Xaltwind

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

Brandy blinked a few times, still pouting, and looked at the scrap of paper in her hand. She eyed the cute drawing of the horned bunny. Then looked back at Alice. Then back at the drawing. Then at Karen. Then back to the drawing. Then back at Alice.

"You sure, Al? I hear unicorns have horns too, but those ain't ever called monsters, right?" She asked, apparently still not entirely convinced that the rather inaccurately and overly cute sketch of the horned rabbit was actually even remotely likely to be any kind of threat. After some time though, the satyr sighed a small sigh and placed the piece of paper onto Karen's desk though, before looking back at Alice, clenching her fist and getting a very determined look on her face.

"But alright! If you say this thingy is a bad bunny, then I'll believe it! And if it's the kinda bad bunny that goes and makes a mess for people, then we need to take it down, all heroic-like and stuff, right?" She was apparently very fired u now, having seemingly completely forgotten that she'd wanted to hug and pe the damn thing mere moments ago.

Karen sighed as well, though for a completely different reason. Moving her chair and shifting her weight upon it, the raccoon-receptionist took the scrap of quest-paper and read it herself, before nodding and rummaging around in her filing cabinet for a bit.

"Right then. So, you two want to take on this job next? Alright. Let me go over the specifics. Ahem!" Karen cleared her throat before proceeding. "The client is a farmer out in the western fields, at a small homestead. His name is Krug Dooch. He's requested that the guild come to his home, find the Hroned Rabbit that's been terrorizing his crops and get rid off it, permanently. He asks that anyone attempting the job bring back physical proof of their deed before he'll agree to pay. He asks that you bring along a receipt that he can sign to confirm that he's satisfied." Karen finished fishing about in one of her drawers and pulled up a small, thing strip of parchment, with the guild's logo printed in one of the corners. Some text and legal mumbo-jumbo was scribble don it already, and there was a small dotted line at the bottom, likely meant for a signature.

Brandy picked up the piece of additional paperwork, looked it over, twisted and turned it in her hands, and then looked back at karen.

"So, this iiiiiiiiiiiiiis...?"
"The receipt. You'll need to get Mr. Dooch to sign his name on it once you've completed the quest. Otherwise, you won't get paid."
"... But what if we mess up and write his name ourselves, or somethin'?" Brandy questioned - giving a fairly sinister suggestion to a potentially otherwise unlucrative result.
"That won't be an issue. Just like you, Ms. Vanillarihn, Mr. Dooch has a very... Distinct... Way of writing. I'm fairly sure neither of you could forge his signature. But, since you brought it up, I guess I'll have to tell the Guild Mistress to keep an eye on you from now on." The clever tanuki said, with an evil smile. Brandy's ears slouched and her eyes went wide.
"Wha-?! No! I wasn't gonna! That's wrong, and mean! I was just wonderin' cause someone did that to Pa' back home once. He had to pay for somethin' he didn't buy, so-"
"I was just joking around, please relax." She said, but her eyes told a different story.
"... Oh, phew! You had me going there, Kar-kar! Maa-haa-haa~!" Brandy replied, oblivious and happy-go-lucky as usual, before playfully slapping Karen's shoulders from across the other side of the desk, causing the raccoon to nearly drop her glasses.
"Ow, hey! Cut it out. Gah. So, anyway! Do you want this job or not?" The receptionist retorted in mild annoyance. Brandy smiled like a thousand suns in response.
"Of course, sign us up, chief! We'll show that meaty ball of fur who's boss and what happens when ya try'n steal honest farmer's work!" Apparently, her upbringin on a farm had made her very protective of crops and the like.

Turning to Alice again, Brandy flashed a big smile and pointed at the werewolf meaningfully, then balled her fist up and pointed at herself with the thumb of the same hand.

"Yup, you and me, Al! We'll handle this like it's no big whoop!" Se paused, and then looked down at herself. "... But before we go, I'm just gonna head on over to where I'm stayin' and put on a chang eof clothes, yeah? If we're gonna go trekkin' through some fields, I dun wanna be wearing my totes best outfit, y'know? Be right baaaaaack!"

With taht, Brandy launched into a comedically fast sprint, leaving the guild hall with a sound that was somehow similar to that of a roaring race car. Leaving not but a trail of stirred up dust behind, the satyress vanished into the town-proper... For a few minutes at most... Then came bounding back, with a similarily ridiculous sound, but now in a fnew outfit. To describe it, it looked more like a fusion of a jeans-apron and leotard.... And for some reason, Brandy was quite clearly not wearing the red bra she'd had on before... In fact, she probably wasn't wearing one at all. But if nothing else, this apparel at least looked far more sturdy and less prone to getting torn, or dirty, than her skirt and shirt from before.

