Devil's Deal IC 3: Return of the Queen

[Hazuki]

Work on the houses soon begins, with the aid of the newly-arriving Noble. She explains that Yildiz is currently in the care of the acolytes, in a public area, and thus unlikely to cause any trouble, before getting to work with the rest of the group. The construction gets a strong headstart, as Tulip's endless enthusiasm to get working and the working of her numerous spells gets the group working hard and working together. Dilaa and Noble both set to work using mostly their strength, under the Navigator's guidance, while the ape seems quite content to go at her own pace. The Navigator himself seems somewhat unused to working with such a large group. Tobi perches in a comfortable pile of leaves nearby, sometimes waking up to pester Tulip for food.

When the roof is being built, most of it is made by having those with less raw strength perching on the roof, while Noble and the ape leap up to pass them heavy panels of wood or other instruments. By the time their first lot of work is finished, and with the aid of Tulip's time-tricking magic, they've finished the entire first house on the foundations that Navigator and the ape had already finished. It stands about as well-built as the other houses, sturdy, and fairly pretty to look at. The entire inside is, of course, unfurnished, but it seems to be built to the specifications that Dilaa laid out for the Navigator.

Without the base of the house already built for them, the next shift takes a fair bit longer, although the Navigator seems to have settled into teaching the group where to do what. Dilaa provided her ever-stable efforts to keep the project going, while Tulip did an excellent job at keeping everyone motivated and tending to her beginnings of gardens. The ape seemed to be getting a little more sluggish in her work, but both she and Noble did their part in making sure that a decent base for the house was finished by the time the sun had set over Garmine.

Just when everyone was getting a little tired of building the house, despite the mild pleasure that manual labor provided, the Navigator got everyone into a burst of work that he claimed would get the house finished before midnight rolled around. He managazes to squeeze the last few drops of encouragement out of Tulip, but the ape's movements have become quite sluggish indeed, and even as the last few pieces of the roof are hammered into place, she looks exhausted.

But, surely enough, the group finishes the second house an hour or so before midnight, thus leaving some remnant of a chance that they could find people to talk with before heading to bed. The houses still needed furnishing before they could be lived in, like beds, chairs, containers for the acolytes to store their things, but the bulk of the work was done.

The ape, rather than say any goodbyes, walked away into the very close forest and started climbing up one of the trees. The Navigator looks over the houses that they've built so far and gives a nod of his head. "You may take any two built so far. I will lay the ground work for the next homes, and you may come when you feel you have time."

Spots Kulaas flying overhead.

~

"Thank you." Cerise tells Yildiz, as the latter starts to inform Lance on the tricks to completing puzzle boxes. The half-elf turns to the rest of the group, still smiling. "And I think we're all done for the day. We've all done some good work, but you're free to to what you wish now. Just remember to come back to the room by midnight, or else send a courier."

"I'll see you guys later." Webb says as she slips out of her chair and stretches her legs. "I'm going to check out the warehouse filled with pirate goods. Does anyone want to come with me?"

"No, thank you." Blackeye smiles at the dwarf. "Keres wants to spend some time by the sea." She inclines her head as a farewell and soon joins the woman sitting at the other table, who seems all too eager to leave.

Lance looks at Webb, then to Cerise, then back to Webb. "I might join you after Yildiz has taught me some things."

"And I'm tied down here to teach Yidliz all my ghoulish secrets." Lexi shrugs her shoulders.

"Lyria?" Webb looks over to the human, who gives a curt shake of her head. "Alright, looks like I'm working solo for now. See you all later!" She waves to the group before departing. Lyria leaves soon after, heading through the front door.

Then, Yildiz' teaching begins. Lance, while reluctant to ask questions and apparently somewhat nervous about working so closely with a stranger, seems to have a lot of potential when it comes to disabling devices. It takes a few words of encouragement from Cerise for her to really open up, which she normally gets a lighthearted jest about from Lexi.

After an hour or so, Lance seems quite content with her new knowledge, and departs for the warehouse after giving Yildiz her thanks. Then, Cerise and Lexi set to work on tutoring Yildiz in the arts of magic. It becomes quite clear that either they're hiding their level of skill, or they simply know far less about magic than the mages Yildiz has encountered so far on Garmine. Their level of skill seems more in line with mages Yildiz may have encountered in her homeland, apprentices of apprentices to court wizards.

But, what they know is still more than Yildiz knows, and both of them prove to be good teachers. Cerise is patient, with a lot of academic knowledge, and patience for any questions that the child has to ask her - although she still sips from the little flask quite frequently. Lexi is a lot more casual about her teaching, a little bit proud of it, and she likes to banter with Oin, Gloin, and Morty, despite none of the three ever speaking back. Spending so much time with two quite charming individuals makes it pass by like nothing - and when their first lessons on magic are finished, it's already an hour to midnight.

"...and this one is made out of silver-coated iron, so I can bite fairies and werewolves, and they'll still feel it." Lexi finishes her tangent, showing off the stud through her tongue.

"That's almost certainly how it works." Cerise comments dryly. "I hope you've enjoyed our tutoring, Yildiz? We'll be happy to teach you again soon."

[Archmage1]

Tulip has a fine time helping to build the houses, tricking time, singing merrily, planting flowers, helping build roofs, and telling stories, entertaining Tobi... all sorts of things.
By the time they are done, even the indomitable faerie seems tired, but not too tired, especially when she sees Kulaas.
"Tobi! It's Kulaas! See?"
Tulip points her out, before she flies up, hoping to catch her.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods, tired but clearly happy. It felt good to have found a solution, to have worked on completing the task she'd set for herself and to see it literally coming together. Her plan had worked, and now she could return to the acolytes and inform them of her success. "Until tomorrow, then," she says, giving Navigator a final wave and doing the same for Tulip, though the fey seems to be looking away from her and flying upwards. Then the warrior leaves the others, heading back towards the Regal Chicken to speak with the acolytes.

[Hazuki]

Tobi seems quite happy to perch on Noble's shoulder and not go chasing after dragons. Kulaas, flying overhead, is quite a bit faster than Tulip at flying, especially given the Petal needs to fly right upwards to meet her.

~

The Navigator nods his head at Dilaa's departure. The lights are about Garmine at this time of night, and she doesn't even need to go all the way back to The Regal Chicken to spot all of them. She can spot Webb and Lance, likewise heading towards The Regal Chicken with a satchel - the dwarf is even sporting a new hat.

[Archmage1]

Tulip pauses in her upward flight, deciding that if she wanted to say hi to Kulaas, she needed to go to where Kulaas was going to be, rather than where she was.
Hopefully, that way, she could catch her. Once she realizes she can't, Tulip calls out to her.
"Hi Kulaas!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa increases her pace, coming close enough to the others that she can speak to them without raising her voice and disturbing those already asleep. It was late, after all. "Good evening," she begins, grinning as she gives the two a wave. "I have good news for you. We've managed to get a place for you all to stay. They need a bit of work, as they're still empty, but they have everything you need as far as space is concerned," the warrior says. Nodding towards the curvy dwarf's new headgear, she lets her curiosity take hold. "Where'd you get that?" She asks.

[Hazuki]

Kulaas reluctantly glides down to Tulip's level. "...yeah?"

~

Both the changeling and Webb give Dilaa a nod, though Webb's is accompanied by a bright smile. "That's great news! As for the hat, it's loot from the attack on the docks! Most of the stuff is in the warehouse, so me and Lance went to see if we could find anything good from the people who'd already claimed it. There wasn't much, but, hey," She tips her hat. "Hats are good."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles at her, as they fly along together.
"Did you think about it? It'll be lots of fun!"
Tulip seems quite excited at the prospect of teaching Kulaas.

[PersonMan]

"The attack?" Dilaa asks, raising an eyebrow. What she had seen at the docks had probably been the aftermath of the attack, she realizes. "What else did you get while over there?" She asks once her thoughts finish, gaze going briefly to the satchel.

[Hazuki]

"What?" Kulaas asked, considering Tulip warily, before she shook her head at herself. "Right. No. I've found something else to do."

~

"Not a whole lot of interesting stuff, but useful. A clock, a few books for Lance, and a few pellets of sunlight!" Webb reached into the satchel and pulled out a small orb of bright light, much like the one Noble and Weaver had attached to their necklaces. "I sometimes saw these at Krona Peak, but never had enough coin to buy one. They're much better than torches or lanterns, and they don't stink up the place. The surface is fantastic!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods, remembering how useful the beads of sun had been in the past. Of course, she didn't really need it anymore, given how much her night vision had sharpened. "How long have you been here? On the surface, that is," Dilaa asks, curious about Webb's past as her comment reminds her that the dwarf had spent most of her life underground. Living underground...she can barely imagine it, remembering how things had been during their expedition with Mithra to the strange underground complex. Going without the sky and the freedom of the surface had been fine for a time, but Dilaa doubts that it would be the same if she had had to stay down there for months or years. "What's the underground like?"

[Hazuki]

"I've been up here for about...six months or so. I didn't want to sit around just because my Clan were busy trying to shove me into another, so I went exploring outside of Krona Peak. And that led me all over the place. Beautiful nature, fascinating cultures, interesting ladies..." Webb grins. "What's not to love? And it's much easier to avoid ********s. My Clan are meant to be barbarians, for Arrah's sake, not worrying about how you fight." She chuckles. "But, besides those, it's nice enough below. You don't get to see nature as much, though. And if you do, it'll probably try to kill you."

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks sad, but she nods.
"Aw... ok. Have fun! Goodbye!"
Waving goodbye to Kulaas, Tulip starts flying back down to Noble, and Tobi.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods as Webb explains why she came to the surface. "Have you found anything like that in Garmine?" She briefly interjects as the dwarf lists off some of the things she's found on the surface, her smile a hint that her question was mostly directed at the final of the three. As Webb continues and mentions the nature of the underground, the warrior raises an eyebrow. "Most nature there will try to kill you? That sounds almost as bad as the sand sea," the warrior remarks. "Is it a relief, then? Being somewhere where you can relax a bit more?"

[Hazuki]

Noble and Tobi are simply walking along the streets of Garmine, without much to say.

~

"Lots, actually. The only problem is getting to that stuff. Most people here have their way of doing things, how they've settled down, which is kind of confusing for a newcomer. Poor Keres and Lyria have it the worst of us." Webb answers, still smiling. "And I liked the fighting! But if I had to choose between that and here, the surface definitely has more to offer."

[PersonMan]

"It is strange," Dilaa agrees, nodding. "Garmine is even more odd than most of the north. I can understand that a noble would have more trouble adapting to its customs than I've had," she continues. As Webb mentions enjoying the fighting, she raises an eyebrow again, surprised. "I see. I hadn't thought you enjoyed fighting."

[Hazuki]

"What's not to like? Glory? Good! Loot? Good! Adrenaline? Very good!" Webb replies, smiling quite broadly. "Plus, my talents are uniquely suited for it. I'd hate to let them go to waste."

[PersonMan]

"I've had...different experiences," Dilaa explains. "It does things to me I'd rather not go through," she says, looking up briefly as she continues. "And there generally wasn't much looting afterwards, in most of my battles..."

[Archmage1]

Spotting Noble and Tobi, Tulip flies down to them, sneakily landing on Noble's shoulder, before she cheerfully speaks up, to Noble, before she starts chirping.
"I found you again!"
"Tobi, did you have fun today? Maybe we should go back to Tirai, and see how she's doing?"

[Hazuki]

"That's understandable, too. Quite a few of the people in my Clan, berserkers mostly, have troubles about losing themselves in their anger. Sometimes they just get too riled up, start seeing their friends as enemies with all that blood pumping. It's...not a pretty sight." Webb grimaces, then gets a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But I'm sure you don't have to worry about that part."

[Hazuki]

"You did." Noble confirms Tulip's statement.

Tobi, who looks all tuckered out, nods her head. "Tirai is good. She has nice things."

[Archmage1]

Tulip chirps to Tobi some more, her voice quite cheerful.
"Tirai's really nice, and she has her children now too! And I think we're kinda tired too, now... so let's go back! Maybe Noble won't mind taking is there?"
"Noble, do you mind taking us to Tirai's home? Tobi's really tired, and it would be really nice!"

[Hazuki]

"Noble is nice...she has comfortable shoulders." Tobi chirps back.

"I will." Noble consented, and started to head in the direction of Tirai's home.

[Archmage1]

Tulip nods happily at Tobi's response.
"I know! They're really wide, and nice and soft, and no metal! And she doesn't mind if you rest on them! She's really nice!"
When Noble agrees, Tulip smiles at her, and shifts a bit, to get more comfy on her perch.
"Thank you, Noble. It's been a really long day for Tobi!"
She also reports success to Tobi.
"She'll take us to Tirai's!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa is halfway to a reply when the meaning of Webb's words sinks in and she stops to grin. It's a quick change, the somber consideration of her past being brought around to a much more playful enjoyment of the present, but a pleasant one. Perhaps they could continue that discussion at a later date, but for the time being Dilaa didn't want to ignore the dwarf's shifting of the conversation. "Yes, I can see you perfectly," the warrior replies.

[Hazuki]

"Yayyyy..." The fatigued bird replies. She stays quiet for the rest of the trip, as Noble delivers the pair of tiny creatures to Tirai's door and lets Tulip knock on it.

Tirai soon answers the door, smiling. "Hello, all. Would you like to come in?"

~

"Not perfectly." Webb laughs softly. "I've got all these clothes in the way!"

Lance, who's been staying silent thus far, is blushing quite prominently. "I'm going to, uhh, run back. Bye." With that, the Changeling runs away.

[Archmage1]

Tulip nods happily.
"Thank you, Tirai! Tobi's really tired, and I am too! Noble, thank you for taking us."
She waits for Noble to decide if she wants to come in, or not.

