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

[Crescendo]

Aliquam: Cervantés Mansion

The illusionist gaped at the sheer amount of clothing and accessories that Rose possessed. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that her closets were about the size of one, maybe two of her room back at home... Gods, she was jealous.

She all but dragged Xan and Estelle over, eyes sparkling at the thought of rifling through all these clothes. What she wouldn't give for a wardrobe even a third of this size? Still, they were here for Xan and she would focus on finding the perfect dress for knocking Angel off his feet so hard he wouldn't even know what hit him. She was having a bit of trouble finding one in the metallurgist's size even with all these clothes, mainly due to a rather noticeable bagginess that would no doubt appear in the chest area.

Aria gave a sorrowful sigh. Ah, the woes of the flat.

Finally she found a selection of dresses in the back that probably belonged to Rose when she was younger and less developed, picking one out for Xan and nudging another at Estelle with a playful wink. So many potential dates- speaking of which, where had Lulu gone? She huffed. The man had probably fled the room for some silly reason. Shaking her head, she helped pick out a pair of shoes and accessories to match the dress and after Xan had changed she stepped back with a proud grin. Yep, this would do just fine.

"Angel's gonna be astounded," she gave the girl a slap on the back, stepping aside so Rose could see the ensemble as well. She was so going to spy on their date today- partly to make sure everything ran smoothly and partly because it was going to so darn cute. If she wasn't so happy she would be feeling rather worried about feeling like a proud mother seeing her child off for the first time.

[Rexcalibur]

Aliquam: La Mansion de Cervantés

Angel lingered behind by the kitchen as Lucien, Moira, and Syed all took off for the pool. He propped an elbow atop the table and leaned his chin into his palm, smiling at them from afar. It was a shame they would be taking off so soon. Compared to the snobs and spoileds the Academy offered, they were just so... different. Down to earth, even. A nice change of pace for once. He could almost consider taking up Moira's offer if it meant being surrounded by these kinds of people.

It wasn't long before Xandra and her escorts made their way downstairs to meet with Angel. Once he heard the clicking of one of their heels, he casually glanced over his shoulder to see who had arrived - before jumping out of his chair, his smiling mouth dropping wide open.

"Que maravilla, you look fantastic, Xandra!" He stuttered some, completely awestricken by just how beautiful the metallurgist looked in her dress. More than that, he was astounded by her sheer natural beauty as well. Compared to the likes of - ugh - Hannah, and all the other scholarly damsels who paint their faces with markers every day, he could almost say he was falling in love with this chick just from her looks alone. Damn, he had scored.

"Ohh Aislin," Angel continued muttering in some foreign language as he blurred passed the trio towards the door. Quickly he changed his tie with one of those hanging in the nearby shoe closets - never know when you have to change last minute like this on dates! And now the two matched colors. <3 "Come on Xandra," he motioned for her to follow as he propped the door open. "I'll take you to the finest restaurant Aliquam has to offer."

Meanwhile by the back porch...



Trixie had no idea what on Ddaear Lucien was so freaked out about. But whatever it was, it looked serious! Maybe Syed farted in the pool? Moira did mention something about farting. Uhh... Trixie quickly downed the rest of her soggy toast and leaned forward, reaching for the summoner who waded his way towards her away from Syed. "Lucy! Lucy! Over here! I can help you out! I can--whoa!"

And then she fell right in and began sputtering and splashing about. Between breaths she yodeled for the others to save her from dying a horrible and soggy death.

[Pachamac]

Aliquam: Cervantés Mansion

Dylan whistled with a bright and wide smile as he leaned out of his window and watched his friends walking out of the mansion, Xandra blushing in a beautiful dress picked out by Aria and Estelle, to grace Angel by the hands as he led them towards an awaiting carriage that would take them to what Angel assured his friend was the finest restaurant in the entire town. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched them, and from his vantage point he could also barely see over the fence that grew around the perimeter of the pool with which the others were being… particularly loud from. Trixie, Lucien and Syed yelling in the pool, Sebastian neighing with a laugh near to Moira (who promptly told the horse to shut up lest he be pushed into the pool next) and Simon lying fatigued against the fence with a bloody nose…

…it was just another day in the lives of his most special of friends in the Pride.

He leaned down and began rummaging through his belongings, picking out of his pack his sketchbook and pencils. As he leaned back against the window frame (something Dalia would kill him for were she to see), he began to start sketching them all. Later on, he promised himself to transform this into a painting… one of his largest, and most grandest. Before, he had made a painting for Estelle when she had briefly departed them. This time, his painting would include everyone.

He laughed again as he saw Estelle and Aria sneaking out to grab another carriage to follow behind Xandra and Angel. The pair of them planned to follow this date with much scrutiny…



“I heard from Dalia what’s happening,” A voice called from behind Dylan, and he turned his head to see the pleasant wind mage approach, carrying two cups of coffee, one in each hand. He gently placed one for Dylan on his bedside cabinet, and then sipped his own. “You’re taking a break, Dylan?”

“…Dalia’s already going around telling people? Oh Aislin…” Dylan muttered beneath a facepalm. “Yes… if that’s okay with everyone, I think I’ll take a short break. But I’ll catch you all up before you know it!”

“I don’t doubt it,” Marcus laughed. “We’ll miss you Dylan, but like you said, it’ll only be for a short while. A break would be nice, I think.”

“Marcus… thank you.”

“Hmm?”

“For everything you and the others have done for me. For welcoming me to the Guild, for letting me join your group and make such wonderful friends… and for putting your lives on the line to help protect my home. And even what you said back then in the Theatre… thank you all so much.” A small tear began to form in Dylan’s eyes. “I… I don’t know how to thank you all…”

Marcus laughed again. “You don’t need to thank us, Dylan. You’ve helped us out more times then we can say too. Without you, we wouldn’t still be here, I’m sure.” Marcus sat down on the bed, and sipped his cup again, before glancing towards Dylan’s sketch. “Your art never ceases to be amazing, Dylan.”

“And it’ll only get better,” Dylan replied with a determined nod.

