[IC] Avalia

[princess]

Time:Afternoon
Location:Forest
Interaction:@Tae@Helo@HowlsOfWinter
Outfit:This outfit, but imagine the cape is down to her ankles and the skirt is shorter.
Inventory:Ama pouch, map, berries, 2 potato cakes, a knife, some rope, and a blanket.

Bowyn had shivered in her arms during their hug. He felt so cold. She frowned and let go. A fairy that could control ice, still shivered and chattered his teeth when he was freezing. She supposed it made sense that even he wouldn't be immune to it. She had figured out pretty quickly that using even her own magic expended her energy. It always made her feel like she needed a long nap. But poor Bowyn's ability seemed to have a much worse effect.

Her gaze fell down when he called her a human. They definitely realized and knew what she was. However, no one had moved to kidnap or hurt her. He even said that he wouldn't ditch her, so perhaps they did not have a negative view on humans. Her previous company had made it seem like no one would want to be associated with her. Bowyn and Kenia did not seem to feel that way about her as far as she could. Still, she couldn't ask them to sign up to be involved in the rebellion if that's not what they wanted. Even being seen with her could be dangerous.

As she was thinking things through, she had been paying half attention to Kenia fiddling around with a dragon scale. With closer inspection as she finished her work, she could tell Kenia had picked out the prettiest one she could find and then engraved it in order to make a little memorial for Boreas. It came out beautiful and the engravement was touching. If she were to be honest, she hadn't seen anyone do something as brave as Boreas did. She wasn't sure she could stare death in the face and fly right toward it. It was incredible and she was sure he had done it to help Bowyn. She knew animals could be loyal, but this was a new level.

She shut her eyes and prayed for Boreas, hoping there was a wonderful birdy heaven awaiting him with all his favorite treats. Kenia's pretty singing reached her ears as she was imagining Boreas hopping around with all kinds of birds in the clouds, the sun shining on them. She liked listening to her sing; it reminded her of the music she missed listening to so much on Earth. Clara liked to sing too, engaging in her school choir and singing in the shower on a daily basis, which she considered to be very valid experience.

Once the singing concluded, Bowyn suggested they harvest parts of the wyvern for amas and move on. Clara got back on her feet and undid the clasp of her cape. She unwrapped it from around her and outstretched her arm toward him, cape in hand, "Good idea, but please try to warm up before you do anything! You felt so cold." She gave him a smile and then addressed all of them with her next statement, "I'm sorry I had to lie to you guys. After everything we just went through, you guys deserve the truth at least. My real name is Clara and I'm a human, obviously. I'm eighteen and I honestly have never harvested organs from a dragon. Not really a common pastime on Earth...As you probably know, humans aren't really a crowd favorite in Avalia right now and I'm not the safest company to hang out with. I can tell you're good people and probably not aligned with the evil skeleton guy, but my goal is just to find the rebels who need me. If it's okay, we can travel together just to the port and then I swear I won't drag you guys into the crazy war stuff."

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port - Surfside Cafe
Interactions: @princess@FunnyGuy
Outfit: Click here
Inventory:Kyran’s Lance, Hunting knife, 2 strips of jerky

Kyran had followed behind Valaeon, taking his seat once again. He felt angered by the dragonborn’s words. “You have no right to assume such things when you haven’t dealt with the things going on or even seen what Risa has started. We will succeed. I can assure you that these humans show promise more than anyone in Avalia. If you are truly on our side then you will step in line and bring the change our home needs.” Kyran finished then took a bite of his interrupted meal.

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: The forest, now closer to River Port
Interactions: @Helo@Tae@Potter

Ezeri wasn’t listening to most of the things going on just focusing on herself and random thoughts about this place, until Cade specifically spoke to her, “Well Cade, most devils tend to stay out of the other planes, not usually coming to this place unless for offerings and contracts which are usually more secretive than you would think. Also yeah Melzor can be quite loud and foul-mouthed.” Ezeri giggled and flicked Mel in the back of the head.

Mel turned around looking Ezeri in the eyes. “You’re a fucking bitch and I hope you know that shit.”

Ezeri laughed, enjoying teasing her friend; maybe it was her devilish nature to be devious. “But yeah I did not mean to be here for this long it was only to see what it was like then I ended up getting attacked by a large black beast which when defeated he turned into a young man with orange hair, fuzzy ears and a large orange tail with a white tip. Well I took him to a fairy when we were in a big city to get healed and left to sleep in a cave where I eventually left him in the morning yesterday.

[princess]

Time: Afternoon
Location:Port 10
Interaction: @Alivefalling@FunnyGuy
Outfit:What she's wearing
Inventory:Bag for her belongings(It's along her belt behind her cape and not a backpack). Inside that bag: ama pouch, small water flask, plant seed pouch, small bag of berries, small flowery perfume, small knife, thin nightgown, and Risa has transferred some of her hygienic supplies into small, portable bottles: hair and teeth cleansers, hair softener and armpit fragrance.

Risa knew he was right that the subject was not the best in a public place, but at least he did not seem of ill intent. He told them they could count him as a supporter and even a friend. Then he stated what he stated. Maybe it was a combination of having an awful few days, or the stress of trying not to let her feelings get in her way, but it really ignited something in her. She barely heard what Kyran had said as she thought over his words, "...You support me yet you have so little faith in us so early on without ever knowing our plans." She said slowly as if tasting the words. She shook her head and furrowed her brows, her expression changing completely, as she leaned in and said lowly, for only him to hear, "Failure is not an option when people are suffering and dying under Aklenroth. Once we gather an army to back up and to protect our humans as they slay Aklenroth, we will have a great chance of success and I believe that with all of my being. I am not asking you to have blind faith, of course. However, if you are going to be my supporter, then you cannot go into this situation with no faith either. Running into a battle, expecting to lose, will ensure that you lose. "

Risa leaned back in her chair. Truth be told, she wished there was a peaceful way to handle all this, but she knew in her heart that was childish thinking, which was something she did often and was also something she needed to learn to let go of. Children had no place in a war and she had no place acting like one in her position. Dionaea, Cloud, and Jean-Luc had all died for this. Helio had been turned into a monster of a man. Who knows where her parents even were. Everyone and everything was on the line and that had been sinking in lately more than ever.

Still, perhaps she was being harsh preaching to Valaeon. They had only just met and she did not know him enough to know the intentions of his words. She met Valaeon's gaze once more, "You can feel however you like about all this, but I will not take support of those who do not have faith in this nor motivation to be involved. I want to minimize the amount of death as much as possible and I don't want to see you in danger if you are not willing to be there."

The waiter brought over the potato cakes and some extra vegetables for her soup. She picked up an avocado off the plate and handed it to him, "Don't worry. You have a friend in me no matter what you decide."

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Gadgets and Convenience, River Port
Interactions: @Helo@Potter@FunnyGuy@dreamingflowers


Vaeril laughed and proudly wore the glasses “Thank you, and yes I would love to have some drinks with you two. The items you have are fine.” Vaeril watched around as Darius walked around shopping with some demon. The energy coming from her was not so hard to tell when you had lived as long as he did. Eventually, Darius came and introduced himself as someone named Orland. “Hello, Orland.” He replied and kept things short before turning toward Jordo as well and paid for the items Lucia and the human had picked out, even the glasses that were placed on his head. “I suppose we should head to the next store if you guys are ready.” He told the two he was with.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Surfside Cafe
Interaction: @princess Risa, [@Allivefalling] Kyran

Valaeon found Kyran to be exciting. A real firecracker! Probably not the best spokesman with the whole "step in line" bit, but he was clearly the brawn and spunk of the pair. This was all so exciting, especially since he had been waiting for days. Technically, decades. Despite how jubilated Valaeon felt, he had to keep a serious expression. The dragonborn focused on Risa, anticipating her reply.

