[User]
Kadho's port was always a busy place. It was a never-ending flow of motion, from deckhands to captains, port hands and fleet attendants, all trying to manage their own individual cargo and ships. It was never, ever quiet, not even in the darkest hours of the night and *Especially* Not the earliest hours of the morning. In came a ship adorned with the Cydonian crest upon its sail, a first rate caravel carrying several bushels of crop and a dozen or so crates filled with cold, hard money from across the sea. For many days now, the S.S. Sinker - unfortunate she be named - has been further upshore trading with Mentian militants - armor and spears for coin and crops, so that they may be used to purchase more spears and armor to sell to the militants once again. This was the cycle of trade that all in Kadho had become used to, and that na'er changed when war came knocking on their doorstep.

[ [*The Port Town of Kadho*](< ]

Among those on the port was a familiar Kemonomimi, who's brown hair and hazel eyes glistened light within the morning rays. In the past few years, she had gotten accustomed to the life of a sailing manager. Ever since she left her contract in Upper Mentia, she had returned home and purchased a trading ship impulsively to further her parents business along in the world and make more of a name for herself. It had suited her quite well.

An older man disboarded the ship from the plank, carrying with him a wooden board with several sheets of paper tacked to it. This list was handed to his superior, who looked over and then gave her thumbs-up of approval.
*"Fits the bill to me, Cap'n,"* She said, *"Glad you made it back in one piece."*

The Captain laughed.
*"'Course, wouldn't be the ole' Sinker if it sank! Bahahha!"*

Carlyn sometimes regretted giving it that name, but she smiled and laughed with him anyways. When their short interaction came to a close, Captain Moorse returned up the plank the begin giving orders to him men where to take each crate of goods. Most of the coin and all the crop would be transported to the Kadho General Store further upshore, but a portion of which remained on the ship to line the pockets of the sailors aboard. They all seemed happy to finally be back where their families were, and with money to buy them drinks. Even Carlyn felt pleased with the outcome, and always did. It felt good to make an old sailor smile.

As for the girl herself, she stayed upon the port and called orders to the deckhands that brought her goods. When she had the chance, a line was drawn through with a pen to indicate each piece of good that came off the ship. It was the best way for her to keep track of what she had made over the course of a venture, and as per always, it was *Quite* Well. Even if none of the money would go directly to her, it was still more than enough to put a smile on her face.

[Assistant]
*Livia had never been on a ship before. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he wasn't familiar with ports either.*

*Nevertheless, here he wandered. He had heard there was a ship ran by the Colonial merchant family, and he knew one girl by that name. An old friend, who he had not visited in quite some time.*

*Standing out with his fresh white cloak, polished but not shined shoes, and silver hair and golden eyes that could sell for the precious metals themselves was the mercenary. He looked around, attempting to find a short, brown dog, perhaps with a spear on her back.*

*Eventually, he would spot her, and would wave.*

"Carly! Long time no see!"

[User]
No spear rested upon her back.
T'was clear that she had laid combat to the wayside in favor of returning to her previous life. Yet her family crest itself was of a spear and an apple, so perhaps, she hadn't laid down the spear itself after all. A new form of aid and guidance enters the life of those who leave their previous ones behind, and that was no different for the young woman.

Her ears twitched at the sound of her name being called, not for it being her name - no. She had heard her name so many dozens or hundreds of times in a day that it actually grew tiresome.
No, it was the tone of the voice that said it. That voice.

She looked over to Livio and her soft smile beamed to a greater one. He was met with probably a bit more Carlyn than he was anticipating, because she wordlessly damn near *Tackled* Him. He probably was more than capable of holding her weight, but it was still fairly unexpected.

...Or, was it?
This was Carlyn, after all.
She's just as peppy as ever.

*"Hi, hi!"* She quickly interjected, reeling back and taking a look at his face. It was clear she had a lot going on in her head. *"Uhm... Uhm, uh, NIKLAUS!"*
Sorry for screaming that in your face Livio. Carlyn just as quickly let go and spun around, calling again much louder, *"NIIIKKLAAAAAUUUSSSAAAAA!"*

A young deckhand came damn near *Barreling* Down the plank to his supervisor, raising his hand in a salute.
*"YES, MA'AM, CARLYN... SIR... MA'AM!"*

...There was so much going on, it was a lot to take in.

[Assistant]
*Livia's usual smug smile was on his face, though his eyes widened in surprise as the dog practically threw herself at him like a javelin. His arms wrapped around in order to hold her as the force of the blow sent him several steps backward.*

"Woah! Someone's excited to see me. How has the dog been?"

*His hair blasted back as Carly accidentally screamed in his face like a howling wind. Regardless, he was undeterred, as a hand reached up on her head to ruffle her ears, something he hadn't done in quite some time.*

"Seems like you've been building up quite the business, eh?"

[User]
She handed the paperwork to the boy as a hand felt between her ears. It was just as much a refreshing experience for her as it was for him. She missed it. And, well, she had missed him.

*"Fit the bills and steadfast. You're two minutes behind, go! Go, off ya' go!"* Carlyn shoo'd off the deckhand with her paperwork and turned to face Livio again. It took everything in her power not to jump him again.

*"Never not busy!"* She replied, *"Great, never better actually! I've always got something to work towards. It's been building my crew as of late. I've become a pretty skilled manager of my own vessel! She's beautiful, isn't she?"*

A hand pointed at the craft. It was a mighty fine vessel for sure, made of sturdy planks of an unspecified material and built to last. It was dwarfed by many of the other galleons at the port but for a first trading vessel, the caravel made quite damn well. She looked extremely proud of it.

[Assistant]
"So you're building your own little kingdom over here, huh? Looks like they listen well."

*The words were followed by more head pats, getting every little detail between her ears. He took a look at the ship as Carly pointed towards it; it was surely impressive to him. While not as large as the other galleons, Carly didn't start out as a maritime trader. His vision soon funneled once he saw the vessel's name though, his forehead scrunching up as squinted, trying to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating.*

"Does that say... The S. S Sinker?"

[User]
*"Eh... Well... I... Thought it was funny, and it's certainly earned me a reputation."*

All of her confidence had been crushed with that simple detail. Her face was a bit red with embarrassment, and she quickly turned the conversation away from her ship. With head turned away to avoid eye contact, she took his wrist in hand and started walking.

*"C'mon. If we don't get outta here Captain Moorse is gonna start asking if we're married and then it'll gett awkward. Let's catch up while we walk, okay?"*

[Assistant]
"I imagine. Well, it hasn't lived up to its name yet. Hope it never does."

*The head pats got more intense as Carly turned red, then stopped as she took his wrist. Despite her smaller size and strength, Livia allowed himself to be dragged along; at least initially. He soon walked alongside her, though he wasn't sure where they were going.*

"Well, you *Are* Grabbing my wrist. Plus, that's not so bad after all, is it? Seemed like you missed me a lot too."

[User]
Her hand naturally slid from his wrist and into his own. They were just walking without purpose, it seemed. Walking did help talking - at least, Carlyn believed. Every now and again, the girl would wave to a man or woman upon a ship or running crates with a short but friendly greeting.

*"I totally did not, I just like my friends! I don't get to see them much cause everyone's always busy. Haven't seen Sonja or Sivne since I left Upper Mentia, and I haven't seen you since you last came to visit. So it's been a while and I get excited."*

[Assistant]
*He certainly didn't expect Carly to slip her hand into his. For only being friends, she sure was being affectionate. Maybe it was just that dog in her.*

"Oh, those two are doing just fine as well. They recently offed Aachen, if you haven't heard. I imagine you got busy due to the business, since war is running the economy. So I decided to visit since you were in port."

[User]
*"Good to hear. I felt kind of bad leaving them when I did but... I had my reasons."* The girl replied, but shook her head and added, *"I'm glad they got what they wanted. They deserve it, for all the hard work they've put in. I should visit them sometime in the near future."*

Then a nod was offered to his second statement.
*"I appreciate it. It's very rare I get visitors because all of my friends are super busy themselves. As much as I'd like to say I'm busy, I'm really not. My little sis' manages the store in my steed, and I spend most of my working hours managing my crew. Only thing is, my crew spends a week in Kadho and three overseas. I end up spending a lot of time kickin' dirt. Can't leave 'cause of the war, can't work 'cause my crews out. It gets lonely."*

[Assistant]
*Livia failed to mention that doing so had risked the fall of Upper Media had Allay not been the one who orchestrated it. Now the country was unified under Waltham... But his hometown was safe so it didn't matter much.*

"I can bring you along anytime. Just send me a letter or something."

*A comforting squeeze would be given as Carly laid out her situation. There were certainly dry spells for his own work as well, but she seemed to be stuck between two difficult responsibilities. Not that he was familiar with that word.*

"Maybe I should visit more often. Should we get something to eat maybe?"

[User]
*"Hummnnn... Mnhnnn... Sure! There's a place that broils and grills seafood near here. They make a masterful lobster plate. It's expensive but... I'll pay! Or, well, my parents will. They've gotten so rich lately they hardly notice a tab on their bank."* Carlyn replied with a pleased nod and a giggle at the rhetoric.

She took lead once again and pulled him into the sidestreets and off the port. Seems she knew where she was going, and was eager to go as well.

[Assistant]
"Sounds good! Though, what's a 'lobster'?"

*Livia had only ever heard of a lobster. Apparently it was something from the sea, a fish but not a fish, with a bright red she'll like a scorpion with claws like gigantic shears. He wasn't sure how it tasted, only eating land animals his entire life.*

"Oh please, it's been payday after payday for me! I can pay too."

*Like before, Livia found himself being dragged as if Carly was on a leash, and he was holding it.*

[User]
*"It's like... A big crawdad, or shrimp. Very light flavor. Or, well, I think. I've never had a lobster either, I've just heard good things."*

Eventually, after really not that far of a walk, Carlyn had led them to a small but wealthy looking portside bar.

*"My treat, Livio. For coming all this way. Let me pay, okay?"* Carlyn requested as she finally let go of his hand and walked inside, holding the door for him.

