Izurich

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

--Aventon - Village--

The trade goods were certainly neat, but aside from cultural ornaments and embellishments, nothing too out of the ordinary, perhaps except for the tomes. In the end, Remilia realized that as a purveyor of antique artifacts and someone who had arguably the best library - and librarian - in Gensokyo within her private property, she might not be the best appraiser. After all, meeting let alone surpassing her standards would be an achievement in itself. Then, if the items couldn't really provide her with anything beyond brief amusement, then perhaps the traders themselves could...

The vampiress arrived just as the Moriya Miko was proposing for the group to hitch a ride back to Nieve, the supposed capital of the sovereign nation that Aventon belonged to. Considering what Lavielle said through Millie last night as relayed by Anne to the party, their next destination should indeed be Nieve. It's my best course of action, unless Patchouli and the others have found a way to reverse the teleportation process that brought me here, but the fact they aren't here yet means they haven't so... They'd come when they're able, but she certainly wasn't going to wait around.

The ensuing exchange between the traders (including the guards), Sanae, and Mokou was certainly quite interesting. These folks seem to equate size with strength, then by that principle, the Scarlet Devil would be either the weakest or second weakest considering Rayne, which was a thought that amused her greatly... until she remembered that even if she decided to boast her might, knowing that her current self was but a tiny morsel compared to her true glory put a damper to the urge to indulge in a bit of showy arrogance. All things considered, some of these able-bodied men might very well be actually stronger than her, and insisting that she should be leagues mightier than she currently was would only serve to humiliate herself even further. Ugh... Furthermore, unlike that battle maniac Mokou, Remilia wasn't fond of challenging people purely for the joy of fighting, Reminds me too much of Meiling...

That aside, she still possessed something that only Sanae could inferiorly emulate. Clearing her throat for effect, Remilia casually hovered up to the merchant, then elegantly posed herself as if she was sitting on an invisible throne, crossing one leg over the other as she did, "Come now, ladies and gentlemen, are we so quick to resort to primitive gasconading?" The youkai chuckled, "Nevertheless, even if you insist on coming to blows to crudely prove who's the mightiest, fret not, for I am a healer. Whatever that may ail you: bruises, bleeds, burns, and all ailments of mundane or magical nature, my gifts shall ameliorate them... for a cost."

Remilia deliberately paused for effect, but then locked her narrowed eyes and smirking lips at the merchant, "However, I may be inclined to waive the fee in exchange for transport services for myself and my companions. Should you need proof, simply ask any of the good folks here and they shall inform you of my exploits~"

SPIRITUM

--Petrified Forest - Crash Site--

Charged up and aimed at the less-armored joint, this particular shot was designed to harm, not distract, and her gambit paid off as the energized beam tore through the warbot's knee, immobilizing it. This effectively eliminated any risk of meaningful retaliation from the machine as Kalina swooped upon it once more, her weapon slipping through its plates to reach the critical systems within, disabling it. Meanwhile, nearby, Morden and Silje's combo of magical might and mighty magic succeeded at nuking the other robot into nothing more than smoldering slags. Thus, the squad had neutralized their assailants...

...only for more of them to stir awake, reactivating like some kind of mechanical zombies. In hindsight, it was to be expected as it'd be far-fetched for merely two or three warbots to overpower the royal entourage. Whoever commandeered these things truly wanted the princess dead. Indeed, two mechs might arguably be not difficult at all, but a dozen? The risk of engaging them rose from 'manageable' to 'suicidal'.

"Yes, she did." Valerie nonchalantly responded to Gerard's rhetorical question, turning around the moment he earthbended an opaque plume of ash and dust to separate the squad and the bots, "What he said, squad, retreat and regroup at the parking location." The WARDEN commanded as her legs began moving, sprinting as swiftly as she could back to where they came from. As she did, she kept her weapon drawn, aegis active, and venous-esque power flowing, just in case.

