Rodias' announcement that the other Sable Lords were missing came as a significant shock to Salem. Salem's creator had already been missing for a while so one would think that the announcement would have a lesser impact on Salem, however, Salem interpreted the sudden disappearance as a willful act of abandonment, reminding Salem of it's own loss. Various knick-knacks in the room rattled in place as Salem telekinetically reached out, wanting to throw a tantrum and upturn the room in chaotic betrayal. But the items stopped rattling as a cold, jaded rationale settled upon the doll while a disgusting smirk crept across Salem's face.

Being invited to the table, a mischievous thought entered Salem's head. If being a 'good boy' and waiting for Dr.Drd to return had not worked, then perhaps the only way to get the attention of their fickle Sable Lords was to act out. Salem hovered over, finding Dr.Drd's seat that had been empty for so long. Salem then plopped down into the chair in an irreverent and disrespectful pose, with Salem's knees draped over one armrest, while Salem's elbow sat on the other, the arm propping up the doll's head. Besides, without the other Sable Lords, it only stood to reason that the Chapter Keepers took up leadership positions at the table to keep the Chateau running. If obedience was not enough to warrant their creators' attention and praise, perhaps open rebellion and impudence would get them to come back. However, Salem was shaken out of this pose by Rodias humbling himself to the Chapter Keepers. At first Salem felt disgust, and it showed on the doll's face. The hierarchy had always been absolute. According to Salem, the Sable Lords obviously didn't rule with love, so they had to rule with power. It disgusted Salem that Rodias would show weakness in front of all the Chapter Keepers instead of taking responsibility as a parent leader and at least projecting the illusion of stability. Salem was about to lift Dr.Drd's chair off the ground and smash it over Rodias' head in a fit of rage before Rodias swore that he would never abandon them, causing Salem instead to sink into the chair limply.

For the rest of the conversation, Salem sat there in silence, the doll's elbows on the table, Salem's face buried in its palms, trying to get its act together. Many of Salem's axioms had been violated, yet it came with a strange relief. Salem also had to come to terms with the fact that no amount of waiting would ever bring Dr.Drd back. Salem wasn't ready to swear fealty to Rodias just yet, but they weren't going to oppose him in any way either. Instead they would continue to play the part of the precocious toy as a front while sorting out their own thoughts.

Salem listened as Rodias explained the situation, confirming the doll's own observations from telekinetic eyes placed outside the castle. Several options were given for how to deal with the nearby village, few of which pleased Salem. "If we want to acquire as much information while revealing as little about ourselves, the best option is infiltration," Salem offered, "Ashara has a human form, and I look enough like a human child, that it only makes sense that the two of us go into the town disguised as siblings, mingle with the townsfolk, and find out as much as we can, while gauging their reaction to the sudden appearance of the castle. Isn't that right, sister?" Salem turned their head in an uncanny rotation, to smile at the busty fox.

Still sorting through his befuddlement concerning Rodias' self-debasing pledge and how it contradicted the natural and assumed order of things, Graft fell quiet to let everyone say their piece. He anticipated a chorus of pledges, not imagining that anyone would miss their chance to get on the last Sable Lord's good side, but a few went above and beyond. Without even offering any vows, that dunce Gromgard offered to send goblins to raid the settlement, directly contradicting Rodias' implication that the humans ought to be handled delicately. That, or he just missed the obvious. If the Factory had half as much meat as Gromgard has in his head, we'd be in perpetual overdrive. After his master pledged her loyalty, one of Kaldorna's underlings wasted no time in trying to one-up the shadowy one's offer, which earned him an incredulous glance from Graft. The no-name upstart, no doubt here thanks to Rodias' arbitrary level requirement and an uncharacteristic bad judgment call from his friend Kaldorna -who should know better-, the fellow clearly thought highly of himself to make bold impositions in the face of such an esteemed assembly. Graft wouldn't do anything, of course, but he wouldn't be at all surprised if Gromgard sank that longsword of his into a lung or two.

The Director's attention landed next on Light who, after spouting something intriguing close to sedition, opted to pull both Gromgard and Kaldorna into one of her trademark agonizing embraces. Graft sighed, envying neither his allies' position nor Light's remarkable lack of self awareness, and shook his head. After that he tuned in to Kath in the middle of some exposition pointing out the scenario facing Chateau Gothika, presumably for the sake of the slower-witted among those assembled. She finished with a tentative suggestion and something a little disturbing: a recitation of one of Brushen Penn's own bylines. After a moment Graft overcame his surprise and lowered his eyebrows, remembering Kath's exhaustive collection of every word uttered within these walls. A truly impressive potential monitoring system, he made note. Why, anyone able to freely access her records could soak up all our dialogue, from foolishness to insurrection. I must remember to keep tabs on who pays her sanctum a visit. He also wondered if he might be able to purchase an exclusivity deal for Penn's wisdom, keeping it out of the mitts of anyone not deserving.

Next to speak was Salem, who Graft observed through narrowed eyes. That little telekinetic stunt from earlier, subtle but profound in its implications, did not slip by him. In a very real sense, the little lord of the Chateau's first chapter embodied the very essence of a petulant child granted incredible power. With that in mind, everything put forward by him warranted scrutiny, and Graft found no shortage of problems in Salem's proposed plan.

“Oh, certainly,” he chuckled through closed teeth in a dry smile. “Two unusually-dressed youngsters by themselves, about eight years apart in age and of remarkably disparate appearance for siblings, walking around in an insular community where everyone knows everyone else and asking odd questions with no alibis.” He shook his head, leaning sideways on his cane with one hand. “Frankly, I don't think even I could sell that. Looking human is not enough, kiddo. If one must go, it should be someone with a believable look, story, and I daresay a little tact. Maybe a traveling merchant, trying to peddle his wares. Only natural to try and get friendly with townsfolk then.” At that point, he sent a sidelong glance at Rodias, eyes half shut. “Of course, I hesitate to presume. Only our illustrious boss knows the best course of action.”

Mamoru bowed her head as she was complimented by her quickness. "I am humbled by your praise, Master Rodias. It is a maiden's duty to quickly attend to her master's every need, and I am pleased if I have served you well." She glanced over at Chuunitrixx who set up a defensive array around Rodias. Excessive and not at all elegant, however Mamoru knew it was not her place to make any criticism right now. Besides that more came to join, including Rodias' personal creation, Zouyu. He tended to the gardens. He asked Mamoru if she was ovulating, which made her smile politely, but her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Do you know what that even means, Zouyu sir?"

Not long after, other chapter leaders and important members of the Chateau began to arrive. Mamoru remained ever composed as they came in and introduced themselves. Once everyone had arrived, or at least enough of them, Rodias began his speech. Mamoru was quiet as Rodias, her Sable Lord and fellow Creator, informed them of their unusual situation. Mamoru has honestly not noticed anything particularly amiss, beyond rarely seeing her own Creator anymore. But she hasn't seen him in quite some time anyways. And yet when Rodias plainly mentioned that Mamoru's master, along with the other Sable Lords, are far from here, Mamoru couldn't help but tense up. She knew her master had been away for some time but... He would come back. He promised her he would. He told her that he would see Mamoru later. Deep inside Mamoru wanted to see him again. But deeper in she knew that her lord was a fickle being. Passionate yet cold. Someone who would give their heart and soul to others, but also forget them callously. He was a contradiction only because Mamoru wanted to think nothing but good things about him, but if there was one thing she learned from him, it was that no one was perfect. And for all the good things about someone there was an equal yet opposite fault they kept well hidden.