The satyr looked very pleased as she returned, going over to her alchemist-ally and striking a few dozen poses.

"Whaddya think? Neat,. huh? This is what I used to wear back when I helped out back home. It's super-easy to move in and easy to wash, so it's totes perfect for this job, right?" She commented, with great enthusiasm.

Goblin Slayer: Newblood (CANCELLED)

The various guests at the inn had various reactions, or lack thereof, when it came to the lizardman's sudden and seemingly random decision to train. Some looked on with befuddled confusion, while others glared in annoyance, some looked rather impressed and a few even cheered him on in their drunken stupor. A handful even applauded and whistled, shouting things like 'Way to go, scaley!' or 'Impressive, big guy!' once the big red hulk was done.

Upon hearing Big Red's comment about her seemingly unnatural large calorie-intake, the Druid puffed her cheeks and turned her head away with a cute 'hmph!', folding her arms under her chest.

"I-I just burn a lot of energy, that's all." Thoguh considering she was far less active and energetic than their Archer-friend, taht probably wasn't the case at all...

After receiving her meal, and with eyes alight with the joy of a child who'd just received a piece of candy, the nature-mage proceeded to scarf down her meal like a starving wolf. Upon finishing, she gave thanks to the innkeep and helped clear the table of her own and her friends' dishes, before finally going back to her room - which she now shared with her fellow female adventurer.

After a bit of girl-talk and less notable chit-chat, she eventurally went to sleep alongside her companion and would rest soundly and undisturbed for the entierty of the night. Apparently, the day's training had left her exhausted enough to not even need to wake up once to go use the bathroom. Then again, that was really more of an old folks-sort-of thing, right? Right!?

The night at the inn passed quickly, being quiet and uneventful as usual. No burgalrs tried to break into anyone else's room, no drunks came stumbling into the wrong place, and no fights broke out in the hallways. Just another nice, peaceful stay at the inn. Come morning, the druid was awake early as usual, just after the sun had begun to rise in fact.

"Morning, you." She said to her friend, quiet and softly, as she got up and began getting dressed for the day. "Let's have some breakfast before we head over to the guild. I'm sure they won't have posted any new jobs just yet."

Such was the casae. The Adventurer's Guild didn't put up new requests until a bit later in the morning, so as to give any adventurer present in the town the chance to wake up and have just as fair a shot at taking a certain job as someone who awoke early. It was a policy of fairness. Of course, many adventurers still didn't wake up until around noon regardless, especially in a sleepy, rural frontier-town like this. There weren't really any high-paying or particularly glorious quests, so most members tpok a relaxed and laid-back approach to their work.

... Except for the try-hards, or brand new recruits, of course... Those types would rush on over to the guild as soon as they got up and sit and wait until the postings went up. Probably in an attempt to get the pick of the litter. Luckily, Palisade Town didn't have that many adventurers to begin with, so there would always be some quest to do... Even if it was dull or had a low reward.

In any event, Druid Girl was now fully dressed and ready to face the day! With a smile on her face, she gently unlocked the door to her room, stepped outside and carefully shut it behind her - so as not to be rude to the other guests. She'd pass by Big Red's door, give a quick knock and half-whisper through one of the cracks along the side.

"Hey, big guy! I'm heading down for breakfast! See you there, okay?" Once her gargantuan crimson friend had been properly informed of her intent, she proceeded onwards, down the stairs and into the main inn-area.

Taking a seat at the counter, she'd wait. Just wait. The innkeep didn't seem to be up and around just yet, so there really wasn't anything else to do. No other guests seemed to have gotten up yet either, as the place was completely empty and void of patrons. Another slow, quiet morning in Palisade Town, yup.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

Karin looked at Alice with a neutral, unplussed face. The tanuki-woman readjusted her glasses which had slid down a bit along her nose, and replied indifferently to the werewolf's comment.

"Well, if that's how you feel. These kinds of matters are always your own to decide on." The receptionist stated, which was probably just a nice way of saying: Whatever, I don't really care.

Once their little conversation had died down though, the sound of hopping hooves and perky papayas could be heard once more. In an instant, almost as if on cue, Brandy appeared yet again next to Alice. She had a different scrap of paper in her hand this time, and with no hesitation, she shoved said scrap of documentation in the litteral face of their receptionist.