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

--Nagano Prefeceture - Abandoned Mansion's Courtyard--

Stunned and disoriented, the anomaly was effectively incapacitated. A veritable sitting duck, while it would eventually recover by itself given time, it'd take but one more attack to truly finish the creature off. Fortunately, Agent Yakumo was quick to respond, using her Euclid-defying ability to send the fleshweaver back to the mansion's courtyard via a portal.

"...-so then I was like-... oh?" Agent Kawahara was just casually chatting with Agent Otsuka to pass the time when a familiar dark purple portal spawned near the two agents as a blob of alien flesh immediately plopped out of it, said portal vanishing immediately after, "Hey there, Tera~" It was a bit difficult to visually gauge its condition, what's with the lack of facial expression and visible wounds, but the flesh lump's lack of response might indicate its less than ideal condition. Well, guess there's a reason why Sakura pulled it off the battlefield.

With A-188 safely evacuated, now twas' up to the Anomaly's friends to contain the other - more malicious - anomaly.

Three Concepts ( Crucible | Hack | ROYGBIV)

@FatPrincess Have you decided on the concept you wanna run? :)

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

--Osprey - Kugane--

Eve was content just being a passive - yet keen - observer of the party's proceedings with their host. Right now, she was perfectly in her element; out of sight, out of mind, her preferred position to be in whether in or out of combat. However, now that she was travelling with a certain someone who was specifically trained to notice the unnoticed and reveal the hidden, maintaining said preference would be substantially harder than before.

As if to prove that sentiment, the Pseudolon found that certain someone suddenly occupying the spot between Robin and herself. The SEED Agent didn't seem to approve Robin's change of demeanor, encouraging her to relight her sparkling spunk, but in doing so, he somehow found it apt to involve Eve as well. "...?" The hooded black mage barely turned her head, but she just managed to descry Esben's gesture. Still, what did he mean by that? She could see Robin emulating her to be less ostentatiously flamboyant to be useful, but the other way around? Not so much... really.

I'd already be dead several times over if that was the case... However, she didn't feel like entertaining the topic right now, there were other things demanding her attention, such as the discussion to decide their next move.

After the Skaeller Gunbreaker and Edrenian Vagrant introduced themselves, the Ospreyan Samurai saw it fit to retell the confession she gave back at Atsu, but this time within earshot of the whole party. The faux eidolon already knew that and still... hearing Izayoi's painful past again stoked the embers of vengeful fury within her ether-charged chest, how could she not? Especially since they both lost their family to Valheim's cruelty.

As such, when Cyradil's servant - the male Mystrel, not the female Viera - arrived to bring grave news, it didn't take much at all for Eve to make her decision. Even before Izayoi finished elaborating her history with Lord Hien, the draconic chimera already knew what she must do: prevent the old warrioress from losing yet another confidant to Valheim... and in doing so, she got to exterminate more of those tyrants too.

With her mind set, even if Rudolf changed his mind and regardless of Esben's muses advocating rational caution, unconcerned with any of those, Eve would gaze straight at Izayoi, locking their eyes, and at that moment, the dark-haired Mystrel would see a pair of dimly-glowing slitted blood-red pupils underneath the horned mage's hood, exuding sheer bloodlust that could only be sated by massacring Valheimrs. For the briefest of seconds, that moment back in Atsu was relived.

Not a word was said, yet that gesture alone already did far more than mere words could.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

--Aventon - Village--

Considering how far Remilia had fallen from splendor, she'd have required multiple nights at least to fully regenerate her arm, an agonizingly arduous process compared to the literal seconds she could once accomplish. However, it didn't mean the Scarlet Devil couldn't do something to compensate as in the end, she was still a vampire and disregarding such things as pleasure and novelty, blood was the be all end all sustenance for her kin. Theoretically, if someone could provide her with enough blood, she could hasten her healing process to perhaps a few hours, but she'd require it in abundance, to the point where she'd actually endanger the life of whoever she chose to feed on.