Mamoru tried to keep those thoughts at bay by focusing on the new task at hand. They needed to figure out where exactly they have arrived, starting with investigating nearby settlements. Apparently there was a village nearby which likely hasn't spotted the Chateau, but considering their location it would only be a matter of time before they are discovered. Information was important, first and foremost, so they needed to know what was around them. As Rodias correctly pointed out, since they were now cut off from their usual supply lines from the world of Yggdrasil, it would behoove the chateau to secure any future supplies and resources. After all even if many of the denizens of the chateau are skeletons, many more are still living creatures that require sustenance. Additionally, if the lands they found themselves are a warlike one, it would be important for the Chateau to have the needed resources to create any weapons to fight against them. Mamoru was confident in her skills in battle but in these unknown lands, there's no telling how strong their enemies are.

However what happened next caught Mamoru completely by surprise. Rodias, her current and only Sable Lord, kneel towards them. Almost immediately Mamoru stepped forward, along with many others. "Master Rodias, please compose yourself. I... I am shocked that you would consider the likes of myself so highly that you would kneel before me. Before any of us. If anything our loyalty to you should be in question. Of the Sable Lords... You are the one who remains. Until the very end you are here, with us, into this unknown world. Our Creators... Have left us behind and yet it was you who stayed. You were stayed with us and the Chateau. That is something that none of us can ever repay. Not with our lives, our wealth, or even our power. Master Rodias, you have shown us your strength and loyalty in both the previous world, and into this new one. For that... For that, the least I can do is everything and more."

Mamoru took a step forward, kneeling down and extended her hand towards Rodias. "I am but a humble maiden, born to serve, so please be be my master and lead us in this grand new world. Do not lower yourselves to our level, we servants and warriors who have lost their purpose along with their creators. You are destined for far greater things. So please... Rise above to your rightful throne, and be the king that we need."

With a sigh, Gromgard lightly grabbed Light's arm to remove himself from her grasp. If she started to argue, he'd put a finger to her lips. He had something to say.

"What most of you fail to realize," Gromgard began, his voice harsh but quiet, and slowly getting louder, "is that village may prove vital in securing a foothold into greater things." He stood as looked over the Chapter Lords that had neither failed to arrive nor left prematurely. "I cannot speak for Sable Lord Rodias, nor do I intend to, but all I see is a bunch of blithering idiots who want to do whatever to please their Lord. The simplest solution would be to send a small party of replaceable fodder. I suggested sending my goblins to scout because I have a small team of goblins that were trained for that specific focus. I believe our primary objective currently should be information gathering. Ransacking, destroying, or enslaving the town would tell us nothing of what the rest of the world would be like.

"I'm not saying all the ideas I heard are stupid. The doll had a good idea that just needs to be well thought out and planned. If you wish to fight amongst each other over Sable Lord Rodias' favor, be my guest, but I'll take no part in your idiocy. I deal with enough of that with my goblins." He sighed before nodding to Rodias and Salem, returning to the seat that had once belonged to his creator. Despite how much he missed her, he would fight to keep order among the chaos of the Chateau.

It was then one of the goblins, Gromgard couldn't remember the name of this particular young one. He rushed to the table, breathing heavily. With a bow, he spoke. "Lord Gromgard, two of our number has disappeared."

"Which ones?" Gromgard demanded, a slight growl in his throat.

"Penn and Shill." the goblin spat out quickly.

Gromgard slammed his head into the table. "Of course, the artists. Let them wander for now. They'll either get killed or return with more pictures."

The goblin nodded before running from the room, afraid for his brethren.

Gromgard returned his attention to the others in the room.

If any of the others knew him at all, they'd know he rarely spoke. It was unheard of for him to speak more than a sentence at a time.

With all of his necessary orders delivered, Rodias would give a flourish of his wrist across the table, spreading splotches of beast blood across the paper. "Let today be the first day of our new beginning. When the sun rises, we'll begin our surveillance of the village. As for the rest of you, begin your tasks effective immediately. Especially Kaldorna. I do not want to know if sunlight affects your hunters as it did in our home. You are all dismissed. Graft, Salem, I will meet you both in the foyer. Kaldorna, please have an attendant ready to bring out some of your beasts for me to spar with. I will be with you all in a moment."

In the next moment, the last Sable Lord would slowly begin making his way down the elevator. Not down the one intended to swiftly transfer people to the throne room from their floors, but rather, the one and only entrance and exit to Chuunitrixx's realm.

@Enkryption

As Mamoru was attending to Rodias, she was trying her best to ignore Chuunitrixx. But in truth, her words stung Mamoru, and she had to fight the urge to turn from Rodias and attack her. This thought scared even Mamoru. After all it is not as if Mamoru is a stranger to insults directed towards her: when she still accompanied her Creator many insults were often directed towards her by those who hated him, often bashing her character and purity, thought as little more than her Creator’s fetishized idol. That’s when Mamoru began to realize why she felt this fury; because her Creator would always defend her against these accusations. She felt her anger fulfilled viciously though him, who would fight for her. Despite being his servant, Mamoru’s Creator fought for her. Without him, Mamoru must learn to fend for herself. How to do things for herself.

For now, the maiden’s duty was to tend to her master. She will take out the trash later. Rodias finished his speech, making Mamoru concerned that his humility will weaken his authority in the Chateau. Kindness is acceptable, weakness is not. But Mamoru will discuss this with him later. For now she has been tasked to find Gromgard’s goblins as well as investigate any natural resources around the Chateau. Two things she can do very well. She has a few basic skills for finding enemies and more skills for finding resources thanks to her time with her Creator. Plus this would give Mamoru a chance to be out of the Chateau, which is always a pleasure. As much as she liked the place, her best memories were when she was out in the field working alongside her Creator.

“As you command, Master Rodias. I shall not fail you.” Mamoru bowed to Rodias as he dismissed everyone and went his separate ways. Mamoru considered how to employ the skeleton butlers to find the goblins, but decided against it. She may have a few of them posted around the perimeter of the Chateau as sentries (the mountain cold will do nothing to harm skeletons) but she won’t have them searching around on their own. Cheap and functionally immortal as they may be, as Rodias said if any outsider finds the monstrous servants first, it will harm future relationships. Mamoru would personally seek out these goblins, as well as any notable mineral deposits as she searches. Perhaps she’ll send the skeletons to gather resources once she secured a safe passage.