[Pachamac]

Written by Dannyel

Weeks after the Masked Phantom Caper Aliquam: “Dylan, are you sure about this?” Dalia asked, standing in the doorway as if to block him. Not that she could really stop him if he wanted to get past, but it was the symbol that mattered. He turned, finally finished with his primping, giving his sister a small smile. “Yeah, Dalia, I need this. And I think he does too.” Crossing the room, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “It’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen?” “You could tear his throat out,” she replied, a frown on her face. Dylan flushed. That damned wine. “I admit I wasn’t at my best, but that’s why I need to talk to him.” “He could break your heart again.” “Come on, Dalia,” he said with a lopsided grin. “I’m tougher than that now.” He nudged her out of the way. “Besides, it’s time you got to the Academy. I’ll find you afterwards.” “Alright. Be careful.” “I will.” He eased past her, heading out of the house. “And stop worrying!” He twirled around, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his skin. It was good to be out of the house at last. Sure he had plenty of visitors during his convalescence, but it was not the same. And the one person he needed to talk to, even if he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to talk to him, had been the only one to not drop by. Well, it was time to take matters into his own hands. It was a nice day for a walk, and it would give him time to prepare. He wished he could take his actions back, that he had the strength to not be so terrible to Tobias and everyone around him. Whatever had happened between them, whatever terrible things Tobias had done to him, it did not excuse Dylan’s actions. By the time he arrived at Tobias’ Manor - a place he knew nearly as well as the Academy or even his own home - he felt ready. At peace. And a little bit eager. He pressed the doorbell, waiting patiently for the door to opened. “Mister Sanders?” One of the servants was staring at him in shock, clearly surprised to find him standing there. “I - we - didn’t expect you.” “Allie, isn’t it?” Dylan smiled at her as she nodded. “Is Tobias in?” She hesitated for a moment, gnawing her lip. “Please Allie, I want to speak with him.” “I can announce you,” she said at last. “But I cannot guarantee that he’ll meet with you.” “I understand.” Dylan shrugged. “It’s all that I can ask.” Allie stood aside, letting him enter the foyer as she ran off to find her master. Dylan got comfortable, inspecting the new art pieces that Tobias had acquired since he had left. He hadn’t taken time to really appreciate them on the night of the party, too caught up in a spiral of spite and hate to bother. It was a shame, because if not else Tobias’ taste remained as impeccable as ever. If only he didn’t try to acquire lovers like his art pieces, bought and paid then left on display as a sign of prestige. “Dylan?” Tobias stood at the top of the staircase, looking as impeccable as ever. Every little thing about him was perfectly styled, from his clothes to his hair to even the measured expression on his face. “I...did not expect this.” He walked down the staircase, each step precise and controlled, his body wound tight as a wire and just about ready to snap. “Is there something I can do for you?” “Yeah,” Dylan said. “You can talk with me.” Tobias’ eyes widened, a momentary weakness, and Dylan pressed forward before the opportunity was lost. “If you have the time.” A moment passed, a long moment that felt like an eternity as Dylan waited on bated breath. Then, at last, his former lover spoke. “Alright. The gardens?” Dylan swallowed hard, remembering all the times they spent out in the gardens. He had painted there, Tobias lounging with book and wine it hand. Fragments of memories flashed through his mind, remnants of a happier time. “That sounds nice.” Tobias noded, turning sharply on his heel, and Dylan hurried to follow. Falling into place beside him, Dylan tried to ignore the gulf that separated them. It was was only a foot of space, but the moved in tandem, avoiding each other with a grace that almost seemed practiced. Dylan shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumping forward. What had he been thinking, coming here like this out of the blue? Tobias through the door open, walking out onto the balcony that overlooked the gardens. Leaning against the railing, he took a deep steadying breath. “I see you’re feeling better.” “Yeah, just needed some bed rest.” Dylan stood next to him, staring out over the garden. The roses were already in bloom, a lush and beautiful backdrop to the manor. He had always loved the roses here. “I wanted to apologize.” Tobias glanced over at him sharply. “You wanted to apologize to me?” “Just for my behaviour at your party,” Dylan said quickly. “It was...poor of me. I should not have -” “Drank so much?” Tobias interrupted, the barest hint of a smile on his face. There he went, laying on the charm, as easily and unconsciously as breathing. “To start with.” Dylan stared down at his hands, it was easier than meeting Tobias’ gaze. “And how I acted towards you during the mission at the Academy. You were just trying to help, in your own way.” “You don’t have to apologize.” Sliding over to where Dylan stood, Tobias wrapped his hand around Dylan’s and squeezed tightly. For a moment it felt right, natural, a bit like home, if Dylan would admit it to himself, but then Tobias moved away. “I know it’s too late for us,” Tobias said, quietly, more sincere than Dylan had expected from him, “but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. You deserved better.” “Better than you?” Dylan said with a hint of smile. “I thought such a thing did not exist.” Tobias laughed. “An overall better man? Not a chance. But a better boyfriend? Yeah, there’s bound to be one out there for you.” He smiled - a small, open thing that Dylan had only seen a few times, and only when alone. “And I hope you find him.” Acting on impulse, Dylan seized Tobias by his perfectly pressed shirt and dragged him forward. “For old times’ sake,” he said softly, placing a gentle kiss on Tobias’ lips. It was a short, sweet thing, full of forgiveness and regret. “For what could have been,” Tobias muttered, stealing one last kiss himself. “Now get out of here before I go terribly roguish and seduce you.” Dylan chuckled. “Probably for the best then. You do horrors for my self control.” . He was almost to the balcony door when Tobias spoke. “Next time you’re in Aliquam?” “We’ll see, Tobias.” It was the best he could do. The wiser part of him told him that he should shut the door completely, prevent Tobias from ever sinking his claws into him again. But he was a romantic, and part of him hoped that one day Tobias would change. Perhaps in a year, two years, ten years, Tobias would be ready for him. But for now, he was a dog. And there was nothing Dylan could do but accept it. And if not...well, it wasn’t like he had made any promises. One Week Later “Dylan, there’s a package for you!” “Really?” Dylan hurried over to his sister. Had the Pride sent him something already? He was itching to catch up to them, even if his magic was still spotty and limited since he lost his focus. “Who’s it from?” “See for yourself,” Dalia said, a coy smile on her face. She passed him the package, wrapped tightly in the finest wrapping paper. It was heavy in his hands, and Dylan quickly ripped it open. Inside was another slate, just like the one that had been destroyed. He could feel the magic stir within him, instantly responding to the power of the focus. “Oh, Aislin.” These things were incredibly rare - nearly impossible to find. And even then, the gald for purchasing it would have been mindboggling. “How?” “Look, there’s a note.” He glanced down, only now realizing that a slip of paper had fallen onto the table. Dylan picked it up, a smile creeping on his face as he recognized the handwriting. Keep safe, darling. I fully expect you to keep your promise and return one day. Your patron, Tobias

