Xaltwind~@Stern Algorithm~
"Wha--? Varjo hasn't hurt me." Bart was perplexed at Sylvia's incorrect guess. "If they did, they would've finished me off... or worse. I wouldn't have built this guild and none of us would be here. They're not the kind that 'leaves people for dead'." Bart explained. "That's why I'm afraid to attract their attention."
He then sighed, getting tired of this conversation. "You know what, you two are right. Perhaps I'm approaching this wrong." He resigned to the Liliraune's argument. "I-I'll think about it, okay? Maybe find a chance to talk to Neil. Thanks for coming to see me, and for bringing dinner. You two should head back, though. You might run out of dinner to eat."
Bart closed the door and the conversation was over and the Altissima sisters returned to the dining hall.
~@Restalaan (YNG & DIT), @13org (ADA & FYR), @ShwiggityShwah, @Rezod92~
"Hold on, now. Who said I won't be joining?" Neil suddenly appeared behind Kira. "It's been a while since I've joined you guys in dinner. Now what're we having?"
Neil was brought up with the guild's planned activity for tomorrow: The festival at Boreal Port. "Sounds fun. I think we should go. And yeah, maybe that'll break the ice between me and Bart. I mean, I doubt it but it's worth a shot."
"Well, the flyer only says about the festival but I bet there'll be contests there." Haley answered. "Hey, maybe we can win some prizes there for the Guild. If nothing else, there'll be free food!"
Soon, the dinner concluded and the members retired for the night. Some probably excited for the festival in Boreal Port tomorrow.
The next day arrived quickly arrived. Everyone save Neil had only begun awakening. Should anyone head outside, they would see Neil with the encrypted map, alongside a ragged, dirty boy known as Forde Briar to those familiar. It appeared they were in a minor argument.
"...ain't head about no darn Zombies. How'd they get close to an Order city anyhow?" Forde retorted.
"Well, they weren't there first but they awakened when we lingered there. Shortly after you left." Neil replied. "Regardless, we had to get through a horde of Zombies to get this map. Understand?"
Forde clicked his tongue. "I s'pose you did get the map. Here." The ragged boy tossed Neil a small pouch. "And here. For the trouble." Another was tossed, giving Neil two pouches. "Once I get the treasure, that'll be nothin' to me anyway." And with that, Forde walked away from the guild.
Neil sighed and returned back inside.
{INCOME YESTERDAY}
{@ShwiggityShwah, @Restalaan (DIT), @13org (ADA), @Stern Algorithm: 200 G}
{@13org (FYR), @Rezod92: 300 G}
{@Restalaan (YNG): 0 G}
"Not bad." Haley said. "We can use these to enjoy ourselves in Boreal Port." She suggested. "We ARE going to the port's festival, right?"
"I think it's a unanimous decision at dinner." Neil said. "Still, if anyone wants to change their minds. Now's the time, while we're all still here."
The trotting of a horse was suddenly heard outside. Looking out, the guild would find an arriving figure. He appeared to be a knight who has seen better days. His apparel consisted of several unpainted armor pieces: Helmet, greaves, spaulders and gauntlets. His blue tabard was tattered and a lone symbol of a yellow cross emblazoned on it. His only weapon was an average longsword with no notable features.
He disembarked his packed horse in front of the guild. "Hello? Is there anyone here? Is this the Guild?"
"Your reaction to this whole thing shows that you're using pragmatism to hide your actual reasons. If it was just about the guild's safety, you wouldn't be getting so worked up about it. You would be able to sit down calmly and talk it over with Neil. But right now, when you explain your reasons, people can tell it's not sincere, which makes your argument less convincing. And just giving everyone the cold shoulder who doesn't agree with you weakens your position as guildmaster. If you...tell Neil how Varjo has hurt you in the past, maybe Neil will realize how much his stubbornness has hurt you and will be more willing to compromise. Yes, you are the guildmaster, and to a certain degree, you're supposed to be above us, but we would rather that you were one of us, and rather than working for you, we would prefer that we were helping you."
