Graded [Nan Pass Village] Search for the Skythorn Blossom

[Moonberry]

Ooc/TLDR

This roleplay will take place in the Beastman Republic, near the base of the the paizu mountains, in a small mining village named Nan Pass. A request has been put up in the adventurers guild, and by word of mouth. The daughter of the owner of "Belmontes Benevolent Brews" is seeking out a special flower. The job is more or less to help find the herbs, as well as aid in defense should the situation call for it. (I'll let the Grader decide the final amount of the actual compensation. I'll simply refer to them as sacks of coins.)

Help Wanted

To the Esteemed Adventurers' Guild of the Beastman Republic,

I am Thaddeus Belmonte, owner of Belmonte's Benevolent Brews in Nan Pass, a small yet spirited mining town. Today, I write with a request close to my heart, seeking your aid for my daughter, an aspiring alchemist.

Her quest is to procure the Skythorn herb, a rare plant flourishing in the high altitudes and rugged terrains surrounding our town. These flowers are found in the higher altitudes of the hill country, often in areas that are difficult to access due to the rugged terrain and the presence of various dire beasts. Your guild's renown for courage and expertise in such perilous ventures gives me hope. I seek your assistance in securing this herb, promising fair compensation and the gratitude of a devoted father.

I look forward to your favorable response, trusting in your guild's legendary valor to aid us in this endeavor.

Respectfully,

Thaddeus Belmonte, Belmonte's Benevolent Brews, Nan Pass

Winter ♫

It was an early morning in the small town of Nan Pass. A quiet frost had crept in the night before and carpeted the ground in a light dusting of snow. The local citizens kept up with their daily habits despite the cold. Miners trudging to their place of work, the sound of blacksmiths hammers ringing throughout the little town. It wasn't exactly a tourist attraction, but despite the grungy appearance of the place, the people inhabiting seemed fairly amenable. The majority of the population consisting of a variety of beastmen and beastwomen. However, at the far east edge of the town, was a small family of humans. Belmontes Benevolent Brews was a small stone shop, with a little fenced herbal garden on the side of the building. a few icicles hanging from the garden terrace where a strange ivy covered it and the whole side of the building.

Inside the small shop, a middleaged man worked quietly at the front desk. He had short, messy blonde hair, and an untamed beard that had flecks of grey in it. He was grinding and mashing a poultice quietly in a small stone mortar and pestle. After a moment he lifted his gaze from his musings to glance out the window at the sun, his brows furrowing after a moment. The sun was just beginning its first arc over the world. In a low and gravelly voice, he spoke without looking away from the window.
"Hiruq, go and push the front door open please. It's about time to open shop." His hands continued their rhythmic motion, mashing and grinding the paste. In front of the desk, a large white wolf slowly rose to all fours with a lazy stretch and a yawn. He loped toward the door, then lifted his paws to push down the latch, and shoved it open. He pushed it far enough open that the built in door stopper kicked in. His job finished, the wolf snorted and strutted back to the spot he'd claimed as his napping spot. He curled back into his favored position of sleep, closing one blue eye and then his gold. However, the wolfs moment of sleep was interrupted rather abruptly. The sound of fervent footsteps came thundering down the stairs of the stone shop that doubled as the family's home. A young blonde girl came clambering down the stairs. Stray hues of pink, purple and blue streaking through her hair. She seemed quite determined, and focused as she marched to the front of the shop. Her attire was clean and crisp. A white blouse, with a pair of tan pants and suspenders. A leather messenger bag secured over her shoulder.
"Papa, I'm heading out now. I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I promise!" She started to turn, an about face. But before she could take a single step, two things happened. The white wolf had risen and caught the hem of her shirt between his teeth, holding her in place. And her father spoke up.
"Hold it Aedrianna. I'm expecting some help to show up. I sent a request, and I'm sure there will be some showing up soon." There was a moment of quiet between them, Hiruq, slowly releasing Aedriannas shirt from his maw. The young girl looked at her father with a mixture of emotions passing her eyes.

"Papa...I'm going out to try and find an herb that hasn't been recorded found in more than fifty years. This was supposed to be a test of strength and courage for me. And if I'm blessed, I'll find the SkyThorn Blossoms so I can become stronger and use magic. Without throwing up blood. " She huffed and rubbed her head, a small frown worrying at the corners of her lips. "We can't afford to waste anything on an errand that doesn't have even a thirty percent return on investment. What if I fail, and I can't find them?" She looked to her father pleadingly, "Plus! I wasn't even intending to sell this merchandise. So now we've just lost out entirely. " She sighed and seemed to deflate a little. But before she could say anything else, her father, Thaddeus spoke.

"You've got Grans book right?" He lifted a brow looking over the desk at her. Hiruq, had returned to his curled position, now that Aedrianna wasn't about to run out the door. She blinked for a moment, as his words processed through her mind. After a few empty seconds, her hands went to the leather satchel at her hip and pulled out a small book that has quite a few page markers and bent page corners. Thaddeus nodded and put his tools down to fold his arms. "Gran was the best at finding the things people said were long gone. And she put all her notes in that book. Have faith in Gran. Don't argue, just wait a little while. They'll start to show up here soon. You can leave once we've settled contracts and payments. " If there was anything she wanted to say, it was obvious she was fighting to bite her tongue. After another moment of struggled silence, she drew in a breath and sighed. Then slowly, she bowed her head to her father.
"As you say Father. I apologize, and I am grateful for your caution and care. " Her tone was respectful but something about the way she held herself showed that she was being a little sarcastic here. Her father simply smirked and rolled his eyes, scooping the poultice out, into a glass jar. Aedrianna straightened, and folded her arms, not pouting in the slightest.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> (attempts)
Mentions: Moonberry | Kota SixSense |

Almeida had been highly confused at the ending of her latest adventure. Mostly due to nobody explaining anything to her in Terran. She'd sort-off just hoped her speech had worked, which seemed to have been the case, as they'd gotten their payment. Surely if they'd gotten their payment, that meant everything got sorted out in the end. Or so she hoped.

That said, she was barely even getting warmed up with adventuring, so she was already looking for the next thing to join in on. A gal like her wasn't one to be able of sitting still for a moment. Her brain simply wasn't really wired like that. Literally, in her case. Whatever his brain and body had been made into was a fair bit different than what he'd lived his previous life with, after all. Luckily enough, an opportunity for more adventure presented itself early on, just across the border.

A simple quest in the form of finding a flower somewhere, which someone in the guild had been kind enough to translate. She could already imagine it. Rough mountains, fresh air, nice scenery. It sounded many times better than those dank rat cave tunnels she'd just been in. That said, when she spotted Kota, an even better plan formed. If she went to beast country, she might as well see if one of her newly obtained beast friends wanted to tag along!

She'd approach Kota and unceremoniously shoved a copy of the request underneath his nose. “[It seems we've got our next quest laid out for us~ You and me, let's go!]” She said, pointing at herself, then at Kota, then in the direction of the Beast republic. The plan shouldn't be too tough to convey, so with some luck he'd come along without having to drag him by the tails.

Along the way there, she would make attempt to exchange some words with Kota, if he'd be down to exchange some Beastial and Terran. After all, even a few words of Beastial might be useful to know, with where they were going. Words like “<Watch out!>” in particular, as she might need to know at least that much.

Either way, when they arrived in the small town of Nan Pass, she was excited. “[Oh my, this village looks so quaint and lovely, doesn't it?]” She asked, already happy with the scenery. “[It's like one of those places they'd make miniature models off!]” She was talking to nobody in particular, as it was unlikely anyone would understand her, but the hype was audible regardless. “[It's chilly though~]” She said, as she shivered a bit. She wasn't really dressed for the cold.

As she spotted the store, however, her heart melted in an instant. “[Oh my, Kota, come look at this!]” She called out, as she saw the many pots, sachets, pans... all sorts of goods on display. She looked over all of them, pushing the intrusive thought of just how much of it she could smash with Valerius in one sing out her mind as she really wanted to pick some up to try sniff them.

That said, she was here to be a professional! Pushing off the distraction, she entered the store... “[Oh my, that's such an adorable dog!]” Was the first thing she spotted. “[Can I pet it?]” She'd ask, happy to see the folk in the store were both humans. That would mean they were likely to know some Terran, which would make communicating a lot easier.