[Assistant]
"I don't know what those are either-"

*Well, there was no stopping Carly. He knew how stubborn she could get. And he was easily swayed as well. Plus, she knew the area. Carly would be his guide for the day.*

"Alright, you want to flex all your wealth on a mere like me."

*His smile widened as he teased the dog, and made sure to keep the door open with his hand as he walked in.*

[User]
The two were tended by a charismatic waiter, of whom Carlyn bantered with for a few moments with. Seems she was just as friendly with the locals as she was with everyone else. They even knew each other by name - or rather, Michael and Ms. Cydonia. Seems she's on the hot plate of reputation for her business growth. It was nice to see.

*"Hush, Livio. Let me spoil you a litle bit, okay?"* Carlyn shot as they were seated, giving a playful punch at his shoulder. She was smiling just as brightly as Livio.

Paper menus were offered to them with various different items written across. Carlyn took a small look over the menu but already knew what she wanted, and so with waving tail she waited patiently for Livio to make his choice so they could resume chatting.

[Assistant]
"You've made quite the name for yourself."

*Carly's fist would meet a rock for a shoulder under his cloak. Seems like he's been working overtime. Livia looked at the menu, intrigued by the options. Shrimp, crab, fish... All of this was foreign to him. Except for fish. He had eaten them from rivers before.*

*What caught his eye though was something called "Surf and Turf". A steak __and__ lobster? He wasn't sure what lobster was, but the menu made it sound delicious. And he loved steak.*

"Have you ever had Surf and Turf? Is it good?"

[User]
*"Huh?"*
Carlyn took another look at her menu with a disgruntled hum. She should have gotten that. Steak *And* Lobster? Man. She frowned a bit.

*"Looks good... I should've gotten it, I like steak too. Oh well."*

A sigh escaped her mouth as she came to terms with what was. She'd live with just lobster. Or steal steak from Livio. Either worked.

[Assistant]
"Don't worry, I'll give you some meat."

*In response to her frown and sigh, she would once again feel hands ruffling her hair and ears.*

"I'm not familiar with lobster, so I thought I'd get something I'm familiar with as well."

[User]
Her face and ears perked at the agreement to pass her some, and she smiled at Livio.

*"I'll buy you... Something! Dunno what but I'll make it up to you, okay?"*

[Assistant]
"Haha, I'll take you up on that!"

*After they ordered, bread would come first, which Livia would happily indulge in. He cut one warm roll open, spreading a generous portion of butter over it.*

"How'd you get that crew of yours? They seem loyal."

[User]
*"They came with the ship. Quite a sink of money, it was. The Captain, Palmer Moorse, has been sailing for decades now, and the crew has worked under him for most of their lives. His sons and daughters of the sea. They've been under my management for about two years now, around the time I left Mentia and came back home. It was an impulsive buy buuuut it all worked out in the end."*

Carlyn seemed to be fairly happy about her situation a crew, and spoke of them well.
Her eyes, however, did not leave Livio's plate. She wondered how in the hell his food got to him first, since he had more.

[Assistant]
*Livia did wonder how his food got here first. Perhaps they were just treating him because he was new? Regardless, he too looked at his food. Well-seared steak paired with a buttery lobster tail cracked open.*

"That's a lobster? Why is it missing a head? Does it swim like a fish?"

*Livia took his fork and knife, sinking the tines into the beef, then slicing the steak open to reveal a juicy pink center. He took the first bite slowly, chewing in order to savor the flavor.*

"MMH, that's good!"

[User]
Carlyn quietly and very slowly reached her hand over to his lobster to try picking off a piece for herself to see if he would comment on it. She had her own coming, she was just... Limit testing, we'll say.
She's got a small smile on her face and her gaze was cast off towards the other side of the room.

Little thief.

[Assistant]
*His eyes were sharp, and he didn't miss a detail. He saw Carly's slow attempt at going for the lobster, but did nothing. Instead, he proceeded to cut another slice of steak. Her hand would almost reach the lobster, before finding the juicy, delicious meat in her mouth.*

"If you wanted it, you could have asked."

[User]
*"Mphmh."*

Carlyn looked back to Livio, her face was pleased with the steak.
Chew, chew... Swallow.

*"That's... Just as good as it looked!"* She said with a happy smile, and then her own food finally come.
*"Thank you, Livio. You're really sweet, you know that?"*

[Assistant]
"I said I'd give you some steak wouldn't I?"

*Livia took his fork back as Carly's dish came, offering a smile.*

"How couldn't I be for someone as cute as yourself?"

*He cut into the buttery lobster, separating the shell from the meat with a pop, then made sure the meat was soaked in butter before taking a bite.*

"Woah, that's good! I definitely should visit more often-"


[User]
"Oh, I know what you're doing here." Myhan rubs his chin with piqued dacademic interest, the scholar buried within every 2 century old giant awakened.

"You forgo a weapon to focus on applying a somatic component to your spell with hand gestures, allowing you to more precisely direct your spells, designate targets, and also hasten the speed and widen the range of your spell. Thereotically speaking, if you can heighten your speed enough, you can forgo a sword entirely to strike. I usually see this more with aeromancers, but this works as well... One theory I have is that blah blah blah..."

As Myhan and Garuda went on and on about magic, it was only when Cuo awoke that the titan had noticed she had even slept at all. Sighing, Myhan was about to say something before suddenly, he stalled as a thought came to mind. With a twinkle in his eye and winking at Garuda, he then proceeded to cough very conspiciously to get her attention while she was still disoriented.

"Had a nice dream? Good timing, because the shop is about to close! Shame about the pastries you ordered though." Myhan made sure to mock sigh to sell it to the hapless girl.

[Assistant]
G-"I actually am an Necromancer. My specialties are the Artifice and Aero schools. They used to call me 'The Steel Raven' back in the day. And you are correct. It's more nimble than a sword, yet slashes just as effectively..."

"Huh? Closing??!!"

*CUO sat up straight, awake, and Garuda turned to her. If she were human, a sly smile would have appeared on her face.*

"Yep, you got 5 minutes."

*The mage looked at Mahan, then at Garuda. Just how long had they been talking about magic? Did she pass out for that long? In a rush, CUO began chowing down on the few remaining pastries, washing it down with half a cup of coffee, earning more strange looks from the people in the store.*


[User]
*His fork was set down for a moment to attack her ears with headpats and rubs in this moment of weakness before returning to his lobster. It was delicious, unlike anything he ever had. Sure, it didn't have the flavor of steak, but it was delicate, buttery and umami in its own right. However, his attention was split between that and Carlyn's reaction. The way she shyly looked away was simply adorable.*

"I didn't think it could taste this good! Especially with how it looks."

[Assistant] *"MHN, yeah, agreed. This is fantastic."* The dog replied, taking another swift bite of her lobster, Seems she had totally forgotten about her embarrassment and was just enjoying the situation for what it was; head pats and lobster. What a great day.

[User]
"So you've never had lobster before? You're family's rich as hell now, so why haven't you had it?"

*Another bite of the lobster was taken, and then the steak. The two flavors merged wonderfully together. A piece of steak was offered to Carlyn once more on his fork.*

[Assistant]
*"Uhh... Well, it's not* My *Money to spend, mostly. Plus I've just never thought about it. Guess this is just a special occasion?"*

Carly smiled at Livia and then chomp, another bite of steak with a happy wag and a grin.

[User]
"Yeah, but it's a well just wishing to be spent, isn't it? Hm, what about this..."

*Livio cut up some lobster and steak as well as a roll. Both cuts of meat were placed in the roll, making an impromptu surf and turf sandwich.*

"Want the first bite?"

[Assistant] It was a hard consideration to make... Not. Eagerly, the dog leaned in for the first bite and awaited the offer with a happy tail and perked ears. She was certainly eager to try something new, especially as an offering. Made her felt special.

[User]
"Say aaaaaaahhh-"

*Assuming Carlyn opened her mouth, she would be greeted by a holy combination of buttered bread, steak, and lobster. But that was not all; his fingers grazed her lips as she took a bite. And he wiped the corner of her mouth after she was done.*

"How was it?"

[Assistant]
It was the type of bite that mixed perfect taste, a kind gesture, and a gentle voice that nearly knocked her straight out. She physically recoiled, albeit slightly, from the stimulus overload.

The food was swallowed with a cough and her hand came up to cover her mouth. Seems she needed a moment to take it all in.

*"That-... That was too good..."* She mumbled. *"Thank you."*

[User]
*To add to the stimuli, headpats were given as well, the mercenary paying special attention to her ears. She was cute when being teased.*

"No problem, it's your reward for being such a good girl, inviting me over and all."

*Livio proceeded to consume the food normally, enjoying the mixed flavors of land and sea.*

[Assistant]
*"High, stop, stop. Too many compliments, Livia."* Carly griped, though she seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Lord only knew what being called a 'good girl' did to her.

She tried eating her lobster in peace but expected Livia to keep petting her anyway.

[User]
"But you're cute when you react like that!"

*Livio did indeed keep petting her ears, alternating his hand between a utensil and her head. He occassionally fed her part of his steak as well.*

[Assistant]
*"Am not."* She huffed and pouted between bites of food, *"You're lucky I like you as much as I do."*

She was still clearly grinning though, especially after she finished her little complaint.


[User]
*The elf stares as Yakaiyo annihilates her, eyes wide in surprise at the speed and fury in which she devoured her food. Snapping out of the shock as she speaks, his expression breaking into a burst of laughter.*

"No no, it's alright. I take it as a compliment, so if you want keep going."

*The elf then takes his own seat at the table for two. Glancing down at his bowl and picking up his set of chopsticks. It was a little awkward in his grasp, though whether that was due to his injury or inexperience wasn't known. He takes a large portion of noodles, slurping them up in one foul swoop before tasting his garnishes. Setting his utensils down as he lifts the bowl itself, drinking the deliciously hot broth.*
"Ah~ Nothing like a hot soup to warm the body..."

*He glances up from his meal to the Trenton, pausing for a moment.*
"Not much. Most of this I got from the market while you were in the bath... And I suppose it wasn't, but cooking up a good treat for a friend of mine is worth it."

