The Irish Tree

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Hector Wyland

---

[@Croc Crush]

In an instant, the situation was completely changed. Keith proved more agile than Hector was expecting, even proving able to throw bladed projectiles precisely to knock Hector's suspended bullets off course. Harmlessly, the touched shots would ricochet into the floorboards, while Lapis was pressed by Keith's assault. Rushing in to help her with his bayonet-in-hand, Hector would barely have time to react once the Makara burst into the building.

One would rush towards him, the marksman having to think fast with a nearby beam of wood to keep the Makara from crunching down on his head...only for that beam of wood to get crushed in an instant. Letting out a noise that could best be described as "the mating call of a cockroach" while flushing all the air out of his lungs in shock, Hector would be saved by his spirit's quick thinking, Herne's body lunging up at a lighting fixture to pull Hector up. There, he had a lovely view of Scarlett gorging herself like a nobleman's fat child at a church-event buffet. Hector would cling to the chandelier while watching the nightmare unfold down below, wincing on hearing the continual snarling and consuming of Keith, who's screams had since died out. Even if he could regenerate...no, rather, BECAUSE he could regenerate, Hector couldn't imagine a worse ending for him.

Now, the entire group was in a pinch, pressured and on the verge of defeat with the numerous Makara swarming them from outside. Then...Scarlett did something unexpected. She seemingly...cured them of their aggression. Rather violently one might add, but...also, ew. Now she was eating Keith and...just...

Hector couldn't help himself as he vomited in his hand, shuddering as he realized that Scarlett just ate human remains. ...She really was some strange breed of savage. But, her serum seemed to be working. With a clear spot, Herne would have Hector land by releasing the chandelier, the marksman wiping spit and vomit from his chin. Herne would slip free of his arm and dive into one of the "gates" Scarlett made, seeming to understand its purpose. Hector however, did not. "Herne, get out of that! Who knows what that's made of!?" he shouted, before his spirit companion emerged changed, thin blue veins of blue running from his fangs down his throat, possessed of the antidote that Scarlett had made. Just as small and transparent as ever just...a little bluer in the face.

A soft hiss emerged from Herne’s throat before he pointed at the still-lingering gates, then to Hector. Wordlessly, the snake asserted himself as the brains of the operation, which Hector was fine with. A spirit knew more about spirit matters anyhow. "...Leave the Makara to me and Herne. Hasven'ra, sajik…”Hector started, a dull lilac fog rolling in from around his feet. One by one, small, rather pathetic looking snakes barely the size of a finger, but each would eagerly dive into one of the gates and emerge with azure-stained fangs and diving after the Makara. One by one the puny fangs would sink in to inject the pseudo-antidote Scarlett made, while Hector leaned against a nearby collapsed beam to support himself. ”I…have never…made that many…” he said, on the verge of collapsing. But, his part was played. His veritable army of snakes would march and bite, to cure the unclean taint within the Makara.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Liliana

@Hammerman@Enkryption

---

"The cows are sort of included, sorry!" Liliana said, apologizing for getting Lunatea's ears licked.

Yurine's words were concerning though. Why did everything have to be complicated? Humans were so weird...an oath of loyalty meant staying loyal, not re-interpreting your fundamental values and deciding that its TECHNICALLY not betraying even if your sword was up your king's butt. "...That's sad," Liliana said, folding her wings up behind her. "If they knew how bad the situation REALLY was, they wouldn't think Takeshi was doing so bad!"

But, it wasn't like anyone would pat the fairy much mind. Seeing that Takeshi wanted to talk to Kikyo alone, Liliana would trail along after her fellows to return to the temple, feeling a bit sad that they had to fight against Takeshi's supposed loyal warriors. It was a bit saddening, and fairies hated nothing more than being sad. Or, people being sad. Eyeing the temple from a bit of a walk away, she'd spy Alice bounding out in a dress with no shoes on. ...Was...was that Wonderland fashion?

"Hey, wait! Lady Aliiiice!" the little fairy called, pursuing Alice as fast as she could. Sadly, the mushroom woman had a hell of a head start. Panting and resting on a nearby stalk of a cattail, Liliana would catch her breath while watching Alice float. Then, a very rainbow-y knight came along and started talking. That...didn't look like standard Shizuyama armor. And who was that red-headed lamia with her? And then they both suddenly submerged!?