"Hey, hey! This one! What's this one? The lil' bunny-critter is 'totes cute in like, all the right ways! Do we get to walk this one too?" She, excitedly, inquired while leaning forward over the desk.
".... No, Miss Vanillarin. That's a quest to exterminate a particularly pesky horned rabbit that's been causing trouble around the village lately."
"... Ex... Termite... Wut?"
"The job is to get rid off it. With force. Lethal force."
"Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? You want us to actually murderize this lil' cutie? But lookit'im! He's so fluffy and small and got the chubby cheeks and a unicorn-horn! Kariiiiin! Do we hafta?" Brandy pleaded, while looking like apuppy that had just been kicked. The receptionist sighed.
"If you decide to take that quest, then yes. You'll have to make that little fuzz-ball into a new set of slippers, as per the client's request."
"Wait... Hold up. I dunno how to make shoes... I... uh... I kinda don't use 'em. Ehehe..."
"It was a metaphor, you don't actually need to make any kind of shoes from it."
"Oh! Well, good! No, wait! It's still bad! I don't wanna splatter this guy! Can't we just like, chase him off or something? Scare him away, or lure him deeper into the forest?"
"We already tried that, but the pest just keeps coming back. The client of this quest has had enough, and just wants to get rid off the little rodent once and for all."
"Aaawwww.... Aliiiiiiice~ Back me up here, girl!" Brandy pleaded, now having turned to Alice, grabbing the werewolf's hands with both of her own and having the most pouty face you'd ever seen, and watery, moist eyes.

Goblin Slayer: Newblood (CANCELLED)

Big Red's comment about break-ups got Druid Girl to raise an eyebrow. Of course those would be unpleasant, why wouldn't they be? Two people who'd been intimate with each other and spent time together, learning about one another, were going through an emotional conflict where the outcome was their mutual seperation from each other. It'd be far more bizarre if they weren't throwing fits and being angry at each ohter... Who ever heard of two lovers just breaking up, shaking hands, smiling and going their seperate way? If they did that, they obviously weren't very close to begin with.

"Don't you lizardfolk have spats between couples or marital issues?" She asked curious, since it seemed Big Red was - when she thought about it - a cold, calculating creature who valued logic and pragmatism over anything else. Maybe all lizardmen were like that. And if they were, did they even have concepts like love, romance or even marriage? Maybe they just copulated for the sake of procreation and preserving their species? ... That was a sad thought.

Regardless, after their bathing and their archer stuffing her face full of freshly foraged fish, the druid had to stifle a laugh at what the lion-haired lass had said. Big Red beat her to responding, but she felt there wouldn't be any harm in chiming in.

"I agree, I don't think most people even pay enough attention to one another to notice things like this. Folks are usually too busy with their own lives to notice what their neughbours are up to, even more so when it comes to strangers. Out of sight, out of mind, or so they say. Well, except for those cases where people hold grudges against one another, then they might pay attention to the comings and goings of people." She psaued and stretched, yawned and rolled her shoulders a few times to soften up after the cold bath. "Still, I doubt anyone in town actually pays much attention to where three adventurers go once they leave the walls." She smiled reassuringly.

Once they were dry and clothed once more though, and the fire had been safely extinguished, it was time to get going, again. The walkj back to the settlement was just as uneventful as their jaunt to the river. It really didn't seem like many villagers or travellers came down this way... Which was probably a good thing for the local bath-house, since if people washed up for free then they wouldn't be able to stay in business. Thinking of this, Druid Girl made a silent internal vow to stow away some of her reamining coins so that she could actually go and spoil herself with a luxurious, hot bath after their next outing. Bathing in a river was fine and all, but sometimes you just wanted to relax and take your time soaking, rather than jump in, freeze your nips off and then run back onto land and slow-dry near a fire... Fluffy towels may be man-made, but they were a lovely invention!

Once back inside Palisade Town, the three would spend the remaining hours of the day in a lazy, sluggish state. Druid Girl visited the local bank and put some of her earnings away, then did some leisurely window-shopping in the commercial district of town. The advbenturing guild didn't really hve any worthwhile jobs, aside from verming-clearing in the sewers, so there wasn't really much of anything to do for now. The sun crept along the sky, and eventually the two moons began to slowly rise. Day turned to evening and with evening came the undeniable draw of promised dinner! The skewers from earlier had been a tasty snack, no doubt, but the nature-mage couldn't wait to eat a piping hot, hearty and sizable portion of actual food. it was written all over her face as they passed along a street, where the smell of cooking wafted out through open windows and doorways.

