GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"I understand perfectly why healers are so revered, we hold our own to a high standard in my clan," Nymira retorted sharply, keeping her knife where it was unwavering, "Is your being a healer supposed to rid you of guilt for lying to me though? Or kissing me like that? I demand respect for my station, I am a princess, not some common floozy who can be swayed by a simple gesture!" Oh she hoped she had used that word correctly, she'd heard several patrons at a tavern call a barmaid that and while the meaning was lost on her she gathered it wasn't positive.

Narrowing her eyes as Zander called her egotistical Nymira had to make an extra effort to hold back, wanting more to smack him upside the face than cut his throat. It was more an intimidation than anything really, her blade, she would never actually kill someone over something so petty. So when Zander placed his own neck against the blade she pulled it away so he couldn't do it again, keeping it raised slightly however to make sure he didn't move. "Regardless... A healer will be invaluable during a fight, even if you are no Magi. And regardless, its your duty to help others in need, is it not?" the Dimuran asked, smirking as she lowered her knife, "It may not be your usual work, but I'm certain you'll do just fine."

Bernadette watched the entire exchange with baited breath, unnerved that the Dimuran had been so quick to pull a knife. What more to expect from a people known for battling their own kin? Thankfully it looked to be little more than a threat, thank goodness for that at least. If they were to be working together then perhaps they really could succeed, they seemed capable but having a healer along should make it far safer for them. "If that is decided then perhaps you could be on your way? The longer this takes the further down river the ship gets," the secretary reminded them, walking to the window behind the mayor and gesturing out across the lawn. "If you head down the road a ways there you'll reach the piers, and there someone should be able to tell you more about where the ship is. Or you can just head up river and try finding it yourself. I doubt they went down river, that would mean going to Galloway, and I can't see any sense in going to another town."

"I see... We have to meet someone before we leave, but we'll find this ship of yours, you have my word on that. Be prepared to give us what we need when we return as well." How bothersome that she should have to play the part of a guard simply to secure an agreement with this place. She supposed that was politics though, you never got something truly for free. Sheathing her dagger again she gave the sleeping mayor a cursory glance before turning to the secretary and bowing politely. "Sorry for the intrusion, and... For drawing a weapon here, I should have kept calm," she apologized, "As soon as we finish this task of yours we'll return with the good news."

----------

"Hey, you never know! He's got a nose doesn't he?" Ethan asked with a laugh, reaching down and scratching at the back of Wyth's head, "I guess we'll have to find them the old fashioned way. Shouldn't be too hard!" He liked to think so, but he knew just how inept he himself was when it came to traveling. As Amuné was quick to point out they needed to find someone to give them directions, and then pray to the powers that be their friends were even still at the mayor's. As luck would have it the minstrel from before knew precisely where to go, giving them directions as to where to find the manor. With a thanks from both of them the pair promptly headed out to find their friends.

What they had seen of Orosi wasn't bad per say, in terms of simple quality Ethan would even say it was nicer than most of Kinsgrove. Yet as soon as they crossed over a large stone bridge he noted how different the homes and even just the roads were. With cast iron lamps lining the smooth streets, tall brick and mortar homes two stories high looming over them and well maintained yards this was clearly where the wealthier sort lived. And even from here at the bottom of the district you could see the mayor's manor, up above on a rise overlooking the rest of those who resided here. Of course the mayor had that house, Ethan thought with an exasperated smile, fitting in a way.

"So this looks like the right place, now we just have to find them..." Ethan mused aloud, scratching at his chin as he looked down various side roads on the way. The mayor's house was visible but they could realistically be anywhere here, best to check every corner just to be certain. Rounding one such turn he was elated to find the others approaching from the far end, giving them a wave before shouting, "Over here! Hey guys!" Motioning for Amuné to follow he hurried down to greet the others, grinning widely as they met in the middle of the road. "Holy cow, we actually found you! Done with the meeting already?" he asked, pausing then looking at Zander with a quizzical expression, "And uh... Who's he?"

"He's a healer, and a liar, he'll be helping us with our job," Nymira explained curtly, "Which is to say we have work to do. In order to get what we need we've been forced to do some work their guards are incapable of doing. A ship has been stolen from them, no doubt the work of some bandits. I swear, your towns are lousy with criminals..."

