't thrilled to be doing this, but like it or not this was their path. Caelan could speak until he was hoarse trying to convince the other boy it would be fine and still not get anywhere, so he figured best to just get moving and let him sort it out himself. The fact that this Regol guy was coming along didn't much bother him, though he was strange; why didn't he speak? Was it one of those weird things some monks did, refusing to speak? Or was there some other reason? Whatever it was it didn't much matter, it actually made this easier as it was one less voice to have to silence, should things turn sour. "He won't have to escape and you won't have to fight, because we're never going to be caught," the water mage added, seeming to exude confidence as he spoke, "Look, I've been doing this sort of thing for a while Link, okay? Some towns they let my kind of people come and go freely, other places we're treated like criminals. So the whole sneaking around isn't new to me, I know how to get us around safely." And they had these disguises, that was something he had never had before. Maybe when this business with them was done he could 'borrow' one of the rings, it sure would make his life a heck of a lot easier.

At long last they were able to get moving, following the lead of Regol as he had been given the map to work with. Caelan wouldn't even begin to claim to know this area and didn't want to have the responsibility of navigating, yet the silent man seemed perfectly happy to take that duty. Through musty old tunnels, ruined sections of the town and eerie ruins they finally emerged, evidently in the middle of some sort of festival. Were they not here on such strict terms he might want to enjoy this, but they had to get supplies and prepare to move again, not dilly dally and enjoy the festivities. Not that they were staying here anyways, as a peak at Regol's sheet might attest; the Southeastern part of town was where they had to go for their supplies, it would figure not any old store would do. "So we're heading to the black markets then...? Been a while since I went to one of those," Caelan mused aloud, smiling as he followed after the mute man. Glancing at Link he reached over and nudged the other boy in the side, nodding ahead to Regol's back. "So what's the deal with you two...? Why do you hate him?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Well... Admittedly that wasn't part of the plan, but you see she was never in any real danger," Norman admitted, frowning as he itched at his cheek, "The princess knows how to handle herself, and some common thugs like them weren't going to do any harm. Sure, maybe they might have gotten a bit rough, but she could have broken free at any point... Probably." That was one of the biggest concerns with this hair-brained scheme of his, whether or not she'd be safe while in custody. Dimurans weren't exactly known for their weakness, in fact quite the opposite, so he assumed she'd be okay. Some minor bruises aside she did seem to be unharmed from it all, so sending Nymira off in such a manner wasn't that bad of a move, was it? Her only problem seemed to be with how long it took for someone to show up, not her treatment itself which spoke to her resilience. "Yes, well... Different cultures have different princesses I suppose," Norman reflected, smiling as he glanced down at Amuné. "Some are all dressy like you said, and others are more... Warrior princess, and that'd be Nymira for you."

Okay, so Nymira was a princess, that was a surprise. So was Norman asking them to watch over her for him, now that was something none of them had expected. How were the three of them: a young girl, a wayward Magi and a Machina, supposed to protect a princess? Ethan was used to making split second decisions as to what they should do, but this wasn't something he could or should decide on his own. The fact Norman tried sweetening the deal by making offers to Cecil didn't make it any easier, they had to discuss this among themselves. Turning then to both Cecil and Amuné he asked for both their opinions, hoping maybe the two of them would sway the group's decision one way or another. "Or maybe he's just offering it as kind of a reward for agreeing, instead of a bribe," Ethan offered hopefully, frowning after a second before sighing, "I guess that's still a bribe though, no matter how you look at it." He'd not realized quite how loudly Cecil had spoken, being so close, but evidently he'd been quite loud.

"I'm not trying to use you, it's an incentive my friend," Norman quipped, smiling sheepishly, "I figured we're even now that we've done work for work, so think of this as a pre-emptive reward. I know you three will do a fine job, and the only thing I can offer for that is my services, services which you may need. I assure you there's nothing underhanded about this." He certainly wasn't trying to use Cecil as a bargaining chip, that'd do anything but earn their trust and help.

Okay, so Norman wasn't trying to bribe them, which was nice to know. Still though, could they really take on this job? There was probably a ton of risk that came with escorting a princess, she could have all kinds of enemies and potentially get caught up in some sort of conflict. Should they risk themselves for that? Could Ethan in good conscience let Amuné be put at risk like that? He wanted to help, but the more he thought on it the less likely he was to agree. "I don't know which way she's going though, it could be in the totally opposite direction we are..."