He watched the girl react to his words as if she was mentally dissecting the contradiction he presented. Though he did not enjoy testing Risa in this way, it had to be done! As both Risa and Kyran stated, he did not know them, and neither did many others. The brave, seeking, and desperate will flock to her cause, sure, but the cowards, skeptics, and comfortable would challenge them just as he just did, and they were far greater in number. So today he had to challenge Risa Millinia's goal. He had to bring hope back to his militia.

And so, he listened quietly, keeping his expression serious as if he was ready to argue back at a moments notice.

"Quite inspiring from such a young one." He said with a slight smirk as he received the avocado. He couldn't help but let his stone-cold expression falter, he loved inspiring words and he loved avocados even more. "So you don't think you will fail? Good! Hahahahaha! And I was so afraid you might cry! Excellent!" He bellowed as he peeled the avocado using the sharp edge of one of his claws. Once peeled, he held the avocado in his claws before tossing it into his mouth. He chewed oddly before spitting out the large round seed back into his hand. "How many supporters do you have so far? I see one strapping young man here!" Valaeon showed Kyran a toothy grin, his teeth stained with green. "He just needs to smile more. The best fighters are the ones having the most fun, you know?"

[princess]

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interactions:@Helo@Potter
Outfit:Outfit from the Ball
Inventory:Sword that's sheathed, Bow and quiver of arrows. Then: 2 hankerchiefs, liquid body cleanser, wayfinder, toothbrush, travel-size hair and teeth cleansers, small round of rope, small amount of disinfectant and bandaging: all in a fanny pack that's facing behind him, hidden behind his cape.

"He's right they prefer meat. Think they're omnivores and will probably feed it most things you feed it though. You can get it something at the butcher when we get there." Malachi told Belladonna after Valok spoke. He glanced at him. It was a grim question, to ask someone you just met to be the one to burn your body in the event of untimely death. Still, with Valok's background, it was probably a daily concern. "Yeah. We will do that for you if that happens. You won't be dying on my watch."

In order to keep Valok awake, he decided to keep up the conversation,"Were you at the ball, Valok? Where had you come from when we found you?" His eyes slid to the sky as they spoke. The sun still shined down on them through the trees.

He couldn't wait for it to be night again at last.

Caralia 1

Time: 119 years ago
Location: Sun Elf Village
OST: Caralia's Theme

Malachi hadn't noticed the girl in the doorway, her bright eyes fixated on him as he hunched over in the desk, drawing something in his notebook. The classroom was empty in the late afternoon, and he had always taken it upon himself to work on his project. Books of all kinds were scattered around him: on the desks, the floor, and a bag of drawing utensils had fallen on the floor. He hadn't noticed that either.

He had been here every day Caralia could remember. Reading, building, drawing... He was always doing something in this same room. His hair, messy and unkempt, his head completely down as he engrossed himself in his work. His fashion choices left much to be desired. Whenever she had seen him in the hallway, he had walked in such a way that was very telling how unsure of himself he was. Oh and he bumped into things so often! It wouldn't kill him to start paying attention to where he was going.

Still, she found herself leaning in the doorway to check up on him often after classes had ended. She knew his name was Malachi and was the bottom of the food chain when it came to the student population at their learning center. He had always been strange. The other boys all were busy learning combat and studying light magic, but not him. He was in a lot of the science classes that were mostly female in attendance. When he actually spoke to people, which was rare, no one had ever known what he was talking about, ever since their elementary years. He used fancy words and he did not have nearly as much muscle as everyone else. Funnily enough, the reasons everyone disliked him were just the reasons that drew her to him. She smiled to herself, covering her mouth as he adjusted his elbow and knocked another book on the floor.

The book startled him and he practically jumped out of his chair, flustered. Their eyes met in that moment as he finally lifted his head in the action. His face flushed and he stared at her, speechless. The hallways were darkened but her long, wheat-colored hair and bright green eyes were lit up by a nearby lantern. She was tall and had paint splatters covering her apron, which was over her green dress. There were freckles dotting a path from one cheek, over her nose to the other. She was also the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, completely enchanting him.

Caralia lifted a brow, curious as to why he could not even muster a hello. She moved over and began collecting the books on the floor. Picking up the books, she put them in a neat pile on a nearby desk. She spun on her heels to face him and leaned in, sniffing his shirt. He flinched, not expecting she'd invade his space so quickly, “You smell like cinnamon. ”

Malachi did a double-take at her and shook his head, "Oh... Excuse me."He said softly, hesitating before he smiled awkwardly at her. "Thank you."

"Sorry if I disturbed you..."She said and hopped back up from her leaning position, "I'm Caralia. Cute name, right?"

He hung his head back down and continued his work, "Malachi." He didn't know if he could keep looking at her without staring.

It did not seem like he had recognized her. She wasn’t surprised. She had watched him from down the hall as he collected his things and not once did he ever turn her way. Now that she was face to face with him, she found herself enamored by his eyes, but then he hung his head down and her smile faltered. Pouting, she poked his arm. "What are you drawing there, Kai? Hope you don’t mind I call you that. " Leaning over the desk, she curiously watched. It was some peculiar object she had never seen before.

"Umm... I'm designing something I want to build." He told her and asked after a pause, "Were you painting something?"

Caralia's expression lit up, "Oh yes! Come see."She tugged at his arm suddenly, making him look at her in surprise. "Come, come, come!! I have been working on this for a week."

Malachi hesitated before he got to his feet in reaction to her tugging, awkwardly stumbling as he did, "Okay, okay. Please take it easy.." He had wanted to try to get some progress with his work today so he'd have more time for his studies, but he really was no good at declining anyone's requests, having been raised to be a bit overly polite and accommodating.

When she led him out into the hall, she led him around the corner to a huge mural in the works on one of the walls. It was a painting of the night sky and the moons over a dark landscape. She had put her all into making the sky an ombre of purple to blue and spent hours perfecting her stars. It was impressive, to say the least, so Malachi gawked at it for a few moments. "You... did that by yourself? It's... Wow..."

Caralia put her hands on her hips. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it!"She declared, "I don't know what I did to deserve being so talented!" She giggled, holding her own face in amazement. Then she poked his arm again, accusingly this time, "I've been working on it all week you know! How have you not seen it yet?"

"I'm so sorry. I wish I had seen it sooner..."Malachi told her and moved closer to keep examining it. He genuinely seemed engrossed in looking it over.

“I’m so happy you like it.”Caralia smiled, “I just want to add more to it. I know it’s nothing like seeing the real night sky but I want it to feel that way. Some people think it’s a bit of a downer and want me to scrap it and paint a sunny day instead but… There’s something so attractive about the night to me. It raises more questions than the day don’t you think? All those stars… How far are they away are they? Are there more?”

Malachi listened to her speak then cleared his throat after she was finished, glancing her way, “I can tell you how far away each one is, if you like that is, and there’s more than you can even imagine.”

"Oh really!?"Caralia exclaimed and moved over to his side to get in his space again. He leaned back in surprise as she got close to his face, "You swear you will? Swear on your life! I will not tolerate a single lie from you! "

His eyes widened and he took a step back, "Uhh.. Sure? I swear?"

She patted his head, "Good. Tomorrow, we'll open up your space book and you'll teach me." With a smile, she stepped back. "And you'll have to tell me about what you're building. Are you some kind of an inventor?"

"Okay... No problem."Malachi replied to her demand and then turned his head to her painting, "My mother is an inventor. She taught me everything I know. I'd like to be as good as her one day... She's really wonderful."

Caralia stared at her painting and nodded, but made no further comment.

He glanced at her, "You alright?" She hadn't seemed like someone who would stop talking to even breathe, so it was startling to hear her fall silent.

She shook her head and looked at him, smiling, "She sounds very nice, but I really should go home now but… You know where to find me.”

Caralia gave him a wink and watched his cheeks grow red again. She bit back a grin and turned on her heels to run to the doors. Once outside, she threw her arms up in the air, jumping up energetically as she whisper-yelled, “She wins again! ”

Malachi watched her depart and scratched his head. He moved back into the classroom, not expecting to see her again.