[hr][/hr]

Collab between Pach and Rex

“Man this place is giving me the willies,” “C’mon Tiberius… it’s not that bad. Bwahaha! I thought you were a man! You can’t be afraid of some oversized bugs!!” “Shut it, Largo, it’s not funny!!” The Forest of Atareb 24 years ago Largo Mann: F Rank Guilder: Age 24 Tiberius jumped back out of fright once again as a small insect shot out from the shrubs to his side. A loud, wailing pitch escaped his lips, and his hands shot about in front of him, waving from side to side in an effort to shoo the bug away. The moth casually avoided all of the Fire Swordsman’s struggles, and eventually plopped itself on the Guilder’s head. “Yahhh!” Tiberius screamed. He curled his hands into a fist and swung towards the moth, missing as it took flight a second beforehand and inadvertently slugging himself in the face instead. “This imbecile, I swear…” Matthew snarled from behind, as he and the rest of their group continued to walk forwards through the Forest of Atareb – Largo and Rachael took the lead, with Matthew and Tiberius following in the center. Behind them was their emerald tressed cleric Jade, and finally behind them all, the group’s leader and experienced mentor Damas. As he walked, his arms folded across his chest, the bearded man with the great axe strapped to his back shared the rest of his team’s reactions in shaking his head at Tiberius’ distress. “Tiberius, if insects bother you so much, why did you come with us? You could have stayed behind at the Guild,” The flame haired swordswoman Rachael sighed, before she turned her focus back on the path ahead. “B-b-bothered? Who said anything about bothered!” Tiberius’ hands soothed his aching red face. A quick glance to Jade saw a nonplussed expression returned his way and a shrugging of the shoulders. She didn’t mind healing her companions injuries in any way, but she drew the line at the point where they were self inflicted. “Besides… a mission’s a mission. When someone’s causing trouble by controlling lots of giant bugs, well… we need to stop them, right?” “Yahaha! And how are you going to fight those monsters when you can’t even look at them?” “I said shut up, Largo!” “Wait,” Rachael suddenly stopped, her hand grasping the hilt of her sword. As soon as the swordswoman stopped, Largo and the others followed suit, reaching for their own weapons. Only Damas remained with his arms folded. All of them looked ahead, to the top of one of the forest’s slopes, and at a figure looking back down at them, butterflies, moths and ladybugs all flying about her, and several ants, beetles and other insects all marching beneath her feet. Insects of a regular size, and none of the rumoured giant ones that were apart of their mission. Even still… could this beautiful lilac haired young woman… be the cause of all these problems…? “Hey, you, lady!” Tiberius shouted, raising his finger and pointing it directly at the young woman. “Who the hell are you?” "Oh?" The young woman turned around to face them. Her smile was... eerily bright. "Who am I? You got my name right the first time, actually! I should ask who you are, kiddo!" She turned her back to them again and carried on as she had been before - feeling around the trunk of a tree, looking it up and down and peering around it before pressing forward. She glanced over her shoulder, her smile unfading. "Could you maybe scream a little less, please? You're scaring my friends." "...friends?" One of Tiberius' brows arched up warily. "Yeah! Loads of them. We're working on this mission together. Please don't tell me you're here to get in my way... they wouldn't like that. Ah! There she is!" Just around the tree the purple-haired woman clung onto was a monstrous-sized herculean beetle, with snapping pinsirs large enough to sever any human dumb enough to get caught. She approached it anyway, her arms down low. "Easy girl, easy..."

[Rexcalibur]

Morris

Morris, a small and quiet agricultural village – the Pride’s next destination. Fortunately for the Pride, the trek from Aliquam to Morris was both short and linear, though that didn’t stop them from taking their time getting there. Similarly to Aliquam, the Pride was met with a stone-paved roads and walls. These walls were incredibly tall, but the openings between them were frequent enough to allow for ease of travel. The gardens and crops behind them were large and rich; though the town itself was small, it was a popular exportation spot when it came to its successful food production.

Villagers were friendly, and the directions to the guild were simple enough. However, at some point one member slowed down as the others continued walking. When the smallest member of the crew finally realized a member had lagged behind, she whirled around – “Wait, wait guys!” – and ran back to her companion. “Ames! Yo! What’re you doin’, we’re almost at the guild, come onnnn.”




Amy said nothing. Her eyes were locked on one of the many duplicate flyers plastered all over a section of the paved wall beside her. Trixie poked at her friend before leaning in to see exactly what she was looking at. “Is that… a tent? And… an elephant? That’s an elephant, right? Oh, oh, wait – is this a circus? Oh, I’ve heard about these…!”

Again, Amy said nothing and continued moving on, dragging the pipsqueak along with her. She only released Trixie’s arm as she made her way to the front of the group, walking faster than the rest, ignoring Trixie’s (or anyone else’s) pleas to slow down. “Wow,” she muttered to the guilder nearest her, “she must reaaaaally not like circuses.”

They continued further down the main walkway, their destination in sight. As they drew nearer, the number of flyers began to die down until they were completely gone – but Amy’s pace never slowed. Only when she reached the guild’s door did she finally stop. She took a deep breath, waiting for the others to catch up, before entering into the building.

The door creaked open with a soft jingle.



Compared to all the other guilds the Pride had crossed so far in their journey, Morris’ was rather homely. The number of tables displayed was negligible, and only a few guilders hung around to chat with one another. A mission board stood off to the side, just a bit of a walk away from the opening. Its front burst with color – photos – rather than papers and documents requesting for assistance.

