Adventurers Guild Adventurer's Guild - Announcement Hall

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Games' started by AliceShiki, Jan 28, 2019.

  1. A5G_Reaper

    A5G_Reaper [DCLXVI, sohyee, and iampsyx's cute imouto]

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    "Vhera!"

    A gourd stood outside the second floor's window, where a certain mermaid kid live. He knocked several times, completely oblivious of how improper his action was.

    Thankfully for him Shiori wasn't home, or else he may had to suffer from some nasty sass.


    As I just got back to my room to rest a bit after some time playing with the other children, there was a sudden loud sound from the window! What is it!?

    I looked towards it and... "Superhero!" I opened it in a hurry and hugged the magical pumpkin!

    "Ah, well, hello there Vhera." The gourd said, muffled by a facefull of little mermaid. "I come to visit, since it's been a while. Want to run around and desert Aria?"


    "Running, fun!

    "Shiori scary, Vhera not go..." Did he muffle a weird thing at the end, I'm not sure I heard it properly...

    "Let's just leave a note! She'll blame me anyway, so you'll be fine! Dart to Lakeside and back?" The gourd offered a hand.

    "Superhero blamed bad!

    "But... Vhera go!" I held her hand and quickly climbed to his back. "To Lakeside!"

    "Should you bring a change of clothes? The lake's beautiful." The gourd patted her. That seems to be his to-go response on many things these days.

    I tilted my head at that. "What for?" And smiled at the pats while clinging to his pumpkin.

    "Don't need? Alright then! Hold on tight now..."

    The gourd allowed her to climb on his back, clinging tight as he angled toward Lakeside.

    "Dart."

    Tapping into the Brand every few seconds, the pair shot through the air like a super unsafe rollercoaster, the gourd himself enjoying the freedom of airtime without a random undead wyrm trying to eat him.


    "Woohoo! Faster faster!!!"

    ((Aria's favorite cup cracks in the distance))

    "Superhero means super fast!?"

    "Faster eh? As you wish!"

    The gourd accelerated yet again, to the point that it's difficult to keep an eye open. They arrived in half an hour on a journey that would've took five, landing lightly with a light application of Vertigo on the far side of the lake. On the distance the village can be vaguely seen, a tranquil view far from the bustle of Nagrand.

    "I assume you like swimming."


    "Wahaa! Superhero, super incredible!" I could barely see the whole path there! It's like we were flying!

    "A-and it's the sea!!!" I jumped off the pumpkin straight into it! It's been so loooong~

    Those fishes are different than the ones I'm used to though, and they seem so unused to strangers, so weird, they are generally used to people coming and going...

    I swam up until I could see the pumpkin hero again and waved at him. "Thank you!!!"

    The gourd waved, finding a shaded spot to supervise the mermaid as she swim.

    "We've got to return before sunset alright?"

    It's still midmorning, so there's plenty of time. He wonder if the kid would eat fish, or if it's better to snare some rabbits.

    "...maaaybe rabbits. Later."


    *swims closer* "Superhero not swim?"

    "I can't swim. Tell you what, I'll find something for lunch. Just have fun yes?"

    "Can't?" *tilts head* "People can not know swim?"

    "I know how to drown." He replied lightly.

    "I not understand! Can walk, but can't swim!?"

    "Nope! Cannot! Sea is scary!"

    *blink blink blink* "Land scarier though? Hard to move, too dry, food finding hard, scary people with fire!

    "Sea safer, easy to move, lots food, no fire!"

    "Ah, you see, the water's a bit of problem for us land people. Food isn't hard either, as long as you know where to look!"

    "Then... Superhero find food fast?"

    "Give me a moment!"

    He hopped away and tracked some critters with Shadowflip, hiding from their senses under the trees' shade. Within five minutes he strangled two rabbits and a pheasant, returning to the lakeside where Vhera waited.

    "Found us some lunch!"


    The superhero disappeared!

    He is... Coming back, right... He won't leave me alone, right?

    What was his name again...?

    I was starting to get worried when he came back! And with... Food? Uhn... "Lunch... Tasty?"

    "I'll cook it, you just go have fun." The gourd grinned, taking out his camping cookwares.

    "Alright! Eat together, promise!" I held out my pinky finger to him~

    "Sure thing." He returned the pinky promise.

    Cut the stomach, remove the innard, cut off the head and hang upside down until the blood drained. Boil water in the meantime, slice mushroom and herbs. Back to the meat, skin the hide and pluck the feathers. Cut out the meat and slice it off the bones. Wash in the stream, then boil the scum out. Carefully spoon out the impurities, add some spices and leave it to boil until tender. Also insert potato chunks to make it thicker. When almost ready, put in the mushroom and herbs for taste. Soup's done.

    "Lunch is ready!"

    Nothing fancy, but the freshness of the ingredients was a treat on their own. The gourd wasn't stingy with the meat either, totalling almost equal part with the water after the boiling.


