Elder Sibling chucked at the response. ”Very well, Chieko.” With a snap of her fingers, everyone walked out of the room. She waited for the door to shut before continuing. Fritzi then threw back her hood, showing her real face to Chieko. ”You'd better not be pulling a fast one on me. But yes, I can tell you what the royal seal is before we get started.” She reached her arms over her head and stretched, letting out a little yawn as she did so. ”The royal seal is a required right of passage to participate in the royal election. The emperor is unfit to rule due to his youth, and so everyone's clamoring to be his right hand man. Because for all intents and purposes, being his number two makes you number one.” Fritzi rested her hands on her hips. ”There are a total of four seals, and all but one of them is held by a demihuman. Which doesn't matter, because most of the voters are humans. The only way to ensure a diplomatic victory is if all of the seals are possessed by demi-humans. So all I have to do is steal Mistress Vertti's seal and I can win this war with a diplomatic victory. It should look like this.” The wolf girl took a moment to retrieve a book from her robes and pointed at an illustration that looked like a compass. 4 colors divided by a black line and a dragon in the center. ”No killing anyone, just like you wanted, right?” She dropped the book and clapped her hands together. ”Actually, you're a human. I bet you could walk right into her bedroom and confirm it's location for yourself. I could lend you Chiyo or Quill as back up if you think you'd need it, but you should be fine as long as you don't get caught.”

---

"Ahhhh!" After letting out a sharp yelp, Aer froze up as soon as Grissaia put his hands on her shoulders. "O-oh, It's morning, isn't it?" She stepped backwards out of his hands. "Right, can't really face the day on a belly filled with wine, can I?" Aer spun the boy around and pushed on his back, forcing him to step out of the room. "No spells for me, thanks. Last man who cast a spell on me robbed my family blind. Not that you'd do that but, but, eh." After getting Grissaia out of her room, the small woman leaned against the frame of the door. "Um, thank you. Thank you! For checking up on me. Do tell Lady Vertti that the medicine was really good. I fell, really, good." She placed her hand on the door. "And I'm going to get dressed, so I'll see you later." She shut the door as gently as she could.

Mistress Vertti had just arrived. "I heard a shout. I'm confident in your ability to handle the situation but..." She approached the two bottle of wine beside the door. After staring at them for an uncomfortable amount of time, she looked back at Grissaia. "I would like to go for a walk. It's not something we've done in a while, and the weather looks good today. I'll even let you choose where we go." Mistress Vertti might have been Grissaia's adoptive mother, but sometimes she acted more like a sister.

Flame Brooks and Ashton Andrews

Flame was doing his errand by the metaphorical book, buying food and giving generous tips to the Demi-Human vendors. It was then that he'd come across a surprising sight; a young man in a black-and-white costume who carried two blades on his belt. He had the same build as Ashton, carried himself in much the same way, but somehow... Flame did not recognize him as Ashton until the latter passed him by and whispered, "I haven't seen you this happy since Bangor, Flame."

A brief freeze, before the young man whispered back, "Let's talk later; I missed you." Then he gave the current merchant he was buying food from an extra-large tip, in order to distract her from the suspicious encounter.

After that, Flame walked to a local eatery, one ran by a couple of ocelot-people, subtly glancing at the 'strange man' to follow him. He chose said eatery because if asked, he can 'sell' it to Gris Art Fortye as an extension of his mission to help the Demi populace. As expected, Ashton - Or the person implying he was Ashton - followed, though at a discreet distance. More proof that this was not some sort of trick.

------

A few kebabs and a generous tip later, and Flame and his boyfriend were talking once more, though not so loud that they can be overheard through the din of the eatery. And Flame, after hearing what had happened to Ashton during the time they were seperated, was his cynical self again.

"So, some old gladiator trainer wants you to get metals for a new and epic weapon. Do you think you can trust him?" the redhead was saying.

Ashton nodded, "Yeah; he seems 'pure', despite being part of the criminal underground. But we need to be careful; quite frankly, I am more concerned about two things: One, Chieko and Aerith - It was implied she was saved by those 'Witches' - might be our enemies now; Archibald could probably be our one last Isekai-er ally. And this city... The so-called High Council are planning something that I know will lead to large-scale destruction, and Fritzi has some sort of connection to them."

A frown from the now-ivory-haired boy. "I have the seeds of a plan to defend the city; but I don't want to flub up again, so I need a keen eye, not just a yes-man. So Flame, I need to ask a few questions."

He then paused for effect, then said, "How much does this Gris Art Fortye trust you? And how much contact do you keep with Alistair and Mono? And while we're at it, have you kept contact with Doctor Donovan, even tentatively?"

Flame pursed his lips. "I think that you're heading into dangerous territory, and that we'll be putting ourselves in danger should I answer those questions. So tell me first - What are the goals of this plan?"

The answer was vague, and used cultural references that only Ashton and Flame or another Isekai-er can understand, "We've played Mass Effect, right? The first one? Let's just say that we're playing the Paragon Path..."

So unifying at least two of the major factions against a third. Flame got the reference, But that requires the third being vile enough for the first two to put aside their differences, and a Demi-Human Liberation Front might or might not be enough be that third. Ideally, we'd try and lure in the Witch Cult they keep talking about, but aside from potentially killing someone by telling them of the Isekai, we don't know how to do it; we just have vague knowledge that they're planning something.

But Flame didn't voice his thoughts; Ashton knew those anyway. So he whispered, "You do know you're charged with murder, right? So the circumstances have to appear dire enough that your 'crime' would be overlooked. Otherwise, there won't be an alliance."

Old Mill Hideout, Suttlings Basin
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4
@BrokenPromise

---

Chieko frowned. Even if she didn't request their presence, Fritzi would probably sent them to watch her for any sign of treachery anyways. Still...she was willing to let her go off on her own. Carelessness or confidence? From what little she gathered of Fritzi in their short time together, she could reasonably guess the former.

"...I see." Chieko replied coolly, not taking her gaze off of Fritzi. So this was like...identification of sorts. Allowing one to become one of the most important people in the country. No doubt Fritzi wanted it for herself - and nothing good could come from that, but she wasn't in any position right now to argue. Closing her eyes and inhaling, Chieko placed a hand on the illustration. "...very well. I can find it, barring any interference." How she was going to? She hadn't a clue. If it was something as important as it seemed, she doubted it would be laying around anywhere.

"I'd say don't bother sending anyone." Chieko replied with a grunt. "But I doubt you'd let me go off without any sort of surveillance anyways." Turning back to look at Fritzi, Chieko folded her arms. "Is that it? Or do you have some other underhanded business you'd like me to do?"


@Tenma Tendo
Golden Quarter
Deaths: N/A

---

"Wahaha, nothing in particular my avian friend." Mie replied with an impish smile. Swiftly moving to Eiko's side, she threw an arm around the girls shoulder. "I'm just a traveling merchant and I couldn't help but notice how adorable you looked in those clothes - and I was perhaps wondering if you could help me with something." Mie began gently nudging the bird towards her cart and her other wares. "I have a few dresses straight from Kararagi that need to be fitted and I think you'd be perfect for it." She seemed to be telling the truth - a few articles of foreign looking clothing seemed to be on display, though a few had been shoved to the back.

A rather high pitched shout in his face made Grisaia wince, sensitive ears twitching in annoyance. He also seemed to freeze like Aer did, not that he notice the other had.
"Y-Yes, it is." He mumbled, hands locked in place even after the smaller pulled away from him. The blonde closed his eyes as he was still recoiling from the sudden and unexpected noise. "No, not really..." He only opened his eyes when he felt himself being turned around and pushed out of the room. What she had to say next made Grisaia frown. Robbed? He was inclined to ask more, but she continued before he was even given the chance. "Um right, I'm glad you feel better." He spoke with a slight bow right before she closed the door behind her. Maybe she wasn't as out of it as he initially thought, which was good. He hoped that he hadn't brought up any bad memories...he'd need to talk to her about that later.