"Not all of them! Just uh... You know, the big ones?" Ethan offered lamely, smiling as he shrugged. So Galloway and Orosi had a little bit of a problem, it wasn't like it was an entire town of thieves right? Saving a stolen ship, now there was something he never thought he might be doing. How did you even go about doing something like that? "So we need to get back this boat of theirs and then you get what you need from the mayor? I guess it can't be helped then, looks like we're stealing a boat back! Oh, I'm Ethan by the way," he added as he extended a hand to Zander, "And this is Amuné, you've met Nymira and Cecil. I guess welcome to the group for now!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"So some assholes shot at you and your clan, huh...?" Takeshi grumbled before frowning, looking back to the building at Shu's insistence. Now he remembered in part why he disliked humans so much, he'd been spoiled in meeting nice people for the longest time. He knew now though too that the nasty ones like that were far and few between, it wasn't right to completely condemn everyone for the actions of a few; the Saiyans in power were particular jerks yet their entire race wasn't awful, it was sort of the same with humanity, or any race for that matter. "Viral's fine, he's just dirty, and uh... I mean I think he's okay..." He was slowing down quite quickly, was he hurt? Or just tired? Maybe they should check on him, if he was done swinging that hammer around. No sense in getting their heads bashed in if he got overzealous.

"Viral! Viral are you okay?" Yumi shouted as she hurried over to the rubble, stepping over several stones and climbing up to meet him. Grabbing the hammer and throwing it aside she began to look over her friend meticulously, after a moment sighing in relief that there were no visible wounds on him. "Well you're dirty but there's nothing wrong with you, thank goodness..." she said with a smile before reaching out and gently dusting him off a little, "You two spooked Shu with all that banging around, he thought it was gunfire at first! I'm sure you can imagine how glad we are that it isn't." Hearing rubble behind them falling about she glanced over and saw the Uuonians coming up towards them, frowning and heading down to meet them halfway. They looked to be going for Viral but she stopped them short, giving them a testy glare as she placed her hands on her hips. "You should be grateful they did this job for you! It's incredibly rude to just ask someone to do this job for you, and even more to sit down right in front of them while they do your work! Have some respect!"

"E-Erm... But miss, they offered to do it for us! We never asked for them to, honest!" one of the men stammered, coughing and wiping some dust off of his face afterwards, thoroughly covered by it.

"It's true! We were going to do it, but they offered!" another said quickly, shirking back when Yumi narrowed her eyes.

Takeshi smiled sheepishly and nodded in confirmation, embarrassed that Yumi had thought they were suckered into this work. "I uh... It was my idea actually, I dragged Viral over to the building to break it. These guys were having some trouble so I kinda offered to help them?" Plus Viral needed to blow off some steam, but he wasn't going to say that and piss the guy off. Hard to tell really how he was feeling other than tired, though in of itself that was noteworthy; Viral had been ill for a long time, and while he'd seemed tired in a lot of ways he'd never seemed like this, just totally, physically exhausted. Hell, maybe the guy would sleep for a change!

"Well, now that all the fun and excitement is over, maybe it's best we get moving!" June announced with a clap of her hands, "I think after all that excitement we should stop and get a decent lunch somewhere! Maybe relax for a little while!" She still hadn't had a meal herself really, nor had Viral eaten at all. It was her hope that after some hard labor he might have an appetite for a change, one enough anyways to put down even a small meal. Excusing herself as she stepped past the Uuonians she joined Viral and Yumi atop the rubble, stumbling slightly along the way. "Viral, would you join me for lunch now? Just something quick, then we can get back to whatever you'd like to do."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Yumi wasn't certain what she was trying to do here with Shu, what could be said or done to help ease his discomfort any more. They had told him that there was nothing bad happening here and that no one was being hurt, yet he was still a little panicked over it. Even covering his ears didn't wholly block out the noise and he was still tense; at this point she was hoping Viral and Takeshi would finish soon so their young friend could relax. "Maybe we'll take some time to actually relax once we finish here? You did just get out, we can take it easy for a little while, I'm sure no one will mind." He had taken perhaps the worst of the beatings on the other world, it was just expected that he would take the longest to recover. Glancing to the building as the destruction continued Yumi was surprised to see Takeshi leaving to join them, raising an eyebrow curiously as he landed and came over to greet Shu. So it was just Viral working then?