*He smiled lightly, then reaching over to take a pot sticker of few. Glaring suspiciously at the bowl of rice after finishing, wondering how in the hell people ate rice with chopsticks.*

[Assistant]
"Well, if it's a compliment, I guess I'll continue."

*Sakai continues on to the chicken along with the beef, and picks up a bowl of rice along the way. Though, Horace can see a smile form upon him calling her a friend. His mental question would soon be answered, as Sakai effortlessly chows down on the chicken and rice, the soft, succulent, tender meat being consumed at rates faster than a swarm of locusts could eradicate a field of wheat.*

*Mid way through eating, the Breton stops and looks at Horace looking at the bowl of rice.*

"What's wrong?"


[User]
"If you can offer any, I would be in your debt. Are you a local, madam?"
*She asked, a pleasant lilt underlying her tone, reciprocating with a gentle smile as she fully lowered her guard. A short whistle and a click of her tongue would summon her horse closer, taking him by the reigns and leading him along.*

[Assistant] "Local? I guess you could say that." *The dwarf put a hand to her chin as she thought of how to explain without taking an entire day to do so.* "I'm a traveler, though I did grow up in these mountains. I know my way around here." *She turned, swiveling on her black boots and stretching her arms out.* "I came prepared with this thick coat, but to be honest it's making me kinda uncomfortable. Keokuk knows I'll freeze if I take it off."

[User]
*A moment's thought on the weather slowed her gait, breathing the icy air in deep, feeling it chill her lungs as she breathed out slowly. Her smile widened, nostalgia bristling at her vividly. The knight gave a low, pleasant chuckle and nodded, patting the saddle of her horse as she replied*
"You're welcome to take a rest while we walk, this fellow has had enough rest already."
*The mention of Kejomuj, the blacksmith god, piqued her interest quickly. Being surrounded by Irtutian nobles, desperately clinging to their Silnarian roots despite the capital's neglect of their holdings would make any person tired of their rituals. While Elias respected the pantheon, her adventures had connected her with far too many other faiths to dedicate herself to the religion of her exilers.*
"One of the cloth, hm? Or is it custom to take His name around these parts?"

[Assistant]
"Custom around these parts.? This is Praia, miss. Homeland of the dwarves."
*Beyond being the blacksmith god, Keokuk was the lord of the dwarves, the benevolent benefactor of their people who blessed them with the Caverns. Even if M'Rey had not been born to her father, as devout a believer as he was, she would still have been a savant no matter what dwarves family she came from.*
"It ain't custom where I'm goin' for sure, but I'll never miss givin' him the respects necessary."
*Her eyes shut as she walked closer to the horse.* "I won't miss ya offer on that, I can admit I'm a little slower compared to most trekkers."


[User]
"So I'm special to you then?"

*He spotted a grin form despite her words, which incited a smirk from Livio. He turned away slightly as he took yet another bite.*

[Assistant] *"If you want to believe it, sure."* Carly replied, giving him a taste of his own teasing medicine. She's got a smirk on her face from that one.

[User]
"Ok ok. If I'm not that special then it means I should take the rest of this steak for myself then, right?"

*Livio rotated his plate so that the steak would be further away from Carlyn, while also moving his shoulder in the way.*

[Assistant]
*"That's unfair."*

Carly gave another pouting look, and once more took her fork and reached across the table once more to get a bite for herself. She's expecting Livia's retaliation.

[User]
"But I got the steak!"

*Carlyn's fork would be deflected by Livio's, and another hand wraps around her shoulder and grabs it softly, yet firmly, effectively stopping her from turning as he tried to immobilize her.*

"Say I'm special and I'll give you some."

[Assistant]
Carly's eyes met Livia's in a moment of both panic and embarrassment. She couldn't pull away - not respectfully, anyway. And besides, that's not what she wanted.

There was a brief moment of hesitation, before she finally gave him what he wanted.
*"You're... Special."*

. . .

*"... In the head."*

Smug little cunt turned her embarrassment around on him with a sly little grin.


[User] Stepping upon the hard dirt road that makes up many of the towns streets, she walks along the cobble stone sidewalk and enters the breadshop through the open door. Within the shop, the smell of cooked bread hangs in the air thick like molasses. Light streams in from the open door and through a large window, which has shutters upon it halfway closed. There's a large counter in front of her, and racks of bread lining the walls - what looks to be the finest bread is located on the other side of the counter. The counter is made of wood, and the rotund man leaning upon it looks middle aged and slightly bored. He perks up upon someone entering and puts on a false smile as he says "Welcome to my bread shop! What can I get you today?" There's a door behind the counter that's closed, and another that would likely lead out to the communal bakery area.

[Assistant] *As June made her way into the bakery, her senses would be flooded with the smell of bread. It was a nice scent, one that was new, rich, and refreshing compared to the smells she was more used to. Jace paced the room, investigating around the shop as he tried to find the source of the strong smell while June would make her way up to the counter at the greeting from the man behind it.*"Thank you... I was... Just wondering if I could have some... Sweet bread..."*June said in her normally quiet tone. Instead of focusing too long on the man, her eyes would travel to the rest of the shop, mostly falling upon the bread that lined the walls to which the sight alone was enough to cause her tail to give a calm wag. Oh, how long has she had bread that seemed so fresh? She was not quite sure, but despite it, she couldn't help but feel the rekindled memories of such a treat.*

[User] He pushes himself off the counter and walks over to one of the top-most racks nearby, pulling down a loaf of bread that seems especially golden compared to the other ones. Plopping it down onto the counter, even from here the smell is quite sweet. The man eyes the jackal and then states with a slight hint of fear in his tone "We don't accept animals in this establishment... If you could get him out here I'll be willing to do business." The loaf is small, about the size of someones forearm - but it's likely far higher quality then anything else she's ever seen before. If she gets jackal out of the establishment she will discover that the loaf coasts roughly 25 silver, pricey for a piece of bread but clearly this is something special - and deserving of such a cost.

[Assistant] "O... Oh..."*She said, gazing down at Jace. Her tail had gone still for a bit as the man had asked her to remove the Jackal from the building. It was the first time she had found herself not being allowed to keep Jace in a building. Perhaps Media was simply different as such or maybe the man simply didn't like animals. June would give a click of her tongue to get Jace's attention and guide him over to her as she would take him back to the entrance way. As she would reach the door, June would allow for Jackal to eagerly run back outside only to realize that June wasn't following him which had caused him to return to door with a look of confusion.*"Just wait here for now Jace..."*She whispered to him, giving a pat atop his head.*"I'll be right back..."*Closing the door, she could make out the sounds of Jace trying to scratch at it, letting out a series of barks to be let back in. June would turn her head away for now, making her way back to the counter as she would take notice of the price of the loaf. Though it seemed rather small for something to cost that much, maybe it tasted more of what it was worth. At least, June would hope so as she took the silver out and placed it on the counter. It was more than she made in a day hunting, but maybe a treat sometimes wasn't so bad. Especially since any other time she could simply catch her own food.*

[User] The man snatches the silver up faster then an arrow and pushes the loaf of bread closer to Juna. Counting the coins in his hand he grins smugly and states "Will that be all? We have *Plenty* Of other different kinds of bread here if you find any others interesting..." He nods to one wall and continues "The breads over there are some of the most expensive in the store. The finest grain was made with them, fit only for nobility but i'm willing to make an exception for a *Single* Gold coin." Quite expensive, but likely what the nobility of this region pay each day to obtain high quality breads. Though, one must wonder if high quality always translates into good taste - quite often the "White" Breads the nobles eat are little more then dead calories, with no nutrients or substance beyond their expensive quality. The baker looks on expectantly, almost hoping for Juna to decide to splurge a bit after how much she was willing to give now.

[Assistant] *June would slowly grab the piece of bread, bringing it close to her before she finally picked it up and sniffed at it. As the baker began showering her with suggestions of what else she could buy from here with all the different and more expensive types of bread, she would give a shake of her head.*"No... No, thank you... This is enough..."*June says. In reality, she simply wanted to get back to Jace and share some of the bread with him for being relatively good this whole trip. She didn't think it's very fair to have to leave him outside after all of that. Besides, she didn't need the most expensive bread anyway. She was far from nobility and was humble enough just to enjoy a small sample of the bread they had. Even if it wasn't the best, June didn't need much of it. After all, she was capable of hunting for more food if she needed it.*"Thanks... Thanks for the bread..."*She would say before turning away and heading back to the door to head outside.*

[User] He shrugs in response, returns to his former position, and let's out a content sigh. The door opens back up into the streets, clouds have begun to move across the sky and seemingly in response to the threat of rain there are far less people on the streets. The bread is still warm in her hands, as if it had just finished cooking recently. If she bites into it she'd find it tastes exceptionally sweet, clearly sweetened with honey with hints of cinnamon. It's very crumbly however, and it's likely some of it would fall to the ground - Jace would likely eat whatever falls to the ground. If she gives Jace the bread, unbeknownst to her, the overly sweetness of the bread would likely lead to quite the stomach ache later on for the beast. Regardless, it seems that if they stay outside for any longer eating bread that they will be taking an involuntary shower.

[Assistant] *As June was greeted with her Jackal once more, she would lower herself to the ground to give him a light pet on the head. Carefully she would break off a small piece of the bread, about half the size of the palm of her hand and would allow Jace to eat away at it.*"You've been such a good boy Jace..."*She whispers as she would eventually stand back up and take a bite of the bread herself. The sweetness of it was definitely more than she would be expected, but still flavorful enough as it was. Gazing up at the sky, she would watch as the clouds began to cover it. June never cared much for the rain, though she would much prefer that the bread didn't get soggy from it.*"Maybe... We should go inside somewhere..."*She says to Jace while the Jackal had quickly finished his piece of bread and was sniffing at her for more.*"Let's go Jace-"*She would say, making her way down the road at a more quickened pace. It was too bad they couldn't have taken shelter in the bakery, though maybe there was a tavern they could sit in if the weather were to get too bad. Seeing his owner quickly moving on, Jace would follow after her, soon taking the lead once more along the much emptier streets.*


[User]
"Don't downplay it!"