This caught Trixie’s attention, and she dashed over to the board to check it out. There were only a few photos there – maybe six or seven (she didn’t bother counting) – though the alarming thing the prankster overlooked was a gold-colored header above all the photos. “Missing.”

Despite the Morris Guild’s small size, it still had a bar. The counter only supported four seats, all of which were vacant, but that was enough for the cleric to break away from the others. “Do what you guys need to do. I’m getting a drink.” And without waiting any further, she walked off.

Situated at the far end of the room was a purple-haired woman, busily combing through and sorting stacks upon stacks of papers. She hadn’t even noticed any newcomers waltzing right into the guild. The ladybug perched on her arm did however, and it skittered up to her shoulder to get a better look at them.

[Fox of Spades]

Moris was a lot more down to earth than Aliquam, and it had a relaxing feel to it. The small town and the gardens that surrounded it reminded Xan of her own village, it was a nice change of pace considering how Los Paraisos and Aliquam had been so fancy.

“she must reaaaaally not like circuses.”

Lucien laughed before making a silly face. "Who can blame her? Y'know kid, clowns eat children, they especially enjoy little girls and boys." The summoner rubbed both his hands together like a comical villain and he would have laughed if not for Amy suddenly hightailing it. Eh, she sure was excited, yeah? He tilted his head a little then continued walking. Eventually, the pride reached the guild.

Xan seemed to really like the place while Lucien thought it looked more like an inn than anything else.

"This guild is a little small, yeah? I'll go see if I can get a soda." He peered at the counter then grinned from ear to ear at his friends. "Do any of you want anything. I can go get you some, yeah." He gave them two thumbs up and laughed. It was really interesting how different their next destination could be when compared to the last one. Traveling was definitely grand.

The metallurgist turned to look at Lucien with a smile. "I think it feels pretty homely." The girl chuckled then shot Aria a grin. It reminded her about her first year as a guilder. Aria was assigned to show her the ropes, though to be honest her friend ended up shirking off duties and falling asleep on rooftops. Traveling with the pride was much more intense and the missions were more weighty.

She made her way to where Trixie was and stared at the billboard. "Hmm, what are you looking at?" For a moment, Xan simply stared at the pictures, but after a bit of looking, she noticed the letters above them and arched an eyebrow. "Hey Leader, you might want to look at this."

[Bunanigans]

Morris
Moira said nothing as they entered the village, viewing it with as much apathy as ever. Rural villages always made her a little uncomfortable, in contrast to her partner being much more relaxed than he had been lately. Just as long as this one didn't involve trees and curses and demigods then she was good. Instead she just watched as Amy strolled ahead. Which wasn't really that unusual.

Syed watched Trixie as she gushed. Oh, he wished he could just offer to help her learn to read without Moira flipping her nut. It was driving him a bit crazy by this point. "Lucien! Don't say that," Syed cringed, hugging himself a little. "Clowns give me the creeps enough as is."

"Pansy," is all Moira said in response. "A clown is just a dude who falls over a lot. Yer know. Like Luke." She thumbed to Lute.

The Guild was remanicent of Fenaru if anything, and as a result the first thing Moira was on the lookout for was the secretary. Fenaru's secretary was pretty grumpy, constantly telling them off being loud. They were the Pride! Of course they were loud!

Except... well. She recognised her any day of the week. "Oh... HEY! LADY!" she suddenly bellowed, startling Syed a little. Well that was rude... abeit par of the course for the berserker. "Fuckin' hell it's been a while!" she leaned over to Syed, loudly whispering him a warning: "Don't piss her off." There wasn't really much point in her whispering at all with how loud it was.

She strolled over to the secretary desk with a grin, holding out a hand for a firm shake. "Shit, everyone's doing so well for themselves these days. What a pain."

Syed found himself a little overwhelmed. With Moira's sheer number of years in service for the Guild, it wasn't really suprising that she sometimes knew people on their travels. He gave the secretary a small, somewhat awkward wave, before turning to see what the others were doing. Yeah, he'll have a soda... although someone would have to bring it over to him, what with his bond and all.

[Orpheus]

Morris: Guild

Lute’s eyes passed over the crops growing in the fields the Pride passed, and he was amazed at the quality of produce in this place. They had a small plot of land back home for kitchen herbs and vegetables so he knew the effort it took to work the earth, and by extension, how much care it took to achieve stellar results. It was clear how the lush and idyllic environment made the virtuoso feel just looking at his face, not to mention that he didn’t strike up a conversation with anyone and just had his eyes glued to the scenery.

"A clown is just a dude who falls over a lot."

Hmm?

“Did someone mention my name?” Lute asked, momentarily shaken from his reverie when he heard someone calling him. He caught a glimpse of Moira jerking her thumb at him and realized that she must’ve mentioned him while talking to somebody else, so the virtuoso just shrugged and looked away. Strange flyers caught his attention and he paused to give the illustrations a view. “Oh, a circus!” Lute suddenly piped up and was soon running after the other members of the Pride. “I wanna see the circus! Er… After we’re done with whatever we went here to do, of course,” He hastily added then slowed down as they approached the Morris Guild.

Like Xandra and Trixie, the mission board was the first thing that Lute approached after he was finished warming up to the quaint interior. “Tsss,” He sucked in air through his teeth as he saw the photographs, “That’s a lot, isn’t it?” Maybe they could help with these cases? Or not. Lute didn’t want to intrude on the Morris guilders; they might have these jobs under the belt already, but he knew what it felt to be helpless and in wait, unsure of what’s happening to a person you care about.

“Tsk… I’m getting emotionally invested,” He murmured and broke his gaze from the pictures.

[Crescendo]

Morris: Guild

Aria had never been to Morris before, and despite the fact that she usually preferred big cities she had to admit that it was very much a quaint little agricultural town. She couldn't help but hum a cheerful little tune as they strolled down the path, blinking as she spotted some colorful posters plastered on the high stone walls. Ah, the circus! Been a while since she's gone to one. Perhaps they'd have the chance to check it out after?

