The Legend of Heroes: Tales of the World [IC]

[Taerinn]

Clockwork Town Guild, Largo's table

Selan’s eyebrow raised slightly when Estelle sidled up to her, but she listened politely, in case it was an urgent matter. In a way, it wasn’t. But the advice alone made her grin up at the girl. She closed her eyes and shrugged, a gesture that said I suppose it can’t be helped. There was bound to be something warmer stashed away somewhere in her room... Still, she appreciated the concern, and she found herself forgiving Estelle’s earlier yammering.

As she overheard Cole offering the strange-looking man a place to stay for the night, her mind drifted to her room, just on the opposite wall of the common area, where she would be staying alone, as well as the idea that no one would be accompanying her to the station in the morning. It was a strange pang of loneliness that she wasn’t expecting, which was odd considering that she would most likely feel suffocated by all of these people by the time the mission was completed.

Abruptly, she got up from her seat. “Well, everyone...” she said, feigning a yawn. “It’s been a lovely evening, but I’ll be excusing myself now. Hopefully when we all meet tomorrow, none of us will be hungover, hm?” She gave them a grin and headed for her room, where she would quickly bathe and retire for the night.

Selan’s Room

After her bath, Selan dressed in night robes that miraculously covered more of her body than her standard attire. After digging through a chest of personal belongings, she had managed to find some clothing that was both warm and to her liking.

Setting the folded pile of clothing on a small table near the door, she simply sat for a while, brushing her hair and humming to herself. The melody was both somber and charming, the type of song that one would sing to pacify an upset child. Although it was quiet, the lilting sound was somewhat audible if one were close to the door. Strangely enough, if said someone were to hear her, they would also suddenly feel oddly relaxed and drowsy, although the lack of words and muffled volume prevented the tune from knocking someone out entirely.

[Renose]

---

Apparently Nero had good timing and the people of this "Guild" were more helpful than Nero originally took them for. Right when he made his request a man had just finished collecting something from the woman behind the desk and had turned to him. "If you don't mind spending the night in a strangers home, I have two unused bedrooms in my apartment. You're welcome to use on for the night. I can accompany you to the station when I leave tomorrow since I'm heading there anyway" the man's voice from behind him offered, which caused Nero to turn around and look at the guilder who offered a room.

"Well I don't really mind actually" Nero told the man, grateful for the offer as it was pretty much killing two birds with one stone. "Saves me alot of trouble of having to find it in this confusing place myself". As Nero said this his mind thought back to how he had stumbled upon the Guild building on accident. He hadn't even been trying to find it, he was just heading towards a giant clock tower as to Nero who had never been nor heard of this place before, the entire town was like a giant labyrinth without the Minotaur, which was a nice touch to any labyrinth. Really brought out the ambiance of how utterly doomed one would be if they bumped into one in the labyrinth.

After reaching into his coat he held his hand out to Cole, which had a vial of a red liquid that had a light bluish tint to it. "If I am correct you are going on some mission right, so I figured I could give you this for your trouble of allowing this lost Alchemist to stay in your abode" he tells the man as he places the potion he had pulled out from the inside of his coat into Cole's hand whether or not Cole wanted it. "Before you ask, it is a much better health potion then that herb water most stores try to pass off as good health potions. It'll heal your wounds, restore your stamina, and actually make you a small bit tougher for a brief period". He didn't know whether or not the man before him was one of those "help without reward" types, but Nero felt that a good service should be compensated for in some way anyway.

"Anyway my name is Nero, what is yours?"

[Pachamac]

Estelle watched as Selan got up from her seat and left to return to her lodgings. Any normal person might have been a bit bothered by the lack of any reply to her suggestion, but instead Estelle’s eyes were simply sparkling. Selan’s entire poise, posture and attitude just looked so… so…!

SO COOL.

It also made sense to turn in early for the night. It was already reaching 10pm, and if they had to be awake and by the train station at 5am, then it didn’t leave them much time for sleep. And Estelle loved her sleep. So maybe it was better to go to sleep now and be rested… but then the other grown ups still seemed to be awake and drinking… maybe she should talk and get to know the others some more, or… so many options, how could she decide?

Estelle’s gaze settled on Trixie, who was talking to Tobi. Trixie wasn’t intending to join her mission but she just looked so… so…!

SO CUTE.

[Pachamac]

Clockwork Town Guild; at one of the tables

Marcus’s ear twitched at the approaching voice that belonged to Nikki who surprised him from behind. Marcus raised an inquisitive eyebrow to the neko, and responded with a warm smile. It was nice to meet new people, but he did find it wearisome to keep up with. Being with Estelle, and watching over her to make sure she didn’t injure herself took up most of his energy, not to mention her general infectious personality made it a tiring affair. Not to mention he was still exhausted from his and Estelle’s earlier mission in the day with a Boarig, and needing to help Nero after that. There was so much he found he needed to do, and had little time to rest and recover. But, as was Marcus’ polite nature, he replied in the same courteous way he always did to someone who spoke to him.