...There was only one answer! Alice was being held captive by a red-headed sea-snake lady! Hurriedly growing to her normal-human size, Liliana would think quickly to improvise a "hydrodynamic" version of her dress by doing a little magical girl twirl before diving in after Alice. "Bwady Alish, Twake By Handf!" she blurbed, speech impossible to make out underwater and she reached out for Alice.

---

Eula

@Rezod92, @Xaltwind

---

...Romance, huh?

Eula raised a quizzical eyebrow as she spied Kerry and Relica denying their relationship, the automaton diagnosing them both with "tsun" and "dere". Kerry would leave before Relica's wrath could be directed at her, the automaton unable to contain a slight chuckle as Relica fumbled her responses to the young boy before them both.

When asked about a bio-scan module, Eula said: "This unit does not have a biological scan function. However, if I were to ingest one of the mushrooms, I'd be able to identify the toxins and potential cures from that. It should be safe for me to consume, given my lack of organs to poison." While her logic was sound, having her consume poison may have unintended consequences...

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Liliana

@Enkryption, @Restalaan, @AzureKnight, @Hammerman

---

"This super isn't a usual thing! I can tell you that, even if I'm not the tallest sprout here," Liliana said, putting her hands on her hips indignantly at Yurine's insinuation that the Mamono were all unruly, uncontrollable crazy people bound to fits of random rampaging. Only like...two of them were. Maybe three. Or four.

...Some number! But not all!

Still, upon seeing how gravely wounded Lunatea was, Liliana would hold her sword aloft and...a cow would materialize beside Lunatea and give her left ear a gentle lick. "...Whoops, uh...usually I don't get cows, I promise. Okay, this time, Whimsy, pretty please with sugar and cherries and honey on top, Greater Healing!" ...Another cow would be summoned, licking the back of Lunatea's other ear, before the healing spell actually happened. "...Okay, I lied. Cows happen. A lot. But they're helping a little!

Looking to Yurine, Liliana didn't seem worried in the slightest. Either she was incredibly trusting that her allies would stop Hinami, or was completely aloof to the situation at hand. Maybe even both. "Miss, are you alright? I didn't really know the situation before coming here, but...aren't these samurai guys supposed to serve Lord Takeshi? Why were they trying to fight him?"

---

Eula

@Rezod92, @Xaltwind

---

"The damage this unit sustains is irrelevant if that damage is taken to help the innocent." Eula stated, before lifting her good arm and saying: "But...your concern is noted. I wouldn't want to worry someone who is on my side. For now, I'll bind my damaged arm." Keeping true to her word, Eula would promptly use her good arm to pry open one of the Varjan armored soldiers' pieces of armor to get at their clothes underneath ripping off a large unbloodied shirt to form a sling for her damaged arm.

"As for the metal, it wasn't for nutritional value. I was analyzing its composition to find structural weaknesses, and usefulness. The alloy itself is too heavy for civilians in the village to make use of for tools. I would never eat Kerry's weapons or your drones unless told to, Eula clarified, before looking at Relica's drone that had been damaged and...

...Drooling.

Shaking her head, she would immediately say: "Regardless, lets continue on with your assigned task. I will refrain from physical combat."

Guild of Renta-Experts [[CANCELLED]]

Sofia wholesale flinched and tried to put up a guarding stance as Brandy leapt at her, fully expecting another full-frontal-goat-collision before getting glomped once more. At being told Brandy could 'eat her right up', Sofia's face flushed a reddish gray before saying: "Please, do not!" Alice, ever the secondary instigator, giggled and hugged the Revenant and brandy, sandwiching the undead.

...Her adventuring party were always going to be a handful, weren't they?

Once Brandy was ready and asking Alice about their plans, Alice would rifle through her bag to find her coin pouch, count her change and say: "Ehhhh...s-should probably not...even if a big serving of bacon sounds nice," Alice said, before Sofia's bread was mentioned once more. That would do just fine, as the werewolf heartily ripped the bread to pieces with her teeth and munched while Brandy went to answer the call of nature.

Alice would thoroughly enjoy some fresh-baked bread before Brandy returned, nearly being knocked over as she bolted back into the room. Girl had no brakes, 100% of the time. But, none of that mattered, since they were all geared up and ready to go out. And, from the sound of it, Brandy had something she wanted to get as a keepsake. Not seeing any reason to deny the innocent request, Alice would say: "Sure!", with Sofia adding: "Of course. It would be a shame to not at least commemorate the trip with something. ...But," the Revenant would duck back inside her room, adding: "I'm changing back into my normal clothes. My raiments are as important as my bow, after all! You two go on ahead."

