Graded [Frontier] Return to the Castle

[Silent Angel]

The Smith Estate


Sophia Smith


Sophia strode ahead of the group, her eyes glancing to the surrounding countryside. It was mainly grassy, with a small wooded area off to the side. Overall, it was a nice area. The two other things, outside of the nature, that would catch one's eye is the village at the base of a hill and the newly refurbished manor that stood proudly above it. Her eyes eventually fixed on the building, and she found herself stating, "It's a lot different than how it was the last time you were here, right?"

As the words left her mouth, she glanced over to the maid of honor, Kalina, a smile playing across her face. "I got it refurbished while you were away. Felt like the first thing that a person should see when they come to my door shouldn't be a run down husk of a building. Plus, of course, I wanted to make sure that you came home to a place that you would be happy with staying in~" She glanced at the others before stating, "There are guest rooms, and y'all can stay in them as long as you need. It's the least I can do for your assistance with Kalina."

She stepped forward once more, one of her claws reaching back and gripping Kalina's hand, as if making sure the gal followed her and didn't run off again. Sophia had just gotten the love of her life back. She would prefer if the damphir did not leave her again for a very long time. As she walked with Kalina, she began speaking again, saying, "Oh! I also made the tapestries and the like there. I had to get someone else to do the carpentry, since I'm not exactly skilled in that aspect of craftsmanship just yet, and I hired some people on the masonry and glassblowing, but the metalwork and the hangings are all made by me! I hope you enjoy them! I made sure your room had some of the nicer ones. I wanted it it be a place you felt happy to wake up in."​

 

[niceandsimple]

Yo, I’d like to do that! Im down for anything rn lol

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

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Kalina was in a rather great mood. After all, her quest had ended without any casualties and with the task (mostly) completed. Sure, it could've done with a bit less trauma and a bit less [monster] remaining, but she was already glad to have gotten the level of results she had at this point. That said, she wasn't know as 'Chandra' around this area and considering she didn't want to introduce herself as Kalina just yet (still being a half-monster and all that), she went back to being Elizabeth Mason. Naturally, she needed to introduce this persona to the others to ensure they'd keep her story straight, should they run into third parties.

“Well then, as of now I'll be Elizabeth Mason, a simple gal from a village near the capital. I tried apprenticing as an artisan to avoid being stuck at my family's barn or being married off to someone and, despite being a bit clumsy, managed to convince dear Sophia here to take me on~” She explained, giving them the basic of details they might want to know about.

With those things arranged, she had time to take in Sophia's work. “I honestly can't even recognise it as the same place...” She'd utter at the complete transformation at the ruins she'd seen last time she was here. “Are you sure we're in the same village and dimension?” She stated, half-joking.

She'd allow herself to get dragged along by Sophia, listening to her speak. “Wait, you made an entire room for me?” Somehow, that option hadn't yet sunken in. “This... is all a bit much.” She had to confess. She was used to little more than nothing, like the ruins this previously was. Seeing it as a fully build castle was rather overwhelming.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Interactions: Elvario Sharena Silent Angel
Iberis was walking near the others and presumably Shion, on the way there when she had seen the building in the distance realizing what it was she figured now was about as good as any time to say what had really happened back there with her.

"Huh, this close already?..truthfully thought I had a bit more time.." Before she would decide to speak on the matter she felt like she needed too, as she turned to Shion during the stroll, also looking to Sophia.

"So about who was speaking earlier during the last battle, as I said despite his looks..he really isn't a bad guy per say, I know that much! I mean he's just a bit..different." She said a bit bashfully toward the end, that was certainly a way of saying an undead magic user who had more than two arms was simply 'different'.

"You see the truth is, he was a Bishop during the time of the original king of Ryke, Ryke Bulvark..so as you can imagine he's pretty old. He and several others who I encountered had been originally working along side the king Bulvark during a conflict, but the king was betrayed...and ultimately Auldlich gained the knowledge of the Codex, and acquired powerful magic abilities...which I suppose others would consider dark, but i consider them strength..and despite their origin they can be used for good I know that much."

Iberis said essentially defending his use of the no doubt controversial to some groups, magic.

She then continued to speak, "Despite becoming undead..and more powerful than he'd ever been before, losing so much of himself..Auldlich he, he stayed loyal to King Ryke Bulvark after so many years...I had assumed he had been our enemy but as it turned out he was simply trying to restore order and bring things back the way they were supposed to be..that's how I know he isn't all bad, he was loyal for so many years after all the suffering he went through in staying loyal to Ryke Bulvark...much like many of his comrades did who also ended up turning undead.."

She then continued turning to Shion in particular once more "I already know from that visit that you're probably wondering how I ended up becoming his apprentice..well" Iberis said sounding a bit conflicted momentarily like the topic was a bit difficult to navigate, before she pressed on.

"Truthfully I was on an expedition I went into Oll's End...a pocket dimension on a quest in which I was promised power...during that time I Just wanted power so badly. I would have done so many things...but then I saw what happens..when you let that kind of thinking consume you.." She said sounding sadder toward the end, not getting into what happened specifically there.

"Anyway it was in this dimension in which I encountered Auldlich..originally I was fighting against him and his comrades not knowing what I know now..but, I tried to leverage the fact that he was in a disadvantaged position to share some of his knowledge with me, because I wanted to know how to use the sort of magic he was using..it was so powerful..and impressive..and I wanted it...but I got a bit more than I thought i was asking for, and...he grafted part of himself onto me..so now I share a lot of his memories and he shares a lot of my memories, and we can communicate with one another in..interesting ways, but after learning of his character I realized that I was content with this arrangement..because even if he doesn't always seem the nicest, or caring, I do believe that he was valiant in doing what he believed in.." She got out.

"I..hope that explains things a bit better, I'd be more than willing to answer some questions if you have any whenever."

Sometime after all that probably, Iberis turned to Sophia and nodded,

Iberis' eyes lit up a bit.

"That really is an impressive building."

" I greatly appreciate your generous hospitality, Kalina is really lucky to have someone like yourself around who cares so much..and thanks for helping to keep us safe back there." Iberis added, with a soft smile.

Whenever it came up in the discussion on the walk She also gave a nod of affirmation to Kalina, "Alright, noted.. Elizabeth Mason, glad to have you with us.." Iberis said a bit light heartedly, feeling a bit better now. For now she would follow the group diligently keeping pace.

 

[Sharena]

​

It had been an invigorating travel for Shion to Sophia's castle. Leaving Widersia was the easiest thing she had done since arriving in this new world. The moment her feet stepped off the cold stone streets of the mechanical city, Shion's mood had begun rapidly improving. She still wasn't feeling the greatest about her lack of ability from the events that took place towards the end of her stay in Widersia, but any setting would be an improvement over the capital at this point to her. Her demeanor was more positive, less pensive, and she was smiling a lot more than she had been.

It was incredibly therapeutic for her, traveling a new world alongside people she'd been fortunate to enjoy the company of.

She'd also taken time in the transition to learn about Kalina's disguises. She wasn't surprised, hiding the fact you were a vampire seemed necessary in this world where monsters seemed to usually lack the nuances of her world. It was depressing really, being unable to live as oneself simply because of the circumstances that led to your existence rather than your actions determining your worth was a fact of life Shion was hoping to someday stop running into, but humans seemed to insist on chasing such awful ways of thinking.