The guild was much homier than she expected, and Aria took to looking around. It wouldn't be hard to mistake this as someone's living room even; only the secretary's counter and guild boards would be out of place and even the boards had brightly colored pictures. If only there wasn't the large 'Missing' sign above them all. The sign had already attracted some of the Pride and she was moving to join them before spotting Amy sitting down at the bar counter she had overlooked. Booze or sign? Hmmm.

Eventually she decided to go join Amy at the bar, deciding that she'd just ask Lulu or Xan about the board later since they were examining it, or even go see it herself later. She sat down by the blonde cleric with a cheery greeting, only to blink and pause. Was Amy looking a bit surlier than usual or was it her imagination? Maybe Lucien told her an exceptionally bad joke earlier. She got a glass of fruit wine- no need to get drunk this early in the day, not to mention it was their local specialty.

Moira's loud bellow startled the illusionist, almost causing her to drop her wine. "Looks like Moira knows the receptionist," She observed, smiling at Amy. "Wonder where she knows her from?" Something moving on the bar top caught her eyes and she looked down to see a small green caterpillar inching across the desk. She held out a finger to let it crawl on, smiling at the little guy. It was rather cute. But what was it doing here? Perhaps she should go put it outside before it got squished.

[Pachamac]

Morris: Streets

It was a beautiful, peaceful day in the town of Morris, a tranquil serene quiet filling enveloping the quaint rural town. A peaceful quiet that was about to be predictably punctured.

“Oh c’mon, Marcus, just oneee! They wouldn’t miss one little tomato!”

Being dragged kicking and thrashing halfway off the fence to one of Morris’ vegetable allotments, Estelle struggled in vain as Marcus, with a hefty sigh, pulled her away. He shook his head in absolute disbelief, unable to believe his partner’s attitude especially in comparison to what they had left behind back in Aliquam. Estelle should have known better. One small little tomato it may be, however theft was still theft.

“Come now, Estelle,” Marcus began to discipline. “We can buy you some later. You don’t have to steal.”

“But they looked so plump and juicy… .°(ಗдಗ。)°.” Estelle whined.

Upon being pulled a satisfactory distance away from the vegetable patch, Marcus let go of her to follow in step along with the others, as they too enjoyed their peaceful walk throughout the village, and towards the local Guild. His ears perked up upon hearing Trixie and Amy’s conversation in front of a wall of flyers, saying nothing but watching keenly, as he did to all his friends, as Amy similarly dragged Trixie to the way he had Estelle, away from the flyers. Flyers for a nearby circus, written in a gaudily extravagant font and adorned with many fantastic photographs. Marcus looked at the flyers briefly before refocusing his steps towards the Guild.

Morris: Guild

"Hey Leader, you might want to look at this." Xan called to Estelle, who cooed with interest and excitement at the homely interior of Morris’ Guild. Her eyes darted to Xandra, and she followed her, Lucien, Trixie and Lute to the mission board, and the plastering of sheets listing a number of people missing. Estelle’s eyes lit up frantically, and she began to rifle through them all, however there were no papers put up for either Rize or Kara. The swordswoman frowned. It was likely a coincidence, but what if it was related…?

“That’s a lot, isn’t it?” Lute observed. “Tsk… I’m getting emotionally invested,”

Estelle frowned, and then gave a brief nod. The idea of missing people wasn’t one that was comfortable. Not when she remembered Rize and Kara, or the women of Los Paraisos. That was far too many people to be comfortable wit-

"Oh... HEY! LADY!" Moira’s shout interrupted Estelle and everyone else’s thoughts. Marcus had taken a seat by one of the Guild’s few tables, lifting his head up with curiosity… and then flabbergasted bewilderment at what he saw next. Moira and Syed were by the Guild reception, with Moira shouting towards the purple haired woman at the other end. And Estelle… again…

“Auntie Ocelot?!” Estelle screeched, running from the mission board to then proceed trying to climb over the desk and assault the Guild secretary with a hug. Marcus simply couldn’t believe his eyes.

It appeared as though today Estelle was going to be in a climbing mood.

[Rexcalibur]

Morris: Guild

Had it not been for Moira's reassurance earlier outside, Lucien's definition of a clown would've likely bothered Trixie to the point of paranoia. But if all clowns were just people like Lute with funnily-painted faces, then... it wasn't too late to join a circus, was it? This had been clouding her head while she rummaged through the mission board for no reason. In an instant, Xandra, Lute, and Estelle were beside her as well, though much more... somber, for whatever reason. It still hadn't clicked with her that the faces all over the board were missing folks.

"Hey, we're gonna go to the circus later, right? I've never-- huh? What's the matter? Why you guys look so down all of the sudden?"



At the bar, Amy had also gotten herself some fruit wine, for the same reason Aria went light on her drinks. She said nothing as the illusionist joined her, and silently sipped away at her drink once it was slid her way. At least until Moira cried out rather rudely to the secretary. Amy rolled her eyes, though in a more lighthearted manner than a pissy one. While she agreed with Aria - "Calling her 'lady' though... must've forgotten her name or something. Peculiar."

It wasn't long before Lucien came waltzing her way as well, requesting for some drinks from the bearded bartender. He complied before returning to wiping his cups and glasses sparkling clean. However, he froze when he noticed something in the back of one of his glasses. He let out a grunt and slammed it on the countertop before turning to his other cups to clean, muttering some curses to himself about the secretary.

At the bottom of the glass was another caterpillar, like the one that had crawled onto Aria's finger. It wove its way to the rim and poked its head out, seemingly waving its antennae at the two ladies. A similar green bug poked out from beneath one of Lucien's soda cans as well, as if waving goodbye to its two friends at the bar.



The brawny secretary was jarred from the sudden yelling down the guild. It was far too early in the morning for anyone to be speaking so loudl-- "Oh Gods, Moira love, is that you?" As the beserker wove her way towards her desk, Lady practically shoved the stacked papers in front of her to the side in a single sweep. She returned Moira's shake with an equally tough grip. "I was wondering where you had run off to. You seem to be doing pretty well yourself - look at this cute little gang you've got here." She noticed Syed waving to her awkwardly, and grinned to match Moira's. "You babysitting these kids?"