Seeing as how Sofia would take a large amount of time to change into her Costume/Armor, Brandy and Alice were free to head to the store. Seeing the average looking store, Alice's tail swished a bit. She was really curious on what her friend wanted to buy, but would quietly follow along.

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

Just as soon as Alina had tried to intervene verbally, one of the women suddenly vanished into a puddle of liquid, only to suddenly appear next to the sculptor. She reassured her that the conflict was one-sided, only for the woman she argued with to come strolling over. And...what a stench! Alina made no effort to hide her disgust as she buried her nose in a handkerchief, not even noticing that the seldom-bathing woman was naked until she saw the shine of her buttocks while she walked away.

...This was...a peculiar way to start her cultural expedition to Al-Marabar. Now left standing before the refined woman, Alina couldn't help but give her a once-over. ...Did she know her from somewhere? Her garb looked rather expensive, likely Lascutan nobility but...that voice of her's seemed familiar.

Then, it hit her. "I'm Your Canary", "Hail in Bridges", "South by Southwest"! This had to be the most renowned songstress in Lascuta (in a fangirl's opinion), Tiziana! Putting her hankie back in her pocket, Alina would put her hands together and confirm with one last look that it definitely was the songstress herself, and promptly keep the losing composure stuff internal instead of external. "Pardon me, but...you wouldn't happen to be Tiziana Maggiore, would you?" the young woman asked, smiling slightly as she spoke to the woman.

It seemed one of her fans had inadvertently found her.

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Hector Wyland

---

[@Croc Crush]

Hector probably had something poignant and witty to say to Keith's absurd disregard for the environment he'd ruined, but before he could he'd let out a panicked yelp as Scarlett's newly formed spear shot right past his nose and into their moronic adversary's chest. "A...rebodymaker? ...You mean he regenerates?" Hector asked, thinking he understood Scarlett's words. So, even if they somehow blew him away, he'd just come back. ...Unless, of course, there was some way to neutralize that regeneration.

...The absurdity of the scene wasn't lost on either Hector or Herne, as they watched Scarlett morph herself into a large, strange woman-cat. Whereas Shavis was a cat-woman, this was...something, to be sure. Hector assumed that Shavis meant to back her up if Keith was beating her, but then she suddenly started getting between them and Scarlett! ...There wasn't time to ask questions, as Herne slithered along the length of Hector's arm as the magus took his rifle back in his hand. With the added balance from Herne he would point it at the door, whispering a spell's name under his breath before firing a shot that exited the barrel, then immediately stopped mid-air with a faint purple glow to the casing. Then another two inches below. Then another in quick succession between himself and Keith. His free hand would go for the bayonet at his belt, the serpent on his arm keeping its eyes trained on Keith. "Come along quietly and we can sort this out. No need to do something foolish."

Three shots at different angles, all to prevent Keith from moving without suffering damage. Hector only hoped that, if Shavis had trouble with Scarlett, that he and Lapis could subdue Keith. Keeping that in mind, Herne would follow a mental command from Hector to pull the syringe Scarlett had given him before and inject it into the marksman's neck. Now was the best time to use it.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Liliana

@Enkryption, @Restalaan, @AzureKnight, @Hammerman

---

"No problem!" Liliana proclaimed, clearly super proud of herself for successfully saving Atsuhi, and for doing it one super cool spell!

"Way to go, me!"

"Awesome job, me!"

"Sexy as always, me~!"

The little fairy's three brain cells cheered her own inside her noggin, like a significantly less royal, narratively meaningful, or future-color-coded state of Alice's brain. And all three brain cells were saying: "Keep going!"

However while the little fairy was feeling herself, Hinami was still raging. Seeing yet another opportunity for heroism, the little fairy would size change and immediately fly over...only to get blown away as Skarsneek's staff created a large enough gust of wind for the tiny fairy to get sent flying back from the speed of the air current. Being sent flying back, Liliana would only be saved by landing in a conveniently placed camellia (Or Tsubaki if you wanna get Zipangunese about it). Head stuck sniffing pollen and her legs kicking in the air, the fairy would pull herself out and shake the yellow pollen from her hair. "Ah...Ahh...A-Ahh..." the fairy said, reeling back before unleashing the tiniest, most adorable sneeze that caused her to shoot back to normal size, then a less-tiny-but-still-as-adorable sneeze that shrunk her back down.