On the topic of communicating, she should probably start doing so. “[Right, I'm Almeida~ I'm here for the job, and this here is my buddy Valerius~]” She showed her hammer to them. “[Whatever baddies are out in those mountains, we can handle them, and oh my...]” she was distracted as she got a closer look Aedrianna “[... you have such lovely hair colours~ What do you use to get it so bright and colourful! Whatever it is, I want in on the secret~ I'd love to spruce up mine! Please don't tell me it's genetics, like winning to lottery of having distant Fae blood or something~]” She ended her... wait. Her introduction. Right! That was what she was doing!

“[Anyhow, I'm assuming you're the one looking for the flower? Don't worry, you've got the right gal for the job~]” She reassured. “[Oh, right, and I asked a friend to come along as well!]” She stated, as she would gesture to Kota to give him a shot to introduce himself.

 

[Giftvi]

​

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Watching of Reflection

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Languages: Common | <Bestial>
Mentions: Moonberry | Almeida Elvario | Kota SixSense

The early morning struck, and the warm sun began to crest the Paizu Mountains, Watching of Reflection began to slowly unfurl itself from it's balled up state to keep warm inside the warren it had taken from a rabbit. Stretching out its arms and legs, a gurgling noise coming from the back of its throat through the sinuses, whilst tired muscles popped comfortably into place. It grabbed its satchel with it's tail, as it thinned its frame as thinly as possible, crawling through the dirt and rocky walls of the tunnel to the surface.

As it brought the satchel across one shoulder, a cold mountainous wind blasted into its face. Keeping it's eyes partially closed as it tried to shield itself from the snow, yet enough to see what was in front of it. Slowly beginning to trudge through the layer of snow that had onset here from the late autumn and began to pile up with the continuing of winter. Slightly shivering from the cold through its layer of fat, and the fur clinging onto its skin. Crunching through fallen leaves and twigs, before leaving the pocket of trees and barren shrubbery. It's wet feet landing on unpaved road covered in snow, yet obvious through the large grooves left by the wheels of caravan's. Beginning to follow its lead towards the closest settlement.

Walking through the streets, some folk paid attention to the critter. Whether that'd be due to the fact it walked on four yet carried a satchel upon its back held firmly in place by its tail which rested upon it. Or because it was something they had never seen before in their lives… Certainly it was no lizard… Neither was it anything like a fox, though it shared a long tail. Never mind the fact it strangely enough had no mouth to speak of on its face. Perhaps the closest comparison would be some sort of rodent or marsupial, if it wasn't a magical creature infused with mana.

With a crash of metal, the critter recoiled, stepping back a few feet as it raised its back and intently looked towards the direction of the sound. Before relaxing as it stared at the blacksmith, a dog beast kin with white and black fur like a husky, who looked peculiarly back towards it. There seemed a small moment of… tension perhaps behind it's eyes before it stood simply on two feet, standing about circa 3 feet tall only. As one of it's hands rustled within its satchel and grabbed out a dirtied wooden board with some red paint. Writing upon the wooden board: “<Hello. Sorry, I'm just not used to people yet.>” Before grabbing a stained cloth and wiping off the wet paint, as the blacksmith looked happily surprised and honestly curious. The conversation carried on for a short while, as Watching of Reflection explained it had been travelling, and understanding that people used those metal coins, asked if there's any place it might earn some. In a short time frame, since it wanted to be on the move again soon. The two exchanged words, mostly questions from the blacksmith's side, before giving some instruction of directions for a small stone building at the edge of town, “<Thank you.>” It wrote upon its board before waving the woman goodbye. Cleaning it off as it walked away, putting it back into its satchel and walking onto four once more.

As the small building began to come into view, the distinct scent of the many plants wafted through its sinuses. Approaching the entrance from the side, it walked through the entryway… Before almost instinctively grabbing a hold of one of its spines which poked out from its tail, its shoulders and head lowered, yet then stopping itself when rationale took over. To anyone which heard and saw its arrival, its eyes had been on Hiruq the entire time. Quickly, knowing it might otherwise cause confusion, it stood on two legs as it took out the wooden board, and once more wrote in a red paint which was far less rich and vivid than anything such as cinnabar. “Hello there, apologies for my rude behaviour.” Cleaning up the paint with its ragged cloth to write more, “I hope I didn't scare your wolf, I came recommended here for a job about a flower.” It held up the sign as it moved it around, hoping for any sign of recognition from the people standing here, and looking curious at the different folk in the room. Yet its gaze after a portion of time began to rest upon Almeida, its head churned sideways curiously as its eyes fell upon the metal which poked out from several limbs.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Rios
Mentions: Moonberry Elvario Giftvi

"Hey you... you're finally awake. You were trying to scale the mountains right? Same as us... and that Kappa over there"

Rios had awoken to the sound of a rickety cart and a nosey stranger. His mind was all foggy so recalling exactly HOW he had gotten to this point was a little difficult. He decided to start from where he absolutely COULD remember. After failing to slay the Bug Queen. Rios had decided to head on over to the Beastman Empire for some survival training against the harsh elements. He vaguely remembered getting caught up in a skirmish between the kitty people and the doggy people. Racial Riots didn't pay much so he had chosen to go on his way. This just resulted in a rather pissed off cat person lobbing Rios into a river. A rather long and windy river which took him all the way to the mountains he was wanting to go to. Rios felt a slight chill as he could still feel the testicle freezing cold of those mountains at night. Attempting to chop down trees with his swords for firewood had attracted a massive bear. Naturally he fled in terror and did his best to avoid becoming a snack for the large ursine creature.

Oh... Rios knew why he was in the cart now. He had led the bear to a group of miners having a dispute with their employers. The bear had wrecked a bunch of stuff and made off with a barrel of salmon. It was here where they decided to throw Rios on a cart heading to a nearby mining town so they wouldn't have to deal with him. The stranger talking to him was caught pleasuring himself atop the mountain while the Kappa had stolen water from travelers to ensure his head pond wouldn't dry out while he looked for hot springs. Caught up to speed with the how and why of his current situation. Rios hoped he could somehow find his way out of the current predicament. Luckily they had allowed him to keep his weapons so he probably wasn't going to face a trial when he got to wherever they were going. He just needed to make sure he could disappear before people started taking notice of him.

Nan-Pass seemed like your bog standard hinterland mining village. Hardy folk, smoke from chimneys and a layer of snow on almost everything. Once they got near the town square. Rios and the other undesirables were dumped here while the cart left for parts unknown. Immediately Rios crawled away like a caterpillar. He needed to be the sneakiest of sneaky swordsmen. Crawling along the snow covered ground and doing his best to find somewhere quiet to hide out. The broke mercenary wannabe adventurer menace to society heard a familiar voice. Peering through the window, he saw Aedrianna the little alchemist girl from his last real quest. Rios did recall hearing about a quest in Nan-Pass from two adventurers on the way to the Beastman Kingdom. Entering the premises looking cold, battered and bleary eyed. Rios greeted everyone else who came here for the quest.

 

[Rcticwolf]

Moonberry Giftvi Elvario Gaius Danius Griinia

Soreiel walked into the small village of Nan Pass, her 9 tails swaying behind her and blending perfectly with the snow around her. Her mind kept thinking back to what her master told her. “I want you to go to this village and help complete this task, if you succeed I shall reward you, however if you fail, or are discovered to be my slave, I will punish you severely!”

Soreiel shook her head trying to get the thought out of her head. She tried her best to hide anything that could reveal her position as a slave, mainly the shiny black collar around her neck. In preparation for the destination, she was given some large clothes to help keep her warm and to hide her collar with a scarf.

She looked around seeing all the beast men and women just walking about and living their lives in freedom, which just made Soreiel hide in her coat even more. She then remembered the request came from a human family that lived in the town that ran a shop called Belmontes Benevolent Brews. She looked around and found a sign on a building that had that very shop name on it, but once she got 5 feet from the open door she heard multiple people inside the building which caused her to hesitate before entering.

Once she reached the door she knocked on it a few times before stepping inside the shop “uh… excuse me, I’m sorry for the disturbance, but I am looking for a man named Thaddeus Belmonte..” she stated submissively, trying to avoid any anger or punishment from those present.