Fortunately, a certain someone could shrug off the perils of death as if it was nothing but a slap on the wrist. Thus, due to the Hourai Immortal's... well, immortality, the Gensokyoan known as Fujiwara no Mokou became Remilia's chosen donor. Conveniently, aside from a half-hearted reluctance, the white-haired pyromancer didn't really care to stop the vampiress.

Let's just say what transpired that night at a secluded corner of the village was best kept between the two of them...

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...

Thanks to Mokou's sanguineous sacrifice, Remilia could immediately return to being useful the very next day, helping around the village, mainly as a healer since she was the only one amongst Lavielle's 'Champions' who could do so most effectively. It was an honest, altruistic job that made the lilac-haired lady feel all kinds of warm emotions, the thanks and praises she received were certainly welcomed, twas' only fitting for her deeds to be recognized. The Scarlet Devil might be many things, but let it never be said that she was callous.

During this time, she got to know a curious new arrival, a taciturn salmon-haired girl called 'Fran', Fran as in Frankenstein's Monster from a literature work of the Outside World, though at this point, Remilia was confident that Fran didn't come from her universe's Outside World, neither did Joker. Really, anyone that wasn't her fellow Gensokyoans all hailed from different worlds. As for Fran herself, she was a part-flesh part-machine entity, similar to Lewa... except the other way around in terms of ratio; Fran had more organic parts, while Lewa possessed more mechanical parts, although her opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless, they all had the same predicament, one thrusted upon them by that pesky goddess.

Eventually, the trade caravan that the villagers had been anticipating finally arrived, allowing them to trade what they had harvested from the humongous boars and centipedes for much-needed supplies, materials, and rations.

For her part, Remilia casually strolled over to one of the wagons, driven by curiosity more than anything else. She'd roam her blood-red eyes over the merchant's goods, see if there was a trinket or two that'd strike her fancy, but if not, the very act of window shopping itself was quite enjoyable.

Side Story

--Gensokyo - Scarlet Devil Mansion--

"..." Illuminated by floating orbs of light and surrounded by towering stacks of arcane tomes, the aubergine-haired Scholar of the Great Library could be seen scrutinizing one of the tomes in said library's enormous collection. Her expression seemed as stoically detached as ever, yet those with a keen eye could notice the subtle signs of frustration behind the aloof veil. How could she not? By now days had passed and yet still... nothing, even with the combined expertise of herself and-...

Briefly, her gaze shifted to the side, taking in the slumbering form of a pair of golden-haired girls, the House's Young Mistress and the so-called Ordinary Magician, tucked under a futon blanket. One was actually exhausted, while the other had vowed to never leave Marisa's side until her older sister returned, just in case the flighty witch tried to flee from her responsibilities or something like that.

...-the latter of the blonde duo, they couldn't produce any meaningful results.

"Haa..." Patchouli let out a silent sigh, closing her eyes, then kept them closed even as her senses detect the approaching figure, "You've returned, any news?"

"Yes, however..." The figure paused, tucking away an antique stopwatch into her maid dress.

"...it's worse than we thought?" Patchouli deigned to open her eyes halfway, shifting her gaze yet again, this time toward the Elegant and Perfect Maid.

"Quite so," Sakuya nodded, turning toward the resting Flandre and Marisa then back at the librarian, approaching her as she deftly navigated past the labyrinth of books, "So far, I've confirmed that Kochiya Sanae, Konpaku Youmu, and Fujiwara no Mokou had all vanished at around the same time as Mistress did, give or take a day or two."

"So it's not an isolated incident..." Patchouli's eyes fully opened, the only expression showing her concern in an otherwise nigh-unflappable stoicism, "I theorize that this tome may not even be responsible for Remilia's disappearance, it may very well be an irrelevant event that coincidentally occurred at the same time, a red herring." She murmured, as much to herself as she was musing with Sakuya, "But this shouldn't be possible, unless... the Great Barrier is malfunctioning somehow, a deliberate sabotage? If so, by whom?"