"I'm going wherever you're going, don't be absurd," Nymira spoke up as she entered the room again, having cleaned herself off. Looking at the trio suspiciously as they were huddled around she frowned in disapproval, placing her hands on her hips and lifting her head haughtily. "You agreed to be my escorts, unwittingly or otherwise, by coming to my rescue. My mission here is to meet any of your leaders that I can and gain their favor for my clan, and I can do that at any city. You can continue on whatever little adventures you're having, and I'll simply tag along. This agreement works out for both of us, don't you agree?"

"Er... Nymira?" Norman began, frowning as he held up a hand, "I don't think they agreed to anything yet, you can't force them to-"

"Of course I can force them, I'm of higher social status than they are," Nymira shot back, narrowing her eyes at the engineer in annoyance.

"Yes, back in your clan, but you're not here. And... You're largely unrecognized even out here in Galloway, never mind the larger cities. To put it bluntly... You've as much authority here as Amuné does, sorry kid," Norman added, sending a small smile in Amuné's direction.

Nymira took some kind of exception to what Norman had said, and for a second looked to be primed to attack him again. Instead however she managed to take a proverbial step back and let out a long, deep sigh, closing her eyes and nodding her head slightly. "I see... Nevertheless I need escorts, at the very least to help me find my way around. Plus I am much less likely to become a target, however unlikely, if there's more people around me." These three may not be the most imposing of sorts, but the Mura could at least somewhat handle himself in a scuffle, and the Machina looked to be able to fight. Giving the group a silent look for a moment she placed one hand over her heart, bowing to them in a polite gesture. "As princess of the Rumia clan, I, Nymira Rumia ask for your help on my mission," she said, lifting her head before smirking, "Although... I plan on accompanying you whether you allow me to or not."

Well that pretty well answered their position here, didn't it? If Nymira planned on coming along regardless of what they said then why bother sharing their view? Anyways it seemed like they were in reluctant agreement already, so this wasn't a terribly upsetting outcome. Ethan smiled exasperatedly when the princess threw in that last bit, chuckling before giving his neck a rubbing. "Well I guess that settles that then, looks like you're with us," he responded, his smile waning ever so slightly at Nymira's smug look. "But... Before we go, Norman said he'd give Cecil a tune-up. I want to go ahead and get that done first, if Cecil wants to as well," he added, glancing back at his friend.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Hopefully that is a good different. I'd hate to think this might be dull for you," Vegeta added, putting in the final commands and getting the room to begin shifting over. There was some sort of satisfaction at having a machine like this here, and he was seriously impressed by the technology; back on Earth they needed a massive power source to change the gravity in a given space, yet here it appeared to be the room itself, not some oversized converter. Maybe after they were through today he could ask how this worked, replicate it back home for their own use. The dull humming signaled that gravity was changing, and a slightly notable weight on his body told Vegeta it had worked. He barely noticed the change, yet Viral appeared rather unsettled by it. "You tell me, is your heart working because of activity, or is it strenuous? It's normal for your body to work harder in a situation like this, so it all depends on how you feel." The Beastman was keeping upright and didn't appear to be straining to remain as such, so that was a good thing. Walking over he reached out and placed two fingers right on Viral's neck, gauging his pulse for a moment before smiling slightly. "It's fairly regular despite the change, you should be fine. Seeing as you can move, why not try and do a push-up or two? See how that works for you."

Was it a good thing or a bad thing that Leto had found them? Sasha wasn't so sure either way, though of any officer they might be found by, he was probably the best to do so. So he'd be coming along with them, it was somewhat annoying yet also worked in their favor: having an officer with them should keep them from being questioned, as long as it wasn't someone higher up than Leto anyways. For that reason alone Sasha was fine with him coming along, it'd mean they could go about their business largely carefree. "Eh...? You're worried about blending in...?" she asked, "Uh... You're going to stick out a bit no matter what. There aren't really any other Frost Demons here on Uuonoe, at least none I've ever seen. But don't worry about that, most people aren't going to know who you are, and if they see you with us they'll have no reason to worry."

"She is correct, my young friend! So long as you stay at my side, none of our comrades will have any reason to fret!" Leto near shouted in agreement, throwing in an unnecessary flex for good measure, "Uuonoe is a hospitable world that welcomed me even after becoming its enemy, it is truly a home to all those who welcome it! Let us show you just how splendid this world really is!" Not just this city, there were other places as well which deserved plenty of attention. He himself had only been to one other city here, and while nowhere near as large as the Capitol, it was every bit as vibrant and welcoming. Kiton would love Uuonoe if given the chance, and Leto was all to happy to be the proverbial gateway into that experience. "Now come, let us go bask in the glory that is this wondrous world! Why... It's already like a second home to me, I can't sing its praises enough!" the Yulian continued, beginning to walk off with exaggerated gestures, "I'll show you the greatest things the city has for us!"