Sniffling and frowning, Liliana would fly back up a bit before sneezing again, back to human size again while she grabbed a nearby unconscious warrior's garb to wipe her nose with. "Blegh..." the fairy complained, before noticing that now Skarsneek had put Hinami in a full Nelson. Whoever Nelson was. But, it seemed under control. "I did...my besht..." the stuffy-nosed fairy reassured herself, patting her shoulders and wings free of pollen.

---

Eula

@Rezod92, @Xaltwind

---

It took a significant amount of effort, but now they had managed to subdue all of the Varjan warriors. Words of praise were offered by the monk the other two mamono had traveled with, but...Eula was still a touch confused on the events at hand.

The green-haired gremlin who had fought from a distance with her drones seemed rather irate, using mechanized servo-arms to compact Varjan armor and tear apart their weapons until they were unusable scrap. A sound strategy, given the quality of the gear the Varjans were using. But, another idea struck her. Maybe the village could use some quality iron like this. Putting that thought aside for the moment, Eula would extend a hand to shake Relica's, very careful to not overexert her strength in any capacity. "A pleasure to be of help. I am Eula 039. ...If you really have been asked to come here due to my need of repairs, I apologize. It must be a great inconvenience to travel so far," the automaton said while bowing her head. Perhaps now, her second stun gun could function again.

With Relica done introducing herself, next was Kerry. Eula had seen her once before, but they hadn't had a chance to talk. "I am glad that, even if on accident, I aided those in need. I'd like to bring this scrap back to the task force's base, but I imagine you all have come for a mission of some kind," Eula said, before not even skipping a beat as she picked up a piece of armored scrap from a helmet, and proceeded to crunch it down in her mouth to start analyzing the composition. After a moment of silence, the stoic automaton would make a face of mild disgust before sticking her tongue out. "Gah..." she complained with a single noise, before shaking her head side to side. "Composition...sickening, but effective."

With Eula now standing still, Relica would be able to see the damage to the joints and plating of her right arm, roughly patched up and "scarred" with minor weld marks in her body's attempts to repair rather deep damage.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Liliana

@Enkryption, @Restalaan, @AzureKnight, @Hammerman

---

Well...this sucked!

Liliana's plan wasn't working at all, the little fairy's strikes not inflicting damage or making the swordsman drop his weapon. The fairy would start trying to think of a new plan, before letting out a shrill scream of surprise as an axe suddenly struck the dragon warrior right in the ribcage! "HYABAWUH!?" she cried out, falling to the ground in shock. Then, she saw the lady who she didn't know the name of yet tell her to go help Atsuha. "U-Uh, right! I can do that!" the fairy said before darting off, canceling her fiery spell on her sword to save her mental stamina.

Darting in just as a spear blow was about to collide with a part of Atsuha's carapace, the Whimsy Blade would stand before the strange spear's power and the fairy holding it would grit her teeth. Something was off with these warriors' weapons, and she didn't like it. Channeling magic once more into her blade, she would hold her blade facing the spearmen before magic erupted from it, resulting in a massive torrent of water to be blasted at the two swordsmen, a wave forming along the ground that threatened to sweep them up in it. "Tidal Surge!" Liliana said, looking positively smug.

Now that Atsuha was safe for the time being, the fairy would ask: "Are you alright? Those spears looked weird..."

---

Eula

@Rezod92, @Xaltwind

---

It seemed that Eula was right to be cautious and approach with a shield, considering that the Varjan Elite effortlessly delivered a blow that shattered the shield. Now she knew that on a scale, the mountain bandits were certainly on the low end. In truth, she hadn't fought many humans before arriving, so their overall combat prowess was surprising to her. The shield was useless to block with now, but its remains could serve well as a projectile...if she could get to it.

Kerry would go in for a thrust, while the Elite warrior would attempt to bring his mace down on Eula's head. Feeling that the strike wouldn't be enough to stop the overhead strike, the automaton would use her crouched position to dash to the side, narrowly avoiding the mace that shattered the ground where she had been. With the weapon now down, Eula would pivot and launch herself at the warrior, foregoing her stun gun to instead smash both of her fists against the sides of his helmet, the golem-like strength of the automaton hopefully proving enough to discombobulate him.