Once the group was in view of Sophia's dwelling, Iberis decided to start explaining her relationship with Audlich. Shion listened intently, feeling the closest to Iberis of those she had blossomed new friendships with here she wanted to do her best to make sure she both understood and could provide the best advice and support she could for the mage. A being fiercely loyal to a late king and his kingdom, even through his undeath. Shion closed her eyes as she took the information in, reflecting on what she was being told.

Loyalty beyond death...Shion's eyes opened and focused on Iberis again as she explained her own reasons for seeking him out. Even Iberis couldn't help but crave power...Shion wasn't too perturbed by this revelation. She herself understood in this very moment she wished to regain what she had lost, and while that was different than obsessing over what wasn't yours, Shion understood there weren't always selfish motives lying behind a desire for power. She thought back to Madame Butterfly's children. Well, "children," saying she treated those lost souls as a mother should treat one's child was an insult to most parents. Still, she spoke with Cassidy often...that girl was trying to grow strong enough to free her brothers and sisters from the leash of a tyrant that practically ran the seedy underbelly of an entire nation through fear of her legion of orphan assassins. Shion couldn't condemn Cassidy's actions, it's exactly what she would've done, and she wanted to believe that Iberis was no different.

While Shion was considering her thoughts, she looked upon the place they would be staying while Sophia and Kalina exchanged words. She sighed a little. "This is practically a nobleman's estate...still better than Widersia...although I still wouldn't have minded visiting the shire Kelsey spoke of." She then looked to 'Elizabeth' with a small nod of confirmation before deciding to address her concerns once Iberis was finished speaking,.

"Iberis, if you don't mind my asking...what was your purpose for seeking power?" Shion asked intently as she kept her eyes on the mage.

 

[Silent Angel]

The Smith Estate

Sophia Smith

The artisan smiled back at 'Elizabeth.' "With how cute you are, it didn't take that much convincing~" Her eyes moved back to the building at the comments about the size of it. "Yeah. It was originally a castle. This area used to be a very important place, since it had one of the biggest water basins around during a time of a major drought. Thus that place was built up to guard it. However, once the drought ended, after a few years the place was left abandoned, then it fell apart. Probably over half the masonry was turning to rubble from age, so it was difficult repairing it, but call it a passion project."

She paused as she thought over Iberis's explination, before shrugging. "To be honest, I don't really know the difference between dark magic and light magic. However, whatever this power is, I will give you one suggestion. If it's some sort of necromancy, don't do it. Don't even think about using it. The reason being is even if you think you're doing good, with necromancy your twisting the very souls of other people in order to do that good. And no good should be done on the back of something that evil." She paused before saying, "I understood that the first time I met Renee, and me deciding that and depriving her of an artifact due to that is one of the reasons she hated me so much."

At the next thing Iberis said, she waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I can't exactly let good people die if I can help it. And as for letting you stay here, it's about the same."

She paused as Kalina asked about her room, and the artisan stopped, spinning around to look up at the ex full vampire. She put her hands on her hips as she gave a decisive nod. "Yes, I did. I know that I mainly talked about this as a way to get out of the city and start a guild of my own, one that would focus on helping the other crafters and not focus on lining my pocket, but there was a bigger reason I made it." She pointed directly at Kalina's chest as she said, "I wanted to make a place where you could feel safe. Where while you were there, you didn't have to worry about people trying to attack you for being you, or having to worry about where your next meal would come from. I made it for you. Plus, I wanted there to be a place where, if there was another monster like you, where they did their best to push away their base instincts and become a better person, that they would have a place to rest and buy items without fear of being chased off or killed. So yeah. If you were the main person I wanted to help with this, and you helped me understand what I should do, why wouldn't I make sure you had the best room in the place. A room fit for a queen."

She nodded before spreading her arms, walking up to Kalina as she said, "Now, I wanna be princess carried by my queen. It's payment for your room, you know. You gotta do it."​

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

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“I agree that he didn't seem like he was going out of his way to enjoy the suffering of other or anything of that nature, but it didn't really seem like he was the virtuous type either.” She added to Iberis' statement, drawing from her own memories of Auldlich.

Iberis' defence of the undead magic didn't go unnoticed, but Kalina was hardly one to judge, being in the type of position she was in. “The way I saw it, their loyalty was probably the only reason they were still somewhat sane to begin with. Unlike folk like Dahak, who'd gone completely mad.” And Renee. She didn't wish to vocalise that last part. A shiver ran down her spine when Iberis mentioned what happened there, in Oll's End. Those were bad memories indeed.

Even so, she'd wrap an arm around Iberis and squeezed her shoulder a bit. “I'm not sure how much it adds or means, but I can back her up. I've not experienced it as closely as she had, but I've seen enough to know she's speaking the truth. He's a shady one, but I don't think he's evil.”

That said, there was one thing that bothered her. “I do have one question, though. Do you know why he's still sticking around through you? When the royals left with the others, it felt like they were fully leaving these realms behind, like their task was complete. The fact that Auldlich stuck behind, in a sense, suggests he still wants to do something here. I doubt he's just wanting to stick around due to how cuddly you are, after all~” She couldn't abstain from adding in a little bit of a tease at the end there, even though her question was rather genuine.

On the topic of teasing, Shion was practically begging for it as well. “Wasn't the shire the halfling's home? What if that entire place was full of Kelsey's and Kase's, all being as upfront about their desires?” The halfling, for worse, had left a less than great impression on her when it came to that. If it wasn't for Yumi, she'd have exclusively met the pervier members of their species. Then again, Kalina realised her own track record was far for 'clean' either. Between blood, tails and witches...

Kalina nodded along with Sophia's explanation of the castle. She'd been there at the start, at least. That was probably why she'd been more surprised than the others, who had no clue how much of a ruin this place used to be.

As for the topic of necromancy, Kalina had seen many ugly aspects of it, but she too was technically related to it. She was undead, after all, or at least in part, still. It's why she couldn't really judge whether it was good or not, not ready to take a stand in either direction as of now. It's why she chose to go for a tactical silence.

Yet again, Kalina was overwhelmed by Sophia's devotion. It was tough to figure out how to respond to so much of it in such a direct manner. She did break into a smile at the mention of a queen. “A queen? Oh my~ I must've gotten my fangs into some truly royal blood to make such a promotion~” She joked, flashing her fangs for a brief moment, after confirming nobody was around. Then, she got a tad bit more serious. “Although helping others out the way I was helped out... I would like that.” She said, feeling like there might be some sort of bigger cause brewing there.

Finally, however, Kalina got caught rather off guard by Sophia's request. She'd carried around Iberis, but that one could barely walk after blood loss and exhaustion, so that was different. Sophia was totally fine, so... Was this another of her things? Probably. It was more innocent than wanting to be bitten and far more innocent than wanting to be hurt a little while at it, that much was sure. Still, it was a bit awkward, in particular due to them having company. Then again, it was a small price to pay for a room of her own. A short sigh. She gave in.

“Very well, miss Smith, but if any of the townsfolk see me carrying around my teacher, I'll have you do the explaining yourself and merely use my newfound liveness to try faking up a silent blush~” She spoke, as she lifted up Sophia princess style. “Well then, point me in the direction and I'll have your transportation carried out for you~” As expected, she wasn't really able to connect this to any romantic aspects.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Interactions: Silent Angel Elvario Sharena

Iberis listened to the commentary Shion made about the impressive building at first, before she heard Shion’s question which was right to the point. She hadn’t really been expecting a question like that so soon, but it wasn’t like she wouldn’t answer it, of course it needed a proper response when she was sharing stuff like this. All she could really do was answer and hope that her response didn’t ruffle any feathers with anyone.