Grisaia turned to face the Mistress once he felt Anubis' presence approach him as well as his metia glowing softly under his clothing. A slight tilt of his head was all Grisaia could do as the woman seemed more focused the wine than what just happened.
"Everything is in order, Aer was just...a little off But she seems a lot better than what I expected." He explained as he gave his mini report.

At the mention of going on a walk, the rabbit's ears twitched up in an amusing manner.
"I get to decide? Are you sure?" He asked, just in case she was entirely sure with him doing so. "If it's alright, might we go and check out the Docks? I'd like to...um, n-nevermind. I'll go and grab you a jacket, please meet me at the main entrance." And with that, Grisaia hurried to the Mistress' room, leaving both her and Anubis in the hall.

It didn't take long for the blonde to grab a light jacket from the Mistress' wardrobe as well as an umbrella despite the good weather, before he hurried down the main entrance. As he was heading down the stairs, Grisaia called upon Adhara to watch over the estate while they were gone as well as to check up on Aer every now and then. The request was given a grumble in response, but that seemed to be the norm as Grisaia didn't pay ant mind to it and instead took to the Mistress' side, ready leave when she was.

---

An awkward laugh escaped the brunette's mouth as she was pulled into the other's side, one arm draped over her shoulders. If she didn't really need anything then why was she called down? Eiko was tempted to ask, but instead she brought one had up to her staff shaped necklace, listening intently for the question to be asked in passing. She called herself a merchant, but it was a bit hard to believe with what she had on. Then again, Eiko was from the slums and she was able to dress like she can from quite the opposite, so once again, the brunette's mouth remained shut on that topic.
"O-Oh, thank you! I'm not exactly sure how helpful I can be, but I'll try my best." Although the compliment made her more inclined to help, even if she hadn't Eiko would still want to see what was up.

Wings drooped slightly as the two made their way to the fox's cart, and Eiko was immediately caught off guard by the exotic fabrics.
"Whoa, these are all yours?!" She gasped, now clenching her hands together to avoid reaching out and touching anything. "So pretty~" Eiko sighed quietly before the fox girl asked for assistance once again. It did strike the emerald eyed girl as odd that the other was asking for fitting despite she never having an intention on buying or anything like that, but could she really say no to trying on new clothes? "Sure! I could do that, no problem! Oh, I'm Eiko by the way, Eiko Tachibana. I guess we'll be working together for a little." She grinned, holding out a small hand to shake.

Fritzi brushed a hand through her hair before placing her hands together. ”Actually, I think they would only blow your cover.” her grin widened. ”Chiyo serves a demi-human noble, and Quill is a demi-human street performer. I think they are both liabilities. If you want to go at it alone, you could get much further than either of them without raising suspicions.” Fritzi placed her hands on her hips and deepened her voice. ”Chieko can't go at it alone! Let me look after her at least.” She chuckled at her poor quill impersonation. ”All I ask is that you get back here before noon. No excuses, no prolonged romp with your friends, no taking a bit longer to get extra information. And watch out for Vertti's butler. He's just...” Fritzi lifted her hand up and started fanning herself.

---

Grisaia and Mistress Vertti headed to the docks in earnest. There wasn't much talking on the way there, largely because there were a lot of people moving about at this hour. Merchants trying to draw in customers, land dragons making daily commutes, there was a lot going on. Mistress Vertti thought it might be a good idea to try fishing, so she had Grisaia purchase some supplies before they got to the docks. This would be her first time trying this, so she didn't have any of the basic supplies. They got fishing lines, buckets to hold bait, baskets to hold fish, bait, and a few lunches in the event that they didn't catch anything.

Once they arrived at the docks, it only took the dock crew a moment to take Vertti's boat out of storage. The dock crew had done a great job of maintaining it. The boat was finely crafted without the sort of frills one might expect an aristocrat to have. Vertti's home was one thing, but she had always been very practical when it came to her tools. That, and Vertti didn't always wish to stand out because of her status in society. She was fine being just like everyone else in situations like this. It only took a moment to load everything into the boat.

"We'll have to go out a ways if we want to catch any fish." Mistress Vertti left paddling the boat out in Grisaia's hands. "We haven't had much of a chance to talk since I came back. I apologize for that." She took a deep breath. "What sort of adventures did you go on while I was away?"

---

The army had stopped far behind the tree line and was setting up its siege engines. Most of the army was spreading around to other parts of the massive forest. ”The water city is surrounded by a giant moat, and some of the strongest walls I've ever seen. That makes their position very well fortified.” His grin crep up behind his ears. ”It also means they have limited ways to escape.” He turned to Aerith. ”Typically there would be guards patrolling this far out, but the demi-human bandits outside the walls have put an end to that. They're all held up in the city, like rats clinging to high ground during a flood.” He rubbed his hands together. ”I could start the siege right now. There wouldn't be anything left of this city in ten minutes.” Without warning, he started to scream at Aerith. ”No you imbecile! I can not start the siege until I've confirmed the witch's prison.” He placed a hand over his face. ”They don't care about her inner beauty at all. That radiance that comes out of her, her intoxicating aroma that so many dare call rancid.” He was talking through his teeth. ”They don't care about her inner beauty at all. That radiance that comes out of her, her intoxicating aroma that so many dare call rancid.” His voice was cracking, and his eyes were wet. ”All they care about is her body. So long as it is locked away and no one can ever truly be with her.” His lower lip quivered. ”Hold me lust.” He was quick to bury his face in Aerith's bosom and sob his emotions away. The other cultists staring on with stone faces only served to make the situation more awkward. ”Ah, I see your true power now.” Vaux stood up, and there were two wet spots on Aerith's chest. But he was smiling again. ”You are an expert at debasing yourself. It's not just that you can lower yourself until you're covered in mud, but covering yourself in mud comforts those around you. That is your power.” He eyed her breasts. ”Such. Awesome. Power.” The cultists looked at one another, but said nothing. ”I know how I can use you now.” Vaux continued to address Aerith's chest, even going as far as pointing at her breasts. ”I need you to find the witch of envy. You could get just about anywhere with a little bit of help.” Vaux snapped his fingers, and a land dragon pulling a cart filled with various crates walked up beside him. ”You will enter the water city posing as a travailing merchant.” He took a scroll and tucked it between Aerith's breasts. ”You will enter the water city posing as a merchant. Act a little shy, let them inspect your cart. Just remember that you're a travailing merchant selling clothes. I was going to go in myself, but now that you're here, you get to go.” Her gripped Aerith's rib cage tightly. ”And if you manage to screw this up, I'll rip you off of that useless woman who's carting you around and find another use for you!” After giving her a shove, Vaux took a deep breath. ”Do return as soon as you can. I'd prefer to start the siege with the witch's whereabouts known to me. And with you at my side.” He looked up at Aerith. ”Both of you.” He nodded with a sniff. ”I'm feeling a little emotional right now. Come back safe.” Vaux wiped his eyes before turning around to leave.

-Outside Gate 1-

Resets: 5

Deaths: 4

---

One could call this man equal parts insane, or perhaps uniquely insightful in a bizarre way, depending on the words coming out of his mouth perhaps. Mostly the former, though all parts he was a madman, a true madman who cast magic without words and was leading an army of witch cultists. He went in and out of these spurts of mania like a river flowing down a crooked path, the obsession with this "Witch of Envy" being very clear cut amidst other oddities or facts she could pick up from it all. She tried to pick up how the cultists were feeling about this, but it wasn't like she could read this well when listening to Vaux right here before her. But she got the feeling he either thought her breasts were more valuable than her, which could be true, or that...maybe Joy? Aerith knew she herself also had a new power, albeit unique in its applications-....no, she was thinking too hard on this.

