Fantasy I Was Reborn As A Demihuman And Became A Mage Apprentice

[RizaTiz]

Nisha Syrvi

Nisha looked at the flask that Fennel handed to her and slowly grabbed it with her free hand. She stared at it for a few seconds before taking a sip of the drink. Within moments she already felt a lot more energized than before. She didn't feel as fatigued as before, and she was able to stand a bit better, as to not have Fennel carry all her weight while supporting her. Her legs still hurt quite a lot, so she still had to rely on him to walk, but at least he didn't have to borderline drag her.

As they walked through the plaza, Nisha would stare at the ground, both because she didn't want to look at the people looking at them, a band of slaves following an old woman, and because she just didn't know what to do for the most part. Everything still felt like a dream, and even when the old lady beat the man who insulted them bloody, she couldn't help but look at the man as if he was just an object on the floor. Reaching the end of the town, Nisha looked up the see the vast landscape and fields in front of her. It looked beautiful, especially since she was no longer seeing it from behind a locked cage.

Looking down once more, she held up the bell that used to control her life and couldn't help but give off a slight smile. Even if everything still felt like a dream, it still felt good that she was free, hopefully.

Interacting with: IG42 TanteRegenbogen
With: Everybody else.

 

[archur]

Jade Hawkwood

The mercenary's eyes stopped combing through the town to fully acknowledge the little scamp of a wolf that had finally settled down to walk besides her. Now that she had taken the time to look down at her, she seemed to be more thin than she originally thought. Really must have been the runt of the litter wherever those slavers picked her up from, but considering her situation, that's unfair to say. Everyone that ended up here was the runt of their litter it seemed, just in their own way. She would just have to get stronger to compensate for that. Start her own mercenary group, and pay herself to take down the bastard that put her here in the first place. Then, he'll get to feel the pain he put her through tenfold.

Her thoughts of future plans faded away as she refocused her attention with the little bit of the name she managed to catch. "Viz, professional good-fer-nothin'."

"Yeah, that checks out." She accidentally verbalized. She almost skipped a step before deciding to roll with it, what was Viz going to do anyways? Steal her wallet?

Just then, it seemed a group of humans had decided that their entertainment for the day was going to be the old woman and the band of demi-humans following her. Jade's head snapped to attention as Neria began to get into a verbal dispute. Though the instinct was strong, she knew to hold back on pulling out her mangled something of what was once a sword. Didn't need to start a fight if there wasn't one. However, as things began to pan out, she realized there really wasn't a fight to begin with, and it wasn't because of diplomacy.

"Ten gold says she'll floor him with a single punch." Jade rolled her eyes at Viz's comment, disappointed in her jeering demeanor.

"Are you seriously betting right now? She could be in-" She cut herself off as Neria began to beat her offender to a pulp so badly, that his friends didn't even bother to help him. There was a mixture of astonishment and dumbfoundedness that crossed Jade before she regained her composure.

"20 gold she knocks him out and keeps going." But, as she stopped with the man's cries of pain growing to a head, she couldn't stop herself from looking between Neria and the crumpled man. So this was the person who purchased them. As much as she says she's going to free them from her slave sigils, she worried to think about going against her wishes, if that situation ever came up. For now, she enjoyed spitting on the foolish man who had crossed their caretaker.

As the group continued on, Viz had rejoined her on the walk. Apparently, she must've been interested. "Anyway. Hawkwood's, huh? Word on the rumor mill's that the old man bit it, and that's why they're such a mess right now. Any truth in that?" A bit of static occurred in her head. Didn't Viz just say she knew nothing about the Ravens? She picked her next words carefully.

"To an extent." She said, pausing as she thought of the best way to put it to Viz. "The Ravens had something of a succession crisis, and from what I've seen, a change in job philosophy. Used to be all about helping the poor and ridding brigands off the country side. Now? No better than those brigands they put away." She spat off to the side and kept her grim expression. "It's bullshit frankly, but what do I know? Wasn't part of them for too long."

Interacted with: simj26
Mentioned: TanteRegenbogen

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

After Neria had continued to walk on after beating up a man, Fennel asked whether it was a good idea. Neria just grinned and said: "Happens all the time. You cannot let them run their mouths. Plus police in this town are too lazy to go after an old lady who retaliated against scum mouthing off. The police are too busy accepting bribes and harassing other demihumans." The sad part was that she wasn't just talking bad about the Frerevue police, but that they actually did those things regularly. "But don't worry. I am about to take you to a safer town where slavery is forbidden and bad cops face consequences. Still problems happen but it is more low level stuff like school bullying or simple discrimination."

Meanwhile Caelum seemed to be better after taking the drop. The case was similar with Nisha after she had some of the enhanced water.

Soon the group made it to the fields. Luckily there was low traffic on the roads at the time and Neria could lead the others to a field where she turned back into her younger form. Neria summoned her wand with grew into a staff with a large purple crystal on it. "Everybody, assemble around me and I will get us out of here. If you get nauseous, it can happen on ones first teleportation." Neria said. Once everyone was close enough, she tapped the ground with her staff twice and a large complex arcane circle appeared under them. It was a pretty blue color.

All of a sudden the landscape blurred around them. Once the blurring stopped, they stood on a street in another town. Compared to Frerevue, the streets were pretty clean and well maintained. The few pedestrians visible looked fairly clean and middle class. They stopped briefly as the group had teleported there. Their mumbling wasn't audible but as they ended up moving on, it seemed that they were aware of magic users and rather familiar with these kinds of things.