He'd only just gotten down and he was floored by Yumi, what the heck? Evidently it was for ditching Shu and running off with Viral, how was that fair? Rubbing at his cheek he collected himself and went to check on Shu, giving him an apologetic smile and ruffling his hair. "A gun huh...? You hear a lot of guns before?" he asked curiously, tilting his head for an answer. Expecting an answer he cringed when there was a loud crumbling sound, looking over his shoulder and watching wide eyed as the building began to come down. Turning away while dust was kicked up he blinked a few times as the noise settled, finally glancing back and trying to peer through the cloud of dust, missing as a plume hit the Uuonians that had ditched their job and getting covered in it. "I'm sure he's fine buddy, it was just a... Collapsing building," Takeshi muttered, still trying to see through the clouds.

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

What was this philosophical conversation they were having now? Here they were in some weird mask shop picking up supplies from this weird man, and now they were speaking of healing spirits. Caelan figured not in the literal sense, they must be talking about people, right? After all how did you heal a spirit? Was that even a thing? Glancing back up at the masks he wondered just what this man's deal really was, as he clearly wasn't just some run of the mill shop keeper. Never mind the priceless goods he supposedly sold, but how was he mixed in with Demoko? Considering what their group was doing could land them in a world of trouble he wondered what this man had to gain out of it, if anything; life told him no one helped simply to help, everyone did so to get something out of it. So what was he getting?

"H-Hey! At least ask before you do that!" Caelan said as he pulled his hand back, looking at the mark before it faded away. Sure that was a handy spell but what were they meant to use it for? Their supplies? If he managed to keep a use or two from the spell he'd definitely have to use it on his next adventure in a tomb, he could haul so much treasure like this! Now that they had their spells and magic surely they could get out of this place. Then again what exactly were they doing here? Something about rescuing a princess? Caelan couldn't help but snort at the absurdity of it all, he wasn't some knight running off to save a captured princess. He had an adventurous streak to be sure, but saving some trapped girl from a castle wasn't quite the adventure he had in mind.

Still... That had to be worth something, right? Maybe they would be rewarded, or at the very least it was worth some sort of bragging rights. Not that he had much of a say either way, since fighting on the bridge he was heavily invested in this mess regardless of what he got out of it. Sighing to himself he glanced at Link when spoken to, smirking in amusement at his ideas. "Yeah, let's blow up a whole castle and everyone else in it, that'll work," he commented sarcastically, shaking his head then, "Sorry, but that won't work. I know a thing or two about sneaking around though, I'm sure we'd be able to get inside." Walking over towards the masks on the far wall he gazed at them absentmindedly, his brain chugging along as he tried to come up with some semblance of an idea. "I know a lot of old ruins, castles especially... They have secret tunnels, right? Well... If we can find those, we can sneak inside. And if we do that then we avoid most of the guards, right? After that it's just a matter of getting through to wherever this princess is."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Nymira had never seen so many Machina in one place, and she was certain she never wanted to again. Something about how they mindlessly tackled their assignments, showing no emotion whatsoever, it was unsettling. Emotion betrayed how someone truly felt or what they were thinking, or even their smallest expressions could give away a hint of deceit. She had learned to recognize some of these in dealing with other Dimuran chieftains, and she tried to apply the same things to people here. Yet when addressing the butler she found absolutely nothing, no way to guess how he was feeling or thinking. It was unnatural and otherworldly; like the Magi attacking them it was something that shouldn't exist, yet for some inexplicable reason out here it seemed to be the norm. What a strange place Adelon was proving to be.

They had been shown directly to the office in the back of the estate, though it appeared her meeting would be delayed somewhat. Why was that precisely? Did they think whatever petty matters they were seeing to trumped her own? Her task here was to secure a better future for her clan, and perhaps in turn for her people overall. What was this person here for now? Something trivial like wanting more money? Complaining about a noisy neighbor? She wasn't going to wait on that, her own business was far more important. Ignoring the words of the secretary, Nymira marched up to the doors and threw them wide open, glancing briefly at the two men inside before going to the younger of the two. He was the mayor, yes? Surely he'd reason with her!

She had confronted him directly, so why was there no response? Narrowing her eyes impatiently she waited for the supposed mayor to respond, glancing at the portly man on the other side of the desk now and again. Who was that oaf then? Given his portly appearance and his clothing she assumed he was a merchant, she couldn't see any self respecting leader dressing himself so extravagantly, it was just in utter contempt. Feeling her hand being picked up the Dimuran's brow knitted together curiously, her eyes shifting back to Zander just as his lips met the back of her hand. His lips. Her hand. He had kissed her?! Rather than become blatantly furious her jaw clenched hard and her face paled, though her eyes seemed to grow more intense as she stared at the young boy. Mayor or not, that was much too personal for two complete strangers.