“It’s..a bit complex, but I’ll try my best to explain.” She said pausing for a moment just looking at Shion before she continued speaking. The witchy youth decided she start at the start briefly.

“When I aged out of the orphanage, I was on the streets of Ryke for quite some time staying in hostels after completing many of the lowest level of paid tasks to make ends meet. I had very basic knowledge of magic, and did not have the resources nor formal education to increase that knowledge beyond what I learned. There were times when things..got a bit scary and I wasn’t really in a position of power..but then I finally miraculously got into the academy in part thanks to Scylla and Renee, with their help, my abilities finally started to take off..”

“So first and foremost I knew what it felt like to be disempowered..and I never wanted to be in that position again..feeling so vulnerable.”

“The next reason is because, well..I wanted to be able to do what Renee could do..she was so powerful, most couldn’t even stand in her way so few could even hope to challenge her abilities, she was never in a position where she was disempowered like I was....before Auldlich she was not only my master but like a family member I never had..I not only wanted to be able to do what she could do, but I wanted to impress her, show her that I could be valuable in helping her with her goals..”

“The third reason and one of the biggest is that I wanted to be able to protect and help those I care about, so that no matter who got in our way, my friends weren’t going to be the ones suffering because I couldn’t do anything to help..I just thought that if from the start if I could get powerful enough where I could utterly devastate our enemies early on, they wouldn’t even have a chance to hurt anyone..”

During this explanation, Iberis’ head did turn to Sophia however as she listened to her response, nodding in thought.

“I understand your point and I appreciate your concern.” She said sounding genuine enough, even if that wasn’t exactly an admission that she thought that Sophia was correct in her assessment of necromancery. It was a common enough assessment which many magic users held in this world after all much more of a mainstream opinion that necromancery was not something which should be practiced..but Iberis still saw potential.

Afterall in Iberis’ mind it wasn’t that solely which had caused Renee’s downfall. In Iberis’ opinion Renee had become completely lost in her goal for immortality and power that she didn’t care who she had to eliminate to make it happen toward the end. That hadn’t been the Renee that they all knew..it had been a stranger in her clothing and skin at that point..Iberis knew that Renee hadn’t always been that way.. Which is in part why it hurt so much more. She had been corrupted as time had marched on..

A visibly saddened look fell upon Iberis’ face when Sophia mentioned how Renee had ended up hating Sophia.

She nodded when Sophia mentioned it wasn't a problem, with a bit of a relieved small smile, before she turned back to Shion, looking like she was about to say something before..stopping herself.

She then looked back to Sophia as she moved with the group.

At the very least Sophia’s intentions..were quite wholesome and good from what iberis could get out of it when she spoke to Kalina about it. Kalina really was lucky to have someone who cared so much and who was so capable..

Iberis was pleased to hear that Kalina had a reasonable assessment of Auldlich from what she could tell, giving a nod back. The sanity comment was another reasonable enough one which seemed agreeable to an extent based on the knowledge that they had. What was even nicer however was when Kalina came over and gave her a bit of a squeeze on her shoulder.

“I"m glad we can agree on that..from what I've seen he definitely isn’t evil..just a bit less conventional .but uh..” She went into thought for a moment at Kalina’s hybrid of a serious question and light hearted comment about her being cuddly prompting a bit of a red tinge on her face..it was nice to hear that..but then there was the issue that she brought up.

“Well..part of that has to do with the grafting process..even if he’s physically in a different dimension he still grafted part of his very being to me, and I imagine unless there’s someway to undo whatever sort of magic he did, it’ll be that way..but like I said I’m..not bothered by it, just now he helped us earlier confirming how to deal with that curse when there wasn’t really any personal gain for him to do so from what i could tell…maybe he still has some loose ends after all these years?..I mean I..or we could always just try asking him sometime.” She concluded.


After the more serious question the rest of what Kalina commented on was rather light hearted at least, which made Iberis smile a bit, finding the notion of her carrying Sophia to be rather cute.



Before she then looked to Shion with a bit of a serious look once more,


“I Know that with all of that said It..still wasn’t the wisest decision..but I didn’t really know the extent of which I was getting into, I hope my reasons at least explain things a bit better..”

 

[Sharena]

​

The kitsune listened to Sophia's explanation about this land and the history behind it. Her eyes dimmed with a tinge of sadness as she listened. "To think a place so integral to the survival of its caretakers was abandoned once its purpose was outlived rather than repurposed." Shion shook her head. "So wasteful." She tried not to associate the deed to humankind, but it certainly passed through her mind long enough to make her grimace a little. There were other races within this world, it wasn't guaranteed to be the fault of humans...but she was certainly willing to bet on it.

Before the kitsune's thoughts could get to negative on the matter, Shion looked in Kalina's direction upon hearing her comment teasing her and playfully scoffed. "Oh please, if you wanted me to go back to my dying world you just had to say so." She said with a chuckling smirk hoping the dhampir would catch her playful tone before Iberis began responding, and Shion placed her attention entirely on the mage.

Her story was informative, and Shion gave Iberis a reassuring smile by the time everything was said and done. She drew close to the mage and hugged her momentarily, her tails swishing about in the wavy pattern they'd become accustom to since she'd grown more than one. Iberis may have been able to tell her story with relative clarity, but with what she could guess about Renee, if she really was the sister Shion had glimpsed in Kalina's memories, there was likely some pain there Shion wanted to try and ease for her. After a few moments, Shion let the mage go and bent as she placed her hands together on her leg to give her a cute posture as she made eye contact with Iberis.

"I'm very thankful for your honesty, Iberis, and I don't blame you for your actions. The desire to protect...to aid...to overcome adversity, I feel as though you have felt what many people in any world have felt, even myself. Unlike some, you managed to prevent yourself from traversing the more selfish roads that these thoughts can lead you down, and I commend you for that. If my assumption is correct as to Renee's identity..." Shion glanced in Kalina's direction before looking back to Iberis. "...Then I am truly sorry for what happened to her."

Shion proceeded to close in and lick Iberis' cheek, her tongue was rough like sandpaper, a reminder of her kitsune origins. It didn't take long for Shion to realize what she just did however, and a small blush formed on her cheeks as she withdrew from Iberis a little, standing up straight again and clearing her throat.

"E-excuse me...I still forget from time to time that my behavior when looking like this needs to be different." Shion looked at Kalina sweeping Sophia up into a bridal carry as her blush faded mostly. "...At least this is the company I am least likely to cause a scene in." She said with a small laugh, her ears twitching as her emotions swayed from being happy she wouldn't be judged to still being embarrassed she did that so brazenly. Once everyone started walking again with Sophia now being carried, Shion raised her hands as she observed them, prompting her ears to depress against her head as she thought.

"Now that I mention it, I haven't really had time to dwell on it since I arrived. I wonder if I'll ever be whole again...lacking my kitsune form right now I......" Shion trailed off for a time. She'd gone days without reverting back to her kitsune form before, but to lack the ability to even do so if she wanted...it gnawed at her mind. An integral part of who she was, still missing just like much of the power she lost. Her hands closed, her frustration palpable enough for anyone to see it writ on her face plain as day as she got lost in her own head again.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

Sophia glanced from Kalina to Iberis, a small frown passing over her face. She only knew of one necromancer that she had met around here, and she had to admit, she wasn't a fan of them. However, she had more important things to do first. Specifically, her eyes were fixed on Kalina, and she proceeded to throw herself into the damphir's arms, her own being flung around the back of Kalina's neck. She pulled the other lady into a quick kiss before saying, "Oh my hero. My knight in shining armor." She stuck out her tongue at her having to do the entire explanation before pointing the way towards her castle on the hill.