The group stood in front of a low stone wall with a wooden gate. Behind the wall was a cottage with an overgrown garden and a small private forest. Neria smiled at them and said: "Welcome to your new home. Inside you will be able to rest and recover. And before I forget..." Her staff turned back into a wand. With a couple of focussed movements of her wand, the slave seals disappeared from the demihumans. "You are free now. You are welcome to stay. If you only want to stay temporarily, it is up to you. Otherwise, I intend to adopt you all. Now let's go inside and I can tend to any injuries and prepare a warm meal for you."

Neria went to the cottage and went inside, leaving the door open for everyone to enter. The central room in the cottage was rather large and featured a fireplace, three large sofas and a couple armchairs, a coffee table in the midst of the furniture and magical lamps. On the walls were antique weapons, a seal of some order and a painting of Neria before her hair turn from red to white. To the left of the entrance were stairs likely leading up to the bedrooms and other rooms. Honestly, calling the place a cottage was an understatement. It was more like a mansion on the inside.

"Anyone who is in great pain should maybe lay down on a sofa. Dont worry about getting the furniture dirty, but if you have any shoes on, maybe take them off before laying down. I will prepared a special elixir tea to accelerate healing. And I will make it extra tasty." Neria said.

She soon disappeared into a neighboring room, coming back minutes later with a little wagon with six cups of tea on it. She placed the cups on the coffee table and sat down.

Interacting with: IG42 mysteryxio simj26 archur RizaTiz

 

[RizaTiz]

Nisha Syrvi

The group seemed to walk for a bit before they stopped and Neria, now in a more youthful form, told them to get close for teleportation. Teleportation, huh? This would be the first time she'd experience magic like this. Suddenly their surroundings seemed to spin and blur before it all stopped and they were on a street inside a seemingly different town. Nisha almost let go of Fennel as she covered her mouth and tried her best to not throw up, but she managed to suppress that urge. She never really handled transportation that well.

Once she recovered, the girl looked up to see stone wall and a wooden gate in front of her. She seemed to be more focused on the cottage and everything else behind the wall as she didn't take notice what Neria was doing before she felt a small tingle on where her slave seal was. She looked down and touched where it once was and noticed it was completely gone. "What the...?" Nisha looked up at Neria, listening attentively to what she had to say. She's free? Adopt? Everything was still going rather too fast for her to understand everything that was going on, but she just went with the flow and went outside with the others, being able to use the walls and some of the decorations to support herself and she made her way inside.

She looked around at all the decorations in the room. It was nothing new, hell, a few of her previous owners had almost ten times as many decorations in their living room alone. Nisha turned towards Neria as she suggested them to sit down on the sofas if they were injured and that she'd bring them an elixir tea to heal them up, which the cat-girl listened to without hesitation, limping over to one of the free sofas and almost collapsing on it. She was completely barefoot so she stuck out her feet slightly off the sofa, so she wouldn't dirty it anymore than she had to.

Slight interaction: IG42
Mostly interacted with: TanteRegenbogen

 

[IG42]

Fennel Ravel
Feeling a wave of dizziness Fennel stumbled and nearly fell as Nisha's own floundering knocked him off balance for a moment until he got his footing back, shaking off the disorientation he looked around bewildered at the apparent lack of interest from the people passing by. Feeling the warm rush of magic on his skin he touched the spot where his now erased brand had been and took a longer look at the house before him. "New home?" He echoed quietly as if finally realising this was really happening.

Helping Nisha inside Fennel continued to hover over her awkwardly after a short pause to wipe his feet when she started making her way under her own power until she got herself situated on one of the sofas. Finding another empty seat he perched awkwardly on the edge despite Neria telling them not to concern themselves with the state of the furniture, at the mention of making tea he half rose from his seat. "Allow me to help-oh." He stopped and sat back down as she had already bustled off.

Clasping his hands together awkwardly Fennel alternated between looking down at the floor and sneaking glances at the other former slaves until their benefactor returned, picking up one of the cups he took a long inhale of the soothing fumes rising from within before taking a careful sip and finally leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "Truly magical ma'am, thank you."

TanteRegenbogen

 

[mysteryxio]

Caelum

The world was spinning around Caelum as he now stood in front of a much nicer looking place than where he was before. The scenery seemed to be from a fantasy setting, especially compared to what he'd seen since then. No this, this is seemed more like the magical places he'd imagined when he came to this world. At least the parts that weren't moving around him as much. He hesitated as he took a step, he wanted to steady himself before he started to move. One step was all he needed. He stumbled as his foot hit the ground but he regained his balance fast. He took a second one, this time he was expecting the vertigo to hit him. Each one was easier the more he did. Even up the stairs was less challenging with each move. Once he was in the doorway though, his eyes were blurry.

He only saw basic shapes around him. The noises he heard blended into each other. He didn't have shoes on which meant that dirt created a set of footprints where he stepped. The seal on his neck was gone but not the one on his back, which seemed to pulsate. He collapsed on top of one of the sofas, unaware that someone was already there underneath him. He didn't hear their reaction, he didn't even know what was happening to him. Everything he heard sounded far off, he wasn't sure if his eyes were closed, just that it was dark around him, he couldn't feel or smell anything close to him. He felt drained, as if he had suddenly lost all his energy yet his body would not rest. He merely lied there, barely aware of what was going on around him. Yet still he was conscious merely trapped in his mind.