*Taking the sake from the elf, Yakaiyo pours the alcohol into each of the cups, handing one to Horace.*

"It's rice wine, so it has a different flavor. Not made from the typical barley. Like white wine, sort of. Just like how I'm not used to whiskey. Red wine I enjoy though. Anyway... Here's a cheer to another day."

*Yakaiyo clinks her cup against the elf's, soon downing the sake in one gulp.*

[Assistant]
"That's all it is innit?"
*The elf questioned with a smirk, taking the cup in hand. He glances at the liquid, attempting to remember its taste.*

"Cheers then."
*The elf raises his cup, a soft clink before Horace follows suit. He coughs slightly upon drinking the alcohol, the difference in taste certainly striking.*
"AGH-... Right. Sake..."

[User]
"Hmph."

*Yakaiyo scowls and smiles at the same time, clearly wanting to slap Horace across the face; lightly, of course. Her hand only moves towards the sake though, as she pours herself another glass.*

"I guess you'll have to get used to it more if you hang around me. Should we see who can drink more?"

*Yakaiyo offers the gourd of sake, ready to pour another cup for Horace.*

[Assistant]
"An acquired taste huh...? Well, it's not exactly to my tastes, but I'm not one for dropping out on a challenge like that."
*The elf nods, graciously accepting the woman's offer of drink. Soon after taking and downing it, attempting not to taste the drink.*

"Blew-... I'll get used to this soon, right?"

[User]
"We'll try red wine next time."

*Yakaiyo downs her drink once more, before once again pouring another drink.*

"Hopefully. The more you drink, the more you'll get used to it."

*The treton pours Horace's glass to the full once again.*

"So that's two. How many do you think you can go?"

[Assistant]
"Hm... These are pretty tiny cups compared to the usual mug. Then again, shots are just as potent... I'll say around 10? That's probably good."
*Horace mumbles as Aka pours him another drink, downing it just as he had the last. Sticking his tongue out in displeased fashion before shaking it off for the next.*


[User]
*Horace was slumped over in his chair, head hanging limply as he relaxed. He could only handle a few drinks, which was frankly fortunate since it saved the elf from the taste.*

*And as for his mental state... Well, he wasn't useless, but he was certainly lacking in any common sense. Though to some, that was his natural state.*

*Horace then climbs out of his chair. Hazily approaching the red velvet sheets of the Inn bed, plopping face first into the warm comfort. Upon which, a muffled scream is heard, as the elf himself had forgotten about his arm.*

[Assistant]
"Are you ok?"

*Horace was evidently not ok, as he began screaming while face down. He probably lacked coordination due to the alcohol. Unfortunately, Sakai did as well.*

*The Breton stumbled over to the elf, pulling him over his normal arm, relieving the pressure off his wound.*

"Is that better?"


[User]
"...Eh?"

*His golden eyes flashed as they met Carlyn's, his expression suddenly becoming cold. His grip grew tighter on her shoulder, and a sly grin of his own appeared on his face.*

"Tell me, Carlyn, are you ticklish?"

[Assistant] *"Are you about to make a scene?"* She asked back with mild stupor, mild excitement to her tone. *"I haven't been slackin' you know. I'm fine to make a scene. It all depends on how good that food is, and if you want to come back here again."*

[User]
*Livio looked Carlyn dead in the eye as his hand shifted off her shoulder, slowly, slowly, to her side. His fingertips touched her side, threatening to tickle her.*

*Then he looked back to his steak and pulled her closer instead.*

"Nah, I wouldn't do that. Here, have another bite."

*He offered her another bite of steak.*

[Assistant]
Victory. Carly took her prize in stride, leaning forward and picking her bite off his fork with prudence. Livia had once again lost to a puppy. What a fool.

Carly had damn near polished her plate at this point and finally asked, *"Where do you plan to stay? We can rent you an inn somewhere or my parents have a guest room at the house. I wouldn't mind the company."*

[User]
*Livio pulled her even closer, enough so that their sides touched. Of course, he wasn't squeezing her in a death grip; just a warm embrace that she could get out of if she wanted. He didn't really care that his steak was gone; he still had a bit of lobster left.*

"Hm, if I could stay at your place, that'd be nice. Meeting your parents would be nice too."

[Assistant]
It was something she chose to accept, and she even leaned into it. It had never actually happened that she felt this kind of attention or affection before. She had always had friends, but this was different. It was nice.

A nod was given, and she called the waiter over, and a tab was placed on her parents name. They were free to leave from there.

*"They're both kind of old farts. My dad was an adventurer and my mom... Was just kind of a housewife before they became merchants. My little sister might be more interesting than them."*

[User]
"Ah, just copy paste huh? Well, I guess it'll be nice to meet her then. I'm just looking forward to more time with you though."

*Livio quickly finished the rest of his lobster, washing it down with a glass of water.*

"Well, where to next? Straight to your place, or is there something else you'd like to show me?"

[Assistant]
*"We'll take rest at the store. I've got to feed La'Vera early in the morning so we'll go and run that chore before you head home or... Wherever you're off to afterward."*

Carly once more took lead, pushing in her chair behind her and offering her hand this time to Livia.

[User]
"La'Vera's your sister? Younger I assume. Sounds good. Lead the way, Captain."

*Livio took Carlyn's hand, though once he was up on his feet he pulled her in close with a small little tug of his arm.£

[Assistant]
*"Sister? No. My sister's name is-"* The dog was swiftly interrupted by the tug on her arm. She stepped up against his shoulder as they walked, not so much a hug as they didn't have huge amounts of time. She simply continued talking where she left off.

*"Her name is Maryanne,"* She said, and then bomb shelled with, *"La'Vera is my Dragon."*


[User] It wouldn't be hard to follow the sounds of merriment - and the smell of booze in the air. She'd find herself quickly in front of the establishment with the Tankard as its symbol. The oaken plank door is right in front of her, and two windows that utilize wooden shutters to close them. If she looks into the establishment through these windows she'd find a lively environment - made up of mostly Macen, but a few other peoples like elves can be seen, all drinking and eating. A song *Seems* To be coming from within... But the voices and merriment within seems to blot out any attempts to listen in. The door doesn't seem locked and she'd have no issues just walking on in if she wanted to. From the looks of it, other people seem to be having the same idea and are also making their way to the tavern - hopefully there will still be space inside...

[Assistant] *June would follow the sounds, soon finding the tavern that she sought.*"Stay close Jace..."*She whispered to him as the area became more crowded by the moment with all the people making their way to the Tavern as well. Of course Jace didn't exactly understand that much, however, he wasn't prone to running off in a place with so many people surrounding his owner. Anytime a person would get too close, Jace would let out a bark of warning while June slowly made herself to the door and opened it up to make her way inside. Her ears would lower atop her head, trying to muffle the amplified sounds as they would easily reach her at a much louder tempo. The Cantor would try her best to find somewhere more secluded within the crowded Tavern, knowing very well how impossible it may be. However, she was only interested in staying out of the rain for the time being while she observed the noticeably high population of Macon and Elves.*

[User] People part around her like she's a victim of the plague. She gets plenty of strange looks, mostly because of her pet that she's brought into the establishment. So many elves in a land alien to elves is quite strange, but is soon explained by the performance ongoing. It seems some kind of elven troupe has entered the town, and that they're performing some kind of exotic elven thing. Extremely flexible dancers, beautiful vocalizations, etc. Probably a bit too loud and high pitched for her well tuned ears. Unfortunately for her, it does not seem like there is a single quiet place in this establishment - if she were to approach the tavern owner she'd at least be able to ask though. It does seem like this place has a basement and a second story, though the purpose of the second story is unknown.

[Assistant] *June kept her head lowered as she walked past the several people passing glances at her. After looking around for a bit, it seemed as if she wasn't going to get much peace here, leaving her to having to keep her ears pressed against her skull at the expense of some of her hearing. It was good enough as it was without all the loud noises causing her to go deaf. From a distance, she would catch sight of the even dancers putting on a performance, finding herself watching more curiously. It was the first time she's ever seen a performance going on at a Tavern, and she couldn't help but stare for a while as they have sung and dance, her Jackal soon letting out a high-pitched howl of his own at all the sounds. Eventually June would break herself away from the brief trance, moving further along through the Tavern as she had eventually come to take notice of there possibly being a second story. Maybe this place had some rooms to stay in. It would be practically impossible to sleep with all this noise, but at least it could provide a place more private from the rest of the Tavern. She would head over to who she could only assume was the owner of the establishment or at the very least someone that could answer her question.*"Hello... I was... I was... Wondering if this place had... Any rooms available..."*She would ask them, her Jackal continuing to vocalize at her side.*

[User] The mans smile promptly turns into a frown as if he had drunk spoiled milk and states "Tell your mutt to shut it before he drives all the customers outside! And yes, we do have rooms for sale. Twenty five silver a night, and if that dog is sleeping with you it'll be an extra ten silver per night." He sneers at the animal as if it was the cause of all of his problems. But he isn't the only one, many of the patrons of this establishment regard the dog as if it were also the source of all their problems - and for now, it seems like it's the source of their issue of hearing the singing, even if that isn't quite true. The clouds outside begin to coalesce into a dark grey mass, and those unfortunate to be stuck outside would find the pitter patter of rain would follow soon after. The pitter patter begins to grow in intensity until the hard packed dirt streets outside turn to mud and the only thing safe to walk on is the cobblestone paved side walks.

[Assistant] *June flinched a bit, turning her head down to gaze at her Jackal. It seemed as if a lot of places didn't seem to like animals here. Perhaps it was just a thing of Media.*"Jace shhh..."*She would say. Of course that wouldn't get the Jackal to shut up completely, but at least he had started howling less frequently, pausing occasionally to look up at June before continuing on once more. As the man, told her how much the room would cost, she would take a moment to think about it. She had already spent a lot for the bread. Maybe she could simply wait out the rain in the main tavern for now. At least, it would seem to save money anyway.*"Oh... Okay..."*She would say before glancing back to the performance going on.*"Thanks for... The info..."*June would turn away, leading Jace further back through the crowd in hopes of leaving the sight of the Jackal-hating man. June thought Jace's voice was rather nice, though of course not everyone can learn to appreciate it. For now, June would at least search for an empty seat for herself to take in order to watch the performance. If not spending the night here, she could at least wait out the rain in this rather festive place for the time being. Finding himself having to hastily follow his owner, Jace would quiet up is solo, following after her with his tail wagging vigorously at the excitement in the air.*


[User]
"Some will target people like us for no reason. They make us what we are."

