Xaltwind

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

As previously, the well-mannered man of bone did neither interject nor intercede when Alice spoke. Instead he listened, periodically shifting his weight a bit, causing his calcium-rich frame to creak a bit. As the werewolf concluded her words though, the gentleskeleton gave a cordial and elegant bow in resposnse.

"My sincere gratitude for such a compliment. If your companions are half as charming as yourself, I am certain that it will be an absolute delight to meet with them." He replied in eloquent manner.

... Of course, the poor skeleton was unaware of just who was among Alice's companions...

Speaking of...

As the pair of satyr and undead came sloshing through the mucky bog, Brandy muttered something about how she should've worn her labor leotard instead of her good, white shirt. Luckily, there didn't seem to any gunk or mud had managed to get onto her attire just yet... Probably because she was carrying Sofia in her arms and the undead woman was acting sort of like a stain-shiled...

Still, as soon as the archer in her arms perked up and announced that Alice was in danger, Brandy's focus immediately returned from the realm of self-centered mutterings. Seeing the gunk and mud-covered figure approach her friend from behind, a chill ran down the satyress' back and she gasped, almost dropping Sofia in the process. Luckily she didn't. Instead, as soon as she felt Sofia's cold hand push the spiked club towards her own hand, the satyr nodded and quickly jogged - as quickly as one can move in muck - to a small, isolated patch of grass. There, she quickly plonked her friend down, telling her stay put.

Then, with wooden blunt instrument in hand, she turned towards the infenral creature of the abyss that was sneaking up on her precious ally, narrowed her eyes and let out a lloud, thundering war cry.

"IALIIIIIIIIIIIIICE! I'M COMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING"

Splutter, splutter, splosh, splash, splish, splutter!

Running through a mucky swamp wasn't easy, though it was made slightly less cumbersome due to how goat-hooves were made. Rushing as fast as her legs could carry her, Brandy approached the evil assailant and her ally with surprising speed. The poor skeleton, however, who was completely innocent in all of this, merely turned his head and was able to let out a confused: What-ho? before a cylindric wooden club adorned with many sharp spikes connected with his fragile skull, and promptly smashed it into a hundred thousand itty bitty tiny pieces.

The skeleton's body shuddered from the impact of the blow, before comedically collapsing where it stood, like a house of card crashing down under its own weight and instability. The bones and clothes of the reanimated gentleman fell into the muddy waters with soft sploshes and splashes, before allw as silent except for the noise of bog-bugs and distant birds. Breathing heavily, Brandy let out a relieved sigh, wiping her forehead and then wading her way over to Alicve.

"Whew! That was close, Al. You needa be more careful, yeah? That creepty ghoul-guy was sneaking up on ya, probably to get a grope at yer tush! Lucky me and Sofers got here just in time." Brandy explained, triumphantly puffing out her chest while pointing with her fre thumb at herself, then at Sofia abandoned on the little grass-patch a ways back.

"So, uh..." Brandy looked around in the swampy swamp. "... Found anything? Doesn't look like theere's much here, huh? Well, whatever. We should head back. This place got some stank to it, yeech! And Sofers ain't exactly waterproof, maa-haa-haa~!"

It appeared the satyr was fully convinced that she'd just rescued her friend from a potential molester, and was feeling no shame or remorse over her actions just now. At all.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

The skeletal gentleman listened intently and cordially to what the werewolf had to say. He neither interrupted nor interjected and waited patiently for her to finish speaking. Once it was clear why she was here, what she was doing and what she wanted, the dapper skeleton placed a throughtful, boney hand against his shiny, blank chin and tapped it ponderously with a dainty boney finger.

[color=silver]"If herbs and plants for the creation of concoctions are what you seek, may I suggest looking over there, Miss Alice?"[/colro] The undead man made a sweeping motion with his free arm towards a particular area of the swampy swamp. A small patch of elevated ground, surrounded by the boggy bog, with a water-logged willow tree and a fallen log, sat alone like an island in the ocean. "A lot of the rarer plants and fungus grow there, as that place is a bit out of reach and thus, nobody ever bothers to forage there." He politely informed, before going on. "But as to strange goings-on, I'm afraid I cannot say. The last thing I recall before being awakened just now was a .. Hmm... I suppose you could call it a shiver? Or perhaps a unpleasat twinge? I do recall that the sky was dark when it happened, and it cannot have eben too too long ago. It felt like someone was trying to... Hm... Grip my mind, if that makes any sense? Apologies, I'm not much help at all it seems." The skeletal sir explained, told and apologized.

Apparently, it seemd that he didn't have any specific details or information. but he did give at least one tid-bit of information. Someone had been up to something at night, or so it would seem at least. And whatever that someone had been doing, it was strong, or specific, enough to have had an impact and reaction to this poor, submerged gentleman of the quiet wetlands.