    Hehehe, he returned it, "Promise, no take back!" I smiled at him before diving deep into the water.

    Didn't take too long to get over the wariness of the fishes, seems like not that many people come to play with them though, which is so sad, fishes are meant to be played with! >.<

    We moved up and down, span in circles and at some point started playing tag. Futile! You cannot escape!

    They really couldn't though, fishes of this sea are soooooooo slow, don't they flee from sharks or anything? I saw no giant squids here too so maybe it's just too peaceful for them to swim much?

    At some point Superhero's voice called for lunch though, so I hurried up and got in ground and- "Ah!" I fell... Ugu...

    I couldn't move properly... Aaaaaahn... Ah! I moved my tail a bit, up and down, right and left, do a small spin, now move it to both sides at once!

    And legs we go! Now to rush forward and-

    "Ouchie..." I fell again... Legs are so hard to move... I walked near him and sat nearby with a frown...

    "Take it slowly now." The gourd examined her knee for scrapes. "The soup's not running away."

    He scooped a large bowl of creamy meat soup, placing it on a large rock they're using as makeshift table. There's bits of mushrooms floating around, with the aroma of herbs wafting off the bowl.

    "We've got plenty, eat up!"


    "Soup runs!?" How does the superhero eat running food!? He is truly amazing!

    This soup thingy is so weird though, no matter how many times Shiori makes it still feels weird to call tasty water food...

    I picked a mushroom to try it out though, but... "Hot!" I dropped it back on the soup that splashed, I think it burnt my finger... Uuuh...

    "Whoa, don't you use spoon usually?" He took the burnt finger, pouring some water on it.

    "Here." The gourd took a wooden spoon and scooped a bit, blowing on it until it cooled down before giving it to Vhera.


    The water soothed it a bit, "Forgot... No spoons home..." I took a sip of the soup... "Yummy!"

    I took out another spoon and tried scooping a bit and... Most of the soup fell from it. "Hard to use..." Then scooped more and tried eating again, this time more carefully.

    "Hot!" I forgot to blow...

    The gourd shook his head and took over the role to feed the mermaid. How did she even eat at the orphanage?

    "What's the usual meal at Shiori's place?"


    Usual? I'm not there for that long though... I guess... "Bread, po-po-porridge, gu-gruel, pasta and beans... Soup sometimes, hard to eat." I was happy superhero was helping though! This is hard to eat! >.<

    "Pumpkinman, good!"

    "Which one is your favorite?" The gourd idly asked, still feeding the kid.

    "Salmon! Ate often when home!" *munch munch munch*

    "Salmon, eh? You eat fishes I see. Was there any in the lake?" He asked. There was occasionally some for sale in the market, so it shouldn't be too rare around this part.

    "Eat fishes, tasty!

    "No Salmon lake..." *pouts*

    "Well, tell you what, I'll try find some for you next time I go south." The gourd fed her the last spoonful of the bowl. "Want more?"

    *eyes shine* *hugs and accidentally drops her bowl off* "Thank you!!

    "... Ah... Uhn... Sorry..."

    "It's fine, I'll clean it up. Go back to your swimming." He patted the mermaid.

    "Pumpkin no fun?" *tilts head*

    "I'll have a different kind of fun!" He said, leaning back on a tree with a bowl of soup in hand.

    "Alright!" I jumped into the water for a moment and... There!

    Picked up a fish, swam up with it and threw it at the his face! "Trouts like pumpkin! Maybe!"

    The gourd raised an eyebrows as he snatched a wiggling fat trout thrown to his face.

    "Oh, thanks. I could grill this..." He looked around for dry branch to make a skewer.


    *pouts* That was not the kind of reaction I expected...

    I dived down into the water and started playing tag with the fishes... at least they still played around normally! >.<

    "Come on, it's time to go back!"

    Some soup, a grilled trout, and several hours of slacking later, the gourd called Vhera to return home. The sun was low on the west, and it would start setting soon.


    *comes out of the water*
    *trips on her own tail again*

    "Ouchie..." I was feeling pretty tired by now... I wanted to play more though! Pumpkinman should have played too!

    It took a few tries to make the tail become legs this time... Mmmmm, so sleepy... I extended my arms towards the superhero. "Piggyback..."

    The gourd lifted Vhera on piggyback, Darting on a more relaxed pace this time as the kid dozed off on the way. He arrived at the orphanage a bit over an hour later, sending her to her room through the window she came out from.

    "Did you have fun?" He patted the sleepy lil' mermaid.


    "Aye! Fishes fun! Pumpkin fun?" Laying around all day is soooo boring... How do adults like that?

    "Sure did!" He patted the girl again. "Go again next time?"