Wasn't like she had any answers right now to a madman's raving, and she didn't want to become so mad as to be able to perhaps. Right now her situation was precarious as it was. Cultists wanting to raze Priestella to the ground, already a frightening thing. Then there was a probably-more-powerful-than-he-seems madman, leading a cultist army and wanting her boobs to seemingly secure the location of a witch's body hidden and buried in the city. Then, of all things, he wanted her to come back by his side to raze the city along with him. This, with instructions to come back as soon as possible with the location.

By "Od Laguna", whatever that dove-like girl had mentioned that time ago, this was tense enough as it was! Frankly, how would she find a witch's body? Did she even want to find it, much less give its location? More important than that, even, her life, and those of any one of the others were still in this city and any civilians there, were going to be obliterated regardless if she came back or not. Genocide of human and demi-human alike. Maddened "affection" shown for "the one who loves us"....what made the influence of the witches like this, perhaps? What drove some to go so mad into this that they went about doing these maddening things? Had they been like her, but more desperate and less asking of questions?

Ugh...

Deciding to stop overthinking things for the time being, Aerith nodded to Vaux before he had turned around. Then as he turned to leave, she took out the scroll from between her breasts, and walked promptly over towards the cart with a land dragon attached to it. She'd have to borrow a cloak to get into the city in the first place, and it wasn't like she couldn't guide a trained animal perhaps....right?

As she eventually got on the cart to drive it, though, Aerith said a meek but directed prayer in her mind. A desperate, personal, private little thing.

'Od Laguna? If you are a god of this world that people worship, i am in a bit of a bind right now and could use a listening ear if possible. Witches, new power, being drug to a new world by Talus, and being saved by Joy...frankly i just want to understand it all, and find the others safe if i can. Even just being able to save Hiro and Chieko would be...nice if nothing else.

I don't know if you are listening or not, or if you exist frankly. But if you can hear me, it would be nice to get some help in this situation as a sign...and maybe some helpful info, though not about where this witch's body is. I get the feeling you might not like that if i asked for it, and i would agree...'

Though Vaux did have one thing right, the dark-haired girl thought to herself, potentially.

She'd lower herself into the mud to get things done and save those she cared about enough, and push through it to soldier on and survive now. And right now was no exception.

-Main Road, Cham, Priestella-

Sure enough, her merchant act had at least gotten her into the city itself as a "humble clothing merchant". The cloak had helped as well for purposes of...trying to blend in better. Look like a traveler of sorts who was coming in, at least. Though despite her mask to put on appearances, her ribs still hurt just a tiny bit from Vaux's ironclad grip before. Made it slightly hurt to breathe, but little enough to mostly ignore it.

But where should she go right now? That was the big question. She had been told to head down to the Docks to peddle wares, but...she did have one idea of where to go. Not the safest idea, mind, but she had the supplies to do a little something at least...well, try to. And if nothing else, maybe she would get out of being stabbed to death this time for all she knew.

"Cheiko might be there...maybe. That was where the bandits came from, where we first met Fritzi, and where everything started to go downhill..." Aerith mumbled to herself as quietly as possible, letting out a quiet sigh afterwards.



@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

Collab Post between Letter Bee and FamishedPants

Alistair closed the book he had been reading, setting it on a nearby table. "Alright," he looked to Irene. "I could certainly use some fresh air." he took the bag and list, then gave it a lookover. It wouldn't take too long to get everything she wanted, and even though he was ecstatic to have learned many new things since he began his stay here, he was getting a bit burnt out on reading. This was the perfect reason to take a break. "I'll be back."

As the young man made his way out, he turned to Odessa. "Well, are you coming?"

...

.....

.......

It had been a short time since Alistair and Odessa had left, and he'd managed to pick up a few items off the list with no complications as of yet as they walked through the market. But there was a lot going through his mind. Over the course of his stay, he'd essentially been giving himself tests every few days and did his best to retain as much information as he could. The importance of this world's common sense, basic knowledge, could not be overstated. He'd learned the laws of the land and most of what any normal person occupying this world would know. That not only meant he could potentially formulate plans with confidence, but it eased his anxiety in being in an unfamiliar world. While he wasn't a person to blindly trust everyone, having any allies was also something that eased the burden on his mind. For him to meet Captain Crunch and then to be allowed to stay with Irene and be given the opportunity he was, luck itself must have sided with him.

But cynical as he had become, he was not deluded into thinking his problems were gone forever. No amount of fortune would rid him of those witches, and with them came misfortune in the form of repeated deaths.

"We don't have many things left to grab, lets finish up and return. Breakfast sounds great right about now" he voiced to his companion, who was hopefully doing as he asked. It was not as though he could turn her invisible, so he gave her guidelines to follow. Keeping a low profile, sticking relatively close, and keeping her head down. These were all starts. And in the event someone approached her, she was at the very least suppose to point in Alistair's direction if she could manage not spooking and fleeing outright, but Alistair tried to keep an eye on her to prevent this from ever happening, if only because it would be a pain to calm her down.

Have I become a babysitter?

But Flame didn't voice his thoughts; Ashton knew those anyway. So he whispered, "You do know you're charged with murder, right? So the circumstances have to appear dire enough that your 'crime' would be overlooked. Otherwise, there won't be an alliance."

Ashton smiled, “Exactly, which is why we need Alistair; our last Isekai-er ally. Then we can find Chieko and persuade her not to kill me, and then attempt to see if Aerith has become irredeemable. So...” He leaned closer, “Where exactly is Alistair? Or rather, where are Captain Crunch and Irene?”

Flame got up and said, “I’ll guide you to them; follow my lead and do not de-transform.” But before he could go out of the door, he saw a glimpse, a glimpse of someone outside the eatery window. “Actually, I think I can bring him to you; stay right here and keep discreet.”

And with that, he ran after someone whom he knew to be Odessa; the Goat-headed Spirit...

Naturally, when he had noticed someone approaching Odessa, Alistair placed himself between them. He was about a second away from telling the person off when he then recognized them as Flame. Of course, that didn't mean Odessa didn't continue to hide behind him. She'd only been introduced as someone else living in the mansion, at least for now, mostly because Alistair didn't like speaking of her in public places, and she didn't like being the focus of conversation, he'd learned.

"Flame, yes? Was there something you needed?" he questioned.

A nod, before the young man said, “Yeah,” before his voice lightened into a whisper as he looked around for any listeners, giving a side glance to Odessa that he hoped would convey a plea for help detecting them. “A certain murderer has returned. Please hear him out before giving him over to the authorities. He’s in disguise, by the way.”

"GUARDS!!!!"

Odessa wasn't exactly known for her social skills, so she avoided Flame's gaze, and probably wouldn't have picked up on what he was hoping for anyways. However, since she preferred to avoid people, it just so happened she was already on the lookout for anybody getting too close to them, effectively serving the same purpose.

Alistair, however, raised an eyebrow. He'd been made aware of what had supposedly happened when they were separated, right before being pulled into the void with the witches. He was, of course, rather skeptical about meeting Ashton. "I am busy" Alistair said. "I don't have too much time to spare, so make it quick." but the least he could do is listen to what they had to say. There were a limited amount of people from the same world as him, after all.

Flame nodded, and said, “Follow me,” as he pointed in the direction of the Demi-Ocelots’ eatery, before walking slowly towards it, gesturing Alistair along. Once he was inside said eatery with Alistair again, he would go towards his’ and Ashton’s table and say as he looked at the now-silver haired youth, “Our compatriot, in disguise.”

Ashton dared to goofily wave. Flame sighed and pulled up a third seat for Alistair and waited for him to sit. Once the latter was securely on his stool, Ashton would look the upper-class youth right in the eyes and say, “I didn’t mean to kill Hiro for good; I thought it’d trigger a reset if I stabbed him.”