Before everyone else would leave though, Mamoru took one deep breath as she took a step towards Ashara, and proceeded to fondle her many tails. “Luckyyyyyy. Master Rodias is letting you and Kath go on an adventure to the village! I wanna go see these new people toooooo.” Mamoru said in an almost monotone yet casual tone, far from how respectful and grandios she was with Rodias. It didn’t help that she was trying to make herself comfortable in the fluffy fox tails, and thus was feeling extra crass and slovenly. “I bet you’ll run into some trouble that will make you go ‘ah, these peasants are in danger, but my job is just to scout’, but then stuff will happen and pull be all ‘these bad guys are really annoying, I’ll just show them five percent of my powers’ and then boof, paaaaah, entire army destroyed! Then the peasants will be so happy but you’ll have to be all ‘it was nothing, now could you tell us a bit more about this place’ and other cool things.” Mamoru would try and nuzzle her face into Ashara’s tails as much as she possibly could. Who knows when this opportunity will come again.

“Hmmmm, you can do illusions can’t you? I’m sure we can figure something out...”

@The Irish Tree @Lugubrious

"C'mon Uncle Graft, I might look like a child, but I'm not stupid," Salem pouted, "I have plenty of outfits and bodies I could switch to to look more like Sis, and of course we'd be posing as travelers, maybe...orphans?" He said this last word a little slower and louder just to see if it made anyone uncomfortable about their current predicament which, at least to Salem, was like losing their parents. Then, deciding not to be too abrasive, Salem patronizingly added, "Of course, Uncle Graft does look human enough, so your plan is as good as mine...if not better."

Despite behaving like a brat, Salem did respect Director Graft, even though Salem knew of the tension that had existed between Dr.Drd and Lord Brushen Penn. But Dr.Drd was the kind of person to make enemies of those he admired, and despite his jealousy towards Brushen Penn's creations, Dr.Drd had openly admitted to Salem on numerous occasions that he felt the Factory was truly a marvel. So when Rodias laid out his plan, Salem wasn't exactly miffed, having offered to scout not because he was curious about the village, but because he actually thought it made the most sense, and Rodias' plan was not too far off, logic-wise. Nor did getting paired with Graft rub Salem the wrong way either, but when Rodias reached out to touch Salem's shoulder, the doll momentarily flinched, pulling away from the touch, but caught themself, stopped, and allowed the physical contact to happen.

With the meeting adjourned, and Graft and Salem ordered to wait for Rodias, Salem was already trying to think of ideas to surveil the surroundings. Hovering over to Graft so they could travel together to the foyer, Salem was unsure how sore Graft would be at having his idea dismissed by Rodias, so decided to be just a little more tactful than usual. "It's a shame, Sis Kath is going to scout. I'm sure for our project, having a librarian to help us find the best scrying spells would be very beneficial. Hey! Here's an idea! I might be putting the cart before the horse, but what if we sold dolls? Dolls with my eyes in them? As the product spreads, as I'm sure they will thanks to your business acumen, so does my vision! I can report on everything I see! Oh, but there is an upper limit to how many eyes I can manage... Maybe we'll still need a scrying spell after all...?" Salem mimed a pensive look, while continuing to hover alongside Graft, hoping that by proposing a business opportunity and getting Graft's creative, mercantile juices (literal and figurative) flowing would assuage any lingering resentment.

One after the other, her fellows of the chateau would raise their voice and voice their loyalty to Lord Rodias, some with reverence and some formal, while oters still did so with disgenuine tone or far too many words than needed. Still, it seemed all was right in the world, even this new one, as all of the chateau still stood united and together under one banner - a new banner, belonging to their remaining Sable Lord, just as it should. However, this brief moment of blissful unity and common agreement was short-lived it would seem.

The catalyst of this discord was the general of the goblins, Gromgard, who offered to send his greenskin midgets to scout the village mentioned to be at the foot of the mountain upon which the chateau new rested. Ashara was not a smart woman, nor skilled in the art of military tactics or strategem, but as far as she understood it, Lord Rodias wanted information from within the village itself. Now, things might be different in this new world, bt back in YGGDRASIl - if a goblin entered a human village, there was quite an uproar and any local guards would seek to expunge the little viridian dwarf as fast as possible. Was Gromgard not aware of this? Or did he think he could obtain the information needed from afar? As far as Ashara knew, goblins did not possess partiuclarly impressive haring, nore farsight... But perhaps things worked differently in these new lands? Perhaps the villagers weren't human to begin with? Nothing was cerrtain yet.

However, once the general of goblins had made his offer to Lord Rodias, one of Kaldorna's aides piped up, offering a similar proposal, but with his brethren and fellow hunters in place of goblins. Granted, vampires looked more human than goblins, but their mounts as well as their equipment was rather... Intense. Also the fact that they were all bloodsuckers who would wander into what was litteraly a smorgasbord of free food might cause some complications if one of them gave in to their instincts and desires... Somehow, it didn't seem like a safe choice to Ashara, but since she was not aware of how much self-discipline and restraint Kaldorna's merry band of huntsmen had, she refraimed from saying anything in regards to this as well.

Following this was Light - the strange thing that guarded the castle's vault, an individual Ashara had had very little contact or interactions with, as her patrols through the chateau did not include the vault itself. She seemed oddly disconcerned about the whole thing, and her little pep-talk about the loss of the other Sable Lords and Creators did not seem to have the uplifting effect she had intened - rather, it seemed to have the opposite, especially for Ashara who now remembered just how long Lady Deka_Ribbon had been gone... She had been away for so very, very long now. Longer than any of the other Great Ones in fact, even though she had said before leaving that she would be back soon. A small frown crept across the demon fox face, before her ears perked up at the last line spoken by Light... Free? What did she mean? Admittedly, Ashara had been lost in thought and not paid attention properly, but it almost sounded like the creature wanted to strike out on its own and do whatever it pleased...

Next up was Lady Kath, the usually quiet and docile librarian. Ashara liked patrolling the library, the many books and tomes with the words and wisdom of th Creators, coupled with that special scent of paper and bindings was a pleasant and comforting notion, not to mention the quiet and cleanliness of the chapter was quite relaxing. Still, she now suggestecd caution and excersising

The baton than passed to little lord Salem, Chapter Keeper of the first floor. He, who had previously displayed rather inappropriate bbehavior and manners while attending the meeting, was now dismissing both the goblin master's and the hunter's offers, inplicating that the two groups would either raze, plunder or otherwise ravage the settlement. Ashara found it odd that he, who had acted and been so brazen in his actions thus far, was suggesting others were incapable of self-control. Still, the disaster didn't end there, no. Now the dreadful little deviant doll was trying to rope Ashara into his plans, suggesting himself and she go to the village, under the pretext of being siblings. Admittedly, Ashara's hman form was flawless, and with her illusion magic, it would be easy to make Lord Salem look like a real boy, but before she could even respond to this idea, someone else did.

That someone was Gradt, the manager of the factory and Chapter Keeper of the second floor. The Fodder Baron began by shooting down both General Gromgard's and Kaldrona's aide's ideas, proposing much the same situation as Salem had. The man then turned to the doll, and mockingly chuckled as he pointed out flaws, as well as poking fun at both the haunted toy's as well as Ashara's garments. He thinks my clothes are strange? Was the only thing Ashara could think of at that moment. What was strange about them? Plenty of people in YGGDRASIL wore similar attire, there was no strict dress-code there, so why would there be one here? Furthemore, this outfit was made by Lady Deka_Ribbon herself, by hand, just for Ashara. Surely the man did not mean to say that one of the Creator's, her Creator, had poor taste in fashion? Besides, if anything, his outfit was far more bizarre and unsuited for travels than hers, he looked like one of those employees at the Bank, where the Creators went to store particular items or money sometimes...

