^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm}

Finally arriving on the guild, Ada was exactly like a curious child, looking at everything and everyone with very curious eyes and not knowing what exactly to look at and examine it first. Ozzy had told her a lot of things regarding the guild on the way. Even though she understood a bit less than half of what he said, it still made her really curious about the place and the people there. When Ozzy said the word 'home', Ada understood that the place he called 'the guild' was in fact his home and apparently, now hers too. Replying to him and Haley with a kind smile, she turned her face to the other strange people who were looking at her.

The first one who noticed her presence was a big blonde woman whom seemed to know Ozzy too. While Ada could see that she was really surprised to see her, she didn't know if the woman was happy to see Ada, in fact she seemed to be a bit wary about her. As she spoke something to Ozzy, Ada kept looking at the blonde woman, tilting her head in confusion as she continued to speak with Ozzy. While Ada was really curious about her, it didn't seem that the blonde woman would be receptive to Ada trying to be friends with her and as such, she simply kept her distance for now. When the blonde woman finished speaking, Ada looked to Ozzy and then Haley, with the same confused expression she had when listening to the woman. Ada wondered why she was that wary about her, Ada wasn't even showing her teeth and claws, it was clear that she wasn't dangerous...

Still, there were a lot of other curious people nearby. She was able to see a tall man with rabbit ears from a distance, examining her, there was a goblin boy and a lot of other strange and curious people too. Ada knew that it would be very interesting to live in that 'the guild', as Ozzy called it. After the short and a bit awkward, meeting with the blonde woman though, two plant women came giving a step forward from the crowd and looking at Ada. While they were talking to another person, the very second their eyes met with Ada, they stopped everything they were doing and looked at her. Unlike the blonde woman though, they did seem to be much more receptive.

Giving a step forward, Ada looked at both plant women curiously as one of them asked something to her. Tilting her head as she approached them, Ada gently reached her hand out and touched the flower in her head and their skin. Ada had never seen someone quite literally made of plants like both of them. Not only that, but their bodies were part flower too! It was just too interesting for Ada, whom had never seen anything like that before, to ignore.

---

Freyr

Freyr wasn't certain how if the situation with Titanica was solved or if her and the other Kaiju were still trying to kill themselves, but after they were gone, he and Ditzy came back to the guild. The first one to greet him was Haley, whom asked what had happened with Titanica.

"I really don't know. I think Titanica and the other titan had some matters to solve amongst themselves. Morgan probably went together with them. Nagare left too. I'm not surprised after experienced the chaos and destruction caused by Titanica and the other titans..." Freyr replied to Haley, shaking his head. While he didn't want to say it, he was, in part, relieved that the titans left. After the destruction they caused, it was clear to him that they were a danger to those nearby.

"Don't worry, Dizty. I'm sure you will find someone to play in the future." Freyr said, trying to make Ditzy, who was complaining about Titanica and the other titan going away, feel a bit better.

"I can teach you how to use a bow like I promised if you want..." Freyr tried to say, but unfortunately, Ditzy was already leaving. He was a good boy, very innocent and a bit naive, but definitely good. Freyr could see he was genuinely sad because both Titanica and the other titan left.

While Freyr did notice that the entrance to the guild was finally fixed, when he was about to say something about it's curious design to John but, a very curious sight caught not only his attention, but most of the other guild members as well. Ozzy and Haley had brought quite an intriguing white creature with them. While it's appearance was indeed really curious, it seemed to be very curious and amicable.

"How intriguing..." Freyr said, looking to the white creature and analyzing it from a distance.

@BKburke@Stern Algorithm

Haley made her announcements and he made sure Ada caught up. Approaching the Guild he noticed the repaired hole in the wall and he grinned as they gathered for the day. "Hey just in time. It should get colder in a few weeks." He nodded to John whom seemed to be their repair man. He waved. "Great job John. Names Ozzy. This is Ada." He kept things brief so as not to interrupt her and Haley chatting.

When the twins made their way outside and began to speak with eachother he suggested. "I mean a coat of paint and it should be-" He had made his way to the door to stand in the group until-

@Restalaan

Yang suddenly tackled him. "SCRAAAWWK!?!" He screeched when suddenly lifted off of his feet and pulled into a big huge bear hug by his Sensei. She seemed nothing but sunshine and it was infectious. "Hi Yang! I mean Sensei Yang! It went great! Better than usual!" He suddenly remembered he would still have to notify the client. "I got her right here! Sensei Yang, meet Ada."

Her suspicions made Ozzy raise his hands in defense and offer a nervous little grin. "Well, the key word was investigating and honestly I have no idea what she actually is quite yet." He confirmed. "We know a bunch of things about her though. She's a strict carnivore, and alot smarter then a typical wild monster." Yang mentioned family and he had no response for that merely a single finger, then a hmmm... then a single finger but no explanations. He crossed his arms. "Well. She seemed keen to follow us, and she displayed social behaviors that would suggest she understands a family unit, so I dont think she'd follow us so easily if that was the case. But- whose to say really?" He looked to Ada, maybe he stole a baby from her mom. That was a terrible thought.

She was right of course. He nods and raises a fist. "Don't worry. I will, and more then that I think Ada would make a great member of the guild once she gets cultured. Shes actually highly intelligent. Recognizing hunger, flowers, locations, smiles. I think a few days around us and she'd be a great scout or a tracker. She certainly knows her way around the wilderness. Not to mention she might be a first for her kind. Shes an extraordinary discovery." Then Yang petted her. "See, shes adorable!"

@13org

"Ada, this is Yang. Shes the toughest around. And my sensei, err, umm well a dear dear friend. Oh, and those two are nice too and talented. Sylvia and Vivian." He had to point to all of them, knowing thats how she learned. "And that last one is John. He makes houses like this one." He patted the wall. Maybe an over stretch of his skills but Ozzy was making introductions. When Freyr came forward he grinned. "Oh and he's Freyr. He's like you. One of a kind. As far as I know..." He added that little caveat.