    "Sure!!! Definitely!"
    @AliceShiki @Haxagen
     
  2. Haxagen

    Haxagen Fallen's|Addicted to Gacha

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    Somehow, Shiori had dragged Gourd all the way to the orphanage, and she was now sitting at the kitchen table with him, twirling a knife between her fingers.

    "Yeeees?" The gourd uncomfortably shifted in his seat.

    *Ahem*

    "While Shiori already knew about thaaaaaaat unplanned outing, Shiori will close one eye to it for now. Instead, Shiori has something Shiori wants your help with."

    Shiori rarely let her seriousness show, but this was one of those times. She wasn't smiling at all.

    "Oh? Do tell."

    The gourd shifted gears slightly. Depending on what Shiori said next he could either switch full-killer or return to jester mode.

    "It's about the kid that Shiori adopted sometime two weeks ago. That vampire kid, Asura Tepes. Remember her?"

    Shiori's expression became one of unease.

    I do remember you adopted someone, but that's about it. Trouble?"

    The gourd had no idea how significant a vampire was.

    "How should Shiori say this...Shiori feels something off about that kid. She's not nearly as harmless as she appears to be...And she makes Shiori nervous. At first, Shiori thought Shiori was just overreacting...Until last week, that was."

    "Did she eat someone?"

    "Not yet...And Shiori sincerely hopes it won't ever happen. Last week, Shiori happened to be up late in the midst of medicine making, when Asura suddenly barged into Shiori's small lab. She just stood there, blocking the light of the lantern..."

    The young girl gulped, uneasily lowering her voice. The children were all outside playing, but she still couldn't help wanting to be quiet.

    "At that moment, just for a brief second, Shiori saw something else standing there."

    "Get to the point already. Are you worried that she'd hear?"

    "What Shiori was trying to say is."

    The young housekeeper grumbled.

    "Asura is not a child. It behaves like one, looks like one, and talks like one, but Shiori just realised that it isn't a child. That...thing...has a dangerous secret, and Shiori worries. Shiori doesn't want an active time bomb around Shiori's children, not after what Shiori saw that night...The blood was everywhere..."

    "You want her gone." The gourd summarized.

    "It's really bad to say it this way, but...un. Shiori doesn't want her dead, Shiori just wants the children to be safe...and Asura doesn't seem to mean any harm. All she does is to play around with the other children..."

    The little housekeeper took an uneasy sip from her mug.

    "If there was a non-violent way to solve this issue, Shiori would definitely do it..."

    "I'm pretty sure you're asking the wrong person..." the gourd paused for a moment. "Say, what does she usually feed on?"

    "She eats whatever Shiori cooks for the other children, and a lot at that. Shiori has also been trying her best to ignore the fact that she's been drinking blood; from where, Shiori does not know, and Shiori doesn't relish finding out."

    Shiori shook her head unhappily.

    "Shiori couldn't think of who to go to, but since you're the Hero of Children, you're the perfect one to ask."

    "I could keep watch on her to find out her source?" The gourd offered. "A fledgling vampire won't spot me."

    "Really?!"

    Shiori had that sparkling eyed expression on her face...along with a smug grin.

    "Then, Shiori will leave it all to you! Ehehe~"
    ((Collab SS with @A5G_Reaper :aww: ))
    ((Shiori's words are unlabelled because Shiori is Shiori. :blobowoevil:))
     
  3. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    And the new quest batch is live, about... 18h after the scheduled time... Sorry sorry.

    Sorry for everyone waiting for rank up quests too, they're slooooooowly progressing though, we'll definitely release them before March ends.

    Either way, let's hope next week doesn't get such a huge delay~


    Have fun~

    Ah, and as usual, just poke me if you want to be removed from the tag list and I'll take your name out on the spot~
     
  4. Blackwater

    Blackwater Well-Known Member

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    "Yes? What's the matter?"

    The gourd inquired at Ayumi, who pulled him to her room and locked the door. Looking rather serious too.


    "You've been together with quite a few women lately," starts Ayumi, hesitant to continue, "so I want to know why."

    "With a few women?" The gourd tilted his head. "I've not slept with anyone for a really long time."


    "Not that. What I mean is..." Ayumi struggles to find the right words. "As I know it, a man may only have a single wive. But those around here don't seem too concerned about it. So I want to know what your opinion about this is."

    "Really? That explains some things." The gourd recalled with interest at how Ayumi became trigger-happy with her pillows whenever someone cling to him. "Well, where I came from having several marriage partner isn't uncommon, although it's almost entirely men who practiced so. I'm pretty sure it's also the norm here."


    "It really is!?" Exclaims Ayumi, startled. "So that means that I was wrong?" Ayumi mumbles to herself, saddened, almost regretful.

    "To be fair, not many people have the capability to maintain several relationships." The gourd sat next to her. "So it's not a baseless worry you have."


    "What about you?" Asks Ayumi Gourd, before reaching a, to her, somewhat terrifying conclusion.