... Of course, the baron's ultimate goal was nothing else but a simple, selfish ruse. Of course, he was the right man for the job. Granted, a merchant would be inconspicious, even Ashara knew that travelling merchants were a common sight back home in YGGDRASIl, but... The items and wares that the Factory produced, along with Lord Graft's smell and appearance, left one to question whether he was self-aware of his own being or not. There was a reason Ashara did not like patrolling the Factory, apart form the terrible aesthetics of the place. Still, the baron's words seemed to enrage the goblin general, who spoke up and challenged both lords of the first and second floor.

The bickering continued, all the while Ashara remained quiet and calm, sitting in her seat after having risen from her kneeling once Rodias was helped onto his feet by Mamoru the maid. Her tails were almost still, only the very tips lightly moving just a bit. While the entire ordeal was unbecoming and inelegant, it was not her place to do anything about it. The primary debaters were the Chapter Keeprs, and even if they acted uncouth and rowdy, she was in no position to try and silence or reprimand them. However, her fellow canine-blood Aurora, obviously did not share this entiment, as the wolf-girl tried - in her own way - to get the bickering Keepers to hold their tongues and wait for the decision of Lord Rodias. An agreeable suggestion, proper and correct, but the wolf had no business being the one to mention it.

All in all, things were a right mess, and if Ashara hadn't been who she was, she might have sighed and rolled her eyes. However, instead, as she was the way she was, she merely kept quiet and looked on, watching events unfold. This was a disagreement among the higher echelons of the Chateau, and only Lord Rodias had the authority to quell i-

---

Laughter.

Joyless, cold, insincere laughter. And the source of it? The very same person who had been by Lord Rodias at the start of the meeting. The very same person who had set up all those distasteful objects and made a barrier between the Chateau's elite and their Lord. The very same person who had, for each arrival, pointed her gun at them as they arrived on the request of their Master. The source was Chuunitrixx, and among all the Chapter Keeprs, she was by far Ashara's least favorite. Wheenever the fox did her duties, per the instructions of all the Lords of Bandersnatch, the harpy would still take pot-shots and get her in way whenever she patrolled the sixth floor. She was rude, uncooperative and quite frankly, seemed to have more than one screw loose.

The Chapter Keeper of the ruined cityscape then proceed to speak, haughty and arrogant, in a condescending fashion, to her peers. She insulted each and every one of them, admonishing those who had argued by who to send tot he village, disrespecting those she found to be lower than herself, insulting heritage and intelligence. Indeed, the scene prior had been nothing short of deplorable, but adding sharp-tongued words and vulgar insults was no way to handle it, in fact, it would have the opposite effect if anything. Well, at least that's what Ashara thought - being called a mutt didn't much bother her though, Lady Chuunitrixx wasn't exactly a skilled griller, and if the only flaw she could find with Ashara and Aurora was that they were of a canine species, then her insults were about as harmful as a grain of sand in one's shoe.

However.

HOW-EVER.

What the Chapter Keeper did next was so repulsive, so vile and so outright wrong that it could not be considered anything but both a travesty and treason at the same time. This ... Tramp, had the audacity to state that she neither needed to prove anything, nor had time for this. No time for this? A summons by her Master? A meeting assembled by the only Creator still remaining by their side? She did not have time for this? Who did she think she was? Apparently, she thought herself to be Lord Rodias' best friend, as she claimed so while leaving.

Ashara's tails were still now, completely frozen. Her eyebrows were lowered and she had a displeased look on her face. HAd this woman just dared call herself the best friend of their Lord? There was arrogance and hubris, and the there was delusions. Had it not been for the presence of the others, along with Lord Rodias himself, the fox would likely have done something uncharacteristic, and possibly slapped the wench for her insolence... Still, that kind of behavior was unbefitting herself and would only serve to cause further discord. Hopefully, Lord Rodias' promise about speaking to the presumptious hag would include a few, choice words and a reminder of her own position as well as who she, and he, was in relation to one another.

After this moment of unpleasantness though, things took a nice, refreshing turn.

---

After the depature of Chuunitrixx, Lord Rodias spoke once again. Though there was no need for their master to apologize on behalf of the raving banshee, he did so regardless. Instantly, Ashara's mood improved somewhat. It improved further when their lord began to explain the missions and commands for each of them that he had decided upon. It seemed he had slightly different ideas than what the majority had asked for or suggested, but it was nontheless commands and orders that were sensible and sound, as one would expect from a Supreme Being. It also seemed that lord Salem's request would be partially fulfilled, as she herself was tasked with investigating the settlement, but along with lady Kath rather than the tiny lord of dolls... Oh well, at least things were being settled now.

When their Lord asked if the shrine maidens would be fine without her, Ashara merely nodded slowly. In truth, Mikoto was the one more or less running the shrine from day-to-day, seeing as Ashara's duties took her away from it each and every single day. The meeting adjourned, and each one of them had received instructions on what or where to go and do, albeit some more than others. Irising from her seat, Ashara was about to walk over and speak to her new travelling companion, but was rather suddenly intercepted as someone ambushed her tails.

The familiar voice of Mamoru then sounded from behind her. Of course it was her, nobody else - apart from maybe the younger shrine maidens - were so physically direct with her, not that she minded. She didn't mind at all. The fox giggled at the maid's mock-envy.

"Fufufu~ I do not think it will be all that exciting, Miss Mamoru. If anything like that were to happen, I am certain Lady Kath would resolve it most splendidly without the need for my meagre skills." She said, looking back over her shoulder with a gentle smile. It was nice to have the tense, unpleasant air and memory of the meeting washed away with a bit of silly but warm antics like this, every once in a while at least. Plus, it wasn't like Ashara disliked her tails brushed and touched, so long as the one doing it wasn't too rough or stroked them the wrong way.

"Still, you should hurry along with General Gromgard. Goblins can get into all sorts of trouble and mischief if left unsupervicsed, they are rather troublesome little creatures." And there it was, Ashara's penchant for saying too much and being too honest, without actualyl meaning anything harmful or trying to be insulting. She didn't mean to pick on or mock the goblins, she was merely stating her honest opinion based on her own experiences with the creatures. Some found this amusing, others... Not so much.

She let the maid nuzzle and fluff a bit longer, before carefully getting her tails to slink away, gently brushing te dragonoid's chees and forearms as they escaped her greedy clutches. Giving a slight, courteous bow to her co-worker and friend, she moved on towards Kath's seat. Stopping a bit to the side and behind, she spoke to her superior in her calm, graceful and serene tone of voice.

"Lady Kath, it seems we are to travel together. I shall be at your command as well as in your care, I will do my best to not disappoint or hinder our mission." She bowed, slightly more so than she had done to Mamoru. "Is there something you would like to do before we leave? Or something you need to take care of?" She asked politely, smiling as she often did.