"I will be deceiving you if I claim I have any knowledge behind the cause, Lady Patchouli." The head maid said dejectedly, "But I'll never rest until Mistress is returned to us. I shall depart once more to gather more informatio-"

"Actually, Sakuya, do go ahead and rest." Only for the elemental magus to interrupt her, "We can't afford to exhaust ourselves stumbling in the dark, even if we must, then it's wiser to not do so at too great a cost, Remilia may need us at any moment and we must be at our best - physically and mentally - for whenever that moment comes."

"But, with all due respect, Milady..."

"Do I have to make it an order, Sakuya?"

"..." The maid bowed, "No, it's not necessary, I shall do as you advised." before retreating to her personal chambers.

"A wise decision." Patchouli didn't stir until Sakuya left the library before she leaned back against her seat, Sigh... Remi, I'm not cut out for this whole mistress of the house business, return soon or I'll-... She cut off her own thoughts before standing up, I suppose I shouldn't be hypocrite. then went off to get some rest herself.

Qlippoth Shift: A Supernatural Action RP About Combating Otherworldy Anomalies

--Nagano Prefecture - Abandoned Mansion--

The plan was perfectly calculated, but man, was the anomaly bad at math. Alas, no one was perfect, not even interdimensional eldritch creatures; Tera possessed unparalleled mastery over genetics and biology, but unfortunately explosives wasn't covered in either. The centipede's rolling kamikaze attack blew up in its face, quite literally. The anomaly had overestimated how long those fuses would last and thus, the primitive bombs went off far sooner to do any meaningful damage to the samurai.

As consequences for its blunder, Teratoma alone received the full brunt of multiple explosives point-blank, and unlike those musket bullets and cannonballs, good ol' explosions could effectively wound the shapeshifting anomaly, not as much as incendiary weapons, but with sufficient power, they practically bore similar results. Red alien flesh splattered everywhere as the shockwave erupted outward. In a matter of milliseconds, the Ōmukade was there and then not, its youkai form destroyed...

...leaving only a mostly-intact blob made of the same flesh, though its size was a far cry from before, being no larger than a black bear at most. It seemed rather inert as well, showing that Teratoma was effectively in a daze, the equivalent of a human who had just suffered a flashbang going off on their face. Hopefully, its comrades would be able to finish off the samurai and the onna-bushi without it.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

--Osprey - Kugane--

In the morning, the party departed and a day's journey later, they soon arrived before the main gates of Kugane, a once-mighty city that had seen better days. Though the capital was left in a better state than the countryside, Eve had the feeling that most of the residents here would prefer suffering worse damage if it meant Valheim could be sent scampering back to the ocean. Alas, as it stood, the invaders' "mercy" at leaving the city quite intact was a worse insult to Ospreyan pride than anything else.

As the party's wagon closed the distance with the checkpoint inspectors, Eve fixed her hood and coat, making sure they covered her well and then tucked herself at the darkest corner of the wagon, all she could do now was stay still and hope for the best.

Fortunately, Chisaki kept her promise and none of her comrades fucked up - concerning Robin for the most part really - as the guards bought the Shinobi's story and forged documents. Perhaps being a ragtag bunch of misfits had its perks, adventurers and mercenaries would be the usual excuse considering they were armed, but if traveling performers also worked just fine, then she wouldn't look at the gift horse in the mouth.

Their pass granted, the group plus their guide continued onward until the wagon parked before a seemingly humble home. Eve made no fuss as she disembarked, though she did take a pause at the request of removing her footwear, until she remembered that she wore socks for this reason, among others. As Chisaki led the party to her mistress, the comely Elven bard Ciradyl Ianthyra, the hooded black mage kept to the back, deliberately blending among the less-famous members of the party as she took a seat with them upon Cyradil's behest.

