Krayzikk

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

Mentions: @VitaVitaAR @Caasicam @PaulHaynek @HereComesTheSnow @Heartfillia @Crimson Paladin @Lunarlord34

It really was a gorgeous day.

The forest was peaceful, seemingly quiet but filled with the sounds of its denizens every moment. Birdsong, leaves rustling from wind and animals alike. The sounds were all unfamiliar to her, but soothing nonetheless. The sun breaking through the canopy helped, too. There were trees in Sigi's homeland, of course, but nothing like this. Evergreens were all you would find up north and those forests were darker, quieter places. Forbidding even. Like anything else in the north those forests were not for the faint of heart, and traversing them was not a peaceful walk. Without your respect, the things that could be inside those woods could be a painful lesson.

But such thoughts belonged to another place, another life. The day was beautiful.

The whole trip had been easy enough, and everyone got along decently well so far. Finn and Tristram didn't. Predictably. But everyone else was civil, at worst. Except for Jane. She always seemed to stay as far away from everyone else as possible, and Sigi didn't really understand why. Leona and Tristram were talking about their path, what they might find, that sort of thing up towards the front. She was listening, but...

It didn't really concern her.

Not that she didn't care, or it wasn't important or anything like that really. But Leon seemed to be the natural leader of their half the group, and Tristram had assumed the role for theirs. And he could have it. It was nice that Finn thought it should be her but she really didn't want to do it. Being nice to people is easy, solving problems is easy, pulling her weight is easy. Sigi could even play a pretty good mediator if she needed to. She enjoyed doing it all, and it wasn't really that she was lazy. Maybe a little, but that wasn't why.

For all his many, many faults Tristram had a more realistic view of the world than she did. Sigi was an optimist. She knew it, too. She liked to think the best of people, and she liked to take them at their word. Not naively. She could see a lie for what it was fine. But that was different from telling whether or not someone was telling the truth. The realistic, sometimes harsh appraisal needed for strategy... She couldn't really do it. It was a lot different from understanding the enemy in front of you. Plus it suited his ego nicely. No, Tristram could have the job. It left her free for more important concerns.

Keeping the party to her right, Sigi lagged behind a few steps to let Jane catch up to her and then carefully matched pace. She flashed the helmeted woman a wide smile and cocked her head a little.

"You're Jane, right?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Mentions/Interactions: @VitaVitaAR @ghastlyInc @Crimson Paladin @HereComesTheSnow

Unsettling, that Paladin is. Nicomede mused watching Tyaethe push the bolt back out. Great that she wasn't hurt. Still pretty weird to watch a bolt get pushed out of someone without any visible effort. The situation was pretty well in hand for the moment but something still didn't feel quite right. If he were planning it the Nem wouldn't have been much more than a distraction. A way to draw their focus elsewhere before the real assassin took their shot. Then again, he probably only felt that way because of how strange an attempt on the Princess' life it had been. This public venue was the best shot they would get, sure, but their methodology had still been strange. Unrefined. Covert tactics like that were distasteful in the extreme but their was still a proper way to go about it if you actually wanted to get the job done, just like any other plan.

He hummed softly to himself, a single, extended note. Paranoia, maybe. But it's only paranoia when there isn't a real threat.

"No injuries," He commented to Sir Fleuri, deciding that Tyaethe didn't really count. The tip of his sword descended much more slowly than it had gone up, dropping from readiness into a relaxed grip at his side. Without an immediate danger it was more likely he'd jab someone by mistake moving among people indoors than reach an enemy. Plenty of time to change that if a threat presented itself. His wine glass left behind he took a few steps towards the Princess and Knight-Captain, sidestepping Gillian's barrier with an encouraging nod to the younger Knight. He had quick reflexes. They'd serve him well.

"Wonderful of you to keep your guests entertained, but such a show really was unnecessary Your Majesty." He said pleasantly, extending a hand to the Knight-Captain to help her up if she needed it. Wariness danced behind his eyes despite his done, carefully surveying the party opposite where Sir Segremors had the Nem restrained. If another attack was coming, and the Nem had just been a feint, that was the direction it would come from. "I have to apologize for spilling a little of that wine. Absolutely criminal use of such a vintage, but... Well."

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

I'm pretty sure that's correct.

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

Mentions: @VitaVitaAR @Caasicam @PaulHaynek @HereComesTheSnow @Heartfillia @Crimson Paladin @Lunarlord34

"If you'd put a pin in that for just a moment, please!"

Sigi smiled broadly at the three people intent on signing up for the monastery quest, stepping hurriedly in their direction. She'd only just caught them preparing to take the quest. Sure, they could have talked about it after they had already registered and gotten it sorted out but that sometimes made people confrontational. Not a good start for people who would have to cooperate. Wow, they were pretty much all taller than her. Even the helmeted woman. Maybe? Harder to tell, but the other two were taller even though they were younger. People like this would give her a complex one day!

Still she gave a little wave, coming to a stop and assuming a friendly and marginally more dignified posture than her previous haste.

"Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, but I saw you were planning to sign up for the quest." She inclined her head apologetically, smile taking on a slightly sheepish air. "My friends and I were, too. Um, I don't know if you've met any of them but they're Tristram, Cass, Finn, and me. I'm Sigi. Bunch of people, I know, but can't be too careful on such an unknown mission, right? And we'd be a good mix of skills."