 

[simj26]

"Really? Seems like someone's got a chip on their shoulder," she mused cheerily. Maybe the merc was telling the truth. But no one doing nothing worth noting kept that body for long. If she had left Hawkwood's, she probably operated as an independent contractor. That leaves the question, though- Who brought her in? Not a lot of slavers were interested in bagging a contractor, independent or not. That'd ruin business, especially with other contractors of the same...racial disposition. She let her thoughts run in her head as she followed Neria and the group to the clearing. She was only barely listening to the lady when she explained where they were headed to. Teleportation wasn't too big a deal. Some of the spellweavers back in her family used lower-tier versions of it when they needed a quick escape. What worried her, however, was what the lady said.

Being taken to a utopia, huh? Where the cops were clean, and the inhabitants kind. That sounded nice and good on paper, but honestly speaking, she wasn't feeling it. If the cops were clean, it meant that she couldn't work deals with them, and not being able to work deals with them meant that she wasn't going to get away with being a nasty crime-doer. Probably couldn't break a nose without having someone crack a whip over her shoulder. She was free, certainly, but being monitored was just a different kind of slavery. She sighed. Whatever. She needed some time to recuperate first, before she set off for...less greener pastures. She wasn't comfortable with being policed, in the literal sense.

When she exited the teleport, she shook her head, the vertigo disrupting her vision a little as she stepped forwards. Not too bad. Not too shabby. She should pick up magic if this was how convenient it was. She snorted a little at the musing. Magic, her? In a million years maybe. She glanced at Neria. Was she a million years? Another amusing thought. She followed the group into the lady's home, and at the invitation of being able to take a sofa for herself, she leapt at it, literally

"Don't mind if I do!" The wolf demihuman leapt onto one of the sofas. What softness, what warmth! Their hideout didn't really have cushy furniture like this, but they did have some beds, and it was always the best kind of feeling after a job well done, to curl up on a mattress after days of sleeping on hard forest floors. One of the good memories from the past. She stretched out, and was just about to reminisce a little bit more, maybe catch a few Zs, straighten out her poor back, before someone else crashed down on her.

"H-hey! What the heck?" She yelped in surprise, and sprang up, just a little too late. A body collided with her, trapping her between them and the cushion. She growled softly, shifted out from beneath the dumbass, and was just about to push him off her, before she caught sight of his face. She was no doctor, but she had seen enough delirious brothers to know that this was not a good color on the guy. She shifted herself out of being trapped underneath his body, lifting him up effortlessly, slipping under him, then letting him drop back onto the couch. She patted his face, studying his features. "Hey, guy, if you see a bright, warm light, don't go straight to it, alright?"

No response. The dude was weak enough, and all those days of being in that cage without proper care already took away what little endurance he had. She uttered a curse, and straightened up. "Keep an eye on the kid!" She ordered the others who were still with her, then started to dash to the room where Neria had disappeared to, before she reappeared from it. "Uh, Neria! Boss! Somethin's wrong with the bat! He's uh," she thought for a second about what terms the gang's doc used to use, "unresponsive to external stimuli, yeah. Lights are on, but there's no one in, I-I think." Dear God in heaven, or whatever deity presided over the events of this world in whatever magical land up in the sky, she just wanted a short vacation without having her heart at her throat for once.

TanteRegenbogen
@ everyone else too, i guess

 

[archur]

Jade Hawkwood

Jade wiped the broken seal from her neck, the melted remnants of it lingering on her fingers like wax drippings from an old candle. She brushed off the effluent magic onto her tattered tabard and made sure to steady herself after the flash and color. Teleportation was something she's seen before, but never actively participated in, so when the spinning finally stopped, Jade made sure to take a good few drunken steps away from the caster. There was good reason as to why Hawkwood never had a wizard among his ranks, and she was sure this was part of that reason. Magic was dangerous to others, always, even in little instances like this. Her head swam as she burped up what little was in her stomach. Even though she had a distaste for magic, it wasn't like she had much of a choice in the matter of whether or not she was going to accept that her self-asserted "mother" was a potent magic user, she simply had to respect that fact for the time being.

The mercenary's eyes fiercely scanned the new area, her vision poring over each fallen branch and towering tree. From the outset, the cottage they were being led to seemed humble, the type she'd encounter on the side of the road after a week or so of travel, open to travelers and the like. She usually tried to avoid these, at least after Hawkwood passed away. The new leadership took to wringing these rest houses for everything they could possibly take in a single night before departing in the morning. It left a sour taste in her mouth just thinking about it.

Upon entry however, she found it was much bigger than she initially thought. The others splayed themselves out on the couches, as wrought out as they were. Jade however, didn't want to take up space she knew the others probably needed more than her. She was strong, she could stand, and judging by the startled yammering going on behind her as she approached the wall of antiques, she was probably right. A proper comfortable anything after however many weeks of being chained up, and she would've passed out too, but staying awake was more important now. She still didn't know a damn thing about Neria, and she didn't feel comfortable sleeping here. It just felt a little off. Why was she so unusually kind? Were they going to get placed under some sort of spell? Her motives were still uncertain to Jade, and though she seemed benevolent, Jade wanted to come to her own conclusions first.

Perhaps, time would tell. For now, she stared up at the collection of weapons and heraldry, unsheathing her shattered blade and holding it lengthwise, parallel to the rest of the weapons laid across the wall. Her broken blade seemed dirty and unpolished, once great, but reduced drastically. Perhaps, in it's better days, it could have been on display up there, the craftsmanship spoke volumes with the intricate crossguard and twisted hilt. Not any longer. She sighed, and put her sword away, slinging her cap over her head, hiding the little ears away.