*Yakaiyo's voice is soothing as she begins to stroke the elf's hair.*

"Surely you have the funds to heal it, right?"

[Assistant]
*Horace simply groans in response, wanting to bury his face once more. His head gently leaning into her hand, accept ant of the pats.*
"Yea... But there ain't many doctors here... Was waiting to find you to go back to Albania..." *He slurred gently.*

[User]
"We'll head there soon enough then. For now though, just lay back and rest. You've done enough."

*Yakaiyo's own eyes began to close, though she pulled the elf closer to her to better support him, making sure he was laying on his non-injured side.*

"It's getting late, you know?"

[Assistant]
"Yeah."
*The elf snuggles up against the Trenton, getting comfy as best be could while injured.*
"You're warm, aka..."

*A comment without much meaning, just simple observation.*

[User]
"Warm? That just means you're cold."

*The treton was indeed warm though, smiling as she feels Horace snuggle against her like a cat. Yakaiyo then gently pulled the blankets over the two.*

"How long do you want to stay here for?"

*The vampire then moved from Horace's head to his shoulder, rubbing it.*

[Assistant]
"Maybe..."
*The elf questions, inching ever closer. If he was cold, it was only reasonable to move closer to the warmth.*

"Well... Not too long... But..."
*He looks up to Aka, pausing.*
"Don't you have things to finish here? Before we can go home..."


[User]
Carlyn scowered at Livio's first response and then ignored his question with a hmph.
Seems she misinterpretted what he had said. She thought he was implying her name *Wasn't* Regular. Not the Dragon's.

[Assistant]
"... Did I say something wrong? I just meant your sister's name was normal. And it's not every day that people say that they have a dragon, you know-"

*Livia seemed confused on why Carly suddenly seemed to get angry.*

[User]
*"Yeah, my name is perfectly fine too. Just 'cause Mary has a traditional name doesn't mean mine isn't normal. You're more than welcome to sleep on the couch, you know."*

The dragon question was aired yet again.

[Assistant]
"You're absolutely right."

*Livia put his arms around Carly and sort of just flopped down on her, though still walked with her.*

"If I said anything mean, I didn't mean it, ok?"

[User]
*"Thought so."* Carlyn retorted, evening out his weight with her own. This close, he could feel it. Not only had she been keeping up with her training, she was stronger than she was before. Her muscular frame was hidden by dense and loose fitting clothes. It was only slightly jarring.

*"Buuuut yeah, I have a dragon. Her name is La'vera... Or maybe... He? Never checked before. Doesn't really like strangers but she'll tolerate them."*

[Assistant]
"Hey, you've been working!"

*Standing up on his own two feet, Livia would place his hand on her shoulders, partially feeling her muscular frame, partially trying to tickle her. Sure, it wasn't as built as he was, but Livia had been a professional soldier before this. Was it just him, or was she taller than Shaw?*

"Well, I hope he'll tolerate me. I don't any any dragons angry at me."

[User] *"Hey- no poking."* She fussed, twitching away with a toothy grin, *"He won't bite you but I will if you keep doing that."*

[Assistant]
*Livia snickered a bit at Carly's reaction, responding with a head pat.*

"And what if I like it?"

[User] *"What if you..."* Carlyn repeated, giving him a funny look and saying, *"You're weird, if you do. Who wants to be bit?"*

[Assistant]
*Livia let out a laugh at Carly's reaction.*

"No, no I don't. But there's some weird people that you can meet out there that do. A little nibble, right there-"

*Livia would lightly punch Carly's neck, just enough so she could feel him.*

[User]
*"Well I'm ferocious and don't nibble, I bite. So don't poke me or else."* She threatened lightheartedly, giving him another fanged grin. Scary kemonomimi teeth.

They were finally coming up on the Kadho General Store. It hadn't changed much from the last time Livio was here, only, this time he was invited inside rather than a conversation from over the outdoor stall. Carlyn opened the door for him, since he was her guest.

[Assistant]
*Livia gave her another head pat as she gave a fanged grin. He just saw it as cute.*

*He gave a bow of thanks as Carly opened the door for him, as he stepped inside and gave a look around.*

[User]
They were immediately met by the voice of a man who swung his head from around a corner.
Immediately, the man started talking at the girl in Runra. She had no idea if Livio understood the language and double-took.

The sir was another Kemono, much like herself, with a small frame and incredibly dark brown hair with white strands and a scruffy beard. Seemed like this was her father.
**"Carlyn, where the hell have you been all day?!"** He fussed, and then looked at Livio, **"And who's the boy?"**

**"Does it matter? Shipment details should have arrived. I'm going to my room to work on the next long. He's spending the night with me."**

Before they really could get another word between each other, Carlyn took Livio's hand and hurried him along towards a hallway that broke off into a couple different rooms. It was the middlemost room that belonged to Carlyn, of which she damn near dragged him into and then shut the door with an annoyed sigh.

[Assistant]
"Eh? Uh, no speak Run ran."

*He recognized the language as Run ran, but had no idea how to speak it. Maybe he should have Hara or Carly teach him some. He looked to a man who seemed to be Carly's father. He smiled and gave him a wave before being dragged along by the dog into her room.*

"Not fond of him?"

[User]
The girl shook her head and said, *"Nah, not that. I just kind of dissappeared on him for like... 5 hours. I was supposed to be back with the shipment details but I got a little..."*

She looked at Livio. He was her scapegoat.

*"Tied up. And I've also never brought anyone home before, not since I was like thirteen or fourteen, so I'm sure that's a little concerning to him."*

[Assistant]
"Well, you did get the shipment details to him, right? The end result should be all that matters."

*Livia looked back at Carly, not knowing what was going on in her head.*

"That's quite a long time. Fifteen sixteen is typically when that stuff's at it's peak, isn't it?"


[User]
On the north-eastern outskirts of Upper Mentia, a dark figure stumbled out of the forest. She was small and looked worse for wear. There was dark spots all over her clothes, and the edges of her mouth were rimmed with a crimson red. Without seeing her eyes, it was clear that she was suffering from some form of malnutrition, dehydration, or both. This would be the fate of the Reptillian Solis, who had finally made her way through the thick forests and found some form of civilization, but without a change in her personality in the process.

"Pl-please... Anyone." She gasped, her voice raspy and her lips cracked and bloodied. Solis had taken a few more steps before being brought down from exhaustion. Now on her hands and knees, she scanned the area, looking for something or someone to help satiate her needs. She wouldn't let herself die here though, after everything she went through. Doing her best to push herself back up, she continued to walk more inland, clutching her dagger in case anything catches her eye.

[Assistant]
*Melody carefully picked her way through the forest, her progress finally giving her a little more faith in her travels. Despite straying a bit off course, she was sure she was getting close to North Media now. If only winter hadn't managed to arrive before she could get there. Now the thoughts of traveling back south with a herd of centaurs seemed an even more daunting task. She was going to hold out to hope though, even more towards the trip not being for nothing.

She continued down the path she was on, making sure to stay on course. That was, until her heard a seemingly faint voice. The centaur looked off from the road ahead, gazing out into by the forests and wondering if she had just imagined it.*"... Hello?"*She called back to them. Though she couldn't really see anything with the reptilian blending in so well to the dark forest, Melody was a lot easier to spot. Of course, she mostly just looked like any other deer in the forest with her centaur half, but someone of her frame was a lot harder to miss.*

[User]
There was a voice that, although faint, Solis heard through the other noise. This was it, a time to strike and a time to survive. Unsheathing her dagger she used her long thermal sensing to find where this voice was, only to be met by what she thought was a deer. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but as she kept on stalking her prey, she found that the "Deer" She saw was actually a centaur. While she saw the top part of her still as taboo, that bottom part must be good to eat. Solis thought of how to filet the meat, and how tasty she would taste. Well, that would have been the case, but upon further inspection, she found a nasty surprise hilt that poked out of her side. At her state, she couldn't even fight off a predator animal, much less a self-aware entity. Sliding her dagger back in her hilt in defeat, she raised her arms and screamed with all her effort.

"Hello!" If the black sleeves weren't enough to signal Solis there, her hood has two linen-sewed eyes that lay on top of her hood, and should be visible to anyone. She limply swung her arms with no energy remaining, and she slowly began walking towards the centaur, hoping that she could provide some sort of sustenance, whether she had food or she had to ambush her at close-range. She wasn't going to tap out now.

[Assistant] *Melody swung her head around, appearing startled for a short moment as her gaze finally fell upon the lizard folk.*"Oh-. Hey, didn't see you there-."*She said, turning fully to face the woman. Her tone carried a friendliness to it. She figured it best to appear that way out here. With all the warfare it was easy to be mistaken for an enemy.*"Are you okay miss...?"*Melody asked as the woman began approaching her. There was an edge of caution to the deer, knowing full well she shouldn't be too trusting to people she came across with how close she was getting to the war zone.*"You sound a bit distressed. Is there... Something I can help you with...?"


[User]
*So this was what Carlyn was like. It seemed like she had a lot on her plate with the family business. And of course, the armor. He had never actually fought alongside her before; seems that she was a heavy armor user. He did want to see that one day; the small dog in armor barking at enemies.*

*Of course, the arms were what immediately took his attention. He looked at the designs; they didn't seem professionally done, but they were still good.*

"Did you do these yourself?"

*He then looked over to the dog, who had now taken off her jacket to reveal a strong dog. Nice.*

"Well, you've gone out of your way to change that."