She cocked her head a little after pointing out each teammate in turn, looking up a little bit to meet the eyes of both Mayonites. She would have done the same to the armored woman, just to be friendly, but it wasn't like she could see her eyes. Maybe she and Tristram would get along.

"To be honest with you I have an interest in where we're going, too. So if it's money you're worried about I can take a reduced cut if the payout is lower than we're expecting. If that helps. Guys, come over and introduce yourselves."

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

sigi'll play diplomat in the morning I have to sleep

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

@Heartfillia Maribel has the quest paper already so....yeah. Fight me
Leon had it before she even went over to them lol

@Lunarlord34

Now, now, that's what cooperation is for

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Mentions/Interactions: @Heartfillia @Sync @ghastlyInc @HereComesTheSnow

There.

The Knight-Captain's quick thinking saved the Princess from the first bolt, and intervention the second. Not that the second would ever have been an issue. Even a repeating crossbow, some variant of which it must have been to fire a second shot quickly, had a cycle time. Small, but ample time for someone properly ready.

An ornate spada slipped from its sleeve in a whipping, diagonal arc towards ready. Wine spilled from the glass in Nicomede's other hand fell towards the floor... and abruptly changed course, following the tip of his blade towards its apex and forward through the unobstructed air. Tight and controlled on a lancing course towards and through the crossbow's line. Too far for his edge to reach, but with ease for something less direct.

"Tagliare." Nicomede uttered quietly, blade coming to rest in practiced stance. He wasn't closest to the assassin, nor did he rush to be. With the weapon's line cut it wouldn't be able to fire again. And if he was right, well... Sir Gerard was about to see to things.

He finished the remainder of the wine in his glass without taking his eyes off of the Nem.

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

Mentions: @VitaVitaAR @Caasicam @Derg2 @HereComesTheSnow @Heartfillia

Sigi looked over her right shoulder at the archer, eyes widening in confusion when he began before mostly closing as she broke into a wide smile.

"I"m sorry, Tristram. You are of course free to decline, or to go on a job by yourself. With my best wishes for your success. I just thought you had come to pick a job with us since they were being posted." Her smile never abated and she spoke with the utmost sincerity. The archer was a touchy sort. Prickly. But he wasn't necessarily wrong about everything, either, and she hadn't given him a chance to speak. "And I appreciate your tip to the butcher, and you bought it so distribution is of course your decision. Cassie will behave herself, right Cassie?"

"And drinks would be much appreciated as well, Mr. Reinheart." She added, turning that same smile to the younger archer before she directed her attention to the board. She could get a closer look, now, and bit her lip in thought. Tristram wasn't wrong about the orc job, and she knew that they were always a problem to be dealt with. If they kept their team small enough the pay might not be too bad, either, and she had no doubt that they could handle the job. But...

The religious woman in her was really, really curious about the monastery. Cassia would like the potential for money, of course, and Tristram might enjoy the challenge. So would she come to that. But the prospect of exploring a monastery lost so long ago was appealing regardless of both of those things. Sigi didn't really want to take on escort duty, so it really would need to be one of the two. But which one?

The northern woman hummed, just a little tune she remembered from her youth. She swayed in place a little while she thought, arms crossed over her chest. Not an easy call.

"I'm not sure about the jobs, Tristram. The orcs would be fine, but if too many people go maybe we don't get paid very well. But the monastery could be profitable and intriguing, too. But riskier. Cassia? Mr. Reinheart? Any thoughts?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Mentions/Interactions: @Heartfillia @Sync @ghastlyInc @HereComesTheSnow

Some of these people have never worked a ball in their life.

It was enough to make a man despair. They weren't all supposed to be bodyguards, no, that wasn't quite their function but still. Not distressing the charge unduly, especially when that charge was the princess, should have been a clear prerequisite. This Sir Gerard was handling things with much more subtlety. But there was no shutting that box again now, so the question was how to handle it. Both the Knight-Captain and the Princess could both issue instructions, of course, but a proper planner was always thinking ahead anyway. In lieu of orders and even in conjunction one should always have a plan.

Nicomede didn't have all of his armor with him. It was a formal occasion, and what remained of his full set wasn't formal enough. But the spada da lato was as much a court sword as a proper weapon, and it was belted at his side accordingly. His off hand slipped casually to its hilt, palm resting lightly upon it. Not a move that anyone would pay much mind to, it bore no aggression or intent. Simply a shift of readiness. The other still held his glass and he took a sip, smiling in Gerard's direction.

"Then you've already learned the most important lesson in high society, Sir. When to stop drinking." He smiled and tilted his head slightly to invite the other knight closer, the motion disguised by another sip. He pitched his voice lower to ensure it wouldn't travel and redirected his attention. "Sir Rowan, we have neither the authority to usher the princess out nor would it be wise. We must also keep our voices down. It is for the Knight-Captain to inform her majesty of any problems, not for us to gossip about them aloud. We will not cause a scene. But we should be alert and stick loosely together."

"If Sir Gerard would fill us in about what he knows...?"

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

@Krayzikk@Caasicamsorry for jumping to conclusions. This hasn't been the best week for me.

@Heartfillia

No big deal, just sounding off to verify I'm here. Post tonight or tomorrow depending.