    "My rules can be wrong. How can I know which rules are the right ones?"

    "Honestly? I haven't decided yet. I'll get to know potential lovers first, it's no small decision to make." The gourd slowly rubbed Ayumi's back.

    "Rules aren't infallible, you know? Even kingdoms amend their law every now and then. You'll see more perspective from your experience, and learn from that. And even then it doesn't always have a clear answer. But a decision, even a wrong one, will help you choose better in the future. Experience is a great teacher, you know?"


    "Mmm... and what about me?" Ayumi leans onto Gourd.

    "But how do I know I was wrong? And how do I know what would have been a better choice? And, how can I make up for the wrongs I have committed if I while trying to, cause even more?"

    "You? If nothing unexpected happens, I'll probsbly marry you first." He told her the truth.

    "You learn. Pile up those mistakes as your foundation. Just like how a healer's skill is built up on a pile of corpses they failed to save. Eventually, you'll make more right than wrong."


    Hearing this from Gourd, Ayumi blushes and hugs him. "Thank you. If you ever think about a second, please ask me first, okay?"

    "That's true. I will just have to keep trying until I do the right thing."

    "The first requirement is to get along with you!" He jovially informed.

    "I'll accompany you along the way!"


    Ayumi happily tightens her hug. "Thanks! And please tell me if iI so something wrong? But for now, take off your helmet so that I can kiss you."

    "Since you asked so nicely..." He mumbled something in foreign language and the gourd came off.


    "Jack... darling?" Ayumi is slightly confused about how to call Jack now but shoves these concerns aside for later as she leans in and presses her lips onto his.

    Starting from the light peck on the lips he pressed back, tongue invading as his hand slither behind Ayumi's head and pulled her in. They intertwined deeply, deliciously, barely separating to gasp some breath before uniting once more.

    It felt like an eternity but also a blink of an eye, the intoxicating feeling lingered as the man slowly pulled back at last. He grinned at Ayumi, ruffling her hair before retrieving his gourd.

    "Let's return. We haven't finished our meal."

    He licked his lips before wearing the helmet.


    With her face still flushed, Ayumi struggles to catch her breath as she savors the lingering taste, her mind slowly breaking free from the almost narcotic effect the kiss had on her. Directing a smile as sweet as sugar at Gourd whilst he ruffles her hair, she hugs his arm, almost purring like a cat.

    After hesitating for the fraction of a second, she agrees to him. "Yeah, let's do that."
    OOC: @A5G_Reaper
     
  5. Zone Q11

    Zone Q11 『The Gas Mask』『Monochrome Plebeian』

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    "I would like to order iron shackles with an iron ball attached to one of them."
    The blacksmith looked at his customer, before looking back to the forge. "Oh. It's you again. Look, I am not going to discuss about this anymore; 10 large coppers or you leave my shop." It seemed that the blacksmith remembered the nomad very well.
    "Alright," Zoan quickly replied and put the coins on the desk. The blacksmith was mildly surprised. "...no bargaining this time?"

    "No. I need them as fast as you can make them," he said with a serious look in his eyes.
    "Huh... Now I am interested as to what you'll do with them. Are you going to become a jailor or something?" Zoan returned the question with silence and a glare. "...I suppose that's none of my business then." The blacksmith then discussed the details with nomad, ordered him to come back at tomorrow noon to retrieve the items.

    --- --- ---

    *clack*

    In a cave far away from Nagrand, an odd sound could be heard.

    *tack*

    There was nobody in the vicinity. Nor will there ever be one for a long, long time.

    *clack* *tack*

    The sound continued, until the nomad had finished attaching the chains onto the wall, with something attached to them. It was a corpse. Its hands were spread out due to the shackles, causing the corpse to reveal its shape. One of its foot was chained to the ground with an iron ball attached to its shackles.

    "UuAa..." the corpse groaned despite the fact that it should not have been able to move.

    Yes. This is the witch that Zoan had brought from his quest. After being left for two weeks alone, she had already been degraded to the creature before him. What was once a vessel containing pure admiration towards a foreign deity, had now been reduced into a mere idiot, incapable of even the slightest form of speech.

    "So nobody took my quest in the end..." Whether it was due to the lack of necromancers or other circumstances, the nomad accepted the fact that the witch couldn't be perfectly restored to her previous state anymore. The information he sought from her was highly presumed to be lost. All that was left was her body; her corpse.

    However... the witch's corpse, which should have a hole in her chest from being pierced by Nero's spear, was in perfect shape. There was no hole in her chest, and her skin color is not pale white, but rather gives off a lively ivory hue. She was no undead; she was alive.

    --- --- ---

    Right after Zoan had returned from the village, he sent Herst to his home while he went to this underground cave that is his base, his home. Zoan then immediately cut his hand with his iron sword. The cut was slightly deep, enough to let his blood drip on the witch. Soon thereafter, the blood got absorbed by her body and her wound slowly closed.