Returning to the inn where they'd rented rooms, the trio would be greeted by a small gathering of patrons, having assembled in the establishment's main area. Seated around tables, eating from plates or bowls, drinking tankards and mugs of beverages, it was a more lively and energetic mood than their early morning and late-night home-coming from the previous day.

"Hey, we're back!" Druid Girl called out to the inn-keep, who was busy behind the counter, doing his usual work.
"Can see that. You gonna eat?" He replied and asked, at the same time, in his usu8ally brusque tone.
"What's on the menu?" The caramel-skinned girl asked, eyes aand smile wide.
"Pork sausage and 'taters, vegetable soup, grilled goat haunches and bread."
"One of each for me, please!" The girl blurted out, without hesitation, while raising an arm excitedly, as if she were answering a question in class at school. The innkeep snorted and gave a small, wry smirk, before returning to his more dour expression and looking at the other two in their group.
"Wha'bout you two? Gonna eat?"

Druid Girl, meanwhile, gingerly walked over to a vacant table and sat herself down. There were a bunch of different customers around though, a couple regulars and other guests who were staying at the inn - she'd seeen some of their faces before. There were also a handul of other adventurers, from the guild, sitting down and having a nice supper and drink... There were also your usual, dirty tavern-drunks and road-weary travellers present, making the scene a little less merry by their sheer presence. Still, the girl with raven-black hair seemed happy and oblivious enough, waving for her compatriots to come sit and join her, while flashing them a large, sunny smile.

Goblin Slayer: Newblood (CANCELLED)

"Jeez, you two! I know the well's water isn't any warmer! But with a well, all you need to do is rinse yourself off and that's that. You don't have to walk all the way out of town, get undressed and wade into the river to get cleaned up." She explained herself, putting both hands on her hips. It was clear these two hadn't grown up wwith such 'traditions'. It was common back in her village though - going out to the river, especially by yourself, could be dangerous and took a lot of time. Time that could be better spent helping around the farm or in the fields. Thus, you'd typically just go behind your house, get nekkid and dump a bucket of water over yourself, and that was that!

It wasn't like it was an uncommon practice elsewhere either. If you couldn't afford to go to the local bath house, this was as good as it got for many people - especially in the larger towns where you didn't exactly always have easy access to rivers or streams. Still, it seemed like her friend from the stepps wasn't keen on the possibility of being sneakily observed - even though most wells in a town like this were located in the back-streets behind buildings, with very few ways and angles for someone to peep on you. But, if she prefered the river then that was just something Druid Girl would have to go along with.

And then came a bit of a slapping wind to her face.

Apparently, both the Steppe Archer and the Lizard Fighter were very, very aware of her physique it seemed. This made the druid stand silent for a while, unblinking and motionless. Then a tinge of red spread across her cheeks and she averted her eyes to the side, raising her arms to wrap them around her exposed midriff and her bandeau-covered chest.

"W-well... I didn't think everyone was like that... Back home, in the village, the boys I grew up with did that too... But I thought that was just because they were boys, y'nkow?" She said, voice a bit more quiet and demure than usual. "I mean, we'd seen each other naked lots when we were kids and bathed together and stuff, so i didn't really think much about it... And everyone keeps saying that nobles are supposed to be well-mannered and gentlemen, so I... Uh... Wait, have you been looking at my chest too, Red!?" Druid Girl explained, before realizing taht Big Red had just called her, and their lioness-archer, attractive! Something you could only call someone if you'd actually taken a good look at them.

This caused the Druid's face to grow even more red, and she looked a bit conflicted, somewhere between embarrassed and wanting to run away, along with angry and wanting to slap the lizard across his non-protruding ears. Luckily, she did neither of these things, but instead opted to let out a long, tired sigh.

"Pops always used to say I was the prettiest girl in the world... But he's my dad, so of course he said stuff like that, right? Fathers are supposed to call their daughters things like princesses and all taht." She shared an embarrassing fact about her dad. "Usually, people don't even spare bumpkins and country-girls like me a second glance, or so some people I met told me." She was pouting now. "Well, whatever! Let's... Let's just gog et washed up in the river! Away from prying eyes!"

With that, the nature-mage turned on her heel, still trying to cover herself with just wo arms, and began marching off. At a much brisker pace than she usually had. It appeared this little bit of conversation had made her feel a bit self-conscious perhaps. As they would walk though, she turned a head to Big Red and addressed something he'd said earlier.

"Inter-party relationships are fairly common, y'know? A lot of adventurers actually get married to someone they've worked alongside with for a while." She paused, then gave the lizardman a once-over, from head to toes, before going on. "... Sorry though, you're not quite my type, Big Red." She added on, with a slightt, good-natured snicker.