Meanwhile...

"Jeez, Sofers! I told yoooouuuuu! Ghosts don't live in swampy bogs or marshes. They hang out in haunted houses, or old crypts. Or under your bed. Or in your closet. Gah! Enough 'bout that, now you've got me worried about, Al!" Brandy bemoaned, chiding her comapnion.

Then a proverbial candle lit up above Brandy's head. It seemed the tiny satyr had had an epiphany ! Though in the case of this specific individual, that likely wasn't a good thing.

And it wasn't.

"Well, if you're gonna sink and fall apart if ya step in the muck, the answer's obvious, yeah? Upsy-daisy! Wow, you're lighter than I thought. Maa-haa-haa~!"

In one swift movement, without asking permission, Brandy had scooped the undead archer up into her arms, and was now holding her cold-blooded corpse-companion in her arms, princess-carry style. Good things Brandy was a farm-girl and some strength in those supple arms of hers! Or, not so good, if you were Sofia, who was now being carried around like a newly-wed bride being carried over the threshold...

"Well, let's go find Al, 'kay?" Brandy said, tilting her head and with a huge smile on her face...

Then she leapt over the graveyard fence, and started sprinting at full speed - with the carried Sofia in her arms - towarsd the south and the bog, all the while calling out in an elongated fashion: "We're coming Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!' As the sound of hooved hoofs clapped on grass, the sound eventually changed to more wet and spluttery noises, as the terrtain changed from grassy field to mucky, watery and wet mud and goopy dirt.

"Aw jeez, I dun wanna get any of this muck on my shirt... Hey, Sofers! Could you like, fold the lower part of my shirt up a bit? I dun wanna stain it, thanks.." Brandy requested, not stopping at all to make the task any easier or more do-able... And was she really asking Sofia to partially strip her right there and then? Clearly, no shame at all.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Huh? Wasn't she with you, Sofers? Jeez, I tell you. Take your eyes off that girl for a second and she just goes ahead and runs off to who-knows-where." Brandy said and sighed, putting her hands on her hips and looking mock-exhausted as she answered Sofia. Either she was just teasing Alice for her penchant to run around, or she was trying to deflect her own proclivity to the do the exact same thing. "But uh... Yeah, so the grassy grass ain't got nothing, huh? Guess we'd better get our booties over to that swampy area and make sure Al hasn't sunk into the muck or something." Brandy continued, jumping off the tombstone she had been previosuly balancing ontop of while speaking with her undead friend.

Meanwhiel...

As Alice happily rummaged around the small bog and picked her fungi and flora, she was not privvy to certain events unfolding in the murky, mucky waters behind her. At first, a couple of ripples, as if someone had thrown a pebble and disturbed the water, was all that could be seen. Soon though, the water began to move, and eventually out of the relative shallow depths, a figure emerged! It was covered in vines and weeds and gunk and was just not aesthetically pleasing to look at. But it made no sound, no noise, and because it moved so slow and didn't make any sudden or large, excessive moments, it didn't disturb the water in the bog all that much as it advanced. Stepping out of the stagnant pond, the creature was ... Well, honestly it was human-sized... And as it walked towards Alice's back, more and more of the wet weeds and vegetation fell off of it.

As it stood behind Alice while she now kneeling down and happily picking mushrooms from a patch growing on a rotting log, the creature opened its mouth and...

"Greetings, young lady..." An unexpectedly calm, collected and gentlemanly voice escaped from the being. As Alice would turn around, in whatever way she chose to do so, she would come face to face with the mysterious being at last!

... Disappointingly, the swamp-monster turned out to be nothing more than your run-of-the-mill skeleton. True, he wore a fancy suit, complete with red bow tie, but otherwise... He wasn't the great or mysterious Monster of the Boggy Lagoon one would've perhaps wished for. Though, fortunately for Alice, or perhaps more for his own sake - seeing as he was made out of bone and she was a werewolf - he didn't seem to have any hostile intent at all. His eyeless sockets just kept looking at the young woman before him. His face was very hard to read. Probably becausse, y'know, he didn't actually have a face.

"What might a lovely young lady such as yourself being doing in a place like this...?" He asked, again with that suave, gentlemanly voice that seemed to belong to a middle-aged dandy.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Maa-haa-haaAAAAAHHH!!" Brandy's happy laughing at having scared Sofia was decidedly interrupted when the undead woman turned on his heel and fired an artrow. An arrow that, with only the power of plot armor, managed toa void Brandy's face with not but a scant distance that was uncomfortably close. "H-hey! it was just a lil' prank, Sofers! Jeez! Way to nearly face-blast me." The satyress complained, puffing her cheeks up and looking indignant, as if she'd done absolutely nothing wrong and was in no way, shape or form guilty or at fault for anything. She did scratch her lower forearm a bit when she saw Sofia harumph off in a huff though, perhaps feeling just a twingey smidegeon of guilt? Or perhaps her arm was just itchy.