Takeshi couldn't think of anything to refuse Krom any further, accepting the reality that he was to be their instructor. The very thought of doing what an Elite did, after all they had done to him and his friends and family, it made his blood boil. Yet at the same time if it was Shu's only hope of getting better then he hadn't a choice, and Aito wasn't coming forth to offer to train them either. Noticing just how unnerved his little brother was becoming over all of this, Takeshi reached out and gave his hair a little ruffling, hoping to ease some nerves with that. "And we're going to do that, okay? Aito is here and Krom knows about it a little, the two of them can fix this and make you all better. Just gotta hang in there, you know? And I'll be right here the whole time." For whatever that might be worth. Before he hadn't been much insurance when it came to preventing a transformation, so his presence her now may not be worth anything at all. Fidgeting somewhat uneasily at that thought, he looked back to Krom when the guy began speaking to him again. "What did I do to calm him down...?" he asked rhetorically, frowning before averting his gaze. What had he done? Yumi had calmed Shu before last time, and he couldn't exactly recall any time before he'd explicitly been the one to calm Shu. Did he actually have no idea how to do it?

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Now that the whole fiasco of trying to get Nymira to come along was over, Ethan was hopeful they might return to Norman and move on. There was still the matter of their own journeys to attend to, and while this had been necessary it also had taken up a good few hours, more time than he'd like to have spent. Not wasted by any stretch of the imagination however they had secured something Cecil desperately needed, and now could continue on with their own adventure. Speaking of the Machina, why was he looking so down right about now? They had just found the woman they'd been searching for and he'd get to keep his battery, everything couldn't have worked out any better. Checking in on his friend, Ethan smiled apologetically when he seemed to confuse the other boy with his words. "You seemed sad, like something went wrong. But look, everything worked out fine! We're all here now and we're all fine, right? It's all good!" he said cheerfully with a pat on Cecil's back, placing his hands then behind his head. "If you're upset over attacking me, don't worry about it. It's a little sore but I'll survive, and I get you were trying to help, so no hard feelings, okay?"

So these three appeared to be friends, or at least companions on some sort of journey. Certainly they got along well, and in some way it was a reassurance that they were earnest about working for Norman; unless you were particularly deceptive, intentions were often out in the open and plain to see, not hidden behind a mask of friendliness and camaraderie. That was Nymira's experience at least, and she couldn't see these three threatening anyone, much less working for the criminals who had taken her. Plus the Mura seemed too simple to trick anyone, that helped her relax too. After the trio had a brief exchange they finally were back on their way to the shop, and it felt strange walking freely after days of captivity. Despite being surrounded too by supposed allies she remained alert the entire walk back, one hand always resting on the grip of her dagger.

The shop was technically closed up once the group had arrived, yet the door remained open expectantly, as if anticipating their return. When they entered the shop they would find the engineer sitting on his workbench, a smile on his face as he spun a wrench about in his right hand idly. "Good on you kids, I knew you'd find her. Nice to see you're well, Nymira," Norman said, ceasing the twirling as he slid down off the bench, tossing the wrench over onto another table with a clang. "Also glad you held on to our agreement, you could have easily skipped town and left me high and dry, appreciate it." And he'd not had to go out and risk his own neck, it was a win-win situation. Not that he'd hoped anything might happen to the trio, but they seemed more capable if things got nasty than he would have been. Smiling politely at Nymira as she came inside he moved over to greet her, and upon getting close enough had to duck to avoid being smacked, steadying his goggles on his head and giving her a puzzled look.

"You could have sent someone sooner you buffoon, it was terribly painstaking to remain in custody for so long," Nymira snapped, "Those men were insufferably barbaric, and they absolutely reeked! I swear, it's as if they've never heard of bathing before!" That was just one of many complaints she had with her situation, all of which might have been avoided if it hadn't taken a few days to send help. Honestly, was there not a single soul in all of Galloway that had been up to the job? Watching as he tried to apologize fruitlessly she folded her arms over her chest, having to look up at the taller man but nonetheless making him shirk under her gaze. "Three days Norman, three days! You promised you'd send people to act as my guard within a day, but that didn't happen. I had to free myself from their custody, you're fortunate they were idiotic enough to keep my personal belongings nearby."

"N-Now Nymira, I understand you might be a little angry," Norman said with a chuckle, holding his hands up defensively, "But I assure you, I tried to help you as soon as I could. Things just didn't quite work out the way I had planned."

"Obviously not. I don't even know why I agreed to this absurd plan of yours to begin with," Nymira continued, huffing as she finished. Remembering that there were others present she glanced at the group behind them, frowning before walking past Norman. "You explain it, I need to wash up. Three days without cleaning, and now I've got their blood on me..." she mumbled, promptly disappearing from the room as she headed inside the building proper.