"You can wait outside, I won't be long." Alistair instructed Odessa, then following Flame into the eatery.

Once he was brought to the table, he eyed the man sitting at it. Being introduced to this being who looked much different than Alistair remembered him, Archibald couldn't help but wonder if this was a unique sort of magic. Magic that disguises oneself didn't seem like the easily accessible type. "Glad to see you're doing fine." he said, not bothering to return the awkward wave. Alistair glanced around before taking a seat. He listened to what Ashton had to say, and nodded. "That's not a hard story to swallow. I would be lying if I said I hadn't at one point pondered trying that out at some point." but his tone did not suggest complete understanding. "Still, we're down a boxer, and I haven't heard of any way to revive someone that doesn't include what we've already experienced."

Ashton caught the look in Alistair’s eyes, and Flame saying, “Keep it short.” So his next words were just that, brief.

“An avatar of Od Laguna came before me and Flame before we came back here. He said Hiro’s soul is intact. Sorry if Flame hadn’t had time to tell you before.” Ashton then finished.

Three sentences, that should be enough. It was then Flame’s turn.

“You’re with Mono and Crunch and that Irene woman,” the Fire Mage said, “They’re at the forefront of the Cultist investigation. Tell me; do they know the term ‘High Council’?”

"Curious." Alistair wasn't sure what to make of that. "Then does that mean there's a way to retrieve him?" Archibald felt the chance was high that they weren't sure, but asked anyways. It wasn't often enough they got the entirety of the pie, merely pieces of it. "And as for what you just mentioned, Flame, I haven't personally met this Mono yet, you're mistaken. But the other two have no mentioned that particular subject, at least not around me."

Ashton said, “There probably is; Od Laguna’s Avatar also said that we can eventually defeat Talus and get what we desire. Note that this is the slimmest of hopes, but I’m willing to work to bring Hiro back, because even the slimmest of hopes is better than what we had before.”
Flame, meanwhile, said to Alistair, “So just to make sure, you know nothing of the High Council and who they are? I admire you quite a bit, but part of me is skeptical about your word choices, which do not preclude you knowing who the High Council are.”

Ashton raised his hand in a placatory gesture, “Flame, let’s not make any new cracks in our already-shattered fellowship. Besides, I have a deduction of who the High Council are; they’re those ‘Witches’ we saw in that space during that fateful day.” A pause. “They don’t match up with the existing legends, though; the Witch of Envy was supposed to be white-haired and blue-eyed and with elven ears, but we didn’t see anyone like her.”

"Rather perceptive." he rubbed his chin, thinking to himself before speaking again. He wasn't particularly trusting in the information he was given, but relieving it to these two wasn't the worst thing he could do. His voice lowered just a bit to make sure he wasn't being eavesdropped on, and then he continued as he leaned in. "I'm taking this with a grain of salt, but someone informed me that the council is a cult hellbent on artificially creating witches, and those ones we've met are the result of their obsession with doing so." he sat back again. "The person who told me this knew what we've been going through, but wouldn't tell me everything. It's hard to say if it's all true, or lies mixed in with the truth at this moment. So I advise you to do as I do and only keep this in mind for now."

Flame nodded, his trust renewed.

Ashton said, “If that is so, then one last thing: Od’s Avatar told me that the High Council is planning something and it’s about to reach a head soon. This city will be met with calamity afterwards.” A pause. “We need various major factions prepared for this eventuality, at the very least, and you’re the best prepared to do it. So… Where can we meet next? This place won’t be relatively safe forever.”

"You've got a lot more confidence in my influence than I do currently." Alistair admitted, standing up. "I can't really give you a new location just yet. I don't intend on attempting to impose on Lady Irene any more than I currently am. Perhaps for now we can reuse this location at a later date to discuss a better place to speak of such matters. If you've spoken to any of the others, maybe even see if they've got a good place. But if that's all, I should get going."

“That’s all,” Flame said as he got up, “I should be going back to Gris Art Fortye.”

Ashton got up as well, then remembered something, “One actual last thing; if you guys want credibility, you can give the location of a few illegal gladiator trainers at…” He leaned in and whispered closely, “[Insert Bellrigger’s Location Here]; I’ll be there as well most times, though, so give me an opportunity to escape if you must use it.”

And with that, he began going; so did Flame.

Old Mill Hideout, Suttlings Basin -> Suttlings Basin, heading towards Golden Quarter.
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4
@BrokenPromise@Crusader Lord

---

The amount of trust Chieko had in Fritzi? Zero.

Ignoring her bad impression of the Tsundere Oni, Chieko focused more on the matter at hand. Still...if what she said was true then it would make sense that they would blow her cover, so sending them would only be a liability. Before noon, though...hm. Chieko frowned. How was she supposed to steal it by then? She wasn't even good at the whole thievery thing. Didn't even know where to begin.

"...alright." Chieko said with a small sigh."I'll keep an eye out for her butler." She'd need to come up with a believable lie. Adventurer? They probably had some sort of identification or some other way to identify themselves. Traveler? Why would a traveler see a noble? She could just break in, but again, how? Tucking her club beneath her cloak to hide it, Chieko left the old mill. "And I'll be back before noon." Of course she'd succeed. She was the hero after all. Even if she was a little off track. All Heroes had rough starts. Some even started out as bad guys. She just had to wait for the opportune moment to fix that little problem.

Exiting the old mill, Chieko made her way towards the Golden Quarter, pulling her scarf over her face. She probably looked pretty suspicious, if she was honest.

...humph, that was fine. Yes. This attire suited her just fine, heh!


@Tenma Tendo
Golden Quarter
Deaths: N/A

---

"Eiko! Such a lovely name." Mie gave an impish giggle, shaking Eiko's hand. "I am Mie, and I welcome your eagerness!" Bouncing over to some of the fabrics and cloths, Mie picked up a few tools. Measuring tape. Writing implement. "Ufu, sorry if this seems out of nowhere." Mie said with a grin, waltzing back over to where she kept some of her totally legit sewing implements. "I'm trying to give myself a bit of a better hand. Sewing isn't my strong suit." Not a total lie. Sewing wasn't, but that had nothing to do with this.

"But I have clients, you know." She said with a sigh, standing in front of Eiko with a irritable seeming ear twitch and a flick of her tail. "And having dresses, but none that fit them, is quite annoying! So I decided to try my hand at it myself. Cutting out a middle man would be quite profitable for me, fufu...so if you just let me take your measurements and see if I can refit a dress on you. Anyways," walking over to a rack that had some clothing on display, Mie pulled a bright blue one form the rack. "This is the dress in question. Adorable, hmm? I think it'll suit you wonderfully." This was super suspicious, but Eiko seemed like an airhead so it was fine for her to be a little obvious.

Aki had lost her big sister after they had arrived in the clinic, they went in the back but never ended up coming out in the end. Aki kicked a lonesome rock as she gave yet another sigh, a sigh that landed in the stack just like all the other sighs she had made the past week. What was she supposed to do, she was gonna show her big sister around the city and they were gonna have loads of fun but now she was stuck in the same old place like she had been before she met her big sis.

Aki sulked down onto the grass in between her various obstacles called 'acts’ and thought deeply.

“If I was a big sister. Where would I hide…”

A short timer could be heard in the background as she was trying to find an answer to her question. The buzzer sounded.

“At work?”

Where did she work though. Aki pulled her hairs in frustration, she knew nothing. This had been going on for about a week. On the other hand Aki die train herself as well during that time! She had gotten a lot more control over her wind magic during that since she had to use it so much. Her sense of the wind had gotten better as well, feeling quite the bit more of aware of the surrounding area around her. Her balance had increased tremendously when she was close to meditating on where Chieko was at on her stack of thin cans and various other rocks and such.
Muscles… well she was as squishy as ever. Income, still zero. Aki wildly ruffling her hair in frustration got up and gave a mad pout while gathering all her obstacles… 'acts’ and moved out.