 

[Swagkage]

Lulu La Lily

Titles: Human
Point Booster: Attentive Student E​

Lulu found herself standing before the charming shop, "Belmontes Benevolent Brews," in the heart of Nan Pass. The inviting warmth that spilled out from within contrasted with the brisk mountain air, mirroring the gentle conflict within Lulu's anxious heart. Clutching the worn parchment in her hands, she read Thaddeus Belmonte's heartfelt plea for help in finding the elusive Skythorn herb for his alchemist daughter.

The words on the parchment resonated with Lulu in a profound way. The sincerity and love embedded in Thaddeus' request touched a chord within her, bringing forth a mix of admiration and a subtle ache of longing. Although her own father was not one to express his emotions openly, Lulu harbored no bitterness. Instead, the simple request of a father for his daughter's dreams struck a chord, speaking to a part of her heart that yearned for such warmth.

Internally, a quiet dialogue unfolded, "It's a simple request, a father caring for his daughter's dreams." Lulu felt a connection with the alchemist daughter, a shared yearning for dreams to come true. Encouraged by the genuine plea in the letter, a spark of courage ignited within her, eclipsing the shadows of her usual anxiety.

"Maybe I can do this," she thought, her voice a whisper even within her own mind. Motivated by a sense of responsibility towards a family she had yet to meet, Lulu took a deep breath, holding the parchment close to her chest, and gently pushed open the door.

As she stepped into the warmth of the small shop, a cacophony of voices enveloped her, each adventurer engaged in their own lively discussions. Her heart raced, her eyes darting nervously around the room. The distinct personalities of the individuals present became a blur as her anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. Trying to steady herself, Lulu raised her hand, attempting a greeting that struggled to assert itself amidst the animated chatter.

"Um, g-good day. My name is Lulu La Lily," she stammered, her voice a delicate whisper drowned out by the lively background noise. Her gaze remained fixed on the ground, avoiding direct eye contact, as if seeking solace in the familiar texture of the floor. "I'm from the a-adventurers' guild. Is Thaddeus Belmonte here right n-now?"

Lulu felt like a fragile bird in a bustling aviary, surrounded by more confident and assertive creatures. The other adventurers continued their discussions, oblivious to the internal turmoil gripping the timid adventurer-to-be. Yet, despite her visible struggle, there was an undeniable determination in her eyes - a silent promise to face the challenges ahead.

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter

Moonberry Giftvi Elvario Gaius Danius Griinia Rcticwolf Swagkage

After helping to defend the small village of Kael, Vilde slept soundly for the first time since she entered this world. After some much needed rest, she decided to stay in the village for a short time. This place reminded her of home... a fair bit too much for her liking, she found. Vilde quickly found herself growing restless, and quite frankly, a bit bored. Eventually, she took up her belongings, and decided to see where the Norns took her next.

Her travels took her far and long, to the distant mining village of Nan Pass. Vilde breathed deep, heavy lung-fulls of the frost-chilled air. She couldn't help but close her eyes and smile, awash in nostalgia. While Dublin had not quite been so cold as this, Vilde had heard stories of lands far north from there; her true homeland. The cold there was deadly, and the snow was said to be blinding.

Over the long course of her travels, Vilde had much time to think. She thought much of home. She thought of her hopes, her dreams, her aspirations. Vilde thought of how much she had wished to sail far and to see fantastic lands she could scarcely imagine, and all the stories she would be able to tell of all the wonderous things she had seen. It was a fine dream.

Vilde looked down at the somewhat crumpled copy she held out in front of her. This girl and her father... they had a fine dream too. A dream worth fighting for. And besides, the promises of coin and the possiblity of glorious battle were too much for her to ignore. Vilde pocketed the crumpled flyer, and swung open the doors to Belmontes Benevolent Brews... a slight bit more dramatically than she had meant to, and perhaps moreso than was appropriate.

 

[SixSense]

Kota

Titles: Beastman (Mundane), Kitsune, Isekai
Character Sheet
Mentions: Elvario Moonberry Rcticwolf Giftvi ebonheart98 Swagkage Gaius Danius Griinia
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The job in Lanstrich had ended in a rather strange way. The sudden appearance of the bunny who had been missing was followed by the guards who came to answer a complaint. Kota was unsure of whether or not that beast deserved any of the rewards considering the fact he was gone the whole time. What bugged him most had to be the fact that the Ratmancer was still plotting behind the scenes. People could get hurt in the future.

Kota’s train of thought had been broken by a job request being shoved right into his face by the half-construct. “Wha? You want me to go on this job with you or something?” Kota was a bit skeptical by the half-construct. Even though he didn’t understand her, anyone who talks to their weapon has a couple of screws lose. It was a job in the beast Republic in a town relatively near my home. I hope everyone at home is well The kitsune spaced out for a second before returning to Almeida. He was a bit worried for her well-being within the area. Kota’s folk weren’t particularly fond of constructs of any kind and he knew others shared similar sentiment. This person was crazy but she wasn’t well for sure and another job would keep him occupied for a good while.

Kota nodded his head and gave Almeida a thumbs up, “Okay I’ll join you” he replied.

The two would make their way to a small town in the beast republic. Along the way, they would make attempts at trying to understand one another. At base, they at least were able to get their names across to one another as well as very basic words with hand gestures. The two would certainly get to know one another a bit better. Kota's opinion of not only Almeida but constructs as a whole improving along the way.

The town of Nan Pass gave a warm feeling, a sigh of relief escaped the Kitsune's lips as the feeling of familiarity filled his body. Almeida was enjoying the scenery which placed a smile on his face, he was happy to see her enjoying herself. She would then call him over to a sight, Kota took note of what she said. “Coming,” he remarked. The townsfolk look at the two with amusement. Almeida stood out already, coupled with her expressive personality and people are bound to be curious.

Kota followed behind her entering the store and greeting the two humans, “Good morning sir, good morning miss.” He would then turn to the white wolf giving it a nod of acknowledgment. By the time he had fully entered the store, he could tell by the two humans' gestures that Almeida had already said an earful. Kota just shook his head and smiled. “I see you guys have met Almeida, she likes the shop you have here.” he grinned politely “My name is Kota, we're here because of a job posting at the adventures guild. I'm assuming you are Thaddeus Belmonte, the owner of this fine establishment” Kota would then turn to the lady next to him. “And you must be the young aspiring alchemist,” he said turning towards Aedrianna.

Kota would turn his attention as his ears twitched from the sound of small feet pattering across the floor. A small creature with a satchel was now in the shop and it was holding a board with words written in common. The kitsune put his hands on his hips as he turned towards the creature befuddled. It also held a rag which it used to erase the board. Kota waved towards the small creature who also seemed to be there on business as well. Other adventures would come join the group as well, which caught Kota by surprise. Before he knew it there was a small crowd near the front. One person, in particular, startled him as she shared a similar resemblance to the Kitsune himself, perhaps someone from his village picked up the job? Whatever the case may be, Kota had begun to feel a bit anxious as his past crept up on him. Unaware of the others who would greet him as well.

 

[Rcticwolf]

SixSense

Soreiel soon stepped aside and went to go sit down on a chair as to not be in anyone’s way and get yelled at by others. After she found a seat she noticed another Kitsune in the building and that he had breefly looked at her, which caused her to try and hide in her coat as much as possible just thinking ‘oh shit’

 

[Moonberry]

Cozy♫

Ooc

I'll be trying to maintain a posting cycle of every Sunday and Wednesday.

Language: [Terran] <Beastial> Common

TLDR: The gathered adventurers receive their pay and learn about what they're searching for. Thaddeus warns that there have been recent rumors of bandits holing up in the northern mines. Which incidentally is where Aedrianna believes the blossoms to be.

Thaddeus watched Almeida with a look of concentration as she spoke enthusiastically. He glanced over to Kota as the kitsune explained; before chuckling at Almeidas comment on his daughters hair. Aedrianna for her part, was standing there looking rather blank. She managed to recover when Kota translated and smiled gratefully. Before she could speak however, Thaddeus spoke up.

"She said she loves your hair. Go fetch a bottle of pigment for her." The blonde girl seemed a touch lost for a second, before she managed to recover and turn on her heel. Walking hurriedly to the back of the shop. As she disappeared behind the shelves, Thaddeus nodded to each of the newcomers, and waved them over to the desk. He had already started to weigh out sacks and separate coins.