There wasn't a whole lot the engineer could say at this point, knowing full well he'd ticked off Nymira. She had a temper, that one, and he was thankfully she'd not attacked him for messing up their ploy. Somewhat relieved when she left, he let out a long winded sigh before rubbing at his face, giving the group an apologetic smile afterwards. "Er... I suppose I owe you lot an apology, and an explanation. Seems like I wasn't completely up front with you to begin with." Heading to a panel on the wall he flipped a pair of switches, and at once the metal door slid down and a set of overhead lights came on, replacing the natural lighting that was cut off. Settling himself then down on the table again he fiddled with his goggles distractedly for a moment, trying to think of exactly how to explain things.

"Nymira was kidnapped, that much is true, but I suppose she was kidnapped on purpose. You see... Oh where to even begin with this," Norman grumbled, scratching at his head, "Okay, well for starters, Nymira's kind of a princess. I don't know quite how Dimuran civilization works, but that's what she's told me, so she must be someone important. She came to me a weeks ago and asked me to help her with her mission, something about building ties with important people and the like," he recalled, laughing before smiling ruefully, "I was confused when she came to me after hearing that, but she said she was interested in my expertise with Machina, so I began showing her a few things. She hadn't planned to stay long, and before I knew it she was packing up and getting ready to leave. Or she was going to, but she had to find someone to help her along first. See... She doesn't know the area at all, and while she can fight it'd be dangerous for someone like her to go alone, so she needed some guards. Tells me her former guards up and left after they got their first bit of pay, so she was looking again. I can't fight worth a damn so I wasn't about to do it, so I told her I'd help her find someone."

Boy, the more he thought about it and recounted this whole tale, the more absurd it got. Yet if these three were going to get stuck with the princess then it was only fair they learn the entirety of the situation. "So we hatched this plan, or I guess I hatched it: Fake a kidnapping, then send some brave souls along to rescue her. The common thugs around here wouldn't be an issue for her, so we figured it was a safe bet and couldn't hurt. I'd send someone along as soon as I found someone and if they freed her, they'd be her guards. 'Course, it took a bit longer than I expected, and she was captive for a couple of days. But then you three came along looking for my help, and I saw a chance to make a deal. The rest you know, but that's the gist of it."

"So wait... We just rescued some foreign princess then...?" Ethan asked, his eyes squeezed shut as he rubbed at his head in frustration, trying to make sense of all of it. "And you sent her to get kidnapped, but not really kidnapped. So this whole thing was basically a test to see if we could protect her..." Was that it? Giving Norman an earnestly baffled look it seemed like that was the case, yet this still didn't make a terrible bit a sense at all. "Okay... But we didn't actually save her, she was already free when we found her. She even attacked us, and you never said anything about that. I just don't get it... This is all super confusing... And wait, does this mean we're supposed to guard her now? Don't get me wrong, we were glad to help out, but I think a princess is a bit beyond us..."

"Normally I'd agree, but it seems most people don't know her. Before she went and got herself kidnapped she'd walk around Galloway all day and never get bothered, so she's pretty unknown out this way. That being said, it's unlikely that anyone is going to come after her unless they have some intimate knowledge of who she is, and the chances of that are slim." Unless they raided a town or encroached on land, the Dimura were usually left largely alone by the other races. Being as combative and aggressive as they were it was often frowned upon to even socialize with them, as more often than not things turned violent, even over petty disagreements. Nymira and her clan appeared to be a bit more civilized than that, yet her temper was still there. "I know it's a huge favor to ask of you three, but you're the only ones who have taken the request, and you seem to be able to handle yourselves fine. Tell you what, if you agree then I'll even give your friend there a free tune-up, just this once. I can get his systems working even better than they are now."

Well that would be nice, as there was still some work Cecil could use. But still... To guard a princess. Ethan had to remember his own reason for traveling in all of this, and the fact he was already trying to help out both Amuné and Cecil. There was no telling where Nymira might take them or what might come their way, or how much it might take them away from their own goals. "Uh... Just one second Norman, okay?" Ethan said with an uncertain smile, promptly turning around and looking at his friends, keeping his voice at a whisper. "What should we do...? I mean we can say no, but... He said she needs someone to protect her, and we might be able to do that. But if we do it then it might take longer for us to do what we need to..." he said, sighing and hanging his head, "Man... I don't even know right now..."

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

That might be easier, yeah :o Dank oo!

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

Ohai o/ I see it's my post, but I'm not super sure what to write about :x Without being redundant and repeating some stuff, I can really only respond to each of your last bits, and I don't get much outta that