It was immediately obvious that Izayoi and this Cyradil were old friends, and Eve certainly didn't have even a fleeting desire to intrude upon their reunion. In fact, it seemed like Galahad, Rudolf, and the others had this socialization part well taken care of, combined with the fact that she didn't have anything relevant to say to their host - at least for now - being a silent observer was the preferred course of action.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Eve and Arton's Tea Talk

Eve “Grayscale”

---

Arton lit up a little as she thanked him and took the cup of tea into her hands “You’re welcome!” He replied as he took a seat across from the Pseudolon, the chair groaning from the weight of the swordsman. There was a heaviness in his otherwise bright, blue eyes that conflicted with the smile he eagerly bore ”I’m glad to hear it. I’d be mortified if I gave you a reason to dislike me already.” Once more he chuckled as he picked up the tea cup for another sip and gingerly took a sip.

That’s when he noticed Eve looking at him…though ‘examining’ was perhaps a better word. He didn’t really mind since he always believed eye contact was important during a conversation…at least when you were talking. A faint blush flashed on his cheeks as she quickly shifted her attention, trying to hide the fact he had noticed.

Luckily the conversation kicked up again ”That’s right! We’ll push them all out!” He passionately said standing up with the tea in his hand, a small amount spilling over the edge. Embarrassment took hold of him as he sat back down, taking a rag hanging on his belt to clean the tea “Sorry.”

His misery was quickly thrown away by Eve’s question, a look of hesitation in his eyes. It was not exactly a secret he intentionally kept but not something he advertised either. Arton found it was easier to tell the truth regarding his homeland when asked because lying had brought more attention in the past ”It has a different kind of beauty. I grew up in the countryside of Skael where my father taught me smithing and how to survive. Nothing was quite as beautiful waking up early in the morning with fresh snow on the ground, the icy wind howling before the warmth of the forge overtook it….Sorry, I’m starting to ramble.” He anxiously rubbing the back of his neck as he sat back into the chair.

---

Upon Arton's passionate agreement, Eve couldn't help but curl a rather eager smile. She might not have expressed her enthusiasm as outwardly as he did, but it was there nonetheless, in spades even. In fact, the white-haired black mage was more partial to exterminating the tyrants rather than simply pushing them out, after all, one solution had more... permanence than the other. Ibrosians shall not suffer the Valheimrs to live. However, it might be a case of pedantism as Arton had no qualms with lethally incapacitating those soldiers back in Atsu.

The sword-wielding Sollan's immediate reaction to the topic of his homeland instilled a burgeoning sense of camaraderie in Eve; it appeared that he wasn't fond of Skael, just like herself with Valheim, but why? "..." The draconic chimera felt a bit guilty at bringing the matter up, not to mention hypocritical, but... if these people were going to be her comrades for Valheim's downfall, then maybe it's fine, besides, she had already intruded upon Izayoi's past, what's one more? "No, don't be, please, go on."

And in exchange... "And should you wish to ask about mine, I won't mind." After all, twas' only fair.

---

It was comforting to see the previously stoic dragoness crack a smile and through it he could feel their bond strengthening. Arton, however, was forced to be thinking several steps ahead if they were going to keep talking about their past. His twisted history that he’d developed over the years wouldn’t hold up with more permanent companions. He would just need to hide behind the truth “Alright, well I guess I can share a bit more…” Arton said with some reservation.

”My father was pretty strict with me…heh, I’m not sure he expected to have to look after a child at all. I might have hated him if I wasn’t even harder on myself. He trained me how to fight and survive out in the wilds on my own.” He sat back with a fond smile “There was a time he left me in the middle of the woods with nothing but a sharp knife. I think it was days before I made it back home.” There was no resentment in the retelling of this story.