[PersonMan]

"With, without...I'm certain you could wear a bush and still look good in it," Dilaa replies with a shrug. "But if you say they're in the way, I'll believe you," she pauses to smile, eyebrows rising and falling in a brief, synchronized movement. Then, as she's about to speak, Lance speaks up for the first time and rushes off. Momentarily stunned by the changeling's sudden return to the forefront of her consciousness, Dilaa waves her a brief farewell, turning back to Webb. "It seems we've frightened your friend," she says. "Will you be following her back? I could come with you - I'd like to tell the others about what has been done so far. But as long as you're here, it'd be a pleasant journey no matter our goal."

[Hazuki]

"You can come in and rest, if you'd like." Tirai smiles at the trio and Tobi almost immediately darts past her head to find something tasty. Tulip notices, as the woman avoids the flying bird, that there are a small series of gifts on Tirai's table.

"I'll go." Noble tells the group, nodding and walking away.

~

"We can do that." Webb replies, her voice as casual as can be. "Or I could whistle down one of the couriers, send the news, and we can find something else to do."

[PersonMan]

"Something else? Well, with the hour so I late I think we'd have few options," Dilaa replies, a calm front fading as she speaks, her smile growing. "The inns have people ready even late, we could surely find a room at one. Then I can show you something of the surface that you may not have seen before," she continues with a wink.

[Archmage1]

"We can? Thank you, Tirai! Thank you, Noble, for bringing us here! Have fun!"
As she flies inside, waving goodbye to , Tulip spots the gifts, and she lands near them, on the table.
"Did someone give you presents? We decided to try giving everyone presents in my garden, once, but it was really messy, and the leaves complained, so we didn't do it again."

[Hazuki]

Tobi is already cuddling up in a pillow by the time Tulips gets inside and Tirai closes the door.

"I did! My friends were quite generous." The robed woman confirms, as she takes a seat on one of her chairs. "You may go to sleep now, if you'd like. I won't hold it against you."

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks sad that she missed Tirai's friends.
"Aw... I was hoping to meet them, but I had to help build houses instead. It was fun, but... I think meeting everyone would have been more fun."
Tulip smiles happily at Tirai's offer.
"Thank you, Tirai! Are the children sleeping? Did they get to meet your friends?"
As Tirai starts to reply, Tulip lies down, clearly intending to listen to Tirai's response, however, sadly, Tulip's body asserts itself, and she falls asleep, almost instantly.

[Raunchel]

"Thank you for your lessons, they were really helpful. I'm certain that I will be able to put them to good use. I'm certain that I'll get to see you again soon, but I's better go to sleep now. Bye!", Yildiz jumps up, going through all the things that she learned today. She already sees some potential approaches, oh yes, it is bound to be fun. All she needs is someone to help her perfect her ideas, and to see if they would actually work. She might know the perfect petal for the job.

Yildiz skips quickly climbs up a roof and runs over them, looking for something interesting in the city.

[Hazuki]

As soon as Dilaa finishes with her affirmative comment, Webb has whistled sharply to one of the constantly-overhead birds. It dips down through the air and perches on a nearby crate, watching with patient eyes as she scribbles on parchment with a chunk of charcoal and rolls it up. She passes it to the bird, along with a single gold coin, which it examines for a moment before taking flight. The Dwarf smiles charmingly at Dilaa as she starts to lead her away.

"Let's go." They go to Dilaa's normal inn, the one hosted by a scaled couple and their children, but take a room a little further away from her regular one...

When morning comes, Dilaa is the first to wake. Webb is curled up in the cushion-bed, evidently quite a deep sleeper, and the sun is just barely peeking over the horizon through the window. There doesn't seem to be much happening, at least this time of morning, with only a few citizens even apparently awake.

~

Tirai's words barely manage to reach Tulip's ears as she drifts off to sleep. It's a peaceful rest that eases away any stress in her muscles and leaves her feeling refreshed when she's woken up by the deliciously sweet scent of honey drifting through the air. Her eyes flickering open, the Petal can see that a small cup of spiced honey has been prepared for her and sits right beside her makeshift bed.

In the other room, Tulip can spot the flitting lights of Tirai's children, along with the silhouette of the woman herself, as she tends to the giggling fairies.

~

"Farewell." Cerise waves to Yildiz as she leaves. Unfortunately for the child, her roof-hopping doesn't seem to reveal very much of interest at all! It almost comes to sunrise before she notices something strange happening, near the center of Garmine and outside the bakery. There stands a fairly tall woman, with an extremely elegant posture to match the fine clothing she's wearing. Her beauty is quite remarkable, with porcelain skin adorning her human face, and fur the color of brightest white adorning her fluffy cat ears, and the similar tail that flits to and fro just above her posterior. Judging by the short, sharp flicks, she's annoyed. At least, if Yildiz knows anything about cats.

The beautiful cat-woman is speaking to a smaller female, with skin like blackened wood and hair that simply seems to be fire rising from the top of her skull. She's dressed in less elegant clothing, and seems to slouch slightly under the gaze of the taller woman.

"What's that in your hands?" The cat-woman demands, her hands on her hips.

"Madame Ria..." The girl replies, her tone quite exasperated, but not in a confrontational manner. "The bakery is closed."

"And where is my cake?" The cat-woman continues.

"I don't have your cake, Madame Ria. The bakery is closed."

"Slave! Bake me a cake." Madame Ria demands, and points down the street.

"My name is Lelia..." The flame-haired girl mutters, turning on her heel and starting to walk down the street.

"I don't know what this 'Lelia' is, but it sounds disappointing." The Madame comments, following on the woman's heels with an arrogant smirk on her lips.

[Archmage1]

When she wakes, Tulip's first thoughts are of disappointment, as she had been looking forward to talking with Tirai, but she had fallen asleep instead.
And then she smells the honey, and her eyes go wide in delight.
"Honey!"
She's just reaching for it when she hears the giggling faeries, and spots Tirai and the children, and she smiles cheerfully, snagging the cup, and flying towards them, waving cheerfully with her free hand, and smiling happily.
"Hi Tirai! Hi children!"
She pauses just outside the wards, looking inside regretfully.

Not really wanting to unilaterally say that Tulip will remember the ward without a reminder, so...
[roll0] Will
If she fails, she'll head inside the wards, with them. Unless Tirai reminds her.

Well, nat 20 succeeds, so she remembered

[Raunchel]

Yildiz sits perched on a roof when she notices the peculiar scene. The woman is so pretty, and catty. It's just not fair. She wants to tear her fine skin from the skull that lies under it, but she doesn't. This is much too interesting for that. However, the mention of cake makes her reconsider, Yildiz loved cake once, although she now barely remembers the taste, only that it was nice. She leaps down from her safe spot to follow them more closely, she really wants to know more about the lady, she might even be fun to be around. But she is more careful than she used to be, this city is filled with far too powerful mages, which is really mean of them.

[Hazuki]

A few of the rapidly-flitting children take notice of Tulip at the doorway, though their reactions are quite mixed. Some seem curious, some simply giggle, while some dart off to hide. Those ones are swiftly hunted down by the other fairies and chased across the room. Tirai turns to Tulip and smiles at her, the fairy she was holding then taking a grasp of her hair and climbing up to her shoulder.

"Good morning, Tulip. I hope you're well?" Upon getting a confirmation of it, she nods and adjusts her robes slightly. "I actually had something I wanted to ask of you, if you're willing?"

~

Madame Ria and her "slave" continue walking down the streets, but they don't manage to stay in silence for long, as they take a corner to one of the more well-designed corners of the city.

"...slave!" Madame Ria calls out in a sing-song voice. "When we get back home, I want you to scratch behind my ears."

"Yes, Madame Ria." The girl replies, her voice level for the moment. "I saw something in the market today, Madame Ria."

"Your parents must be so proud."

"It was a collar that provides you with a magical servant. Lady Molestingrope claimed that it's quite useful."

"I hate that girl." Madame Ria bemoaned. "And I told you not to talk to strangers!"

"But, Madame Ria, it might be useful. Fo-"

"Slave!" The cat-woman sung again. "Bring me my whip."

"You don't have a whip, Madame Ria. You got it confiscated after trying to use it on that wizard..." Lelia replied.

"He was asking for it!"

"He was a foreign diplomat."

"He had a goatee." Madame Ria snorted. "He was clearly evil."

Lelia opened her mouth to speak, then sighed. "Very wise, Madame Ria."

[Archmage1]

Tulip seems quite charmed by the faerie's reaction to her.
"Good Morning, Tirai! I'm wonderful, thank you! The honey it's... it's... honey! And I get to say hi to your children, and you! Of course I'll help you! What would you like?"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa smiles as she wakes up. It felt good to have a friend in her arms, but it was better to have a lover in them. The warrior spends a moment simply enjoying the morning's light and her surroundings, eventually shaking the dwarf in her arms gently, trying to wake her pleasantly. "Good morning Webb," she says, shifting to sit up so that she can look at Webb's face, looking for a sign of awakening in her eyes.

[Hazuki]

"Grand." Tirai smiled, as she held up a finger and let one of her colorful children hop onto it. "I have a few letters of thanks that I'd like given to those who've aided me and my children. I'd like them delivered."

~

Webb slowly wakes up as Dilaa stirs her, smiling as she gathers her thoughts. "Good morning, you. What's going on?" She asked, slightly drowsy and rubbing her eyes.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily at Tirai's request, still watching the merrily playing faeries.(And smiling happily at them too)
"Of course! I love meeting new people! It'll be lots of fun!"

[Raunchel]

Yildiz can't suppress a giggle when she hears the conversation. So she might as well let her presence be known. "Finally someone in this city knows how to treat a servant. And please, forgive me my lack of manners, I am princess Yildiz vel Enas, and you are?", she smiles sincerely, this woman might prove useful.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa smiles, shrugging her shoulders at Webb's question. "That depends," she begins. "If you're interested, there's a nice way we can start the day...unless you'd rather sleep some more," she says, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

[Hazuki]

"Thank you, Tulip. The ones wrapped with a gold ribbon can be delivered to the authority building. The ones with red ribbons will likely be busy, so you can just leave them on their doorsteps. The blue one can be delivered to the bartender at The Regal Chicken." Tirai informs her. "They're sitting on the table, just waiting to be delivered."

~

Lelia seems positively startled as Yildiz practically materializes before them. Madame Ria seems likewise surprised, though it's expressed through her fluffy tail flicking, her eyes pointing backwards, and her eyes dilate. The woman is soon smirking again.

"Slave! Introduce me!" Madame Ria demands.

"Good morning, Princess Yildiz vel Enas." Lelia greets Tulip with a low, begrudging bow. "You are addressing Madame Ria. I'm-"

"A slave." Madame Ria interrupts. "I'm trying to house-train her." She explains to Yildiz, quite casually, considering how she's been treating Lelia. "But you're a princess, huh?" She pauses for a moment. "Slave, I am now Princess Ria."

"Yes, Princess Ria."

"What do you do, Princess Yildiz?" Princess Ria asks of the child.

~

Dilaa's wily charms work once again, as she and Webb wake up a little bit later and the dwarf stretches out her arms. "I think I'm about ready to get some stuff done now!" The dwarf enthusiastically declares as she slips out of the bed. "Got any plans for the day?"

[PersonMan]

"Some, yes," Dilaa replies, standing shortly after Webb leaves the bed. She looks forward to the day, smiling as she briefly looks out the window. "I'll want to speak to everyone about the homes a bit, then I'll be busy building more - I made a deal to help build three other houses in exchange for getting their help in making the two for you all," the warrior explains, doing a few stretches as she speaks. "Will you be with the other acolytes for most of the day?"

[Hazuki]

"I might be." Webb replies as she brushes herself down with a damp cloth from the side-room. "We're all pretty tired out from doing the puzzle every day, so I think Cerise was planning to let us do something else. And she'll want to, too, no doubt - when I left, she was all set to teach Yildiz about magic. Puzzles followed by tutoring? Bo-ring!" She grins.

[PersonMan]

"So you will have much more time for your own things today," Dilaa says, nodding. She's about to continue, when a thought suddenly comes to her. She had promised to help Navigator construct more houses, and had expected that to take up much of the day, but a memory crosses her mind and reminds her of other options she has. Mithra had done things similar before, perhaps she could be convinced to use her magics to speed up the process of building the houses? "I think I'll be going to ask Mithra for a favor, actually. I think she has magic that can speed up something I would otherwise be spending quite a bit of time on today," she explains, beginning her own efforts to clean herself for the coming day. "If you don't have other plans, you could come with me. There are some things I'd like to speak to you about, and even with your clothes on you are quite good company," Dilaa finishes, smiling at her dwarf companion.

[Hazuki]

"That could be fun, yeah." Webb smiles at Dilaa as she pulls on her dress from the night before, as well as the large green cloak that all the acolytes wear. "She definitely seems like the kind of person who should be spending time in some noble's court, really, but she's a lot less seedy than most of them seem." She grins at the last comment. "And you're not so different with your clothes on," She gestures to the skimpy armor. "So right back at ya!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip, who was just finishing the last of the spiced honey, nods happily.
"Ok! I'll be back later! Bye Tirai! Bye Children!"
Cheerfully waving goodbye, Tulip darts over to the table, and looks at the messages, putting Tirai's cup carefully down as she prepares to collect the notes.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa dresses as Webb speaks - not that it takes very long, given the simple nature of her attire. As she shoulders the cloak she grins, raising an eyebrow. "I may look similar, but I doubt walking to Mithra's will be the same sort of experience..." she says, retrieving her weapon. Making sure her companion is ready, the warrior leaves the room, heading down the stairs where she waits for Webb to catch up. "Seeing as we'll both be in Garmine for a while, do you think we could do this more often? The entire thing, I mean. It's nice," she says as they leave the inn, seeming to grow more thoughtful as she speaks.