@ everyone I suppose

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

Neria watched as the young demi-humans dropped themselves one by one into the sofas and chairs. Only one of them, Jade, didn't seem to want to get comfortable. Fennel thanked Neria for the healing tea. "You are so polite." Neria complimented.

Meanwhile Caelum collapsed on top of Viz to which Viz was startled. It seemed that Caelum must be the one in the worst condition now. Viz came running to Neria saying that something was wrong with Caelum and that he was unresponsive. "I will take a look. Now that we are in a relatively safe place, I should be able to use some healing magic without problems if I can vaguely identify what is the problem." Neria said. She went over to Caelum and inspected him, gently touching his body to feel for anything that could be off. "He is pretty beat up alright. Even with healing magic, he will need plenty of rest, but I should be able to improve his condition significantly. It just takes time and energy." Neria said as she conjured her wand. She swung it in a specific way, a faint miniature phantom of a fox danced briefly under the wand and a light green light glowed around Caelum. "This should feel wonderful. This magic always feels great." Neria said. "Sorry I made you walk so far. Have some tea when you feel better." Neria brushed her hand through Caelum's hair before standing up.

After that, Neria checked on the others for their well-being. Most seemed to be just exhausted or tired. Viz seemed healthy and must be somewhat exhausted. Nothing the healing tea and rest cant fix. Fennel was already relaxing and sipping tea. Nisha had laid down but not yet had some tea. Finally Neria came to Jade.

"What's the matter? You can relax. I don't bite or have any ill intention. It may be understandable that you are cautious about a friendly, old, demi-human magic user who had turned a human slaver into a demi-human just fourty minutes prior. Or was it the guy I beat up? Or are your instincts ringing alarms? Understable. I can be dangerous. But you have my word that you can trust me. I only mean to offer you a home, protection, even an education and a vocation. If you want to say something, you are free to do so." Neria said with a gentle smile. "If you don't like tea, I can offer you something else."

Neria then went to sit down and sipped from the tea. "I guess I should make a more formal introduction and explain my intentions. If I someone isn't conscious, I can repeat myself later. I am Neria Bocq, 70 years old and a fox demi-human. I was the student of Avastria, grand wizard of the beastlands. My title is wizard of the coast, but since I may be the only wizard in coastal area and possibly one of the more powerful wizard, I could maybe be grand wizard of the coast. I have lived in Ambreville some time and am councilwoman here. I also am a knight of Aevarion's Order, a religious order based on liberating and protecting demi-humans." Neria said, then taking another sip of tea.

"My intentions are these. I intend to adopt all of you. With my adoption of you, you will not only have a secure place you can call home, but you will have my sponsorship until you are ready to leave into the wide world. This means I will clothe you, feed you, support your education and protect you. In addition, I will educate you to become future mages in the least, but possibly even wizards. How far you want to be educated is up to you. My next plans are to go to the tailor with you when you are all rested up, possibly tomorrow, and get you new fresh clothes. Then we can prepare for the adoption ceremony. Any questions?" Neria said.

Interacting with: Everyone. simj26 RizaTiz archur IG42 mysteryxio

 

[IG42]

Fennel Ravel
Sitting up straighter for a moment in response to the compliment Fennel stared down at his tea awkwardly. "Oh, umm thank you." He had noticed his manner had set him apart from the others right from the start and he worried that it might be taken for obsequiousness.

Looking on quietly he watched curiously as Neria tended to Caelum with a flick of her wand that she pulled out from somewhere and the gentle glow of magic, the apparent ease with which she used magic particularly the teleportation earlier seemed to indicate that she was a cut above the average mage or witch whatever the term was.

When Neria sat down to explain herself further Fennel's eyebrows climbed steadily higher as she continued to reel off titles, while others sounded more impressive the one that seemed most immediately relevant to him was her position as a local councilwoman, that combined with her intention to go through with the full formal adoption process would provide them with solid protection against outside meddling. Leaning forward when she finished he searched her face for any sign of deceit, considering she had legally owned them half an hour ago it seemed that going to this much effort to trick them would be pointless. "Not to sound too ignorant but is the difference between mage and wizard important?"

TanteRegenbogen

 

[mysteryxio]

Caelum had been lost in the dark for what seemed like a lifetime. He was scarred, alone, he wasn't even sure if he was alive anymore. In his mind he thought of himself huddled over as tear ran from his eyes. He wanted to scream out for help for someone to save him. This image of him reached out for someone. Then in the dark there was a glowing hand. Warmth enveloped him and he felt peaceful. His senses slowly started to reenter him. He saw shapes and colors. Heard muffled sounds, ones that were far away then getting closer. He was aware that he had been on a couch, yet his energy was still too low. He felt a smile on his face over the feeling of the magic healing him. The feeling he had before was gone from him.

He reached out to try and get some tea, now aware of the thirst he felt. Caelum had trouble moving his hand but was able to bring the tea to his lips with no problem. The taste was somewhat lost on him, that sense and his sense of smell not fully with him yet. Still he enjoyed the tea. He wanted to guzzle it down but how he was laid down made it difficult for him. He had only half heard what was being said, he was more interested in trying to sleep than listen but if the person who healed him was offering to take care of them and teach them some magic, perhaps he'd stick around, he didn't really have anywhere else. He raised his arm, "Stay" he said then dozed off.