    Less than a dozen minutes later, Zoan wrapped a bandage around his bleeding hand, and soon his body will stop bleeding on its own. He had been cut, burned, smashed, and stabbed way too often in the past. It was an unbelievable trait, but his body had really become resilient. It will take some time for the blood to recover, but he is certain the wound will close within a couple of hours. He will survive after eating a hind leg or three.

    He looked at the witch. The main wound has been closed, and even though a spear had ruptured her heart, a new heart has regenerated in its place. However, the witch remained unconscious, not waking up even after being mildly tortured by Zoan who slightly yet forcibly twisted her fingers.

    Zoan knows nothing of necromancy, let alone magic. He was worried that the witch might be still dead, or that her soul could not return to her body, which is why he had put up a quest to the guild.

    But nobody came.

    --- --- ---

    'Perhaps I should have made a quest about waking someone up from a coma instead of reviving, but she looked as if she was actually dead though ...well, what's done is done. No regrets about it.'

    Zoan touched the witch's face with his hand. It was a bloody hand. Those blood had not come from the witch, but from the animals Zoan had been hunting for the past two weeks.

    "Right... It has been two weeks. For two weeks I have been I feeding you and washed your body whenever I could. After waiting this long, you're finally awake."
    "...uuAa," the witch responded with yet another weak groan.

    During the second day after "healing" the witch, Zoan had removed the witches dress as he had noticed that it had begun to reek. He went to a tailor to get it fixed, and although people were confused as to why a nomad was asking a tailor to fix a dress, nobody questioned it in the end. They had accepted that even though he was a weird person, he was still a customer.
    That black dress is now worn the witch, making her look as if she was a doll. The only thing which would obstruct her beauty at that moment would be her messy long hair. Zoan washed his hands with the water from the leather pouch, and fixed her hair to a certain extent.

    Ever since that second day, the nomad had frequently washed her body at a river nearby, and often took a bath himself while he was at it. Despite having seen her whole body, Zoan did not have any impure thoughts towards her. It was not because he was a saint, but more because he tends to prefer the beauty of the mind inside the body rather than the merely looks alone.

    --- --- ---

    "Well then... I wonder how long it will take for you to talk." He took something from his clothing. It was a medallion, presumably made out of iron due to its shades. It has an engraving of a woman shrouded by darkness, kissing a skull she's holding, Her eyes were half closed, staring into the eyes of death. With a medallion like this, Zoan would easily able to gain a couple large coppers from some nobles provided they possess a sense of art.

    "Aaa... aAAaA!! AaAA!!" The witch reacted to the medallion and rushed towards it, only to be bound by the shackles. The nomad was pleased. He smiled from ear to ear, and teased the witch by dangling the medallion right before her eyes.
    "So you still remember this, huh? In that case, your life holds value after all." Zoan then took another object from his pelt and continued talking; "This is the insignia of my tribe. Tell me what you know of it."
    The nomad's insignia is carved on a wooden badge, much akin to that of the Adventurer Guild. However, instead of a carving of crossed swords behind a shield, the carving on Zoan's badge is that of two circles and thee symmetrical straight lines protruding from the inner circle all the way through the outer circle.

    "AaAA..." It appeared that the witch had become feeble-minded, only able to respond to stimuli related to strong memories. She ignored the badge, and stared at the medallion. Zoan sighed at this fact, and pulls out his trusted stone hammer. "Alright then. I will keep destroying this thing until you start speaking."
    "aaaAAA!! UuAA!" With all her might, the witch wailed. Without speaking any coherent or incoherent words, she had pleaded the nomad to spare the item. But he ignored her plea and hammered the tiny object. After five strikes however, Zoan had realized two things. One; even if you hold the medal vertically, destroying a small object made of iron with the intent of squishing it until it is unrecognizable is inefficient when you do it with a stone club. Two; it is not that the witch is being uncooperative, but rather so that she couldn't speak at all.

    The woman before the nomad is a witch capable of inflicting a curse to a whole village, and heavily wounding the one who had originally killed her. Such exceptional individual would have attacked him the moment she regained her consciousness. The fact that she did not do so until now was proof that she had been degraded to an average --no, even slightly worse than average human. An average human would be able to communicate and move on their own will. This person however, had not moved from her place at all ever since she woke up. She just kept staring at the ceiling, and occasionally she would look at the pile of carcasses.

    Zoan was shocked to see her just sitting next to a wall when he had arrived that morning. She just sat there, doing nothing but stare at the light-emitting moss at the ceiling with her mouth half-open.
    "...in that case haven't you basically become an unnecessary weight?" The witch did not respond any differently, and still struggled to get the medallion from Zoan.
    "Tsk. How useless...!" Zoan placed the medallion on her hand, and released her shackles. "So I wasted 10 large coppers for nothing... Damnit!"