Don't kill him, don't kill him, whatever you do, do not kill him. Nymira had to repeat this mantra time and time in her mind to stay her hand, twitching and so desperately wanting to grab the daggers at her hips. Such insolence... Were all leaders like this, with no respect for relations and personal boundaries? She was here as a dignitary and demanded respect, not to be treated like a maiden and kissed in an attempt to woo her. Watching as Zander threw a strange talisman at the portly man she relaxed somewhat, puzzled to see the merchant fall asleep suddenly. Was he a Magi, or was this some other trickery at work? Now she was both angry and confused, and had the secretary not intervened just then she'd have gone on a tirade of monumental proportions.

"Oh yes, the reason he actually called you in here," the secretary began, going back to her desk and grabbing a small folder off of it. Placing it on the mayor's desk she opened it back up, showing a small wanted poster for a few known bandits as well as a handwritten letter, crudely written, of some sort of demands. "A very important merchant vessel was stolen yesterday, it has some cargo that Orosi absolutely needs. We've tried to get it back but our guards were beaten, and now they're demanding insane amounts of gold for its return. We could pay it, but some of the guard worries they'll push for more if we give in, so we've been looking for help to get the boat back."

Nymira scowled as the situation was explained, annoyed that once more her presence was seemingly ignored. Slamming a hand down on the desk she looked at the secretary with anger in her eyes, pointing then to the documents on the table. "If I bring you their hides can I have my time with the mayor? I detest having to deal with something as lowly as a common thief, but if it's what I must do in order to secure an audience."

Bernadette's brow shot up at the unexpected proposal, surprised to hear someone willing to actually take the job. Should she though, after all she knew nothing of this woman and her companion. "Well... Generally the mayor would pick those to handle the task, but he's currently... Asleep," she muttered, her eyes shifting over briefly before looking between Nymira and Cecil, "And you both seem capable, maybe you could do it. We can't guarantee your safety though, we don't know exactly who is on board that ship. The fact that some of our guards-"

"I'm worth a dozen of your guards, we'll be fine," Nymira interrupted sternly as she moved her hand from the table. Rather than continue that conversation she instead turned to Zander, her features deceptively calm as she looked up at him. "So you're not the mayor, and yet you dare kiss my hand... Even if you were him it would be inexcusable, but to learn you're simply some commoner..." Reaching down into her sheath she pulled a dagger free in a blink of an eye, holding it up to the healer with a nasty smile. "Let's make a deal here then, you liar. You help us in securing this ship, and I forgive your impudence, how does that sound?"

-----

Finding the inn wasn't terribly hard, as even Ethan could follow the directions they were given. It didn't hurt either that one of the stable hands walked with them halfway, good thing as he'd almost gone the wrong way immediately. With Nymira's money he found he could be much more liberal with the kind of arrangements they got, so he figured why not indulge a little? He would be content with the basics, but he figured Nymira would want better, and Amuné deserved to be comfortable. He knew that paying up near 200 silvers for both rooms was mighty steep, especially given the regular rooms were a fraction of the cost. They had the funds though, why not go for it?

They had barely gotten into the room before Amuné chastised him for his spending, smiling sheepishly as he gave his neck a rubbing. "I-I know, I know... I just thought everyone might like having a nice place to sleep tonight, especially after last night. I promise I won't do it again!" He probably wouldn't live to do it again if Nymira found out, best to keep the price of the room between them. Then again... She didn't seem too upset about spending a lot earlier, he told himself, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh, Maybe she'll be okay with it? Probably best to play it safe and not mention it regardless, but he'd be honest if she happened to ask.

"Yeah I noticed that, it'll be really cool to hear some music!" Ethan mused as he stared at the ceiling, "I heard some Ydran music years ago, when someone came through Kinsgrove. Other than that though I can't remember any, it'll be neat to see what he plays." He'd always enjoyed music, he loved listening to the minstrel and the barmaid back home sing renditions of popular songs every day, always doing so with bright smiles and to a room full of happy patrons. That was music to him, a bunch of people enjoying themselves and having a good time. Maybe he wouldn't get the same feeling out here in a place like Orosi, but it would still be nice.