But he did, every day from then on. Every day she’d barge into the room and say all kinds of things that made Malachi wonder if she ever thought before speaking. She said whatever crossed her mind and did not seem to care who heard it. She was completely childish, jumping up on his desk at times and yelling things out, singing randomly. Everything she did was so contrasting to the other elves he had known.

She was ethereal in every way.

Once he had seen her once, he couldn't unsee her. Anytime she was in the hall, he'd spot her from the corner of his eye and glance over. She had more friends than people Malachi had ever spoken to in his life. She was loud and carried most conversations, each and every word she spoke traveling down the hallway to him.

Unfortunately, she didn't exactly ignore Malachi, waving and calling to him in front of everyone as they stared in confusion. “Kai! Smile for me!” She’d call to him unceremoniously and do that same giggle she always did.

He had always been a bit of a recluse, and he hadn’t minded it. Malachi just had so many things he wanted to do and so many things he wanted to learn. Besides, having his family had always seemed enough for him.

Yet it felt as if he'd been lonely the whole time without realizing it.

[Potter]

Lucia

Time: Afternoon
Location: Gadgets and Conveniences
Interaction: @Helo Leon, @AliveFalling Vaeril, @dreamingflowers Nur, @Funnyguy Darius

Lucia made a silly face in reply to Leon and stuck her tongue out at him playfully. The female she had spoken to was greeting her and she felt a wave of joy wash over her. To her surprise, she even came up to Lucia while letting her know she liked her style. Though Lucia might have not come off as the smartest, it was quite easy to catch on to what Nur’s body language insinuated what the compliment really meant. Lucy grinned sheepishly, though there was a knowing gleam in her eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder with a smirk. ”Well. It’s not a frequent style of mine. Usually I’m spoiling others, like my great friend here! I think everyone deserves a nice treat once in a while, don’t cha think? Well anyways. My name’s Lucia! What are your names?”

She eyed Leon and purposely allowed him to introduce himself instead, in case she called him by the wrong name. Her smile was kind and genuine, yet her eyes were holding a caution to them. If he could read her mind, she would be telling him to be cautious and play it cool. This woman, although she didn’t judge, was a demon and not an ordinary one either. She was going to keep a close eye on Leon.

She handed her items to Jordo to get paid for by Vaeril while they were talking. She made a quick mental note to thank him later and help pay for drinks. Maybe she would even hug him if he let her. She turned her attention to the elf who spoke of leaving for the next store. However, she felt rude just leaving this sweet girl mid-conversation along with her male companion, Orland.

”Oh yes! Let’s go check out Odds and Ends maybe. Would you and your friend like to join us, sweetie?” Lucy waited for a reply and shrugged the back off for a moment. Next, she adjusted the sling over her shoulder containing her staff. It briefly poked out and she sighed as she pushed it back in. No way would she lose it! Lucy then pulled the backpack on and grimaced momentarily. It was heavy but she wanted to train to become stronger for the rebellion and refused to complain. They couldn’t have a small fry on their team now could they? ”And we met Vaeril over at the Surfside café, who is such a nice man. Do you know one another?” She eyed Orland and studied him. Red eyes. Her gaze shifted to Leon as she tapped her temples, a mental note of saying: Play it cool but be cautious.

While Lucy appeared calm and bubbly on the outside, on the inside, her mind was racing. Nobody did such nice gestures for others without something in return. Whatever the price may be, she was going to make sure no harm came to Leon and would go down fighting for it if she had too.

---

Belladonna

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interaction: @princess Malachi & @helo Valok

Malachi and Valok both had answered that the owlbear preferred meat. Pricey little thing, she thought and glanced down at it. However it would be the least she could do for the orphan. It was their fault unfortunately. Belle sighed and scratched its head gently, which made the owlbear hug her tightly. She rubbed its back and looked at the Elves. What said next made her eyes widen in surprise.

Belle stared at Valok, tilting her head to one side with wide eyes. That request had been surprising for her. She could count on one hand the amount of times she’d heard it. Belle reminded herself of the past he spoke of and quickly became neutral. Inside her head, she could hear Gaia talking to her prior to her betrayal…

”If I had to choose between getting caught or dying, I’d choose to go down fighting. Ain't nothin’ death can do worse than snitchin. Do you know what happens to rats, Little Blue?” Belle zoned out as the memory replayed in her mind. As if she’d been stabbed, her breathing became sharp and she fought to stay present. She looked frozen, as if she’d been drenched with ice. "Blue! It’s your fault! You dumbass! Who do you think you're thinking you can just walk out on us and living normally after this? It’s a lifetime Belle it ain’t a pastime. The fuck you think we made you a leader for? You’re gonna be ar at! We told you we’d kill you if you left! Remember what happens to snitches, Blue!”

Belle’s expression fell as pain filled her eyes. She abruptly started to move forward without a word which allowed Malachi to respond. Belle moved Valok off of her gently and to Malachi fully so she could focus on the owlbear and herself. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her gaze.

”You're a rat, Blue! I hope you rot in hell!”

Tell the devil I said hello, bitch. Belle adjusted her grip on the owlbear and continued forward relentlessly.

[Helo]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port-Gadgets and Conveniences
Interactions: Lucia@Potter, Vaeril@Alivefalling, Nur@dreamingflowers, Orland@Funnyguy

“We met Vaeril during lunch and he offered to take us shopping. How could we say no to the coolest elf in town.” Leon said to the red-eyed elf that introduced himself as Orland Legolas. Legolas, a name he was now thankful he hadn’t given as his own, seeing as how another elf here had it already. Who would’ve thought that the most famous fictional elf on Earth was an actual elf’s name here in Avalia? Then he wondered if Tolkien had actually been to Avalia, that’d be pretty cool, maybe Lucia would know the answer to that one. Then he remembered that he should also introduce himself.

“Nice to meet you, Orland, I’m Frodo.” He added after Lucia had introduced herself as well. As annoying as it was to continue with his poorly chosen fake name, Vaeril would definitely notice if he changed it now. Nope, he was probably stuck being called Frodo for the rest of their time in the river port. Best to just get used to it.

“Whoa that’s a cool instrument you got there, know any good songs?” Leon asked Orland as he looked at the weird guitar the guy was attaching a leather strap to. He wasn’t paying much attention to Lucia as she attempted to signal something to him, he was was much more interested in hearing if the others were coming with them and excited to see if Orland would play them a song. Currently the ‘I’m Blue’ song was playing in a never-ending loop in his head when he wasn’t distracted by random things for sale in Avalia. Right about now he’d more than welcome hearing any other song.

“Thanks Vaeril, hey say cheese.” He added as the elf paid for the things they had picked out. He snapped a quick picture of the guy while he still had the sunglasses on, managing to catch the grumpy cat man in the background as well.

“I guess Odds and Ends it is, looking for anything particular Lucy?” He asked turning to Lucia once he’d gotten a quick snap of the memory of his first big shopping trip in Avalia. The memory glass was perfect, he’d look like just another elf on vacation in a seaside town, a perfect cover for why he was so enthusiastic about everything. He would be Frodo the wacky elven tourist, and that sounded like a fun cover to play.

---

Time: Afternoon
Location: Forests north of Roshmi City
Interactions: Malachi@princess, Belle@Potter

“The Roshmi Grand Ball? No, I am not meant for such important events. The guards there, they are there as a reward, for service and loyalty, most are of higher birth status. Not like me. I was trained for battle, to be sent out to squash rebellions, hunt down fugitives or traitors, for assignments where they needed expendable soldiers.” Valok spoke with a detached tone, as he had accepted he was expendable long ago. In the grand scheme of things his life mattered little, he was raised to serve a purpose, his life and eventual death were for the betterment of his people.