He looked at the group and with the arrival of Ditzy it became apparent that the kaiju of the group did not return, which put a rather damper on the reunion.

~@Stern Algorithm~

"H-he wanted to help and took one of the hand shovels to dig, and umm...he cut a poor earthworm in half. You can imagine his remorse and disgust, right?"

"Uh...oh yes, it was very upsetting. But that's just the nature of working with...well, Nature. We'll talk to him later to make sure he's okay."

"Uh, huh." Talia appeared skeptical of the Liliraune's story, but chose to believe it. "Hmm well, I didn't know Neil was that softhearted." She remarked.

"Anyway, Bart said we'll be getting some extra materials so we'll be able to continue building your stuff without problem." Talia brought the good news. "I doubt we'll be able to finish in one day though but you don't have to keep helping me. I don't mind working alone so you two can do something else in another day."

---

~@13org (FYR & ADA), @ShwiggityShwah, @Restalaan (DIT & YNG), @BKBurke, @Stern Algorithm~

My name is John by the way. I was busy with some personal things and was gone for a bit so I guess this is technically my second day here....how have things been?

"Eh, nothing much. Although, looks to me like we're down a few members..." Haley answered. "Anyway, I'm Haley Wellington. I was one of the first members of this guild when it started."

"They went to do things. Ditzy don't know, didn't listen. It's not fair. I found friends to play with aside from Mama and they leave."

"Oh, jeez. Sorry, little guy, but... that' just how things are. You know, there were a lot of us back then. They, too, all left for one reason or another." Haley attempted to console the Hobgoblin. "But hey, maybe soon we'll get new members. And then you've got new friends!"

Watching Ditzy limp into the guild, Haley mused to everyone present. "Damn. Titanica was rough but she was a helpful and nice deep down. Morgan and Nagare though... Man. We sure lost a lot." The Siren was saddened by the news.

"I suppose you have a poi...Oh! Who's this?"

Haley flew over, hearing Vivian's question. "Like what Ozzy said, this is Ada. It's... the name we gave her."

"She was the mysterious white creature that had been harassing the farmers near Ambran. We realized she wasn't dangerous, or at least not aggressive, so we decided to bring her back here instead of handing her over to the farmers to be lynched or something." Haley explained. "Not sure what she is though. I've never seen or heard of a monster like her. And that's saying something considering I'm pretty well-read regarding the monsters of the world."

"Anyway, we figured she could hang with us until she learns not to bother other people too much. She's pretty smart so hopefully teaching her wouldn't be a problem."

------

With the group just outside the door, Bart descended from the stairs of the main hall to join them. "Hey everybody. Welcome back." The guild master greeted cheerily. "Have you guys seen our new entrance?" He motioned the guild's newly-repaired doors. "Let's be honest, it looks jarring but it's better than an empty hole right?"

"And our friend, John here, was part of the crew that worked on it." Bart placed a hand on John's shoulder. "Many thanks, John."

"Come, let's all get inside and have dinner. Vivian, Sylvia, do you mind cooking for us?" Bart requested of the Liliraune. He then spotted Ada among the group. "Oh? Do we have a visitor tonight?" He asked about the white creature.

Yang Bethelehem

While Ditzy retires for the night, Yang continued to study the new beast.

@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek

"I've never seen anything like that either, perhaps if there was a Hakutaku here then an answer could be found," Yang commented to Ozzy and Haley as she scratched the back of her head. Seeing Freyr, she turned to her instead for an answer. "I don't suppose you know what this new creature is?"

@Stern Algorithm@13org

She pointed to the new addition that they had who was currently looking at Freyr and the two sisters.

Come to think of it, Yang knew little about the twin sister aside from seeing them briefly which was embarrassing in on itself.

"Hmm, well, I suppose it's alright." Yang relented and shrugged her shoulders, it was no different from that period of her taking in stray animals for care. Though this was certainly larger than any of the strays. A firm hand dropped on Ozzy shoulder however as she brought him closer, a much sterner voice telling him. "She's your responsibility though."

That's when Guildmaster Bart came down and Yang immediately turned around, bowed with hand over fist and greeted him.

"Guildmaster Bart, we've returned from our job. The task was a success." Yang summarized, hopefully, the man had medical help afterward. When Bart directed the question, Yang glanced towards the new beast for a moment.

"Ah yes, I think Ozzy and Haley can explain that more succinctly," She then directed Ozzy to explain his action and report.

In the meantime, Yang would approach the sister, taking a good opportunity to help out in the preparing the food.

"Greething." The monk said to them as she bowed her head. "Perhaps I can assist you in preparing the meals for everyone? I have plenty of experience in preparing food."

@PaulHaynek @BKburke @ShwiggityShwah @13org @Restalaan

"Sure, and we'll try to find out more about Neil if we can, hopefully tonight," Vivian promised Talia, who had kindly offered to continue the work, even in the sisters' absence. Maybe they'll go on a quest again; they couldn't all be so strange as the one they had gone on previously, could they?

---

Vivian and Sylvia patiently let the curious white creature touch them; most of their plant parts, especially flat parts like the leaves and petals didn't feel pain and regenerated quickly enough, like hair, and it wasn't like the creature was stabbing their flesh or pulling out their roots, so it was fine.

"Ada, you say?" Sylvia replied to the harpies. The way they treated Ada brought up some unsettling questions about the limits of sentience, humanity, and if it was okay to treat someone like a pet, and if the way people treated babies and children was no different, but it was best not to dwell on such topics. But what was most surprising to Sylvia was that she assumed that all monster races were known, barring prehistoric behemoths like the kaiju, but Ada was clearly no kaiju, and rather than being ancient, it almost seemed as if Ada was new life. She had never heard of completely new creatures appearing out of nowhere, which could only leave Sylvia to wonder at Ada's origins.