After a few moments, however, she couldn't help but look back up at Kalina. "By the way, this dude y'all are talking about. This Auldlich. Who is he? I really hope he isn't the necromancer we saw before, because if he is, that gives me even more reason to suggest that practicing necromancy isn't a good idea. If it's off of his training, I think the only thing that you can expect is to cause pain to others."

Her eyes finally turned to Shion at the discussion of the usage and abandonment of the surrounding area. "I mean, it does make sense. They came here specifically when it was needed most, and to continue leaving people here could possibly end up causing more issues in the long run if those troops are needed elsewhere. I'm unsure of how it could be deemed as wasteful. It's not like they chopped down all the trees and poisoned the water supply. They just left it."

Her eyes flicked to the rather large doors that peeked through the tree line, a small smile passing over her face as she saw it. "Anyways, we're getting close. Though, we might want to go through the side or back door. The front door probably has a small bit of traffic right now. It is working hours, after all." She glanced at the others before saying, "And I am sure you guys don't mind, but I sure as hell don't want to get dragged away before I can show my love around."​

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

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In all honestly, she had no desire to chime in on the ethicality of undead. She could hardly 'judge' such things fairly, considering who and what she was. She also, visibly, got more silent and withdrawn when the topic switched to Renee. Only painful memories arose whenever that name was brought up. She was lucky the visions and voice of her 'sister' had stayed away, for now at least.

Even so, she still wanted to cheer up Iberis a little. “You've already been a great help back in Widersia~ I think it's great how far you made it after such a rough upbringing.” She'd show a gentle smile. After all, she knew how tough it was to deal with a rough past.

That said, she was a bit worried about one particular mention. “Just let me know if he ever starts demanding things. Those loose ends he might have worry me, so whatever he might ask or want, I'd really like if you could let me in on it. Besides, I don't want to brag, but I'd say I have my fair share of knowledge about undead~” She'd say, smiling once more. It was the only way to bring some light into these heavy topics.

It also sounded like the kitsune was passing witty remarks right back at her. Well, two could play that game. “Of course I wouldn't want you to return, I'd be forced to miss thou heavenly fluff!” She laughed. That laugh returned upon suddenly seeing Shion lick Iberis. “I bet your animal form is adorable.” She said, without thinking too much of it. “I'm sure you'll get it back soon enough. If not, we'll just help you figure out how to get it back! Although there might be a price to it~” She'd say, eyeing some tails.

That left her with the girl in her arms. “It's only as shiny as you brush it up to be~” She spoke, remembering that her armour could probably use some maintenance. Then again, that could wait for another day. They had more fun stuff to deal with right now.

Then again, there were still some less fun topics to talk through. “Don't worry, Auldlich seems nothing like Dahak. He might be odd, but I'm sure he's far less evil.” She didn't dare to say he wasn't any blend of evil at all though, but that didn't matter right now. “Besides, he's mostly gone from this realm. I'm sure Iberis can deal with what's left of him and keep herself on the right path.”

“Sneaking into the house to go find my very own room? That's a little paradoxical, but I like it~” She spoke. Then again, she was a bit surprised at the other part. “Oh my, have you become that popular, mistress Smith? How will you ever find the time to help your poor and clumsy assistant?” She teased.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Interactions: Silent Angel Elvario Sharena

While there were some light hearted lines exchanged which Iberis might have found humorous, at the moment she was incredibly focused on how she was being perceived after she spoke her piece.

Iberis was pleasantly surprised by the hug which Shion bestowed upon her after she had told her tale, as it suggested she hadn't been rejected for telling things like they were. She gently reciprocated an arm around Shion during the hug. During the eye contact, she looked back comfortably feeling safe around Shion given what they had been through together, and how Shion had only acted to protect them all so far, which she greatly appreciated, a soft relieved expression and smile forming on her face in response to hearing what Shion wanted to say following up.

The expression became a tad more solemn when Shion mentioned Renee once more, as she gave a slight nod, "You would be correct." She managed to get out briefly before she found a lick being bestowed upon her, causing a bit of red to form on her face, as this was a first, never mind by someone who looked like Shion did, which was striking.

"O-Oh! It's fine, I appreciate your condolences..and like you said I'm sure it can get tricky when you're used to changing between forms so freely and one of them isn't as humanoid..but really it's okay." She said a bit bashfully now, gesturing with her hands a bit passively when she explained.

"And..yeah I'm glad too, I've seen what can happen now when someone becomes obsessed..." But as Shion made the comment about the group Iberis giggled a bit the small smile returning.

She perked up some when Kalina had complimented her for being of help, "I always try my best, but it means a lot coming from you so thank you, I..really appreciate you trusting me to help with important stuff like that too.."

"And I know I can trust you..so of course I'll let you in on what he's talking about, you too Shion if you want to be in the know..as well as you Sophia, I think it'd probably be better if we all knew what was on his mind..because after all he did decide grafting part of himself to me was worth while...and as useful as he is, unfortunately I do think it'd be out of character if he was only doing it out of the kindness of his heart."

She had to relent there. It was obvious Auldlich was a motivated guy in whatever he did, it took real determination to wait that many years to achieve a goal, so she was sure he had another one she hadn't been let in on..all she could just hope was that it was something just.

Iberis did soon notice the shift in Shion with the ears and the way she spoke about the Kitsune form however. "I'm sure Elizabeth's right Shion, It'll come back I'm sure, I doubt something that integral could just be locked away forever after coming here, there's plenty of magic in this world so there's bound to be a way to restore it, if it doesn't come back naturally..plenty of things can transform." She reassured.

"And yeah, don't worry he's not that guy from before, Auldlich is someone whose shown that he's better than Dahak..I'm certain, but she's right I have no intention of letting him pull the wool over my eyes should he try,..not when I have amazing people like you all around me..I'm not alone anymore, I don't need power for the sake of power, I have meaning in my life now."

She did take note of the fact that Sophia was saying that they probably would need to go in another door, so Iberis promptly responded, "Sounds good to me, whatever makes this a smooth transition." She replied with a soft smile.

 

[Sharena]

​

"If we discuss this any further Sophia, all it will do is remind me of my prejudices against humans, which is the last thing I want right now. Let's just agree that them leaving has given it new life for you and those you've employed, and that's a good thing." Shion said with a small sigh in response to Sophia. Her mind was already in a bit of a bad space because of her thoughts on being incomplete, but she did her best to push aside the worst of it and try to turn it into something positive for Sophia. She looked up past the spidery human to the woman carrying Sophia.

"Yet again I question whether you just see me as a piece of tail than a person." She playfully replied, but she was left slightly surprised at Elizabeth's comment about her kitsune form. She couldn't help but chuckle at her compliment.

"If it ever returns to me, I'm sure I can earn that praise rather than accept it through speculation." She was feeling better after Elizabeth and Iberis both mentioned their willingness to help her if it didn't return naturally, and it did indeed improve her mood as her ears propped back up with a twitch.

"Thanks...I am continually reminded how fortunate I am that you're the ones I found on the other side of that portal." Shion said with a smile to everyone. She took note of the comments regarding Audlich and this supposed Dahak as well, but she didn't let it bother her lest the efforts of Elizabeth and Iberis be wasted to make her feel better.

As they neared and Sophia explained the situation, Shion nodded in agreement with everyone else. "Sounds like the smart move would be taking a less traveled entrance if you wish to avoid prying eyes for a time." Shion looked back to her tails a moment and then to Elizabeth. "Especially if the company you keep is similar to the love of your life, I'd rather not become the center of attention either." She said with a smirk pointed at the dhampir.