Salem's response provoked a chuckle from the Fodder Baron. “Pardon me, I meant no insult. Merely that more experience and maturity might better suit the task at hand.” The word 'orphans' bounced right off the bespectacled man with no effect, and he gave an appreciative nod of his head when Salem praised his idea.

Negotiations among the Chapter Keepers as to who might offer the best package for scouting the village came to an abrupt halt as an unwelcome voice expressed itself in an unpleasant tone. Rolling his eyes, he allowed his gaze to settle on its source, being none other than that vermin Chuunitrix. In what could only be considered a tragic display of lacking gravitas, she dismissed their talks before giving each a piece of her mind. Her words soured the mood in the room, raising hackles and baring teeth, not stemming from any real wounds caused by her words but instead the sheer impertinence of it all. Placing both hands on his cane, Graft heard her out with half-lidded eyes, his manner mocking. After spewing her insults in a show far more childish than anything Graft had seen Salem conjure up, she took a potshot at Rodias before storming off in a huff. Shaking his head, the businessman clicked his tongue. Bad enough that the shrew impugned upon Rodias' good nature to litter the ground with dangerous toys and threaten her allies, but his tolerance seemed to have gone straight to her head. Well, no matter. A farmer did not heed the braying of the ass. More now than ever before, Graft wondered exactly why Lady Traptrixx made her creation this way. A cruel joke, perhaps?

With that disruption out of the way, discussion could resume. Gromgard seized the chance to passive-aggressively reassert himself, hypocritically calling out the others on trying to suggest plans of action while extolling the abilities of his green-skinned grunts. Clearly, he would not see sense. Balderdash. His creator should have saved a few points for intelligence, at least. Sighing, Graft resigned himself to the necessity of an arbitration from Rodias. Aera the cleric said as much, taking a holier-than-though stance while also managing to demean the words of Graft and the others as bickering and screeching. Screeching? he mulled over the word. Perhaps there's too much fluff in those ears of hers. Chuunitrixx might be gone, but plenty of sniping remained.

A moment later, Rodias came to the rescue to save his underlings from their doldrums. That startling humility, it seemed, would be coloring all his interactions henceforth. Graft made note that Rodias didn't want to see his employees arguing, then -as the Sable Lord addressed Gromgard in a manner that indicated his goblins would be utilized elsewhere- permitted himself a slight, smug smile. When he made mention of a plan, Graft seated himself to listen with bated breath.

As he suspected, violence would be a last resort. That made sense, and his pronouncement of who would be visiting the village worked well enough. A delicate touch would be necessary, and Graft supposed that he might be a little much for ordinary townsfolk at the moment. At the very least he would not want for work, since Rodias seemed to have a plan for everyone. The director nodded understandingly. “Naturally. I can scarcely wait.”

In fact, Rodias presented his job first, as the second part of a collaboration with Salem. The pairing made sense, given their shared proximity, mutual affinity for objects, and the relation of their creators. Salem received vagueries, but Rodias delighted the director with a specific order. Bowing along with the Sable Lord, as if to a business partner, he declared, “I'll begin straightaway. And sir?” He endeavored to meet Rodias gaze. “Scum thrives on the complacence of its betters.” That said, he whirled away in a flurry of cloth to get to business.

His mind raced, driving his body to act. Holding an empty palm to his ear, Graft opened a Direct Line back to the Factory, and spoke through it in authoritative tones. “Papillary, fire up the machines. We have a new order. Navigational and surveillance instruments, compasses, telescopes, and the like. But don't go overboard, I've already got a few ideas to do one better. Why, the very moment I am excused, I will come straightaway to the laboratory...” A voice came back to him through the communication spell, garbled to anyone but him. Graft's brows furrowed, and his mustache twitched. “Are...you quite certain?” Another burst of chatter. “Well, whatever's in there, we have a job to do. Once things are in motion we'll check it out.” He cut the line and stood up straight, having been hunched over for privacy.

By that time, Rodias was gone, so Graft began making his way to the elevator to meet him. Salem floated along beside him, striking up conversation. His tone, somewhat less impulsive than normal, went observed but unremarked upon while Graft heard him out. “If you recall, I am already making dolls as per our creators' agreement. In fact, we've got a whole room dedicated to it: Junk for the Toybox.” He drew his arm horizontally through the air, palm out, as if dedicating the plaque above the room's door. Speaking matter-of-factly, and with no trace of ill will, he continued. “So between us we've plenty of inventory. I could sell them, certainly, but poor villagers haven't the money to spend on frivolities, and I fear unusual products in the Chateau's vicinity might arouse suspicion in a period we are to be discreet. However...” he tapped a nanoflesh finger against his chin. “I reckon such curios would do just fine in a city, where interesting commodities can reach a wider audience, provoking rarer curiosities. Yes...that could work.” A glance at Salem revealed a face alive with excitement. “These are invigorating times. I'm afire with ideas. Resonant imaging...electromagnetic shielding...adrenaline shots...vocal repetition! So much to do, and so little time!”

---

Flan had been quite surprised when she heard the summons from one of the bone staff. Normally a lowly chef would never be called to the throne room, but because she was over level 40 she had no choice but to attend. It was a bit disappointing to be called on such short notice which meant she had no time to prepare anything to take with her. As the head chef it would have been outrageous not to bring anything though, so she compromised by bringing along a tray of pre-prepared drinks and sweets, things that could be quickly devoured on the spot.

At the time of the summons she had been experimenting in the kitchen with leftovers, trying to see if it was possible to make a masterpiece from scraps. It was actually rather strange, she couldn't remember actually having leftovers before, in the past whatever had been made was either eaten up right away or put into storage for later. It was an entirely new experience for her and she was up for the challenge, though she was going to keep a mental note on who had leftovers on their plates from now on.

As befitted a member of her station, Flan kept to the side of the chamber, ready to move at a moments notice if called upon. As it turned out the contents of the meeting were quite dire, quite dire indeed. As the meeting was of a very serious nature no one had bothered to call on her services as their attentions were directed to Master Rodias and the new situation the Chateau found itself in. Of course all the members present had a wide variety of personalities, some serious and others rather flamboyant which made for quite a bit of tension in the room. Most of what they talked about she had no interest in, but at least Master Rodias had the sense to send the hunters to find livestock and the gardener to find plants they could use which would be much needed in the near future, but it wasn't enough, not even close.

Flan's hair tendrils started to shake with worry, how was she suppose to gather ingredients now? The Chateau had a nice garden where she could harvest plenty of produce but that would hardly be enough. If the Chateau was indeed placed on the top of a mountain where exactly was she to find food? Much less herbs and spices? Back in their world, Flan knew exactly where all the best ingredient gathering spots were, from herbs to wild berries and hunting grounds, but now she wouldn't have a clue where to find any of that! What if they started to run low on provisions, or worse yet, the spices and seasons that could make any dish something the tongue would crave to taste again? What use was a head Chef once she had no choice but to make bland meals and then the Chateau stopped asking for exotic dishes? Her reputation would plummet and she would be unable to meet the wants of her betters! Why in the world did they have to end up on top of a mountain of all places?!