“Ah, yes, you’re right miss.” Marcus began to speak, nodding in reply. “My name is Marcus. And yours was Nikki, correct?”

Nikki’s response looked confused at first, being that she didn’t remember giving her name to him earlier on, but Marcus quickly noticed this and replied before she could have a chance to ask.

“I’m a good listener, as I’d imagine you are too.” Marcus explained, pointing towards Nikki’s characteristic ears. “Mine are not quite as good as yours, but with how loud everyone was talking, it wasn’t too difficult to pick up names to voices.”

Marcus then lifted his head up, and with a finger to his chin, began to deliberate Nikki’s question regarding ‘wisdom’ for the mission. He knew some stuff about Tabul from the various books of the world he’d read, but it wasn’t like he’d ever been there. “Well… all I can say is to dress warm tomorrow and bring good boots. We’ll be hiking up a mountain in the snow. It wouldn’t be a good idea to slip off a cliff. I’d imagine that wouldn’t end too well.”

[Bunanigans]

Clockwork Town Guild, at the bar
Syed sighed and tapped his pen against the bar surface. Moira and Thunderhawk were still chugging drinks like there's no tomorrow. Speaking of, at this rate neither were going to be particularly happy when they had to be at the train station so early in the morning. While Syed was confident they would be there in time - Moira had always been an increadibly light sleeper regardless of circumstance - he wasn't looking forward to deal with her bull, nor the early start. Especially since none of them were likely to get a good night's sleep.

"COME ON YOU BORING ARSE! Get another drink!" Moira boomed as she slapped him on the back so hard that his face hit the bar.

"Ow, watch it!" Syed complained, rubbing his forehead gingerly. The pair of them were already pretty battered and bruised from the last mission. This time luckily there was no lasting damage. "And thanks, but no. Who am I to interupt you two's bonding time?"

"What?"

Syed rolled his eyes. "Besides, is it really such a good idea to drink so much when we need to be up so early tomorrow?"

Moira snorted, putting yet another mug at her lips. "Spoilsport."

Syed ground his teeth as his dark eyes turned to the small notebook in front of him. He knew she wouldn't listen. She never did.

The notebook was very well worn, almost falling apart at the edges, and slightly scorched from moments when he had got a bit too enthusiastic with his magic-casting. On the current page he had scrawled many notes in his terrible chickenscratch-like handwriting. Useful things, like "Ice lake, probably cold climate, wear long sleeves" and "Firons oh god what the hell". He flicked to the previous page, where he had sketched the map largo drew on the table from memory. Needless to say, it somehow looked even worse. Underneath it he had scratched "Tabul had better not be full of ogres and s*** as well". What a professional.

He glanced up once more just as Amy swiped at Trixie with her mug. He watched helplessly as she fell once more to the floor, his jaw hardening considerably in distaste. Seriously?

When Amy approached the group he pocketed his notebook and pen, stood up and stepped between her and the two drunkards.

"Ok I'll bite. Who the hell do you think you are, smacking some kid around?" he asked as he crossed his arms. While he was by no means a threatening presence, he hoped she would at least be reasonable.

[Dragonite777]

So Brennen strolled into town, headed for his house. He planned to make a stop by the guild to tip them off about the small bandit group he has back in the forest. Along the way, he spotted four cats in trees, three monsters running amok, and a partridge in a pear tree. So these types of things DO happen. I thought that these were meant to keep the young ones busy. Anyways, those bandits are pretty much trapped in their hole. If they try to get out, they get blown right to hell. The guild might wanna know. Just so those that are looking for trouble don't find my trap.

So Brennen walks into the Guild, bringing back memories both good and horrible. He walks up to what looks like the front desk area and, having overheard some loud, drunken guilders talk about some train ride, thought that he should ask about that as well. "Excuse me, sir. I feel responsible to report that there is a cave, 34.1 miles outside the edge of town, filled with a small band of bandits, 5 guys strong, that has been... Sealed off by explosives on trip wires. You should caution anyone to go there without proper disarming techniques and ready to take on the bandits. Or, now that I think about it, ready a group to clean up carcasses if necessary. That scout guy might wake up and try to re-enter the cave. Just thought I should let you know. And as I heard, there's some mission going north by train, I hear? What's all that about?"

Looking around, Brennen saw groups in what seemed to him as cliques. The newbies, the 'jocks', and the drunks. He felt uneasy, he didn't feel like he belonged here anymore. Not after that one incident... That was terrible. Brennen felt like he should bolt out before someone who was there recognizes him, but he also felt like this information would be good for him. Like he might be able to make a real difference. Maybe to have his terrible deed made right, at least in his own conscience.