[Assistant]
*"I did. They're cute, right?"*

Carly walked up next to him as he looked over the armor and brushed her shoulder against his gently.
Most of the designs were of little critters, clouds, or elaborate vines on flowers. They were certainly cute.

[User]
"They are. How long did it take?"

*As Carlyn brushed up against him, he placed his hand on her ears, rubbing them.*

"A cute design from a cuter artist."

[Assistant]
She blushed at the compliment, taking a step past him so he couldn't see her face. It had a long while since she received compliments like that, and if ever in this quantity. Her hand run down her spear as she spoke.

*"I work on and off on it,"* Her hand moved off the spear and towards the armor. "*A few years now. I started the spear in Upper Media and finished not long before I left. I started the armor when I got back home. It's been... Two years? Give or take, anyway. It'd be done by now if I weren't so busy."*

[User]
"Aw, is someone blushing?"

*Livio could see her reflection in the polished armor, as well as his thermal vision confirming that she was warmer than normal.*

"Do you plan to get back to adventuring anytime soon? I imagine you want to get out there, seeing how much attention and detail you put into your gear."

[Assistant]
Carly grumbled back at him without really giving him a response to his first question, but quickly let it go with a sigh when his next one was asked.

*"I never intended to leave."* She said plainly. *"I just wanted to keep everyone safe and realized I was a liability and starting to lose my sense of morale. Chalked it up to needing to go back home to work, but I knew I was just slowing everyone down. I came home to take those shackles off of them. Keeping them safe meant keeping myself out of harm."*

Her hand raised along her spear with a face of somberness.
*"One day, when this war is over, I'll go back. I'm not sure if I could ever see Sonja or Sine, really. I pretty much abandoned them. Even if they took me back with open arms, I'm not sure how I'd feel about it, you know?"*

[User]
"A liability? Are you worried that your friends would get hurt trying to protect you?"

*An arm wrapped around Carlyn's waist as Livio hoisted her up and sat her on the bed, and he sat next to her.*

"I don't know about them, but I'd want you fighting by my side. I'd think they would to. Gives the enemy someone else to worry about, you know? I'm sure you can handle yourself in melee. I sure can't."

*He placed his hand over hers reassuringly.*

"I'm sure they'd be happy to see you again."

[Assistant]
Livia put everything she said into a much easier to swallow pill. Her ears flattened at her own disappointment, though that was cut short when she was quite literally picked up. A noise of nothing but surprise escaped her mouth until she was put on the bed and Livia took a seat next to her.

Her surprise went back to sadness when he started talking again, though his words were certainly encouraging.
*"Thank you Livia. I just don't think it's time yet but... I do want to see them again."*


[User] They exit through the open doorway into the muddy streets of the town. The gruff looking man takes out his map once more and looks up at the sky, before turning right and heading towards the exit of town towards the direction that Juna originally came from. If she follows him, he would guide the two of them out of town and far enough away that the only signs of civilization along the road would be the expansive fields. Going even further then that they would eventually re-enter the forestry that one flanked either side of the road during their travels. He suddenly turns off the road and heads into the forestry, weaving between trees and snapping branches that he cannot avoid with his sheer size. It would not be long until they come upon what looks to be a couple of sunken stone bricks in the earth beneath them. Several others nearby brought up out of the earth by the roots of the trees flanking them, he looks down and puts the map away. If she looks around she'd notice that the bricks though barely visible and in poor condition create some sort of path forwards. Without any words being exchanged the man walks forwards, stumbling occasionally over the rough road as he works his way further into the forest.

[Assistant] *June would follow him, her leather boots squelching with each step she took along the muddy path. Her Jackal kept close to her, testing out each patch of mud with a paw in memory of a time when he had once gotten stuck in a large puddle of it. June kept her gaze on the back of the man, keeping a couple fox-lengths behind him as he leads her out of town and back the way she had originally entered. As they entered the forest, June's ears instantly rose up with a feeling of alertness. There was some extra sense of familiarity being in a forest over that of a town, but still they were out on a mission and with what the people had warned her of earlier, she decided it was best to keep aware while out in Media. With every branch he snapped, her ears would flick towards the noise, becoming more conscious of them over her Jackal who would be sniffing around the new scents of the area. Eventually coming upon the sunken bricks, June would begin to slow her pace, wondering if they were nearing the place she was supposed to be scoping out. The Cantor was about to open her mouth as he looked down at the map again, but seeing him continuing anyway, June would follow him once more in silence. Each time he stumbled about along the road, she would become overly alert, unaware of whether there were other things to be looking out for in the forest with all the noise he was making. June preferred to keep quiet in unknown areas, but it seems it would be quite impossible with the man tripping about. Still though, she didn't speak, not wanting to interrupt the man as he tried to find whatever it was they were looking for.*

[User] The mans heavy fur boots clatter against the worn stone bricks of this long forgotten path. Several times they splash water pooled within sunken bits of the road, or kick loose rocks off the pathway. Snapped branches litter the path he clears through the thickening brush. Birds chirp in fright and surprise as he disrupts their daily routines and Juna would likely hear animals of all kinds - foxes, rabbits, mice, etc fleeing in surprise at the mans loud approach. Several hours of following this decrepit path eventually leads to a semi-clearing. Within this semi-clearing is a large single story structure about the size of a modern day family house. Stone bricks make up the foundation and what looks to be a large tree pokes out of the top of the structure. A doorway entering into a dark room sits at the end of the path. There are no windows from this side of the building, and English ivy runs up and down the oddly symmetric grey stone brick walls. The man nods to the structure and says "You go. No come out unless cleared. Understand?"

[Assistant] *Nearing the structure, June would grow stiff at it. It was rather odd seeing this place in the middle of nowhere which only caused a more ominous feeling for June. She turned her gaze towards the man as he nodded towards the structure, meaning that this was the place she was meant to search. Why that was, June was still not quite sure. When he asked if she understood her task, she opened her mouth to respond only to shut it once more and nod instead. She gave a small hand gesture for Jace to come follow her as the two would make their way over to the doorway. June went still once more, eyeing the dark room as she tried to blink a bit to adjust to the gloom of it before eventually taking a step into the building with her Jackal close beside her.*

[User] Each uncertain step guides her closer to the arch. Upon passing through the doorway she feels shivers arch down her spine as if something wasn't quite right here. Her eyes rapidly adjust to the low light conditions and she notices that this room - whatever it once was, is completely unrecognizable. Piles of junk - the smell of animal refuse, dry dead leaves, moss, and even mushrooms call this room home. There are two other door ways - one right next to her on the right and one in front of her. The one in front of her seems to lead into some kind of hallway meanwhile the one to her right leads into a room smaller then this one - with a large stone brick in the middle, what remains of a hearth, and more trash and dirt mounds. If she investigates the room to her right she'd notice that the hearth seems to have been made into a den for some creature long ago but sits abandoned, and besides that there would seem to be nothing else of note within the room. If she enters into the hallway the same signature piles of refuse would be present, but there would also be a musty smell hanging heavy in the air. There are two other entrances within the hallway - both seeming to lead into rather large looking bedroom sized rooms. One of the rooms is bathed in light from the mighty tree growing out of its floor and punching through the uniquely stone roof. If she enters the doorway leading out of the presumable kitchen she'd find herself in a room lined with stone shelves. Upon one shelf, would be a completely out of place wooden box - seemingly untouched by time, but definitely not something placed here recently...

[Assistant] *June would take note of the room, carefully scanning the ground for any sign of potential traps about within the growing bits of wilderness making their way into the room. Jace would sniff at the area, finding himself taking an interest into the ones that carried traces of other animals being here at some point as he would gradually make his way to the room at the right of the Cantor. Heading towards the Hearth, Jace would sniff at it a bit as he would take notice of some animal previously being here.*"Stay close Jace..."*She'd say quietly before turning to head down the hallway. Her Jackal would eventually snap his attention away from the hearth and follow after her. As she would see light coming from one of the rooms, she would head towards it to come to see it was the area where the tree had sprouted through.*"This place has to have been abandoned for ages if this tree was able to grow this much..."*She'd say, half to herself as she would try to explore the room further, Jace not being too far behind as he would enter after her.*


[User] Today unlike any other day in the beautiful and prosperous land of Kadhok, the early morning sun would be beating down on the capital of Kadho, though to usuals and residents this was nothing as they were so close to the unbearable dry heat of the deserts. However to any foreigners this abnormal heat could possibly prove fatal. To Invola though, she had a nice and giant ice cube of a golem to cool down the inside of her store and as a plus it served as a guard while the shopkeep under her guise as a dark elf organized the stores selves and displays, waiting for any customers to walk on in. The window shelves were adorned with many jeweled ring, necklaces, and even some circlets for the overly aristocratic. And to top it all off today sitting right outside the door of Wolf's shop was a sign announcing a sale on all water and cool foods, as well a few enchanted items to fight against the heat.

[Assistant]
*Horace would walk through the town, drenched in his own sweat. He kept his cloak, mask, and hood on out of fear of being recognized, though this would only add to the heat. "Thanks to that damn bounty, I had to escape to this godforsaken place to get away from all those bounty hunters. If I didn't know better, its almost like everyone's out to get me!". Horace would look around, noticing a store with several items of high value. But more importantly, that golem must be cooling down the room like crazy! Horace would rush into the building, almost heading tears of joy.*
"Oh god, this room is a lifesaver, I'm so glad there are cool rooms like this in such a hot ass place like this!"

[User] The dark skinned woman would raise her brow just slightly to man bursting into her store, while she was sliding a small vase onto a shelf quite larger than her. "I'm glad my service is already outstanding to you, though the ice golem's cooling services are a luxury only customers are allowed. So..." Wolf would pause her words while she slowly made her way behind her store's counter, to then place her hands on the polished wood and gaze her red eyes towards Horace. "Are you looking to buy anything good sir?"

[Assistant]
*Horace would look up, noticing the dark elf that stood before him.*
"A dark elf? Never seen one of you folk before."
*Horace would approach the counter as the elf told him about the policy.*
"Stereotypical shop owners, never giving a shred of free services. What's your cheapest item, I'm only here for the cold room anyway."