When she was headed towards the docks she thought back on that day. It was still quite vague to what happened but. She had some recollection of it. It was the last time she saw Aerith, Hiro and Chieko.

From the market district they had come back to the clinic for another round with Quill. Chieko had told the young pinklet to stay behind her at all times in which she did. She wouldn't doubt her big sister! Surprisingly enough Chieko immediately turned on the serious mode towards the person. Quill did seem to expect it coming from Chieko and she was right on point as well. Aki could only stare up at her big sis in wonder thinking things like 'how cool’ and 'big sister is amazing!’, stuff like that.

“Claivorant?”

Aki curiously looked up at the two talking as they went about how Chieko had unraveled Quill her plot. Aki could only wonder to herself if something bad was going to happen. Chieko looked quite calm and serious about this while Aerith didn't appear to like it one bit. They were going to go to the back of the clinic together? It didn't sound like the most fun journey but Chieko seemed confident about it so Aki wouldn't worry.

There was something about taking Hiro his place which kind of creeped Aki out. What would they be doing to Hiro in the past? Chieko and Quill left. When they did however Aerith came up to her to excuse herself as well while she told Aki what she was gonna do. Aki snapped her head at Aerith when she left going deeper into the clinic as well. Aki wanted to say something but Aerith didn't seem to be quite alright. Aerith didn't look to be agreeing with the choice Chieko had just made. In better words, she hated it. Aki was sort of against the idea to stop Chieko with her plan however, she had confidence that it would work whatever she was trying to do. Aki drooped her head as she quietly turned it towards Hiro now who was the only one left of her group.

Aki sniffed the air lightly as her nose had caught onto something. Was that *sniff sniff* “F-fire?!”
Aerith rushed out of the room she was in holding candles with fire that were burning her hands. What was she! How was she gonna save Chieko with that! “Did you set the building on fire!? Why would you do that Aerith-nee-san!?”

Aerith disappeared, Hiro was gone. There was fire, oh right Aerith set fire to the clinic. Wait, did she? Why was she here again? Fire. Aki ran up to the fire deeper into the clinic where the smoke came from and widened her eyes.

“El fura!”

Gusts formed around her and started to focus on the fire, slowly but surely she tamed it down to a small fire that breezed out with her last gust of wind. She panted quite heavily before Donovan came into the room as well to spot the exhausted girl and the put out fire.

Regaining her lost magic with some green tea she sat in the lobby of the clinic staring at the bunny butler who had come in to get a report of the situation. Donovan didn't remember either what had happened to cause the fire. Aki knew she was there, a figure did set fire to the building but she couldn't tell who. Saying this to Donovan wouldn't be wise either, it would only make her suspicious to have put the fire on in the first place. Grisaia left. Aki decided to leave as well. Only waving smally at Donovan. A question from earlier arose in her head.

“Claivorant?”

What was that word again.

Aki came back to reality when she was about to hit the entrance of the dock area. It was one of the busier days in the dock area so it should be a haul to perform here today. Her overall views went up the last couple of days so perhaps she would finally hit gold here and get some fresh fish afterwards! Aki suddenly stopped near the entrance and set down her supplies at the side of the road. Her swindling nature rose up from the bottom of her heart as she walked around the entrance shouting at her loudest.

“Come see the great Aki perform at the entrance of the docks at the exact mark of an hour! Live in a few moments with the amazing acts of: singing, chord dancing and of course the most populair… swallowing swords whole!”

Aki got up close to a few people to tell them personally or just tell them to come during the exact time. It was then that she met and old somebody that she was unknown of. She tugged onto Aerith her cloak while she was right in front of the docks. Aki didn't recognise Aerith in the earnest with her new attire and just went on like her usual self.

“Miss, miss! Will you please come watch my show when the clock bell rings. It will be filled with excitement and has never wracking acts performed by none other than myself! There will be tigers that jump through hoops, rope balancing and as finale I will put my hand right in a crocodile its mouth! Don't miss it.”

When Aki was done she wanted to head to the next person but waited to see if Aerith was gonna react to it or not.

It's been quite a while since the two had gone out, just the two of them. It was almost surreal for Grisaia as he moved to and fro, conversing with several different merchants to get what they needed. Things almost felt like they were going back to normal...but unfortunately, something had been tugging at the blonde's mind; something he just couldn't let go and that the Mistress knew he couldn't let go as well.

Grisaia tried not to let it get to him as it would just ruin the moment, but as he found himself rowing the boat - he really should have thought through who should have stayed with him and who should have guarded the household, but oh well - slowly in hopes of not jostling their tools or the Mistress to much, the thought eventually began to eat away as his everlasting patience.
"Yeah, I've never done this myself...I hope we can get something good to share with the others." He commented as he paused his rowing to roll up his sleeves, resuming a few seconds after. As Vertti continued with an apology, the rabbit found himself staring down at his lap rather than looking at where he was taking them.

He was never one to doubt anything that Mistress said, but something just didn't feel right.
"Adventures? Nothing special in particular." He could only hope she wasn't hanging out with the wrong kind of people. "I talked to Lady Mie at least once ever other day. We even went out some places." But why hadn't she said anything to him about the situation? Did she not trust him? "Other than that, most of my time was spent looking for you." He said as his rowing slowed to a complete halt at this point. He needed to know, not some excuse that'd keep him quiet.

"I...I know you said that I didn't need to worry about that whole situation, but I feel like you're hiding something from me. Please, if there's anything else you haven't told me, let me at least know that no one's out there wanting to hurt you because of this." Grisaia pressed, keeping his gaze on their equipment as he already started assembling the fishing hooks and putting together the bait. He hadn't planned on moving the boat anymore until he's a least gotten some kind of answer.

---

"Why thank you! It's a pleasure to meet you, Mie." Eiko grinned, allowing all of her pearly white teeth to flash for a moment before disappearing behind her lips. She could practically feel herself melting at the compliments thrown her way, but it wasn't like she was going to stop her unless things got hairy. But trying out clothes and possibly making a new friends, she was totally down for that.

She could only watch intently as the purple fox grabbed the necessary tools to do a fitting. She'd probably need a place to actually change, it probably being the back of Mie's cart seeing how things were going. Eiko was never the type to really wear clothes that she hadn't made herself, so nervousness was slowly starting to settle in.
"N-No you're totally fine, I use to be pretty bad at it too, but I think I got a bit better. I must ask though, how did you get all of these clothes, they must have been pretty expensive?" Eiko chimed in as she looked down at her own attire with proud grin. Her clothes had be pleasant enough to catch Mie's attention, right? But if she was able to accumulate this much clothing, wouldn't it have been better to save it up for herself? "Yeah, I could definitely see how you feel. Making and selling things to other people is always pretty sketchy, especially since you don't know exactly what they want." The dove hummed in agreement before the nervousness from before ceased to exist as she found herself staring at the dress that would be fitted to her size. Not only was it a very pretty color, it was just her style too! Gods, Eiko hoped she hadn't been drooling.

"I-It's...it's so beautiful! You're really gonna fit it for me?" Eiko questioned as she smoothed down what she had on now so that the measurements would be a bit more accurate. While the dress itself had been pretty in every possible way, she was mostly afraid that her wings would get in the way of it all.