“But I was in Roshmi City, there was a message played of a fairy speaking about the rebellion. It was not the message I had expected to hear, and I liked what she said. It sounded,” Valok paused for a second as he tried to think of the right word for it.

“Hopeful.” He continued. That seemed like the best word for it, though it was a word he knew, it wasn’t something he had ever really felt before. There had never been the hope of improving his status in life, or of having any control over it, only the acceptance that he would die in the life he was born into. The concept that he could choose something different from what fate had laid out before him, was so new and alien to him. It was still hard to accept, that he could decide the path he took. He could still make life better for dark elves, and he might even be able to do that without becoming something cruel.

“Before that, I helped hunt humans, in Chesm. It was my first real assignment outside of Daka. There, my commanders tortured a human and anyone who helped them. At first for information, and then for fun, for spectacle. It was horrific.” Valok shuddered at the memory of it. The mere thought of Chesm sent chills, made him feel sick. Even though he had only played a small part in it, standing guard to keep the crowds from intervening, he had been a part of it.

“I didn’t want to become that. I was afraid that I would. So I left, I wandered, south, until I heard the message in Roshmi. This seemed a better path, I have to fight for something, that is all I am, all I know how to do. I trust you, Malachi, as a leader. You are an honorable man. And you saved my life, I will follow your command.” Valok saw no reason to hide things. His attention turned from Malachi to Belladonna, who had a familiar look across her face. There were a great many things that Valok did not understand, but what he did understand were pain and sorrow. He saw that in Belladonna’s eyes, and he watched as she fiddled with the owlbear. He wondered if she was pained from a physical injury from the fight, or if its source was something deeper.

“The owlbear is not injured, it is not necessary for you to carry it. If you plan to train it for battle, coddling will not make it strong. You should think of a strong name for it, something that will strike fear in your enemy’s hearts when it follows you into battle.” Valok said, attempting a smile that resembled more of a wince than anything. This was a lot of talking, it was really only making him more tired than simply walking, and he wondered how far they were from their destination. Belladonna had also used a significate amount of magic, he could only assume that she must be tired as well. He thought thinking of a name for the owlbear might take her mind off whatever seemed to trouble her.

[princess]

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interactions:@Helo@Potter
Outfit:Outfit from the Ball
Inventory:Sword that's sheathed, Bow and quiver of arrows. Then: 2 hankerchiefs, liquid body cleanser, wayfinder, toothbrush, travel-size hair and teeth cleansers, small round of rope, small amount of disinfectant and bandaging: all in a fanny pack that's facing behind him, hidden behind his cape.

Valok spoke of himself as if he was just a pawn on a boardgame. Dark elves truly had reached a new level of terrible when they raised their own youth to feel like their lives were not even important. It made him sick to think that they could treat their innocent youth that way. He, however, kept his comments to himself and let Valok speak his truth as he told them how he had heard Risa. Risa was young too, perhaps younger than Valok. She had given him hope just as she had done for many he was certain, but he wasn't sure putting the burden of the rebellion on a fairy child was the answer. Her youthful honesty and passion were, of course, contagious, but in the end, she would need the wisdom and experience of those older than her.

The dark elf continued to answer his questions, telling them that before the ball, his mission had been to hunt humans. He was silent as he expressed his trust back to Malachi, calling him honorable. He wasn't sure if he'd describe himself that way but still, he smiled faintly. It melted a little as he expressed his thoughts, the smile not quite reaching his eyes, "When I lost my little boy and my darling wife, I was... empty for a long time. I no longer had purpose. I found myself wondering if there was no one in the world who cared for me, did I even exist? I too felt the way you do now, that I had to fight. I had to throw myself into battle or else I'd be a waste. Even though it took a long time, I think I may be important to someone once again."

He glanced at Valok directly, "One day you will no longer feel this way and you too can be important to someone. You will find better purpose and deserve that. Even the snow someday melts and the flowers shall then bloom. "

Once he had finished speaking, he noticed Valok's gaze had moved to Belladonna, who was letting go of him. Her eyes lamented a song of pain as she made haste moving ahead of them. They seemed to be a trio of melancholy. He decided to ask her a question that been on his mind for some time now, "Belladonna, are you alright? Do you have companions awaiting you?"

Caralia 2

Time: 119 years ago
Location: Sun Elf Village
OST: Caralia's Theme

“Ever had a sand berry?”

Malachi looked up to see Caralia hovering above him after class yet again but this time with a basket of berries. It had been like this for the last few months now. She always appeared at some point with a kind smile and sweet words.

“You can only get them in the desert.”She gently took his hand and unraveled his fingers, before placing a few berries in his hand. “My friend brought them back so I brought you some.”

The berries were tiny and red, rolling into the palm of his hand. He glanced down at them curiously before looking up at her, “Caralia-”

“You should call me Lia “She interrupted and plopped herself in a nearby seat. Resting her elbows on his table, she looked at him to continue.

Malachi nodded and said, “Okay… Lia, What made you want to talk to me exactly if I may ask?” His gaze fell as he spoke, tapping his finger nervously against the desk. He had often wondered if this was some sort of cruel prank, to make him think she was interested and then make a fool out of him. He was no stranger to that sort of thing. Elves were certainly not known for their kind and understanding nature. Many had a superiority complex over those they deemed inferior or to those that did not conform to tradition.

She put a finger under his chin to lift his head, then moved her hand over his and squeezed it. Her eyes had a twinkle in them as she met his, “You’re like a star, Malachi. You shine so bright yet it's like everyone is blind! I’ve always seen you. How kind and gentle you are when spoken to, how wise you are beyond your years, yet no one has ever really taken the time to get to know you… so I wanted to. You were my mystery to uncover and I'm so glad I did. You're more than I could have hoped for.” She spoke passionately, without hesitation and without shame.

Malachi could only sit there, finding himself rendered speechless yet again. For a moment, he had to wonder if she was real, or something he had dreamt up. No one just said things like that, especially about him. "Is she an angel?" He thought in his head, or so he thought he did.

“I sure am. I’m kinda pretty so I think I could be an angel.” Caralia smiled proudly, “Now if only I had wings!” She batted her eyelashes as she imagined herself like a pretty demihuman girl with big, white wings.

Malachi’s eyes widened,“Huh! Do you mind read!?”He asked with panic, his face going red.

She giggled and bopped his nose, “No, you asked if I were an angel out loud, silly goose. And I would be doing a disservice to myself to disagree! “

“Oh… I guess you’re right.”He said and finally put the berries in his mouth. “Mmm.” They were sweet, but had a spicy aftertaste, popping satisfyingly in his mouth as he chewed.

“Yup! Just like cinnamon! Sweet like you. I’m gonna make you a cake with them.” Caralia declared. She then took his hands in hers, "Teach me about the stars some more while you build."

"Well. I can teach you something that's not in that book... Did you know that they're good listeners? If you ask them questions, sometimes you get back an answer." Malachi told her before he continued to build.

Caralia's expression brightened at that. "Yes, yes, my mother used to say that too. She'd say that if you ever wanted to know something, you look to the stars and if you ask nicely enough, Lunathea might let a fallen loved one answer you." After she said that, the conversation dwindled down to her only speaking up to ask him why he was doing one thing or another.

After about an hour, he started to put his books in his bag. He turned to her, then gently, he took her hand and smiled at her, "Would you like to go see them tonight with me?"

Her smile stretched across her whole face and she threw her arms around him in sheer joy, squishing him in the process as she tightly embraced him.

"Oh-Lia-I have to breathe-"He gasped out, stumbling under her grasp.

She let go abruptly, giggling, "Guess you do! Weird huh!?"