Then Bart returned and congratulated John on his good work patching up the hole in the wall and requested the sisters to prepare dinner. "Sure thing, boss!" Vivian said enthusiastically as the pair headed to the kitchen, only to be accompanied by a blond fighter, possibly a woman monk. "Greetings! Yang, right? Ozzy's umm...sensei? I'm Vivian, and I'm Sylvia," the liliraune returned the greeting. "I'd welcome the help, honestly, my forte is baking, so I could make a lasagna and a casserole, maybe some fresh bread if people are willing to wait a bit, but not much else."

But if she was a monk, Sylvia wondered if she had any dietary restrictions, like not eating meat or something, which was somewhat absurd to Sylvia, since she was by nature, a carnivorous plant, and the thought of eating plants exclusively for 'moral' reasons seemed to ignore the fact that feeling, sentient plants exist. Or maybe it had something to do with not eating your own kind, like cannibalism. Sylvia decided not to bring it up unless Yang did.

The kitchen was fortunately pretty well stocked up since one of the sisters' chores today had been to head into town for supplies.

^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm@BKburke}

Having finished 'examining' the Liliraune sisters, Ada gave a step back, satisfied with what she found out about them after they presented themselves as Sylvia and Vivian. Other than them, there were many strangers gathering around them. Ozzy introduced the yellow haired woman from before as Yang. Even though she wasn't that happy to see Ada at first, it seemed that it she had at least accepted her after she spoke with Ozzy and a few others. Smiling back at Yang, Ada got up on her tail and imitated the same gesture she did before to her, gently patting her head before she came down again.

Other than the yellow haired Yang, the plant sisters Sylvia and Vivian, Ozzy had also introduced her to a strange, rabbit eared man called Freyr. For some reason, Ozzy said she was similar to him, which made Ada curious. As far as she could see, she there was nothing similar between them. Approaching the man, she got up on her tail, gently touching it's ears as she 'examined' them. After confirming that they moved just like a normal rabbit's ear, she once more, gave a small headpat before she came down.

The last one introduced by Ozzy was called John. According to him, he was the one responsible for building the big stone wall behind them, which was part of the big thing where people slept inside. Since she had already seen a few houses, such as the hunter's hut that she often went to spy upon, she knew what it was, but since she had never entered one of those before, she was still a bit curious about how it was inside, especially since that one was much bigger than the small hunter's hut. Looking to John with a curious stare, she looked at the big wall again, then at him once more, almost asking how he was able to make something that big despite being much smaller than it.

It was then that a strange man arrived, speaking something to the group as he touched John's shoulder. Soon after that, they all went their separate ways. Yang went together with the plant sisters inside the big house. Looking back at the strange man, just as curiously as he was looking at her, Ada tilted her head as she looked to Ozzy and Haley, confused about who that one was.
Judging by how he said a few words and everyone began moving, he appeared to be the leader of the group. Assuming he was so, Ada assumed he would be the one who would take her inside.

Looking to the place where Yang, Sylvia and Vivian entered with a curious expression, she looked at Ozzy, Haley and then the strange man, whom Freyr had referred to as 'Bartholomew'. Despite her silence, the message she was trying to convey was clear as she looked to the entrance again.

---

Freyr

Freyr quietly listened as Ozzy and Haley explained what they knew about the creature. Even though he was very knowledgeable and had a strong bonding with nature, such creature, which Ozzy and Haley called 'Ada', was something he had never seen before. As he watched her interacting with others from the group, aside from her endless curiosity, it became clear that she was indeed intelligent. Enough to even understand part of what was said by them, judging by how she was reacting to everything.

"No... I'm afraid not... I have never seen something like that before... Whatever it is, it's clearly intelligent, it's no wild animal... At least not an ordin-" Freyr began explaining after Yang asked him if he knew what it was but was suddenly interrupted as the white creature approached him, standing on her tail in order to reach his ears as she gently touched them.

Standing still, Freyr refrained from doing any sudden movement in order to not scare her away. Even for him, she was indeed fascinating. After one of her fingers went inside his ears, he inadvertently moved them, out of reflex. Whatever she was curious about, she appeared to be satisfied after he did so. Before coming down though, she patted his head just like Yang did to her, which made Freyr open a smile and an amused chuckle.

"She is indeed fascinating. We will need to be careful about what we do around her though. Not only she is incredibly inquisitive and curious, but she seems to absorb information and learn at an surprisingly fast rate." Freyr finished, looking to Ozzy and Haley.

"Good evening, Bartholomew." Freyr greeted as the guild master came.

"Indeed, the entrance is finally fixed. Although I do think I'll miss eating my breakfast while watching the sunrise." Freyr said with a laugh.

"Thanks for the help, John. I'm Freyr, it's a pleasure to meet you." he said, greeting the man.

"I wonder how will she react upon entering the guild. It should be her first time, right?" Freyr asked, looking to Ozzy and Haley with a curious expression.

"Thinking about it, I don't think she has ever eaten cooked meat before." Freyr said, with a smirk on his face. It was painfully clear to those present that he would honestly have fun watching the white creature's reactions and how she interacted with the new things she would see.

~@13org (FYR & ADA), @Restalaan (YNG), @Stern Algorithm~

"I wonder how will she react upon entering the guild. It should be her first time, right?"

"Yep. It's gonna be her first time being inside a building." Haley replied before waving at Ada. "Come on, Ada. Let's get inside." The Siren invited where Ada would see the spacious, Dwarven-built structure that was The Guild's headquarters.

------

Once dinner was ready, courtesy of Yang and the Altissima sisters, the guild feasted. Ditzy was in no mood to eat that night and Neil, too, was absent. But the dinner went on with Bart inquiring about the quests of the guild members. He was saddened when he heard about the departures of Titanica and the others but was accepting of the newcomer Ada.

"So long as she won't cause a lot of trouble, she's welcome to stay." Bart declared.

Bart further explained that the repair costs for the guild's entrance had cost The Guild's coffers by quite a lot. Fortunately, they were not anywhere near any financial troubles.