Arton leaned forwards again, crossing his arms and resting them onto the table as he looked directly into Eve’s eyes ”Do you…um, remember anything before Valheim did this to you?”

---

As Eve listened to Arton sharing more of his past, she couldn't help but feel a little... envious. Whereas most others would think that the swordsman's father was being an abusive neglectful prick, treating his own child as if expecting he could survive through anything, all the chimera could see was how free Arton was, he could venture outside whenever he wanted, in fact, he was encouraged to do so. The sheer contrast made Eve pause as she turned her gaze down at her own reflection on the tea cup.

Unlike the Skaeller, Eve didn't step on fresh soil or even see the sun until after that fateful day, hell, for most of her time in that accursed facility, she was in either her secured cell, experimentation chambers, or most abhorred of all, a stasis pod whenever those heartless bastards didn't even allow her to be conscious.

"..." The white-haired girl became eerily silent for a moment, entranced by her own past, up until Arton broke them as he reestablished eye contact, "Ah, well..." It was a bit difficult to explain, but fortunately, this wasn't her first time sharing the unusual circumstances of her past, "No, less due to a fault in my memory and more so the fact that I didn't exist before." She chuckled dryly, "I was made, not born, Valheim wanted a living weapon of mass destruction, and they figured mutating a fetus with Bahamut's essence was the way to go about it." Eve murmured, "...well, they succeeded, but the only thing I'll destroy is my own creator, both for making me and murdering the only person in that goddessforsaken facility who ever cared about me." She said through clenched teeth, but there was righteous ambition in her words amidst all the vengeful hatred, "Can I count on you to stand by my side as we rid the world of both Valheim and the Blight, Arton?"

---

Arton tilted his head in confusion at her remark about not existing beforehand, his eyes widening as she began to explain. His face remained stoic as he listened but his fingers were gradually digging into the wood of the table. She didn’t have to elaborate further for him to understand that her creators were unlikely to be nurturing parents. Arton never once took his eyes off Eve as she talked, wanting to let her know his full attention was on her.

”For as long as Valheim and the Blight remain a threat, I’ll be right beside you. I promise.” He spoke without hesitation but was sincere with his words. It was a commitment some might need time to consider but for Arton there was no need. Whatever danger or obstacle came their way, Arton would make sure to shield Eve from the worst of it. Long ago he made a similar promise to protect Furi from all evil, but this time only death would prevent him from fulfilling it.

He began tapping on the table, still wrapping his head around the fact Eve had been grown in a lab ”Ya know, I’m happy Valheim created you.” Arton shifted awkwardly in his chair, not sure if what he just said was the wrong thing to say ”Now that we got a chance to talk…I couldn’t imagine never meeting you.” He quickly lifted his tea cup and took a long sip before he could say anything else strange. Despite their differences, Arton felt a sense of camaraderie he had yet to fully experience with the rest of the party. Izayoi and Galahad were more like mentors, he had avoided Eliane for most of the trip, and the other newcomers he had yet to get to know.

---

Eve's brows sharpened while her lips curled an approving smirk as Arton made his declaration. His vow was very welcomed, she had traveled with all manner of adventurers over the years since she escaped captivity, but none really had any aspirations of ending the two global threats, which she understood why, toppling a mighty empire or neutralizing a pandemic was beyond the scope of most. Fortunately, finally, after all these years, she found like-minded comrades brave - or foolish - enough to embark upon this suicide mission. Indeed, the only way this journey would end is by them succeeding or die trying.

Though her expression shifted into a difficult smile when the swordsman admits being happy at her being made. Eve saw her own existence as a mistake, an abomination that shouldn't have ever manifested, the result of the pure hubris of people wondering only whether they could, yet never whether they should. "Perhaps, we could've met under different circumstances, with me being a fellow Sollan instead of... whatever I currently am."