Ethan was torn, on one hand wanting to do absolutely nothing and on the other knowing they had places to be. Gosh this bed was comfortable, they were going to sleep like babies tonight! He tried to keep down for a few minutes and let some of the weariness wash away, but the incessant ticking of the clock was almost mocking him, telling him he had to get moving; constantly moving was his way of doing things since he'd begun this journey of his, and much as he might feel like he needed a rest he was having trouble doing so. Eventually Ethan began to fidget impatiently as the clock continued to count the seconds, grating against his ears until he simply couldn't bear it any longer.

"Okay, rested long enough!" Ethan declared as he sprung to his feet, beaming and clasping his hands together, "Come on Amuné, come on Wyth, let's go see how everyone else is doing!" They had just gotten here, sure, but really did they need to hang around? Besides it was a nice day, they should be outdoors doing something! Looking around for the keys given to him for their rooms Ethan made sure to pocket them, beaming at Amuné before heading to the door and holding it open for her, "Figure you can find them Wyth? I know we were going to meet at the stables, but maybe we can surprise them instead!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Well if that didn't break June's heart then nothing would. Shu had never known his mother? She couldn't imagine anything worse, she'd have been completely lost if she'd never known her parents; yes her father was an evil man, but he'd still taught her things and how to live, or more often how not to live. Parents were meant to be around to help their children learn, sadly it seemed like Shu never had such a thing. "Good things will always happen, and if you think positive then they might even happen more," June reinforced with a smile, "Don't think of it as bad things are always going to happen. Life is never just good or just bad, you must know that right? Whatever happens is only as powerful as how we think of it, Aito told me that, and you've met him. He always used to say things are only as bad or as good as you make them. So... Try to forget bad things and look forward to the good that will come!" She certainly wasn't a therapist, she felt completely out of place saying all of this. It was rehashed from something Aito had told her years and years ago too, when they had first arrived in Otherworld in fact. Those words had comforted her enough to be content where they were, and she hoped she hadn't misconstrued them too much here.

June wasn't the only one feeling bad for Shu, Yumi wanted to help him relax too. What was going on was such a simple, innocent thing. Loud? Certainly, but there was no harm in it. Giving the young boy a sympathetic smile she pulled him in close, and after making sure it was okay used her hands to muffle the sounds, placing them over his ears gently. It wouldn't drown out the noise entirely but perhaps just enough to make it bearable, for however much longer it might be going on for. Takeshi and Viral may be enjoying themselves bringing down a building but it wasn't quite a group activity they could all get into, now was it? Worried as well that T'charrl might be having a hard time of it she asked if he was bothered, somewhat relieved that he wasn't. "Oh your head is sore? Why is that?" Yumi asked with concern, sounding almost maternal as she looked T'charrl over studiously, "Are they being too loud and they're giving you a headache? Or did you not get to eat enough earlier?" Maybe that was it, he'd been on such a lax diet and now he had been taken away from his meal. She was in part to blame for that of course, but so were the others. "As soon as those goofballs are finished breaking that building we'll find you some fruit!"

"Ow ow ow, dammit! I got a stupid splinter!" Takeshi whined as he held up his hand, meticulously trying to pluck the sliver of wood from his fingertip. How was something so damned tiny so fricken painful? "Oh like you've never fallen out of bed on accident, even once!" he shouted back defensively, more engrossed in his not-so-mortal wound than arguing with Viral. Finally managing to pinch his fingertip he yanked the splinter free, sighing with relief and flicking it away. Right, now where had he been? Glancing at the wall as it sat precariously, shattered by his strikes, he rubbed his knuckles and got ready to smash it down. When Viral then jumped on it and told him to clear out he opened his mouth to argue before shrugging, figuring he'd leave the rest to the Beastman at this point; the roof wasn't going to come down around Viral's head, he should be fine. "Have fun dude, don't make too much of a mess," Takeshi said as he turned, waving before running to the front of the building and jumping out, landing before Shu and Yumi. "Hey buddy! Sorry about that, Viral and I saw this building and-" Now there was another pain, this one in the form of Yumi smacking him so hard he spun around and fell on his rear. "OW! What the heck?"

"What do you think you're doing running off like that, huh? And you're scaring Shu with all that noise!" Yumi said testily, narrowing her eyes at Takeshi as he pointed down in his face, "You could at least tell us what you're doing before disappearing!"