As she waited for Sophia to lead the way further, she drew closer to Iberis once again, giving the mage a smile that showed teeth as despite her more negative thoughts, she was enjoying herself amongst this company. She greatly missed the ability to have conversations like this, her life for months before the events in Widersia leading to her prior death had been trying on her mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Being so immediately surrounded by people that genuinely cared about her was more serendipitous than Shion could've hoped for, but it was very welcome. She wanted to be there for these people, and offer whatever wisdom or help she could...her only frustration being that her assistance in wielding her former power was far from available at the moment, but right now, those thoughts were able to stay out of her mind.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

The blacksmith grinned at the damphir carrying her, lightly rapping on the armor with her knuckle. "I mean, I'm fine polishing it all day if it's for you~" Her grin grew wider at the comment about sneaking in to find her love's room, but she merely quipped back, "Oh, it's not like you're not used to sneaking into places you belong~ After all, you did sneak through an entire city to get into my life~" She stuck her tongue out at the other girl before also relenting to what else Kalina had said. "Well, alright. I trust y'all to make the right decision. But just make sure he doesn't go full psycho, alright?" She reached into her blouse, revealing a key ring. "Think you can carry me to my room, darling~? Make it extra romantic~? Or would you rather it be to your room?"

She glanced at Shion, a small grimace passing over her face, before she shook her head and turned to where they were going. Better to not be confrontational before they even got into the building. She instructed them on how to go behind the building, ending up at a rather ornate door. A claw went down the front of her blouse before bringing out a ring of keys. She flipped through them for a few moments before selecting one. Once she had, she hopped out of Kalina's arms and pushed it in, turning it and opening up the door.

The Artisan's Guild



The doorway revealed quite the impressive sight. The high ceiling before them was ornate, with the top half of both sides of the hallway being completely symmetrical to the other. However, on the bottom, half of the room, all the walls were covered in tapestries, with each part of them painstakingly stitched to show different scenes, both fairy tales and true stories, from Sophia's prior world. One seemed to show a man offering fire to those weaker to him, while another seemed to show a group of knights on a quest of some sort. However, with each one it almost seemed lifelike, with each scene almost popping out at those who walked by them.

Sophia quickly stepped through the doorway, beckoning her friends to follow as she moved to the end of the hallway, peeking around the corner to confirm that there were no workers or the like in the area to spoil her fun, before looking back to her friends. "So, shall I show y'all to your rooms before anything else? After that we can decide if rest or tour shall come next." She paused before holding her arms out to Kalina. "And I wasn't kidding about you carrying me to either mine or your room, my knight in soon to be shining armor."​

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Elvario Silent Angel Sharena

Iberis was pleased to see that Shion's mood seemed to improve somewhat after the reassurance that they'd support her if she didn't seem to get her kitsune form back naturally. Given how much magic was available in this world, at the very least she didn't feel like she was giving false hope, it seemed highly likely to her it was a truly obtainable goal. As this thought went through her mind, she gave a soft smile toward Shion.

"Awh, I'm glad too, would have been pretty bad if someone hostile from another world got the drop on us huh?"
She said a bit light heartedly at Shion's statement about being glad they were the ones on the other side of the portal. It did remind Iberis of how powerful portals were however, it seemed like the use they had was quite versatile from transversing worlds to fast travel...As Shion got closer to her again, Iberis saw the teethed smile and was pleased, staying in close proximity with her for the time being as they walked. The last time Iberis felt this nice was chilling back in the dorms with the likes of Scylla and Renee as well as others such as Kalina during that night visit up until that squirrelly professor showed up. Much like for Shion this was a reprieve for her, finally being able to rest after having to deal with so many difficulties.

On the plus side It seemed that Sophia had at least been placated a bit on the issue of the talk of Necromancers even if it was pretty apparent to Iberis it didn't sound like they saw entirely eye to eye on the issue of necromancery, but that was fine. Hopefully Iberis would be in another dire position where she would need to do something risky with it anytime soon..and she did appreciate Sophia's caution since she knew it was from a good place of genuine concern.
---
So far so good, they hadn't been spotted, Iberis almost let out an audible sound of surprise when the door was opened up and she looked up around the space. The ornate ceiling and then the wall tapestries. It wasn't all the time Iberis got to see such nice art in such a quantity. Sure there were some impressive pieces at the academy on display but this space really felt like something she had never experienced before...

At least nothing she had in this life, as she had a brief intrusive picture in her mind about being in some sort of museum space...the text was written in some strange language that sort of looked like the Beastial texts she didn't understand a lick of..yet for some reason it seemed like she could understand this..but just as the strange picture had formed in her mind she snapped back into reality.

"Woah.." She said softly,

"This is a pretty amazing space, I'd love to learn about what these tapestries are about some time..I guess it shouldn't be as surprising there's something so grand given the exterior but still..I'm impressed." She continued sounding a awed. Yep still in the clear it looked like after Sophia looked around.

"Rooms sound like a pretty good start to me, if everyone else is cool with it." She said before looking around to the group to get a sense of what the others were thinking.

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
HD wallpaper: anime, anime girls, Goblin Slayer | Wallpaper Flare

Mentions: Iberis TheTimePiece | Shion Sharena | Sophia Silent Angel

She nodded at Iberis' words. Auldlich, in as far as she knew him, seemed like the sneaky sort. Not too unlike herself, in some regards. Either way, she was glad Iberis promised to keep her in-the-know. She wasn't sure if she could go through the process of seeing Iberis follow in Renees' footsteps and being driven into the same madness. “Of course, you've had my back for a while now, so I'll do what I can to have yours~” She replied with a smile.

On the topic of tails, Kalina didn't have to think too long upon her answer. “Tails are amazing, but I think they could only ever be as great as their owner is~” Indeed, a tail without it being attached to a pleasant enough person would just be wasted fluff. Something along those lines. Honestly, she had probably put a little less thought into that statement than she should have, but it was already said.

The Fae in her arms was confusing her a bit. “If it shines too much, I won't be able to stealth in it.” She replied, having no clue why anyone would spent an entire day polishing armour. Perhaps some stuck-up noble might? Either way, that was definitely not what she was hoping for.

As for sneaking into Ryke... “Sneaking into the city was indeed a very dangerous gamble, but I'm glad it turned out to be well-worth it.”

She wanted to joke about about Iberis being too cuddly to go full psycho, but memories of Renee made that fade before she spoke a word. “I will.” was what she ended up saying, far more serious than intended. Even so, that as how it was. She would do whatever it took to ensure Iberis wouldn't follow in Renee's footsteps.

Before Kalina could figure out why she should carry Sophia even further, she stopped to admire the hall they'd entered. “That's... insane.” She wasn't sure what other words she had for it. “Is this really where we found those ruins? I mean, the outside was already impressive, but this... this is crazy.” She had no clue how else to describe this level of 'ornate' in a place.

She was a bit saddened when they had to go again, as she wanted to look at the tapestries a bit more. That said, she did figure out which room she wanted to go to. “I'd like you to show me to my own room~” She replied. She really wanted to know what it was like to have such a thing. A room of her own.