Mistress Vertti sighed and averted her eyes. "I had an idea you wouldn't let that go, given the circumstances." she looked back at Grisaia. "I wanted to put this off until we were done fishing, but I suppose it can't be helped. I'll tell you everything." She folded her hands in her lap. "As you know, tensions between the races are high. There are few people from either side that really want to open up a dialog. The war ended, but people's feelings haven't changed. The demi-human bandits are proof of that." She reclined until one of her elbows were resting on the hull. "I learned a few months back that Belrigger was an ally to the bandits." Mistress Vertti blushed. Her eyes drifted to the open sea. "I disguised myself as an aristocrat to get closer to him. If I could understand why they were so accepting of him, maybe I could get a better idea of how to unite everyone." She looked back to Grisaia "He was a dangerous man, but I had the situation under control." She closed her eyes. "And of course people are trying to hurt me. I'm the last human in possession of a royal seal, and I'm sure to win the upcoming election if it isn't wrestled from my hands. You must be extra cautious of demi-humans, that includes Mie." She groaned before opening her eyes again. "But you have no reason to worry. I've hired Aer, and since given you a device to keep track of my location. That should be enough to ensure my safety and your comfort. But I refuse to stop living. If I can't leave my home now, I won't be able to serve my term after the election. Hate will have already won." She picked up a fishing line and looked out at the water. Mistress Vertti's lower lip was quivering. "Let's catch some fish. If we can catch enough early we can also see the magic show. It's happening right at the docks." She forced a smile.

Flame Brooks

Flame, after finishing his meal, went back to Gris Art Fortye's household, but not after carefully checking for eavesdroppers and stalkers - He knew Chiyo knew he was her enemy. After making sure the coin purse was empty while he had plenty of supplies strapped in a pack close to his back - After all, shopping carts had not been invented yet - he went inside Gris' property once more, carefully checking if the mood inside had changed. He would then deposit the supplies wherever he was directed to place them, then report to the Oni Nobleman from Kararagi, saying, "Supplies bought as ordered; sorry I took so long; I had to patronize an eatery ran by Demi-Ocelots."

Ashton Andrews

Ashton, meanwhile, went to the part of the district that sold metal ingots and bought a bit of high-quality steel; he was not stupid enough to assume that mithril or admantium would just exist in this fantasy world just because it was fantasy. Nevertheless, he bought enough high-quality steel with Bellrigger's money to make a decent weapon; he presumed the guy would provide the wood and leather for the hilt. And with that, he returned to the secret warehouse with his load after keeping watch for stalkers or eavesdroppers or anyone who could have followed him.

Once he met up with Bellrigger once more, Ashton reported success.

The blonde's movements to set up for fishing eventually came to a halt as he watched the Mistress carefully, ears drooping slightly as she finally decided to give him the entire truth, a truth that she was planning to give him later it appeared. She mentioned a few things he knew about already and that had been garnered from his past. At the mention of the Demi-Human Bandits, Grisaia almost snapped the fishing rod in his hands in half, the fabric of his gloves stretching painfully over his hands. Seeing his mother blush at the Belrigger's name made him even more angry, and he was more than prepared to speak up on it, but seeing how important this was for all Demi-Humans as well as the relation to the Mistress' disappearance, Grisaia kept his thoughts to himself. "Disguising yourself like that was too risky..." However thinking about the possible dangerous situations Vertti could have found herself in, Grisaia found the words slipping through gritted teeth. The mention of the royal seal had the crystal eyed boy nodding along once again, but Mie's inclusion in her explanation was just plain confusing. What did Mie have to do with anything? Yeah, she had a really bad habit of swindling from people, but she was otherwise harmless...

"I guess you're right..." He mumbled when she brought up Aer and himself. There'd be nothing to worry about now that the both of them were watching over the woman, right? Grisaia along with Adhara and Anubis was more than enough to keep an eye on Vertti, but having Aer with him took a large load off his shoulders. It was clear she didn't want to talk about this anymore, so instead Grisaia simply nodded and looked out at the aqua colored water. "If you need help, let me know okay? I'm here to help, please don't forget that." Words holding a double meaning, Grisaia decided to focus on fishing for now.

Hopefully it would lighten the mood.

Suttlings Basin -> Main Road
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4
@Crusader Lord

---

Chieko made her way swiftly through the basin, not letting anything distract her. Not like she had to worry about bandits bothering her. All she had to worry about was finding the Seal and bringing it back to Fritzi before noon. Would it even be where they wanted it to be? She did say she just needed her to confirm its location...so maybe she could just mess around and then return, saying it wasn't there? But she was certain on some level, Fritzi would be watching.

Urgh, she didn't know what to do...

"...Aerith?" Chieko's eyes fell on the other girl who she was almost certain had died. She had just made it to the edge of the Basin, near the Main road separating it from the Golden Quarter. Chieko stopped in her tracks. Had she been seen yet? Should she say hi? Before she could even consider it, Chieko found herself running towards the other girl. "Aerith!"

She stopped in front of the other girl.

"You're...alive...!" Chieko smiled under her scarf, relieved that at least one of the people she trusted somewhat was alive.


@Tenma Tendo
Golden Quarter
Deaths: N/A

---

"Ufu," Mie gave the bird a wolfish grin. "Well, I travel a lot you see. I buy and sell a number of things, and I do have a supplier in the Capitol who gives me things to sell for them in return for a cut of the profits." Mie stretched the tape measure in her hands as she walked behind Eiko. "These particular ones I picked up in my last visit to Kararagi a month or so ago." Really, they weren't expensive in the slightest. While they were from Kararagi, they were not particularly well made. "And don't worry your pretty little head. I shall, ahem, attempt to do my best. I would loathe to mess up a perfectly good money making article."

Taking the tape measure, Mie quickly began getting to work. It was easy enough. A few quick dexterous hand movements. A few mental notes there...but what Eiko may not have felt was Mie's quick hands going to places they probably shouldn't. Her pockets, feeling just how much money the girl would have on her. Mie didn't think she had much, but she needed to know what to ask for if she wanted to see how much she could squeeze out of this girl.

"Hm...your wings are so pretty." Mie continued, removing the measurement instrument. "How to make them fit the clothing without compromising it...hm. Can't just cut a hole in it." Taking the dress in question, Mie laid it out on a nearby table and began studying it. Taking the sewing materials, Mie began getting to work.

"So, my little birdie." Mie made light conversation as she began tightening the dress up in places. "Would you care to purchase it after I fit it? I'll give you a deal on it, since you helped with some practice and it'll already fit anyways."

-Main Road, Intersection between Docks/Suttling's Basin/Golden Quarter-

The Big Reuinion

Resets: 5

Deaths: 4

---

Aerith found a small smile coming to her face as she looked over at who was tugging on her cloak, having drowned out the shouting prior to guide her cart through the street proper. However, she couldn't not recognize that familiar floofy head of pink hair and happy smiling face. It was a brief distraction from her more somber train of thought, but the dark-haired girl frankly welcomed it a little bit. She had a moment to spare, perhaps, in...whatever the hell she was trying to do at least. What with being caught between the rock that was a witch cult army in the woods, and the expectations of her boobs by a madman to find the location of a witch's hidden body before they would attack the city.

'So she's a street performer, eh? Heh...never though to ask, i guess, between all the dying and-...ah.'

That was right, she had no idea how the dying situation would go about now, if at all anymore. Would she die permanently this time around, as by all accounts she had the feeling she shouldn't expect Joy to just save her all the time now, or would she and the others return back if one of them died? In fact, who among the group was even still alive at this point? Hiro? Chieko? Ashton? Alistair? She truly had no idea when it came down to it, which scared her quite a bit regardless.

Aerith mentally furrowed her brows and grimaced at the thoughts, but shook them off as she outwardly gave a genuinely happy smile to Aki and a nod of her head. She reached out her right hand, gently ruffling the other girl's hair before putting her hand back by her own side.

"I'll try to be there for your show, Aki, and...maybe with a friend if i can find her," Aerith said, the words rolling off of her lips without much thinking after she got off her cart briefly to get a better look at the other girl.

She managed to barely catch herself, however, from adding "before it's too late" at the end of that sentence. She couldn't just cause a panic, or they'd all die to this...this mess sooner than later perhaps. That was all she could do, perhaps.