"Jeez... Alright I getcha, sorry, my bad," Takeshi grumbled defensively as he nursed his cheek, getting back to his feet and dusting himself down. Looking at Shu he smiled apologetically and walked over, lowering himself and ruffling his brother's hair gently. "Sorry about that Shu, we just got distracted, that's all. You okay now?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Visit my village? Sure, we can do that! When we finish this trip of ours up I'll take you back, I bet you'll love it," Ethan said excitably, "It's small but it's nice, and everyone there is really friendly. Oh and there's Ms. Gammon who makes the most delicious pumpkin pies, you'll have to try one of those! And there's this creek near the town I always go fishing in, and sometimes this cat comes over and sits with me, he always expects fish." Realizing he was rambling a little bit Ethan cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly and bringing their horse to a slow standstill. They had finally reached East Orosi and now had the matter of figuring out where everyone was heading. Helping Amuné down from the horse he led both over to the stables, briefly conversing with the stable hands before rejoining his friends.

Having Nymira wish to run off to meet the mayor complicated things, especially since it would be a bit much for all of them to go. If he was going to keep an eye on Amuné and get them settled in then that left Cecil to act as her bodyguard. The Machina didn't seem overly thrilled with the arrangement and he knew they'd worked their friend into a corner, but it ought to be a quick visit. Giving him an apologetic smile Ethan then nodded in agreement with the Ydran, figuring it only made sense to ask for directions, especially given his penchant for having a lack thereof. "Yeah we'll do that, sounds good. And we'll see you guys soon," he added to Cecil and Nymira, giving the former a smile and pat on the arm, "Don't worry, nothing's going to cause problems here, we're in a big town, right? There's guards everywhere, it's not like the little places we've been." They seemed to be in a decent part of town too, hopefully that meant anyone who might cause them harm was a ways away.

"Anyone who gives us trouble will be dealt with. I won't have common rats getting in my way," Nymira muttered disdainfully, glancing around the stables as if expecting someone to suddenly pop up. She didn't know much about this place, or any town like this for that matter. Smaller ones she was familiar with as there were some around her clan's territory, but nothing quite this scale. Where did criminals normally hide? Galloway had them hiding in warehouses, so should they avoid warehouses? Stirred from her thoughts by Cecil's question she frowned and tried to come up with an answer, finding herself pitifully short of one. "A mayor is like a chieftain, I would imagine. They rule through winning a serious of fights with other males and then determine how their land is ruled. Ethan! Is that correct?"

Ethan chuckled nervously before shaking his head, rubbing at his neck when Nymira narrowed her eyes accusingly. "Sort of...? Mayors don't really fight for their position, at least... I don't think they do. Most towns elect a mayor somehow, people like someone and they get put in office, or maybe they buy it... All I know is mayors make up rules and enforce them with guards, so uh... Please be nice to him Nymira?"

"Are you saying I might cause problems for us?" Nymira snapped as she placed her hands on her hips, "I'm not here to cause problems Ethan, I'm acting as an emissary for my father! I wouldn't dare jeopardize that!"

"R-Right, right, sorry..." If she snapped at the mayor like that though he couldn't see her winning any friends any time soon. "Well good luck you two! We'll meet you back here when you're done!" Giving them a wave as they parted ways he let out a sigh, an exasperated look on his face before he smiled at Amuné. "Right, let's find out about that inn shall we? And preferably somewhere Wyth can stay the night!"

---

Asking for directions was not a particular strong suit of hers, particularly when it came to exercising patience. Some men even had the gall to demand payment for the information, or... Even less distasteful things. Leaving a handful of individuals with bruises likely wasn't the way to introduce yourself to a new place, but Nymira wasn't going to stand for that behavior. Eventually they had lucked out and managed to get the information they wanted, courtesy of a man whom she was positive soiled himself. Watching as he staggered off towards the tavern again she wrinkled her nose in distaste, wondering why in the world people like that were allowed to wander about freely. If you drank back home you did so in the comfort of your own home, it was dishonorable to wander about in such a fashion. Yet here it seemed perfectly allowable, the guards didn't even bat an eye at his antics.

"I swear... The things these people do and do not allow are so... Strange," Nymira commented as they continued along, shaking her head in disbelief, "Where I come from you behave in a manner befitting your family. Acting so... Idiotically in public, it makes no sense. What does that man hope to gain from doing that?" Looking to Cecil for a moment as if expecting an answer she shook her head again, looking down and adjusting the fabric of her cloak. "If you're trying to learn about people then I'd suggest forgetting him, unless that's normal for these parts. I sincerely hope it isn't."

