Hammerman

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily
Interactions: @AzureKnight

”You’ve returned, hopefully the old man’s shop wasn’t too messy for your liking."

Renee scowled hearing her words but opted not to say anything. Ultimately she got what she wanted and that was all that mattered.

"Well, I'd say my lady here was quite displeased by the condition of the place." Lanus placed a hand on Renee's shoulder with a grin. "But do not fret. We've got what we need."

Let us be off then.”

Renee gave a quick glare towards Lanus for his unnecessary remark before nodding at the woman. "Yes, let us be off. The quicker we arrive there the better."

===========

Renee sighed, looking at the world outside her tiny window.

Oh, how she despised riding these steel machines. Sure, they might be convenient to move around large distances but the way they moved never sat well on her. She never liked being confined in a small space like this! Not to mention the fact that her stomach would churn if she were to ride on them for very long, which, for this case, was definitely the case.

She glanced at her partner who sat beside her. As expected, he was ogling Roze, who was sitting in front of him. She quickly gave him a good elbowing at the rib.

"Ouch, what was that for?!" He protested.

"Don't do that. You'll bother her." She scowled.

"Oh? Then should I look upon your beauty instead, my dear?" He gave her a teasing smile.

The elf's face promptly reddened. She looked away with a huff, crossing her legs and arms.

Lanus chuckled. Ah, how easy it was to tease her⁓

”I still don’t like this.” Said Roze. ”I wish the others were back.”

”We’ll be fine.” Replied her Belua comrade. ”All things considered, this is just a standard survey/purification job.””

”Rue, don’t take this lightly. The last team that went there was almost completely wiped out. Also, think about what’s become of the region, now that it’s been left unattended for the past few weeks.” She added in an annoyed tone. ”I would feel better if we had Xashan or Amelia with us.”

”If that thing was still there, I might agree with you. But, it’s long since moved on by this point. We’re just on cleanup duty right now.”

"I wouldn't count on that." Lanus chimed in on the conversation with a slightly ominous grin. "As a Reaver, I know very well that things can go south very quickly out there in the hunting grounds. Always prepare for the worst while hoping for the best."

Deep down, he already declared in his heart that he would sacrifice himself for Renee's sake if they were to be up against an opponent they couldn't beat or run from.

===========

The moment they arrived at the checkpoint, Renee let out a relieved sigh. Finally. That took long enough.

Her eyes quickly scanned her new surroundings, taking in the sight of the busy campsite. She actually was in need of the lavatory after such a long and unpleasant trip and she was hoping they could take a break before they went to whoever was in charge of the place.

Suddenly, she felt Lanus's hand on her shoulder, giving it a light massage.

"You okay, dear? You look pale. Need some rest?"

Her heart skipped a beat. That smile, that gentle whisper of his — it was what made her fall for him in the first place.

With her cheeks slightly red, she answered, "Yes, I'm alright. Just tired from the trip, that's all. You know how much I hate those vehicles."

As someone who grew up in a village out in the boonies, she never experienced riding in one until she traveled with Lanus.

"I know. If you want, I can cover for you."

She shook her head. "No need. I'm not that tired."

"Well, if you say so." He knew better than to dissuade his stubborn companion.

The two then followed Ruecian and Roze to meet with the officials. They proceeded to introduce themselves as well, after the latter two did.

"Greetings." Lanus bowed. "I am Lanus Retily. Pleasure to meet you."

"And I am Renee Terfiel. Pleased to meet you as well." The female fae bowed as well.

”Y-you’re Ruecian Valeniquen!” He exclaimed

”Yep, in the flesh…” Ruecian responded, in an annoyed tone.

”You’ve no idea what relief your presence here brings.” He said, his spirits lifted. ”Over there is that…?” He looked over at Roze and the others. ”It’s Rozemyne Levina! We may actually be able to rest easy!”

Renee raised her eyebrows. Are these two really that famous?

Lanus, on the other hand, wasn't surprised in the slightest by the officials' reaction. Rozemyne was already famous for being a powerful elementalist. As for Ruecian, well, the many tales of his exploits were no secrets amongst those in the field.

”Oh, yes, of course!” The man responded. ”I presume the other two with you are newcomers? We need all the help you can give.” He looked at Lanus and Renee for a moment.

"But of course!" Lanus smiled. "If you need any galdrist or elementalist, I'm your man."

"And I will be happy to assist with any alchemy you might need," Renee followed, placing her hand on her chest.