    --- --- ---

    The two did not know, that there was a creature attracted by the negative emotions the two had emitted throughout the area. While the two of them sat across from each other, a shadow had engulfed the light emitted from the moss. Zoan stood up and readied his weapon. Soon thereafter the shadow turned into black murky liquid, and dripped from the ceiling. Then, the black slime had started to form a humanoid shape.

    All of the sudden, the witch had stood up immediately. Her face showed an expression of fear, she crouched, and then she began to scream while holding her head. Zoan did not understand what happened, but he clearly witnessed the slime absorbing something from the witch. Thinking that it would be terrible if he was next, he dashed towards the black humanoid slime and swung his club with all his force. But then, something strange happened. The club passed through the slime's body without even the slightest form of physical resistance.

    "...!" Zoan swung again to make sure, and confirmed that the being in front of him had indeed no physical body. 'Which means that... it's a magical creature!' He ran towards his backpack, and took something from it. He then rushed back towards the creature, and threw something towards it. ...it was a rock, which still phased through the creature. The black slime was confused as to what the nomad was doing, when Zoan approached the creature, raised his hand and shouted: "Bang! Bang! Zoan's golden hammer came down upon their head!"

    Suddenly, dazzling light started radiating from Zoan's right hand, and he struck the creature with a massive force added behind his punch. The creature had been thrashed onto the ground, and convulsed all over the place. It began to change its forms from the oozing black slime, to a scantily clad winged woman, to an angel holding a fire emitting sword, before finally back to a black slime. Zoan got alarmed by the fact that the creature had survived the strike. Before it could even do or say anything, the nomad proceeded to finish it off. He shouted: "Bang! Bang! Zoan's golden hammer made sure that they were dead!" and this time, an even brighter brilliance shined through the whole cave, capable of blinding anyone in the vicinity and destroying the creature at the same time.

    --- --- ---

    Zoan tried to open his eyes, but they were heavy to move. He kept trying to open it regardless, and after continuously blinking, he finally regained his vision. The first thing he looked at was the place where the creature had been. There lied nothing but a crater and some scorched marks. Nothing was left behind.
    He then looked at the witch at the ground. He checked her condition, and concluded that she had become unconscious. 'Sigh... That was close...' He went to the pile of carcass, took a hind leg out of it and began chomping on it. Then he rummaged through his backpack to get his second water pouch, and gulped multiple times. Not knowing what to do in this situation, he rummaged his backpack again, causing something to fall from it.

    The nomad may not be smart, but at the very least he was not illiterate. Little did he remember that he had taken a book from the cultist's lair a long time ago. He read at the title of the book: "Darkness Magic : Enslavement"
    "..." Zoan could only stare at this book with scorn. Why had he not read this book before? He knew it would probably not help him in any way because he had never attempted magic before, but this would have been so much helpful when Fey was causing trouble for him at the beginning. However, slavery was strongly disliked by the inhabitants of Nagrand and thus nobody had any means to help him out at the time.

    Zoan looked at the witch. She is still unconscious. '...I might as well try it,' he thought and opened the book. It did not take long however, for Zoan to close off the book. The main reason being the fact that its contents was basically full of how to make enslavement magic circles and not much actual information about its chants. There was a whole page at the end of the book filled with some writings as well, but he had never seen such writing before.
    'The cultists... were humans, right? Then why the heck did they have to write their spells in any language other than Common Language!?' Zoan lamented, 'But... the witch is still unconscious...' He then looked at the woman before him and began to think about what fate he should give her.

    By keeping her alive and releasing her, she might regain her speech one day and thereby cause further chaos. By keeping her alive and enslaved, she might break out of it some day and still cause chaos. The only good option seemed to be killing her...

    Zoan thought about it once more, and moved towards the unconscious woman. He undressed her, cut his thumb a little bit, and began to draw the circles on her back according to the book. When he was done though, nothing happened. '...well that's what I get for putting my trust in some random book from--' as he thought that, a warm red glow began to appear from the circle he had just drawn. 'Oi oi oi... You gotta be kidding me...'

    --- --- ---

    Herst and Fey were sitting at Herst's house. Not much had changed from the last time Zoan had visited. Fey was running around as energetic as usual, while Herst had long since given up on catching her. Two figures had then knocked on the house. Herst opened the door, and saw that it was his employer and a new figure. "...!" --or rather, a familiar figure. "Sir Zoan, may I ask you what the meaning of this is? I was certain that this person..."
    "A lot happened, but do not worry. I made sure she won't cause problem to you. ...or rather, she lost her ability to speak, so she won't be able to cause harm even if she wanted to."
    "But your hair..." Herst worriedly muttered as he looked at Zoan's head.