[Hazuki]

"Farewell, Tulip." Tirai waves to the Petal, and some of her children mimic the motion. The letters are folded into three segments, with wax joining the end of each sheet together to prevent peeking. On each one is an address and the person it's meant for. Three have gold ribbons, two red, and one blue.

~

"I'd like that. A lot." Webb grins up at Dilaa as they start to walk through the streets of Garmine. Soon enough, while making idle chit-chat along the way, especially when Webb notices a particularly interesting citizen of Garmine, they arrive at the gates to the authority building. After explaining their purpose, they're soon ushered in and allowed up to Mithra's office, where the cloaked woman sits and greets them both with a nod and a smile.

"Good morning, Webb. And to you, Dilaa." She gestures for the pair to sit at the chairs on the other side of her sparse desk.

"Morning, Mithra! Thanks for sending such good help." Webb smiles back and gestures to Dilaa. "Especially such attractive help."

Mithra smirks at this and nods. "I'm pleased that you're pleased with her."

[Archmage1]

Cheerfully collecting the letters, Tulip gently puts them into her bag, before heading towards Mithra's place, happily humming to herself.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa is cheery during their walk to Mithra's workplace, and sits down shortly after Mithra offers them chairs. She accepts Webb's compliment silently, amusement in her eyes as she looks between the dwarf and the mage. "It's good to see that I am held in such high esteem," she says, before turning entirely to Mithra. "I'd like to ask you a favor - in order to get the help we needed to make a place for the acolytes to stay, I promised to help construct three others. Earlier this morning I remembered that you've used magic that could be helpful here in the past. Is there something I could do for you in exchange for your help with this?" The warrior asks.

[Hazuki]

Tulip soon arrives at the gates of the authority building, where guards stand at the gates and eye her as she arrives. The winged elf from the other day isn't guarding, apparently.

~

"Hmm." Mithra leans back in her chair and folds her fingers into a pyramid as she considers what Dilaa's said. "You are already doing a favor on my behalf, however incomplete it is. And while I did want you to complete it yourself...using the assets available to you is somewhat wise."

"Please go easy on her, Mithra." Webb requests, leaning on the table slightly. "She's really doing a good job."

"Very well, Webb. I would prefer to have some decoration for this room, however little I like it." Mithra looks to her walls. "In return for aiding you in constructing the houses, Dilaa, I would like you to pose for a painting. Right away. It will help me tune my crafting skills in preparation for construction."

"It should be a nude painting." Webb adds.

"Indeed." Mithra remarks, though Dilaa can tell that the mage's motivation for doing so is mostly for her own amusement. Judging by the smirk.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles at the guards, and waves as she flies over the gate, heading towards Mithra's room.

[Hazuki]

Tulip finds that these guards are like the last guard in that they don't just let her fly inside. The closest one, bearing draconic wings, flies up in front of Tulip.

"You're not allowed to fly right in, Miss." He informs her with his scaled maw.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks sad.
"Aw... but I was going to see Mithra! Maybe if I come back later? Could I come in then?"
She smiles hopefully at him.

[Hazuki]

The guard pauses for a moment, then nods his head. "Go inside. Straight to Mithra."

Tulip soon finds Mithra's office again, this time occupied by Dilaa, Webb, and the mage herself. The latter looks up to the Petal and nods in greeting. "Good morning, Tulip. I've finished scribing the spell and am prepared to send your message to Sivath. It must be twenty five words or less, remember." She pauses. "Oh, and thank you for taking care of Kulaas' problem. I appreciate it."

[PersonMan]

Dilaa waits silently as Mithra considers her request. Webb's plea gains a small smile from her, but she seems to be more calm than anything else, simply waiting for the mage to finish her considerations. As she mentions a painting, the warrior's eyebrows rise, and she shrugs. Then Webb adds her own recommendation, and she looks over at her with a slight frown, pausing halfway to standing. "I can pose for a painting, but...does it need to be without clothes?" She asks, shifting ever so slightly so that her cloak fully closes, gaze not moving from Mithra's. Then Tulip arrives, and the warrior takes the opportunity to step back, eyes going down as her thoughts turn inward.

[Hazuki]

"Not at all." Mithra assures Dilaa. "Your comfort is more important than a painting in a room I rarely visit."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles delightedly at the guard.
"Yaay! Thank you!"
She flies merrily towards Mithra's office, only getting distracted twice along the way. After she arrives, she pauses as she notices Dilaa and Webb, and she smiles cheerfully.
"Hi Mithra! Hi Dilaa! Hi Webb!"
Once Mithra finishes speaking, Tulip flies over to the desk, and lands, still smiling cheerfully.
"Yay! Thank you! Now I get to think of what to say!"
She starts thinking about it, and then she remembers Tirai's message.
"I've got a message for you too, from Tirai!"
Reaching into her bag, she pulls out the letter addressed to Mithra, and holds it out to Mithra, carefully holding it in both hands.
While she waits for Mithra to take the letter, Tulip thinks of her message, speaking quietly, clearly considering wording.
"Hi Sivath! Maybe Violet made you as a copy of you from my memories? I'm afraid that you aren't my trick, but it would have been a really good one! I'm sure it's ok! I love you too, Sivath! Both of you!"
Clearly counting, she swiftly realizes that her message has too many words, so she tries cutting some out.
"Hi! Maybe Violet made you from my memory? Not my trick, but a good trick! Please be nice, ok! Love you too, Both of you!"
She counts this one too, and smiles happily.
"Ok, I've got the message! But... I think Kulaas found something to do herself! I don't think she likes me much. I'm nice, but she's so afraid that I'm going to take you away from her!"
She seems sadder as she reveals her fears about Kulaas.

[Hazuki]

"Ah, thank you." Mithra accepts the letter and, after examining it for a moment, tucks it into her cloak. "Kulaas seemed to think that you found something for her to do. Building houses, if I remember correctly." The mage's door opens, then closes. She looks to the dwarf and Dilaa. "My servant is collecting the painting equipment. It might take a short time, but casting this spell requires time regardless."

With that, Mithra spends a long ten minutes muttering chanting under her breath, one hand performing particularly complex gestures in the air while wisps of emerald energy form around it. By the end of the ten minutes, she stops her chanting, but keeps her eyes closed. Another half a minute passes before she opens her eyes. "There we are. Sivath has replied to say: I am as nice as I care to be. We will investigate this further, perhaps. Continue staying safe, and befriending powerful mages. Farewell."

"That's great. You're great." Webb compliments the cloaked mage, having sat staring at her spellcasting for that time.

"Thank you. I try." At that moment, the invisible servant arrives with a fairly large canvas and a collection of paint vials. "Dilaa, could you pose against the wall? And Tulip, produce an illusion of something pretty behind her?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily as Mithra says what Kulaas had found.
"Really? She's going to help build houses too? Yay!"

While Mithra casts her spell, Tulip fidgets, eagerly awaiting the results, clearly paying close attention. Once she knows Sivath's response, she smiles happily.
"Yay! Everything's going to be ok! Sivath and Sivath are getting along!"

Asked for an illusion, Tulip smiles happily.
"Of course!"
After a few moments of thought, an image appears behind Dilaa, like a window into a memory of a view from a mountain valley, with a cheerfully burbling stream(Moving, of course. And you can hear the sound) to the left, beautiful flowers scattered everywhere, but yet, somehow seeming almost arranged, the sun rising far over the horizon, clearly visible miles and miles away, with a large forest, and a few smaller mountains and hills visible. All in all, it seems quite beautiful, and quite idyllic.

[Raunchel]

"I am on a tour of the world, to see what it is like and what all these ignorant cretins try to hide. And what is it that you do, aside from putting up with your slave?"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa relaxes at Mithra's response, nodding. As Tulip speaks again, she listens, raising one eyebrow as the fey and the mage discuss a spell and message. As Mithra casts her spell, the warrior watches, fascinated for some time but eventually finding the display of arcane power unable to hold her interest due to her lack of understanding. She looks about the room for the last few minutes of Mithra's casting, more interested in the reactions of her companions to it than the details of the ceremony. As the painting supplies arrive, she nods again, stepping against the wall. Dilaa spends a moment simply standing still, unsure of how to stand, as a forested background appears behind her.

"Is...how should I...stand? I've never posed for a painting before. Or posed at all, except for muster," she says, looking primarily at Mithra. Apart from the awkwardness of her posture, Dilaa doesn't seem to be uncomfortable.

[Hazuki]

"Any kind of heroic pose will do." Mithra informs Dilaa.

~

"I'm a guard of Garmine. After they threw me in the cells and made me eat porridge. That was dumb of them." Princess Ria answers Yildiz.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods, but doesn't move for a few moments as she considers precisely what would be considered a heroic pose. Eventually she nods to herself before grabbing her weapon with one hand. At the same time she slides one foot forwards, putting her weight onto the forward leg and pulling her blade forward slightly. With her free hand she moves her cloak to the side, leaving it in the air as if she were swinging it backwards.

[Hazuki]

Mithra looks at Dilaa for a moment before nodding. She focuses for a moment, two fingers against her forehead, then gives a slow wave of her hand over the paints. They all rush out of their pots, swirling across the canvas before applying themselves to it almost instantly. In just six seconds, a full and exquisite painting is made of Dilaa before Tulip's background.

"There we are. To the houses, then?" Mithra asks the group.

[Archmage1]

Tulip claps cheerfully, even as her background fills up with flowers before vanishing.
"It's wonderful!"

However, when Mithra speaks up, Tulip shakes her head.
"I've got to deliver more messages for Tirai! Do you know where I can find Lilitu Clarasis and Reno Ebonheart? They're supposed to be here, somewhere!"

[Hazuki]

"Put them on the table and my servant can deliver them." Mithra instructs Tulip. "They will not want to be disturbed by a citizen."

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks a little sad at that.
"Aw... but I was hoping to meet them! I'm sure they're nice, since they're friends with Tirai!"
Still, she pulls out the two remaining gold wrapped letters.

"I've got some more too, but they've got addresses, so we can explore, and find them!"

[Raunchel]

"Most people are really stupid", Yildiz agrees, "is being a guard a lot of work? And porridge doesn't sound nice, I don't want to have it, ever. Where are you from?"

[Hazuki]

Tulip looks a little sad at that.
"Aw... but I was hoping to meet them! I'm sure they're nice, since they're friends with Tirai!"
Still, she pulls out the two remaining gold wrapped letters.

"I've got some more too, but they've got addresses, so we can explore, and find them!""You may. I have business to attend to." Mithra informs Tulip. "Business that, I assure you, will give you plenty more time to have fun. Especially if it involves the acolytes."

Webb looks over to Tulip and shoots her a smile. "I'd be glad to spend some more time with you later!"


"Most people are really stupid", Yildiz agrees, "is being a guard a lot of work? And porridge doesn't sound nice, I don't want to have it, ever. Where are you from?""Not a lot. But I get a slave and to cut people up when they're being pricks." Princess Ria informs Yildiz with a smirk on her lips, then looks to Lelia, frowning. "Where's my cake?"

"We stopped..." Lelia points out.

"I told you to bake me a cake. Move along and do it before I bake you!"

"Yes, Princess Ria." The flame-haired girl trudges off.

"I'm from Breland. A wondrous place where I also got paid to hurt people. Especially rogue mages. And you?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily once more.
"Ok! We'll have fun later then! Bye!"
She drops off the gold wrapped letters, and then sets out, waving goodbye as she goes, heading to the address on Ruffle's letter.

[Hazuki]

Tulip finds it quite easy to get to Ruffles' address, as it's sitting in one of the busier parts of Garmine and has a wooden sign hanging over the heavily-decorated metal door. It has a picture of an eye, covered with mist, and surrounded by the words "Ruffles' Enchantery". The door is slightly ajar, as though inviting the Petal in.

[Archmage1]

Wanting to say hi, and see what was going on, Tulip knocks timidly on the door, and, not hearing a response, she flies cheerfully inside.

[Hazuki]

The inside of the dark wooden home is absolutely covered with character and decorations, as dark and colorful banners are wraped all over the walls, totems and candles sit on shelves covered with engravings, and numerous carpets ranging from fur, to feather, to simply soft cotton cover different parts of the floor. Even the pillars that hold up the roof seem to be for show, as they hold shelves and shelves of of little jars with odd substances inside them. At the far end of the large, windowless room sits an apparently thirty-something woman with slightly pointed ears. Purple hair curls around her calm face, while her skinny little body is adorned with a fine silk corset and paired with loose silk pants, leading down to her bare feet.

A little bell dings as Tulip enters and the woman's eyes flash open to reveal bright yellow orbs of light where her eyes should be; they release little wisps of light that curl around her face before dissipating.

"Good morning!" She greets Tulip, her voice vibrating in the air as wisps emerge with each spoken syllable. She quickly strides over to Tulip, blazing eyes examining her closely. "Ruffles." She touches one of the ruffles on her corset. "That's my name! What have you got?"

[Archmage1]

Entering the room, Tulip looks around at the many wonders, her eyes quite wide as she admires the many strange, new things there. She seems startled as the bell dings, but once the woman's eyes open, Tulip can't seem to look away. She is, as always, smiling cheerfully.
"Ooh, pretty! I've never seen eyes like that before! I'm Tulip! You have lots of pretty things! And you're nice!"