They then made their way to the largest tent at the camp. Taking their seats, it didn't take long until Lanus eyed the blue-haired woman from top to bottom, earning another elbow from Renee.

"Hmm, you say you don't know where the creature is now?" Lanus scratched his chin. "That's worrying. What if it pops out when we are there? I don't think we're equipped to handle such a beast on our own."

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Mentions: @Restalaan@AzureKnight

"I wouldn't bother." Skarsneek said to Lunatea as he dusted himself. "You'll be wasting energy, and this might work out to our advantage."

"I mean, you're a rabbit right?" He gestured to her two long ears. "You should be able to pick up noises far better than all of us."

"Just stick together, Takeshi, you lead the way, Luna, stay in the middle so you can support and warn all of us."

"Hmph." Lunatea folded her hands. "Sure, I can do that."

Luna offered to attempt to blow away the fog with her wind magic, while Skarsneek suggested they travel together in a formation of sorts."Luna-chan." She said. "I'm fairly confident that this isn't normal fog, I doubt a simple spell will be enough to get rid of it. If we combined our magics into some of my dispel talismans it might work." She looked at the ofuda in her pouch, then looked at Hinami. "But perhaps the one who made this fog wouldn't much appreciate it if we just up and got rid of it. It may be best for us to follow Skarsneek's lead and form up."

"You have a point," the wererabbit replied with a nod. "I can feel strong magic surrounding us. Perhaps it comes from the fog."

"Still, if we think we're to ambush whoever created this fog, we should be aware that they should already be prepared for that possibility. If I were them, I would've made myself immune to the fog. For all we know, they could have perfect vision under all of this and they are now watching us with an amused smile on their face."

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Mentions: @PaulHaynek

Before they departed, Lunatea returned back to the barracks to pack her things. There really wasn't much she brought with her. It was mostly her notes, some rations and water bottles, and change of clothes. Since her magic panties were her weapon, there wasn't any need to carry around a staff or a sword with her.

The taskforce would see rows upon rows of gravestones... if not for the thick fog that enveloped the area, revealing only a dozen or so as well as the stone paths granting comfortable access to visitors. "Quite the mist, though." Takeshi remarked. "It's probably not natural. Maybe this is Yurine's but it's too risky to assume that. Tread lightly."

Indeed, it was nigh impossible to see all of the cemetery with this fog, much less spot Yurine. "Do you guys think we should split up? We'll cover more ground, but we might get lost. Especially you, yokai, since you've never been here before."

"Split up? That would be too risky, wouldn't it?" Lunatea protested. "I can try blowing away all this mist with my wind magic if you want."

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Mentions: @Restalaan

"If you say so." Skarsneek teased and shrugged his shoulders before clearing his throat.

"But really, if you get in danger, holler out." He spoke much more earnestly to her and tapped her shoulders playfully. "I'll be right there."

"Hmph, you don't have to say that. You're part of our team now. We're expected to help each other. And don't you think I'm some defenseless maiden that can't pick up her own weight in battle!" She put her hands on her hips, scowling.

Even though Skarsneek's intention might be noble, Lunatea's own bias against him made her think he was just being his usual braggart, macho self.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

@Xaltwind
Why, of course! We have a bunch of characters shittalking each other all the time!

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Mentions: @Xaltwind@Restalaan

"Hey, looks like we're working together." Skarsneek opened his arms and smiled at the wererabbit and teased her. "Try not to get too distracted, wouldn't want me to pull you out of trouble, would we?"

"Distracted?" She sent him a glare, crossing her arms with a huff. "Who do you think I am? I always take fights seriously, you know. I might be a scholar but that doesn't mean I don't face my share of danger going out there exploring ancient ruins."

ᅠ
ᅠ

Lunatea couldn't help but think the gremlin was looking down on her. But since she didn't have any proof, she decided it was probably just a flash of her imagination. But then, thinking how gremlins were back in her homeland, she wouldn't be surprised if she did. They were the kind of folks who'd look down on anyone who couldn't appreciate their genius.

She opted not to join them on their trip, which was more than fine with the wererabbit. A sudden new member on a mission would just slow them down since they wouldn't know of her capability in combat. And besides, like she said, she couldn't bring all that heavy mechanical stuff with her.

"Try not to scare the locals," Lunatea warned as she walked away. "They don't like monsters like us and they certainly won't like your machines either."