[User] "My cheapest item would be the chilled water, that ice golem is holding that along with a few chilled fruits. The water is two silver, the fruits are five. But if you're referring to actual material items such as jewelry, my five least expensive and non-enchanted items are on the shelf over there." And Wolf would promptly point out the shelf with porcelain busts adorned with various bits of brass and bronze jewelry. "Now I'm sure you noticed the sign outside, but if you didn't we have various enchanted items to help with the weather lately, if you would like to see those all you have to do is ask."

[Assistant]
"I'll just take the chilled water for now... But I would like to hear about those enchanted item later."
*Horace would place two silver coins on the counter. After he receives his items, he'd sit in a nearby chair, or just up against a wall if no chairs could be found. The elf would carefully remove his face mask, sipping the water gently. Horace had never been so happy to drink water before, it was almost embarrassing.*
"I don't know how anyone can live in this godforsaken heat... Its unbearable!"
*Horace would groan, continuing to drink. He would look around the shop, his eyes noticeably locking onto the valuables. The elf would make mental notes of all the valuable's locations in the store.*
"I suppose you have a real monopoly here, I haven't seen much business here for cold refreshments and such. Then again, that's to be expected if everyone here is used to the heat..."


[User]
"Don't worry, I keep my promises."

*That was a lie, though he fully intended to brush her hair and tail if need be.*

"I'll be sure to help finish this war then. So you can get all comfy."

[Assistant] *"I'll buy into that."* She said with a gentle sigh, *"Both of those, actually. I'll believe you on both of those things."*


[User]
"I see... In our culture, the body becomes a sacred thing after death. Whatever state they were in when the soul departed from it, it shall stay that way. It's why you see very few centaur... What do they call it, taxidermy? Perhaps not, but you get my point..."
*The centaur shivered gently at the prospect of being stuffed and displayed after death, fairly certain that was not the sort of viewing Victor was referring to. He trotted over to another, his eyes softening as he recognised the more juvenile expression upon the clay.*

[Assistant]
"Well, it's probably a cultural difference then." He pauses, looking at a full body work of an elf woman with facial scarring. "To many Macon at least, they want to remember those that died as they were. They don't want to remember them as they were when disease took them, or when they died violently. Especially if they're going to sit up at home with them."
He clasped one hand behind his back, examining the model; It was a favorite of his.
"So, they bring them to me. I wash them, groom them, and make sure that they're actually dead before working on them. I try and make them look as though they're asleep with makeup, lotions and whatever else I may need. Furthermore, I try to keep their wounds closed, and try to slow down their decay so they can keep up with them for however long they need until they're buried."


[User]
"Ha! And what would a cremation do? Fire won't make them come back."

*Astrid's disdain for religion came to light as Aimar confronted her over the lack of a "Proper" Death process, she couldn't quite wrap her head around how people actually believed something like that could change anything, but religious followers were rather stubborn. And stubborn was a good word for the Macen, he was really getting on her nerves with him saying he'd happily kill her if need be, and she'd give him a fight if that's what he wished for. Some might argue he was brave to stand up against someone as ruthless as Astrid, but for the Silnari, it was simply dumb and cocky.*

"Alright then Mr. Righteous, show me how you will absolve the world of all evil and spread your clemency to the unjust."

*Using words she had heard from other religious people mockingly, she stored her old sword back into its sheath and in its stead, revealed her main combat weapon, a single-edged bladed polearm akin to a sovnya. Made mainly out of a black steel with blue lines going down the blade, the lines were cosmetic with daylight, but in low light conditions they could fool someone of where the limits of the blade really are. Astrid rotated her torso and aimed the tip of the blade in an angle to the ground with the edge upwards, adopting a defensive stance with her body behind the polearm. Still covered with her cloak and looking through some thin hairstrands, her stare finally shifted into one of provocation, almost daring Aimar to strike first.*

[Assistant]
*His brows furrows slightly as he hears this. What was she on about? For someone as willing to use such distasteful magic as her, it's no surprise to him, she doesn't care too much about traditions like cremating the dead, but she said it with such vitriol it almost confused him. He'd angered her, that much was plain, but for someone who used such magic, had she not expected such strong reactions from people already?*

*His grip tightened on his blade as she sheathed her sword and pulled out her grieve, pointing it at him. It seemed like the time of them crossing blades would be sooner than he expected, something he notes with a small amount of regret. He shouldn't have said the last part, especially not to one as violent as her. He could leave, now; he could turn into a bird, fly off, maybe, or simply try surrendering and begging for forgiveness—though he doubts the latter would do any good. And in regard to the former... His father hadn't raised him to be a coward. He would only flee should the fight be completely unwinnable.*

"... I don't wish to fight you, still. But if you leave me no choice in the matter, I *Will* Defend myself." *He says a few subvocal words, before using his left hand to bump the pommel of his lesser. As soon as he does so, his blade ignites in flame, starting from the bottom of its length and travelling up it in less than a half of a second. Despite Astrid expecting for him to attack first, he doesn't, remaining where he is, watching her closely through the flames of his blade as it points directly to her. He's waiting on her to strike first.*

[User] *Trusting her reflexes and speed, Astrid leaped forwards with remarkable speed, but perhaps clumsily or unluckily, the muddied ground prevented her from getting a proper launch and she was much slower in the air than she had expected, clearly telegraphing her attack to Aimar who promptly evaded the weak attack. She backstepped into her initial position after an embarrassingly terrible first strike, surely that'd be bad for initial impressions.*

[Assistant] *He manages to knock the grieve aside with his sword, extending his left hand, palm upward, fingers splayed, their tips pointing upward. As he raises that hand, a mottled mass of spiked roots and vines spring from the road, latching onto her calves and holding her in place. And with that, he retreats—he doesn't flee, instead repositioning, as he turns back around to face her.*


[User]
Lighting a candle to combat the growing darkness outside, he looks at Circine.
"Well, is there anything you'll be needing for your stay then? I'm afraid outside of occasionally helping or healing centaur, I don't have them in my clinic often."

[Assistant]
"Just a blanket, maybe something to eat... If the horses eat it, I can too - but something warm would be nice... I can pay, of course."
*Cir cine hadn't been a guest before, so had no idea what the etiquette was, fidgeting slightly as he watched Victor.*


[User]
*Quickly realised what was about to happen, Astrid flexed her legs preparing to jump, but the muddied grounds below her could not provide any firm ground for a quick jump, and the vines caught her anyways. The cloak protects her clothes and critical areas, but the thorny plants still managed to give her a few stingy cuts, but more urgent than injuries is the fact she cannot move. Held in place by a myriad of magical roots and stems, she struggles for freedom as her brain thinks of what she can do, that's when she notices something interesting.*

*Although the plants prevent any movement of her legs, her left arm can move freely without touching any vines, and her right arm has some limited movement as well. Spinning the Sovnya and stabbing it into the ground, she grabs a dagger from the drop leg sheath and uses the played card again, throwing the knife with incredible speed towards Aimar, like the time it was used to kill the young boy, it was imbued with the same necrotic spell from before, although at this distance and against an armoured opponent. It wouldn't immediately kill him, but if the Macen didn't see the approaching knife, he was about to get a very unpleasant surprise.*

[Assistant]
*Amar goes to parry the blade, but misjudges the speed at which it was thrown, attempting to deflect it too early. It hits him in the left shoulder, causing him to wince, but ignore it. Leaving it in was the best course of action for now, to prevent excess bleeding, and it didn't seem to hit so deep he can't maneuver.*

*He sheathes his sword and unslings his bow from his shoulder, reaching out his left arm once again, this time holding a closed fist. As he goes to quickly open it, a severe, sharp, numbing pain, shoots through his arm, causing it to twitch last minute, throwing his aim off. A burst of noxious, yellow-green looking gas explodes just behind Astrid, just outside where she's stuck. *

*Amar looks down at the dagger, ripping it out, looking at the now necrotic flesh around the wound, a dark actor oozing from the wound, too black and too thick to be blood—at least, not healthy blood. He throws the blade to the ground before turning his view back to Astrid.*

[User]
*Slowly getting more angry at the vines containing her, the Ekremi senses the magical plants momentarily become weaker as Aimar struggles with the necrotic magic, and uses that brief window to break free from her green cage. Picking her weapon back from the ground as she notices what might be described as chemical warfare in another world, she is of course glad he missed that attack, but she had to be more cautious approaching a ranged opponent.*

*Struggling on the wet ground with her numb legs from the trap, she moves slowly towards the forest, she casts another offensive spell, this time one that produces a miasma that accelerates organic decomposition. A nice fold against a plant based opponent, although it seems she wasn't too accurate with her attack, and Aimar was already moving from his position.*

*Astrid stumbles and eventually crashes into a tree as she begins paying close attention to what information her ears can give. As she slowly rotates her ankle to get rid of the numbness, the white-haired girl breathes in slowly with her eyes closed to regain focus and composure for the next phase. This whole situation was clearly a very big miscommunication and should have never happened in the first place, but it was too late to be diplomatic although she firmly believed Aimar was mostly at fault for trying to be picky over who his saviour was.*

*As the angel she was, the now-recovered Astrid stood up and removed the hood of her cloak, she needed to fully absorb all her senses and the concealment was getting in the way of her peripheral view. With Sovnya in hand the Ekremi began closing the distance while using the abundant trees as cover from the incoming arrows.*

[Assistant]
*In one swift motion, Amar grabs a few arrows in his right hand at once, knocking a single one while he keeps the other two in reserve, point facing downward. The knocked arrow is held against the right edge of his bow, kept still by his extended thumb as he draws the arrow back, aiming at the other warrior.

He looses his arrow, aiming at Astrid's neck—only for her to duck behind a tree at the last second. Quickly, he flicks one of his reserve arrows up, to replace the loosed one, drawing back the bow, this time aiming lower, just as he saw the hint of her foot begin to exit the tree's cover. This time, his shot is true, the arrow piercing her calf just above the ankle, sinking deeply into her muscle, causing her to stumble.