[Hazuki]

"And I'm Ruffles!" The woman replies, nodding and licking her lips. "What does the fairy need with her, hmm? Me."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles cheerfully, managing to tear her eyes from Ruffles to look back around the room at the many wonders as Ruffles speaks again.
"Tirai sent me! Ooh! That's really pretty!"
She flies over to a snowglobe, one with a lovely meadow inside, and investigates it, smiling cheerfully.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa is stunned at the speed with which Mithra finishes the painting, but chides herself for it as soon as the surprise fades - the woman was a mage, a powerful one, why would she need to spend hours working on the painting when she had such magic at her disposal? The warrior steps forwards and turns halfway around, admiring the scenery on the wall behind her as Tulip and Mithra speak. Then, as the fey flies off, she turns back to them, smiling, shifting to reduce the discomfort coming from the tenderness still remaining from the last day's surge of pain. "That was faster than I expected," Dilaa says, nodding to the painting. "I can bring us to the houses. It'll be right by the two we built for the acolytes, so you can take a look at those as well."

[Hazuki]

"Very well. We can walk." Mithra says, as her unseen servant hangs the painting on one of the walls. As the trio walks out of the building and onto the streets of Garmine, Webb seems quite interested in probing Mithra for stories or other information on exotic creatures or peoples that she's met. Although her storytelling skills aren't honed, and the examples of creatures she gives more lists of facts than a woven telling, Mithra seems quite happy to share her knowledge with her acolyte, who seems to eat it up quite eagerly.

When they arrive at the site of the houses, and see that the Navigator has spent all the time up until then laying the foundations for the next home, Mithra soon approaches him. "Good morning. My name is Mithra; I've agreed to aid Dilaa in building these houses in return for a favor. If you can provide me with some guidance in building them, I will begin."

The ape who's been helping the Navigator eyes the situation warily. The Navigator himself nods. "Very well." What follows is a straightforward series of instructions on how to build a home, which Mithra listens through patiently, until he's finished, and nods. "Are you certain this is within your abilities?"

"I should think so." Mithra says, as she walks up to the spot of the next house. She holds her hand out towards it, cloak draped around her arm, then focuses as emerald energy spirals out of her hand and around all of the gathered materials. In under a minute, an entire house has been constructed, of sturdy make and similar design to those already built. She repeats this and builds two more houses, her eyes aglow with each one, until the other three have been built and she turns to the group. "Will that be all?" Despite her apparent attempt at playing it cool, the smirk on her lips is barely restrained from breaking into a grin.

~

The snowglobe is of a particularly sprawling castle, complete with spiral staircases and murals on the stone.

"What did Tirai send you for?"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa watches Mithra construct all three homes in silent awe - she had known the mage was capable of great feats, but her expectations for the construction had been entirely different. She had expected her to create walls of stone and use her invisible servants to do the work, rather than simply build the entire thing with sheer magical power.

"I...yes. Thank you," Dilaa murmurs, snapping out of her trance to look back at Mithra. "That was very impressive."

[Archmage1]

Still admiring the lovely snowglobe, Tulip looks away from it, with a small sigh of regret as she smiles at Ruffles, and flies back over to her.
"I've got a letter for you! Here!"
She reaches into her bag, and holds out Ruffle's letter.

[Raunchel]

"I'm from my own kingdom, but I'm not there anymore because of some stupid magic-thing. I never got paid for anything, but sometimes I did get to hurt people, basically whenever I wanted to. It was a lot of fun. But here there are all these mages, and they make things really annoying."

[Hazuki]

"Thank you." Mithra replies, that same smirk still on her lips. Webb is simply giving the mage a round of applause. Over by the houses, the ape is looking a mixture between amazed and slightly grumpy. She sighs slightly. "It's not going to stop you from making more." She calls over to the ape, then looks to Dilaa again. "I'll be going now. Busy as ever. Farewell, Dilaa. Webb." She gives each a nod before starting to walk away.

~

"Thankssss." Ruffles says as she takes the letter.

~

"I don't like any of those people." Princess Ria agrees. "Except for Kalahira. That girl is sweeeet."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily at her thanks, but she seems to be somewhat torn, as she starts to head towards the door, but keeps getting distracted by the many delightful objects on the shelves.
"Thank you! I should deliver the next one, but... you have so many interesting things... Maybe I could look at them for a while? They look really nice! Or maybe I could come back later?"

[Hazuki]

"Maybe!" Ruffles replies, running the edges of the envelope between her fingers. "You can find all kinds of things here! I can put them in your head!" She chuckles. "Theoretically! At least, not jam them in. That'd hurt!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip, who is now looking at the many delightful objects in the room(She's darting from shelf to shelf, investigating them while she talks), is slightly confused by Ruffle's comment.
"But... they're bigger than my head! They wouldn't fit!"
As she speaks, she peers through a large piece of crystal, making funny faces as she sees the distortion on the mirrored backing.

[Hazuki]

"Let me touch you!" Ruffles enthusiastically declares, the wisps of words emerging from her lips particularly bright.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, who was moving to have a look at the next fun thing on the shelf(A tree, made out of a green stone, held together with copper wiring), takes off, and flies back over to Ruffles at her enthusiastic words.
"Ok! Will it be fun?"

[Hazuki]

"...I hope so!" Ruffles reaches out and grabs Tulip around her waist. The Petal manages to spot a wave of golden energy before her vision is knocked askew. When her bleary vision is cleared, she finds that she's no longer being grabbed by the glowing woman, or even anywhere near the store. She's standing in a great marble city, with spires that reach up to the amber heavens, all covered in grand doors far too large for even the giants of these lands. Across the skyline, she can see numerous dragons flying through the air, moving to and from these buildings or even dipping below the current level of the city to move to another, deeper part of the spires, where she can spot all manner of buildings and dragony-giants going about their business.

She's left alone for only a moment before somebody flies up to her side; an apparently human woman with short red hair, beautiful features, and a pair of evil feathered wings sprouting from her back. She wears a silvery chain shirt over a sapphire robe, with a buckler on one arm and runes criss-crossed over whatever shreds of skin that are bared - besides on her face. Just being in her presence, Tulip can feel power emanating from her.

"Warden Tulip." The woman bows low before the Petal. "Warden Saarebas, at your service. The savages have gathered at the base of the city - a group small enough for us alone. Nevertheless, we'd best depart before the citizenry starts to panic."

[Archmage1]

Tulip, surprised by the hug, starts to return it, before the wave of golden energy hits her. She shakes her head, trying to clear her eyes, but before long, she can see again. She looks around the marble city in awe, admiring the many dragons, and the lovely carvings in the marble.
Sadly, before she can really admire it, someone comes up, and Tulip looks at her, frowning slightly as she sees the wings, but smiling as she admires the lovely robe. When she speaks, Tulip listens, looking concerned as she mentions savages.
"Hi Saarebas! It's nice to meet you, but it's just Tulip! You feel funny! But let's go and say hi then! I'm sure it'll be ok!"
Tulip seems happy to follow Saarebas to the base of the city, not really understanding what was going on, or why she called her Warden, but if people were going to panic, she had to help!

[Hazuki]

"Surprisingly casual of you. But, very well, Tulip." Warden Saarebas replies. She then leads Tulip through the layered levels of the city, flying quite nimbly until they reach the very lowest level and a little outside of the city limits, where a group of ten creatures has gathered. They're grey-skinned, clad in armor and weaponry far less advanced than that of the Warden, and apparently quite upset as they harass the walls of the city with rocks, arrows, vials of liquid fire, swings of their axes, and even a goat or two.

A small blue dragon flies over to the Warden and Tulip as they hover in the air above the gang. "Wardens! They're going to stay there until a caravan arrives or leaves, then attack it! What can we do?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles cheerfully at the dragon, although she doesn't like the looks of the aggressive attackers. But talking to people, getting them to stop being mean... that was something she could do!
"We can talk to them, find out why they are here, and then see if we can help them to be nice, instead of mean!"
She flies down to them, flying about 20 feet above them, and pulls out her harp, and starts playing some lovely music, hoping to calm them down so they could talk about being nice.

[Hazuki]

"Grahhh! They mock us with their culture! TO ARMS!" The muscliest of the savages declares, followed by the rest of the group roaring in rage and starting to hurl their projectiles at Tulip.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks quite offended at this response, as she flies around the incoming objects.
"Hey! That isn't nice! Why don't you stop throwing things, and then we can talk! Wouldn't that be nicer?"
[roll0] hurried diplo

[Hazuki]

"Talk to my axe!" One of the group yells at Tulip, followed by hurling their axe at Tulip and narrowly missing.

[Archmage1]

Dodging the axe, Tulip calls down to the leader once more, this time, putting her will behind her words.
"Stop! Please? We can talk about this instead!"
(Casting suggestion, dc 20)

[Hazuki]

The leader orc folds his muscular arms over his chest and looks up at Tulip as she works her magic. "Very well. But I want you to know that I'm not happy about it."

[Archmage1]

Seeing them stop, Tulip smiles encouragingly as she flies down to talk with them.
"I'm sorry about that, but throwing things at me really isn't going to help anyone! What's wrong? Maybe you can explain it to me? And maybe I can help?"
Tulip smiles diplomatically, as she tries to get the orcs to explain their reasoning.
[roll0] not hurried diplomacy

[Hazuki]

"We want your things!" The leader demands gruffly. "So give us all of them, and we may leave. Until we want more things! Then we will return and demand them!"

[Archmage1]

At that request, Tulip looks really confused, looking down at herself, and then up at the far larger orc.
"Um... I don't think my things would fit you? You're much bigger than I am. Maybe... Maybe you'd be better off making your own things? Then they would fit you, and then you could trade with other people, to get other things that they make, and then you can have lots more fun that way! Just demanding things... That doesn't help make your life better, it just makes other people's lives worse! And that's just mean!"
[roll0] diplo(Trying to persuade the orcs to go into trade, rather than raiding)

[Raunchel]

"It's really mean, because those mages are really tricky, they can do all sorts of things that others can't. It's really unfair. So how did you catch them, when they have all their annoying spells and things?"

[Hazuki]

"But it is much easier! The weak make things, then the strong take them! It's the way of everything! And how I acquired this fashionable armor." He proudly beats at his bear-hide chestplate. "Making our own requires hunting, fighting great things, then learning how to craft them! And our work would then be inferior to those who've crafted for much longer!"

~

"Partly by being a pure badass. The other part...having a support system of spies for recon, and other mages to help out. The best way to hurt a mage is to have another mage to kick their ass! If you have them cornered and they're not too paranoid, you take away their tools. Cut off their pouches of spell reagants. Drain the spells out of their heads. That's what I did, and it was fantastic." Princess Ria informs Yildiz.

[Archmage1]

Tulip shakes her head.
"Is it easier? I mean, you've traveled for some time to get here, and then you would need to persuade us to give you what you want, and there are lots of dragons and people here who could hurt you! Wouldn't it be easier to make them yourselves? Why do you think that your work would be inferior? I mean, you know how to use it, so wouldn't you be able to design armor that is better than what you currently have? It's also quite mean to take things from other people, rather than earning them. And there are lots of stories of bandits and raiders losing, but not many about them winning, and even in those, they usually get hurt later."

[Hazuki]

"None of our stories are like that! All the stories we have feature us, victorious!" The leader snorts. "Or our ancestors. And of course we are going to be mean! That's what we do!" He announced, to cheers from the orcs. One of them excitedly tossed an axe that just missed Tulip. "Oi! Don't do that! I'm talking to the tiny girl!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip shakes her head, sadly.
"But how many stories are lost, because no one was left to tell them? How many of your ancestors have died, trying to take something, when it would have been simpler to trade, instead? Maybe you would be better off making new stories, instead of just repeating the old ones. Maybe that's the difference between civilization and barbarism?"
She also prepares to vanish, if they decide to try and be mean to her.(Readied action to cast invisibility in the event of combat)

[Hazuki]

"How many of my ancestors died that I don't know about? What is the sound of one hand clapping? You ask tricksy questions, tiny girl!" The leader declares. "And none would trade with us anyway, even if we listened to you! Such is our fearsome reputation!"

[Archmage1]

"But then you lose their stories, and their knowledge, and them! It's terrible! And if no one will trade with you, couldn't you just change your name? Or move elsewhere? Being nice is a much nicer than being mean, and I don't think you can take everything you need. You grow food, right? Maybe you can grow more of it, and trade food? Or else you could grow cotton, and make clothing, and trade that, or lots of things! You don't have to be mean!"

[Hazuki]

"Not our names, our faces! Our race! Orcs! We are fearsome, and none trade with us!" The leader declares.

Warden Saarebas flies down beside Tulip and whispers to her. "With all respect...may we just kill them and be done with it?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip scrunches up her face.
"You're so fearsome that no one will trade with you? Wouldn't true strength be in trading, rather than raiding? After all, if raiding is easy, isn't that the choice of the weak? Are you strong enough to overcome the beliefs of others? Are you skilled enough to succeed in a different situation?"

Tulip responds to Saarebas, whispering.
"If we can get them to trade, to be nice, instead of being mean... it won't stop just these, it will stop them in the future as well. Answering meanness with more meanness just makes things worse."

[Hazuki]

"I...suppose?" The orc leader replies, his face contorted with confusion.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles encouragingly at the orc leader.
"Do you want to trade?"

[Hazuki]

"We cannot trade with them." Warden Saarebas chimes in. "The city would not allow it. But you may direct them to a smaller hold or fortress in order for them to trade."

[PersonMan]

Dilaa gives Mithra a nod in return, adding a small wave as the mage leaves to return to her place of work. After a few moments she turns back to Webb. "Well, that takes care of that. I have a lot more time today now," she says, smiling. "And apart from talking to you and the other acolytes about preparing your new homes and bringing up another issue, I don't have anything that needs to be done. How about you?"

[Archmage1]

Still smiling encouragingly at the orc leader, Tulip continues.
"Ok, maybe you can't trade with us here, but you probably don't have your trading things with you now either. You can go to the other holds, and persuade them to trade. I think that while it might be harder for you, it will also be more satisfying, even if there are times that you would wish things were the other way."