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

@PaulHaynek
@Xaltwind

"We're actually heading out to look for Yurine." Takeshi answered the Wererabbit before voicing his concern. "I won't stop you from exploring the island, but you do realize we're in the middle of an invasion, right? Even if the settlements and shrines around here are still intact, traveling to them will probably get you a bad encounter with the Varjans. You may be a yokai, but I think it's too dangerous to be just roaming around."

"Hmph." The wererabbit huffed with her arms crossed. "If it were just a bunch of ordinary Varjan troops, I think I can handle it just fine."

"Why don't you come with us? You can go sightseeing while on the way." He offered to Lunatea. It would also be quite convenient for him since he could keep watch of the yokai and make sure they don't get into any trouble.

"Sure, we can do that," Lunatea answered. "Beats staying here, doing nothing. I've recorded all the data I could from this place."

She glanced at the young lord's entourage. She was happy that she would be with the sisters again but the same couldn't be said regarding the presence of Skarsneek, whom she quickly gave a cold stare towards.

Suddenly, a flash of light came from the pagoda in the center of the temple complex. Lunatea, not knowing that it was a place where new members of the Taskforce got teleported to, gave Takeshi a questioning and worried look.

"What was that? An attack?"

Only after Takeshi explained it to her did she calm down. Another new one, huh? Just how many people this Taskforce is going to have?

ᅠ

When they entered the pagoda, there was indeed a person there. Someone new, and a monster, just like them.

That shortness… Takeshi said she's a dwarf but to be more correct, she has to be—

Too late. She was already offended.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Lunatea Vern Farnsworth, a Wererabbit." She gave a polite bow.

Her gaze quickly landed on the mechanical arm she possessed. She was somewhat interested in it, not because she was a fan of machines or magitek, but just because it was part of Gremlin culture. Back at home, her race certainly didn't use anything like it. They preferred to utilize magical tools instead, objects imbued with magic by the usage of runic magic.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

@Crowvette
@The Irish Tree
@PaulHaynek
@AzureKnight
@Restalaan

When Liliane summoned a cow to break up the fight, Lunatea could watch in befuddled silence. No, really, she was out of words to describe what just happened. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but quickly closed it back.

No, it's not… it's not worth it… She shook her head.

"I may be able to produce scrolls that can let duels take place without causing lasting injury to either side. It could be good for us to understand how each other fights." Io spoke up suddenly. "But it is not the time nor place to do so." She added, giving the few 'voice of reason' Task Force members a slight nod.

"That would be useful," Lunatea replied with a similar nod. "Clearly, we'll need a full bundle of those, knowing just how… hot-tempered some of us could be." She glanced at the guilty party before rolling her eyes.

After her dinner, the wererabbit retreated to her futon in the barracks and began writing down in her notepads. She had a lot of things to jot down if she were to publish a book about this island one day. With her stomach pressed to the futon, and her legs swinging up and down, the scholar started her records.

Naturally, her dress quickly rode up in the process, showing off her cute butt and black panties to any onlookers nearby.

In fact, for the rest of the night, as she fell asleep, the dress and panties worked overtime to show off her assets. They knew how much their mistress desired a mate and so they reacted appropriately.

ᅠ

The next morning, Lunatea woke up with a yawn and a stretch. Sleeping on a thin mattress like that (she believed they called it a "futon") wasn't that good for her back. Still, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

After having her breakfast, she decided to take a short walk around the shrine. It was when she saw Takeshi, along with the Hangai Sisters and Skarsneek.

Hmm? What are they doing over there, gathering like that?

Walking up to them, she gave them all a greeting.

"Good morning," she said with her usual formal manner, eyeing every one of them. "Is something the matter?"

She still remembered what happened yesterday and wondered if that little drama had resumed.

Placing her hands on her hip, she said, "If you guys aren't going anywhere, I'm actually thinking of traveling around to visit the nearby settlements and shrines. Part of my research into this island."

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily
Interactions: @AzureKnight

Renee's eyes narrowed with displeasure when she learned that the old man didn't know the ingredients to a transmutation fluid. How couldn't he? It was one of the most basic concoctions one would learn to make as an alchemist! Now she began to doubt the quality of the transmutation fluid he would give to her.

When Aldin arrived, Renee and Lanus's attention were momentarily locked on him. But before they could speak a word, the man already decided to leave.

"Well, he sure is in a hurry!" Lanus remarked with a smirk. "What? Does he not find the aroma of this place agreeable?"