He handed the first form to Almeida, and the second to Kota, along with each of their sacks of coins. In a broken and hesitant Terran, he spoke to Almeida. ["Thank you. That Payment. This, your promise."] He pointed to the form at the end of the sentence, then looking to Kota, he explained further. <This is your payment. The forms are your word, that you won't ditch my daughter after receiving payment in advance.>

As the strange purple creature entered the room, Hiruq rose to his feet. To say he was on guard wasn't quite right. His stance wasn't anything but relaxed. And his head was tilted slightly to the right. But there was a definite tension and focus, as the two furred creatures-maintained eye contact. When the creature finally relaxed, Hiruq seemed to lose interest as well, shaking his body and yawning, as if to say 'whatever'. Thaddeus waved the creature over, handing over the bag of coins and explaining the same thing he'd just explained to Kota. <Thank you for coming. Here's the payment and, a form to give your word on your protection.">

Aedrianna returned with a bottle of bright orange pigment powder. She handed it to Almeida, pantomiming pouring the powder out into her hand, and streaking it onto the hair. She smiled and pushed the bottle into the woman's hands. That was when she caught sight of Rios from the corner of her eye. Though it took a moment for his face to register, she was quick to turn and greet him.

"Mr. Rios! It's good to see you again! Alive and...Well...are you well?" She tilted her head, taking in the poor mans battered appearance. But before he had the chance to answer, her hand was pulling out a small vial of a golden brown liquid. She placed it in his hands with a warm smile. "That's a tonic. It should help pep you up."

"Thank you for coming....are you sure you're up to this son? You look a little rough." Thaddeus came up behind Aedrianna to give Rios his payment and have him sign the form as well. Aedriannas attention had clicked to the kyuubi. Never had she seen a nine tailed fox, act so...meek. Not that she'd seen a good many kyuubi, but the temperament of this particular fox was....off. As Thaddeus came to the table to give her the form and sack of coins, He seemed to pay extra attention to the scarf wrapped around her neck, his thick brows furrowed together in thought. <"You alright there? You sure you're up to wandering the Paizu Mountains?"> He asked softly, a note of concern in his voice. Before anything more could be said on the matter though, Thaddeus's attention went to Lulu and Vilde.

He handed them each a sack, and had them sign the forms as well. Explaining to both of them, what the forms were. "Thank you both for coming to help. these forms are insurance on your promise to protect Aedrianna. And this is your payment up front." Once Thaddeus had finished handing out forms and sacks of coins, he walked back to the desk at the front of the shop. He waved his hand, not lookking at anyone in particular, before he spoke. "Alright, tell them what you're looking for." He fell silent, starting back on his work with the mortar and pestle. Aedrianna shifted uncomfortably, realizing she now had to lead around eight different creatures on a wild goose chase. Well it wasn't entirely a wild goose chase. She glanced down to the small book in her hand. A well of confidence springing up within her. Breathing in deeply, she straightened her elbows and flipped the little book open, scanning the pages and searching.

For a moment there was an awkward quiet as she hummed thoughtfully, flipping through the pages. Finally, she gave a small 'Aha', pointing her finger on the page dramatically. She turned the page for them all to see, a broad smile spreading her lips.

"This is a bit of a personal quest. I hadn't expected to drag anyone else along with me on this little nature hike. However, I am grateful for all of your presence. I feel safer already." She paused for a moment, smiling and tapping the page. "This is called Skythorn Blossom. They grow up on the cliffsides, near the mines. They're usually reaching up to the sky, and they've got thorns. Very Original I know. There haven't been any recorded findings of it in over fifty years. The blossoms are used to boil down into a tea, and it can help with regulating mana flow." She paused for a second, her cheeks tinging red. "Which is something I struggle with. But I have my Grans notebook. and she knew a spot where they grew, that no one else knew about. but she never needed them so she never took them." She looked like she was going to continue, but it was Thaddeus who continued.

"The spot she's intending to go is just above the Northern mine. Which just happens to have recently become inhabited by a gang of bandits. There's been a rumor, that there's an untapped vein of Mithril. It's a wild one, but there's some idiots who believe it, and they're willing to fight anyone who comes close." He ended his words, not stopping his work with the mortar and pestle. Aedrianna blinked, considering what had just been said. She didn't seem to have been aware of the bandits herself.

 

[Giftvi]

Watching of Reflection

​

Languages: Common | <Bestial>
Mentions: Moonberry | Almeida Elvario | Kota SixSense | Lulu Swagkage | Vilde ebonheart98 | Soreiel Rcticwolf | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia

It shivered a little in place, still wet and cold from the outside, those who were looking at Watching of Reflection had an inclination more towards wet dog, rather than say wet cat in how it was acting. But as Haruq seemed to stay relaxed and the tension died down, its ears went from higher up to slowly lowering, similar to the widening of its brow, to becoming relaxed as well. After it had shown the message on its wooden board, Watching of Reflection lowered such with the arrival of new company. Such amounts of company that it seemed slightly spooked by how many were now in the space together with it. Causing its previous attention on Almeida to dwindle for now, whereas now its head swivelled around, trying to get a good glance at most of the people which were now in such proximity to it.

As Thaddeus waved it over, it happily walked forward on two feet towards him, kind of looking like a meerkat or raccoon when it was walking like such. Yet its head tilted, and its ears hung closer to its head, as Thaddeus was holding out a sack of coins towards it to hand over. Letting out a small grumble of noise through its nostrils from deep of the throat as it looked up at Thaddeus. Instead of taking the sack of coins first, it looked over towards the form. It grabbed out its wooden board and began writing something with some manner of haste, <”I have not done anything for payment. Keep it here for now. What word to write?”> Seemingly a bit more comfortable to talking in Bestial, as that was the language it wrote out. If explained by Thaddeus to write its name upon such, it would wipe off the wooden board with its rag of cloth and put the form upon the wooden board to write its name more easily. Handing it thereafter back over to Thaddeus.

Having finished that part of business up, the critter seemed to take a distance to let other people approach Thaddeus as he would hand over the sacks of coins and forms to write upon. Though it was hard to read, its sense of interest of towards certain people could be clocked from the fact it had kept its eyes upon them for a longer period of time. If for example its head shifted to look a bit elsewhere, they might still be looking into the corner of their eyes. Its attention seemed the least grabbed by Kota and Soreiel, no matter the reason, it kept glances upon them and actually waved back with enthusiasm towards Kota when the befuddled Kitsune waved towards him. In comparison, it seemed to at first hold interest towards Rios, but mostly towards Vilde and Almeida. Glancing at Vilde's colourful garb and metal armour, and the words that had been woven into the cloth that it didn't recognise, and for Almeida yet still the metal parts of their skin exposed on their limbs.

It's attention swooped away, as Thaddeus fell silent and Aedrianna took the centre stage of the room, listening intently to their explanation it was nodding its head along. Gaze affixed upon the book and studying the shape of the flower which was illustrated there. After Aedrianna had finished her speech and Thaddeus had served his important addendum, Watching of Reflection walked out of the crowd which had sort of gathered in order to give Aedrianna some space to talk and show everyone the book. Beginning to write something in its red paint upon the wooden board to show towards her and Thaddeus more importantly, though others behind him could probably read it depending on their eyesight. "Happy to help with quest, seems personally significant. But, got critical questions now." It wrote down, before wiping it away and continuing to write in the silence it hoped to be afforded. ''Can we avoid the mine? Or is the worry a pack or party keeping watching and holding territory around the mine?”

"I understand the concept of bandit. So secondly, is anyone here conflicted with blood on hands?'' It seemed to give pause as to what it wanted to write next, perhaps it questioned if to use the following analogy knowing afterhand what it is. ''I know some folk consider it hard to kill a wolf, or even eat pig meat." It wrote down and left for a short time before writing out its last question on the board, now more so potentially directed at Thaddeus if he was aware or afraid of the fact being possible. ''And if we kill one or two bandits, are there enough to act out anger on town?" Writing all of this, not at all aware of the fact that Almeida couldn't understand a single bit of what it was putting down.