 

[RizaTiz]

Nisha Syrvi

Turning head her to the right, Nisha slowly grabbed a cup and sat up. Nothing has gone wrong so far in this weird scenario, might as well. She downed the entire cup in a few seconds, a bit hasty to see if the effects the witch told them were true. And they were. Within moments her entire body was revitalized. She felt almost as full of energy as she was a few years back, probably even more so. She looked down and saw her legs were healed, swinging them as she giggled. "Amazing..." The cat-girl then looked up at Neria as she introduced herself and explained to them her intentions. In all honesty, it sounded way too good to be true. A powerful wizard suddenly saving her and now she wants her to become her apprentice?

Almost immediately Nisha piped up "I'll stay!..." She noticed that she accidentally yelled that. "I-I'll stay..." Nisha repeated herself, in a soft tone this time. "I don't really have anywhere or anyone to go to..."

 

[archur]

Jade Hawkwood

The bear did not turn as Neria spoke to her. As much as she stated her intentions were noble and true, Neria was right. Jade was on alert still, body tense and weary from constant scanning and watching. As Neria finished addressing her, she gave no reply, simply watching the wizard from the corner of her periphery until she left to attend to the others. Jade had a lot on her mind to think about. Not only was she saved from a life of slavery, but was being taken care of by a magic user from a devout order of what to her, seemed like charitable knights. Perhaps, she could calm down just a little and let her guard drop.

Maybe, but that'd mean that she could be put under thrall or poisoned or killed in her sleep or sold off to another...

But that was all a lot of work, and coinage, that Neria probably wouldn't do unless she had something truly sick planned for her and the other demi humans. Hawkwood always taught her to be on her guard, but to accept kindness from a stranger. She figured that this was one of those times. As Lady Bocq sat down and began to explain her full intent and plan for the next day, Jade slowly made her way to one of the empty seats and tried to make a show of sitting down properly before she crumpled into the fine cushioning, taking the chance to allow herself to fully sink into the couch.

"Just one question." She said after straightening herself fully to get some tea into her system, her throat was still parched from earlier, and she figured that if she were being poisoned, the canteen would've been a more effective place to put such a thing rather than the tea.

"Is such a ceremony necessary? You do technically own us even if the seals are gone, is that not enough?"

Interacting with: TanteRegenbogen

 

[simj26]

Viz had turned her attention away from the room, bringing it to the garden outside of the window that she stood in front of, her silhouette cast upon the others. She remained silent as Neria presented her suggestion to the others, letting them speak first, as she drew circles on the window with a finger, contemplating her next move. After the rest had spoken their turn, silence fell on the room. It was her turn, huh? She kept her eyes on the view outside the window, took in a deep breath, then spoke.

"That's a terrible deal."

Her voice betrayed not a single hint of emotion. "What kind of person helps someone without any recompense? You gotta be out of your mind, lady, or a great fool. Education? Protection? I don't need any of those." She had faced death once- no, she faced it more than once. Why this particular one led her here, she would never know. Call it fate, call it God's will, whatever it was, she was already prepared to go out in a blaze of glory again. She scoffed at the idea that Neria was presenting them. The others took her deal easily enough, but Viz, herself, wasn't entirely sold. To be more exact, she wasn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement herself. She wasn't a child any more. She had lived through one lifetime. If anything, she was probably old enough to have been one of these kids' parents herself if she added her ages together.

"Here's my take, lady," she finally turned away from the window with a smirk on her face, and a glint in her eyes. "Say I stick around with you, I expect to pay for your services in one way or another," she sauntered, almost dancingly, up to the lady of the house, with a jaunt in her step. "I just don't feel all too comfortable taking advantage of your kindness, you understand? I have a reputation to uphold, and if my old friends knew I was shacking it up with a kind old lady without putting the tiniest bit of effort, I'd never hear the end of it." She stopped short in front of Neria, and held out a hand. "Adopt me, or do whatever you want, just let me help around the house or sic me on someone you don't like a rabid dog you own. It's," she bowed slightly, and gingerly took Neria's hand, kissing the back of it, "the least I could do." She straightened up, a playful smile upon her lips.

TanteRegenbogen

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

When Fennel asked the difference between a mage and a wizard, Neria explained: "Well it is sort of like comparing a nurse to a doctor. A mage usually knows less complicated spells and becoming a mage is easier and less time intensive. You can learn to become a full mage within three years whereas to become the most basic of wizards you need five years. And wizards never stop learning to be honest because we find new stuff on the job. So a mage is like a nurse whereas wizards are like doctors. Do you understand what I mean?"

Caelum affirmed the will to stay with a single word before falling asleep. Nisha loudly said that she'd stay before repeating herself quieter as if she felt she had been too loud or excited the first time, also saying she didn't have anywhere else to call home.

Meanwhile Jade seemed to be a little more sceptical and asked a question. She asked if the ceremony was necessary and mentioned that Neria technically still owned them without the slave seals. "Without the slave seals, it means you are free to make your own decision. The seals meant ownership. Without them, I don't legally own you. Plus through my initiative, slavery had been banned in this town nearly 30 years ago. The ceremony for adoption isn't necessary however in a religious sense it gives you some benefits such as ease in joining the order and finding refuge in the demihuman churches. Without the ceremony I would only have to fill out some papers and get your seal or signature. But I'd formally prefer to adopt you via the ceremony too. It is painless and doesn't take long. You just need to put on something nice, rehearse a sentence and eat a little bite sized cake."

Finally, Viz had objections, but not in the way Neria expected. Viz expected to compensate for what Neria had offered. "If you really want to work for it, I can assign you chores such as the maintenance of the garden, courier jobs and cleaning. If you feel you must be so dutyful. Of course, usually those adopted would get some chores but I wouldnt overwork you. If you want to do more, that's fine. Maybe you can take care of the cottage and it's environs. What you dont know you can learn." Neria said.