Regardless!

After this exchange, Brandy joined Sofia in the spectator-seats as the two watched Alice deal with Mr. Handsome. At the sight of the man plucking a small bug from his own person, then shoving it into his mouth and eating with a crunch, the satyr made a gagging noise and nearly reeled backwards.

"Gah! What's with this creept, gross, uggly, nasty guy!? He's just yucky all over!" She, not too discreetly, blurted out in response to the vule act of buyg-munching she'd just born witness too. At Sofia's comment about Alice though, Brandy merely chuckled - once she'd recovered from being grossed out - and patted her archer-friend on the shoulder. "Didn't ya know, Sofers? Alice's the greatest ball-buster in the lands! If she got serious, that thing wouldn't stand a chance! She did manage to keep her head though, yeah? We should praise her when she comes over. Maybe rub her tum-tum?" The tanned buxom wench commented and suggested, tapping her chin with an index-finger as if she was debating or deciding on something of grand importance.

Once the troglodyte was well and good enough out of the way, and amany feet away, Brandy rejoined Alice's side. By glomping onto the werewolf's back and nuzzling the latter's neck with her face.

"Good job, Al! You're always so dependable! So, so? What'd he say? What're we looking for and doing and stuff? Nothing to or with him, I hope? I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, reeeeaaaaaally don't wanna touch him..." She asked and assured, before being informed by her friend about the absolute nothing that had been relayed in terms of information. "Ah... So, he's not only gross and ugly and rude, but useless to? Gotcha. ... Hmm... Guess I'll just snoop around and see what I can see! Hollar if ya find somethin' girlfriends!" Brandy sage-nodded and skipped off in a bouncy fashion, which made certain torso-mounted objects also bounce... Luckily nobody except the girls were really around to see it this time.

Brandy's snooping could best be described as her going from one gravemarker to the next, and standing on top of it. She even tried to scale onto the maousoleum's roof at one point, but the brickwork proved an unsuitable surface to try and scale vertically without proper gear... And so she failed. Which led to her falling onto her rump. Which subsequently led to her giving the wall of the building a kick. Which led to her jumping around on one leg, holding her hoof and swearing as apparently stone was tougher than satyr hoof.

Leaving aside the antics of certain brainless bimbos for the time being though...

Apart from the small markings on some of the gravestones and the disturbed soil ontop of some, there really wasn't much else around of note. North of the cemetary was the small road they'd used to get here from Gnarlton to the west. Though further north there seemed to be a shrubland of sorts, filled with.. Shrubs... And bushes... ANd knee-high grass that was likely riddled with ticks. To the east of the burial site, the terrain shifted slightly to a mix of sparse woodlands and low hills. And to the south, there seemed to be, eventually, some kind of bog or wetland of sorts, complete with ctatails and frogs and... wetness... That was a ways off though, so the graveyard was in no danger of being waterlogged or sinking.

"FIND ANYTHING YET!"" A random yell from Brandy broke the otherwise silent and solemn silence that hung over the cemetary. She yelled this while balancing on the eastern-most stone fence - on one leg - of the graveyard, waving her hand energetically at the other two girls.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

The graveyard, as it were, was a dull sight. Apart form the fenced-in area where the numerous tombstones and gravemarkers were, there wasn't really much to the place. The old, weatherworn stone fence was cracked and crumbling in several places, as well as having vines and moss vying to conquer it for their own. The graves ranged from modest or minimalistic headstones, to elaborate statues or busts. The only really notewrothy things were two locations on the premises.

The first was an old mausoleum. At the very cneter of the graveyard, this lone little stone structure stood out like a sore thumb. It's red-tiled roof and stone brickwork looked to be of decent qualality and sturdy make, but not enough so to make it the resting-place for any noteworthy nobility. Most likely, it was the resting place of a well-to-do merchant family or other influential high-profile commoners. But regardless of who it belonged to, the fact stood taht there was a large, heavy and imposing-looking dark iron door sealing the place shut. Complete with criss-crossed chains and a padlock that was the size of bulldog. Needless to say, unless there was another way in, the girls would have more luck getting inside by blowing up one of the walls with the help of Alice's concoctions, rather than trying to get that slab of steel to yield.

The second location was a small, rutty and squalid-looking shack, off some feet to the southwest of the grabeyard-proper. This eyesxore was run-down, dirty and in real bad shape, complete with most likely a leaky roof, grime-covered windows, paint so faded you couldnä't tell what color it once was, and an overgrown 'yard' surrounding the place... Though it was more looking like a thicket or mini-weald at this point. Other than these two structures though, the place had pretty much nothing that stood out at all. Maybe a tree or two that cast a bit of shade, and a few crows perched atop the stone markers and cawing ominously, but that was about it.