"Wha--? Varjo hasn't hurt me." Bart was perplexed at Sylvia's incorrect guess. "If they did, they would've finished me off... or worse. I wouldn't have built this guild and none of us would be here. They're not the kind that 'leaves people for dead'." Bart explained. "That's why I'm afraid to attract their attention."
He then sighed, getting tired of this conversation. "You know what, you two are right. Perhaps I'm approaching this wrong." He resigned to the Liliraune's argument. "I-I'll think about it, okay? Maybe find a chance to talk to Neil. Thanks for coming to see me, and for bringing dinner. You two should head back, though. You might run out of dinner to eat."
Bart closed the door and the conversation was over and the Altissima sisters returned to the dining hall.
~@Restalaan (YNG & DIT), @13org (ADA & FYR), @ShwiggityShwah, @Rezod92~
"Welp, you can't say I didn't try. I talked to Neil for a bit. He agrees that the feud between him and Bart needs to stop, but he doesn't know how to do that. And that's mainly because he doesn't know what Bart is mad at. Also, Neil won't be joining us for dinner as well."
"Hold on, now. Who said I won't be joining?" Neil suddenly appeared behind Kira. "It's been a while since I've joined you guys in dinner. Now what're we having?"
Neil was brought up with the guild's planned activity for tomorrow: The festival at Boreal Port. "Sounds fun. I think we should go. And yeah, maybe that'll break the ice between me and Bart. I mean, I doubt it but it's worth a shot."
"This is great! A festival is the perfect display of cultural significance for a country! And I never got a chance that far West yet! I wonder what its for? What will they have? Swimming? Boating contests? Maybe a circus! Theatre! We could have a picnic but like, on the beach!"
"Well, the flyer only says about the festival but I bet there'll be contests there." Haley answered. "Hey, maybe we can win some prizes there for the Guild. If nothing else, there'll be free food!"
Soon, the dinner concluded and the members retired for the night. Some probably excited for the festival in Boreal Port tomorrow.
---THE NEXT DAY---
The next day arrived quickly arrived. Everyone save Neil had only begun awakening. Should anyone head outside, they would see Neil with the encrypted map, alongside a ragged, dirty boy known as Forde Briar to those familiar. It appeared they were in a minor argument.
"...ain't head about no darn Zombies. How'd they get close to an Order city anyhow?" Forde retorted.
"Well, they weren't there first but they awakened when we lingered there. Shortly after you left." Neil replied. "Regardless, we had to get through a horde of Zombies to get this map. Understand?"
Forde clicked his tongue. "I s'pose you did get the map. Here." The ragged boy tossed Neil a small pouch. "And here. For the trouble." Another was tossed, giving Neil two pouches. "Once I get the treasure, that'll be nothin' to me anyway." And with that, Forde walked away from the guild.
Neil sighed and returned back inside.
{INCOME YESTERDAY}
{@ShwiggityShwah, @Restalaan (DIT), @13org (ADA), @Stern Algorithm: 200 G}
{@13org (FYR), @Rezod92: 300 G}
{@Restalaan (YNG): 0 G}
"Not bad." Haley said. "We can use these to enjoy ourselves in Boreal Port." She suggested. "We ARE going to the port's festival, right?"
"I think it's a unanimous decision at dinner." Neil said. "Still, if anyone wants to change their minds. Now's the time, while we're all still here."
The trotting of a horse was suddenly heard outside. Looking out, the guild would find an arriving figure. He appeared to be a knight who has seen better days. His apparel consisted of several unpainted armor pieces: Helmet, greaves, spaulders and gauntlets. His blue tabard was tattered and a lone symbol of a yellow cross emblazoned on it. His only weapon was an average longsword with no notable features.
He disembarked his packed horse in front of the guild. "Hello? Is there anyone here? Is this the Guild?"