[Hazuki]

"Not me." Webb smiles brightly. "I don't have plans beside meeting up with them for eight hours a day. I just roll with whatever I encounter."

~

The orc leader shrugs. "Then we'll do that. I suppose."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily at them.
"Yay! Thank you for being nice, and showing that you are strong! If you are successful, I think your song will be a grand one indeed!"

[Hazuki]

"In...Indeed?" The orc still looks confused at himself, but then marches away with his gaggle of followers.

Warden Saarebas nods to Tulip. "Well done. I would have preferred to take care of them permanently, but I suppose diplomacy is sometimes a necessity."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles at his confusion.
"You will be amazing at it! Just try!"
She waves goodbye as he leaves.

At Saarebas's comment, Tulip shakes her head.
"But he's part of a group, and if he can show his group that trading is better than raiding, then he will affect far more than just this group. If he simply went away, then maybe others would come, to find out what happened... Diplomacy is the better choice. Now, the world's a nicer place!"

[PersonMan]

"Alri-" Dilaa begins, then suddenly jerks upright. Eyes widening, she takes a step forwards. "Ah! Ehm, I just remembered something. I should check after Noble, make sure she's been warded already and everything..." as she speaks, another idea comes to her. "Could you head over to the Regal Chicken? I have something I'd like to offer for you and the other acolytes. Sorry to suddenly run off, but there's a demon involved and it's important that I'm quick," Dilaa explains, giving Webb a slight wave before dashing towards Mithra, trying to close the distance between her and the mage. As she gets closer, she calls out to her, trying to grab her attention before she goes out of sight.

[Hazuki]

"If you say so. For now, I will return and fill in a report on what occurred. Farewell, Tulip." Warden Saarebas bowed to her, as the blue dragon hovered beside the woman, before both flew off.

Tulip's vision shimmered for a moment and, when she re-focused her eyes, she found herself in Ruffles' shop, as the woman released her grasp on the Petal.

~

Webb smirks at Dilaa's words and sudden departure. "Sure thing!" She begins her walk back to the Regal Chicken.

Mithra turns to face Dilaa with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

[PersonMan]

"I wanted to ask if Noble came to you for her protective magic," Dilaa explains. "I wasn't with her this morning, so I'm not sure if she did."

For a moment, Dilaa feels embarrassed about her reaction, but pushes the feeling away. There was nothing wrong with being worried about a dear friend.

[Hazuki]

"Not this morning. She came to me last night, actually, while I was preparing to pack up my scribing equipment. It's slightly off-schedule, but I rather doubt that it will have caused any major issues." Mithra informs Dilaa calmly.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods, relieved. "Good, good. I was just worried - I didn't want to have a demoness drop in on us because I didn't pay attention," she says. "There's another thing I may as well mention - I'm going to offer some combat training to the acolytes. I believe you mentioned them needing some."

[Hazuki]

"I did, yes. Thank you for remembering, Dilaa, but you needn't consult me on everything you wish to do regarding my acolytes. I trust you to act appropriately in my name." Mithra smiled at the desert warrior. "It's a right you may exercise for more purposes than simply sleeping with one of them."

[Archmage1]

Tulip waves goodbye to the pair, calling out as they leave.
"Bye Saarebas, Bye dragon!"

When her vision fades, and returns, Tulip is quite surprised.
"Was that real? There were orcs, and Saarebas, and Dragons! And it was a really nice city!"

[Hazuki]

"No!" Ruffles enthusiastically replies. "It's what I do! The thing that gets me paid and the thing that I'm, me, known for! Ruffles! Enchantery!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily, glad that she's right, although a little sad, as her orc friend didn't exist, and he wouldn't get a chance to try trading.
"It was really amazing! I thought enchantment was taking normal things, and making them magical! Not... that! I could never make something look that real! And with realistic people in it too!"

[Hazuki]

"Enchantment?! Enchantment!" Ruffles laughs. "Enchantery! Ery, not ment. That's what Ruffles does, and that's who I am. It's all in your mind!" She pauses. "Or maybe you are Warden Tulip and you're just imagining you're here! Spoooooky, right?!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip nods, understanding.
"Silly! Warden Tulip is brave, and persuasive, and people look up to her! I'm just me! But maybe you're really Warden Ruffles, the legendary protector of the city!"
She smiles cheerfully at Ruffles before she continues.
"But... I think I need to go, to deliver Tirai's other letters, and to tell Dilaa about you! I think she would have lots of fun!"

[Hazuki]

Ruffles seems to be really surprised and fascinated by the idea that she's Warden Ruffles, before nodding at Tulip's announcement. "Go go go! Delivery to the people who aren't Ruffles!"

[Archmage1]

Still smiling, Tulip waves goodbye to Ruffles.
"Bye Ruffles! I'll come back later!"
With that, she darts out the door, and heads for Zrekha's address.

[Hazuki]

Tulip soon finds Zrekha's home, a fairly simple affair settled near the docks, but when she knocks on the red door, there's no answer.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, quite disappointed, tries knocking again, as she looks for somewhere to leave the letter.

[Hazuki]

A little basket sits hanging from the door, a perfect place to leave the letter. The door remains silent despite her continued knocking.

[Archmage1]

Leaving the letter in the basket, the disappointed faerie, remembering Bandaid's words, departs, heading to Rosemary's address.

[PersonMan]

"I was wondering if you might have something more to say on it - something I may need to know before I begin," Dilaa explains with a shrug, before smiling. It grows into a grin as she speaks again. "But I thank you for your trust. I will be sure to sleep with all of the others unbound by wedlock," she says. "I believe that would be it, then. Until next time," the warrior adds after a moment's thought, giving a brief wave and turning away from the mage. Her new destination, at a quick but less hurried pace, is the inn in which she and Noble have been staying.

[Hazuki]

Tulip soon finds her way back to The Regal Chicken, the address of Rosemary, who seems to be the fox-tailed woman standing at the counter on the far side of the room. Only Lexi and Lance are present, apparently playing cards. Except that Lexi is having Morty play in her stead, including holding and playing the cards, and giving him commands to make each of her moves.

~

Dilaa's search for Noble goes unsuccessfully, as she finds her not at the inn. Indeed, she apparently didn't even show up there. Her asking people, so early in the morning, for directions to her is likewise fruitless. However, she does eventually find Noble when she heads towards the docks and finds the teen. Her messy head of hair has been dyed bright red, and she has bandages wrapped around her left hand, and looks a little healthier than the last time Dilaa saw her. When she approaches the teen, Noble nods to her in greeting.

"Hello. What are we doing today?"

[Archmage1]

After she arrives at the Regal Chicken, Tulip cheerfully flies over to the fox tailed woman behind the counter.
"Are you Rosemary? I'm Tulip! Tirai sent me!"

[PersonMan]

"H-uh, good morning, Noble," Dilaa says, stopped as she takes in her friend's changed appearance. Noble wasn't one to go out and do something like that - at least, she hadn't been before. Right? The warrior considers it, going over the things that may have brought about a change in her friend. Was it their last quest? No, she'd seemed the same when they returned. Had it been what followed? Unlikely, Dilaa concludes. "You look different. A bit like Victoria - did you meet someone new again?" She asks, before moving to the side such that the teen can begin to walk next to her as she gets moving. "As for today, Mithra mentioned training the acolytes in self-defense, and I thought it'd be a good way to help with my own issues as well," the warrior explains, her tone growing more somber as she mentions herself. "We'll be heading by the Regal Chicken and telling the acolytes about the houses we made - they know of them, but I'll want to make sure they know they're still empty. Then I'll bring up my plan. Would you be willing to spar with me, as an example?" Dilaa asks, smiling.

[Hazuki]

"Hello, and Rosemary I am." She greets Tulip with a matronly smile. "If Tirai sent you, it must be something wonderful or terrible. Which is it?"

~

When Dilaa asks her first question, Noble shrugs her shoulders. "Mermaid stuff." She listens patiently to the rest of the desert warrior's explanation, then nods. "I can do that." With that, the pair depart to The Regal Chicken, where they find that Tulip is talking with the fox-tailed bartender, Morty and Lance are playing cards with Lexi overseeing, Webb is sitting with Lyria on the unoccupied stairs, while Blackeye and Keres are sitting at another table chatting.

[Archmage1]

Tulip shakes her head, smiling cheerfully.
"Silly, it's a letter! And letters are always fun!"
She holds out the final letter for Rosemary.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa raises an eyebrow. "Mermaids? I didn't know there were any here in Garmine. And they colored your hair?" She asks, briefly indicating the now red hair on her friend's head. As they arrive, Dilaa smiles to see Tulip and most of the acolytes already there. She walks over to the table, hoping to find an opportunity to begin speaking without interrupting whatever it is they were doing before she speaks to Lance. "Excuse me, could I speak to you about something? It's something Mithra thought I could help you all with."

[Raunchel]

"Drain it from them? Can you take their magic away from them? So you can use it for yourself? That would be really great to learn. Is it difficult? "

[Hazuki]

"I know I am. Are U?" Rosemary replies to Tulip with a little grin on her lips.

~

"Uhh..." Lance looks over to Dilaa as she starts addressing her, apparently quite startled by her being the one addressed. "I guess?"

"Poker face, Lance!" Lexi commented with a smile, then laughed as she watched Morty reach out to poke the changeling in the face. "No, Morty! Bad!" The bodyguard settled into his chair again, and the halfling shot a somewhat apolgetic look over to Lance. Who was quite disturbed.

~

"Only some of it. Its difficulty depends on whether you're great, like me. Or terrible, like my slave." Princess Ria answers Yildiz wisely.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles cheerfully, still holding out the letter.
"Yay! I found you too! The letter is definitely for you, then, and I'm definitely Tulip."
After she finishes speaking, Tulip hears Dilaa, and she turns, and spots her.
"Hi Dilaa!"

[Hazuki]

Rosemary tucks the letter into her robes.

When Tulip enthusiastically greets Dilaa, Noble turns her head around, looks down at herself, then quirks her eyebrow ever so slightly.

[Archmage1]

With the difficulty of holding out the letter for Rosemary removed, Tulip manages to turn to face Dilaa, and she gets a chance to look at the new Noble too.
"Hi Noble! You're here too! And your hair changed color! Do you like your new color better?"

[Hazuki]

"It's new." Noble shrugs her shoulders.

[Raunchel]

"Could I learn how to do this? I am a princess after all, and not a stupid slave. It would be really nice to learn that, so I could finally do something back to those annoying mages. For some reason I'm not allowed to just cut their throats."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles merrily at her.
"New things are always fun! Does it change color a lot? Or only for special occasions?"

[Hazuki]

"You could." Princess Ria confirms. "But it's hard on your own, like making love." She comments, pauses for a moment, then snickers.

~

Noble shrugs. "Just now."

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks even more delighted as she flies over to Noble, smiling cheerfully.
"It changed just now? And it was the first time it's ever changed? Was it fun?"

[Hazuki]

Noble watches Tulip as she flies over. "It was alright."

[Archmage1]

Hovering not too far in front of Noble, Tulip continues to smile cheerfully, clearly quite interested.
"What was it like? I know my petals can change color, but I didn't know that hair could change too! Maybe they're really the same thing, just a different shape!"

[PersonMan]

"I'd like to offer you and the other acolytes combat training," Dilaa explains, turning back to Lance after looking over at Morty when he had suddenly poked her. One eyebrow remains raised at the odd action, but apart from that she seems intent on staying focused.

[Raunchel]

"So I would need to find someone who already has learned such an art. But this person would need to be capable, not like a slave, but more like a princess. So I would ask you, if you could teach me how to deal with mages, in your way."

[Hazuki]

"Maybe." Noble agrees.

"Uhh...okay?" Lance replies to Dilaa. "Why are you telling me this?"

~

"I could. But why would I?" Princess Ria asks, folding her arms over her chest.

[Archmage1]

Tulip continues smiling, excitement plain on her face as she tries to solve the mystery.
"So it just changed colors, like mine does sometimes? Or did something happen, and then it changed?"

[Hazuki]

"Yes." Noble answers.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks a bit sad at Noble's obfuscation, and tries to help Noble understand what she was asking.
"Aw... which one? Or did you mean both? Did something happen, and then it just changed?"

[Hazuki]

"Yes." Noble answers again.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks even sadder now, but she tries one more plea.
"Aw... please?"

[Hazuki]

"Please...?" Noble quirks her eyebrow.

[PersonMan]

"You would be the one to organize them, no? You can discuss it amongst yourselves, and you'd be the best to tell, as the leader," Dilaa replies.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, now looking sad, but hopeful, tries again, this time, trying to describe her desires a bit more fully.
"Can you please try to answer my questions properly?"

[Hazuki]

"Yes." Noble answers Tulip.

"Uhh..." Lance looks over to Lexi.

"Dilaa, it's a good thing you're pretty." Lexi smiles at the large human. "Because Lance is about as outgoing as a virgin's knickers. Cerise, the dark one with pointy ears, is the closest thing we have to a leader outside Mithra."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles, happy once more, and she claps.
"Yaay! Please tell me what happened!"

[Raunchel]

"Because it is good to have friends like me, people to talk to other than the cattle. And of course, there is the little matter of a very special thing that I could give to you.", Yildiz shows her little fangs in her smile.

[Hazuki]

"My hair changed color." Noble answers Tulip.

~

"Friendship could be great." Princess Ria scratches the back of her head. "But I don't know if that," She pointed at Yildiz' fangs. "Would even work. I have tiger fangs," She flashes her little cat fangs. "And, well, Celestial blood."

[Raunchel]

"Yes, that might make things a little bit harder in that regard, but maybe you have another idea?"

[PersonMan]

"Ah, my mistake, I must have mixed you two up," Dilaa says, shaking her head. "In that case, do you know where I might find Cerise?"