The group would now have to go back down the street form the market, out the eastern gate, down the path in the woods and finally get to bathing in the river, before making the trip back to Palisade Town. There wasn't any rush of course, the sun was still up and the gates weren't closing and locking up for a good few hours more, plenty of time to dget themselves cleaned up and make it back inside the walls.

Meanwhile, the nobleman who had gotten a rather large number of signatures on his petition seemed extremely pleased with himself. Rolling the scroll up and tying a silken strap around it, he safely pocketed the documet and ordered his cadre of four bodyguards to come along. The group of goons formed up, two infront of the man and two behind, before setting off at a leisure pace towards the northern parts of the settlement. No doubt to deliver the document to the town hall before nightfall. If all went well for him, the gates might be left open on constant as little as a week from now!

On the other hand, the two Rhea-youngsters who had been keeping an eye on folks around the market were now gone. Having scampered off or perhaps more likely snuck off, somewhere during all this time. It was unclear if they'd actually done anything other than watch and observe, but if they had it certainly didn't seem like anyone had noticed, since no shouting about thieves or missing personal bleongings were heard.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

While listening to the werewolf-alchemist's entire spiel, Karin didn't show much of any hints as to what she might be thinking or feeling. Just that same, well-trained and pracitced polite smile on her lips during the entire thing. It was a bit unnerving how she managed to pull off that face without ever needing time to prepare or practice beforehand... But then again, she was a porfessional! Once Alice had finished up her explaining though, Karin's ears twittched a little and her plump tail lightly thumped the floor next to her own chair, before she finally spoke - while readjusting her glasses, of course.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Miss Keller." She started off. "The Guild isn't going to punish either of you. According to what we've been told by eye-witnesses, and by you yourselves, you've completed the quest as per its specifications." The receptionistt stated, matter-of-factly, before raising a sole index-finger as if to put emphasis on what she was saying. "Miss Elmwood merely stated in her request that members of our Organization were to walk her dog. Nothing more, nothing less. If she added criteria or specific conditions to you ladies, in person, then those were nothing more than her own preferences. Since she failed to state those in her quest-application form, the Guild - and by extension, you two - aren't accountable for anything besides failing to return her ddog. Which you did."

The tanuki leaned back in her seat, stretched both of her arms up over her head and did a loud, intense stretch, complete with "hmmmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn"-sound, before returning her focus to the little werewolf on the other side of her desk.

"The Guild is very particular about our paperwork, as it serves as a means for our members to pick out jobs and tasks theyu're suited for. If clients fail to include important details or specific conditions, then our employees could end up getting hurt or worse. Because of this, we require all such information to be clearly written down and submitted when a person makes a request of the Guild." The bespectacled beauty said, leaning forward with both elbows on the surface of the reception desk now. Hands cupped under her chin while she rested her head in them. "So don't you worry. Miss Bavaloure is totally on your side in this case, and if Miss Elmwood has any issues, she can take it up with our hall's Mistress. I'm sure that won't happen though. Mmhmm~" Karin giggled at the end, implying that the members of the Litroot G.O.R.E. Hall weren't the only one who feared the petite witch.

After clearing this up, and thus alleviating any of Alice's fears for possible repercussions or punishments that may or may not have included a severe spanking, or wooden horse-torture, Karin proceeded to open one of her narybty drawers, and began rummaging around in it.

... And rummaging...

... ... And rummaging some more...

... ... ... And even more...

... ... ... ... Now she got up tolook inside of it, while her eyebrow twitched, though her pro-like smile remained...

Approximately 4.5 minutes later...

00a99d"Ahem! Yes, well! Anyway. Here's your pay, for your first joint quest. Congratulations, you two. I'll be sure to update your personal files later."[/color] The lazy, disorganized receptionnist congratulated, before putting a very paltry and unsatisfying number of coins onto the desk, sliding them over towards Alice. The total sum was about enough to buy a snack from one of the town's market stalls... A small one... For one person...

Bounce, bounce, bounce! CLOMP~!

"Hey, hey! You ttwo done yet!?" A very excited Brandy suddenly appeared, right next to Alice, a piece of paper in her hand. "What's this quest? It's got a super buff hunk on it! Do we like, get to go and hang with him? Search for a missin' piece of man-meat?" She was very excited. And had very sparkly eyes.

Karin took the note from Brandy's hand, gave it a look, and then gave Brandy a look. It was the look of someone who was trying to fathom how someone who looked like that could have the mental faculties ofa four-year-old..