_{"I must secure new supply routes for our kitchen as quickly as possible."} She muttered to herself as she mentally tried to run the numbers through her head. Thanks to the Overflowing Wine Cask she could make their liquid reserves last for quite a while but unfortunately all of the highest quality items would be unable to have their lives extending in such a way so she would have to be careful with them. The gardens and the Self-Filling Bread Basket would help keep their stores from depleting too fast but without extra supplies coming in from outside, she had to estimate they would only be able to last for five months at their normal rate of consumption. It was a good thing a large portion of the staff didn't require sustenance, otherwise they wouldn't have even half that time.

At least a golden opportunity had prevented itself however. When Master Rodias had actually knelt down before them, it was easy to assume that the gravity of their situation was what had brought him to his knees. She had never once seen a creator act in such a humble way to their creations, it had been a strange sight for sure, certainly nothing like her own eccentric creator SlipperySavior. If the feeling of pressure was making him act out in such a way, there was no doubt she would be able to help out with some comfort food down the road. For a creator, she would spare no expense even at the cost of their own reserves; however, she needed to secure supply routes quickly so she would be free to spoil as many members of the Chateau as possible and gain their praise.

As master Rodias left, Flan felt that she needed to serve at least someone before she returned to the Kitchen. A quick look around the room and Flan instantly spotted the ones most likely to take up her offerings. Balancing the tray expertly, full of glasses of elderberry wine, white-powerdery tea cookies, and a few mandarins for those who preferred fruit for their sweets, Flan gracefully glided over Mistress Mamoru, Lady Kath, and Lady Ashara who had just managed to extract herself from Mamoru.

"If it would be your pleasure, perhaps a few refreshments before you leave for your most important missions? As much as it pains me to say I may not have the chance to indulge everyone like this for a while so I suggest you partake while you have the chance." Flan eyes misted up in regret at her much needed announcement and tears could be seen sparkling in the corners of her eyes. "I only hope I can be of help and support to everyone during this crisis."

Gromgard bowed respectfully to Rodias as he was given his task. Of course, it was interesting being paired with Mamoru but he figured Rodias wouldn't have paired them if he didn't think it was a good idea. He turned to see Mamoru in Ashara's tails. He facepalmed. He was about to stomp over when he saw Flan approaching them.

He walked as if he owned the room up to Flan as she greeted the ladies and offered them some refreshments. While he didn't need to eat as often as most of the others who did, he still wanted his food to be good when he did. Flan did better than that. "Flan." he smiled softly, though it was hidden by his helmet. His voice, however, was soft and kind. He always tried to show kindness to the cook, especially with how she's treated his goblins.

"Mamoru, shall we?" he smirked, gesturing towards the door.

More and more chatter from the other chapter lords and staff gathered here, all the same thing. Well, mostly the same chatter. Light nodded in agreement to the idea of taking a diplomatic approach to dealing with the village, although apparently it was in the air if that would be happening or what. Goblins didn't make for the best diplomats... As for her little speech, only Chuunitrixx seemed to like her newfound freedom, or even understand what Light meant. Sure being disrespectful to her peers was probably not the best move, she seemed to be one of the few who took the stable lord's news well.

Speaking of Rodias' decree, he said what everyone would go about doing. Sadly what he said didn't involve Light doing much of anything of note with this village, and she let out an audible "Aww...." in disappointment at being told not to hug anyone, letting go of her other hug victim. But at least she wasn't stuck to the vault, although she wasn't going to stay there even if Rodias didn't give her a command.

Salem's plan of making dolls to spy on the town sounded really neat, and since it involved making things, Graft was pretty into it as well. "Well, I guess I can help you guys make some of those doll things. I've got free time now according to Boss." Light said, shrugging. She liked the idea, as it was both peaceful, intel gathering, and could endear the town to Graft's products, making them dependent on the guild. "Oh, and if the doll thing works, Graft, you should sell them more and more products! Put your logo everywhere and make that money! I'll keep it safe~." Light said teasingly.

The smell of food soon grabbed Light's attention as the guild's chef, Flan, offered a tray of delectable. Slinking her way over, Light stood near the group of ladies, waiting to see if there would be any leftovers. "I'll eat what you guys don't! The void is ever hungry!" Light said, grinning at the group as they made preparations to do their missions.

Chuunitrixx whipped around, Ariamis leveled with Rodias's heart; the bullet wouldn't take his life, but it would wound him -- trouble him. However, Chuunitrixx's expression softened, as she registered him; old habits died hard, but her gun lowered. Her eyes closed, as she smiled -- a smile brighter than the very sun -- before she glomped him, and buried her face in his cold chest. "I missed you, Rodi. Why don't you visit me, anymore," she asks, with a genuine sadness that came of being given genuine emotion, yet wasn't hers; a phantom pain of a woman that was no more.

Rodias paused, softly placing his hand against the back of Chuunitrixx’s neck as he sighed. ”I know...work was busy though.” he would say, the same excuse he used to give Traptrixx for why he wasn’t logging in as regularly some weeks. He hated that Traptrixx made Chuunitrixx into an exact copy of her...and hated even more the thought that he was going to watch one of his best friends slip away all over again. ”Why’d you react like that? You never were that pushy,” he would ask, letting her remain close.

All the while, he wanted nothing more than to go back to his shitty life. It wasn’t fun remembering how Traptrixx’s life fell apart. That’s the real reason he didn’t like visiting Chuunitrixx.

"Pushy? Moi? Hardly!" Chuunitrixx chuckled, looking up, and smirking; her periwinkle-hued eyes dulled, yet didn't lose their excitement. "They were groveling; it was pathetic, and hardly befitting any one," she says, stepping back, and crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed, "Frankly, you were no better on your knees; denying your stations."

Rodias sighed, scratching the back of his head. This was...problematic to explain, really. He couldn’t tell Chuunitrixx anything without ostracizing himself, since he had a feeling new would travel fast if “Master Rodias has gone insane and thinks he’s been isekai’d into an isekai’s isekai”. Regardless, Rodias would pull back from Chuunitrixx and walk towards the edge of the building they were on. ”The truth is, I don’t know if I’m fit to lead. You know better than anyone what my rank was amongst the lords. Besides, I was never a party leader. So...half of that was honest. The other half? Probably more my inability to handle praise,” the sable lord would say. Another lie that at least served to explain why he bowed. Frankly...he didn’t want to disrespect any of them.

Chuunitrixx frowned, and looked around. "You lead fine, my Lord. It is an indisputable fact," piped up one of the Survivors; a little girl in rags, like all the rest; she hugged a pickaxe like a teddy bear. "My Queen is only worried for you, my Lord! After all, you must lead with an image of strength!" chimed another of them; a little boy, dragging a sledgehammer.

As usual, Enderall knew what Chuunitrixx wanted to say, but couldn't think to.

Rodias would chuckle at the words echoed from the Survivors, the vampire lord’s hand reaching out to gently tussle the little girl’s hair. Even if she wasn’t really...real before, he couldn’t deny that it felt right to at least acknowledge her. For the boy, he would kneel before him to be on eye level, before saying: ”Then, I suppose I’ll have to make sure I maintain my strength,” before standing once more. Looking back to Chuunitrixx, he would say: ”But, I’d like if you were more direct with what you want to say.”