That said, there was one thing on her mind. “Oh.... I ehh... was thinking, maybe later... I eh...” This was a bit embarrassing, oddly enough. “I wanted to try some things. For one, I'd like to see if I can eat now. Food, I mean. Thus far, it would taste like ash and it would just hurt my stomach and make me vomit, yet now that I'm no longer a full vampire, perhaps... even if it's just a bit...” That was something she was eager to try. There was also another thing. Perhaps more embarrassing to admit to. “and well... I heard that there's this... this game thing, where you hold out your fingers and you say 'never have I ever' and then if you did do it you withdraw a finger until only one person is left? That was a thing they also played in dormitory buildings, right Iberis?” She hoped she was right about it. It was really silly and perhaps a bit childish, but something simple like that was exactly the thing she'd been wanting to try for a long time.

 

[Sharena]

​

Shion was thankful Sophia didn't press the issue further, at least for now. She noticed Sophia's grimace in response, the girl wasn't entirely satisfied with her answer. That was fine, it was better than the alternative. Shion didn't want to argue about the past, it wouldn't do any good for anyone, but Shion wouldn't be able to look past the fact this place was abandoned. All the resources its builders claimed never returned to whence they procured them or even tried to repurpose it, easier to consume in the now than to think of the future was a very human instinct, Shion had lost portions of, and even entire, homes to the greed humans expressed in seizing that which the spirits she protected and befriended were deeply attuned with. No, making a home they will never thank the environments they steal from to make-

Stop. Shion commanded herself mentally as she closed her eyes and calmed herself with a few meditative breaths. This is exactly why she didn't want to talk about it. The last thing she needed was to ruin this chance to relax for everyone.

Thankfully Kalina came to her rescue with a flirtatious comment that did make Shion smile at the dhampir, but she waved her hand dismissively to her. "I am not sure if I deserve such praise...but I shall do my best to live up to such lofty claims."

Kalina along with Iberis's follow up comment about the portal business managed to get a small chuckle out of the kitsune before the group proceeded into the building.

--

Once they were inside the Artisan's Guild, Shion's eyes lit up slightly as they came to all the paintings. "Oh my, such a beautiful display. Art truly is one thing I think humans have wonderfully contributed to the world. Emotional, spiritual, thought provoking, it's all fascinating to peer into the heart of an artist!" Shion's pace picked up a little as she split off from Iberis and the others a little as she began admiring the exhibits with intent and glee spread across her face, her tails wagging like windshield wipers. She got lost in the stories told by the artistry, her mind filling with thoughts on all the pieces she viewed. She spoke up after a time admiring the walls, lost in her world for a moment. Her ears twitched happily as she wanted to share something.

"Hey Olivia, come look at..." As Shion turned the other women, only for reality to hit her as she laid eyes on them, "...this one..."

There it was...Shion was finally processing everything she lost in being granted a second chance at life in another world. Shion's visage depressed rapidly as everything slowly sank in for her. Her ears depressed and all the energy left her tails as she turned back around to look at the wall in front of her. It was almost like her life got fast-forwarded another century, only now nothing was familiar. No home, none of the spirits she protected, and now...now Olivia was gone too. All of it was gone. Shion had managed to adopt a relative sense of acceptance for this kind of thing through her life given her lifespan, but this...she'd never lost everything before.

Her hands shook at her side, trying her best to contain herself. She managed, barely, to tune back into the conversation being had behind her.

"...Our rooms." Was all Shion could manage, her voice shaky and on the verge of breaking. Her entire body fought against the wave of sadness threatening to consume her. The physical and mental assault on her, she was fighting it as hard as she could. Her body was trembling. She moved to and with the others, doing her best not to cause a massive scene in front of them or cause Sophia's cover to get blown early.

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
HD wallpaper: anime, anime girls, Goblin Slayer | Wallpaper Flare

Mentions: Shion Sharena

She was rather surprised at Shion's reply. Lofty praise? Had what she said really meant that much? “I think you're already doing so~” She replied, having no clue she was only pushing the topic even more.

That's when Shion suddenly started talking about some 'Olivia', which she wasn't aware off. That said, she didn't need to do much to image how it felt. There was a point where she would've called Renee in a very similar manner. When Shion defeatedly asked to go find their rooms, Kalina felt equally defeated. Her childish dream of playing some simple games she missed as a kid, or maybe trying some food again... They clearly weren't meant to happen.

On the one hand, she sort-off wanted to hug Shion to try comfort her. Hugs always helped her calm down. On the other, she worried she wouldn't be the right person to do so. She decided to come to a mid-point, putting Sophia down to put her hands on Shion's shoulders. “I... I can't say I know what it's like to loose as much as you have, but... I know how much it hurts to loose someone dear... so... if you want to talk. I'll listen. Otherwise, take as much time as you need, alright?” That was the best, or perhaps the most, that she could do, wasn't it?

That said, her own mood had been brought down a fair bit as well. She really wished she was a bit more experienced with such life-event things at times like these. When a charming smile and some deception couldn't get her into fun or out of trouble. Come to think of it, was that her original personality or Kalina's influence? Likely the latter. She was never that outgoing as Alice. In fact, she wasn't at all. No, no, bad time to have another identity crisis. She'd already done so much, there was no need for such a thing.

“Oh, oh! When you feel better, we could practice magic together! It's not much, but... I think I know a bit of it. Or well, sort-off, remembered it, when I got turned back into a half-Fae!” She told Iberis and Shion, hoping that prospect might somehow cheer her up. Probably not, but she was grasping at straws to lighten the mood right now.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

Sophia nodded at the group as they praised the tapestries, her own eyes passing over them for only a moment before she said, "Well, I'm happy you like them. They took a bit of time, but I couldn't really work on the building itself, so I decided to work on what I could." She flicked her eyes to Iberis, a small smile playing across her face as she said, "Well, if you want to know what they're about, I'd be fine with telling you! But for the time being..." She turned and waved down the right hallway, "Let's get you all to your rooms."

She walked down the next hallway, this having one or two tapestries, but nowhere near the lined hallways of the entrance. Of course, Sophia wanted to send a good message when someone entered or exited her guild, so of course she would put more at the front. The ones they passed here were of the Crusade, a cavelry charge, and of a man gripping the hilt of a sword, with the bottom half of it encased in a boulder.

Finally, as they entered what seemed almost like a dormitory area, she pulled out keys, flicking through them before taking three off the ring she had them on. She passed two rather simple looking ones to Shion and Ibaris, with a more ornate one going to Kalina. She pointed to two doors and said, "Those are the guest rooms. And that," she pointed to a somewhat impressive looking door, "is yours, Elizabeth~"

Inside of the two guest bedrooms was a surprisingly nice room. The bed was comfortable and well made, there was a writing desk, a closet, a wardrobe, and a bathroom. As for Kalina's room, that was a bit more impressive. Overly impressive, in fact. There were stuffed animals and dolls crowding the bed, but there was still left enough space on the spacious mattress for the Damphir to toss and turn comfortably. It was soft, with the pillows feeling like down. Everything was incredibly well put together, from the desk, to the bed, to the wardrobe, with even a walk in closet and a very large bath tub. Sophia's eyes glanced to each of them as their rooms were opened up, her eyes showing interest at how they would react.​

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Mentions: Silent Angel Sharena Elvario

Iberis smiled upon hearing Kalina say that she'd have her back. If anything she was glad that she met Kalina through Renee despite the very difficult circumstances which had led up to the whole ordeal. She perked up a bit and looked toward her as she asked her about the never have I ever game, for some reason the description sparked a distant memory which she had of some strange interior space with people dressed in very odd clothing which she couldn't see the faces of in the memory, it looked like they were playing something very similar to what Kalina was talking about, before Iberis shook her head a bit to go focus back to the present.