However, the events of the past had led to this moment, it had already happened, she should focus on the future instead of what could've been, together, with everyone, "Likewise, Arton." With that, Eve too raised the cup to her lips, enjoying the beverage.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

--Osprey - Village--

"..." Well, yes, was it wrong to demand a white mage to heal? Esben could say the silliest of things sometimes, but she figured he was doing it purely to garner some kind of reaction, maybe a part of his SEED training, play the facade of a jester so others would underestimate him, a rather ingenious skill if she could say so herself.

"Hmm." The black mage was all earholes as the Garden operative started elaborating his take on the matter. He brought up very fair points, even if he could infiltrate the occupied capital with little to no issues, the same couldn't be said for the rest of the party, not to mention the time constraints. Eve frowned subtly, trying to come up with something to justify avoiding the rabbit-eared kunoichi, but she came up short. With a silent sigh, she resigned to let the more diplomatic folks handle the negotiations, a rather peculiar one since it’d involve former mortal enemies working with each other...

With nothing else to be said, she followed along with her comrades and their newfound ally(?) to the nearby inn.
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...

--Village - Inn--

While Izayoi was handling their accommodation administration, Eve decided to simply pick one of the vacant table seats and sat there nicely, blending into the shadows with her hood up like some kind of shady figure at a tavern's corner, well, quite less intimidating than that due to her lack of stature. Really, right now silence was golden considering the tension in the air...

Tension that had no room for shenanigans, but it seemed one of them didn't get that message. The artificial eidolon could only watch with unamused half-closed eyes as the aspiring hero Robin performed his flamboyant introductions. It was rather painful to watch and Eve had to try her best to silence the exasperated groan stewing in her throat. Fortunately, nothing fatal came of it, the Viera didn't lash out and Izayoi wouldn't have to cut down her fellow countrywoman. Miina lacks confidence, while Robin has too much of it. Truly, moderation is key...

While Esben and Eliane were doing their Garden thing with Chisaki and Rudolf giving a lecture to the overenthusiastic hero, the Pseudolon found herself approached by the third and last of the party's Skaellan roster, carrying two cups of tea with him. At first, she assumed he was the type to really love tea so one portion wouldn't be enough, but then he made it clear that said second cup was for her instead. "..." Her red eyes stared down at the filled container, wondering if he should just give it to someone who actually needed it, but then she remembered that people drink tea mainly for pleasure and recreation. Therefore, no issues.

"Thank you." Eve replied tersely, but there was no hint of hostility in her voice, she was simply a person of few words. The horned girl proceeded to wrap her fingers around the cup's ear while lightly brushing the opposite side with her other hand, letting the beverage stew for now. "This journey has been nothing but full of surprises, some pleasant, some less so, I suppose this is one of the former."

Eve turned her gaze toward the Sollan, realizing that they couldn't be more different. He was dark-haired, blue-eyed, tanned, tall, athletic, and skilled in the arts of the martial and physical, while she was light-haired, red-eyed, pale, diminutive, scrawny, and proficient in the arcane instead. Technically, they were both Sollans and moments like these made Eve wonder how she’d look like had she been allowed to grow naturally as a person, not a lab rat.

"..." Her thoughts caused her to stare at Anton's face, one that was awkwardly longer than necessary, a blunder that she realized far too late as she momentarily diverted her gaze back to her cup, taking a sip of the vanilla milk tea to mask her anxiety, the warmth and taste worked wonders at doing so.

"I see," She curled a small, difficult smile at Arton's confession, if only they were all here for a vacation... "Yes, it's a pretty country, and we're here to restore things to how they're supposed to be, it'll be even more beautiful by then." A tinge of burning ambition momentarily flashed on her visage as she recalled the two main culprits of the world's woes.

Speaking of, she was curious what part of the world Arton hailed from, aside from herself, the swordsman might just be the most secretive about his homeland, however, she came from Valheim, there were plenty of reasons to be ashamed, but what about him? She was... curious.

"What about your homeland? Is it as beautiful as Osprey?"