    "Aah... Is it white again? Well, I could visit the Doc if I have to. In the meantime, I would like to introduce you to your new colleague: Mallory, Follower of Margery of Madness ...don't even ask about her goddess. She's been talking about it for hours."
    "Talk? But I thought you said she had lost her ability to speak?"
    "Yeah. Unfortunately, neither of us were illiterate and there is a primitive thing called 'writing on the ground with a stick'. Just... do me a favor and don't ask about it."
    "U-Understood..."

    It was then when Fey had joined the group, and asked with a smile: "Who. Pretty Lady?" It seemed that after spending a lot of time with Herst, her speech had started to improve a bit. It is still far from having a normal conversation, but at least those three words were enough for Zoan to understand her question.
    "Fey, this lady is our new friend: Mallory." The witch then awkwardly waved at the little black winged-kin. Still having a huge smile plastered on her face, Fey shouted: "Hello! Sister Mal!"
    OOC: First time I had to spend a whole day to write a 2.7k side story... I pray that future side stories won't be as long as this one anymore.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2019
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  6. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    Smile smile smile, the Queen of Smiles is here~

    She will make you smile, you're sad? No worries, you can now smile smile smile~

    Just take a knife and cut your mouth open, you'll forever smile, just like the queen, smile smile smile~


    ... *coughs* Sorry, I dunno what took over me. Anyways, @Lenaia joined the staff team, figured I'd poke you all about it~

    She will help with appraising quests and the like too btw, as soon as she figures a character for herself~


    That will be all, as usual, if you wish to be taken away from the tag list, just poke me and I'll remove you~
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2019
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  7. michael.kx5

    michael.kx5 [Sloth Incarnate][Lewd Overlord][The mediator]

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    When she returned to her room in the inn that night, Rei thought back on the illusion she saw earlier.
    "The illusion taking the form of my male self said we will talk later, but when and how?"
    She was about to find out.

    Rei blinked as she looked around her.
    A river of yellow, with banks of red ground, yellow sky, black clouds, and a purple sun.
    A plain of light blue wheat, and a cliff with a yellowish waterfall in the distance.
    All the colours were clearly reversed in here.
    "What is this place?"
    "Here? This is inside of us"

    Rei whipped her head around to stare at the person who appeared out of.nowhere sitting on a branch of the white tree with crimson red leaves.
    "This? This messed up world?!"
    "Yup!"

    Raikou(?) Jumped off the tree and landed near Rei.
    "So, how do you like my home?"
    "Your home?"

    "Yes"

    "You live here?"

    "Of course. Did you think I just poofed away from existance that day we were cursed?"

    ''Wait a minute, we?"

    "Yes, Rei. We.
    You don't think that the transition from a male mentality to female was too smooth and quick? You had my memories but you are not a male. You are not Raikou anymore."

    "........"

    "So you already noticed. I see you aren't as dumb as you are dense"

    "Hey, what was supposed to mean?!"

    Raikou chuckled as he answered.
    "Nothing, nothing, you will learn that on your own in due time. In fact I think it will be very soon"

    "Hmmm..."
    Rei squinted as she glared at Raikou suspiciously.

    "So I am....what? A copy?"

    "No no, nothing so drastic. More like a.....an offshoot. A split personality so to speak. You know the theory that each person has a more dominant and less dominant personalities inside of themselves? And that each person has both femenine and a musceline aspects? Our situation is basically that, just taken to the extreme."

    "....I see. Well it's comforting to know I am not fake......you don't want to...?"

    "Take over? No. I am having too much fun watching you. This is like a vacation.
    Besides I spent 55 years using that body while you were basically asleep, I think it's your turn to live."

    "I am still gonna find that water spirit and punch her at least once!"

    "Gahahahahaha! Go ahead! I fully support that!"

    Both of them sported a smile, one that looked like a heavy wieght was lifted from their shoulders.

    "Can we meet again?"

    "Anytime, I am not going anywhere anytime soon'

    "Haha that's true.....
    See you around Raikou"

    "Yeah, see you around....Rei"

    When Rei woke up that morning, she felt suprisingly refreshed, far more than any other morning.
    "That was a good sleep........I feel like I dreamed about something important but I can't remember what it was.....oh well"

    ~Inner world~
    "Oh shit, I forgot to warn her about that!"
     
  8. Xalysian

    Xalysian Well-Known Member

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    “Wake up…”


    “Wake up… Valuren…”


    I opened my eyes… as the rustling sounds of the tree started to hit me. It was a long time since I had last heard of that rustles back in my home world. The voice who woke me up was my inner soul, Veri.


    I was bewildered, I had thought that I slept in comfortably inside of my own bedroom back then, but how did I came to be - waking up inside a forest.


    “Finally, you woke up. Been trying to do so for the past 5 minutes!” She exclaimed as she phased out of my body, showing her alluring small build and a pouty face. Even though the both of us had been together ever since I was born, I still had little interactions toward her unlike for my dear loving mother.