"Huh? Oh..yeah I've heard of that being played before from..somewhere I think it was at some dorms, sounds like an easy enough game to play, could be fun." She commented matter of fact. At first seeing Shion seemingly say something positive about humans plus it looked like she was quite enjoying the art at first much like how Iberis had been when she first came into the space, so she smiled some upon viewing the scene, but that shifted when she heard the name Olivia. Unlike the others Shion had explained to Iberis in detail who Olivia was so she knew immediately this shift was not going to be for the better as far as Shion feeling okay was concerned.

Unlike Kalina who didn't necessarily feel like they were the correct pick to be giving out more involved affection, Iberis simply made her way over to Shion and embraced her if she'd allow it, before continuing softly, "We're here for you." Figuring she'd leave it at that much since they were in a public space and she was well aware that Shion might not want to start going into personal details then and there given everything that she knew that had happened. After that she'd take Shion's hand if she allowed when they moved on and hold it, before looking to Elizabeth and mouthing her a soft thank you, as Iberis did appreciate how swiftly She had reacted to the situation.
"I'd appreciate that at some point Sophia if you really don't mind, you know me, I'm always looking to learn.." She said keeping a light tone even if deep down she still felt pained to see Shion struggling the way she had been from the traumatic experience earlier and now this.

As they headed onward no surprise there that Sophia had gone all out on the room for Kalina that really was impressive with how it was ornate and seemed to be populated with amany personal things Sophia had selected to be present, granted the room that Iberis looked into which had been gestured too still looked quite nice, nicer than anything she could have ever called her own, since while the dorms were solid, she didn't own them.

"Thank you again for the generous accommodations Sophia..I really appreciate it." Iberis replied once more inspecting the space, it feeling a bit hard to be openly awed given how Shion was feeling so instead she stood by her, just sort of looking into the space, seemingly ready to move with her whenever when she was ready. Or if Shion made it clear she wanted to be left alone Iberis would ultimately respect that too, but for now she was at the ready.

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
HD wallpaper: anime, anime girls, Goblin Slayer | Wallpaper Flare

Mentions: Sophia Silent Angel

The room she entered was overwhelming in all regards. Even the key itself was a surprise to her. After all, the key alone was one of the most ornate things she'd every owned in an entire lifetime. She even halted in front of the door, her mind trying to comprehend how a door of all things could be made to look this... what's the word? Fancy? Luxurious? Expensive? She barely dared opening it for fear of how alien the room itself might be.

Even so, she didn't want to disappoint Sophia, so she shoved in the key, turned it, and pushed open the door. Only to be overwhelmed despite having been prepared. It was still more than she could be prepared for. After a moment of hesitance, she stepped in, heading over to what seemed to be the most eye-catching feature. The many dolls and stuffed animals on the bed. She'd wanted those as a kid, but to have them as an adult. Wasn't that a bit... weird? Childish? She wasn't sure if she was supposed to think that or not? Honestly, she had mixed feelings. They'd clearly been made with love and effort, but... It felt too strange to suddenly have a bed full of them.

Then again... she walked over and picked up a green one, realising what it was. “This one... it's a crocodile, isn't it?” She smiled. “I've never seen one of those, not even in those blasted marshes on the Dark Continent.” To have such a scary looking animal made into soft textured plushy thing, somehow it was an absolutely hilarious thought to her. She'd decided. She wasn't sure about the others yet, but this one she liked.

As she looked at the bed again, she was mentally trying to see how many times she could fit upon it. She was tall, but even then, she felt like she'd fit into this bed multiple times over. “I'm surprised beds can be this big...” She mumbled. “Not only will I finally be able to stretch out and not have my feet dangle from the edge, like in most inns, I could host a sleepover here and I wouldn't even need to add mattresses on the floor.” She said, as she'd reached the conclusion that it could fit four Kalina's, perhaps five if they snuggled up, so it would likely fit even more non-Kalina's.

She pressed down into the bed a bit, surprised at how much it gave way to her. “Wow.. that's soft! What's in it?” She asked, wondering if it was feathers or something. It was definitely not straw, that was clear.

That said, there was more to explore, now that she was warming up to the idea of having this much luxury to live in, she was growing a bit more excited, as she headed for the desk. “I've been wanting to try get better at writing, so this is great~” She said, as she could image spending a fair bit of time here trying to make her letters more fancy. So far she'd only wrote a few letters when going on a love letter spree in the February event addressing people regarding vampire nature and how to fix it.

One of the things that confused her, however, was a smaller room to the side (the walk-in closet). “What's up with this room?” She asked, trying to find out the reason for its existence, but horribly failing to do so.

Finally, the bathtub stood out. How could it not? Most inns didn't even have one, forcing you to either use a communal one or just a bucket or nearby river. “That must take a long time to fill...” She mumbled, as she was mentally trying to calculate if the filling time was going to be worth the chilling time. That said, she'd never really used a hot bath before, even in her past life, she'd used lukewarm water that her family had already used a few times before at best. And that was on good days. On bad days, it was the bucket of ice-cold and dubiously smelling river water. In this life, at least the water to bathe herself with had generally been clean.

Still... if you were to fill up a large kettle, boil the water above a fireplace, then mix it with some buckets of cold water, you could get a nice temperature in a few trips, right? It should be worth a try sometimes. Yes, she'd try it sometimes. She'd probably been thinking on that for longer than normal, but with how overwhelming it all was, she'd gotten a little stuck on the smaller details like that.

Ah, but there was a non-detail she definitely shouldn't forget about! She turned around to pull Sophia into a nice and tight embrace~ “This is great, thank you!” She'd say, figuring she knew just the way to show that thanks by gathering up her courage and planting a firm kiss on Sophia's lips.

 

[Sharena]

​

Shion's eyes opened up a little from her dreary demeanor when Kalina and Iberis came to comfort her. Kalina's hands on her shoulders, Iberis' embrace, it helped. It helped her a lot. It kept her from completely losing herself to her own agony as she returned Iberis' embrace and one of her tails gently brushed against Kalina's arm since she knew the dhampir was such a fan. She managed a brief smile to Iberis when she let her go, she'd make it for the moment. She did the same for Kalina, half-turning towards her before they started down the hall, her eyes locked to the floor as they walked as she maintained enough emotional stability to keep the worst from getting out. When Iberis took Shion's hand she was a bit shocked, but welcomed it completely as her hand responded in kind as her fingers interlocked with the mage's.

Sophia introduced Iberis and Shion to their rooms, and Shion decided now was time to let Sophia be alone with Kalina...and for her to deal with this pain. Iberis seemed willing to be beside her during this, so she welcomed Iberis into her room. As Sophia and Kalina began to walk away, Shion finally spoke up again.

"Kalina," Shion's ability to keep up pretenses eluded her for now, "talking, practicing magic...and that game you mentioned...I think I'd like that very much later..." Shion was able to pull off a smile for a moment again before she entered her room with Iberis.

Once the door was closed and Shion gave a few moments of reprieve so she could be certain Kalina and Sophia had moved on, her grip on Iberis' hand tightened as she approached the bed.

"I never thought I'd feel loss this deeply again...not since father died..." Shion said to Iberis, her hand trembling in the mage's hand as her voice was unable to hold any stability. Tears started welling up in her eyes, and then the sobs came.

"I...I've never loved someone like this before...it...it hurts so much...I knew she was a human and that her time would come s-s-so much sooner than mine and yet...and yet..." Shion lost her ability to stand, the grief pouring over her as she fell back onto the bed, her hand jerking Iberis into her slightly at the sudden fall. Shion remembered Iberis was there with her, looking at the mage with sorrow filled in her eyes.