[Archmage1]

Still looking excited, Tulip tries again, hoping for a story.
"Do you know why?"

[Hazuki]

"...can you sing?" Princess Ria asks a few moments after Yildiz suggests she come up with something.

~

"Dye." Noble answers Tulip.

"She's probably up in our room. Always takes longer than us to get ready!" Lexi answers in Lance's place.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles. Now she was getting somewhere.
"Where did you find dye?"
(she'll keep on asking questions, trying to wheedle the whole story out of Noble)

[PersonMan]

"Which room is yours?" Dilaa asks, giving a thanks once she gets a response and heading up to the room that Lexi directs her to. Once there she knocks on the door, eager to begin talking now that she actually has the right person. "Hello? It's Dilaa. I'd like to ask you about something."

[Hazuki]

"Beside mermaids." Noble answers Tulip.

~

"One moment." Cerise's voice can be heard on the other side of the door. There is a rustling of cloth before the door is inched open and Cerise's face can be seen through the gap. "Good morning, Dilaa. What answers do you seek?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks delighted by Noble's words, smiling even more broadly, and flying a little closer, eager to hear more.
"Mermaids? The sailors o the Rum Runner talked about Mermaids! What were they like? Do you think I could say hi?"

[PersonMan]

"I'd like to offer your group combat training," Dilaa explains. "Mithra mentioned it to be something I could assist you with, and I think it would be beneficial for all of us - assuming you think it would make sense."

[Hazuki]

"Yes. Okay. Yes." Noble answers each question in turn.

~

"That sounds like a good idea." Cerise compliments. "I was planning on suggesting we take some time off of the puzzle regardless."

[Archmage1]

The poor, tormented petal frowns, looking sad.
"Aw... but I thought you were going to answer my questions properly! Could you please give more detail? Please? A good story always has detail! It's what makes it a good story!"

[PersonMan]

"Alright," Dilaa says, smiling. "Should I head back down, or will you be out in a moment?"

[Hazuki]

"I did answer your questions." Noble replied to Tulip.

~

"Just a moment, please." Cerise replied, then closed the door. A few moments passed before she opened it again, in her dress and with her green cloak around her shoulders. "Lead on!"

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks really disappointed.
"But... I was hoping for details, like what they looked like, what they said, what they were like, things like that!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods as Cerise opens the door again, heading down the stairs back to where the others were. "Unless you'd prefer I do it, I would leave the organization to you," she explains as they go. "Being the effective leader, I was thinking it would be your area of expertise."

[Hazuki]

"I'm not a storyteller." Noble informs Tulip.

~

"Does it need much organizing?" Cerise asks, looking to Dilaa. "Besides finding an open, uninhabited space?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles at her.
"Silly, everyone's a storyteller! You just need to try! It's lots of fun!"

[PersonMan]

"We will need to meet more than once," Dilaa replies. "It will be simple to organize, though. But it's best if we are all present at the same time," she adds with a smile.

[Hazuki]

"I don't." Noble tells Tulip. "I was bred to have dulled emotions. Thus my struggles. Storytelling needs emotion."

~

"Very well." Cerise nods, touching both Lyria's and Webb's shoulders as she passes them on the stairs. "Come along, please." She tells them, then walks over to Blackeye and shares a quiet few words with her after greeting Keres. Blackeye and Cerise then join the main table, as all of the Acolytes are there. "Dilaa would like to train us in combat, in lieu of the puzzles for today. If you would like to take part, go to the clearing just North of the warehouse after breakfast, or follow us when we go."

"I'm for it." Webb chimes in.

"I'll watch." Lexi grins.

"A wise thing to attempt." Blackeye nods her consent.

"Um...yeah, actually. That could be fun." Lance adds.

"I don't have a weapon fit for sparring. Nor armor." Lyria points out.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks sad to hear that.
"Aw... I'm sorry, Noble! That must have been terrible! Without emotions, fun just wouldn't be as fun! But maybe telling stories is a way to learn to feel and express emotions better? Maybe it might help?"
As she finishes, she looks at Noble, hopefully curious.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa stands beside Cerise silently as she explains, smiling as the others announce their willingness to take part. As Lyria mentions her lack of training equipment, Dilaa glances at Cerise just long enough to be sure that the woman isn't about to reply before she speaks. "What sort of things would you need?" She asks. "We can probably find some weapons and armor suited for practice."

[Raunchel]

"I'm not a very good singer, but I can dance and know a great singer."

[Hazuki]

Noble shrugs at Tulip's suggestion.

Lyria seems to be about to say something, then nods. "Those."

~

"Then...go around town and make sure to constantly tell people how great I am. That would be great." Princess Ria tells Yildiz. "Songs, plays, stories, statues in my honor..."

[Raunchel]

"That can be arranged, if you teach me how to deal with mages.", Yildiz wants to learn, she has to, to escape Tulip's magical machinations.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods. "Perhaps the others can go to where we will be meeting, and the two of us can find what you need," she offers, looking over to Cerise.

[Hazuki]

"I can do that. But not right now. My slave should be working on that cake about now." Princess Ria stetched out, complete with her tail and ears.

~

Cerise nods at Dilaa's suggestion. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. If you head off now, you might be able to get in before the warehouse's things are sold."

Lyria nods at the idea.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods, smiling, and heads over to where Noble and Tulip are talking. With a brief greeting for the fey, she gives the two an explanation of what's been planned. Then she gestures for Lyria to follow her and leaves the Regal Chicken with a final wave to the other acolytes.

"What sort of weapon would you be using?" Dilaa asks once she and Lyria are outside, setting off towards their destination.

[Raunchel]

"When and where shall we meet again then?'

[Hazuki]

"A banana on a stick." Lyria replies, her large crossbow slung across her raggedy-armor'd back. "It's squishy, but the style was passed down to me by the Pythons of the West, and I'm honored to be one of their students."

~

"Just whistle down a courier bird and have it deliver a message to me. Then follow it. Giving directions is too hard." Princess Ria answers.

[PersonMan]

"Mmm," Dilaa replies, raising an eyebrow. "Well, at least you're not humorless." She says.

[Hazuki]

"Indeed. My humors* are well-balanced." Lyria replies.

As in Humorism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism).

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks crushed by Noble's response, but before she can comment, Dilaa comes by, and the acolytes start getting ready. Cheered by the distraction, Tulip chirps up once more.
"Ooh! Is something happening? Are we going to do something?"

[Hazuki]

"Dilaa is going to get Lyria some new armor and weapons, and we're going to go to another place after breakfast to train." Cerise informs Tulip with a smile. "But, last night, Webb informed me of your success in acquiring houses for us, and a little birdy told me that you like stories. Would you like to hear one of ours?"

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks a little confused by training(She's heard of it in stories, but has no idea what it actually entails), but before she can ask, Cerise continues, offering stories. As soon as the offer is made, Tulip looks delighted.
"I love stories! I would love to hear your story! Please? They're lots of fun, and really nice!"
She flies over to a good spot to listen to a story from Cerise, looking at her almost worshipfully.

[Hazuki]

"Are you sitting comfortably?" Cerise asks Tulip as she leans in a little. "Then I'll begin..."

We were sailing to Garmine proper, on a ship due for a long voyage, and we barely knew each other at the time. Having to share a storage room, on a ship that was meant for little more than supplying, went someway to allowing us to get to know each other. Especially considering that most of us had barely met on the docks, two days before, to answer Mithra's call. By that point, I was already the person that most of the group turned to for guidance, as I was both the oldest and the most learned in the ways of each culture. Though I am hardly an expert, it was enough to form some semblance of peace among our number.

The good Captain Reginald had informed us that shaky seas were expected for the night ahead, and most of us were prepared to head for bed - Oin and Gloin were perched on the crow's nest to look out for trouble, while Morty was quite prepared to watch the door for the night. Blackeye was quietly chatting with Keres in the corner, while Lance was playing cards with me - and teaching me a game they play in the Lhazaar Principalities. Webb was trying to sleep in the corner, but found difficulty even in the waters that seemed calm. Meanwhile, Lyria was reading beside the door, while Lexi entertained herself with throwing magic from hand to hand.

Our peaceful night was not to be, however, as we soon heard slams coming from above deck, and boisterous cries that were unlike the crew we'd gotten to know thus far. When we heard boots marching on the deck above, far more than we were used to come dusk, Blackeye and Lyria were quite prepared to investigate. Fortunately for the pair of them, Oin had flew down the stairs and scratched out our door to bring news. Lexi was already by his side, having sensed his disturbance, and he shared with us the details he'd discovered. And it was far worse than any of us could have expected.

As things turned out, Captain Reginald had an ongoing deal with a pirate crew - whose ship had pulled up alongside, expecting him to be traveling a normal trade route, and quite frustrated by the fact he was making a new run without informing them. He cowered and pleaded with the Pirate Captain, Redcrown, while his crew of sailors were intimidated by the pirates that had begun to crowd the deck. Oin had fortunately gone unnoticed, perhaps mistaken for a bird, and had came to us as soon as he realized what was happening. Captain Reginald, in his eagerness to plead with Redcrown, had forgotten our presence and allowed the pirates to rifle through their supplies and take a cut.

Webb, already frustrated by the fact that her sleep had been disturbed by the pirates, was quite irritated by the arrival of these ruffians. Blackeye was prepared to head out and tear their throats out, were it not for Keres sitting on their hammock. Lyria seemed wary, but didn't say anything, while Lance looked to me to make a decision. I warned them against the dangers of attempting to fight off a whole pirate crew, no matter their morality, but assured them that it would certainly be possible to fend them off, at the very least. Until fighting became too much of a risk to go through with. For the most part, the group was content with forming a plan.

Thanks to Lexi, we had Oin and Gloin to perform reconnaissance, and both took to it with gusto. While Gloin flew over to the other pirate ship, Oin snuck through the halls of our own ship. And Lance, retiring though she may be, had been on plenty of pirate ships on her time and, after getting a description of it, was able to provide us with details on the design of Redcrown's ship. Blackeye could provide us with information on how the pirates could act, as common criminals, and tactical advice for how best to clear each group - as Oin had provided us with information on their number and armaments. She did, however, refused to leave Keres in the room without herself to defend her.

Thanks to these factors, we soon had a plan. Webb would lead an assault on the pirates who had already come below decks - trapped in tight halls, they could be fought one at a time, and I would be beside her to provide both magical and ranged support, if diplomacy proved ineffective against them. Lyria and Lance would head above deck, using the shadows and cargo as cover. Once there, Lyria would climb up to the Crow's Nest to shoot at any pirates that chose to gather there, as well as to tempt them into climbing up - and becoming easy prey for the rest of us. Lance was to sneak through Redcrown's ship itself and do three things - lock his reinforcements below deck, pull back his route to retreat, and, if necessary, use a rope to aid in a possible future combat.

This left Blackeye, Lexi, and Morty. Blackeye would guard the room itself, cutting down any pirates attempting to retreat, or advance, through the hall. She would also be available should any of the other groups stumble into trouble - the room would be locked, thus delaying any pirates attempting to break into our room regardless. Lexi was to disguise herself as one of the sailors and get in the way of one of the pirates above deck, when the time was right, so that she could be held for a moment. Morty's part of the plan was to sneak above deck and wait in the shadows, likewise, for the moment to strike. This scheme was put into motion as quickly as possible.

Myself and Webb advanced to where the pirates were, with her at my side and no weapons in her hands, while I had a bow strapped across my back and a plan for how to convince any pirates we encountered into lowering their guard, if only for a moment, so that we could gain the upper hand. It didn't take long for us to meet them in the belly of the ship, no less than five of the criminals pulling open crates of grains, spices, and other things they didn't seem to find valuable. But our arrival drew their attention quickly enough. With fire in their eyes, they turned to us and barked orders while their weapons were being drawn.

I know a simple fact, which is that greed begets greed, and span them a tale of how Captain Reginald had lied to them, as I played the frightened servant. I pleaded to them with information about jewelry that he'd had hidden in compartments beneath the crates, and that Webb was, in fact, a noblewoman he'd been escorting. Webb, of course, acted with indignation towards my claims - in part because she hadn't expected to be involved with lying, which actually helped the act. They believed me and barely blinked an eye at this, then started to shove crates aside in search of these hidden compartments, along with the loot they intended to hide from Redcrown.

It was the opportunity we needed. Webb summoned a blade to her hand, like she'd grabbed a lightning bolt shot from the heavens, and charged the nearest pirate into the hall that I'd retreated to. He didn't last past the start of a screech, as she gutted him there in the hall and spilled his blood onto the floor with one swift blow. Then, I loosed an arrow at the only one remaining in my sight - it slammed into her neck, blood spitting over her cobbled-together armor, and she crumpled to the ground with a gurgle. That was about the point that the other pirates noticed, and became quite interested in just what we were doing.

The first charged into the hall despite the warning cries of his ally, and his blade slammed into Webb's summoned shield like a brick wall, and he was rebuffed with a firm shove. Then came the other two, each of them rushing to the sides of the door in an attempt to lure us out - but I was prepared for this maneuver, and released an arrow intended for his stomach. It caught him in the unmentionables, and he toppled against the wall. Webb rushed out to pin one pirate against the wall, and her clumsy ally's swing scratched across her back to leave a minor wound in its wake. The last one standing was quite intimidated by the efficiency of our attacks, but went unhindered into the blow she'd prepared - her blade left a nasty gash across Webb's torso.

Webb retaliated with a vicious swing that tore through the pirate's arm. With each pirate still recovering from their attacks, I considered my options. Running forward would leave me at the mercy of both, and the one I'd shot would likely have recovered enough to swing at me. If I stood where I was, they were somewhat likely to notice only Webb and the immediate threat she posed, but I was still likely to get skewered. In the end, I chose to move further down the ship, and partway up the stairs. At least one was likely to run into the hall, and, at that point, they could either retreat back and likely face Webb after she'd taken down their ally, or continue to hurl themselves against me - and the arrow I had waiting.