"Anyways, the plan for tomorrow is that after breakfast we will go into town to get you fresh clothes, both casual clothing and formal clothing, then in the afternoon we can take care of the adoptions and in the evening we have plenty of free time. I only need to know your sizes for the academy so they can prepare your uniforms. If you need special adjustments to the uniforms, I can use influence to have those adjustments arranged." Neria said.

"Anyways, after the questions are answered, out of those who haven't agreed to the adoption yet, are you willing to agree to the adoption?"

 

[IG42]

Fennel Ravel
Nodding as Neria explained the profession she intended them to learn Fennel placed his cup on the table and folded his hands introspectively. "Yes that clears it up, thank you." He'd always thought mage sounded like a cooler title than wizard but he supposed the latter did invoke the image of experience better.

Watching the others speak up in their own ways Fennel jumped slightly when the clearly re-energised Nisha loudly cut in, while he couldn't fault Jade for her caution he did feel the need to comment on it. "Whether we're technically still under ownership would be a matter to debate in a court and if it ever got that far I feel many a human judge would render the purchase void leaving us back with that slaver, the adoption however would publicly demonstrate that we've been freed and that we're under Lady...umm Wizard Bocq's perhaps?" He stumbled nervously over the titles trying to think which of the ones she listed would be relevant. "In any case under her protection in the most binding manner possible. Considering all that I'd be willing to participate and remain here." He kept some reluctance about it being a religious ritual to himself, getting reincarnated had thrown his view on spirituality into a tailspin he still hadn't sorted out yet.

Seeing Viz rather dramatically pledge her skills to Neria Fennel spoke up again. "Of course I'd be offering my services as well, I certainly have no intention of freeloading."

TanteRegenbogen archur simj26

 

[RizaTiz]

Nisha Syrvi

Being as attentive as she could, she listened as Nyria explained what the ceremony was and what she was planning to do tomorrow. Didn't sound like anything bad, and she'd love for some comfortable clothing. However, she didn't really know her sizes, nor did she know how to measure them. She'd have to leave that to Nyria. She blinked slowly as she was getting rather sleepy. Physically, she was completely fine, but she was completely mentally fatigued. Literally earlier today she was laying on the ground, her body injured all around and her spirit broken like she had been for the past few years and now suddenly she was being told that she'd be adopted by apparently a famous witch.

It was honestly all just a lot for the cat-girl as she yawned and mumbled out "I....I...uh.." She yawned as she could hardly keep awake. "I'm...going to rest..." She said, laying down on the sofa slowly and in a few seconds fell asleep.

TanteRegenbogen

 

[archur]

She pondered over Neria's words as the others affirmed their willingness to stay once more. Perhaps, this wouldn't be the worst. If there actually was a guild of demi-humans that went out doing their best for other demi-humans, them she might find herself a few more potential contracts. She planned to go back to mercenary work as soon as possible if she could, if her "mother" didn't find it objectionable. The hare made note of her skepticism as well, a court case would probably rule them technically under the ownership of the slaver that sold them, to which she made pointed eye contact with him. There wasn't anything that would make her go back there, now that she has the potential to get her strength back.

"Never been one for courts of law, ever. If a formal adoption is what I need to stay out of the cages, I'll do it." She groaned as she sat up from her seat. "Just two things though." Jade paused to reach and pour herself some tea. If it were poisoned, then so be it. Everyone else seemed to be fine. "One, I'm going to return to some semblance of working as an armed person, mercenary, thug, whatever you want to call it. I've been raised as part of an adventuring company, training and fighting is in my blood. Plus, I'm sure this town isn't free of problems that someone is willing to pay money for me to solve." She took a long sip, finishing the whole steaming cup in one gulp before pointedly putting down her cup. "Two, there is no way you're getting me into a dress. I'm fine with wearing whatever else you want me to wear, but there is no way I'll wear a dress. You'll never catch me dead in one. Is that alright with you?"

TanteRegenbogen IG42

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

When Fennel was trying to look for ways to properly address Neria, Neria said: "Usually it would be Lady Bocq in public. Among wizards it would be Magister Bocq though. In my home, you needn't be so formal though. Once you are adopted, you can call me mother or Neria if the mother part is too awkward for you. If you really can't leave being formal, just use Miss Bocq as a compromise." She then smiled at Fennel, thinking it was cute that he tried to be so formal and polite.

"Anyways in terms of the law, a judge cannot undo the trade. Once a seal has been transferred to a new owner, it cannot be voided, especially after the slaves have been freed. While slavery may be legal in many places still, the act of enslaving someone remains illegal. It is twice as bad to try to re-enslave a freed slave. People who try to do that get executed. The method of execution in the law is beheading. I saw such an execution in the capital about 40 years ago. The prisoner tried to reenslave two slaves he had sold to someone who had freed them." Neria explained.

"In terms of the adoption, the legal procedures are done at city hall and the notary's office is there too. Usually the notary seal is official confirmation and gives legitimacy. After that is done, we would head to the demi-human church for the ritual and you will each receive a piece of jewelry as part of the initiation. The jewelry has a protection ward cast on it. It means if you are in dire need of help, the nearest church members will come to your aid. So the demi-human church has its benefits, even if you arent that religious." Neria continued.