Renee clucked her tongue in disagreement. As an alchemist, she was all too familiar with all manners of odd smells and scents. This place's odor was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Oh, he'll be joining us on our mission?" Lanus spoke, scratching his chin. "How curious. I wonder how well he handles himself in combat if he can't even handle this smell."

When the old mechanic gave the red liquid to Renee, the fae gave the bottle a good look, making sure there weren't any signs of abnormalities on the liquid.

Huh, it looks perfectly normal… Maybe it's fine after all…

Well, let's try it.

The fae took out an arrow from the quiver resting on her back. It was kept secure to the rest of her body by a simple sling rope. It pressed her green shirt tightly into her body, pushing her small breasts outwards, making them more noticeable. Lanus taught her to wear her quiver that way, saying that the spot between her breasts was the most secure place to have her rope in.

Opening the bottle, she sprinkled the red liquid into the arrow. Closing her eyes, she focused her magic into it, gripping it tightly.

A light breeze burst forth from her hand, making her hair, cape, and skirt flutter. She opened her palm, revealing a wooden bird chirping and flapping its wings.

The tiny bird took off, flying around her head for a little while before perching on top of her right ear.

"That's enough. You may return to your original form."

With another soft breeze, the bird transformed back into an arrow, which she readily caught before it fell to the dirty floor.

Storing it back in her quiver, she said to the mechanic, "Thank you for your help." She gave a small bow. "I'll make sure to repay your kindness later."

And with that, the two left the workshop, heading to where the rest of their party would be.

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily
Interactions: @AzureKnight

”The main lab is on the south wing, go down that hall there. Can’t miss it, you’ll know by the smell.” Ruecian said, lazily waving them off as they made their way.

"Thank you for the information, kind Sir," Lanus replied with a short bow.

"The smell?" Renee raised an eyebrow. She decided not to ask any questions. Perhaps he just meant the usual alchemical spell you would get inside an alchemy lab from all the chemicals laying around.

ᅠ

After walking for a little bit, the two arrived in front of a peculiar door. It was completely out of place with its lavish surroundings, being covered in strange strains and rusted markings. As Ruecian had stated earlier, a pungent odor had also emanated from the entrance to the room. If one had to describe it: it would be the scent of burnt rubber, mildew, and cigarette smoke. Along with a bit of bourbon.

Hmm? This isn't how an alchemy lab is supposed to smell… Whoever's running this place, they must have not kept the place well. And really, smoking at the job? Renee thought with a scowl as she rested her hands on her hip.

"Now now, don't be like that, my dear Renee," Lanus chuckled. "It's not our right to criticize the master of the place. Maybe he doesn't run his lab like you do but that doesn't mean you get to say it to his face."

"I'm not going to say it to his face," Renee retorted, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Really now? Knowing you, you inevitably would." He smiled. "So please, just hold that sharp tongue of yours back."

Lanus was the one to open the door. And what he found behind was indeed something Renee would find quite… unorthodox, to say the least. One side of the room did have the look of a traditional lab, tables covered in beakers and test tubes. They contained various liquids and viscous substances, some being heated and chilled. The other side, however, was revealed by an ajar garage door. This part of the room contained numerous types of machines and gadgets scattered around everywhere. Along with them were countless cigar buds and a few bear cans.

What the… why… why is it combined into one room like this?! Renee shouted in her mind as her mouth hung open.

Lanus was the first to notice the tan-skinned older man in the corner of the room. With his usual confidence, he made his way to him, only to stop when the device he was tinkering with blew up in his face.

”Eh? Oh, you kids must be the new guys! Name’s Johannes, what can I do for ya?”

"Greetings, good Sir." Lanus gave his usual bow. "I am Lanus Retily and the beautiful fae girl over there is my ladyfriend, Renee Terfiel. We're asking if we can purchase some of your supplies. Renee there is an alchemist and she can use some ingredients that you may have."

Lanus then walked over to Renee and put his hand on her shoulder. "Well, it's your turn now," he whispered. "Tell the good man what you require."

Renee, now snapped out of her thoughts, turned to face the old man. "Y-yes, I would like to see if you have any transmutation liquid with you available. Failing that, I can also do with some Transhomn berries and Milkuree roots." She, of course, was capable of synthesizing the liquid herself, as long as she had the raw materials.

As he spoke, she eyed him up and down in an inquisitive, almost judgmental way. Clearly, he was the owner and caretaker of the place. He didn't seem to look like an alchemist though. He belonged more inside that garage with his machinery.