[WinkleOrgy]

In front of guild reception desk

Cole, accepted the potion that had been somewhat forced on him as a sort of payment for a nights board. Potions weren't something he used often having his own methods of healing, but those methods weren't as instantaneous as a potion. He held the potion up to the light taking note of its odd blue hue, before pocketing it into the left breast pocket of his coat feeling that in a pinch it would be best for it to be in easy reach. "Well, thank you Nero. Name's Colchester, but call me Cole. I'll be sure to put this," he patted the slight bulge in his coat from were he had stashed the potion, "to good use." Though previously he had planned to leave, now his departure could wait. "So Nero, round o' beer," he held up the fairly hefty bag of gald he'd just received, "on me? If not we can leave whenever you're ready."

[Dharc]

Tobi bent down and looked at the young girl, grinning. This child reminded himself of, well, him as a child, not exactly socially normal but really enjoyable to conversate with. "I'm Tobi. I'm glad you're joining me on the mission. After all, we gotta stick together, as guilders."
The one quality that Tobi valued most was companionship and he expressed it deeply. He disliked being alone, even for short periods of time. "Can I ask you something?" he suddenly became serious and stern, as if the question was a life or death matter. "Why are you, such a young woman, in the guild? Shouldn't you, y'know, be in school? I mean, you're like what, 15?" he pouted while he asked this, quite confused. "I just don't understand..."

[Pachamac]

Marise frowned as Brennan entered the guild and began conversing with her, relating his experience in the surroundings of the town. At first she was accutely aware that she did not recognise the man, and with an intensely quick shuffle of paperwork of registered Guilders, reaffirmed her suspicions that he was, in fact, not an actual Guilder.

Marise sighed. Another typical mercenary wandering around doing whatever they like without any official or legalised permit to do so. Even if it was the Guild's purpose to help people, it only ever became their job when an official request was made in by a client, with all the details given. They were not the people to go around cleaning up anyone's mess or resolving trouble simply because there was any. Normally they would, such as the their nature to help people, but it was still an overstepping of their boundaries. This should have been reported to the Empire's official police. They would have likely passed it on to the Guild as a requested mission anyway due to their more important concerns regarding bigger matters than bandits, but regardless, that was the proper procedure of things.

Marise also did not like the report that this man had attacked bandits and sealed them up with explosives. No civilian had the right to threaten or kill somebody, even a bandit. That made Brennan just as much of a dangerous criminal as them, and a danger to anyone, Guilder or not, who might happen to come across the scene.

This kingdom had civility.

"I see," Marise replied, taking note of the man's question about the man's overhearing of the mission to Tabul and choosing not to tell him. Considering the situation in Tabul at the moment, and the mercenarous nature of this man, she refused to help him in any way that might endanger any more of her Guilders or other civilians. Instead...

"May I ask your name?" She spoke with a sweet smile. Marise was planning on noting the name to report the man to the Imperial authorities.

[Renose]

---

Clockwork Guild: Near the Receptionist's Desk

Nero slightly shook his head at the offer of beer. "Beer doesn't really do it for me. All of the potions I have consumed over the years has sort of made me build an immunity to those types of things, which means that if I were to try and feel a buzz from drinking I would probably run out of money first" he stated as he pulled another vial from the inside of his coat, this vial filled with a clear liquid that was most likely water. "Besides, I prefer to drink Alchemic Water anyway, even though it is normally used as an ingredient and thus not that good for the body, it tastes pleasant and calms the mind, so" he told Cole as he put the vial back inside of his coat "I am ready to leave whenever you are, so if you do decide to stay for a drink then maybe we could talk for a bit, or we could talk as we walk to your home, either way is fine for me".

Indeed, Nero did have several questions he wanted to ask about this "Guild" and all of those in it. As he contemplated questions he could ask Cole, his attention was diverted for a moment as he heard a man speaking to the woman at the desk near them. Nero mentally shook his head as the man mentioned sealing off the cave with explosives. What caused him to mentally shake his head wasn't the fact that the man planted explosives, but the fact that he reported this, then expected someone else to fetch them in a cave he trapped. "Any unfortunate sap to go into that cave would be doomed from the get-go, even if they did know about the explosives" Nero thought to himself, wondering why this man was reporting such a dangerous scene, that he had made dangerous, to a place that was responsible for preventing danger and apprehending those who caused it, or so Nero assumed from what he had heard of the mission briefing and from what Marcus had told him.

"Anyway, whatever you want to do, I am up for it" said Nero as he returned his mental attention after that brief moment of thought back to Cole.