Meanwhile, Talia was quiet in her seat and spoke up when Bart was done. "...Someone should really bring Neil and Ditzy some food."

"Yeah. Maybe bring Ditzy some pep talk too. Little guy took the departures pretty bad." Haley added. "As for Neil..." She made a quick glance at Bart. "I-I think he'll be fine."

Yang Bethlehem

@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek@13org

Yang sniggered and smiled as the creature, no , Ada returned her gesture by patting her back on the head.

"Heh. Aren't you a cute one." Yang grinned before she left them to head towards the kitchen.

@Stern Algorithm

"I am unfamiliar with casserole or lasagna, but I would like to see it." Yang nodded at their suggestions, she herself was familiar only with making soup, rice, boiled, steam, or grilled items. Though it was limited primarily to vegetarian food.

"Though I restricted to vege-" Yang was about to say before the words died in her mouth as she studied the twins and greenery. It left her with an open mouth as she struggled to find a diplomatic to explain her dietary but it just left her with more questions.

This is very awkward. Yang make a variety of faces but she just decides to just go straight on to the issues.

"Vegetarian, I stick primarily to vegetables." Yang stiffed smile was apparent and sweated bullets at her words. "It's a teaching, one that we might have to consider revising."

Technically, if they eat the fruit, leaves and the parts that don't fully kill the plant. Isn't that still merciful?

Yang made a note to write a letter and address it to her master, since this was a conundrum.

With that, they continued to make dinner and served it the moment it's ready.

Hearing the report, Yang hummed and sighed when she heard that more people departed. This time, nearly one-third of their member was gone. The large size guild now felt quieter and lonelier.

Hearing the rest of the guild talk on the two members upstairs, Yang looked at the side and made a note on their food volume. They had made enough for everyone and this was a good chance to give food to Neil.

After all, she just so happen to walk past Neil room and decided to conveniently leave an amount for him while going to Ditzy after all.

"I'll deliver the food, anyone else want to come?" Yang said as she stood up to gather portion of the food for two.

~@13org (FYR & ADA), @ShwiggityShwah, @Restalaan (DIT & YNG), @BKBurke, @Stern Algorithm~

"I'll deliver the food, anyone else want to come?"

"I'll go." Bart suddenly said, probably surprising a lot in the dinner table. "I'll try my best to cheer up Ditzy. And I've got some... choice words for Neil." The guild master sounded foreboding in the last sentence.

"Anyone else coming?" Bart asked those at the dinner table but got only silence in response. "No? Then let's go, Yang."

Once he and Yang were gone, Haley broke the silence. "I'm sure some of you are probably confused about all that but... well here's the gist of it: Ol' Bart there's apparently got hangups when it comes to us operating in Varjan lands. Err, let's just say things got a little loud couple of nights ago." The Siren was sheepish and awkward in the explanation. "Some insults were thrown. Swearing. Bart grabbed Neil, I think. All that stuff. It ended with Bart getting the time out, more or less."

"Guild Master Bartholomew appears to be deathly afraid of retaliation from Varjo. Enough to set him off at the mere thought of it." Talia added in. "While Neil believes we are too insignificant to be given attention. That seems to be the main conflict between Neil and Bart. Although, I feel that there is something more..." The Cyclops trailed off.

------

~@Restalaan (YNG)~

Bart was quiet, eerily so, as he joined you in delivering dinner for the two members of The Guild. You feel as if he's preparing, psyching himself up for a confrontation. If so, then you knew who he was confronting. But he suddenly spoke up, breaking the quiet. "Who're we heading for first? Ditzy or Neil?" Bart asked you.

A simple answer was all that was needed, but perhaps this could be a chance for you to give him some choice words as well.

@Restalaan

Ozzy felt a little insulted. He studied monsters and cultures since he could read. He makes a little pout but he had to take a tactical pause that there might be somethings not documented properly or he hasnt studied yet. The thought was actually pretty exciting now that he thought about it. "Hmm, not a bad idea actually."

@13org @PaulHaynek

Ozzy was a little too busy trying to introduce Ada and get her used to the new environment. "I don't suspect so. I don't expect that she had ever been indoors either." He answered Freyr before answering Bart. "She won't Master Bart. Trust me. Once she gets used to it, she'll be a member of the family too." Ozzy was of course being a little hopeful, a little naive, and honestly he didn't have any reason beyond she was super friendly and an incredible research project. It was a win win in his mind, but he had to admit that even if she didn't have people hunting her down, she'd probably be just fine out there.

He would go around, taking her by her hand if needed, showing her things like pictures, the decorations, the couch, and finally the kitchen, just in time for Yang and Sisters to make them dinner. It was nice that everyone was willing to take up the chores. "Sit here Ada." He asked her, preparing the chair. If she did so, he would present her with the silverwear, explaining how each work. Pantomiming if he needed to.

@Stern Algorithm

He then sat next to Ada, making sure the proper credit was due. "Thank you Yang, Vivian, Sylvia." He was going to ask about their days, what to do with Ada, when Ditzy came up and then the problem with the Varjo. He remembered the night before last. How things were almost torn apart before Neil and Bart. He listened to Haley, to Talia.

He let a pause go past them, he shot a glance at everyone else before he kept his voice down. He saw the Varjo handiwork first hand, and he had a mission in secret fighting against him that he and Yang were privy too. "I can see why there would be a problem. Its a scary thought. Being targeted by people like that. But... but if people won't fight, then they win. They'll come to these lands to hurt people regardless. So it's a fight now or fight later." He slouches in his chair. "I still haven't had a chance to find out why... whether or not there's a reason for the violence." He knew he sounded naive.

@Restalaan

At Yang's mention of being vegetarian Vivian giggled, since she had half expected something like this would come up, while Sylvia remained thoughtful. "It is an interesting conundrum. I think as long as you're grateful to the source of your food, the spirits will be appeased. Now let me show you what a lasagna is..."