Chuunitrixx seemed lost in thought for a moment, as she looked out into Enderall City Corpse;a gentle, flowing breeze never stopping, as the city lived and breathed -- the “City Corpse” in her name a mere misnomer, not truth. “I want something to do. A challenge worthy of my station,” Chuunitrixx decided to say, as she looked up. “I’ve known this city for all my days. Its safety. Its shelter. Its love. However, she tells me, I need more...” Looking up, that luster was back in her eyes, “I need to wander, Rodi. I need to explore my freedom.”

Rodias was a bit concerned at the idea that Chuunitrixx was completely aware of her newfound lack of boundaries from before. She’d been nothing more than binary data before, so any of Traptrixx’s copied mental state was kept to a minimum but here…

”What do you propose then?” Rodias would question, crossing his arms. He hated the idea of keeping her locked up out of fear for her losing control, but keeping her content was more important in the moment. And the thought of shackling up one of his best friends’ creations…

Rodias really didn’t have any choice but to listen to her now.

"I want to expand the Chateau Gothika, my domain is flexible," Chuunitrixx says, "Anywhere I choose, so shall that land become mine. Such is the right of the Hivequeen. It is my task to defend the whole of the Chateau Gothika. To do that, I need to walk freely, and take land beyond us." Chuunitrixx grinned, "In short, I need to scout about without interference."

Rodias would think on it for a moment, seemingly weighing his options before he stated: ”I’ll trust you to scout, then. Just be aware that scouting doesn’t mean razing. Your actions reflect on every member of this guild hall, whether you mean them to or not,” Rodias would say, uncrossing his arms and smiling ever so slightly. ”Do I make myself clear? If so, then you have my approval to scout.”

Chuunitrixx closed her eyes, smiling pleasantly, and she gave a graceful half-bow found on a Butler, not a Queen. "Of course, Lord Rodias. I am always on my best behavior."

Rodias would give a simple nod, before turning to leave. ...Upon which, he would finally notice that Aurora Aera was coming down the elevator. Call it heightened senses, but Rodias could feel the individual movements of the elevator. Knowing that Chuunitrixx would react as she usually did, pointing and shooting at things that weren’t him, he would make his way to the elevator and say: ”I trust that as soon as you find something, you’ll relay it to me?” before turning his head back towards Chuunitrixx.

Chuunitrixx nodded, and turned to her company that she kept. She’d her own tasks to assign, now...

---

Collab with @The Irish Tree

Kath remained quite as the last of her fellow NPCs-given-life were giving their own opinions. Hearing how many of them still believed that a show of force would be the ideal way to handle the village made her somewhat anxious. If such a course was taken, that would leave little option for course correction. It could very well lead to disaster for them all if there was something out there that didn't appreciate the Chateau bullying its neighboring village. She could only hope that her words had reached Rodias' ears and convinced him, otherwise she feared the possible repercussions.

While she sat there in silence, stewing in her anxiety, Chuunitrixx would take the opportunity, whether intentional or not, to only make her feel worse about not continuing to fight for her opinion on the matter and only speaking the one time. Yet, she only played into the doppelganger's hand more as she refused to speak up, taking her roast and accepting it. She really was "The Churchmouse of Dragons."

Luckily, her sulking would not last forever. It seemed as if Kath's words had in deed accomplished her goal as Rodias announced each of their new objectives, including sending Ashara and another to scout the town for information. Yes, this was excellent. The kitsune seemed the level headed sort to avoid any meaningless conflicts should any arise during her time among the humans. This seemed a perfect choice to the librarian...

Wait, who was the other going with Ashara? Had Rodias said her name?

"Me?" Kath questioned. When she had suggested a small party that would be unlikely to cause trouble, she hadn't been referring to herself. Even if she knew the Sable Lord's decision was the most logical choice to make. She wanted to speak up and address her dissent, suggest another to take her place instead so she could remain within her Athenaeum of Historia. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt the vampire lord and was left to listen to his orders, giving her time to rationalize the benefits and drawbacks rather than react purely on her emotion.

By the time Rodias returned to addressing her and Ashara, the dragonoid had become more agreeable to the idea of leaving, if not still nervous and frightened by the prospect. Having the reassurance that her lord would watch over her library while she was gone certainly helped to relieve some of that though. "I... If those are your orders, than I shall follow them. I understand what must be done and the importance of such a task," she said with a polite nod.

As Rodias made his departure, Kath would take the time to close her eyes and concentrate on slowing her beating heart. She had rarely left her library unless it was for a meeting similar to this one or an important task assigned by Kiss My Axe, but she had never, not once in her life, ever left Chateau Gothika's walls before. The very idea made her come close to breaking into a cold sweat. She was glad though to have such kindhearted companions that could take her mind off such a momentous occasion. Rising from her seat finally, she turned to address the kitsune.

"Yes, I believe I would like to bring a few of my tomes with us on our journey. The knowledge within them may become useful in relieving any suspicion of us from the villagers or, should the unthinkable occur, and we find ourselves in danger. It should not take long though. I know exactly where they rest upon their shelves," Kath said with a halfhearted smile.

Ashara would not be the only one she needed to rely on in helping to relieve her mind of its negative thoughts as the Chateau's head chef would approach as well. "Oh, thank you my dear. These look quite delicious as always," she said, taking one of Flan's cookies. A tray of these along with a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea would always help in creating a more engaging atmosphere as she read alone in her library and now they helped her relax as they reminded her of the fun adventures she had read about in her many collected tomes. Perhaps she could add one of her own among the infinite shelves of books.

Ashara smiled and nodded at Kath's words. Of course it was to be expected that the resident bookworm of the Chateau would want to bring some of her scriptures with her on the journey. Though, the fox wasn't exactly sure how having books would help them deal with the villagers - or whatever else inhabited the settlement below - but then again Ashara wasn't as smart as the Chapter Keeper of the library. In fact, it was reassuring to have someone so knowledgeable and wise along with her, since Kath would be more likely to do all the important conversing and explaining, not to mention the Chapter Keeper was far more likely to know exactly what Lord Rodias wanted to find information on, and how to get it!

Not too long passed before another lovely lady joined their little pow-wow. This one being the adorable little slime-chef. As soon as Ashara heard Flan's voice, and caught a whiff of the tray's bounty she was holding, her tails began to wag in a disorderly and energetic fashion, and a wide smile spread across the white-haired fox-girl's face. Watching Kath take one of the snacks, Ashara proceeded to do the same, delicately plucking one of the little treats from the tray.

"Ah, Miss Flan. As lovely and thoughtful as always." She said, proceeding to take a small, careful nibble from her cookie. A happy noise escaped her lips and the elegant fox placed a hand on her cheek, with a blissful expression on her face. "Delicious as always~"

It was true though, Flan's cooking was second-to-none and despite what Miss Mamoru might claim, the fact was that the slime could cook the dragonoid's socks off! Of course, being that her food was so delicious, it also unfortunately attracted pests. More precisely, that thing managed to sniff out and arrive at the scene. Having first run her mouth during the meeting with Rodias, stated depressing and questionable things - and now, showing up to greedily proclaim that she would eat anything the rest didn't scarf down? Truly, this creature was truly without grace or form. The fact that its mere presence also caused discomfort didn't exactly earn it any points either.