After all, what was one person to stop an army in its tracks? She had one trick that was useless against the laughing madman, and it wasn't like she could take on an army by any means.

But if she could at least find the others, maybe they could survive. It was a rather selfish thought, though, perhaps in that sense she was already like the forces who had been meddling with their lives as part of Talus' game.

"Aerith!"

That voice.

The tone of that voice was very familiar to Aerith's ears, calling out her name as clear as daylight and causing the girl's heart to skip a beat.

She rapidly turned her head to the side, eyes widening in surprise and shock as she watched Chieko run up in front of her. The other girl seemed to be wearing her hair differently...no, perhaps it was the energy she could feel from her? And was that a uniform, and a sword by her side? What had happened to this place in the last...week? Maybe a week.

Aerith felt tears come into her eyes, and found herself moving forward without thinking as she embraced Chieko in her two arms. The dark-haired girl felt herself crying just a little bit, audibly, into Chieko's shoulder for a minute or two. A wave of relief and joy washed over her body as her shoulder shuddered, just seeing that Chieko was actually alive and not killed by the bandits! She wanted to hold onto the moment forever...after all, that time with Joy hadn't been without her worries about the others strewn amidst things.

"You're alive!" Aerith seemed to echo back to Chieko, finally pulling back to look the other girl in the face with her own now-tear-stained one, a smile on her face, "I...I was such an idiot...and where I was I didn't know if....i'm just happy to see you alive here!!!"

But then her prior train of thought began to trickle back in, bit by bit like the flow of a small creek. Then it began to rush back in faster and faster, pushing aside her overwhelming joy and feelings of elation like a tidal wave in the end. Aerith's face fell from a look of happy and sincere joy, fading into a look of something that was unmistakably an 'oh shit' moment of the highest caliber. Like she had just remembered she came to a new world and left the stove on when everyone was out of the house.

"...Oh no. No no no," the girl said, her panic rising a bit, though she weas visibly holding herself basck down to earth some as she looked Chieko in the eyes and put her hands on the other girl's shoulders, and then spoke in as somber and clear a manner as she could deliver where only Chieko could hear her over the roar of city activity:

"Chieko, i don't know what's been happening over the last while...but i don't think we have time right now.

The entire city is in danger.

Long story short, i've been forcibly recruited by an army of cultists who are in the forest just outside the city right now. Their madman leader wants me to find the body of a witch hidden in this city before they attack, but even if i don't find it they are going to eventually attack soon despite that.

And all i have are some more spells, and this cart with a lot of clothes."

Now was perhaps a good time to smartly drop the bombshell. As much as she'd like to catch up with Chieko right now, there was nothing short of annihilation waiting just beyond the walls.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist@liferusher

Location: Golden quarter
Interactions: @Rune_Alchemist@Tenma Tendo

As is always the case, the golden quarter had no shortage of strangers seeking shops. To the backdrop of the crowd walked two robed figures, their clothing was dirty and torn in places but their posture spoke of orderly discipline. Time spent training and fighting. They were two rocks moving through an ocean of people, if you had to describe it that way at least.
The male at the lead was bald but his beard was well kept, oiled into a fine point, as he marched along the path forward. His torn sleeves hinted at hidden treasures below, glint of something gold catching a stray beam of light. Behind him was a young woman, a wide wicker hat shadowed their face. Her robes hid the curves of a toned but decidedly feminine frame. In her hand was a long brass staff decorated with rings that clattered when she walked, a soft tinkling noise.

Mirt strode up to the cart that served as Mies home, or so he guessed, and waved his hand for Anyon to stop.

"Excuse me, pretty ladies, I am looking for a shopkeeper with a secret. Could you two lovely young women direct me to the lair of one Mie Yukima by chance?" Mirts genuine interest in the young woman bore no hostility at all he stared at the fox. At his hip was a leather pouch full of coins.

---

Location: ???
Mentions: @Letter Bee

True to his word, Belrigger was still settled into the mansion awaiting Asthons hasty return. No doubt the lad had found worthy materials and returned with an eagerness to craft the weapon that was promised. Truth be told the materials were worthless and the mansion lacked a forge, so the task of retrieving anything at all was nothing but a test to see if Asthon was still following Belriggers wishes or serving their own ends.
It was about control.

Belrigger was quietly waiting at a large marble table at the elevated platform of the training room. Flanking behind him were the three champions of the Arena, armed and armored standing at attention. When Asthon was shown in, each had a look of fierce pride. Their master was far more solemn in appearances. Waving the young one forward, Mithril stepped up to pull a chair out opposite of his master for the young protegee before returning to his spot in the line.

"You have returned slower than I expected. Was there trouble in the market district." The older mans eyes watched the young mans every move.

It was quiet for a time. Not even the sea breeze made a sound while the two fished. Grisaia could only hear the sound of their breathing. Then she sighed again, and he could feel her weight shift around in the boat. Vertti had decided to sit down beside him. This was a lot of weight to have on one side of the boat, but she had moved everything to the other side to prevent them from capsizing."I didn’t want to worry you, but in hindsight I should have told you sooner." Mistress Vertti looked at Grisaia."I’m sorry." She looked back out towards the water. "It may seem like there’s a lot that separates us, from race to status. But I’ve always considered you more like a brother or a close friend than a house servant." She folded her hands in her lap. "I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this, but I am only a Vertti in name alone." Vertti tucked her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I was an orphan too. My parents took pity on me and raised me as their own. The war took all my brothers, and my sisters had since married and moved on. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve always felt so close to you." She looked at Grisaia again. "I thank you for being patient with me. For being there for me, and looking out for my well being."

---

Flame would find little to no trace of Chiyo, nor would he find the noble oni. Instead he would be confronted by one of his maids.

”Thank you, master Flame.” She reached into the cart of food and picked up a vegetable for examination. ”Master Gris is not present at the moment. He left without much notice. Something about tailing a killer.” She bowed. ”He did want me to tell you that you had the rest of the day off. My suggestion would be to go to the magic show being hosted at the docs. I believe he said he was going to try and catch it once he was done.”

---

Shortly after Mirt arived, another individual in a cloak showed up. He too could be considered a rock moving between people. But the word rock hardly did this man justice. He was a boulder, if not a mountain. It was impossible for the man to walk around without getting people to look at him. But it didn’t take long for people to go about their business again like he had never even came through. He walked around to the back of Mie’s cart, so that none of the pedestrians could see him. He was standing in front of the door, where only Mie and the few people gathered around could get a look at him. That was when the giant threw off his cloak, revealing his strange appearance. His clothes were unfamiliar to everyone, and his jet black skin didn’t help his alien appearance. ”As a matter of fact, I’m looking for Mie too!” Mie would remember this man as the informant who gave her the job to kill Vertti. ”Tell her I’m waiting in here when she shows up.” He threw open the door and stepped inside, despite how impossibly large he was. ”I wonder if there’s any food in here? I’m getting a bit peckish.”

The boy tried to focus on fishing, wanting to at least get something so that it would lift the Mistress' spirits, but everything just seemed to still at that moment. It was like the Earth stopped spinning and was waiting in bated breath to see what would happen next. What was Grisaia doing? He was staring at where his fishing line connected with the smooth water. Despite his calm exterior, the blonde couldn't help but watch from his peripheral as the Mistress moved over his side of the boat, strategically placing the equipment on the other side. It was only then that he gave her his full attention.

"I forgive you. In the moment it probably felt like the right thing to do. I'd probably do the same if I were in your situation." He spoke up before quickly nodding in agreement and looking back out at the water. "Even thought I would never say it in front of my colleagues, I agree." Not only where they the only two in the estate that shared a last name, but he could remember the day he arrived, Grisaia never felt particularly frightened or nervous around the older woman. It was feeling he never wanted to forget, and thus, here he was.