[Alivefalling]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port - Surfside Cafe
Interactions: @princess@FunnyGuy
Outfit: Click here
Inventory:Kyran’s Lance, Hunting knife, 2 strips of jerky

Kyran listened to Risa speak with both pride and sadness. She had changed so much from the sweet, bubbly fairy he grew up with. She was more mature and strong, but he wished she had not had to grow up so fast. Valaeon reacted positively to her words and dropped the cold act. It seemed he had been testing them. ”We have a good handful at the least. Risa spoke to all of Roshmi. There should be many rebels coming tomorrow to the meeting hall where we shall speak to them and make plans to expand our message to all Avalia and grow an army. We already have a way to send the message out through the town here.”

He then made a tch noise at his last comment, ”I do smile. Just been a rough week for us.”

[princess]

Time: Afternoon
Location:Port 10
Interaction: @Alivefalling@FunnyGuy
Outfit:What she's wearing
Inventory:Bag for her belongings(It's along her belt behind her cape and not a backpack). Inside that bag: ama pouch, small water flask, plant seed pouch, small bag of berries, small flowery perfume, small knife, thin nightgown, and Risa has transferred some of her hygienic supplies into small, portable bottles: hair and teeth cleansers, hair softener and armpit fragrance.

Risa tilted her head, puzzled by his response. He had just wanted to know what she thought. Thinking back, he had mentioned he was from a militia. She considered things for a moment as Kyran spoke but the puzzle pieces soon fit into place. "Yes. We have some coming tomorrow."She watched the nearby couple depart as she spoke. They were now the only three guests dining outdoors. There was no one nearby to hear them. "So I suppose you heard about what was happening and me, and came to see if it worth getting yourself and your militia involved. If that's the case, then I think tomorrow's meeting will hopefully help you make up your mind. If I'm correct, can you please give us some more details now that it's just us three? Then if you like, I can fill you in on what's happened on our side." She then put her effort into putting a dent in her food as she allowed time for Valaeon to respond.

[Alivefalling]

Torvi, Ayita, and Caelan

Raemiala? Dungeons & Dragons? Dungeon master? Did this guy think this was a fairytale? A game maybe? Torvi wasn’t sure, but she didn’t stop him as he went on. She watched as he pulled something out from his pocket and lit it with the flick of his fingers. ”Well at least we know now for sure that he’s human.” She said as she looked at Ayita with a small laugh and visibly relaxed a bit. This guy seemed less and less of a threat as he continued to talk.

Despite Caelan being rather talkative and appearing to not have any intention of hiding any information, Ayita still couldn't understand a word he was saying, to the point that there were entire sentences she didn't understand or didn't make sense for her. Still, he seemed to be very relaxed, as he lit something he got from his pocket, before putting it on his mouth, only to get bewildered when he finally realized that he used fire magic from the tip of his finger without even realizing it. By now, it was obvious that the guy was not only harmless, but incredibly clueless to what was happening in Avalia.

Judging by Torvi's reaction, Ayita wasn't the only one confused about the things Caelan said. Such things made Ayita think. It was the second time she had felt something similar upon meeting another human. The first one was Darius and now, Caelan. Sure, they might be of the same 'race', but it was almost as if they came from different worlds. Torvi was, at least until now, the one Ayita herself could relate the most among the humans she had met. Not only because she had fought side by side with her but because she could feel that Torvi was, just like she was, a warrior and held similar values to her own.

"He is a human, but... It is strange." she said, looking again at Caelan, his strange clothes and the strange things he said.

"You will quickly get used to it, by the way. For some reason, magic is not only something natural to humans here in Avalia but we can use it almost... instinctively." she said, looking to Caelan, referring to how he used fire magic without even realizing it.

"Just try to keep it under control." she said a bit more seriously before turning towards Torvi again.

"It is the second time I feel like this after meeting another human. Confused... It is almost as if we came from... completely different places." she continued.

"Darius, the first human I met, was also like Caelan. He spoke of strange places, said strange things just like Caelan did. He didn't seem to know my tribe nor any of the other tribes from where I came... The very way he thinks made it obvious we came from two completely different places. So far, you're the one I understand the most, Torvi." Ayita said, looking at Torvi with a smile, something rather rare until she came to Avalia.

"Still... Someone needs to tell him what is currently happening in Avalia. Regardless of who we were or where we came from, we left our own conflicts behind when we were transported. Here, we are all on the same side... Or at least we were supposed to be." she finished with a serious expression as she remembered the conversation she had with Darius.

”Yeah, I will keep it under control and all blah blah blah... but seriously what is going on?”Caelan asked as he was sitting there, smoking his joint.”Are you girls human? From Earth? From Avalia or whatever? ” He stood up in the cart and went to the back to look out and out of curiosity pointed a finger gun to the sky. “Bang!” He said as a small fire bolt shot from the tip before dispersing, Calean then turned to them and blew the tiny flame out on the tip of his finger. ”You guys see that shit?” He asked excitedly, putting the joint in his mouth again, ”Also you guys want some of this OG kush? It’s dank as fuck.”

Torvi watched Caelan out the corner from her eye as Ayita spoke, nodding as she understood the feeling. She’d had the same feeling with Belle, however she had a bit more insight on the subject. ”Yes I understand what you mean, I had a similar feeling with my friend Belle and I know why. Apparently all of us humans aren’t from the same time, my friend Belle is from my future and I suspect Caelan here is as well.” She explained as she turned back to the man.

”Yes we are from Earth and we’re human too. I am an Ostmen, but my friend calls me a Viking. We were pulled to another world and we have magic here. You apparently control fire, I can control the earth.” She called three small rocks to come to her and spun them around above her hand. He then offered them some of what he was smoking and Torvi laughed a little at how all over the place he seemed. ”I don’t know what ‘kush’ is, but sure I’ll try some.” She said with a shrug and held out her hand.

"If you end up burning someone or something you weren't supposed to burn, I'm going to deal with you myself." Ayita said, looking to Caelan in what was almost a hiss as he shot a firebolt out of his finger, excitedly.

"What is this by the way? The smell is strong and the smoke makes me feel... strange." she said, coughing and waving her hand, using wind magic to disperse the smoke a bit before changing the place she was sitting so the wind wouldn't just blow everything on her face. It was beyond just being annoying though. The smoke was making her feel a bit lightheaded too.

Still, the moment Torvi began speaking, Ayita stopped completely, paying attention to the words she was saying. While strange and normally quite absurd, since they were dealing with things like magic, being transported to another world & etc. Ayita didn't find Torvi's words as difficult to believe as she would otherwise. In fact... it would explain quite a lot.

"Different... times?" she said, thinking about Torvi's words.

"From the future... That would indeed explain quite a lot... It would also raise even more questions though..." she said, her mind going wild with different theories and thoughts.

Ayita heard as Torvi introduced herself, a warrior from the Ostmen clan. She did mention how her friend from the future called her by a different name though, 'Viking'.

"I am Ayita, from the Ani’-Wa’Ya clan. My people call themselves the Aniyunwiya. I don't know if there is a different name for my clan or my people in the future though." she said in a brief introduction.

"Differently from Torvi, I can control the wind, as you saw me doing to disperse this strange smoke just ago." she explained.

Just as she finished though, she saw Torvi accepting Caelan's offer to smoke what he was smoking. Although it did seem to be quite harmless, as Caelan was smoking it without problems, Ayita herself still felt a bit strange inhaling that smoke, even if it was for just a brief moment.

"Torvi, you should go easy on whatever is that Caelan is smoking... I inhaled only a small bit of smoke and it already made me feel lightheaded." she warned her.

Caelan was intrigued to hear they were also from Earth, and that she was a viking. That was pretty sick. He was impressed as Torvi made some rocks levitate above her hand, spinning. To make her even cooler, she accepted the weed offer. He handed the joint over to Torvi then the other woman started speaking and introduced herself as Ayita who he could tell she was an old native American.

“Nice to meet you, Ayita. Don’t worry, it is just what I use to let go of things so life isn’t as hard, it’s not as bad as tobacco on your body. It will have no bad effect on you.” Ayita had dispersed some of the smoke, controlling the wind. He guessed they all had powers then. ”I wouldn’t be so harsh either I purposely shot the flame into the air as to not ignite anything.”