(From afar, Amy's brows merely raised as she brought her drink back to her lips. Guess that really was her name.)

Something just as loud as Moira's call rang in the guild again, causing Lady to drop Moira's handshake with a slight cringe. She couldn't stand loud nois-- "Estelle!?"

The red blur shot herself over Lady's desk for a tackling hug. Since Lady shoved all her work to the side earlier, at least nothing else got caught in the lob. She returned Estelle's embrace, although it was too tight to the point where Estelle had to push on the elder to free herself for air. This didn't phase Lady in the slightest, and she rubbed the top of Estelle's head, messing up her locks. "Look at you, so grown up now. And your sword... beautiful." Her smile widened even further, showing her teeth for a moment before she spoke again. "This looks a little too familiar, actually. Did you get this from Tiberius? Oh - speaking of him - how's your mother doing, Estelle? And," she turned to Moira, "Sonny is well too, I hope?"

Amidst the conversation, the ladybug on Lady's shoulder popped itself off her and buzzed its way towards Syed. It hovered mere inches in front of the man's face before deciding to nest in his hair, poking out at the very top so it could watch the three ladies in clear view.

"Oh, don't mind Fred. He's just... cautious. I advise against touching him, though. He doesn't like fingers very much." Lady brought a hand to her mouth, chortling, before turning her attention back to both Moira and Estelle. "So. What brings you lovely ladies in today?"

[Fox of Spades]

"Eeh," he turned to the upset looking man and scrunched up his nose "You guys sure have a lot of tiny friends." There was a bug in his soda, ah and there was another one on Aria's finger too. "Hey, hey, soda is good, yeah, but you should go get some pollen or whatever it is you little fellas drink." He grabbed the tiny thing by the tip of its tail then set it down on the counter. "You really shouldn't try that stunt again because if you do," he grinned mischievously at the little bug. "There's a chance someone will gobble you whole and BAM you're guts will spill out and you'll be dead." He didn't seem to mind chatting with the bug and soon he was making all sorts of silly faces at it.

"Yeah, you should listen to the grand summoner and just stick to flower pots, yeah?" He double checked his soda for more bugs before finally taking a sip. Ah, nothing like traveling and a can of grape soda to start the day.

And then Moira and Estelle started yelling. For a moment he wondered if someone had broken in, but he spun around to see them chattering away with some purple-haired woman. "Oh wow, an unexpected reunion?" Heh, this looked fun.



“That’s a lot, isn’t it?”

Xan frowned, "I wonder if it's a kidnapping." Missing people cases were always tricky. The people needed to be located, and it was hard to tell if they were kept near the area of their abduction or if they had been brought somewhere far away. There was the grieving family to comfort and it was hard to know what to say when the missing person's status couldn't be confirmed.

She placed a hand on the prankster's shoulder then pointed to the words on the billboard. "There's evil lurking somewhere," despite her attempt to make the situation sound less sad, her tone was pretty serious. "Those people in the pictures have gone missing."

Their leader was quick to join them, but a few moments after her arrival she darted off and began yelling with Moira. Xandra turned around. Oh, so they had both found an old friend? Did she use to travel with the pride? Though it seems the others weren't familiar with her either.

[Orpheus]

Morris: Guild

Was Lucien talking to the counter?

He narrowed his eyes and made out a tiny green dot atop the wooden surface. Huh, a caterpillar. How cute. Although what was the summoner going on about, anyway? Was the insect stinky?

Lute moved away to make space for Estelle as she peered up at the board. As he did so, he had the opportunity to see Moira approaching a woman on the far end of the room, which was probably why she bellowed. He was barely about to form a reaction to that when the swordswoman suddenly shot out from beside him. She too was heading towards the stranger.

Eh, he would probably react that way if he saw someone he knew in a different branch of the Guild…

The virtuoso turned his eyes away from the scene and resumed studying the mission board. He caught wind of Xandra’s words to Trixie and smiled, albeit halfheartedly, before turning to the duo. “But I’m sure the other guilders are taking care of it already, so we shouldn’t be too worried,” He shrugged, then gestured towards Estelle, Moira and their friend, “And maybe after we’re done we could go to this circus you’re talking about, Trixie. For now, we should.. Uh… Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m going to sit down for a bit.”

[Bunanigans]

Morris: Guild
"You could say that," Moira shrugged. To be honest at this point she wasn't entirely sure who was babysitting who anymore. But she wouldn't ever publicly admit that. "If anythin' happens to them I'll be on way too many hit-lists." Rachael. Tiberius. She definately didn't fancy that.

Upon mention of Sonny, Moira's smug smile became quite frightening to the average bystander. "Oh yeah, he's doin' good. Still refusing to get an interesting job, but whatever. Guess what," she asked, her voice now thankfully back to normal volumes. For her. Which was still pretty loud. She leaned forward over the now much clearer desk. "I'm a gran now. His missus had a baby girl, what was her name..."

"Emily," Syed offered.

"Yeah! Emily!" She rested her elbows on the desk now, looking up to the taller woman. "Talk about makin' me feel old. And how's your kid doing? He should be grown up as well by now, right? Fuckin' hell time flies. What's his name... C something... Corey? No, it ain't that..."


Syed meanwhile found himself staring at the ladybug which was by now flying right in front of his face. He could have swore the tiny thing just gestured at him. What on Ddaear?!

But then it went to nestle in his dark waves of hair. It itched a little at first, but at least the bug wasn't moving around much. He was just about to raise a hand to try and get it to sit on his finger instead...

"Oh, don't mind Fred. He's just... cautious. I advise against touching him, though. He doesn't like fingers very much."

He froze, his fingers inches away. Don't touch it? But it was the one who flew on him! What would it do, bite his finger off?! It was only a ladybug. They just eat smaller insects like aphids, right?

But what if this was different from the normal ladybugs he knew of? What if it did bite him and give him an infection or something?! He needed his fingers, his magic required absolute precision with his hand movements. If one of his fingers was injured it would mess everything up. He lowered his hand again. Just as long as he didn't make any sudden movements it'll be fine. Like with bees. Yeah.