---

@PaulHaynek @BKburke @ShwiggityShwah @13org

After some toiling in the kitchen, dinner was served, and Vivian beamed to see everyone digging in. Talia mentioned bringing food to Ditzy and Neil. Sylvia moved to respond, but a firm hand from Vivian on her shoulder prompted her to slow down. Sylvia didn't know why, but Vivian had her reasons to stop her. In the end, Yang and Bart went to deliver the dinners, while Vivian and Sylvia stayed to oversee the dinner table and listen to the gossip. "I don't disagree with Neil's a opinion that a job's a job," Vivian began, "But if Varjo is becoming such a problem, don't the other nations or cities have a military to deal with it?"

^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm@BKburke}

As expected, the second Ada entered the building, she was in awe, since everything was new to her. As Ozzy headed inside, holding Ada's hand, he began showing the guild around. It was definitely a smart choice to hold Ada's hands. Knowing her curiosity, it didn't take much thinking to imagine what would happen if Ozzy let her free inside the guild to 'examine' things she didn't know to her heart's content. Out of all the places Ozzy showed her though, her favorite one was the couch and the kitchen. While the first one was incredibly cozy, completely different from any feeling she felt before, the kitchen had many interesting smells inside. While most of them weren't from meat, there was an unmistakable scent of meat hiding itself amongst all the others.

Sitting in the chair just as it was instructed to her by Ozzy, she looked around as all the members of the guild were reunited. For her, it was a very strange scene, since she wasn't really used in having company, let alone that many. Still, it was an interesting situation and Ada was happy with it, as it was evident by the cute little smile in her face as she dangled her legs, looking to Ozzy as he showed her a few metal things on top of the table, holding them on his hand as he showed her how to use them..

Strangely enough though, the rest of the members didn't seem to be that happy, judging by the silence and their faces as they stared to one another until Haley finally started talking. Ada didn't understand what she was saying or the reason for them to be that way, but that didn't prevent her to pay attention to Ozzy's explanation. Taking one of the metal thingies Ozzy called 'silverware' on her hand, she looked at the many pointy ends, raising her hand right beside it and making her claws appear together with her teeth as she showed them to Ozzy with a confused expression. She did understood why some of the members might need them to cut and pierce the food, but she had both sharp teeth and claws...

---

Freyr

It was indeed amusing to watch Ada's reactions as she entered the guild. While her curiosity and her excitement coupled with the seemingly endless energy she had made it quite a chore to 'control' her, she was still incredibly adorable, especially on how naive and innocent she was. As Freyr was watching with amusement as Ozzy tried to teach her how to use the silverware though, Haley finally broke the silence in the dining room as she addressed a sensible and quite important subject regarding the Varjo related jobs and how the Guild would position itself regarding Varjo, making Freyr raise an eyebrow as he heard her words.

"We cannot ignore Varjo forever..." he mentioned after Haley and Talia spoke.

"I do understand why Bart doesn't want to deal with Varjo, but especially due to the nature of many of the requests we receive, we do not have the luxury of not picking a side." he continued.

"The very fact that we do receive requests from Varjo is already a sign that our presence is already known by them." Freyr finished as he looked to the other members, waiting for their reply.

@PaulHaynek@13org@Stern Algorithm@ShwiggityShwah

Yang Bethlehem

Yang quietly followed Guildmaster Bart lead as she carried the food, keeping her thoughts and panic down as she was intending to bring Neil his food. Now she wasn't so sure if she should.

Still, one must eat lest they starve and become malnourished. So she'll have to be insistent on this issue.

Hearing Bart giving her the choice of who to go first, Yang eyebrow rose but she quickly schooled it back. Thinking on the consequences and choice, perhaps it was best to address the elephant in the room.

"...Perhaps we should go to Neil first." Yang said with her eyes closed and head inclined to Bart.

"I admit I am ignorant of the ways this land work, perhaps my travel had been more...sheltered in the relations of monsters and humans." Yang said, perhaps she can find out the reason why Bart was so apprehensive about Varjo but seeing them in action itself. It both boggle but at the same time, made her understood just how far they're willing to go.

Should Varjo take action against them...they'll not be able to do anything.

"One's upbringing cannot simply change and at times, one would just do the right thing." Yang begun as she can understand how Neil would feel. The way he acted and that he argued on the matter of Varjo with Bart clued her that Neil perhaps wasn't a local but also a stranger in these areas. "Tempers and flares happen and it is unavoidable."

"What is more important, is understanding one another. You care a lot for us and for that, I'm grateful. Similar to Neil, he too cares and wishes to see justice." She then sighed and an understanding look passed her face for a moment. "At least, if we cannot agree with one another, it's best to at least be at peace with one another."

"I do agree it's best we lay low for the moment. Further actions against Varjo will only enflame them." She pointed out before standing straight again. "And bringing them here will be terrible since it won't be just us, it'll be the town as well."

Her recent stunt no doubt made her a target already, it's not like there's a long list of blondes that are strong in fighting and nevermind the number of flying monster girl around in this land.

"I've seen the port and it's wonderful, reminds me of my homeland." Yang smiled at that as she spoke truthfully, the mix of both human and monster girl living together side by side was exactly like Zipangu. It then faltered as she looked away, remembering just what Varjo would possibly do to a place like that. "The Varjo's will not take lightly to that if they come for us."

"But let's us deliver the food to Neil first, it's getting cold and he must be hungry." Yang quickly changed the focus as she knew that ultimately, it will depend on Bart decision. She'll follow him to Neil room and tried to keep the argument to a minimal or if necessary, restraint them.

Ditzy will be fine. This is more important. Yang did felt a little bad for her since her dinner will be late.

@ShwiggityShwah @Stern Algorithm @PaulHaynek @13org

John was rather surprised when he was not insulted for the work done on the door. Anyone with functioning eyes could tell how off it looked. Though this was nothing compared to the look on his face as he met the other guild members. Come to think of it, this was the first time seeing most of them. It certainly made him feel out of place but he did his best to hide the facial expression.