He sat back down in the cart and decided to just relax and take in everything that was going on. “If you have any questions about me, feel free to ask. I will answer everything I can.” Caelan told them while he sat there.

Torvi nodded in acknowledgment to Ayita’s warning as she inhaled the smoke. She didn’t entirely feel anything at first, but after a few moments she felt a bit more relaxed. ”Oh this is a similar feeling to when I would visit the Oracle at home and she was peering into the future. Do you see the future too when you use this stuff? Some of us also ingest the substance before battle to make us fearless, stronger, and frighten the others, would this do the same thing if we ate it?” She questioned Caelan, perhaps not the questions he was expecting. If they were to eventually go into battle, however, she’d like to have something similar to what she once used.

Ayita sighed, nodding as she heard Caelan saying he would be careful with his fire and began saying a bit more about the smoke and the thing he, and now Torvi, were smoking.. He didn't seem to be that irresponsible, despite being a bit of an airhead and rather too relaxed despite everything that was happening.

"Yeah, I-I'm sorry. I just don't have many... good memories with fire. I know very well what it's capable of doing." she replied to Caelan, feeling a little guilty of being so harsh with him a moment ago.

"Even if it doesn't have a bad effect on the body, I would prefer having a clear head in case something happens. Besides, I was never really a fan of the herbs and plants smoked back in my tribe. This one might be a bit different, but the smell is equally strong." she said, giving a small and discreet smile as she remembered the elders and other men smoking and talking among themselves back before the war against the white men started.

Torvi seemed to be a bit more welcoming to that stuff he was smoking than Ayita was though, mentioning how it was similar to the feeling she had when going to oracles on her home, who used the smoke to see the future and even some warriors ingesting substances to feel stronger before going to battle.

"Seeing how we are in the mood for questions..." she said, turning to Caelan.

"Do you have a name for my people in the future? Just in case I meet anyone else from the future as well..." she asked, looking to Caelan with a curious expression.

“Uhhh... seeing the future not so much, it can give you a good vibe for ideas and such depending on the type there are actually hundreds of different types of this plant all varying in effects.”Caelan said with a smile to Torvi. He then listened as Ayita spoke, apologizing and explaining her dislike for fire. She seemed cool. “It’s okay. I understand. To each their own if you are not fond of it, I can just smoke it while away from you.” He replied to Ayita, “Your people in the future are called native Americans. I actually had a friend who was one back home.”

He sat for a moment in thought before looking at Torvi. “I read books about vikings taking mushrooms and other substances before battle they called them berserkers. That must be what you are talking about, I never thought I would get to meet a viking myself.”

[Potter]

Belladonna

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interaction: @princess Malachi & @helo Valok

Belladonna considered Valok’s statement to give it a strong name as his words pulled her out of her head finally. She had flashbacking during most of their conversation. She was at a loss for a moment, before she finally stated, ”Okay. I’ll name it Avenger.” She had been a big Marvel fan and of Iron Man specifically, but she knew naming it Iron Man would raise a few eyebrows. Superheroes had always been idols for her. After having no strong parental figures in her childhood, she always yearned for a protector or to be strong enough like them. She had enjoyed sneaking into theatres to watch the movies. Even more enjoyable was the free food Gaia had provided for them.

Malachi’s voice made her look over her shoulder. Belle turned to face him and hadn’t realized she’d been expressing her pain visibly. ”Peachy,” she replied and looked at the owlbear. She tried to set it down but it whined. She sighed and gently moved it beside her. The owlbear clawed at her and raised its arms, but Belle ignored it and beckoned it to walk with her. The owlbear huffed and began to walk alongside her. ”I have some friends I made in Roshmi. I’m hoping to reunite with them. I can describe them to you when we get there I suppose.” Belle attempted a smile, though it never reached her eyes.
”Thank you.”

She glanced down at Avenger and watched him waddle. She managed to snicker and ruffled his head like Gaia had done to her. Avenger looked up at her and pecked her hand gently to show affection. You’re definitely not going to be used in war, little Avenger. You’re going to have a long, happy life from now on.

---

Belle’s Flashback

Belle sat in her classroom quietly drawing on a piece of paper. Her eyes were glued to it. If there had been a bomb, the girl wouldn’t have flinched. She bit her lip in concentration. How did people make flowers look nice? She didn’t understand. What was the point of drawing something she could see outside? Why couldn’t she draw something else? Her mind wandered to the fantasy tales she’d heard in English class. They had been reading a fantasy novel, depicted with warriors and demons. She had been fascinated by it and had gone to the library to find the other books in the series. Though Belle drew the damn flowers outside, she found it boring and her mind wandered, no longer caring for the stupid rules in this dumb art class. She hadn’t seen the teacher, Ms. Booker, step out briefly.

While her classmates learned how to draw stupid plants and faces, she was learning how to shoot, steal, and the art of martial arts. Gaia, the ever kind leader who took her in and Belle’s savior, had started teaching her something called “parkour.” Belle hadn’t understood what it meant, being four years younger than the crowd, but had become determined to learn it anyways.

”It'll help you evade the bad guys, Blue. Can't let them get cuties like you can we?” The tall-haired brunette with vivid brown eyes had ruffled her hair and walked away. Belle had giggled in agreement. ”Do well and blend into school, Blue, and I promise you, you’ll go far. A bright mind like yours can’t go to waste. We need smarties like you. And think of it, you could afford to keep the dog you love huh? We could make it a member of our group! Our mascot if you will.”

Belle grinned at herself and hadn’t noticed she zoned out; not when Tommy, the annoying class clown, took her paper. Belle gasped when she hit air and turned to see him running away with it.

”Loook what I found!” Tommy yelled obnoxiously, waving around her drawing. It featured a dog and vague stick figures with the names Gaia, Embry, Louise, and Samuel - all the leaders of the Hunters. There were little hearts around Embry’s name. How could someone not like the dark hair and blue eye mix? Her eyes widened and she ran after him.

”Hey! That’s mine - give it back!” Belle angrily chased him as the kids began laughing. A few of them passed around her paper, having been taller than her. Her expression was wild with anger as she watched helplessly. Tears filled her eyes.

”Who are these people, Belle? Are they your imaginary friends? And Embry your crush? What kind of name is that! Tommy taunted as his friends, Billy and Jean looked over. They began laughing. ”I bet these are her imaginary friends she talks to when she goes home and cries herself to sleep.”

”Yeah! Probably imaginary. Don’t tell me these are real people, Bell, no way someone’s your friend.” Billy taunted as he continued to hold it out of her grasp. Belle kept jumping for it and her frustration was becoming palpable. Finally, Belle lost her temper and kicked him in the shin and punched Tommy in the face. Both of the boys cried out while Jean jumped away with shock. Ms. Booker walked in and stared with shock and indignation at the scene.

”BELLE! She yelled as she came over. Belle hastily took the piece of paper and shoved it into her pocket. She was red in the face from anger and humiliation. ”Say you’re sorry to the boys. You keep acting out and it’s becoming troublesome to have you in class.”

Belle glared at her and put her hands on her hips. ”Why should I lie?” She snapped as she pointed at them. ”They keep bullying me and nobody will do anything about it. So I’m not sorry.”

The class was watching with fascination as the scene had played out. A few ‘’ooos’ were made which made her grin inside. The teacher glared, reddening with anger. Belle glared right back and held her ground like Gaia had taught her to do. ”Stand up for yourself Blue, or nobody else will, ya hear me kiddo?”

Then the unexpected happened: the teacher slapped her.

Belle had fallen back a little from the impact and shock. As she processed what occurred, tears filled her eyes. The bullies roared with laughter as the teacher smeared, ”Don’t make me discipline you again, Belle, or Mr. Burns will have to talk to your mom again. Didn’t go well last time did it? Now go sit down and don’t make any more fuss.” She sat back down at her desk while Belle stood there, frozen.