He hadn't even realised he had scrunched his face up apprehensively. "Hi, Fred," he said, feeling like a bit of a nit himself. "I'm cautious sometimes too."

"Oh, we're lookin' for some people," Moira shrugged in response to Lady's final question. She turned to Estelle with a shrug.

[Pachamac]

“Yup, I got this sword from Tiberius! I actually, er… kind of… broke the one my mum made, and… er…” Estelle’s face drew red and bashful, before laughing it off and growing quiet, allowing Moira and Lady to both converse first. Estelle still felt apprehensive about what might happen to her when her mum found out about the fate of the Magitech Sword she had painstakingly created and forged. A small shiver ran through Estelle’s spine. She was definitely going to die, that was for certain.

"Yeah! Emily!" Moira rested her elbows on the desk now, looking up to the taller woman. "Talk about makin' me feel old. And how's your kid doing? He should be grown up as well by now, right? Fuckin' hell time flies. What's his name... C something... Corey? No, it ain't that..."

“Wait, you have a kid, Auntie?” Estelle turned back to look at Lady with surprise. Her mother and Lady had once been a part of a famous band of Guilders several decades ago, writing wrongs and triumphing over evils, becoming near legendary in the process. That group had also included Largo and Tiberius, and for an extremely brief time as well Moira… for obvious reasons, that being Moira was, well, Moira.

The team was now defunct however for various reasons, each having split up and graduated in various ways… to either become Guild Leaders such as Tiberius, Guild Secretaries like Lady, or Guild Nuisances like Moira. Her own mother had long since retired from the Guild due to a debilitating wound, and spent her time since then in a rural village not unlike Morris, having spent her time raising Estelle and working as a blacksmith before the flame haired swordswoman took off to become a Guilder, and stole her mother’s prized sword at the same time. Lady and her mother, Rachael, had often met from time to time, along with other members of that group such as Largo and Tiberius, although Estelle had never heard of or met any child of Lady’s.

Estelle had also never met Moira before that fateful mission in Clockwork Town either. Moira preferred to spend her days living in that town before Estelle had recruited her, whilst Estelle’s home village was located nearly all the way on the other side of the Artar Kingdom. And with the way things had gone between Moira and that group… she and Estelle’s mother could not be called the closest of friends. She could quite easily and happily share brief memories with and drink with Tiberius and Lady, but the other members of the group were a different story. Largo, before his passing, frequented Clockwork Town as well were he not away on missions, but his interaction in the years before his death to Moira mostly resided with having to lecture her and keep her on track. For a long time, she would have resented the harshness he displayed, but it was a form of caring in its own way. And were it not for Largo and the favours he asked for (unbeknownst to the berserker), Moira would have long ago been thrown out of the Guild.

“Wait… Moira…” Estelle’s brain suddenly started to work, and the cogs inside begin to turn. “You knew Largo and Tiberius really well too, right… and you know Auntie as well…” Estelle’s jaw almost hit the floor. “Does that mean you know my mum too?!”



Marcus overheard the conversation at the desk with amusement and smiled, as Lucien approached his table with a drink for the mage and his own soda. He looked towards the others at the mission board and grinned, having gotten enough drinks for them too, as well as a smattering of more for later. Could never have enough soda.

"Oh wow, an unexpected reunion?" He wondered, and Marcus nodded in return. It seemed that way… how unusual. And how utterly like Moira and Estelle if they both actually knew each other in some way, but it took them both this long to realise it.

And then a strange sound erupted from a room to the side of the Guild. On the other side of a locked door to the Guild’s lavatory facilities, they could hear someone grunting on the other side, as well as the expenditure of released air. It certainly wasn’t pleasant… hopefully the smell wouldn’t waft into the main room… and hopefully the person on the other side wasn’t having too tough of a time.

[Crescendo]

Morris: Guild

Aria rescued the second tiny caterpillar from the top of the glass that Lucy had put down, letting it join its friend on her palm. Where were all these caterpillars coming from? As cute as it were, it was kind of strange. Lucy returned to the counter with yet another small caterpillar and placed it on the counter.

"There's a chance someone will gobble you whole and BAM you're guts will spill out and you'll be dead."

"Lucy!" Aria half scolded while biting back a laugh. "You'll scare the poor little guy." He was making faces at it now and the caterpillar had lifted what she supposed was its head and swaying back and forth. The two on her palm looked to be conversing, and she looked around to see if there were any flowerpots she could place them on. Her glass of wine was done so she stood up and with a small wave to Amy she walked towards the board that had the pictures of the missing people on it. A row of flowers sat in pots on the windowsill besides the board and she let the two little guys off her palm first before standing next to Lute to investigate the board.

"The bar has seats if you're looking for a place to sit,' she suggested to the man before frowning at the pictures. For a small town this was an unusually large number of missing people. She had a feeling if Estelle got a wind of it- Ah, did the leader know the secretary as well? Small world. Estelle and Moira were both chatting rather excitedly with the woman while Syed looked rather conflicted about something in his hair. Anyways, she was sure that when leader caught sight of the board they would most likely get involved like the Pride always did. Estelle's sense of justice was just too great.

A loud and rather unpolite sound came from a small door at the side of the Guild and Ari blinked. Was that the lavatory? Oh dear. The lack of stench hopefully meant that the room was smell-proofed, if that was a thing.

[Rexcalibur]

Morris: Guild

Lady's smile widened even further upon the mention of Moira's grandkid's name. "A grandmother already, Moira? I'm not quite sure whether that should make me feel old or not." She laughed it off while the two redheads realized that their connections were much more interlinked than they had thought previously. While she had no knowledge of what it was that brought these two together, she knew Ddaear was a small enough place to allow such chance encounters.

Her smile softened the moment her own child was brought up. "Oh, that's right Estelle, you never had a proper chance to meet Caspian. He's about your age. And..." Lady's eyes shifted to the guild board that Trixie and Xandra stood by. "If by 'looking for some people,' you mean people who have gone missing - my poor baby's out there too. Probably lost, alone, and scared of how grounded he is when he returns."