 

[Tellussoil]

Noelle Nichi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With: Moonberry | Watching Giftvi | Kota SixSense | Vilde ebonheart98 | Lulu Swagkage | Soriel Rcticwolf | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia | Almeida Elvario
abilities:
Language: "Common" ~ <"Beastial">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The frigid mountain wind blew over the white-cloaked lands at the base of the Paizu mountains. Noelle was approaching the small mining village Nan Pass. After her last mission, Noelle had fought enough fleshy slime monsters for the foreseeable future. But with this contract, she should not have to deal with any more slimy creatures. A simple protect and collect quest to help a shop owner’s daughter to find some flower. Sounds simple enough. And it also gave her a chance to be in the Republic again. She’s been in Ryken for so long that it was nice to be back in the beastman country again.

The little mermaid girl was shivering as she entered the town. Although she did get a warm scarf. And her dress could keep her warm for the most part. The foolish lass was obstinate in her ways and was still walking barefoot. As she walked through town Noelle was holding a piece of paper while she looked around. "Belmonte… Belmonte… where is it?" She spoke to herself as she was searching for the shop of the contractor. The town wasn’t that large, certainly nowhere near the size of the cities she had gotten used to. So it shouldn’t be too hard to find the alchemy shop.

As she walked past the local bakery she stopped when she smelled the delicious scent of the fresh bread. Her tummy rumbled as it dawned on her that she hadn’t eaten anything in a good while. Her budget was tight so she wasn’t able to spend much on things. She took the satchel off her back and started to rummage through it. She pulled out a small leather pouch of coins. "a handful left… i shouldn’t… but it smells so good" Noelle was trying to resist. But her growling stomach betrayed she couldn’t. "Fine fine. I could afford something small and still have enough for lodging later… I hope" She thought to herself before walking over to the bakery.

She bought a nice warm bread roll and asked for directions. "Hmmm warm bread" The warmth of the bread felt nice as it warmed up her cold hands.
Noelle realised she was wasting time again. She started to run in the direction the bakery owner said Belmonte's Benevolent Brews was while simultaneously munching on her bread.
A few minutes later she arrived at the shop. The shop looked well-maintained from the outside. Almost like something out of a storybook. She was again about to distract herself from the matter at hand. She pushed open the door and went in.

Inside were already multiple people. Were they also here for the contract? Noelle’s eyes glazed over them as she put the last of her bread roll in her mouth. There was a person with metal bits poking out of her body. A bunch of humans. A pair of kitsune beastpeople. And a strange purple dog-looking creature with a satchel on its back. She had to resist not to stare at the purple dog thing. Then she notices the man behind the counter. He has to be the one who issued the contract. She swallowed her bread and walked over to the man. <"Good day mister"> She said as she bowed before the man. <"My name is Noelle, Noelle Nichi. I’m here for the contract"> She smiled at the man as she showed the piece of paper from the adventure guild with the request.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> (attempts)
Mentions: Moonberry | Watching Giftvi | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia | Soreiel Rcticwolf | Lulu Swagkage | Vilde ebonheart98 | Kota SixSense | Noelle Tellussoil

Not too long after Almeida got into the building, she spotted the most interesting little critter ever. “[Oh my~ Look at that, isn't that the most adorable little fellow ever!]” She exclaimed, upon seeing Watching enter. To her surprise, however, the critter had some tricks to it. “[Holy Urliberia!]” She worshipped called out. “[It's actually writing something, isn't it? That's brilliant! It's a purple-dog-like thing that writes! How do you even teach a dog to write?!?]” She was thoroughly surprised and whilst not everyone might be able to speak Terran, her tone of voice surely didn't hide much of what she was going through. As she spotted the creature look at her, she couldn't help herself from crouching down. “[Here, here, who's a good little fellow~ You are, yes you are~]” She stated, hoping to lure the critter over to maybe pet its head a bit.

Not long after, some dude (Rios) with green in his hair entered and greeted everyone in a mysteriously unspecified manner, so possibly by doing a handstand whilst singing in Cambodian, she was glad to recognise another Human. Most of those could at least speak Terran. “[What's up my dude!]” She called out to him. “[Mate, no offence, but you don't look so good. You look like you could use a warm meal and a blanket. Perhaps a good night's rest... Ya, know, I ain't one for charity, but I can pay you a room and a meal. No need go out and risk your life in a state like that.]” She offered, trying to be nice.

The one up next (Soreiel) was even more confusing. “[Heya!]” She realised this one probably didn't know Terran either. Soreiel looked rather shy though, sounding the part as well, so Almeida tried her best to recall something nice to say in Beastial. A compliment, perhaps. That would help make the mood a lot better. “<Nice...>” She desperately tried to recall the word for outfit... failed, tried to recall the word for hair, failed, tried to recall the world for anything really that she could compliment Soreiel on in beastial, but failed altogether. Giving, up, she just nodded to herself. “<Nice.>” Nice nice. That was the best compliment she could give in beastial. “[Sorry lass, can't compliment your outfit, but I must say, you're oddly shy for someone wearing something so daring. I'd say live up to it! I can help ya with it, cause I surely do!]” She laughed afterwards, figuring she likely wasn't even understood when talking in Terran.

That brought her attention to yet another freshly arriving participant (Lulu). “[Ya'd think we had a crisis on our hands if so many folk come on a flower-gathering quest~]” She joked at nobody in particular. “[Oh! From the adventurer's guild! Ain't that great lass!]” She was happily surprised. “[I'm trying to get in with all the big adventurer's guilds. Get my name on the top charts through the entire continent! Perhaps we can do so together~ I think the adventuring folk tend to hang out in groups, ain't that right?]” She spoke happily, hoping this human would speak Terran like most Humans tended too.

Even more surprising was the one that entered afterwards. “[Oh my, you're a legit Viking lass, ain't ya?]” She knew there were folk like that out there, but she hadn't yet met one. “[Ya even got the dramatic door-swinging down!]” She laughed. “[I don't think I ever wanted to try spar against someone just cause they look so freaking cool as right now~]” She added.

Despite having travelled with him for a fair bit, all the newly arriving folk had almost made her forget Kota. Even so, she'd been chipper and cheerful the whole way there and didn't allow the language barrier to stop her from talking to Kota. Seeing him look happier being in Beast territory made up for the stares she was getting there for sure. “[Did you think there were gonna be this many others?]” She'd ask, before remembering she was trying to get him to teach her Beastial so that her talking would actually be understood. What was the word again? “<Much, much, much.>” She pointed at all the folk, having forgotten the word for 'many' in Beastial. Surely many muches made a many though. As she noticed he seemed a bit tense, for whatever reason, she gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder and a thumbs up. “[Ain't nothing to worry about, right?]” She stated/asked.

To her utter surprise and shock, she was handed money BEFORE doing her job. “[Y'all, folk say that I got some screws loose, but this is mad!]” She replied in surprise. “[I like all them folks here, don't get me wrong, but ain't ya worried at least one's gonna run off without doing the job?]” This much trust felt wrong. “[Wait, ya ain't paying us as a scam, are you... this is realm money, right?]” Se'd take out a coin and bite down into it. It tasted real, or was it not the taste folk used to verify? She wasn't sure.

She looked at the paper he pointed at, a tad confused. Wasn't the dude a human? Why was his Terran so terrible? He was trying to scam her for sure, wasn't he? “[Oi, green haired fellow, purple haired fellow, anyone speaking my language, can you please tell me what's in this?]” She asked the room, hoping someone could elaborate. Or well, translate, in this case.

To her surprise, she was handled some sort of bright kind of powder like stuff. She accepted it, but looked confused. She was about to sniff, possibly taste, a bit of it, when she saw Aedrianna gesture through her hair. That's when it clicked. “[Ah! So that's how ya got your hair so pretty! Ain't that a clever thing!]” She laughed, glad she hadn't eaten it. That'd have been a waste of nice hair-colouring stuff. “[Thanks a lot!]” She called out to both her and the old man. Perhaps these folk weren't so bad after all. Either way, whether someone translated or not, she'd sign the form. Surely someone giving out free hair-dye wasn't a scam artist.

The rest of... pretty much everything... was lost on her. She got bored after about two words into the conversation, seeing how she couldn't understand any of it, so she used her time to just check up on the pots and pans. The ones that looked easy enough to open, she opened to smell them. Nearly knocking herself out with one particularity pungent smelling one. That also got boring after a bit, so she just yawned. “[I know, I know, Valerius, I'm sure they'll be done soon.]” She reassured her hammer it wouldn't be long now.