The one who'd largely recovered from his humbling injury, frothing with rage, charged down the hall at me - through Webb's reach, and received a slash across his back for the trouble. Unperturbed, he ran and ran towards me, and I waited for the ample moment to release my arrow - which slammed into his chest and sent him sprawling across the hall. He collapsed, the arrow twisted in his heart, and blood began to pool around his torso. Further down the hall, Webb had deflected the pirate's blow with her shield. The woman had heard her ally's brief cries of pain before he fell and, after her attack, dropped her weapon and fell to the floor, in the hope of being given mercy.

We stripped her of her weaponry, her belts, and other containers, then tied her up in a corner of the room where she wouldn't be able to see her deceased companions. We headed partway upstairs, where we encountered Blackeye, who had thus far not faced any trouble. She kept watch while I tended to Webb's wound, and hoped that the others were fulfiling their parts of the plan adequately.

Lyria and Lance had managed to sneak onto the deck, while Captain Reginald attempted to entertain Redcrown with some approximation of civility - spiced wine, I believe, along with remnants of the chef's cake. Lance made certain that Lyria was still beside her and, after a silent urging, slipped over the gangplank over to the empty deck of Redcrown's ship. From there, she slipped over to one of the crates and ducked behind it with eyes locked on the crow's nest, to watch Lyria's ascension. Luckily for her, the pirates on the deck were quite distracted by their Captain's conversation, and their own harassment of the crew. Our crossbow-wielding friend had made it to the top safely, and unnoticed.

With her only undisguised ally in place, Lance scoured the deck of Redcrown's ship for entrances and exits from the lower decks. It was a simple affair, to find the two trapdoors on deck - one in the center, and the other tucked away in part of the captain's quarters. With a lock she'd liberated from the latter, she locked the former. But the captain's quarters were inside, out of sight of the pirates on our ship, so she used what was available to weigh it down - his desk, his bookshelf, and whatever heavy trophies she could find. It was buried under a haul of heavy junk, and she was content with her plan. The only thing left to do was withdraw the gangplanks, without being spotted.

She peeked outside the door as Redcrown and Captain Reginald's conversation got a little more excitable, liquid trepidation hanging upon her brow. The gangplanks were three, and in almost direct hearing range of the few pirates that had gathered on the deck of our ship. It would have been nigh impossible for her to do it by herself, without being noticed, unless she ducked behind the edge of the ship and waited until the situation turned sour. But that would have left her in the line of fire for any pirates left standing after the initial blow - and even then, removing one gangplank would leave two, for them to flee over and gather their allies.

So Lance had to use her smarts, her knowledge of these ships and the attitude of their Captains, and she knew that the egotistical leaders of criminals always kept the largest share of loot for themselves. And always something to protect them from the mutiny that was ever so likely, among the fickle denizens of their stolen ships. After heading back into the Captain's quarters, she searched the room in the most likely places - and sure enough, found a small collection of unlabeled potions tucked into the door of his wardrobe. But, of course, time was of the essence, and she couldn't linger for too long. It was fortunate that she happened to recognize the vials.

Familiar vials means familiar brews, so she crouched down beside the potions and popped the caps off of them all, then sniffed the brew inside, one by one. Among them was a particularly translucent fluid, which tickled her nose with the scents of orange peel and mandrake root - the work of Tink the Tiny, she was certain. She grabbed a nearby cloth and used it to wipe the rim of the vial clean, just in case the Captain had placed some kind of poison countermeasure meant to punish any would-be thieves, then downed the potion with one swift gulp.

A calmness washed over her, and even her breathing didn't seem to disturb the air. She took a step, and it met the creaky floorboards to the tune of nothing. A few more steps, a few swings of her arms, and she was as silent as despair. Just to be certain, she grabbed a small sack of gems nearby and tossed it from hand to hand, but it made no noise. Not even a jingle. The confidence this granted her reminded her of a little trick she could play, as she snuck back outside the Captain's quarters and towards the gangplanks. She pulled them back, one-by-one, inch by inch, until their very edges were balanced on the edge of our ship. When the pirates would attempt to retreat, the gangplanks would fall, and likely take the malicious sailors with them.

By that point, it was quite time to launch our attack on the sailors above deck. Lance gave the signal to Oin, who took the message to Lyria, then to the three of us waiting below the deck. Gloin had reported in, noting that there were no other pirates to worry about above deck, so Blackeye took the chance to join us on our above-deck liberation of the ship. We looked over our weaponry, made certain that Webb would be placed further back in the combat due to her already-debilitating wound, and that I had a good idea of where the pirates were lurking - it was a necessity to not get rushed while wielding my bow.

A scream of pain was to be our signal. We gathered at the trapdoor to above deck, Blackeye at the top of the ladder, and waited for Gloin to give the signal to Lexi, who had been quite content to eavesdrop on the Captain and Redcrown up to that point. When she got the signal, she eyed up the nearest pirate and said something to aggravate him - something about his mother and a horse, if I recall correctly. This incensed him enough to gather attention from the majority of ruffians atop the deck, which were only exacerbated by the fact that it came from such a small sailor. Then, she gave him a good shove, just to get things going.

The burly brute of a pirate grabbed Lexi by the neck and tugged her into the air, her little windpipe almost crushed just from his grip. She let her magical disguise slip away, revealing the numerous markings and piercings that adorn her pallid body, much to the nervousness and anger of the pirates surrounding her. Then the hulking pirate shuddered, his grip loosening slightly. His veins began to push up to the top of his bulging biceps, color draining from his face and his lips contorting into a confused and horrified expression. The little halfling grinned at him, as realization slowly dawned on his insensate mind.

The slow seeping of his life force became a rush, as wispy black energy swam from Lexi's throat and along his trembling arm. It wrapped, squeezed, and drained at the man. What was merely shuddering became pale, weak. Where his heart pounded, it slowed. And what life existed in his eyes became little more than a husk. He released her and crumpled to the ground with one last groan that left him but a husk of a nearly-dead man, collapsed on the ground before his crewmates. They all stared in horror, save for Redcrown, who looked on with a mixture of concern and caution.

We decided to take the groan for a scream and Blackeye shot up to the deck first. Her blade already drawn, she slammed it through the unprepared stomach of the nearest pirate. She let out a screech of pain that soon turned into a whimper, as her blood was spilled across the deck and she crumpled onto the nearest crate. Next was me, and an arrow loosed into the pirate standing closest to Lexi. He stumbled backwards for a moment, his abdomen pierced, but didn't yet fall. This changed as Morty came out of the shadows and cleaved his chest with a wicked blade. That pirate was no more.

Webb emerged last, conjured blade in hand, and charged one of a pair that stood closest to the edge. Her shield raised, her charge furious, the pirate stood no chance as he was sent toppling over the edge of the ship and into the freezing waters below. His fellow pirate seemed prepared to draw her blade, before a lance-shapped dagger soared through the air from the opposite ship and slammed into her spine. She fell to the ground as Lance followed her dagger's path on a hanging rope. She landed in, her remaining dagger in hand and pointed at Redcrown.

The remaining pirate was met with two thunderous bolts from the heavens, as Lyria's crossbow slammed him first through the chest and forced him to the ground. The second went through his shin, pinning him to the deck with her crossbow. She was already reloading as Captain Reginald panicked in his seat and Redcrown's face was crossed with ever-growing anger. A good portion of his crew laid dying all around him, some toppled into the waters and unable to help. The sailors seemed to take after their own Captain, sickened by the sudden and brutal bloodshed that had laid waste to the pirates.

Redcrown demanded an explanation from Captain Reginald while reaching for his blade, but the man obviously had no idea what was occurring on his own ship, nor what we planned to do. The Pirate Captain didn't seem to know how to respond, although a plan was already forming in his mind. We could see his beady little eyes watching us, examining us, while he attempted to stall us with conversation. The starts of bargains that offered the potential for him to leave, peacefully, and the acknowledgement that while we had surrounded him, he had slain countless people, and we would be unable to kill him before he killed a good portion of the sailors.

Lance retrieved her blade from the back of the slain pirate and kept it low by her side, warning me not to make a deal with the man, and how we couldn't waste time with authorities regardless. Even taking them to Garmine would have been a hassle, you understand, and letting the man walk free was never going to be an option. Blackeye likewise had knowledge of how the criminal Captain would act as soon as our backs were turned; he still had crew beneath his ship, cannons, and likely greater skill than any single one of us. Which wasn't to mention the array of potions our sneaky Changeling had discovered.

The standoff only got more tense as I attempted to keep Redcrown talking. Blackeye, Webb, and Lexi were talking about what to do with him, the rest of his crew, and any who clung to life after our initial attacks. Their comments were thrown back and forth over the deck, and I can't help but believe that Lexi was saying some things just to see how Captain Reginald's face twitched. Lance stayed silent on the matter, just keeping her blade trained on the Pirate Captain, and not daring to approach further than a little onto the deck - she didn't want to be toppled over the deck any more than the pirate that was currently flailing about in the water had.

The discussion went on for a minute or so more when a loud thunk came from above. A large bolt shot down from the crow's nest and slammed straight through Redcrown's armor, his chest, and the back of the chair that he was sitting on. Eyes went wide open all around, including his own, almost as though he couldn't believe the sight of his own body damaged by something. But the Captain didn't get any time to linger on the horror of his being shot, as another click came from above, and another bolt shot straight down. Into his head with such force that it exploded like an over-ripe grape and splattered us all with gore.

Perched over the crow's nest was Lyria, reloading her crossbow, and having solved our problem quite efficiently. If perhaps not in a way that we'd all agreed on. Suffice to say, the tension above deck dissolved after that, with many of the sailors running below deck to bathe, sleep, or cry to themselves over what they'd just seen. Lexi and Webb went below deck to collect the pirates that we'd slain or that were simply mostly-dead, as well as our prisoner, to bring them above deck. Blackeye went back to calm Keres, who had no doubt heard the shots and screams, while Lance attempted to clean up the gore and move any above-deck pirates into a pile.

All that was left to deal with Captain Reginald, after Lyria promised she wouldn't shoot him, and the deal that had put all of us in danger. As the people who'd just taken down one of the men he feared the most, he was more than willing to do whatever we asked, and pleaded his case. That all merchants do it, that it was necessary, that he forgot we were there, and so on, so forth. But we couldn't allow his bad deed to go unpunished, nor could I, despite my usual preference for compassion. Luckily, we had another ship nearby, and Lance knew enough about ships to be able to control Reginald's.

Captain Reginald was to take Redcrown's ship back to the mainland, with all of their injured members in tow. Not a perfect plan, but taking away the cannons and most of the loot meant that he wouldn't be able to betray us again with any ease. Lance was to continue controlling our ship, with its original crew, to Garmine. Although it caused some minor trouble with the Garmine authorities, we passed through soon enough, and here we are.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, sitting on the rim of a mug on the bench in front of Cerise, nods when Cerise asks if she was comfy, eagerly awaiting the promised story. As Cerise speaks, Tulip almost interrupts a few times, but, as always, Cerise's continuation of the story takes her voice away. When she mention of boisterous cries and slams, Tulip pales, looking worried, clearly desperately hoping that everything was going to be all right. When the pirate, Redcrown is mentioned, she looks very worried, looking up at Cerise with her wide eyes, desperately hoping to be reassured that everything was all right. While the details of the plan are revealed, she relaxes, taking comfort from everything being all right, at least, until the combat story started. Then, Tulip just looks horrified, at least, until she reassures herself that it was a story, not reality. Once the story drifted away from combat, and back to daring do, Tulip gets back into the story once more, looking nervous as the explorations of Lance are described, clearly afraid that she was going to be found at any moment. She listens to the description of the potions keenly, and she giggles at the description of the prank with the gangplanks, although the return to combat planning does not seem to meet with her approval, and the description of Lexi's defeat of the pirate horrifies her. Sadly, the description of the battle that resulted didn't make her feel any better, although the description of the conversation with Redcrown had her grinning, the description of his death had her wincing. Luckily, Tulip clearly enjoys the description of how they handled Captain Reginald's treachery, smiling cheerfully, and clapping her hands together, gently.

After the story finishes, Tulip claps, having quite clearly loved the story.
"Thank you, Cerise! That was a wonderful story! I... just had a question. What does playing cards mean? In your story, it was fun, but... I've never heard of it."
She looks at Cerise, excitement in her eyes, but she continued.
"It is fun, right? It's not like reading, taking way too long to get anywhere, and being really heavy?"
She thinks about commenting on the combat, and how maybe it would be a better story without it, but she decides not to, as it was Cerise's story, not hers.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa's lips twitch towards a smile at Lyria's response. "That is good," she replies. A moment later she continues. "I am glad that we're getting along better than you and Tulip, even if I don't think I share your sense of humor."

[Hazuki]

"It's not heavy, Tulip, but it is sometimes long." Cerise informs the Petal with a smile. "And reading can be plenty entertaining, and more rewarding, in the long run."

"That's her fancy academy learnings talking." Lexi smirked.

~

"And you're not a hateful arse. So far." Lyria replies to Dilaa, glancing at her from the corner of her eyes.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles cheerfully at Cerise.
"Then maybe you could teach me? But Reading takes way too much time! It's much more fun to be doing things! Like learning about dragons! You could read a book on them, or you could just talk to one! It's much more fun to talk, or to hear the story, than it is to read it!"
At Lexi's comment, Tulip smiles at her.
"It's lots more fun to be doing, instead of reading!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa raises an eyebrow. "That's a bit of an odd jump to make, I think," she says. "Have you had bad experiences with my people in the past?" She asks.

[Hazuki]

"Exactly! Isn't that right, Morty?" Lexi turns to the silent bodyguard. "Morty agrees."