Kicking off of the mace, Eula would hope that her and Kerry could defeat this powerful soldier together before he could do lasting damage to either of them. Hornets didn't come with repair functions...as far as she knew, at least. The momentum of her kick would let her land near the shield she'd used, now crumpled and useless...that is, if you intended to use it as a shield. "Avoid trading blows if at all possible. This man's strength is monstrous..." the automaton warned, but also surmised that all of that was fairly standard information to glean at this point.

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Hector Wyland

---

[@Croc Crush]

Had Hector any less restraint, he'd likely have blown apart the goggled man's skull and left his brains splattered against a tree. You're welcome, random nameless (yet somehow familiar) mud man. But there was no time for that, given that more of the Makara burst from the water. Narrowing his eye, Hector would land a clean shot, penetrating the skull of one of the Makara approaching the front line, just as two managed to slink past and slam into the tree he was perched up in. Hurriedly, he would reach into his belt pouch to draw the bayonet free from it, Herne hissing and keeping its eyes trained on the two beasts.

Hector scarcely managed to fumble his bayonet onto the end of his gun before a large tentacle formed and swatted the beasts away. Lapis had managed to save him from becoming a marsh-monster-meal, and it seemed that her and Tilnak had erected the barrier! With a gap formed in the Makara's formation, Hector would figure that the strange mud-enjoying man might have a point that they should move. ...Also, his jokes were terrible. Not able to descend and run in the mud without risking being eaten, Hector would holster his rifle and leap from the branch he was perched on, Herne coiling tightly around his wrist and deftly wrap around branches as Hector followed both Scarlett and the goggled man. The blinding light from the stranger's bomb had knocked out Hector's sight, but thankfully Herne was seeing for him.

A sharp hiss signaled that it was time for Hector to land, the marksman hurrying to his feet after barely sticking the landing. They would huddle inside of an abandoned shack that reeked of...something. Something acrid and foul. Unnatural scents manufactured, not born. Bringing the collar of his coat to his mouth, Hector would cough twice. "What a stench... he said, trying to see if he could identify any of these chemicals. He'd learned to mix medicine a few times in the army, and thought that, perhaps, he could at least inform the party if there was any danger in staying here. "Be careful not to touch anything. This might be why the Makara are-"

His words were broken by Scarlett gathering materials rapidly, her arm still not regenerated fully. As much as Hector wasn't a fan of her, he didn't want her to bleed out or die form her injuries. As such, he'd approach from her side and intoned his basic Healing Prayer spell, giving Scarlett's regeneration a boost. Well, he didn't know that at least. He was just hoping to staunch the bleeding on what would be, to most people, a permanent injury. She would fix her hair and give Hector a shock by revealing a third eye...and then another shock came when blood vessels burst from her arm to open a barrel.

And a final one came when the alchemist savage dunked her entire head into the drum of hazardous chemicals. Mouth agape and expression matched by Herne who, admittedly, was also EXTREMELY confused at her course of action, both master and summon would grab Scarlett by her shoulders to attempt to pull her out. "What are you doing, you fool!? Who knows what's even in there?"

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

Just Yesterday...

Sailing alongside the great capital of Zweidaya was a small merchant vessel; Nothing particularly special about it. The guards were so-so, the goods of moderate value, and the make of it unimpressive...

But, did a pirate need to rob someone only if they were rich? The vessel had yet to dock at Zweidaya, and was in a blind spot for the great sand ship. Now was the optimal time to strike. The patheticness of it all only added to the ease of the score, the small-time group of pirates utilizing a harpoon to suddenly spear the stern of the ship. "Pirates!" one of the merchants cried out, the lack of guards inciting panic in the two merchants standing beside a woman who couldn't be more out of place if she tried. Fanning herself with a folding fan and using a parasol to shield herself from the sun, she'd even tied a handkerchief over her face to keep sand from flying into her mouth. Her attire wasn't suited at all to the climate she found herself in, the young woman clearly some sort of merchant's daughter. "Ah...right...I'd been told Al-Marabar had a large population of pirates," she said, seeming to be baking in the sun.

"Miss d’Aureville, I told you we should have hired on guards!" the older of the two merchants shouted, shaking the young woman by her shoulders. Sighing, she would gently place her hands atop his and say: "There's a very good reason for us being unarmed. And that's because..." the apparent leader of the three would say, before she was interrupted by the crashing of the pirates' bow into the back of their ship. In an instant, three of the pirates would board, crawling over the back railing and brandishing blades and spears, one with a gun holding the three would-be merchants at gunpoint. "Stay nice and still, and nobody has to die today."