Luckily enough, another distraction arrived, in the form of another lass (Noelle) arriving. “[Heya!]” She called out, glad to have some form of distraction. That said, Almeida doubted for a bit, so she got up close to Noelle, checking her ears. The she sighed, a tad disappoint. “[I'm guess you're another beastfolk lass that wouldn't speak Terran, aren't ya?]” She asked, in Terran, assuming no reply would answer her question as well as any reply might. “[Ya got fun looking ears though. Reminds me of one of those.. what are they called] <lake> [folk]...” She really should try harder at learning Beastial, shouldn't she? She was surprised she even recalled the word for lake.

 

[Rcticwolf]

Elvario Moonberry Giftvi Gaius Danius Griinia Tellussoil SixSense Swagkage ebonheart98

Soreiel looked at the increasingly larger and larger group that had all accepted the job. ‘too many, my chances of being discovered are too high, I need to get out of here’ she thought to herself as she looked at the man and his daughter, noting that they were paying her no heed. ‘I’m sorry, I would prefer to stay and help, I don’t want to just take the money and run, but master will punish me severely if I’m discovered’ she took the bag of money she was offered and slipped it into one of the pockets in her coat, then looked around and saw most of everyone wasn’t paying attention to her, all except Almeida who tried to give her a compliment but was having trouble finding the words, Soreiel just gave her a smile that wasn’t genuine and had a lot of hurt behind it.

Once everyone had stopped looking at her, Soreiel got up without making a sound and attempted to sneak out the door without being seen, being careful not to bump into anyone or anything that could make noise.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Rios
Mentions: Moonberry Elvario Rcticwolf

Rios took the golden vial given to him by Aedrianna and drank all of it immediately. The thousands yard stare he apparently gave her father caused the older man to worry about Rios. He did his best to assuage Thaddeus of any worry by reaffirming that he was here to do the job that was given to him. The advance payment was also very much appreciated given that Rios was currently without money. Rios also declined the invite of the lady wearing a bikini top to the snow village. His guess was that she must have some dwarf in her or an innate connection to harsh conditions. "I can pay for my own room, thank you. Although buying me dinner sounds like an interesting time if we make it back alive" replied the wannabe adventurer mercenary public menace. He caught himself saying the last bit while looking on at Aedrianna. Rios did recall the girl almost getting eaten by big bugs and urinating herself. Perhaps suggesting that death was a possibility when she was likely already worried about picking them herbs was a bit much.

He then noticed the fox lady attempt to dip with her pay. Rios ordinarily wouldn't have seen something like this but thinking about Aedrianna wetting herself had brought him out of the present moment enough for him to return from his reverie and attempt to focus on what was going on. Unsheathing one of his katana and holding out in front of the fox. Rios's expression grew colder than the freshly fallen snow. "Politely inform me why you're leaving so soon before I chop off your head. We have a job to do, chica" uttered Rios with a frosty gaze.

 

[Rcticwolf]

Rios
Mentions: Moonberry Elvario Rcticwolf

Rios took the golden vial given to him by Aedrianna and drank all of it immediately. The thousands yard stare he apparently gave her father caused the older man to worry about Rios. He did his best to assuage Thaddeus of any worry by reaffirming that he was here to do the job that was given to him. The advance payment was also very much appreciated given that Rios was currently without money. Rios also declined the invite of the lady wearing a bikini top to the snow village. His guess was that she must have some dwarf in her or an innate connection to harsh conditions. "I can pay for my own room, thank you. Although buying me dinner sounds like an interesting time if we make it back alive" replied the wannabe adventurer mercenary public menace. He caught himself saying the last bit while looking on at Aedrianna. Rios did recall the girl almost getting eaten by big bugs and urinating herself. Perhaps suggesting that death was a possibility when she was likely already worried about picking them herbs was a bit much.

He then noticed the fox lady attempt to dip with her pay. Rios ordinarily wouldn't have seen something like this but thinking about Aedrianna wetting herself had brought him out of the present moment enough for him to return from his reverie and attempt to focus on what was going on. Unsheathing one of his katana and holding out in front of the fox. Rios's expression grew colder than the freshly fallen snow. "Politely inform me why you're leaving so soon before I chop off your head. We have a job to do, chica" uttered Rios with a frosty gaze.

Soreiel stopped at the doorway ‘crap’ she thought before turning around and facing the man’s blade pointed at her. She looked at him with terror in her eyes, but it wasn’t fear of him, it was fear of her master. “I’m sorry!! But my master told me to, I didn’t want to do it I swear, but master wanted it. He’s so cruel! Please don’t hurt me!!” She cried and crouched in the doorway, covering her ears with her hands trying to calm herself while she waited for whatever punishment the man wanted to inflict

 

[Swagkage]

Lulu La Lily

Titles: Human
Point Booster: Attentive Student E​

Amidst the growing crowd, Lulu's attempt at self-introduction marked the beginning of her internal struggle. The influx of individuals intensified her anxiety, but with fists clenched against her chest, she pressed on, determined to navigate the overwhelming social tide.

Among the gathered, only one seemed to acknowledge Lulu. Almeida was a stark contrast to her own timid demeanor. The confident, outgoing female, with a darker skin tone, spoke in a different language that Lulu believed to be foreign. Yet, the acknowledgment was enough, and apparently, Lulu understood, allowing her to reflexively reply, her bashfulness evident. "Th-that would be nice," she stammered, grateful for the unexpected interaction. However, before she could say more, their employer's presence captured everyone's attention, and the task at hand unfolded.

As Thaddeus and the other adventurers discussed the details of their mission, Lulu, on her first job, listened quietly, attempting to grasp the nuances. Unexpected revelations unfolded - receiving pay upfront, the nature of the search, and the ominous warning of bandits in the northern mines. What initially seemed a simple gathering request now hinted at potential conflict. Lulu, uncertain of her ability to endure such challenges, felt her instincts urging her to back out. However, her anxiety proved to be an insurmountable barrier.

Overwhelmed, she remained silent, keeping to herself. To compound matters, a tense situation developed between two adventurers - one planning to flee with her share of the pay, the other wielding a sword in discovery. Lulu turned her gaze from one side of the room to another, yearning for someone to intervene and dispel what she hoped was a misunderstanding. Though the desire for action lingered, she couldn't convince herself of her capability to step up in that moment of chaos.

Interactions: Elvario (Almeida)

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter

Vilde smiled politely as she took her form and her payment. She sidled down softly to the floor, pulling her shield up over her lap to use as a makeshift writing desk.

There were so many people crowded into this tiny little shop and so much commotion; many different people speaking many different languages, most of which she surely didn't recognize. Vilde had been able to pick up Common well enough, but she was still much more comfortable reading and writing in her native tongue. She scribbled her name down in runes, dotting the parchment with an extra dab of ink. It didn't really occur to her that nobody would be able to actually read her name, but rest assured it wouldn't get lost in the shuffle.

Vilde looked up to Thaddeus and Aedrianna, nodding her head and listening intently as they spoke of blossoms and bandits and herbal teas...

Wait... bandits... Now that did sound intriguing.

Of course, it's not like Vilde actually wanted there to be trouble with bandits... After all, that could get ugly, and she wouldn't want any harm to come to the pretty young alchemist. Although if it came down to it, she would be more than willing to lay down her life to defend this village girl. She had done similarly before, after all.

Her little inner monologue was cut short by the commotion between the fox girl and the green-haired swordsman. Vilde turned her head to watch the situation quietly, unsure of whether or not she should reach for her scabbard.

 

[Tellussoil]

Noelle Nichi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With: Moonberry | Watching Giftvi | Kota SixSense | Vilde ebonheart98 | Lulu Swagkage | Soriel Rcticwolf | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia | Almeida Elvario
abilities:
Language: "Common" ~ <"Beastial">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

While Noelle was waiting to arrange the terms of the contract with the shop owner, the Mechanical girl came over to her and greeted her in Terran. Although Noelle didn’t understand Terran in general. But she did know from experience this was a greeting.