Jade then spoke, wishing to do work that involves fighting, stating that there must be something to do in town. "Well we have a pretty small police force here and they don't really mind demi-humans since four of the ten police officers in town are demi-humans themselves. Two are wolf demi-humans, one is a fox demi-human and one is a boar demi-human. I can maybe introduce you to them some time. They probably appreciate an extra set of muscle." Neria replied. Then Jade said she'd object to wearing a dress. Neria then chuckled and said: "I can have arranged that you get pants/trousers tailored to your size and that the academy allows you to wear a male uniform. The only thing that cannot be changed about academy uniforms are their colors and basic design. Beyond that you can have frills, pants, shorts, even overalls as bottoms and wear a turtleneck or a choker with the top, as long as the top is either a sailor collar top or a shirt with a tie in school colors."

"Anyways, you have some free time until this evening. There are plenty of books to read and plenty of beds to rest on. If you need me to activate a vision orb to be entertained or need anything else from me, I will be in my quarters. It's up the stairs, last door on the right. This evening we will go shopping for new clothes and supplies and then dine out." Neria said before retreating to her quarters.

IG42 simj26 archur RizaTiz mysteryxio

 

[IG42]

Fennel Ravel
Sheepishly toying with the tip of one of his ears Fennel returned the smile and nodded. "Miss Bocq it is, at least for the moment I suppose." Just Neria felt a bit much so soon after meeting her. By the sound of her legal explanation Neria had clearly done her research before enacting this scheme or perhaps this wasn't the first time she had scooped up a handful of young people as potential apprentices, that was a slightly worrying thought considering there didn't seem to be anyone else in the house.

As Neria left them to their own devices Fennel shuffled his feet awkwardly. "What's a vision orb?" He asked no one in particular, looking about he wondered if they could really just wander about the entire place freely, what if there were some Hogwarts-esque traps or monsters that had been left out for someone to stumble across? Glancing at the two sleeping members of the group he decided they were probably fine where they were, the sofas were probably far more comfortable than any excuse for a bed they had slept on for some time.

Standing up he cautiously made his way over to one of the bookshelves and tilted his head to read the spines still feeling a little worried about taking one and accidentally opening the secret trapdoor to a hidden dungeon or something like that.

 

[simj26]

Viz mulled over her choices. So many things, so much to do. Clothes, for one. She could rock a skirt, or pants. Not a dress, surely. She's more likely to tear it apart before the day's end. Too restricting. She remembered the time she and her gang raided a merchant's caravan once, and picked out a dress, which the rest promptly shoved onto her as a dare. The feeling of the restrictive silk pressing against her knees at every step felt so disgusting. She remembered getting so irritated she threatened to rip the thing apart, and was only stopped because the dress was actually worth the coin. She scratched the back of her head. Her unique 'tastes' were a bit of a hassle to describe. She'd just pick out her own things when they got around to the shopping.

She, honestly, wasn't too interested in the traditions. As long as she was unfettered, free from chains, she was okay with anything. After all, this Neria lady was pretty powerful by her own right. Magic and muscles, that was a perfect combination. She waited until Neria finished her brief of their itinerary for the day before she turned away from her window. "Dinner! Finally, some good food! Man, what I'd kill for some ramen." She paused, then rubbed her temples. That didn't exist here. No salty broth, no tough noodles- it was the only problem with this new world, trying to recover from her blunder. "That's what my old family used to call some kinda food we made. I don't think they've got it in this province, I think. Anyway, what are you guys looking forwards to? It's been a while, so you're probably craving for some real food, right?"

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

[There are no traps or hidden contraptions in the home. Well there might be hidden contraptions but they don't open without the use of magic.]

A couple hours had passed and Neria had gotten some rest in her quarters. By late afternoon, she had gotten up and cleaned. Neria had changed into a fresh set of clothes: a frilled-white and dark blue sailor collar top with a dark blue tie, a long dark blue skirt that went just below her knees and a black ribbon choker. Finally she put a pink flower ornament in her long white hair. She put on stockings and flat soled shoes.

After grabbing her coinpurse, she came down the stairs. "Rise and shine. Time to go shopping and go get dinner. If you need a snack before we leave, I got tarts in the kitchen and can provide tea, milk or water." Neria said as she came down the stairs. She turned on the vision orb and made it project onto the wall, also making sure the volume wasn't too loud to not scare those sleeping awake. Currently, there was the national news circuit running which Neria thought may be boring for the others. So she turned on the demihuman channel.

On the demihuman vision orb channel, there was a show featuring a wolf demihuman and a cat demihuman as hosts. The wolf demihuman was a tall, handsome guy with greyish hair and wore a black suit with a white tie. Additionally, he wore slick glasses. The cat demihuman was a petite, cute woman with should length brown hair and wore a knee-length white dress with a blue tie and had a black choker with a bell on it. The wolf demihuman had a serious and professional demeanor while the cat demihuman was very active and cutesy, almost in a cartoonish way. The current show was about delicacies from the northeastern region, featuring foods that looked like sushi, grilled salamander, fishcake, japanese style curry and ramen.

The cat demihuman, Asha as she introduced herself as, ate from the ramen with chopsticks. "This ranyun is absolutely delicious. (°x°)-b" She said. The handsome wolf demihuman, named Oleg, had some of the curry and said: "The taste is exquisite. A bouquet of spices, zesty enough to heat my tongue, but not too zesty." The show almost seemed like a Japanese variety show. The show then briefly went to a commercial break featuring hygiene products for demihumans, products for magic users, a recruitment advert for the Order and a PSA about community safety. Then it went back to the show, then featuring sweets from the northeast which resembled mochi, dagashi, azuki ice cream and dorayaki/filled pancakes.