Brandy, having placed her arms behind her head as if she was lying down in a bed while standing up, was busying herself with a leisurely stroll through the rows and columns of tombstones. Her eyes lazily swept across the dull, empty and quiet scenery and whistled in a low and carefree manner. Then she spotted Sofia. Then she spotted Sofia clutching her bow like it was a stuffed toy. Then she heard Sofia repeatedly repeat the same phrase over and over. Then she noticed the mischievous smirk spreading across her own face.

Now, normally, Brandy herself was a bit spooked by them ghosties. However, unlike Sofia, Brandy's fears only extended to the point of being afraid of these ethereal freaks when they were actually present. So, as long as she couldn't see any ghosts, in her simple-minded head, there wasn't any reason to be be scared. You would be forgiven for thinking that, sharing the same fear and anjxiety where these haunting spirits were concenred, Brandy would act in a manner to calm and bond with Sofia over their mutual fear, offer sympathy and grow closer as friends.

... Unfortunately, this is Brandy we're talking about here...

Silencing her whistling and carefully maneuvering herself in such a way as to begin approaching from behind the undead archer, Brandy smirked. Tip-toeing on her soft hooves, she slowly but sureoly approached the on-edge Sofia from behind. Step by step, breath by breath, Brandy's cheeks were flushed with the tinge of red from her excitement at pranking her poor partner. And then, as she was mere feet away...

"OoOoOOOooOooooOooh~!!Give us your bloooOOoOOoOOOoOOoOod~!"

Brandy's voice was altered to sound like some kind of mix between an elderly woman and the Count from Sesame Street... Apparently her knowledge of ghosts, despite her fear of them, was a bit lacking...

Meanwhile, as Alice was sniffing around the graveyard, she'd find a few things. For once, some of the graves seemed to have been either recently filled, or otherwise disturbed, as they were covered in soil, and not grown-over with grass like many of the others. Furthemore, there were marks and signs of dragging or pushing something along the ground at various spots, most notably at the parts of the fence where there were gaps of parts large enough for a person to pass through. Finally, on some of the tombstones there were a strange mark, like an' x' carved into the lower corner. You wouldn't notice it was there if you just casucally looked at the gravestone, but if you examined it closely, you'd notice that the mark was clearly made intentionally, and not a naturally result of time or weather.

The werewolf could then hear a soft clanging and banging coming from the small shack off to the side of the graveyard. Followed by muffled shouting and an agitated voice. Followed by the door swinging open and... Someone... emerging from within the sad excuse of a home. It was a man! ... or... Was it? Maybe it was a dwarf? It was hard to tell, as he was quite short... But he lacked the trademark beard of the short-folk... In fact, he looked very odd.

"Woah! That's one ugly fella!" Brandy exclaimed as she caught a glimpse of the approaching... Person...

And while her comment may have lacked tact and common courtesy, the fact of the matter was, there really wasn't any other word to describe this poor bloke. He was a short thing, about four and half foot tall, he suffered from a case of really bad hunchback, with a large hump and his head almost looking like it was situated on his chest rather than a proper neck. His skin was pasty and pale, his hair was a mess of black, greasy and unwashed lumps of black, matte tangles. One of his eyes was bulging and nearly popping out of its socket, the size ofa golf ball, while the other was sunken in and small, like an average green pea. His nose looked like it'd been broken several times, his legs were skinny but his arms were stocky, and his attire consisted of grey. Just grey. Grey pants. Grey tunic. Grey cloak. Grey, dirt-covered shoes. He had a bit of an overbite, and his teeth didn't seem to be able to agree on what direction to point, choosing instead to each take a unique oritentation... It kinda looked like he'd tried to bit a brick at some point thanks to that. But, as you can tell, this poor man...thing... wasn't exactly photogenic.

"Whass'is?! Whass'is!? Who're you'suns? You's no 'ere to be buried! Wha'choos doinä with muh graves!?" ... His voice was as unpleasant as his appearance, sounding like the guy was trying to gargle gravel or marbles while speaking in a coarse but agitated way. He was holding a shovle... Was he the culprit!? ... Or maybe the gravekeeper? OR BOTH!?

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Maah~?"

Brandy let out a surprisingly cute-sounding noise when Sofia tugged at her horns. Apparently she hadn't been expecting that, and once the two girls had seperated from their friendly, behind-the-store hug, the satyress gently rubbed her own head-protusions and gave Sofia a questioning glance.