Noelle smiled at the android lady. She looks to be a lot less energetic than the last construct she had met. The girl walked over to Noelle and looked at her ears. Noelle was a bit confused by this. Especially when the android continued to talk in Terran. This was rather annoying, if not extremely rude. With Noelle’s limited understanding of Terran, she could not exactly fully understand what she was saying. But the way she was talking indicated she was disappointed when she saw her ears.

Noelle was looking at her with a puzzled look on her face. Is this a construct thing? Or was she intentionally doing this? Whatever it was, it was starting to annoy Noelle that this girl was only talking in Terran. "You know you can talk in common with me right?" She said, trying to remain polite. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears as the android continued to talk in Terran. However, Noelle’s ears perked up when the android said the beastial word for “lake” in her speech. "What did she meant with “lake”?... Is she trying to insult me? Or is it something else?" Noelle wondered. But the fact she said a beastial word might mean she could understand beastial to some degree. If not then Noelle can play the same game Almeida as she was doing with her. At this point, she was seriously annoyed with Almeida, to say the least.

Noelle glared at Almeida for a moment before she pointed her finger towards her. <"You... Idiot!"> she said to Almeida before she reaffirmed to her <"Idiot!">. She didn’t want to be mean. She just was annoyed that Almeida was exclusively talking Terran to her.

Then her attention was drawn when the meek-looking Kitsune Soreiel) tried to bail on the group with her earnings. But unfortunately for her. A katana-wielding human (Rios) blocked her way. Noelle was uncertain what to think of this. On the one side just bailing on a job when you got your preliminary payment is not a good thing to do. But on the other side. The Kitsune looked distressed and Noelle couldn't help but feel some sympathy towards her.

 

[SixSense]

Kota

Titles: Beastman (Mundane), Kitsune, Isekai
Character Sheet
Mentions: Moonberry Rcticwolf
Languages: Common, Bestial
​

The kitsune lady also seemed avoidant of eye contact as well, an unexpected reaction. Perhaps if we just avoid interaction this job won’t be that bad. His anxiety curbed a bit at the thought.

His train of thought was broken when Thaddeus handed all of them their payment upfront. Usually, you get the payment once you complete the job or in some cases half before and the other half after. Kota was befuddled by the man's trust in such a large group. "<You’re a strange man.>" The Kitsune's eyes widened as he studied the man intently, he's never met anyone in this world nor the last one as trusting as Thaddeus. "<I won’t waste your good faith.>" Kota nodded to the man as he turned to Aedrianna who was prepared to explain their mission objective. I see searching for a solution for a mana issue. Before she could continue Thaddeus took over and explained the true reason why their assistance was needed, bandits. It explains why Thaddeus emphasized ‘assisting’ his daughter.

Kota would look back at the group that had gathered and was fairly confident in their ability to handle a group of bandits. Almeida was very useful when it came to fighting those large rodents on the last mission. The Viking girl and blue-haired swordsman also looked like they could hold their own. As for the others, he’d have to see how useful they’d prove.

At the sound of Rios threatening someone, Kota snapped his head to see Soreiel attempting to leave, most likely with the money in hand. He quickly turned to try to resolve the situation, as he arrived at the doorway he noticed the kitsune cowering in fear, confirming her guilt in trying to run off with the money. She cried out in distress that her master put her up to this. Kota folded his arms in disgust at the mention of that word, even more so the fact that she was forced to do this. He’s heard plenty of stories about such horrors and it never ceased to enrage him. "<We won't harm you>" Kota said as he turned to Rios, motioning his hand to sheathe his blade. "<Sister, if you are in dire need of help then I wish you would have just asked instead. The beast republic would be more than happy to assist>" he looked towards Thaddeus for input on the situation at hand.

 

[Moonberry]

Ooc

Mentions: SixSense ebonheart98 Elvario Rcticwolf Tellussoil Gaius Danius Griinia Giftvi Swagkage
I will be trying to maintain a posting rate of every Sunday and Wednesday. Feel free to interact freely between "Narrative" Posts, so long as you aren't double posting. (Meaning don't post back to back) I will be using the "Narrative" Posts to move the story forward to the end goal of this particular rp.
TLDR: Thaddeus suggests that Sorieiel stay quiet and act as if nothing has changed. While the group is out searching for the Blossom, he will inform the town officials of her situation, and have them help her. Aedrianna leads the group out of the shop and on the way out of the city.

Hiruq rose abruptly, and moved to stand next to Rios, not growling but staring pointedly at Sorieiel, almost like he might pounce. Thaddeus frowned as everything unfolded before them. He sighed, holding a finger up to the Watchings written question. But it was Aedrianna who spoke first. She had her hands on her hip, and she was glaring fairly heatedly at Sorieiel. Her expression was a mix of frustration and bewilderment.

"Did you really just try to take off with the money? I promise you there's not enough in there to make it worth your time with the guards. What were you thinking?! Why would you do something so rash? Especially if you're a sl-"

"That's quite enough Aedrianna." Thaddeus sent a look across the room to Aedrianna, that shut her up rather quickly. Albeit begrudgingly. The aspiring alchemist folded her arms and glared at the nine tailed kitsune girl. "As for whether or not any blood will be on anyone's hand, I would prefer my daughter not be near any bloodshed." He held up a hand when Aedrianna looked like she might intervene. "The Northern mine has been shut down for a while. Since it's been stripped. But somehow a rumor that there's a vein of mithril somewhere in the depths of the old mine got to a group of idiots. And now people who've passed near the northern mine have been told to keep away, under threat of violence. No actual violence has occurred. But that doesn't mean it won't or can't happen. " Thaddeus drew in a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then slowly he turned his gaze towards Sorielel.

"I realize that paying up front is a bit odd. As it happens I'll be leaving on my own trip shortly after you all. So I likely won't be back in time to hand out payments. I suppose I expected a little foul play, that's what the forms were for." The man sighed again, watching the younger ones before him. When Kota motioned to lower the sword, Thaddeus nodded, and made a quiet hissing sound. Hiruq immediately turned and walked to stand around Aedriannas legs. "young Lady, I'll suggest that you continue this job as if nothing changed. If you're supposed to be earning money for that monsters entertainment, play the part for now. You'll likely be safe amongst these folk. And when you return, I'll have informed the town officials. They'll be able to help you with your freedom. ' He paused and turned to Aedrianna who was glaring at him now, seeming quite confused. "Sometimes people act out of fear, and it leads them to do things they regret. Rather than condemning them for their mistakes, you can aid them to make the right choices, and earn a strong ally."

Aedrianna looked as though she might argue, but the respect she held for her father kept the words at bay. Though Sorieiel did receive a few more sideways glares, she held her tongue. "As you say father. I hope your trip is safe, and that we shall see each other again soon." She turned to looks at everyone there, Noell getting angry at Almeida, Lulu looked as if she wanted to curl into a hole as much as Sorieiel did. The purple creature and the Viking seemed to be the only ones keeping to themselves somewhat hesitantly. It was then she'd remembered what the purple creature had written. "If we are very careful and....welll quiet..." She looked around, seeming to realize that was already out of the question. "Well if we take a round about way, we can walk in above the mine, without going infront of it. If anyones looking for an old vein they're likely to be at the entrance of the cave or somewhere near. The spot Gran described in her book, is behind the northern mine, and above it. I remember her showing it to me when I was really young. " She straightened her bag on her shoulder and tucked the book back into its place in the bag. Then with a hesitant smile, she took a few steps forward, past Kota and Rios, and placed a hand on Sorieiels shoulder. "Look just, don't try and run again....and I'll try to forget what happened. Let's just all be friends." Aedrianna managed a weak smile, before she slid her hand down from the kitsunes shoulder to clasp hands with her and tug her out into the town. "Okay, if you're ready we'll head north now." Aedrianna moved forward, and Hiruq followed at her heel. She smiled and waved at a few of the locals, who did so in turn as well. It was a small town, and there weren't many people. The group could already see the edge of the town as their journey was just beginning.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> (attempts)
Mentions: Moonberry | Soreiel Rcticwolf | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia | Lulu Swagkage | Vilde ebonheart98 | Noelle Tellussoil | Kota SixSense | Watching Giftvi

Her attempt at trying to be friendly to the nervous looking ninetails (Soreiel) wasn't really paying off. If anything, it looked like the latter had no interest in interacting at all, so she figured she'd back off and give her some space.