She sighed heavily, placing one arm on her hip while the other remained drooping, fingers tapping along her thigh. This helped to accentuate her brawny physique more than her curvature. "I don't know what's gotten into that boy. Moira, you know how much he's like his father - always moving around. The brat hates to stay in one place for too long. He only returned here once he lost his most recent side job. That makes four job losses this year." Lady rolled her eyes, now bringing a palm to her face with her hip still jutting out to one side.

"Since I've moved here, he had yet to check out the circus and said he'd always considered joining one. Two days ago he left to check it out and promised me he would return with a carnie prize for me, since carnival games were also offered on those flyers outside. Well... he's not back and my prize is not here.

"Now, this wouldn't be such a concern if the number of people who had gone missing in this small town hadn't been climbing so recently. See those numbers there, on the board? All of those faces had gone missing in the last two weeks. The circus for the most part is stationary, doesn't like to move much. But with my baby's absence, I have a feeling the two are linked." Lady crossed her arms, wracking her head side to side for a moment in contemplation. "I'd have checked out myself by now if I weren't so flushed with these papers, and the guild itself has been rather quiet with its numbers... What do you ladies think?"

[Pachamac]

Morris: Guild

“We’ll do it!!” Estelle’s voice rang loud and clear throughout the Guild, as her fist slammed against the top of the secretary’s desk, determination and excitement resonating through Estelle’s entire body as she announced her decision without even waiting to discuss it with the others first. Everyone looked at Estelle blankly, albeit not with much surprise. They all knew Estelle well enough to know how impulsive she was and dedicated to the idea of justice. If someone, anyone, was in trouble, be it missing or otherwise, she would leap to their defense, no questions asked.

Which… was kind of the problem, as Estelle hopped back over the desk again and started to walk towards the Guild’s exit. She had asked no questions, and the Pride still knew very little in the way of the mission itself. Leaving before taking the opportunity to quiz Lady some more about the specifics of the situation would be incredibly premature.



“Estelle, wait,” Marcus grabbed hold of his friend’s hand. “Let’s not rush off without actually talking this through for once, okay?” The wind mage sighed, as Lucien chuckled. “Don’t you think we have some questions to ask… Lady, was it?”

“Oh, right,” Estelle nodded, and turned back around, walking briskly towards the reception desk again, and slamming her hands against it once more and leaning down to look to Lady, as if she was talking business.

“Auntie,” Estelle began, looking to the violet haired woman with absolute seriousness. “Where’s your toilets?”

Marcus’ shoulders deflated behind her, and he almost collapsed to the floor.

“Er, over there, Estelle,” Lady replied, thumbing in the direction of the lavatory’s entrance. At the same time, the door swung open and hit its adjoining wall with a massive crack, and a man strode out of the cubicle as the sounds of the toilet flushing echoed behind him. The man, casually dressed in a creased and dirty suit came out with a dopey expression adorned on his face as he patted his hands down with paper towels before dumping them in the nearest bin, whistling as he took a seat right beside Amy at the bar and called to the barman to make him a delicious milk float. Estelle meanwhile, dashed for the cubicle, latching the door locked behind her.

“…any other questions?” Lady turned back to the Pride.

[Bunanigans]

Morris Guild
While Estelle shouted, Moira remained quiet. Her mind had drifted elsewhere. With his reputation it could be that Lady's son had just ran off again... although she didn't fancy gaining any of Lady's ire suggesting such a thing. However...

A mother's instinct was something else. She knew that. So if Lady was so sure something was wrong, it probably was. Of course she'll help. This struck far too close to home.

Syed meanwhile eyed the stranger at the bar up with concern. Was he okay? He certainly didn't sound it earlier. He hoped the others at the bar would give him a wide birth just in case he had the runs or something, cause it sure as hell sounded like that earlier.

Nonetheless he had been listening to the conversation at the desk throughout, his paranoia about the ladybird lessening a little. Well, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to just check the circus out. He supposed. Only because of the missing people. In case.

"I've got a few," he volunteered, putting his hand up to the suprise of exactly nobody. "You say the circus is stationary, has it been there a while? Do they keep to themselves? And I guess... we'll need to have a look at one of those fliers. So we know where it is and when the shows are on. I think the best chance to look around will be when they're actually open? Well, that's my guess anyway."

He looked to the others with a shrug.

[Fox of Spades]

Morris Guild:

"Eh?" He made a face at Aria, "what are you talking about? This stuff is educational." Lucien's eyes flitted back to the tiny caterpillar. "If these little fellas keep climbing into glasses they're gonna get all gobbled up, yeah? Might as well break it to them while they're still in one piece, or else they're gonna rest in pieces." He rested his chin on the counter and narrowed his eyes at the small caterpillar. "Omnomnom! You wouldn't want that pal, so trust me and stick to gardens or something, yeah?"

He lifted the tiny caterpillar by its tail then followed Aria to the flowerpot. Now the little guy could be with his kind in safety.

Wait, wait, did someone just say their son was missing. Lucien looked right and left, his focus switching from the billboard to the purple-haired lady who somehow knew both the boss and Estelle. Her son was missing too? And she felt the circus had something to do with it...?

Did he run away and become a clown or something? The summoner jolted upright and listened with much interest.



“We’ll do it!!”

Xan nodded in agreement. If there were missing people out there who needed help, then there was no way they weren't going to do anything about it. It felt like Los Paraisos all over again, the thought made her angry. Whoever was leading this thing, well, the Pride would make them pay.

The metallurgist watched as their leader strode to the counter, all businesslike and serious.

Estelle's sense of duty and justice was something she couldn't help but admire. But then Estelle asked about the toilets and Xan couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. Well...that was a mood breaker, and it hadn't been what she was expecting either.

Syed started them off with good questions and Xan made her way towards the electricity mage with a nod of the head. "Visiting them during open hours sounds like a good idea, and I have a few questions of my own as well." She turned to face lady, "did the disappearances start occurring after the circus came to town? And by any chance, do the missing people have anything in common? Hmm, maybe they're all linked to the circus?" If that were the case, then something smelled very fishy.