"Miss Vanillarin..."
"Just call me Brandy, chief~!" Brandy gave a salute and stuck her tongue out. Karin was unplussed.
"... This is an advertisement for the village's yearly Strong-Man contest... Which was last month..."
"... Eh?"
"It's not a quest. It's an old ad that wasn't cleaned off the quest board."
".... Soooo... No hunks in trouble for a pair of hotties be all heroic-like and save?"
"No. None of that."
"... Boo."

Brandy looked more upset about not being allowed to go on a quest to save some muscly, burly, non-shirt-wearing men, rather than being embarrassed that she'd just gone and made it painfully apparent that she couldn't read, nor tell the difference between a colorfully and artistically drawn advertisement, and a piece of informative and plainly written quest-request. The little goat-girl's ears slouched and her tail dipped as she let out a 'Awwww' and slowly trotted back to the quest-board. Karin gave Alice a mixed expression.

"... I get that she's got enthusiasm but... Are you certain you want to be paired up with her? I'm sure there're other girls in the Hall who'd happily team up with you." The tanuki politely informed... Probably having Alice's best interests in mind, for the long-game at least...

Goblin Slayer: Newblood (CANCELLED)

The nobleman at the square seemed pleased, as many were lining up to sign his little document. An eyebrow was raised when he saw the little lion-maned foreigner step forth and scribble her own signature on the parchment, but his surprised quickly faded - replaced instead with a content, smug expression. His face went a bit more pale and his eyes got a lot bigger when a certain, gargantuan lizardman lumbered over though. Towering over the scrawny but much more well-dressed man, the poor fellow seemed unsure what was about to happen. Even the noble's bodyguards looked uncertain about what to do, half-resting their hands on their weapons, half shambling to position themselves inbetween the red hulk-creature and theirn sire.

A sigh of relief left the well-to-do upper class citizen though, as soon as the red reptile signed the paper. A visible bead had formed on the man's otherwise immaculate face, and was quickly removed by the dab of a small hankerchief - which looked far too expensive and embroidered with details to be used for such a thing. Seriouslyy, that thing looked more expensive than all of Big Red's, Steppe Archer's and Druid Girl's clothes and weapons combined. Who paid for something that lavish!? Druid Girl, who had just been standing about - stuffing her face to the point of resembling achipmunk - watched the spectacle. The rich really were something else, spending money on fine clothes and little extravagances like that... Meanwhile her own family barely had enough money from their back-breaking labor to afford food and necessities from season to eason...

She was brought back to her senses though, the caramel-skinned girl, when both of her companions rejoined and spoke with her. It seemed Steppe Archer wanted to go river-bathing again, whereas Big Red seemed to feel he wasn't in need of such things. Honestly though, while the thought of being somewhat sticky and gross was unpleasant, the nature mage didn't exactly feel like washing up in a rather chilly river twice in a single day. On the other hand, paying for a trip to the local bath house would cut into her funds, of which she had already used a fair portion today... It was a tough choice...

To be potentially smelly, or to not be potentially smelly... That was the question!

"Hm, well I'd rather not be all gross and stuff when it's time for bed... Though bathing in the river again is a bit..." She mused loudly. "... If we wanted, I suppose we could duck into one of the alleys that have a well and just rinse ourselves off... Though, someone might try to peep..." She suggested first. "... Unless our fearless and valiant Knight in Red Scales would be willing to stand guard and protect our virtues while we do so..." She added, casting a glance over at Big Red, while putting on puppy-dog eyes and doing her best to look like a frail and delicate maiden in distress...

... It didn't look quite right...

"Ohm! Maybe I should sign that thingy too! It'd be real helpful if we could just come back at any time of day." She said, mouth-now-full-of-a-new-bite-of-skewer. And no sooner said than done did she trot herself over and get in line to sign the nobleman's petition too. Her friends had both done it, so she should too, right?

Meanwhile, the crowd at the market was beginning to disperse, now that most present had already listned to, and decided to sign or ignore the nobleman's appeal. As people began to move about and head in every which direction though, a group of - or rather a pair - of individuals stood out. They were a pair of rhea - two young lads to be precise. One had rough, unkempt shoulder-length black hair, while the other had short and smoothened light brown hair. Both were dressed in a similar fashion, simple clothes of no particular make or quality. They had some equipment though, which signified that they were ither fellow adventurers, travellers or otherwise in a career that required personal protection and survival tools or resources.