Had that really happened? Weren’t teachers supposed to protect her from the bullies? The kids settled down and began to continue drawing. The trio of bullies were sitting together and snickering. Belle hadn’t moved. Kids kept peering at her and whispering, but none of them came to aid her. The teacher had tried to ignore her, but finally couldn’t do it anymore. She glared at her. ”I told you to sit down, Belle.” Her voice was exasperated and cold.

Belle glared at her and contemplated her choices. Sit down and let the bullies win, tell Gaia later; or, face a possible discipline from the principal and get kicked out. This meant she wouldn’t have any more regular meals; breakfast and lunch were often missed. Warmth; although the school was a shitshow, it had heat. Her studio apartment didn’t, and she was tired of sitting with other residents, sometimes overly friendly ones with heat in their apartments. She wasn’t sure how the cockroaches managed it either. With tears in her eyes she sat back down and didn’t look back up. She tried to ignore the stares and giggles from the other students.

Her mind kept racing over the incident throughout the school day. She hadn’t spoken a word after that and had sat by herself at lunch as usual. She couldn’t wait to go home and leave this dump of a school.

[dreamingflowers]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Convenience store, River Port
Interactions: @Funnyguy Darius @Potter Lucia @Alivefalling Vaeril @Helo Leon
Ambiance: River port

Nur rolled her eyes when Darius introduced himself with that terrible fake name, she supressed the urge to smirk. She would play along, it could be their little secret. Also it would come in handy, if she ever needed to blackmail him into doing something for her. With her powers acting strange, she had to lower herself to tricks such as this. How the mighty had fallen. Nur took in the conversation between Lucia and the men with her. Their names were Vaeril, and Frodo. Vaeril was the one paying for everything they were buying, so naturally her attention was drawn to him first. He offered to take two random strangers to go shopping? Did men like that still exist?
He seemed pretty ordinary, just a well dressed elf, probably a bit older, to have acquired that much wealth.

Frodo was snapping pictures of him. His bright green hair made her smile. He was snapping pictures of a bunch of things. It was probably his first time venturing out of whatever backwater town he came from. They were also apparently going to get some drinks. Nur decided she liked these people, at least enough to spend her afternoon with. She had barely gotten a sip from her Riverfruit slush earlier, and she could go for a few drinks. The shopping trip had left her parched.

"I'm Nur, it's great to meet you three"

"If we're going to get some drinks, I'm in!"

They were going to Odds & Ends first. Nur didn't mind, even though they already went there. She could just browse some more. Lucia asked if they knew Vaeril. That was weird, why ask random strangers if they knew another stranger? Darius did know him though. So either they were traveling together, or they just happened to meet here. She raised a brow, and looked from Darius to Vaeril. Nur shrugged, both of them seemed to be wealthy and that was really the only thing that mattered to her at the moment. She turned to wink at Darius, letting him know she was all good to go shopping again. Instead of walking back to him however, she sauntered over to Frodo, snaking her arm around his.

"Your hair matches my dress, so we have to walk together" Nur turned to Frodo, with a cheeky smile on her full lips. Up close she noticed he also looked kind of odd. Not like a typical elf, kind of the way Darius didn't resemble one. Interesting....

[hide on mana]

Time: Night - > Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Slums
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Baraian@Dezuel, Torvi @Tae, & Caelan Knight @Alivefalling
BGM: Escape into the Overworld

Inventory

Wallet: 65 Amas
Bank: 3,500

Gear

• Formal Wear
• Wakizashi
• Two razor-sharp metal fans [Only one on him at the moment]
• Throwing Knives [At home]
• Rope Darts [At home]
• Climbing Claws [At home]

Items

• Drystone (For sharpening weapons) [At home]
• Gourd of water
• Steel wire
• Caltrops [At home]
• Smoke Bombs [At home]
• Large Red Potions (x3) [At home]
• Medium Red Potions (x3) [At home]
• Magic Resistance Potions (x2) [Black]
• Antidote/Medicine (x1) [Green]

---

As Kuroi slept peacefully through the conversations, his relaxing slumber soon turned one into agony. Not again was he to suffer some awful stench that made him lose all sense of his head. The fox slowly sat up and glared over at Caelan, furrowing his brow as he took the blunt his hand and threw it over the cart onto the dirt path. At this moment, his ears and tail went stiff, and his eyes locked with the human who had dared created such an awful stench with the blunt he was smoking. After a solid minute of death staring the lad, Kuroi slowly looked over at his companions. "...Apologies for my absence...I needed to recover after such an ungodly experience. I feel a lot better now, at least."

The vulpine let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms outwards as his expression softened. His tail began to sway around once again, indicating how happy he was to have had actual rest. "What's the plan, companions?" asked the vulpine, a smile on his face as his tail kept swaying in front of Caelan, practically forgetting about his existence.

Stench still emanated from him and everyone else's clothes but it was nothing as horrendous as being in the sewers. The smell would take a while to get off his (and everyone else's) clothes but their journey overall had been a necessary evil. He couldn't shake a few things from his head though. Who was the image of the woman their assailant created to shake them? How exactly had he found them? What importance did that woman hold to his companions? And what exactly would happen after arriving at their destination? It was far too long to back out now, especially with a bounty on one's head. He decided to stay silent and continued to listen to the ongoing conversation, merely absorbing everything that was being said.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Afternoon Day 2
Location: Gadgets and Convenience Shop, River Port
Interaction: @Dreamingflowers Nur, [@Allivefalling] Vaeril, @Helo Leon, @Potter Lucia

Upon hearing how the duo was acquainted with Vaeril, Darius raised an eyebrow. He was surprised at how charitable Vaeril had been, but also found it strange... at least at first.

Weird…

You would be wise not to doubt him!

Malgormuun snapped yet he himself was perplexed by Aklenroth's current actions. What scheme could be worth lowering oneself to such a degree? That was something Malgormuun could not understand just yet. In the meantime, he would watch events play out and keep Darius on course… The latter proved to be a bit difficult recently.

"Wow… Vaeril are you really attempting to make friends for once." He teased just before the green-haired elf introduced himself

“Nice to meet you, Orland, I’m Frodo"

"Wait what?! Frodo?" Darius gave Leon a long flabbergasted stare, completely distracted from the following comments about his instrument. He thought he had been a bit on the nose by naming himself after an elf from Tolkien's lore, but what were the chances? What were the chances he would run into someone named Frodo? Then it dawned on him. Everything made sense. Aklenroth behaving so friendly as Vaeril, despite being so detached towards the group they had temporarily traveled with. These really weird elves. No hint of being assholes at all! And lastly, the name, Frodo. Vaeril had found humans… but was that a good thing?

"Sorry for the stare, I just recognize that name... from somewhere..." He feigned like he was trying to remember by scratching his head with a squint. "Maybe I'll remember over drinks with you all" He smiled warmly as he agreed with Nur when it came to joining them in shopping. "Or I'll forget! Either works."

It was then as they were moving to leave the shop that he watched Nur lock her arm with Leon's. The very thing she had been doing with him most of the afternoon. Despite not knowing her long, Darius couldn't help but wear a hint of betrayal on his face.

We were just having fun. Yeah.

It is her nature, Darius. Do not let her distract you. You will never inherit my strength if you behave so weakly.

Darius ignored him and postioned himself with Vaeril and Lucia,remembering her previous question. He strummed his string instrument.

"I know Vaeril through a few circles of other elves. But he is also quite the face in Avalia. Even has a song about how awesome he is. Right?" Darius grinned at Aklenroth who was not prepared as Darius started to strum a simple rhythm....

"Gosh, it disturbs me to see you, Vaeril
Looking so down in the dumps
Every guy here'd love to be you, Vaeril
Even when taking your lumps
There's no elf in town as admired as you
You're everyone's favorite guy
Everyone's awed and inspired by you
And it's not very hard to see why!"