"I've unfortunately only had the opportunity to talk with a young dragon." Cerise replies, still smiling.

~

"You caught me. Long ago, I was a ranger from Cyre who was on an expedition to the South. I stumbled upon a Southern Sorcerer there and he trapped my soul in a black gem that I was lost in for a thousand years, until Mithra happened to purchase the gem and freed me from my eternal torment. Now she's helping me get my revenge by hunting down that guy." Lyria informed Dilaa.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily. Maybe she could introduce Cerise to Sivath!
"I know a dragon you could talk to, Cerise. Sivath! He's really big, and really nice! Plus there are two of him! But he's really far away, so maybe you could talk to Kulaas? She might know more dragons too! Or we could ask around! I'm sure we could find a dragon for you to talk to! And it will be lots more fun than a book on dragons! There was an elf who visited Sivath and I once, and he had a book about dragons. Sivath thought it was a really funny book, because it was really wrong!"

[PersonMan]

"Hmmm." Dilaa replies, somewhat irked by Lyria's continued lack of actual answers to her questions. She resigns herself to not finding out anything about the crossbow-wielding woman and instead turns her attention back to their path to the warehouse.

[Hazuki]

"Unfortunately, that does tend to happen. Dragons are a particularly proud bunch, and don't tend to let the more short-lived races poke and prod at them for actual information." Cerise laments.

~

Lyria seems quite content to walk the rest of the trip in silence. The day in Garmine is slowly rising, with more people going about the streets to their businesses or to attend those of others. The pair of quiet women soon make their way to the warehouse, which has a few people instead watching over the wares, each in their own little segments. The armor and weaponry segment is being watched over by a particularly pretty woman, whose skin is like pale sequoia bark and her hair made out of leaves that are scattered across her body, covering her in modesty-preserving attire.

The ranger's nostrils flare as she spots where the equipment is being stored, and she stops walking. Dilaa can smell a certain tint in the air; an unattural scent that she can't quite place.

[Archmage1]

Still smiling, Tulip tries to respond. Her response is, of course, enthusiastic.
"That's why talking to them is better than reading about them! It's much more fun, and you can learn lots more! We could go and find a dragon now! And then you could see how much more fun it is!"

[Raunchel]

Yildiz departs into the warren of streets. She doesn't know the way through the city yet, but in time she will learn. For now she just darts through the darkest alleys, making her way, but she doesn't know where to. So she just runs, looking for new places, so she will finally get to know the city, and how to get to various places.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa stops as Lyria does, looking over to the woman. Breathing in deeply, she looks between her and the forest-spirit-woman, smelling the air and quickly coming to a conclusion. This woman looked like another fey, a northern nature spirit like Tulip - who Lyria had immediately disliked. No other reason comes to her mind, none that would explain her behavior without raising more questions. Lyria held a deep dislike, perhaps even hatred, of fey creatures. Turning back, Dilaa places a hand on the ranger's arm, gently pushing her to move away from the warehouse again, back around the corner.

[Hazuki]

"I would love to, Tulip, but breakfast has arrived," Just as she says so, a few of the servers turn up at the table and deliver breakfast for all of the acolytes, a tasty collection of dishes. "And we do have plans to meet Dilaa."

"And it's dangerous..." Lance adds.

~

Unfortunately for Yildiz, her mind just isn't quite up to the task of mastering the streets of Garmine today. The conglomeration of wildly varying architecture and the waking-up citizens prove too much of a distraction for her to learn anything new from her initial run through its streets. She doesn't even manage to find any hidden places.

I rolled elsewhere and Yildiz got a result of 12 for finding new places.

~

Lyria allows Dilaa to guide her out of the warehouse and around the corner of the slum street. The scent in the air is slowly slipping away, but her teeth are still grinding behind her lips.

[Archmage1]

Tulip looks sad, at Cerise's polite declination of fun.
"Aw... but it would have been lots of fun! Maybe we could try later? We could invite Dilaa too! I'm sure a dragon wouldn't hurt us, we're nice!"
Tulip looks over the breakfast, but she knows that it wasn't nice to take other people's food, so she doesn't react to the deliciousness, beyond a mournful look.

[PersonMan]

"You hate fey, then," Dilaa says as the two round the corner, glancing back briefly. "Tell me what you need, and I will go get it."

[Hazuki]

"Not at all. She married my brother then cheated on him and stole all his coin." Lyria replied through her clenched teeth, breathing in for a few moments before she sighed. "Some new leather armor..." She tugged lightly at a patch of her current, ragged armor and the piece of leather came clean off through the stitches that had been keeping it attached. "And a backup weapon. Something light, like a dagger."

~

"I'm not that nice!" Lexi grins, then starts to gobble up the food on her plate.

"She's right. Sometimes, she's a little bit rude!" Webb adds. "How malevolent!"

Lexi sticks her tongue out at the dwarf.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles as she watches the byplay.
"Silly, of course you're nice! You're not being mean!"

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods slowly, eyes narrowed somewhat as she looks into Lyria's eyes. "I'll get those. It won't take long," she says, stepping back from the ranger and then turning back to the corner, moving to the segment watched over by the fey woman. As she approaches, her demeanor changes, her mind going from thoughts on Lyria's oddities to the situation before her. "Hello," the warrior says as she approaches the weapons and armor, smiling. "Do you have a set of leather armor and a light weapon, something like a dagger?" She asks.

[Hazuki]

"That's sweet of you, little lady!" Lexi tells the Petal. "And that's probably the only time I'll ever get to say that to somebody." She bounces lightly on the cushion that lets her sit at the table properly, emphasizing her small height.

"Would, um...would you like something, Tulip?" The scruffy-haired changeling asks.

~

"Those we definitely do have here, Ser." The plant-merchant informs Dilaa with a slow nod and a mellow tone. "What measurements do you, you know, need?" She asks, as she pulls out three of each requested item. One set of leather armor is black and backed by thicker pads around the limbs. Another is brown, with a belt attached, along with a few straps for holding weapons; it seems more limber. The last one is grey leather, seems quite luxurious, and stylish to boot. It even comes with a cloak and hood.

The first dagger is a simple iron affair, with a handle wrapped with red cord. The second is slightly more ornate, with a curved blade and engravings along the leather hilt. The third one has a blade that seems to be exquisitely crafted of a black iron, with silk ribbons wrapped around the hilt.

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles happily at the far larger Lexi.
"Thank you, Lexi. I think there are lots of normal sized people around. Like Kulaas, and lots of the other messengers! I'm sure you could call them little too! There's nothing wrong with not being a giant!"
Her eyes light up at Lance's offer, and she flies over to her, smiling cheerfully.
"Yes please! Could I please have a cherry, and maybe some of the bread? It looks delicious! Thank you!"

[PersonMan]

"I can fit the armor, it's not an issue," Dilaa replies, looking between the three offered sets of armor. "What would the prices be for these? Including the third dagger," she asks, looking back to the fey woman.

[Hazuki]

"Here." Lance plucks a few cherries off of her plate, along with some bread, and places it on a smaller plate that she pushes towards Tulip.

"You're adorable." Lexi snickers at the changeling, who seems quite confused as to whether she should take it as a compliment.

~

"I'll take a look here..." The plant-merchant hums to herself as she looks to what Dilaa has pointed out. "Three hundred, three fifty, and four hundred. I'm cutting a deal for buying sets and this stuff being scavenged." She gestures at all of the goods around her. "The grey stuff a damn sight better than most of it. Pure...somethingorother. My appraiser isn't here, and, honestly, I'm a little bit out of it right now. Honey...does stuff to you."

[Archmage1]

Tulip smiles, quite happy to eat a cherry, and some bread.
"Thank you, Lance!"
She picks up a cherry, holding it in both hands, and starts munching on it, slowly eating it. She also pulls off some of the bread, and eats it, looking quite delighted.

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods slowly, briefly wondering about the meaning of the fey woman's words before she decides that honey is likely something like strong spirits for her - she doesn't want to spend much time away from Lyria purchasing the equipment, and asking wasn't really necessary if she had a good enough idea to satisfy her curiosity. "I'll take that one, then. Four hundred, yes?" She asks, retrieving her coinage and counting out the payment even as she asks the question. The warrior makes the exchange once she has all four hundred gold, and gathers the armor and dagger in her arms. "Thank you. I hope the rest of your day is good," Dilaa says, smiling one last time before turning to head back around the corner to where Lyria was hopefully still waiting.

[Hazuki]

"Will you come with us to combat training, Tulip?" Webb asks the Petal after she's finished a munch.

~

"Peace be with you, lady." The plant-merchant says to Dilaa as she escapes with her purchased goods. Lyria is still in the slum street, sitting on a crate and fiddling with her large crossbow.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, holding the precious cherry firmly in her hands, nods.
"Of course! I've always wondered what training was! It always sounded like a game, in stories."

[Raunchel]

Yildiz is in the process of getting utterly lost. She vaguely remembers a tutor blabbering about navigating by the stars, but she thought it was boring and made him a little less boring with a knife. But now she does reconsider, perhaps it would have been worth listening to, because finding her way would be really useful in this maze. She would never admit it to anyone, but she has no idea whatsoever where she is. She comes to a halt in the unfamiliar surroundings. She knows another way. The little vampire closes her eyes and spins into a pirhouette, she keeps turning and turning for seconds, almost half a minute passes and she extends her left arm. She lets herself come to a halt, pointing in a direction. She will go strictly in that direction, until she reaches the edge of the city. There she will be able to go around it, until she finds a familiar point.

And for Direction(360 degrees will be directly North: [roll0] degrees

[PersonMan]

"Will these work?" Dilaa asks as she approaches Lyria, indicating the things she held in her arms. "The armor will need to be fitted, but I can do that."

[Hazuki]

"You might not like it." Cerise warns. "It can be violent."

~

Yildiz keeps walking and soon finds herself on the eastern outskirts of Garmine and spots the docks, as well as the authority building, as landmarks.

~

Lyria looks up at Dilaa, tired eyes going wide open for a moment at the sight of the gear, before she nods. "Where will you fit it?"

[PersonMan]

"We can go back to the Regal Chicken, or do it where we intend to train, or somewhere else," Dilaa shrugs. "I don't really have a preference, since I probably won't be on sandy ground anyways."

[Hazuki]

"Might as well do it in the alley, then."

[PersonMan]

Dilaa nods. "Alright, then. Take off that and we can get started," she says, putting her armful of newly-acquired armor onto another crate and quickly sorting it - the dagger goes off to one side, and she puts the armor into a single pile, roughly in the same order she will need each piece to fit it onto Lyria. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take it," she adds after a moment's thought, indicating the roughed-up armor.

[Hazuki]

Lyria carefully sets her crossbow down on the crate and then starts to take off her raggedy armor, stripping off the thin, scratched pieces of leather and putting them aside until she's standing there in her stockings and the undershirt from beneath the leather. "What for?" She asks, as she checks that none of the armor is left sticking to her. With her armor removed, Dilaa can spot a particularly large pendant hanging around her neck. It's a crystal, black-red, that seems to be perfectly formed into the shape of an eyeball, with a silver almost-ring that emerges from the top like horns, along with a similar, smaller embellishment on each side of the eye. That smell is in the air again.

[PersonMan]

"I'm going to try and make something with it," Dilaa replies, glancing both ways as she realizes that her companion isn't wearing much beneath her armor. Despite her own attire, she thinks of the ranger's own lack of clothing as a greater cause for attention than hers. After a moment the feeling fades, as she reminds herself of her own sparse clothing, forgotten again due to the magic keeping her from feeling the north's cool air. As Lyria finishes stripping off her armor, the warrior pauses to smell the air, eyes going to the pendant. "Do you mind if I ask what that is? It smells strange," she says after a moment's consideration, gaze going back up to her companion's face. Regardless of her answer, she takes the first piece of the ranger's new leather armor and brings it over to her, beginning the process of fitting it to ensure that it will be comfortable to wear.

[Hazuki]

"My mother's amulet, from after she stepped down from the Throne of Breland. They don't know she stole this symbol of sovereignty, so keep it a secret." Lyria replies, letting Dilaa start adjusting the armor to fit around her torso.

[Archmage1]

Tulip, still smiling cheerfully, shakes her head.
"Silly, you won't be trying to hurt each other! It's a game! So maybe we could play hide and seek!"

[PersonMan]

"I see," Dilaa replies, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing more about the pendant. Her curiosity isn't satisfied, especially since Lyria's words have the same air of falsehood as all the others, but she can tell that pressing the matter will only make things more unpleasant. "It may be odd for me to ask, as I don't know you very well, but has something been troubling you? You seem tired," she asks after a few moments, looking at her occasionally while working on fitting the new armor.

[Hazuki]

"Sparring involves lots of hurting each other! It's just bruises, but it happens." Webb tells Tulip with a grin.

~

"That conniving little halfling bitch count?" Lyria asks with a grunt.

[Archmage1]

Tulip thinks, and then she remembers a sparring scene from a story.
"But... aren't you just trying to touch each other? You wouldn't need to hit hard!"

[PersonMan]

"Maybe. Is that what's keeping you from sleeping?" Dilaa asks, looking up to Lyria's face again before stepping back and going over the first piece of armor. Nodding, she steps over and takes the second piece, beginning with that a moment later.

[Hazuki]

"We'd need to hit kind of hard. Otherwise, your partner can defend themselves with their full repertoire and you're left with slowed swings by trying to take it easy. And if you're not trying, nobody's learning anything." Webb informs her.

~

"No. I just brought it up for no reason." Lyria replies.

[Archmage1]

Tulip shakes her head, before she smiles, having had a brilliant idea.
"You can score touches! And if you're both moving slowly, it works! Or we could use tricks, that just look like you, instead!"