So, what was noteworthy about them then, considering they sound quite generic and non-descript? They were keeping a very sharp eye out, observing passer-by's with discreet glances and peeks - the unobservant and careless would easily pass them by and not think twice about it. While others might just think they were looking for someone in particular. However, a more careful and astute individual may notice that they weren't looking at peoples' faces, but rather somewhere else on the body... Particularly around the midriff-area. Of course, that could all just have eben vivid imagening! After all, people were quite prejudiced against the rhea as it were, often painting them up as thieves and rogues. It might just be a harmless case of people-watching or trying to spot something they liked and wanted to get for themselves, from a shop. Totally legit, by paying for and everything!

"Whoo, I'm back!" A ratheer frazzled Druid Girl stated, as she reconvened with her fellows. "I still don't get why that noble dropped the pen on the ground and asked me to bend down and pick it up... Three times! He didn't drop it when anybody else was writing down their names... Oh no... Do you... Do you think it's because I smell? I ... I didn't think I got that sweaty...!" She was obviously not catching on to the actual reason...

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Hmm~? Whacha talkin'bout, Al? We did walk that pooch, and just like that old granny asked, we washed him after he got dirt 'S all good, girl!" Was Brandy's reply when Alice stated that they may not good paid. Apparently, the goat-girl was under the impression that they'd done a bang-up job for some reason.

As the door to the guild hall swung open, the two girls entered. The place was entirely void of people, save for the raccoon-receptionist, who was leaning back in her chair and staring at the ceiling with a content, half-dozed-off face on her... Until said door slammed open and she jolted back to an upright position, eyes blinking and quickly darting from one corner to the next in an attempt to figure out what'd just happened and to get her bearings. When she saw the two girls approach though, she let out a relieved sigh.

"Ah, it's you two. Welcome back, girls. How did your first quest go?" Karin asked with her practiced customer-service smile.
"Great!" Brandy exclaimed excitedly, leaning forward over the counter after having slammed both hands down on it, her blouse-bunnies somewhat jiggling and bouncing from the act. "We talked to that odl harpy, walked her pooch, cleaned some laundry, went simmin'... Oh! And washed the dog after he ate all the hunter's meats and-"
"Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, girl! There's a lot of things about what you just said that I'd like to have you explain in a bit more detail." Karin stopped the waterfall of words by raising both hands and making stop-signs. Brandy blinked in confusion, seemingly not realizing that her re-hashed version of today's events was somewhat jumbled and lacking in the finer aspects of story-telling.
"So, whaddya wanna ask about?" The satyress inquired, tail wagging and ears twitching excitedly, while an innocent, wide and sunny smile stretched across her face.
"I... Err... I think it might be best if your senior here explains it to me..." The clever receptionist said, looking over at and gesturing towards Alice.
"Fiiiiiine~ Al! You got this, right? I'm gonna 'toes check out that quest board-thingy and see if there's something awesome posted now that we're back!" Brandy stated, having clasped both of the werewolf's shoulders and looked at her partner with sparkling eyes... Before bounding over the uguild's still rather sparsely decorated quest board.

Karin let out a polite cough in a closed hand, corrected her glasses, straightned her posture and looked over at Alice. The raccoon-woman's face still smiled, but Alice could tell that her eyes weren't as happy as she may be trying to portray.

"ALright then, Ms. Keller. Mind telling me about today's quest and how things went? Stranegely enough, we had a few visitors come in during your time out, and they all had quite a lot to say. Sadly, most of it wasn't very positive. Luckily, the Guild Master was able to resolve things, but I'd like to hear your version nontheless." At east she wasn't chewing Alice out, or making a fuss about proper guild-etiquette and behavior. it seemed this tanuki really waasn't going to blow her top and instead wanted to hear her fellow guild mate's side of the story before making any comments.

... Or perhaps she'd just been ordered to do so by the little witch in the next room over...

Meanwhile, Brandy was oblivious and happily scanning the quest board up and down, side to side, while constantly swaying back and forth on her hooves. Unfortunately for her, the selection of available quests hadn't increased since their departure... In fact, it was quite the opposite. Take into account that Brandy was unable to read the common alphabet, and the entire thing was an excersise in futility... But that didn't seem to stop Brandy's enthusiasm.

Goblin Slayer: Newblood (CANCELLED)

The various comments, and compliments, of her companions amde the girl smile a bit bashfully. It was nice of them to encourage her efforts, even though she was aware herself that she probably still wasn't ready to go toe-to-toe with a real enemy using these techniques and what-have-you... The comments about her stomach she could've done without though... And when Big Red mentioned the possibility of her trying to eat them, the girl's face went beet red and she let out an indignant gasp.

"I would never!" She stated quite seriously... As if she actually believed that the lizard fighter were under the misgivings that she would... At least, for a bit, before she started laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of that possibility.