"No one's slick as Vaeril
No one's quick as Vaeril
No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Vaeril
For there's no elf in town half as manly!
Perfect, a pure paragon!
You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on!"

[Helo]

Time: Afternoon
Location: River Port-Gadgets and Conveniences
Interactions: Lucia@Potter, Vaeril@Alivefalling, Nur@dreamingflowers, Orland@Funnyguy

“So it does, you clearly have excellent tastes.” Leon said Nur mentioned his hair matched her dress and linked her arm with his own. He held up the memory glass to take a quick selfie of the two of them right at that moment and noted that she was definitely not an elf. Her dark hair and lashes only served to further accentuate her bright green snake-like eyes. Her eyes made him a bit uncomfortable like he was in the presence of a predator, but his excitement about meeting creatures other than elves quickly overtook his apprehension.

Orland seemed surprised by his fake name, mentioning that he recognized it from somewhere. Maybe the name hadn’t been such a mistake, seemed like it was common enough that this other elf had encountered it. Then Orland began strumming a familiar song, and Leon found himself almost sure that he’d encountered another disguised human. It was a lot of coincidence, but just to make absolutely certain they were on the same page he threw out a reference to the same old movie that he recognized the song from.

“The stories of the greatness of Vaeril are truly a tale as old as time.” He added to Darius with a grin.

Once they began heading towards another shop a most magnificent creature bounded towards him with the most ungraceful gait imaginable. It was a mess of jowls and wrinkly skin, and its eyes were full of pure excitement as it nearly collided right into him and Nur both. The large dog nearly knocked him over again as it aggressively rubbed itself around his legs. Leon immediately let go of Nur's arm and knelt down to give the dog proper attention.

“Who’s a good dog, you’re a good dog.” He said rather loudly as he rubbed the big floppy ears. The dog then shook its head and released a surprising amount of slobber in every direction and its tail flailed about wildly, smacking against anything nearby. Leon continued to pet the big wrinkly dog and gave a quick check to its undercarriage and noted that it was a girl dog.

“Who’s the prettiest girl in the world, you are. Yeah, just the prettiest doggo in the whole world.” He continued talking to the dog as if it were a small child, as he looked around for whoever owned the dog but didn’t see anyone coming over to collect her. While he was distracted looking around the dog dropped a slobber-soaked paper into his hand. He starred at the paper and then at the dog. The paper, damp and just barely legible, read ‘Meeting Hall tomorrow at 2.’ Had he just been invited to a party by a dog? Avalia was, without a doubt, the greatest place. He smiled at the dog and slipped the paper into his pocket.

“Did you bring me trash? That’s so nice, what a good puppy. Thank you.” He said beaming as he played with the dog’s slobbery wrinkly face. In response, the dog licked his face a few times before running off again. The dog only paused its wild run through the market to snatch some sort of unattended pastry from a nearby dessert shop off the counter. Then she continued her run through the market with her snack before disappearing from view.

“Hey Lucy did you see that? I’m very popular in River Port today.” Leon said grinning as he wiped dog slobber off his face.

[dreamingflowers]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Convenience store, River Port
Interactions: @Funnyguy Darius @Potter Lucia @Alivefalling Vaeril @Helo Leon
Ambiance: River port

Nur blew a kiss at the memory glass, to match the happy go lucky mood of Frodo, who was taking a picture of them both. She asked Frodo if she could see the picture, and summoned it to the surface of the memory glass after he handed it to her. Nur never made a secret of her vanity, and even though she had no doubt it was a cute picture, she just had to check. She summoned it to the surface of the memory glass, and smirked when she saw it. It was pretty funny, Frodo had this goofy smile on his face, and she had her eyes closed, blowing a kiss toward the viewer.

"It's cute, I like it" She commented, returning the memory glass to Frodo.

Darius took out his newly purchased instrument and surprisingly started to play a somewhat clumsy and unfamiliar tune. Nur had a puzzled look on her face, trying to figure out where the song was from. It did sound nice though, something to her tastes. She gave Darius a modest applause, clapping her hands together in praise. He was talented, to just be able to buy an instrument he didn't know and produce a tune from it. Impressive...

Nur walked alongside Frodo, the group making their way out of the convenience store and onto the next. In the distance something was running towards them, her emerald eyes widened when it came into view. A dog..... The revolting ball of fur, wrinkled skin and drool was making a beeline for both her and Frodo. She almost hissed in disgust when it threatened to touch her legs. Frodo let go of her arm, and Nur was more than happy to get away. When it started to spray drool everywhere Nur squealed and nearly tripped over the bottom of her dress trying to get away. A good distance away from it, she anxiously checked to see if any of the saliva had defiled her. Concluding it hadn't she let out a sigh of relief.

She shot both Frodo and the dog a disgusted look, her usual pleasant features turned into an angry frown.
"Disgusting..." Nur muttered under her breath.
If she wasn't annoyed enough, Nur's brow shot up when she heard Frodo complimenting the dog. Well....
Contrary to her Frodo had terrible taste. She was outcharmed by a dog! What was the world coming to?
She stayed several feet away from the green haired elf, only a thorough bath would fix that.

Nur huffed and pushed her hair over her shoulder impatiently, the feeling of disgust still evident on her face. If someone wanted to send a message, why could they not just use birds?

After handing a slip of paper to Frodo, the dog went on her way.
Good riddance
Wait a minute.... Didn't that happen to Darius and her too? A dog had also delivered them a paper message. Nur wondered if it said the same thing. Meeting hall tomorrow at 2. In any case she wasn't going near Frodo to try and figure that out. She hoped these messages were being sent by the rebellion. If that was the case, she would be able to find them soon. The sooner the better, because for the first time in her life, time was working against her.

[Potter]

Lucia

Time: Afternoon
Location: Gadgets and Conveniences
Interaction: @Helo Leon, @AliveFalling Vaeril, @dreamingflowers Nur, @Funnyguy Darius

Lucia smiled as Nur introduced herself and agreed to drinks. As she was looking at her, she couldn’t help but notice something seemed off. The irises of her eyes, her striking beauty… Where had she seen this before? That was when Nur locked arms with Leon and it clicked in. She was clearly not an elf, fairy nor a demihuman. This was a demon and Lucia had a hunch of what sort she was and she did not like it. However, she had to play nice. It wouldn’t do well to make enemies or come across a potential foe. Orland’s expression revealed enough as well, and she wanted to cheer him up. She went to speak, then his comment on Frodo’s caused her eyebrows to raise. He recognized Leon’s fake name? That meant he was also a human. She couldn’t believe her luck and managed a grin.

Then unexpectedly, he began playing his instrument and singing a loud, unfamiliar song. Lucia found the music pleasing and applauded him enthusiastically. ”Wow, Orland that was amazing! That’s going to be stuck in my head!” She exclaimed and immediately began to hum the song under her breath. She glanced at Vaeril with a cheek grin. ”Who knew we’d meet such an awesome elf like you, huh? Lucky us!” She led them out of the shop while keeping a peripheral vision on Leon in case of anything.

Her luck turned up once again when a dog came bounding up to Leon and split him away from the possible soul-sucking demon. She was glad she did not have to start something. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, Lucy-Lou! Her mother used to tell her. She eyed the dog with a sad smile. Was it a stray?

The dog handed Leon a paper and she figured she’d ask why when they weren’t around so many strangers. She perked up and smiled at him at his question, ”Well of course! You’re handsome and delightful.” She smiled and linked arms with him and offered Orland to take the other if he chose. The poor lad had seemed sad when Nur had left his side. She gave him a comforting smile. ”Onward to the next big adventure, gentlemen and miss!” She beamed as if nothing were wrong and there hadn’t been a strange demon getting uncomfortably close to her human. Lucia was dimly aware of the girl grumbling and assumed she wasn’t a dog person. Dogs were great though, and if a dog didn’t trust her, then she didn’t either.