When the pale creature approached, it gave John quite the heart attack though he hid it well. Its appearance was more than a little disturbing to him although his immaculate poker face was not to be seen past. The creature was introduced as Ada and it was more than strange enough for things John wished to see for his time at the guild.

It was nearly as strange as Barts reaction toward seeing the door though. It all honesty, John did not expect any positive feedback. The door looked out of place when compared to the rest of the building. John was rather silent the entire time the mass of guild members spoke to one another. He remained silent when guided to the table for dinner.

John simply remained silent as the others spoke. Looking around the table, he felt extremely out of place though this was to be expected. The talk on Varjo confused John slightly. He was not nearly as well informed as the others. To John, a job was nothing more than a job and if the money was good then there was no reason for him to decline. After a short time eating, John would retire to the forge to check on some projects before bed.

~@13org (FYR & ADA), @ShwiggityShwah, @BKBurke, @Stern Algorithm~

"I still haven't had a chance to find out why... whether or not there's a reason for the violence."

"No one I know is really sure why Varjo does what Varjo does." Haley replied to Ozzy. "They seem to have just... popped out from The Order and started doling out atrocity upon atrocity. But I've heard they were better, a looooong time ago."

"But if Varjo is becoming such a problem, don't the other nations or cities have a military to deal with it?"

"Varjo is part of The Order. Go against Varjo and you go against The Order." Talia answered Vivian. "Us monsters are already against them for many obvious reasons but the other human nations can only put up with Varjo's cruelty lest they bring the entire wrath of The Order down on them." Her eye flickered up, remembering something. "That said, there is a significant human nation fighting Varjo and the rest of The Order right now. Ortus, alongside the Dwarves."

"Anyway, that's not counting on the might of Varjo's own military." Talia continued. "They're formidable and numerous. I... can't really describe how terrible they are, just that many are intimidated by their ferocity and love of pillage and destruction."

"We cannot ignore Varjo forever... I do understand why Bart doesn't want to deal with Varjo, but especially due to the nature of many of the requests we receive, we do not have the luxury of not picking a side. The very fact that we do receive requests from Varjo is already a sign that our presence is already known by them."

"Yeah!" Haley exclaimed her agreement with Freyr. "Like what Ozzy said, we cannot let Varjo's evil go unpunished. And since we've already assisted a rebellion against them, we've already chosen a side. Also, half of this guild are monsters so we're automatically enemies with Varjo. There's really no point arguing about this."

"Bart may not favor such a position." Talia warned.

"Well who cares what he thinks? We're enemies of Varjo and that's that." Haley declared proudly before realizing the weight of her words. "We just gotta be careful about, that's all."

"Ah, looks like our new friend's having trouble with her utensils..." Talia spotted Ada holding up her silverware but upon spotting her sharp claws and teeth. "...or maybe she doesn't need them at all."

------

~@Restalaan (YNG)~

Listening to your words, Bart quickly retorted. "I understand the situation about Varjo, Yang. And I'm glad you see it my way too. That to provoke them, intentionally or not, will bring ruin to us all." Turning to you, he continued. "But my more immediate concern is the failure to follow my orders. I am the master of this guild. If no one follows me, if what I've founded is destroyed... Then what does my position mean? Who will I be? What will I be...?" If you were perceptive, you might gleam Bart's true feelings in this matter.

-

Continuing to Neil's room, you carried the food while Bart knocked on, or more like smacked, the door. It opened in a few moments. "Oh, it's you." Neil did not hide his displeasure at seeing Bart. You were mostly ignored.

"Listen, Neil, I need to say something to you." Bart began. "Not only did you and whoever possibly attract Varjo's attention, you also disobeyed orders given to you."

"Like I said, t-they weren't very clea--"

"You also talked back to me, challenging my position as guild master." Bart ignored and cut off Neil. "And if this guild is not united, it will not stand and everything I-- We, have done will be gone. Do you understand or do you wish to challenge me still?"

"I'm not challenging anything!" Neil retorted. "But if you're screwing up, it's kinda my responsibility to tell you, ain't it?"

You could feel Bart's anger rising but he put a lid on it and continued calmly. "Neil, I appreciate that. But my orders are orders, fail to heed them and I will personally kick you out of here myself. I will not let division ruin this guild. I won't let anything." The guild master declared before turning around and heading off. He appeared to have forgotten about Ditzy.

A despondent Neil next turned to you and his face softened. "So. Came here to chew me out, too?"

@PaulHaynek

Yang Bethlehem

She nodded at Guildmaster Bart words quietly, not able to say much as she hadn't been in such position.

Perhaps this is what it also meant to carry the honor of the White Tiger temple as her master does?

There weren't many wayward or hardy students, but they do exist. Is that what Bart feared the most, not just Varjo but the loss of this place due to unity?

Yang eyes glanced away for a moment in consideration, it does kind of suck if her disciple disobeyed her despite her warning.

That left a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach as shame washed over her, their little escapade and going behind Bart words seemed more amateur now.

Well, she'll do her best to at least play peacekeeper between everyone. It will terrible if this place was lost, and she owed Guildmaster Bart a debt.

With that, Bart smacked the door and Neil answered as tension between the two thickened. Despite that, it seemed to end on a better note than she expected.

Yang smiled at Neil as she raised the tray laden with food. "No but you can chew on this instead."

"May I come in briefly?" She gestured to Neil for him to allow her to come in, once she did, she placed the tray somewhere with space for him to eat.

"Bart is...concerned but does wish well. Sometimes, one cannot go against the rule of a land or culture understanding." Yang approached the topic in a much softer way and moved to sit on Neil's bed. "After all, we're already on the list of Varjo since majority of our members are monster girls."