The rabbit almost gave himself whiplash with how fast he looked back at the woman next to him. Ears still shaking a bit from the sudden movement, crystal eyes searched the Mistress' face for any sigh of her lying. And of course there was none.
"Wh-What?" He blinked, listening carefully to what she had to say. Her past didn't seem much different from his own. It would explain why she was so nice to him. And even with this newfound information, it wasn't like he was going to treat her any different because of it. "I'm the one that should be thanking you for all those things instead, but of cou--" Grisaia never got the chance to finish as his fishing line went taut, making him jolt forward awkwardly.

"O-Oh dear..." He mumbled as he began to pull on the fishing rod in intervals.

---

Eiko nodded slowly, emerald eyes following Mie with a glint of curiosity behind them.
"That makes sense..." Eiko trailed as she looked back at the other's clothing once again. Of course the girl had only really been exposed to Pristella's clothing and fabrics, so seeing something from Kiraragi made it harder for the brunette to really tell the worth of the clothing. She could only assume at this point. "Alright, I have faith in you. You'll do great!" She chimed as she brought her arms back out into a T-pose.

Being more than use to being measured and measuring herself, Eiko let her mind wander as she didn't want to disturb Mie on accident. It was only when the other spoke up that the dove did herself.
"Aw, thanks! I try to take good care of them, even thought it's kind of a hassle." She grinned before nodded quickly. She really shouldn't make a hole for her wings, especially since she hadn't been planning on buying the dress anyways. "I-It's fine, I wouldn't worry too much about that..." She trailed as she lowered her arms and followed Mie to where the dress laid. It really was a pretty dress... Eiko frowned slightly, only to immediate perk up when Mie started speaking to her again. Did she want the dress? Her mind was saying to think it over again while her heart was screaming yes. "I-"

The words never left her mouth as she was interrupted by an old man. A shopkeeper with a secret? Mie Yukima? Emerald eyes slowly went from the man to Mie as she remained quiet. She wasn't quite sure if Mie wanted to be known or not so it was better just stay back and watch. Just then another voice came out the blue, effectively scaring the brunette with both his voice and appearance, making her scoot behind the fox with wide eyes. Who exactly where these people? And what did they want with some shopkeeper?!

---

Despite returning to Irene's place and technically eating on-screen for the first time in the roleplay, Alistair still did not feel like returning to his studies. Perhaps he really was burnt out? All he knew is that he wasn't going to learn much by forcing himself, so he figured he needed more time outside. So when he finished eating breakfast, he thanked Vasilis and told Irene he'd be out for a while, before departing on what essentially was a goalless outing. Odessa presumably was following him, as she was apparently a lot better at hiding than he was initially under the impression of, so his prior instructions were... redundant. Nevertheless, nothing impeded them.

Alistair remained cautious as he walked through the streets of the city. He could never be sure when that cult would try to take his life again, and though he was more experienced and a bigger threat than he had been, a knife to the back was still something he wasn't impervious to.

His thoughts drifted onto what he'd been told by Flame and Ashton. That the city was in danger of being attacked. He wondered just how they could prepare for a high-level event such as that. Quite obviously, if the entire city was the target, then the scale was much too big for just him and the others to deal with. They would need help from the city itself, particularly the armed forces within it. "Perhaps I can speak to the Captain?" Alistair wondered to himself aloud, though much too quiet for anybody nearby to hear. He figured that if he were to go to her and inform her that he knew the city would be in danger, she might just trust him. She was capable of discerning lies, after all, and he liked to think they had a positive relationship so far. He couldn't imagine her thinking he had any reason to deceive or waste her time.

His walking had taken him throughout parts of the city, but then began taking him towards the docks.

Though he could certainly meet with Crunch and try to tell her, it might be better to speak to any others from his world to see what they thought. An event like this would potentially lead to resets, and in that circumstance, being aware of the other's activities and collaborating would probably be their best chance at getting through. Plus, they might have more insight into what is going on than he, Ashton, and Flame might. It didn't seem like those two really had a chance to trade information with the others, for obvious reasons, so that left it to him.

His goal was now to find the others.

...and thankfully, he wound up doing just that immediately after. He caught sight of familiar faces near the docks, and upon getting close, confirmed it was who he was looking for.

"Hey." he called out, but quickly noticed there was something 'off' about them. It was apparent that, rather recently, they had both cried. There was no way for him to know whether they were tears of joy or sorrow, but being a pessimist, it was obvious which he assumed. Still, his reaction was subdued, as Alistair wasn't known for being especially compassionate. "...are you two okay?" he asked. The concern in his voice was something you had to listen for, but it was there. That said,

...They had names, right? Aerith and... Chako? Chieko, that's it.

He blamed trying to survive that hellish first week as the reason why he nearly forgot. Surviving had taken precedence over proper introductions, after all.

There was also another girl there, but he didn't recognize her. She was a friend of sorts, by the look of things. Alistair simply gave her a glance and didn't bother doing much more to acknowledge her for now, as there were more pressing matters at hand than... a proper introduction....

Considering the term "history repeats itself" was a rather literal one for him and the other non natives, he went ahead and ignored this, looking back at the other two. "Well, if you two aren't in any immediate danger, that's reassuring. After what happened to Hiro, we all need to be a lot more careful."

Suttlings Basin -> Main Road
Death count: 1
Reset Count: 4
@Crusader Lord

---

Chieko returned the hug, though unlike Aerith no tears came. She held Aerith for a few moments, until she was able to let go. She was relieved, really, but at the moment she really couldn't afford to be distracted by tears. She couldn't let herself be distracted by Aerith, either. She had to be back by noon, and she didn't have time to waste, but before she could say anything, Aerith's expression took a darker turn, and she began explaining something horrible.

Cultist? Attack? On the town?

"...I see." Chieko took a step back from Aerith. That was...really disconcerting, but what could she do? Maybe she could get help from Fritzi? Would they even want to help? They might even take the side of the cultists. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of another person. Another person who had been with them, though one she hadn't really interacted or talking to them a lot. Well, this was no time to try and be morose.

"A cultist attack? I see, I see!" Chieko attempted to put on a brave face, despite her ensuing nervousness.
"Well no fear! As a Hero I won't let them get away with such a thing, haha! After all after all my training Only Elder Sibling is a match for me!" She then remembered she was on a time crunch and frowned lightly. "...I'm sorry though, but I can't stay here long, Aerith, Alistair." Chieko glanced over her shoulder. "Elder Sibling has me on work today." She turned her gaze back to Aerith. "And I have to be back before noon...if I take too long, well...hmph, well it doesn't matter. Of course I'll complete the job."


@Tenma Tendo@BrokenPromise@Zelosse
Golden Quarter
Deaths: N/A

---

Aaah, hook line and sinker. She could tell just from the doves expression she really wanted the dress. So gullible...but before she could finalize the sell in question, it seems her antics had come back to bite her in her fluffy tail. The man she had helped the other day, Mirt, decided now would be the time to reimburse her for her troubles, it seemed. Had she gotten away with it? Judging from his behavior, it wasn't likely.

"Fufu, hello again Mirt." Mie replied with a mischievous grin. "You wound me, forgetting my pretty face so quickly! Perchance what brings you here today, hmm?" But it seemed as though misfortune was going to follow her quite a ways today. Not seconds after Mirt showed up, a bigger problem showed itself. "My, my, it's getting quite crowded in here, isn't it?" Mie mused, fur on her tail standing on end as she observed the man. "...here, pretty birdie." Mie handed Eiko the dress. ""Run along now. I've got business to take care of, it seems. Bring back the dress later and I'll finish my work, hmm?"

Sending Eiko off was a small kindness. If things potentially got ugly...well, she didn't really care, but she didn't need her secrets getting out.