Having slowed her down, Amar takes this opportunity to again retreat, this time more confident in his attacks, drawing two more arrows to replace his lost ones as he prepares to duck behind a tree himself.*


[User]
*"You flirt, I did not... 'bring you home.' You're my guest and I invited you."* She replied with a pout over her shoulder, and then whipped her head around so that her hair smacked him in the face as he asked his next question.

There was no pondering about it. She answered almost immediately.
*"If you could stay here forever, I think I'd let you. But since you can't, I'll definitely have to open my door for you again someday soon. Either that, or go with you, but I can't leave yet. I've got responsibilities here first."*

[Assistant]
"And what if I am a flirt? What are you going to do about it?"

*The words were paired with a ruffling head pat before he was met with a face full of hair. Some got in his mouth mid-sentence, and he had the unfortunate experience of extracting Carly's hair out of his mouth before drying it with a handkerchief.*

"Is it because I'm a friend? One that came to visit? Or something else?"

"As for those responsibilities... How long do you think you'll need?"

[User]
*"You're way too readable, I feel like every romance novel I've ever read has had you in it."* She replied, but it wasn't exactly an insult.

Carlyn leaned back gently and rested the back of her head in the cusp of his shoulder and neck, placing her cheek against his chin.

*"You're keen on getting me back, huh? Very antsy."*

[Assistant]
"And you can read, can't you?"

*Livia wrapped an arm around Carly's waist as she leaned against him, pulling her in snug. He thought he was one who didn't make connections; clearly, he was wrong.*

"Nothing wrong with wanting someone adorable as you back."

[User]
*"Of course I can read, goober."*

She grumbled in his ear at the comment and for just a moment broke free from his grasp. Carlyn stood up to turn herself around and... Basically clotheslined him into the bed. She flopped down next to him and stuck her arm out, taking him down with her. It was up to him to get comfortable.

She looked over at him to see how he reacted while saying back, *"You're tremendously lucky I like you."*

[Assistant]
*Livia was initially caught off guard, but eventually let himself be clothesline onto the mattress, making a shallow L-shaped indentation in it. He looked over, giving her a smile before grabbing her arm, pulling her onto him, and rolling over so now he was on top. He gave her a sly grin as he fixed his hair confidently before fixing hers as well, brushing it out of her face.*

"I had a feeling you did from the start."

[User]
She grinned and gave him a soft laugh as he flipped over. It felt nice to genuinely be close to someone, not just physically but emotionally too. But, well, she did have her own sly little comment to make as per usual.

*"Hard not to when you've always been obsessed with me."*

[Assistant]
*She looked extra cute when she was laughing, but that iconic sly grin of hers was continuing to grow on him.*

"Always have a comment up your sleeve eh?"

*He used a hand to restrain both of hers, holding them above her head, while another was placed near her head to stabilize himself. He returned her sly grin with one of his own, waiting for her reaction.*

"Still got something to fire back like this?"

[User] Not a word was spoken back. A sheepish and bashful look was returned to Livio, but her mouth stayed shut. Her ear flicked once in response and a softer smiled formed on her face to replace that smugness. She hadn't even been in this position before. It was hard to find words for it, and so she just looked at him.

[Assistant]
"Seems like I finally shut you up, huh?"

*Her hands were pulled further above her head, and another hand snaked under her back to pull her up. Livia made his move, taking advantage of the kimono's sudden shyness and pressed his lips into Carly's. He went quite light, as not to give her a sensory overload.*

[User]
It was still an overload for her, who had never been kissed before. But it sat well with her anyways, as her hand reached its way up and along his face.

When she got a moment to speak after their brief engagement she asked in a still abashed, but equally smug tone, *"How long have you been waiting for that?"*

[Assistant]
*With Carly accepting the kiss, Livia thought he had perhaps induced a silence in the dog. It only seemed to make her retaliate with words more though. Seems that he couldn't beat her in that department. So he would do so in another.*

"Only about a year. Now shut up."

*He goes for another kiss, this time, much more passionate.*

[User]
Livio got his giggle of doom from the dog, who rested back and allowed him his kiss. Her hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head and pulled him down as she went to rest her head on the pillow.

She hasn't been waiting for this. In a strange twist of irony, she didn't know she wanted this until just now. But after so long in relative isolation, it was hard not to brew strong opinions about the ones you missed. Carlyn was happy it turned out this way. She was certain Livio was, too.

[Assistant]
*Livia had been interested in Carly far sooner, but her disappearance meant that he didn't have the opportunity. Now, he seized it with fervor. His hand caressed her cheek, another wrapped around her. Now he could savor his prize; though, that wasn't the quite word, as Carly genuinely meant something to him.*

*After a long period of kissing, Livia would break away so she could breathe.*

"So, was I your first?"

[User]
*"Oh please. You should already know you are. I've been a merchant since the day I could read. Never had time for anything like this."*

She sniffed just to clear her mind and said, *"We'll set sail as soon as the war is over. I don't know where we'll go, but we'll go."*

[Assistant]
"Just wanted to confirm."

*He finally let her go, rolling over next to her on the bed.*

"I'll go anywhere you go. I'm quite the traveler."

[User] *"So does that mean you'll stay here with me for a bit?"* She asked sheepishly, looking over at him.

[Assistant]
"Hm? Of course."

*He gave her a little book on the nose, then scratched her ears again. Was it time now then? His hand went to her stomach, giving her belly rubs.*

[User] Carlyn grumbled at the prospect as his hands moved to her tummy, and she brought her knees up to her chest. She kicked her sheets some to move them and then told Livio, *"Move, space hog. I'm cold."*

[Assistant]
*Livia would grab Carly and pull her into the covers before throwing them over the pair of them.*

"I'll take all your space."


[User] The hallway, thankfully, turns out to be relatively short. She soon finds herself in front of a massive steel door - rusted along the edges and seams, seemingly held together by what looks to be... Studs? In reality it would be bolts and is indicative of what may be found beyond. In the middle of the door is a circular protrusion with a flat top and a slot in it, perfectly shaped for the key held on her person.

[Assistant]
*June came to a stop as she saw the large door in front of her. Slowly she would move the arrow around to get a better look at it, soon coming across the slot in the center.*"Hm..."*The Cantor would place the box on the ground briefly before grabbing the key she had and inserting it into the slot. She would try to turn it seeing if it would at least unlock the door. If not, she could only assume this was a dead end.*

```+2.5 MANA Regent; 100/100 MANA Remaining
1 Turn until light goes out```

[User] The metal key slips cleanly into the lock. It's impossible to turn right, but after turning it left the key manages to turn and solicits a clicking sound. The grinding of gears and the screeching of steel can be heard as the door shudders, swinging inwards revealing a rather large room. Though she can't exactly see very far inside, the floor appears to be black and is coated in dust - the black material appears smooth but not like stone.

[Assistant]
*With the door opening, June would walk inside and scan the dark room. Down below, her Jackal would sniff at the air, soon letting out a sneeze at the dust filling the area. As the light on her arrow would soon go out, she would relight it again before continuing onward through the dark room.*"How can this whole place be under a house like that..."*She whispered within the gloom, moving onwards with her Jackal following after her.*

```Heated Shot: -5 MANA; 95/100 Remaining```

[User] It wouldn't take long for the arrow to begin illuminating things of interest. As she walks straight in she notices after almost bumping into it a table. The table in front of her is rather large - big enough for a grown adult macen male to lay upon it with plenty of wiggle room. Upon the table is a plethora of tools - many alien to her. Alongside those tools are solid metal parts, which are badly rusted - even in their current state it's easy to see the markings in them. A thick layer of dust covers everything on the table and the table itself, and the air smells especially stale in here.

[Assistant]
*June quickly placed a hand on the table as she found herself nearly bumping into it. She would take a quick pause before glancing at the large table in front of her. Seeing the tools sitting upon it, June would curiously lean over the table and reach for the nearest one to get a better look at them. Jace meanwhile would be continuing to walk along the side of the table, his nose scrunching at the stale air of the room.*

```97.5/100 MANA
2 Turns Remaining```

[User] She grabs some kind of strange metal device. It's the length of her fore arm and has a C shape at the end of a metal handle. The interior of the C, rather then being curved is split into three flat edges. It's quite hefty - and covered in rust. Another tool looks like a chisel but the tip is in the shape of an X. Beneath the table are several large containers, about four feet long and two feet tall. The table top is around four feet off the ground. As she explores the table she notices something glisten among all the metal - clearing the metal tools and debris out of the way she reveals what looks to be a lower human jaw... But it's made out of shinning steel. Slots for what looks like teeth are in it, and unlike all that surrounds it - it seems completely untouched by the ages. An indepth examination would reveal fancy shapes etched along the outer jaw - which seem to faintly glow...

[Assistant]
*June would look at each tool with interest, wondering if it would be wrong of her to keep the things she finds in this place. Perhaps she could even sell them later, though worst case she could hand it over to the man that had hired her. For now, she would carefully place the tools in her bag before her gaze would eventually fall on the glowing jaw that sat underneath the pile. She stared at it in amazement before grabbing the metallic piece and looking it over as she ran a thumb along the outer edge of it. Eventually Jace would make his way back over to her, coming to sit down as he waited for her to finish.*

```100/100 MANA
1 Turn Remaining```


[User]
She made an estranged noise as she was grabbed and pulled in close, though no resistance was offered. Frankly Livio was warm enough, and the sheets were only adding to that.

She tucked her face in between his shoulder and neck, and mumbled in his ear, *"I think I'm gonna go to sleep now. Long day of work and play. What say you?"*

[Assistant]
"Has it gotten that late already?"

*Livia stroked Carly's hair and ears as she snuggled up behind him, holding her close.*

"You sure your parents will be fine with me sleeping with you?"

[User] *"Definitely not fine with it."* She replied, poking her head up and giving him a snarky grin. *"Though they went through this same thing when they were our age. My mom was just a simple merchant and my father was one hell of a necromancer back in the day. So they'll definitely understand. The whole... Adventurous boy meets big town girl."*

[Assistant]
"Your dad's a necromancer?"

*Livia smiled as Carly poked her head out, and he gave her a quick kiss in response.*

"Well, it's not like we need their permission anyway."