"Most of all, perhaps Bart does want to strike at Varjo, however that time is not now. We must wait, gather and be strong enough to ensure when Varjo does come. We're prepared." She shrugged her shoulders at that before waving an arm to where the lower floor down below. "Our strongest member just left, Titanica and Morgan, the only ones left are those that haven't fought much or at all."

"While it is true sometimes one must do their duty and filial piety even if it means death...one must also consider the time, place and situation," Yang emphasized as she raised three fingers slowly when said the last sentences. She then sprung to her feet and placed both of her hands on Neil shoulders.

"To Bart, this guild is not just a place but also his family and home. He doesn't wish to lose any of his family members. So for now, let's place some trust in Bart." She spoke in a much serious and direct tone before a small smile graced her face. Yang then playfully poked Neil forehead, grinning and said. "Also, I don't wish to lose a cute younger brother too. Alright."

"Well, enjoy your meal. Just put it down once you're done and I'll help you clear it." With that, Yang headed outside.

Looking to the side, Yang moved to Ditzy room, knocking it once and waiting for a reply. "Ditzy?"

When no reply came, she quietly opened the door and peered inside of it.

The hobgoblin had tuckered out on the floor, not even bothering to go to bed as he used the sandbag as a pillow. Small snores and breathing seen as the latter was in a deep sleep.

Yang frowned at that but then again, interrupting his sleep probably would do no good since the latter had just went straight up to sleep the troubles away. She quietly tip-toed, pulled the blanket and covered the hob-goblin before leaving.

Taking the food down, she figured that she'll have to make a bit more breakfast for tomorrow.

Reaching down, Yang saw that the other guild members were still having a discussion.

@BKburke@13org@Stern Algorithm@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek

"Hey, looks like Ditzy went to sleep early. I didn't wanted to wake her up so we'll just have to make more for breakfast tomorrow." Yang joined them as she sat back into her place.

"Still, it's best we follow Guildmaster Bart and stay out of Varjo way for now." Yang state her decision, picking bits and pieces of their conversation from earlier allowed to form what was being discussed. "We will fight them in the future perhaps but it's best we gather strength and people first. By helping the people first, others can thrive and in turn, able to assist the rebellion in their way."

"Besides, right now, I have a feeling Varjo is going to be quite active in searching for us. Best we lay down." Yang quipped before sharing a glance with Ozzy briefly.

Ozzy knew about the order. "It's been shown through history that any kingdom or organization that needs to use force against its people is doomed to fail." Ozzy added but it was a shallow comfort to know that there is suffering regardless. It was an old out dated concept that a new educated world won't need. He began to speak without thinking. "The Order is one of the reasons my parents became ambassadors. Working to bring people together."

Haley spoke out about her decision. And it was enough to make Ozzy do the same knowing he had support. He stood up. "I agree with Haley. I'm no warrior, but I don't want anything ruining what we have here. The guild is special. Not just personally, but its proof. Proof that theres a place for everyone. No matter where you came from. You can make friends, have a family with anyone." He grinned happily. He knew it sounded stupid but he wanted to remind them what was at stake.

When Yang got back into the room, Ozzy sat down and nodded to Yang. "We shouldn't look for a fight, and there's got to be a way. Maybe if we help enough people, the Varjo will be out numbered and think twice. One can dream." Yang reminded him of what they did and he raised an arm, holding up a bicep. "Good thing I'm working out right Sifu Yang?" He grinned, not letting the problem bring him down.

~@Restalaan (YNG)~

Neil listened to your words, but his face indicated doubt. "I... think you're trusting Bart too much, assuming too much good faith in him." He then sighed. "But okay, I'll trust Bart for now... and hope you're right. Thanks for the food, Yang. And compliments to our new chefs."

------

~@Stern Algorithm, @13org (FYR & ADA), @Restalaan (YNG), @ShwiggityShwah, @BKBurke~

"We will fight them in the future perhaps but it's best we gather strength and people first. By helping the people first, others can thrive and in turn, able to assist the rebellion in their way."

"We shouldn't look for a fight, and there's got to be a way. Maybe if we help enough people, the Varjo will be out numbered and think twice. One can dream."

"That's all true." Talia added. "And then there's the fact that we only have three dedicated fighters right now, Yang, Ditzy and Freyr. Ozzy is still training and while I may be a mighty Cyclops, I am better at smithing and forging rather than fighting. If we were to get attacked by a raiding party, we will be at a severe disadvantage. Even if we prepare."

"Riiight." Haley deflated. "I forgot a lot of our muscle left earlier. Damn, there was also that male Minotaur and Dullahan. And that other Dragon too. Our fighters sure keep leaving, don't they?" Looking at Freyr, she grinned. "Good thing Freyr stuck around. I was afraid he might leave too."

And with that, the dinner ended.



The next day arrived and breakfast was served. Once done, Bart was spotted in the main hall holding the Quest Board and looking over its contents.

"Good morning, everyone. Let's see out income for today."

~@Stern Algorithm, @13org (FYR & ADA), @Restalaan (DIT & YNG), @ShwiggityShwah, @BKBurke~

{INCOME YESTERDAY}
{@ShwiggityShwah: 0 G}
{@Restalaan (DIT), @13org (FYR): 0 G}
{@Restalaan (YNG): 10 G}

"That's unfortunate." Bart said bluntly. "But it's not the end of the world. We have today, and more days ahead." The guild master attempted to pep talk the members.

"Bart." Neil called out as he descended from the second floor. "We still banned from Varjo?"

It appeared another confrontation was about to go down but Bart answered. "...Just make sure you don't upset them too much." The answer surprised Haley and Talia but Neil was still wary. He and Bart glared at each other for a moment before moving on.

"Hear that, guys and gals? We're free to bug the Varjans." Haley announced.

"Although, only a scant few of us can do so." Talia added.