The green-haired human (Rios) was a lot more fun in that regard (assuming he at least replied in Terran). His remark made her laugh. “[Getting a lass to buy you dinner, ain't you a smooth one?]” Fun as it was, she did have higher standards than just a bit of a clever reply. “[Show me what you got when we're out there and I'll definitely consider it~]” She challenged him.

She didn't really understand much of the exchange that followed between him and the beast, but it didn't seem like a great start. She figured she'd best leave it to those whom could actually communicate to figure this one out though.

To her disappointment, the purple-haired gal (Lulu) was yet another Human that didn't seem to speak much of the language most Humans were known to speak. It made her wonder if she should just go to the East Empire or Kingdom to try her chances there. Either way, by tone of voice, she seemed to get some form of positive reply, which was already a victory in a way. For now, she'd just give the gal a happy thumbs up and a smile.

When it came to speaking her language (Terran), a lot of hope was on the Viking gal (Vilde). That hope was ruined, as not only did the Viking not seem to understand her, even the attempt at communication was ignored as a whole.

Almeida was starting to feel a bit down, as somehow nearly all of the Humans here didn't speak the one language most of them were known for speaking. She cheered up when the mermaid spoke back to her. Whilst Almeida couldn't understand her, she was already really glad to get a reply. When the girl pointed at her and called her whatever 'Idiot' meant, she smiled. “[No, no~ I'm Almeida. Or wait, does this mean we're friends?]” She wasn't entirely sure if this was an attempt at introducing themselves or an attempt at declaring friendship, but surely it was one of those! “<Idiot?>” She'd ask with a smile, extending her hand for a handshake on their new-formed friendship.

Sadly enough, the time for boredom approached once more, as the old man was speaking soooooo much stuff she couldn't understand, whilst Kota was handling the beast gal that'd tried running. She yawned. She never even got to pet either of the two critters, neither Doggo nor Purpler. Sad days. She debated trying to sniff some random bottles again, but after having gotten a whiff of the bad stuff previously, she figured that might not be the brightest plan.

“[Ugh... I'm bored...]” She complained. That's when she noticed Aedrianna moving. “[OH, OH, WE'RE GOING, LET'S GO!!!]” She perked up at seeing Aedrianna moving out, as she followed closely behind, waving at folk along with her. “[On the road~ On the road~ Back in action, on the road~]” She hummed a self-made song to herself. All in all, she had no clue where they were going or what risks they might face, all she knew was that there was some sort of flower they needed and that she was to protect this hair-dye-giving gal. That should be good enough~

 

[Giftvi]

Watching of Reflection

​

Languages: Common | <Bestial>
Mentions: Moonberry | Almeida Elvario | Kota SixSense | Soreiel Rcticwolf | Rios Gaius Danius Griinia

Watching of Reflection observed the various people standing in the room together, its ears slowly lowering together with its tail, as the various people begin to pay less and less attention to any of its words. Strangely, one of the few folk paying attention to it wasn't even seeming to give it any answer it could answer. Speaking in a language it had only sparsely heard so far in this very room and in one of the bigger cities. As if there was a lack of care for its opinion for a moment, though it then quickly observed what was going on. It observed the human carrying one of the weapons more often made here in the republic had it drawn and at the ready. Its nose kneaded and one of its hands went towards its tail at the sudden leap of aggression which had reared its head. Especially when it was against one of the people, actively wanting to participate in this quest to help find the flower.

Before hearing more of the situation from Soreiel's own mouth, causing it to stand more hesitantly towards the centre of the room, and hand removed from its own tail at the moment, though still obviously on edge of it all. Its neck bend slightly in order to see what was going on with better clarity behind the legs and hips of the surrounding people, and finding continued confusion as it was trying to understand what was going on. The ears perking up and its head pulling back for a slight moment as it heard a familiar, but odd word out of Soreiel's mouth. Its eyes following towards Kota, Aedrianna and then finally Thaddeus. Not making any sudden moves, but trying its best to pay attention as its head moved to look whoever was actively talking in the face to grasp any sense of body language, and staying quiet to listen attentively.

It seemed happy, as its tail raised and ears perked up further, when in moments Aedrianna and Thaddeus looked towards it and gave an answer to its questions. A sign of being listened to at very least by somebody within this room. Quickly writing a response which it showed towards Thaddeus, <"Understandable, I'll try my very best then."> Before understanding the situation of Thaddeus, Watching of Reflection humbly accepted the payment prior to the completion of the mission. And then looked over the party at Aedrianna's remark, giving a quick glance as it processed what she had said. Probably understanding what she had meant as its eyes seemed to close slightly, perhaps as it was thinking for a brief moment, before it looked towards Rios. Certainly granting a bit more attention after it saw him draw the blade from its scabbard in such quick succession.

Once finished with its curiosity, though, its attention moved once more, beginning to become wet from the snow as it walked on four legs and slightly annoyed from the cold. Snapping back towards the loud and rumbustious Almeida, it moved forward in the party together behind Aedrianne alongside her, and began to walk on its back paws to wipe its hands on dry fur. As it grabbed its wooden board to show the metal woman whose language it could not understand. Beginning to draw with yellow paint, a childlike portrait of Almeida, with half of the face as it was and the other half a strangely looking robotic construct unfamiliar to her. With entirely different features that looked decrepit, as if it was drawing from some other form of inspiration. It pointed towards the robotic half and then grabbed its own cheek with one hand to pull at it, without serious strength, but as if one were to pull it off. And then pointed at Almeida's face inquisitively, whilst its tail wagged in the air.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> (attempts)
Mentions: Watching Giftvi

She was surprised when the purple creature approached her, even more so when she saw the drawing. “[Oh, my, look, look! It's drawing me, that's adorable!]” She called out in excitement. It did seem to go a bit all-out with the more metal parts. “[Oh, come on, I'm not that metal~]” She replied, a tad amused a tad confused. That's when she got some of the idea across. “[Nope, nope, just flesh here~]” She pulled up one of her arm-guards a bit, to show where metal met flesh. “[See, that's metal, that's fleshy.]” She then squished her own cheeks a bit. “[All fleshy, no metal~]” She spoke, then pointed at her head. “[Except in here, I guess~]” They did say she had some screws loose, so surely there was something metal in there!

“[My turn, my turn!]” She called, as she'd try to gesture for the Purpler to hand its board and paint over for a bit. She was putting a lot of effort into trying to get across what she wanted.

Spoiler: If Watching would let her draw

Eventually, she showed it her artwork with a big, bright smile. Was she... trying to make it an offer?

 

[Giftvi]

Watching of Reflection

​

Languages: Common | <Bestial>
Mentions: Almeida Elvario

The little critter seemed a bit dazed at the loud exclamations of Almeida, who said things which obviously went entirely over its head, and seemed to have little to probably no understanding of. In comparison to the other languages which it had written down before on its board, whilst inside the shop. But its eyes did follow attentively, and slightly opened up in surprise as it looked at where the metal met flesh, like it had seen before, yet then in comparison squished her body parts like just flesh. Its eyes once more followed the gesture up towards the brain, but instead of passing for a bit remained for a while longer than before, as its head tilted, and it seemed to be thinking to itself.

It seemed slightly taken aback as Almeida's hand stretched out towards the board, but it handed over the wooden board and the red paint for her to finger paint upon it like it had up until now. Trying to stand up on its toes in order to get any semblance of an idea of what she was painting. But well. Had little success due to their huge height difference, before scratching at the fur on its head as Almeida showed her art piece. One of the four fingers on its right hand pointed towards itself for a moment, before then pointing up to the shoulder of Almeida. Repeating itself once, more. And awaited a response from her. Was it trying to confirm if it understood correctly what she had meant? Perchance. It seemed smart enough so far to understand her.

If Almeida perhaps nodded her head, or showed another bright smile, Watching of Reflection waited for a moment, as if perhaps thinking about it for a few more seconds. A guttural noise coming from out of its nostrils. Before climbing up from Almeida's right leg, up the torso and onto her shoulders. At first, perhaps Almeida might have thought it would have been an uncomfortable few seconds to get up, but it took only a second or two for the whole distance to be made. Before it began gesturing back for its wooden board. Its tail beginning to rest upon her shoulderblades somewhat before tucking back towards it, and its ears raised up high.