"Careful, Miss Light. If you eat too muhch you might grow fat." Ashara warned, still taking careful and modest nips at her treat. Luckily, her voice was calm and friendly as usual, an d her face betrayed no signs of discontent or animosity. And in truth, it wasn't like Ashara disliked Light, she just found her presence uncomfortable and her personality... Well, in need of improvement, shall we say?

As the ladies of the Chateau were busy with each other - and Flan - one of the gentlemen approached, speaking up from behind Mamoru. Ashara cast a sideways glance, even though she recongized the voice without looking. The Goblin General seemed anxious to get going, but at least he had the decency to come and ask his partner if she was ready to go. Ashara coudl appreciate that - and feeling a bit mischievous, she placed a hand infront of her mouth while smiling devillishly.

"Oh my, Miss Mamoru, it seems your date is here to escort you. Ufufu~" She giggled slightly.

Still, while she appreciated the offered snacks and the slight, informal break from their daily duties, the fact was that there was work to be done. Work assigned by the Sable Lord, and regent of the Chateau, himself no less! Turning her gaze back to Kath, Ashara spoke again.

"I suppose I shall wait and meet up with you outside the main gate then, milady." She said, not needing to collect or grab anything herself. She had everything she needed on her person, after all. Well, except one thing.

"Oh, and Miss Flan." She turned her head back to the cook.

"Could I perhaps bring one of these cookies along on our trip?" She asked, tails wagging again as she nibbled at the baked sweet.

Once that was all done and over with, she'd head for the foyer and then outside - onto the mountain and her take her first look at this brand new world...

As Kaldorna tried and failed to politely extract herself Light’s hug more and more people had the same idea as Arthanar had, namely to jump in and offer to Gromgard’s proposed goblin infiltration of the little village they had found themselves nearby. Or offer reasons as to why other’s proposed investigations would be the height of foolish.

Fortunately before the discussion could devolve into arguing, bickering or a fight Rodias accepted Mamoru’s proffered hand and stood back up with his authority mostly assured. Kaldorna decided against injecting herself or her opinion into Chuunitrixx’s personal disagreement with their lord so the only direct concern she had was regarding the dissident who had trapped her in a hug. Mainly because it took her till the end of Rodias’ subsequent order giving to let go.

During that torrent of instructions she discovered to her delight that Rodias would be blessing the arena with his presence, and to her dismay that she would not be present to witness his battles with the pen’s many beasts. She would instead be leading the Hunt to ensure that the pens remained fed. A worthy and vital cause, but she still felt upset that she would be missing out on seeing a Sable Lord in action.

”I’ll have my most trusted assistant Agathina prepare both the area and beast pens for your arrival my lord,” she resolutely assured him nonetheless, keeping her internal conflict entirely to herself.

After everyone had received their instructions, Light had been told to stop hugging people and Rodias had departed the former npcs were left to their own devices. Most quickly got together in their own little groups to set off for their missions, quickly leaving Kaldorna, Arthanar and Zouyu (who had inserted himself into their mission) on their own.

“Couly ya give us just a wee moment teh discuss something private like Zouyu?” Arthanar said almost immediately. Kaldorna cocked an eyebrow at this, but went with Arthanar to quietly talk a few steps away from the gardener.

“Ya could leave this hunt business tae me if ya want. It would’nya be a burden ” Arthanar said as soon as they were out of hearing range, immediately beginning to offer to take on the task of securing feed for their beasts on his own. Kaldorna cut him off before he could say any more.

”No No. I could never let you and the others go out into the unknown danger alone like that. You heard what he said, we don’t know if resurrection works here, nor how this new sun will affect us,” she told him. The business of logistics also had to come before had to come before pleasure, as much as she hated to deny her passions.

“No need tae be so worried, we’re a tough bunch” the Hunt’s Captain tried to assure her but Kaldorna countered with, ”and have me both go against our lord’s wishes and worry myself sick while doing so? No. We will go face the new and strange dawn together,” she told the other vampire as she grasped his shoulder firmly. ”Besides, it’s not like this won't be exciting in its own right. We and our kin are about to ride out into a whole new world! Who knows what wonders we’ll discover? We'll be the chatux’s pioneers as we travel further and faster than any of the others.”

“Aye won’t that be something” Arthanar replied with a grin, before thinking for a moment and correcting her slightly by pointing out that, “That'd be us, our kin and our gardener friend over there o course.“

”Oh Right, of course.” she replied, a touch embarrassed about having almost forgotten about Zouyu while they talked. Without saying a word more the two put aside anything else they might have wished to speak off and rejoined the gardener before things got too awkward.

”Ever so sorry about that little delay Zouyu darling,” Kaldorna apologies as she strode up, before asking him: ”Will you be needing to collect anything before we set off or are you all set and ready to go?”

Kath would let out a small cough as she tried to avoid choking on the last of her cookie, listening to her future traveling partner begin to spurn their Vault Keeper. With Light often spending her time near their treasury to make sure it remained constantly guarded and never undefended and the dragonoid doing the same with her own library, neither of them really had many chances to interact. Making fun of the Lovecraftian defender's weight seemed a bit petty to her though, regardless of whether she deserved the insult or not.

Though Kath had to admit, she caused her scales and skin to crawl somewhat just by being close.

When Ashara made her next comment, Kath was glad she had finished eating her cookie. Now she was talking of dates? How scandalous. Should such talk really be discussed here within the Climax Hour? She would resign herself to making no comment on it, but the librarian hoped that none of the other Chapter Keepers and residents of the Chateau spoke of such things behind her back. Despite the meticulous records kept within The Athenaeum of Historia, she could not possibly read every volume kept inside. She was bound to miss some of the gossip that floated around their home.

In any case, it was time she gathered her belongings for the upcoming trip. "Yes, I'll meet you there. Don't worry, I shall not keep you waiting long," Kath said, moving to the fourth chapter at a respectable pace. It was much quicker than walking, but didn't cause her to lose her expected elegance. Her sophisticated look came naturally to the librarian and any effort to lose that refinement would take conscious effort on her part.

However, just as promised, Ashara would not wait long at the main gate. Only a couple minutes after the kitsune had made herself comfortable enjoying the view, Kath arrived, two heavy looking tomes tucked securely under each arm. She really did have her books well organized to collect them so quickly. Upon reaching the grand doors that stood at Chateau Gothika's entrance though, she would stop in her tracks. "I've never been this far from The Athenaeum before," she admitted. "You don't suppose I should go back and bring more do you? In case something happens? Like a fire? Or a robber? Or a vandal? What if someone were to try and explore the Forbidden Section? I'm cautious to even let Lord Rodias see its contents, much less any of the others. Perhaps I can plead for our lord to allow me to stay." It appeared she needed a helping hand in finally crossing that threshold that separated the world she was used to and the one that presented itself before the two girls.