"Sofers, these're attached, y'know? I know they're 'totes rockin' and stylin', but you can't have 'em." The little tanned satyress said, pouting and folding her arms over her plump chest, before snickering. Obviously she was just making a silly a joke.

After complimenting Sofia's sewing skills to the point that it was almost getting umcomfortable, she spent a few minutes helping the undead girl figure out the 'best' way to improve and make alterations to their outfits. Although to be fair, the one that got the most attention and revisions belonged to Alice... For some reason the duo was very keen on having the werewolf apothecary dress in a similar fashion to themselves... Perhaps it was so they'd all 'match'? Who could say. They both might just be pervs and wanting to see a certain alchemist covered by less fabric.

At the southern gate, Brandy bobbed up and down on her hooves as she listened to the exchange between her compatriots. When the issue of health and regulations for her outfit were brought up, Brandy laughed, bounced over to the werewolf's side and gave her a shy friend a few pats on the back.

"Maa-haa-haa~! Don't worry, Al. We can always make you a really cute aptorn to wear when you're doing that mix-y wix-y stuff of yours! Oh, I was the one who decided on what type of lingerie that'd go along with the new threads!" There was no way that Brandy would've picked something non-scandalous, so Alice would probably do best in ushering the party to leave for their quest, less she wish to see more sketches and illustrations of herself in various moments of undress.

Some shennaningans later...

Back on the road, though this time heading east. Just like with the southern path to Litroot though, this 'road' was more of a wide dirt path, rather than a proper one. Still, it worked well enough for walking. On their journey, the girls would meet a few stray travellers who either greeted them briefly, or who hurried past them. At one point a wagon pulled by a horse lazily rolled by, and the elderly farmer - wearing a straw hat - offered the girls a ride... Though his toothy grin and caw-ing chuckle was dead-give aways that his motives were less than pure.... So, naturally, Brandy got onto his wagon and proceeded to skull him.

After the pervert had been dealt with, they were bakc on track!

"So, Al. Like, give us the detes on this quest, yeah? We're going to some old grave-thingy? What're we 'spose to do there though? We gonna hunt another one of those bunny-things? I bet Sofers would be awesome at hunting, right? You could just Ptching! Ptching! and the rabbit would be all: 'Aagh, I'm done for!'." Brandy asked, praised and acted, all at once... Making a remarkably deep voice for the supposed rabbit who had been taken down by fictional Sofia.

The day was slowlyu turning into afternoon. More clouds had started to appear in the sky and the temperature seemed to have dropped a little. A slight breeze had picked and as the girls walked along the mostly grassland-y scenery they could hear the chirping of cicadas or grasshaoppers or something in the tall grass. There was the occasional tree, b ush, boulder or other natural landmark, but nothing exciting or out of place. And no slobbering feral trolls either, thank goodness. At this pace, the trio would likely reach their destination in another hour or so.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

Brandy Vanillarin's items and equipment-list has been updated.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Bu- hey, Sofers, waiiiit!~" Brandy protested, much like a child being dragged off by their mother would.
"Hmph! Such impudence!" The salesman gasped in outrage at Sofia's - apparently? - uncouth behavior and comments, both regarding his wares and his family. Though she wasn't wrong about his mother-in-law being on the chunky side.

Meanwhhile, if Alice were to inquire about the legal hassle of peddling wares in Gnarlton, she'd come to learn of the joys of beaurocracy. Local merchants needed a license and permit, as well as a suitable locale before they were allowed to sell any wares of any kind. Meanwhile, travelling merchants and peddlers needed to apply for a permit, which cost money, required an extensive interview and run-down of the applicant's inventory, as well as other fun things. Such as only being permitted to peddle goods on weekends, and only in certain specific locations, and that there was a tax which needed to be paid at the end of the weekend on any goods sold. Basically, being a travelling peddler in Gnarlton was more paperwork and legal fees than it was actually being a merchant. On the plus side though, peddlers didn't need to own a shop or stall of their own, and were free to set their own prices without the mrchant guild having any real say in the matter.

But back to Brandy and Sofia!

While at the general store, Brandy had the opprtunity to pick up some vegetables - since they were heading out on the road again. They were a bit pricey, and not quite of as good quality as the stuff they grew back on her own farm, but they'd have to do! Mostly because there really wasn't much else to choose from. Other than the stalls, but they were mostly selling ready-cooked food. The satyr then dutifully followed the undead archer as she picked out her bolt of dark cloth, paid ad then snuck around the corner of the store to head behind it.

"Oho~ What's this, Sofers? I didn't know you were this bold." A smirk-sporting satyress stated while giving Sofia a mix of an amused and naughty-face.