^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm@BKburke}

Despite the rather... strange conversation and atmosphere the other members of the guild were having, Ada was much more interested in the wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. While Ada wasn't oblivious to the strange and tense atmosphere on the table, she had no idea of what Varjo was and why everyone was so afraid of this thing, so she simply focused her attention on the smell and practicing with the strange metal things Ozzy called 'silverware'. After some struggle trying to understand why she would need to use those strange metal things Ozzy was showing her, she was finally starting to get the hang of them... But she still thought it would be much easier for her to just use her claws and teeth... Since Ozzy insisted on her to use them though, Ada was trying her best to use them.

Shortly after that, the food finally arrived on the table. Quite obviously interested on the meat, Ada's eyes followed Bart and Yang's hands as they put the food in the table for everyone to eat. At first, Ada remembered to use the silverware, getting a big piece of meat, albeit rather awkwardly with her fork. She was going well in using the silverware, but after eating two pieces of meat, she forgot completely about the silverware, surprised by the food's taste and began eating it by using her claws. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't as messy as one would think, since she made sure to not let anything fall off her plate (Ozzy did explain to her that she shouldn't make a mess when eating, as one of the reasons she had to use the fork and the knife to eat) and made sure to lick her fingers and claws clean before touching anything.

After the dinner ended, the other members began retiring themselves to their own rooms to sleep. Promptly claiming the sofa right in front of the fireplace as hers, Ada went to sleep after filling her stomach.

After a surprisingly good night of sleep (it was her first time sleeping in such a soft and cozy place), Ada woke up very early and began quietly exploring the guild as she waited for the other members to wake up. Mainly climbing the pillars and hanging herself in the wooden beams near the roof, the first ones to wake up would find Ada lazily laying above one of the wooden beams. Upon seeing them she would use her tail to hang upside down, lowering herself enough so her face would be on their level as she waited curiously for what they would do that day.

---

Freyr

Freyr listened quietly to what the other members had to say regarding Varjo. While he certainly understood Bartholomew's thoughts about that matter and could understand why he would want to just keep as far away from Varjo as possible, he also knew that sooner or later, they would be forced to take a side... Or worse... That choice probably could be already made for them.

"Before I came to the guild, I once met a traveler whom, upon questioned about wars, he told me an interesting saying... 'If you want peace, prepare for war'..." Freyr said after taking a few bites on the food that had just arrived.

"My point is, we might still be able to not take a side and lay low, but we won't have that choice for ever. This is my only concern." Freyr said, explaining why he said the words he did previously.

As he heard Talia explaining Vivian about how Varjo and The Order were almost one and the same and Haley saying that the fact that were many monsters in the Guild meant that they were already Varjo's enemies, Freyr nodded agreeing with their words. That only served to further confirm Freyr's own thoughts. The Guild didn't have much choice in that matter.

"As Talia and Haley mentioned, there is also The Order... We don't have much choice in the matter. Unless Bartholomew is willing to kick out every single monster who is currently a member of the Guild, our side in this upcoming conflict is already chosen." Freyr said, with a rather grim tone.

"While Bartholomew's thoughts about the matter are undoubtedly relevant and important for the Guild to decide the path that it will take, it doesn't change the fact that he cannot ignore this conflict for much longer. Most of us are monsters. Unless the Guildmaster is willing to sacrifice most of us, I think our side is already chosen for us. We monsters do not have many choices in the matter. We will fight or we will die." Freyr said, with a serious tone.

As they continued talking, it became clear that their points of view were similar regarding the issue with Varjo. They knew they would have to do something sooner or later, but it was also undeniable that they would need to gather more allies, support and strength before being able to do anything at all. While Freyr agreed with the way that they were putting things, he knew that they should at least be prepared, as things could change for the worse in a moment.

As Haley mentioned how most part of the ones capable to fight on the guild had left, she looked towards him, saying that she was glad he stuck around.

"We might be quite a strange and unlikely group... But it is still interesting and fun to be here." Freyr replied with a discreet smile as he looked to Haley and then to the rest of the group.

After the dinner ended and the others started to retire themselves for the night, Freyr went outside for a little bit. After such a tense conversation, he didn't feel he could just lay down and sleep. It would be better if he went to take some fresh air to take his mind off those things for now.

As the morning came, Freyr woke up unusually late for him due to him being awake until late the last night. After hurriedly eating some breakfast he went to the request board to take a look on that day's requests. Surprisingly enough, the main ones were quite... strange. One of them was issued by a graverobber... Something which was dishonorable and disrespectful, while the other apparently wanted them to strike directly The Order... Which would do little to make the Guild's existence remain hidden from them.

"Having in mind what we talked about last night... I do believe it wouldn't be wise for us to take any Varjo related requests... At least until we gather some more support." Freyr said as he looked to Maria Corazon's request.


"I will probably take this one..." he said, pointing to the one posted by George Costava.

Sylvia woke up in a bad mood. She had wanted to sneak into Neil's room the previous night to catch him listening to 'mysterious music' as Talia had requested, but Vivian had been so tired from the day's work and preparing food, that the elder sister forcibly moved their collective body to their room and figuratively dropped dead, preventing Sylvia from doing anything but join her sister in slumber. Vivian apologized profusely, which helped to soften Sylvia up a bit. Waking with the sun, the sisters had gone out to tend to the beginnings of their herb garden, while taking out the leftover bread they had baked from the night before, some butter and jams, and laid it out on the table for a quick breakfast as the other members started coming out and looking at the board for jobs. Feeling adventurous, the liliraune sisters took a look as well to see what was available.

Noticing the job posted by Forde Briar, Vivian took some interest after hearing Neil's comment. "A grave robber you say? And the job seems to be in a graveyard. I guess we could help with that. Our roots are quite good at digging, and robbing graves is probably not much harder than picking vegetables, except the potatoes and carrots are people." It was apparent that the sisters had a strange way of analogizing animals and plants. "What's at Ravager's Rest?" Sylvia asked aloud to no one in particular. She knew it was a place, but she didn't know why the Guild needed to 'take it down', and why they needed this man's help to do so.