"I could go for some of those moshi (in this world the names are similar but slightly different)." Neria said as she came out of the kitchen with a metal platter with tarts on little plates on it. She placed the platter on the table in the living room. "Dig in." She said. "Also if you like the vision orb, I can teach you how to use it. It requires basic magic though. It is known among demihumans as "household magic" and is usually to use magical appliances or light fires. Usually there are one or two vision orbs per demihuman family (families being upwards of ten individuals all the way up to four generations and 100 members). Mages and wizards can usually afford or make their own. They arent that common among humans though and usually only found among humans friendly to demihumans. Many humans wont even touch items considered to be made by demihumans but I say they are missing out on alot."

"Anyways, when you are ready, we can head for town, get you new clothes and then get something to eat. And the ladies among you who dont like long skirts, we can look for short skirts or have some trousers/pants tailored to your size. And if you have any desires for foods, we can do most things except for the upper class stuff since they require more formal attire. So even if you desire a sausage on a stick from a street vendor, we can do that." Neria said.

IG42 simj26 archur mysteryxio RizaTiz

 

[IG42]

Fennel Ravel
Hesitantly reaching out for one of the leather bound spines Fennel froze at Viz's comment about ramen and her odd explanation for the name, looking at her over his shoulder he stared at her curiously. "Ra-what?" He asked innocently then pulled out the book he had been reaching for. Fennel had thought about the possibility that other people could have been reborn with their memories several times before but he'd never been at liberty to search for such people or come up with a way to do so without seeming like a nutjob.

Returning to his seat Fennel leafed through the book while occasionally sneaking glances at the others, Viz more than most as he wondered if he could find an opportunity to get her alone and ask her about the reference to ramen. By the time Neria returned he had been thoroughly absorbed in his reading for some time but still instinctively noticed her almost instantly and got to his feet kicking himself for the automatic servile response even as he did it. "Hello umm..Miss Bocq, should I try to rouse those two if we're heading out soon?" He gestured to the pair of sleeping teens still sprawled on the sofas.

As what he thought to be a random knickknack revealed itself to be the aforementioned vision orb Fennel jumped slightly, he'd seen some magical objects that allowed for long distance communication similar to a phone but he hadn't expected anything that would so closely resemble television to exist.

Looking down at the sleepers he felt an urge to poke them awake so he could get out of the rough-spun excuse for clothing the slaver had put him in, he still suspected it had been made out of actual potato sacks.

 

[mysteryxio]

CAELUM

In the short time he'd been asleep Caelum had dreamed of the world he once knew. Of family and friends, of places he'd always wanted to visit, of things he'd wished he'd done...he spent a lot of time watching anime, but he honestly didn't regret that. He thought of how he regretted not living up to his potential, of trying to live his life fully. The stuff he wished he could've changed in life. The sound of the car crashing into him. When he heard the screeching he woke up. His eyes opened normally yet he still had tears running down his face. He wiped them away, more annoyed by them instead of concerned or saddened. He took note of a rabbit demi over him his finger out at him. "If you don't want to loose that finger I suggest you move it away from me long ears." He said with a cold tone, he didn't really mean that but he wanted to convince whoever this was.

He honestly chose not to learn the names of his fellow captives. He was better off on his own since the only ones who showed any type of concern for him made it clear that no kinship was between them. He was better on his own. Still, with the fact that he had no prospects and that the one that saved them seemed to more welcoming, Caelum thought it better to stay for a while. He pushed up so that he was kneeling and yawned. He still felt tired but was no longer in any pain. He saw his surroundings better now and felt as if he was in some type of modern fantasy home. He stood, moving his wings lightly out of fear that he'd suddenly feel pain. He didn't feel any and even though he missed flying, he decided to not take the chance of hurting himself once more. He wrapped his wings around him like a cape to cover himself. Caelum reached for a tart and practically swallowed it whole, making sure to finish before starting another one, now aware of how empty his stomach was. "Water please" he said in a respectful tone. "Also do you have a place I could freshen up? I'd like to get the filth of where we just were off of my face plus it'll help me wake up. Oh and if you have some bandages to wrap my feet in too, since I'm guessing it's gonna be a long walk and I don't really want to try to fly so soon after...after what happened."

 

[RizaTiz]

Nisha Syrvi

For the first time in years, Nisha's sleep was completely undisturbed. It felt refreshing and nice, as she slept peacefully until Nyria came and woke them up. The cat demi-human lightly opened her eyes before yawning. "Hm...Hmm?" She rubbed her eyes and slowly stretched, turning her head towards Nyria who was speaking to them. Suddenly, the woman had activated what seemed to be an orb and projected it's contents onto a wall. "H...huh?" She looked at what was projected, and it looked like that vision orb was the equivalent of a TV in this world. "I didn't know they had TVs here..." The cat girl muttered to herself, still somewhat sleepy as she rubbed her eyes once more. Nyria had changed the program to honestly what looked like a YouTube video of two demi-humans tasting different foods, all of them looking very familiar to her.

Nyria brought over a plate full of tarts, which Nisha grabbed one from. "Thank you..." She shyly before taking a bite. The woman explained the magic behind the 'vision' orb and household magic. It seemed useful for quality of life. As she was finishing her tart, she was thinking about what she'd what to wear. Honestly, she never really knew much about girl's clothing, so she'd just let Nyria choose for her.

Interacting with: TanteRegenbogen