"Iberis...do you really want to stay? I...I'd understand if you didn't want to see this. I...I..." Another wave of grief hit Shion, unable to finish her concerns for Iberis as she let out a gut wrenching wail of sorrow as she let go of Iberis' hand, trying to at least free her from her hold in case she did want to leave. She fell backwards, her tails parting as her hands covered her eyes. The kitsune that had so brazenly stood beside Iberis and her friends not so long ago was reduced to her lowest point she'd ever been, no longer surrounded by danger or a precarious situation, Shion was finally processing what had happened to her...

"Why me...why weren't you the one to get a second chance..." Shion's arms left her eyes, splayed out on the bed with no direction as she stared at the ceiling, tears streaming over her cheeks. "You poured your soul into loving me...a woman with a burning hatred for your kind that she can never forget...but here I am...alive once again...why the fuck was it me?!" Shion's last words were filled with depressed fury through grit teeth, but she didn't have the energy to do anything but ball her fists as her emotional turbulence continued to spiral.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

As they examined their rooms, it filled Sophia with no small amount of joy to see that they liked their rooms. Especially Kalina. However, as Iberis and Shion got emotional, she slowly closed the door, deciding that the best option would be to give Shion some time to recover and some space, as it seemed that the one they were closest to, Iberis, would be able to handle them better than the fae could have.

She turned and walked over to Kalina's room, she walked in after the now damphir, smiling at the questions asked. "Actually it's supposed to be an alligator, but the species are so close that it could be a crocodile, to be honest with you." She paused as she looked at the other stuffed animals, a small smile passing over her face. "You know, I had originally planned on making you a golem doll, to use as a maid or the like. Almost lifelike. Sadly for my plans at a maid, but happily for her, she seemed to gain a soul of her own. I helped her out to start, but she's mainly on her own. She might come back to say hi eventually, but I'm pretty sure she's making a life as an adventurer..."

She giggled at the comment about sleepovers. "Yup! I'm glad you love the bed~ And I would love to have a sleepover sometime, even if it only means I head one room over~ As for the bed, I made sure that all of them are featherbeds. After all, if I have someone as a guest, making them sleep on straw while I slept on feathers would be rude as a host. Especially if I made you sleep on it."

The final thing she explained was the walk in closet. "It's mainly a place to store things that you don't want filling your room. It's called a walk in closet. You can store clothes, weapons, armor, hell, even extra stuffed animals that you don't need on your bed!"

She waited for the search to be done, and when she heard the thank you, she opened her mouth to respond, but her response was taken away as those lips met hers. She gasped, but eventually pressed back, her arms going around Kalina's shoulders as she thanked every star in heaven for such a wonderful person being in her life.​

 

[Elvario]

Elizabeth Mason

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
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Mentions: Sophia Silent Angel

“An alligator?” She looked at it. Even in none-plushy form, she barely knew the difference. “Either way, he's great~” She concluded, upgrading the plushy to a spot near the head-end of the bed.

“A golem doll?” She had no clue those were a thing. However, upon the mention of maid, her eyes instantly went to the bath-tub. “Do you think it's a maid's job to fill a bathtub for someone?” That... that would be the dream. To have a nice, big and warm bath ready for her! Especially now that she was no longer fully cold-blooded, but more lukewarm as a dhampir. The great feel of a warm bath without the pain of boiling water and carrying over buckets to fill it? She'd take that for sure!

That said, the rest of the story was really odd. “Wait, if she took on a life of her own, does that mean you're a mother now?” She gasped. “Oh my, to have gained an adventuring daughter in the short time we were apart, you haven't been sitting still at all~” She teased, as she tried to imagine what the construct would look like, but she failed to get an idea.

“That's amazing~ It must've taken a lot effort to get all the feathers for so many beds, especially for such a large one!” She tried mentally counting how many would fit in this, but gave up. Too many to count, that was her only conclusion. When Sophia confirmed she'd like sleep-overs, Kalina smiled. “Ah, so that's why it's so large~” She could have sleepovers with all her favourite people now!

As for the walk-in closet, she suddenly understood. “So it's like an armoury! That's amazing! A whole room for my armour and weapons~ Perhaps I should try learning to use a few more! Oh, and now that I can cast magic, perhaps I should get a catalyst to practise it with, something easy to conceal and sneak around with~ Oh, oh, maybe I should also try out some light armour instead of the heavy stuff as well!” She was already imaging all the gear that she could fill up this room with. “I love it even more now!” She replied enthusiastically.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Mentions: Sharena Silent Angel Elvario

Iberis took note from the point which Sophia finished closing the door. But her primary focus was still on Shion. Not being immediately being rejected from the hug was a good start despite the precarious emotional state. So was seeing the brief smile from Shion, even though she was well aware that Shion was far from well off in that moment just based on what she was seeing in that moment. She did take notice of the eyes locking on the floor only further suggesting that things weren’t exactly going great. However the interlocking of the fingers being reciprocated with feeling, did make Iberis at least feel like she was doing something right in that moment, since it had been received well.

Hearing Shion mention that she might like to take Kalina up later on what she had suggested was also somewhat reassuring even if no doubt part of it was emotional masking. Hopefully if they could get to a better point Iberis would be able to join Shion in those activities if Shion was feeling up to it. She felt the grip tighten as they went to the bed however the witchy one did not pull her hand away, instead she let Shion continued to maintain a hold. Iberis’s face took on one which appeared saddened when she saw the emotional pain that Shion was experiencing in that moment, speaking of her father’s death, while Iberis never knew parents of her own, she knew well enough what it had been like to lose Renee, which was probably the closest experience she had to losing family.

As Iberis was pulled down some, she just let it happen, ending up on the bed with her, looking back at her sorrowful eyes with a look of concern. She didn’t initiate the grip once it had been broken as she just listened to Shion vent to the world, her grievances for being isekaied here instead of the one who she proclaimed she had loved.

Instead of Iberis opting to go away when Shion had given her a verbal out once more, essentially telling her she wouldn’t hold it against her if she wanted to leave and not see her in this state, and while it was true it was painful for Iberis to see someone in so much distress, a trait which had no doubt only become more evident since she had shifted paths from going down a similar route as Renee had, she moved herself closer to Shion, and if she’d allow it, she’d embrace her tightly, wrapping herself around her on the bed when she had spread out.

“Of course it’s hard seeing you like this I’d be lying if I said otherwise..but I have no desire to leave, not when you need someone the most right now.” She spoke seriously.
She then continued,

“As for the reason why..while I wasn’t whatever decided you should come here, I can tell you right now that you being here, has only made our lives better. In a brand new unknown world, you decided to help us, strangers against the perils of it for the greater good..It was you who helped us defeat that monster, you stood beside me and protected me from harm on more than one occasion, and even with your powers in a reduced state you still faced off against these threats with us, even after all you’d been through and all you lost..so I feel like you were sent here for a reason, if you hadn’t come here we wouldn’t have ever have been able to meet you..and..I wouldn’t have either..when you’re such a great person Shion..you’re more than worthy enough in my mind to get another chance..you’ve already helped so many people, just like a hero would, people who would have been enslaved or killed otherwise,..so I’m positive it’s because this world is much better off with you rather than without you and that’s why.”

She would have added in that they didn't yet know exactly even if the one Shion spoke about hadn't been sent there as well, or perhaps even was sent somewhere nice, but she felt it was better to focus on what they did know in that moment.