Finding the mayor's home wasn't terribly trying, it stood out like a sore thumb compared to the other buildings around it. They were in a nice part of Orosi and still this building was extravagant by comparison, with large marble pillars along the front supporting a high tiled roof, and the walls made of multi-colored bricks giving it a very warm appearance. The front lawn was adorned with numerous flower beds and topiaries cut into various designs, having absolutely no rhyme or reason to them it seemed. A handful of servants busily worked away on them, almost mechanically so. As they passed through the gate and moved down the slab walkway Nymira and Cecil might be surprised to find the reason for their robotic movements; every servant working outdoors was a Machina.

In contrast to Cecil's very human appearance these Machina were very clearly robots. They bore human-esuqe faces, but the rest of their body, or what was visible was clearly machine. They wore simple cloth tunics, ragged and dirty from use, as well as trousers and boots for some peculiar reason, maybe to keep themselves from becoming dirty. As they approached the front of the building not a single one acknowledged their presence, all too engrossed in the work they had been assigned to notice. It was unsettling frankly, seeing so many soulless bodies slaving away with no other thoughts in mind. Only the most destitute and disheartened of Dimuran prisoners of war resembled these machines, and she loathed seeing anyone in such a state. What kind of person so willingly employed them?

"Lets just go inside... I don't wish to see them any longer." Using the door knocker, the base of which was shaped like a griffon's head, she knocked a handful of times then waited impatiently to be seen to. When the door was finally open her heart sank a little seeing another Machina waiting for them. This one looked slightly more human in appearance, even having a wig for false hair, and he wore a butler's attire. Yet when the Machina spoke it was obvious he was every bit as soulless as the rest.

"Visitors? I wasn't aware we had visitors today," the Machina said, his voice void of emotion, monotonic to the point of suggesting boredom, "The mayor is currently meeting with someone, I'll have to ask you return later."

"Certainly not, I'm here on official business!" Nymira replied sternly, holding out a hand to keep the door from closing, "I am Nymira Rumia, daughter of Velox Rumia and first princess of the Rumia clan. I am here to negotiate with your... Mayor, on a possible alliance between this city and my clan. I demand I speak with him this instant." To show she wasn't going to take no for an answer she forced her way inside the building by ducking under the butler's arm, standing to face him then with her hands set on her hips.

"I see... The master has no records of meeting with a dignitary today, and nothing in my memory shows any meeting with you whatsoever. If you insist however I can see you will not be dissuaded. I shall take you to him, but I cannot promise he'll see you." Glancing ever so briefly at Cecil his soulless eyes seemed to look into the other Machina's, showing no recognition or registering even the slightest emotion while doing so. Turning then without a word the butler walked through the main hall of the manor, heading directly through a set of large swinging doors and into a long hallway. At the very end sat a room with several chairs and a couch, as well as a desk with a Muran woman sat behind it. "Ms. Bernadette, there are visitors for the master."

"Is that right...? We just took one though," the woman said as she glanced up from her papers, her brow furrowing seeing Nymira and Cecil. A Dimuran girl and a boy, now that was an unusual couple. What could they possibly want with the mayor? "Well... He is meeting with someone, if you could wait a moment please we'll send you in afterwards."

What about seeing the man this instant was not understood? Her request was not something you could put in a book for weeks down the line, she had little time in each town and had to be prompt about her meetings. Before the woman had even finished speaking she moved for the doors, and much to her protest she threw both open, revealing a portly man sat behind a desk speaking with another young boy. "You are the mayor I assume?" she asked, walking over to the younger boy and looking at him sternly, "I demand we speak this instant, I won't be kept waiting!"

-----

Nymira and Cecil may have had a tough time of getting directions, but he and Amuné were lucky. The stable hands not only knew of an inn for them but explained exactly how to get there, going into painstaking detail when Ethan was confused at first. All but leading him there themselves he and Amuné along with Wyth found the place, a nice enough building that would more than suit their needs. It was a little busy for his tastes but they were able to find some rooms easily enough; there were three floors in the building, with the rooms becoming progressively more expensive the higher you went. Since they had extra money for a change, a lot of extra money, Ethan indulged and got themselves some rather nice quarters. He would never spend so much himself if it were just him, but he figured with Amuné in tow it was only fair to get a decent room, for her sake if no on else's.