However, once the duo arrived and the undead got to work, the satyr said nothing. Which was odd. Instead, she just stood there, looking on in seemingly a trance-like stupor as she observed the lightning-fast needlework of her companion. Once the deed was done and the fabric had been turned into an accessory though, Brandy squeed in the most girly way possible, complete with hands pressed against her own cheek and full-body wiggling in a unnaturally quick way.

"Sofers! You're amazin'! 'Totes amazin', girl! You're so good with your hands, I can't even! Oh my gosh, this is so incredible!" She was very impressed, obviously.

Then, when Sofia demanded that Brandy be her muse, and produced a hairband - which she had somehow managed to finish not too long after the choker - Brandy let out another squee, this time longer and louder than the last. As she grabbed the little hair-accessory and stared at it with the genuine exicetement of a child opening their first christmas-present, Brandy looked remarkably cute. Gently raising the item over her head and carefully sliding it down onto her noggin, the satyress blushed, but her smile was as wide as a valley and her eyes glittered like a pnd in sunlight, filled with gemstones.

"How do I look~?" She asked, striking a forward-leaning pose, which somehow made the lighting behind her become much brighter and... Were those bubbles and sparkles floating around her? And what was that jingly sound, no wait, where was it even coming from!? Also, was the background cityscape melting away and giving way to an opaque, pink background? What the heck?! Luckily for Sofia, all these oddities seemed to vanish in an instant, as if they'd been nothing but a mirage. Or trick of the light. Or result of Brandy's cleavage being more exposed by leaning forward.

Regardless!

"Seriously though, Sofy." Sofy, not Sofers. "Thanks. Thanks a bunch. I can't believe I get to have an accessory this great. I coulda never afforded one on my own, and I ain't really good at sewing myself, so... Um... Well... Maa-haa-haa~, c'mere you!"

Glomp!

And now she was stuck to Sofia, rubbing her cheek lovingly against the other girl and embracing her in a firm but pleasant hug. it also beame very clear that despite having been born on a farm and done a lot of manual labor in her life, Brandy as a whole was surprisingly soft and supple, like, everywhere. Also, she apparently smelled like a mix of flowers and ... Wine...? Something sweet at least. Nevertheles, the happy satyr was perfectly content with keeping on hugging her new personal designer and not having a care in the world, giggling and thanking the other girl profusely as she did.

Many much minutes later...

The girls would eventually join back up at the southern gate, the place they had entered Gnarlton from. Apparently, the graaveyard their quest would tae place at was located some hours off in the eastern directions. Luckily, it was along a road, so they wouldn't need to go huffing it in the wilderness.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

"Oooh, free dirnks? Don't mind If I dooo~" Brandy cheerfully and melodiously half-sang as she took the offered potion and glugged it down as if it were ale at a tavern... But, y'know, served in a glass flask. And non-alcoholic. And tasting like cherry. And a different color entirely. Regardless! After imbibing the non-alcoholic restorative draught, Brandy let out a content 'Aaah~', followed by a suprised 'Oh~?' as she again massaged her busty bust, but this time more to confirm that the pain from earlier had actually disappeared. Once convinced that her chest was no longer the victim of friction-burns, Brandy's ears began to twitch happily and her little tail became stiff and started to wag.

"Al! This is 'mazin'! You could like, 'totes sell this and rake in the big bucks. You could call it.... Hm, lessee... 'Al'sCherry-Pop'!" Brandy beamed with pride at her suggestion... Probably not entirely aware of the implications... Then again, it was the satyress' penchant to make dirty jokes, so perhaps she actually was fully aware of what she was suggesting. "Anyway, me and Sofers gonna go get her a stylish choker. Mee'cha back at the gate we came into town through, yeah? Sweet, let's go Sofers! We're gonna bang those shops so hard they won't even be able to walk straught!" ... Completely irrational metaphores aside, the satyr grabbed her undead ally by the wrist and did not wait for a 'yay' or 'nay', proceeding instead to drag the poor girl along at her bouncy, excitable and energetic pace.

"OooOOOOOOOoOhhhhHhhhhHHhhhhHhh....!"

Oh yeah, him. Yeah, he's still on the ground, in a fetal position, holding his family jewels. Still in pain.

Moving on.

Brandy effortlessly and unimpeded bounced through the streets of Gnarlton's commercial district, Sofia in hand. There were some times when the undead would have to pull the satyr off of things like stall crates, wagons, a horse's back, the window-sill of an open window and so on and so forth. There were many surfaces of elevation around, and Brandy seemed determined to stand and survey her surroundings from each one of them. Paying of course no heed to the angry and outraged people who became the victims of her need-to-stand-on-things. But, with a little effort and a lot of patience, the two girls eventually arrived at an area where boutiques for clothes could be found.