Immediately, the goods in transit, covered by a tarp bound with rope were uncovered. Sterling marble of high quality that gleamed in the sun of the sand sea. Heavy, but surprisingly valuable for such a small ship. "Heh, lucky for us! These morons were carrying something good after all!" the spear-bearing pirate commented, before throwing the tarp back on.

Remaining silent with their hands up, the two male merchants bit their tongues, cursing the foolishness of the girl that hired them. ...But, who cared, it was her money being wasted with the goods stolen, and no guards hired. So long as they didn't put up a fight, odds were good that they would get out of this unharmed-

"Those aren't yours to take," Miss d’Aureville said, rising from her seat, only to be met with a spear pointed right at her throat. Reaching over while she was held up, the sword-bearing pirate would tear the handkerchief from her face and grab her chin. "Not bad looking. Might fetch a good price on the lower decks."

At having her face exposed to sand passing by, and her face being touched, the lady-im-patience would furrow her brow, the unseen accessory hanging off of her belt came alight with a soft purple glow, and the back of her hand would collide with the swordsman's cheek. At the very point of contact, a small bundle of purple Electro energy formed and slammed into his face once the slap collided. What would only have made an average person flinch slightly instead sent him flying directly into his spear-holding companion, knocking them both off of the sand ship entirely and into the sea of sand below. "HOLY SHIT!" the only remaining intruder shouted, not expecting a sudden literal thunderclap.

Taking aim, the gun-bearing pirate would mutter some curse that a dignified lady dare not repeat before suddenly having a hammer thrown at his head, perfectly smacking his schnoz enough to make it let out a sickening crunch. ...A crunch so nasty sounding that even she flinched. "Oh...oh my..." she said, underestimating how much damage that would do as her hammer slid down the man's face, and his body promptly fell back off the ship. Seeing as this had already gone incredibly south with the realization that one of the passengers of their target was a vision holder, the pirates would cut the harpoon connecting them, before peeling off to go pick up their fallen comrades.

Standing in confusion, the two merchants watched the woman who had fended off three men with ease look at her bloodied hammer, and very gingerly start washing it, seeming adverse to even touching blood. "I'd meant to hit his chest..." Alina d’Aureville grumbled. Deciding that it wasn't worth the headache to ask questions, the two would go back to piloting the ship. Once they reached Zweidaya, she wouldn't be their problem anymore.

---

@Enkryption@AzureKnight
Ah, Zweidaya! Alina had been waiting a long time to make the journey here. The land of the legendary Archon Axon, the Sand Sea's King and a living legend. If ever there was a figure to inspire a grand sculpture, it'd likely be him. Alina had secured fine marble, making her way from Yato to Al-Marabar and sparing no expense (except on personal guards) and suffered greatly (she got a little sand in her mouth one time) to come to the moving kingdom. While she was excited, she was also a touch wary due to the unsavory welcome she'd received, and the ill-rumors of the lower decks of the ship.

A majority of the marble she'd brought with her would be sold rather quickly, the quality goods likely to be shipped to other nations for a tidy profit, leaving the artist with a fair amount of money to herself, and a few pieces of marble to be held for her. She'd have to get an audience with the Archon, or at least see him to get inspiration. Talking to him would be ideal, but she wasn't quite naïve enough to think the ruler of a nation would make time for an artist. Even one as (decently) accomplished as she was. She'd have to learn his haunts and how to sneak a sketch or two in.

The prospect was already exciting her a little, already imagining a grand full-sized sculpture of the Archon on the bow of his ship, blade in hand. Perhaps there were even some local legends to draw a scene from. Speaking of a scene...one was unfolding right in front of her. One woman bearing the air of a vagabond burst free of a crate, while another woman who seemed...oddly familiar doused her in water. Then, the vagabondian woman would suddenly burst forward and knock the water-wielding woman down, foot on her throat. Whatever was happening, it...was confusing. Were they enemies? Had they only just met? Alina had absolutely no idea. But she felt like, as a woman of upstanding morals, she had to intervene so that nobody would get hurt.

Running the short distance over, she would say: "Ladies, please, there's no need for violence," while also wondering if any guards were coming to check on the disturbance. After all, this was a place of commerce...