Heading back into Palisde Town, the guards at the gate gave them lazy glances and wordless nods. of recognition The streets had died down in terms of bustle and hustle, with now only a few pedestrians milling about still. It wasn't a big settlement to begin with, so what constituted 'busy' for the frontier settlement was probably what residents of a bigger city would consider a slow day.

As they came closer to the area where the market stalls for groceries - and street foods - were located, the trio could spot a gathering of people. A lot of murmurs and low, whisper-y chatting was going on, as all eyes were focused on a single point ahead.

Druid Girl, more concerned with stuffing her face than with whatever ruckus was going on in the local market, was quick to by-pass the crowd and zip straight to a stall selling freshly cooked beef skewers... And she ordered quite a few of them... Like, a lot. Her eyes sparkled like gemstones as she watched the savory meats fry on the grill and get placed on a small ceramic plate. The young girl could barely contain herself, like a vamished puppy ready to leap and grab its food before it even landed in the bowl.

That aside, if either of the other two adventurers were to go investigate the scene with the small crowd, they'd soon learn the reason for its formation. One of the local nobles were petitioning at the market, trying to get people on-board with signing some kind of coument that was to be submitted to town hall. Apparently, this form would allow the town gates to remain open at all hours - even during the night. The noble aruged that sealing the town off at a night was not only inconvenient for locals who had planned to travel, being unable to go at whatever time of day they so desired, but also a hindrance to travellers and visitors from out-of-town.

The noble preached that by allowing the town to stay open at all hours, commerce would increase and so would the flow of both merchants and potential new residents, which would help the town flourish and grow. Some people seemed skeptical and disinterested, but there were also a few that seemed genuinely swayed and supportive of the proposal, eagerly lining up to sign their name on the dotted line of the coument.

Perhaps this was a good thing for the local adventurers too? It would mean that if the bill was passed, they could go on adventures any time of day and not have to worry about getting back to town too late and being locked out! Of course, it also meant that shady folk could more easily move in and out of Palisade Town, and the town guard would need to hire more guardsmen to stand watch at all times.

"Mmmmmmmmmm! Scho guhd! Omno-noms-noms-nom!"

...

...

...

... Some individuals seemed more interested in stuffing their face full of foood and mimicking a hamster though...

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

Old lady Elmwood became increasingly more red across her entire face while listening and talking to Alice. Though it was more like a one-sided scolding from the little werewolf and the old human woman couldn't seem to gain any ground or make any worthwhile come-backs to the various questions and blatant facts that were thrown in her wrinkly, reddening face. Eventually, it seemd like she'd had enough as she clapped her cupped hands together loudly, twice in quick succession.

"Well, oh! I never! Is this how you speak to the people who pay you to do your job!? Rest assured, little girl, I will be filing a complaint to your superiors, good day! Francoise, come!"

At the calling of his master, Francoise confidently lifted his head and strutted past Alice, head held high and tail fully erect, as if he was some kind of champion or war hero, walking down a street during a parade. It was rather infuriating to watch the mischievous and indignant pooch act so snorky and pompous... But he was more than likely going to get an earful from his owner once they left, so Brandy didn't hold it too much against him for trying to put on a brave... face...?

As soon as the Royal Aulderian Poodle crossed the threshold into the house, the door slammed shut - causing the nearby windows to quiver slightly from the forceful impact. A cricket chirped as silence fell on the two girls standing outside the larger-than-average-house-which-would-be-considered-a-manor-in-a-tiny-village-like-this. A woodland dove cooed as well, further driving home just how quiet things had gotten after the discussion had ended so abruptly.

That is, until Brandy almost doubled over from laughter. Leaning forward, holding her arms over her stomach and laughing so hard that her already barely-covered breasts bounced and jiggled dangerously close to popping out of her top, the satyress seemed to be very, very amused.

"Maa-haa-haa-haa~!! Man, that was awesome! Al, you're so cool! You totes ripped that old harpy a new one! Maa-haa-haa! Maa-haa-haa! Did you see her face? It was as red as a tomato! Maa-haa-haa~!" It seemed at least the little satyr was very impressed by the werewolf's ability to overcome their client in this discussion.

Once she calmed down, an d wiped the tears of joy from the corner of her eyes, the beige-haired caramel cutie managed to straighten herself up and put on a sunny smile.

"So, like, we did the stuff and things, right? Do we just go back to the raccoon-lady and get our pay now?" She asked, excited about the prospect of finishing her first job with blatantly no concern for what Elmwood had said, or how their reception back at the Guild Hall would turn out.