The first store they enteed was a place called 'Burlap Bargains'. True to it's name, the outside was just as drab as the shop's inside, and the contents and wares faired no better. Gray and brown. Baggy and wrinkly. Ugly and uncomfortable. This was the sort of clothes and wear that the lowest of low wore, the paupers and bottom-feeders of spciety. Those who couldn't afford to spend money on fancy duds or extravagant threads. Naturally, Brandy was not shy about voicing her disconcent at the shop, the goods and staff's lack of enthusiasm.

Unsurprisingly, both Brandy and Sofia were comedically booted out of the front door in a matter of minutes. After the satyr was done rubbing her shapely posterior, she proceeded to hurl insults and angry words at the store-front, before sticking her tongue out and making a 'thhhpppppppppt!' noise, then pulling Sofia along.

"C'mon! Let's go to the next place. Not like that shop knew the difference betwen fashion and sacks of potatoes anyway, right? Maa-haa-haa~!" Brandy concluded.

Their next stop was a, to some extent, more well-off locale. This place had a little sign outside and actually sported curtains in the store window. 'Frugal Fabrics' was the name, and inside the door satyr and undead came! Looking around at this ... Moderate... Establishments, two things became apparent at once. For one, this was a shop that sold used and previously owned clothes. Second, the staff weren't very good at their job, as many of the garments had been repaied by having large patches of non-matching fabric sown over holes and tears. While this was an accepetable solution if one was skilled at the art of tailoring, these particular offerings looked as if they'd been fixed by unfocused and unenthused children.

Naturally, Brandy made sure to loudly and clearly make this fact known, as she looked over the various pieces of clothes with a scrutiny befitting a fashionista.

One quick boot to their collective rears later, Sofia and Brandy were one again back out in the streets. Rubbing her romp again, another cavalcade of insults and nastiness was hurled at the unappreciative store and their staff. Puffing her cheeks out and snorting, Brandy looked over at Sofia.

"Well, it wasn't like they had any chokers or scarves there anyway. 'Sides, all their stuff like somethin' a little kid made. Ain't no way two beautiful babes like us would be wearin' any o' that, right? Let's hit up the next place." Brandy unilatteraly declared and decided.

Next on their journey was an average-sized store with the name 'Smiling Seamstress'. Unlike the previous two places, this actually looked like a well-to-do store. Not only did the yhave proper decor and fixtures, but they even had displays and the staff acutally approached the two girls as they entered, asking if they needed help. After explaining in so many ways taht they wanted a neck-garment for the palest of the two, they were led to a very small section of the store, where an equally small selection could be found. Unfortunately, the colors available were of lighter tones, such as yellow, green, aqua, pale blue and milky pastel pink. Brandy wrinkled her nose and inspected the various pieces, holding them up to and against Sofia's neck, from various angles, over and over. Finally the satyress inquired if there were ay other colors, to which the answer was 'no'. Apparently warm and bright colors was the 'in vogue' at the momet In Gnarlton, which menat dark or cold colors were out. Outraged, Brandy begana long and passionate monogloue about how fashion was a personal thing and just following trends wasn't any way to make people look goood and technobable.

After this, the two were politely ushered out of the shop, firmly but forcefully.

"Maaaaan~ I can't beleive those guys. You'd think a store that sells clothes would have some sense of what faashion's all 'bout, right Sofers? I mean, c'mon, if everyone just wears what's in style right now, everyone would end up lookin' the same! Where's the fun in that? Jeez. Forget it, let's just head on over to the next spot, yeah?" Not waiting for an answer, the undetered beige-haired beauty began to bound towards their next boutique.

This time, at the end of the current street tthy were on, they happened upon an establishment far larger than the previous three. This one had many fancy and elaborate decrotions and details, though in some ways they were also gaudy and excessive. The gilded sign with cursive writing said 'Golden Needle', and from the looks of the displays in their window, this place had a vast selection. Bursting through the door, the duo was greted by prim and proper staff, wearing uniforms and acting very polite and professional... Alsmost to the point of being stiff and mechanical. After explaining what they wanted once again, they were led to a shelf along the back of the store, where many neck and head-wear could be found, including hats, neckties, scarves, mufflers, chokers, ear-muffs and more. However...