"Ah... Feels good to get off my feet!" They had ridden a horse for a while but one would hardly call that comforting, even if it trumped walking. Ethan had been waiting for a comfortable sleeping space since falling into a slumber in the grass earlier today, and this was just what he was after. Having used some of Nymira's small fortune he managed to rent them a pair of rooms, on the third floor of the inn overlooking the river below. This room in particular boasted a balcony that one could stand on and overlook the waterway, as well as a king-sized bed and plenty of amenities for a pleasant stay. The princess might be angry with him when she learned of the cost, but they had so much money he sort of lost sight of the value of the coins. He doubted she would be too angry anyways once she found out she had a large room all of her own.

Laying back on the bed, Ethan lifted his head and smirked at Amuné before reaching out and prodding her arm with a finger playfully, in a much better mood now that he was relaxed. "My butt is still asleep from the ride, but that's nothing a little bit of walking won't fix! I'm thinking we lay here for a bit, and maybe... In 10 minutes go back to the stables? They'll take a while just to get to the mayor's place probably, which gives us time to be lazy!" He had no intentions of getting up before then anyways, it was so darn comfortable! Rolling over onto his front Ethan buried his face in the plus comforter, closing his eyes and letting out a dreamy sigh of contentment. "Or maybe they can just... Come find us. I wanna take a nap now..."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I'm going to give Alex a chance to post if he wants, otherwise I'll write one up and move us along.

Edit: To spare anyone not wanting to read my wall of text, Nymira and Cecil showed up at the mayor's and she stormed in demanding to meet the "mayor". Meanwhile Ethan and Amuné got themselves some swanky inn rooms for the day :P

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Oh Shu... You can't predict things are going to happen honey, no one can. If something unexpected happens it's not your fault, and worrying constantly doesn't change things," June continued as she got down on one knee, smiling as she placed a hand on Shu's. "My mother always used to tell me that if you worry, bad things are bound to happen. You also miss all the good things because you're only looking for the bad, understand? Things will happen in life that we don't like, some you can change, some you can't. If you spend all your time expecting that though then you can't enjoy yourself. If you can accept bad things will happen, and that things get better after they do, life becomes a lot easier." She certainly knew a thing or two about misfortune, dying was about as bad as it got. Sure she had a second lease on life now, but it just didn't feel the same as before. Yet she was alive, and whatever might have been lost in her time gone could now be replaced by new, exciting things. Life was like a book for her, with new chapters just waiting to be written.

In spite of this being nothing but mindless destruction Takeshi was rather enjoying himself. Were it just him here he might even use Ki and blast apart the building, but with Viral alongside him and other people around it was a no-go. That was fine though, punching through walls was a decent workout he supposed. Stepping back as one of the walls collapsed in under its own weight he grinned triumphantly, looking over his shoulder when Viral snapped at him. "Good thing I got a hard head, you know? Won't hurt me any!" he joked as he rasped his knuckles on his scalp, winking before walking over to another wall. "Splinters aren't the worst thing you could get here, I mean the whole building could come down on your head! Not now it won't, but that beats out little splinters." Standing at the middle of the next wall he reared back a fist and threw it clean through the wood, shattering it and punching again to break another hole. As he was freeing his hand he let out a wince and shook his arm, glancing down at his finger and pouting as he spotted some wood sticking out of his fingertip. "Oh damn it, I got a splinter!" he cursed, trying to pluck it free with his fingertips.

Everyone else seemed reasonably okay with what was going on, everyone save for Shu. He looked borderline panic stricken because of the noises even if there was no danger with them. Smiling sympathetically she moved over to the two boys and gently took Shu's hand, pulling him against her stomach and keeping him close. "No one is close to the building, and they won't hurt themselves, they know what they're doing," she reassured, lifting her hands by either side of his head, "And if you're so frightened by the noises, maybe I can do something to help?" Worth a shot anyways, she knew parents did it for children when they went to fireworks shows. Placing her hands over Shu's ears she made it a point to keep him against her for comfort if need be, smiling down at him all the while. "T'charrl, is the noise bothering you at all? I... Don't know how your hearing works, it's not painful or anything is it?" Admittedly with her ears it was a bit uncomfortable, but she was making due and managing to drown it out.

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

That post physically hurt to write, it's so bad Dx