"... You guys serious? I mean, not that this hairband ain't cute, but like, that's a four-digit price-tag, my guy..."
"Yes, madame. But as you can see, this hairband is experetly woven and crafted from the finest materials by a skilled artisan who--"
"Yeah, but like... It's... A hairband, my dude. I don't think my pa' had to pay this much when he bought a wagon for our farm."
"Your... Farm...? Ah, aha, I see... Yes, well, perhaps the wares in our store are a bit out of your price-range. Perhaps the two of you ladies would be better served at some place like, oh, I don't know, the Bargain Burlap or some-such."
"Hey! We already went there and they lile, 'totes didn't have any chokers or nothin'."
"Hardly surprising. Still, I'm afraid that we only offer the finest slection at premiere expense. This is a reputable and highly regarded establishment after all."
"Huh, ya think? Feels like this here be the sorta place where them uppity more-money-than-sense people come to buy overpriced merch if ya ask me."
"... Yes, well... Ahem, is there anything else? I'm afraid if you aren't going to buy anything - or can't afford to - I'm going to have to ask you and your companion to leave."
"Wha-!? But we just got here! And we haven't even looked at the chokers yet, bub!"
"My apologies, madame, but givne your... Mannerisms... I sincerely doubt that there is anything within our store that you could actually afford."
"Huuuuh!? Wha's that 'spose to mean? You sayin' we ain't allowed to look around just 'cuz we dun have big fat gold-pouches strapped to our hips?"

It appeared that Brandy, unsurprisingly, was gettting into yet another argument with the staff. Although granted, this particular man was being quite snooty and condescending, looking at the girlas as if they were penniless beggars who had walked inside the shop to seek shelter from the elements, or something along those lines. Nevertheless, unless Sofia intervened in some way, this trip was also likely going to end up resulting in the two being tossed out without managing to purchase anything.

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

At the mention of Sofia potentially getting a choker, Brandy's eyes lit up like sunglinted diamonds. Grabbing the undead's hands, she bobbed up and down on her tippy-toes -- err, tippy-hooves.

"Oooh, accessorizing, huh? Sounds fun! Let's head up the shops and like, 'totes pick out something for ya! Something black? It'd go great with your whole dark and mysterious-thing. Oh, but maybe soemthing purple would be good too? Wait, maybe a wine red one with some nice trim would be even better!"

The satyr was, undoubtedly, very much looking forward to the possibility of shopping for clothes and baubles with her companion. After all, Brandy did fancy herself a trendy and fashionable girl, and the getting new wardrobe-additions was definetely one of the things she really loved. Especially when factoring in that she'd spent her early years just getting oversized hand-me-downs from her big sister... Which never really fit, since the size-difference between minotaurs and satyrs were quite undeniable... Good thing her mother was good at tailoring.

When Alice then appeared, happily announcing their next obstacle before receiving another paycheck, Brandy contemplatively - and out of character - scratched her cheek. When she saw Sofia's reaction to the possibility of ghosts and spooky, scary, occult phenomena though, the most cat-like expression appeared on her face as she smirked. The attempt at explaining and waving what she'd just said away only made said smirk wider.

On behest of Alice's prompting, Brandy gave her werewolf a gentle elbow-nudge to the ribs. Or, wlel, boob. It was fully intetional too.

"There ain't no ghosties who'll be scarier than you on a moon-y night anyway, right?" Brandy smugly smugged, winking at Alice and reminding her of a certain ball-busting scenario which had happened only some very short time ago. "Don't worry, Sofers! If there's any pervy poltergeists, I'll protect ya!" The satyr said, turning to their undead archer and striking a dramatic pose, what with flexing her arm to show off her bicep muscle and ... Stuff... Well, Brany wasn't exactly weak, given taht she'd done farm-work most of her life, she actually had a pretty good physique, coupled with her unfairly plump and shapely figure. Still, she apparently didn't consider the fact that you can't punch or beat up something that doesn't have a corporeal form... Which wasn't suprising, since Brandy wasn't apparently aware of a lot of things.

Turning back to Alice though, the tanned satyress started bobbing up and down again with enthusiasm.

"So, where's this place? What're we 'spose to do? Can we get a bit of shopping for Sofers done before we go? Ooh, and I wanted to pick up some more foods'n junk. My pack's running low. Oh, we should totally get some street-foods too! Gotta taste the local flavors, y'know?" She paused, tapped her chin with an index finger, and then remembered something. "Oh yeah! Al, you used one of your big blasty bottles, right? Don'cha need to replace it? If we meet another one of those big-nosed bozos on the way, we'll 'totes need ya to blow'em up again. But... This time, let me or Sofers throw it, 'kay? I dun want ya to collapse again..." Brandy's words trailed off and a slight blush tinged her cheek. Apparently she was showing genuine concern. Made even more awkwaard by her averting her gaze and fidgeting in place, like she was some kind of school girl who'd just confessed to her first crush or something.

Then she seemingly bounced back, stretched backwards and let out a small 'yip!'-noise. Leaning forward a bit, she put her arms up to her chest. And then began massaging her bouncy, soft, squishy and oversized mangos... Right there in public.... Not blushing in the slightest at doing something like this.

"Aw man, they do sting a bit... I guess I shoulda worn a bra after all today..." The beige-haired beauty blabbed, apparently feeling a bit sore after her tit-and-tummy-first dive to save Sofia's head from just earlier.