    She read my thoughts very often, which made me gave out on communicating to her directly in the first place. I wake up from my sitting position, mid-summoning the unique weapon as my tattoo markings beginning to glow in white light. A drop of a heavy chain can be heard as I found out that, we were outside of our home.


    She had me to go scout the area, making sure that I made use of my grapplings ability which I often used to latch onto unique people such as me. Our world used to be a fantasy, now it became a supernatural. As I latched on a tall tree, I began to position myself properly for a perfect high ground spot. She warned me, to be careful.


    “Be careful, this could be an enemy attack.”


    I nodded as I let her watch over me from below as I grappled myself on top of the tall trees.


    I had the greatest view of a sunrise, just by standing on top of a tree. I was taken back by the beautiful view, before being reminded by Veri to scan the area instead of wasting more time. I nodded as I watched around. I found something as I dropped down to tell her about what I saw.


    She nodded in that physical form of hers before phasing back into my body. It still felt weird, suddenly feeling the sudden force being taken out of your body or being pulled back into your body. I shake my head as I head toward the location that I had found.


    On the way, to get out of the forest - I noticed something along the way out. I told my inner soul about it, as she replied back with, “Is that a pouch? That looked so ancient-like!” I nodded, fully agreed about the pouch that was left on the grass floor. I latched on the pouch before bringing the pouch toward me. I often do this as I was aware of enemy traps back in our world. I sighed as there were no ambush coming from the pouch I had taken from the ground.


    She whispered to me, to check the pouch’s content. I obeyed her act of curiosity as I was also curious about the weight of the pouch.


    Inside the pouch, I found yet another pouch, it was close to the size of the pouch outside of it. I opened the second pouch and found myself, some old coins that I had never seen before. Talking about currency back in my world, we no longer used coins or dollars as we used multiple credit cards to do transaction.


    Not with a single clue what was the point of having a coin pouch inside of another pouch, I decided to take the pouch with me as I finished putting them into my jacket’s left pocket.


    We decided to move on, trying to find our way out of the forest as we keep our guards up, in case of actual enemy attacks. We found a river, after hearing the sounds of a gentle streaming of water. We decided to follow the opposite stream of the river, as I remembered about the location that I had scanned just a while ago.


    After more walking, I was greeted by the view of a rather beautiful flower field with various kind of flowers, even with some without my knowledge of back home. I was rather surprised, by the sights of a village in the middle of such a beauty field.


    I used the old time check back in my home world, by looking at my shadows as I walked to the village, carefully strolling my way through the sides of the forest and the flower field. I managed to step on the road to the village. I had estimated the time was around early sunrise, which was around 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning.


    I walked myself into the village, thinking about meeting anyone that I could greet and ask about. There were very, very little to no activities at all inside the village. I had thought that I was in a ghost town, then I caught a glimpse of a woman opening out her windows - to glare at me with her deep red lunatic-like eyes. I gazed back, I tried to communicate with her by using my world sign language, but I was taken aback after witnessing her closing the windows without paying much attention to me.


    I was… yet again confused.


    This village was rude-like, was it because of my bizarre sense of fashion that came from the outside? Or was it because of my rude ‘greetings’ toward these people? I did notice something else though, about the woman.


    She had a pair of long rabbit ears, just like my male rabbit-human friend. I was not really taken back by that fact, as I was aware of beings like her back in our world.


    I decided to wait in town, hoping for other villagers to come out to do their chores, nothing. I had a thought of meeting a nocturnal being back in my younger days. So I decided to leave the village, back into the forests I first woke up.


    “That was… rude.” She exclaimed as we left the village to find something to eat in the forests. I shushed to myself, mainly to her for being rude to nocturnal living things.


    I managed to survive my daytime by fending off some edible fruits and berries. Veri had a great sense of sight, even though she loved making me to find things on my own. Thankfully, since both of us are together in this new world, she helped me to find some of the fruits and berries.


    Beings like her do not feast, they never felt hungry but they could eat.


    I decided to clean my face with the waters by the river, before going back into the village during night time. I found some ‘gardenia’ inside the forests which I decided to use them as accessories and noticed the scent of the flower right away.


    I reminisce about my old rabbit-human friend, he had talked to me about how he got a great sense of smell and hearings, and most of the time he would hide his ears under his hooded jacket as he hated loud sounds in the morning, I smiled as I remember a moment that I listened to his rants about school’s cafeteria being too noisy and overwhelmed with chatters.


    Night time had arrived as I begin my move back into the village.


    The ‘gardenia’ smell did help a little, as the villagers began to pay their attention toward me. I was taken aback again, by their appearances. I was strolling inside a village full of long eared rabbit women. I shyly asked around while covering my lips in other to have Veri communicate with the rabbits.


    We were left either ignored, or obtaining some half-assed answers. I felt the deep red glares hitting me by the back. I left the quiet but lively night village in the hopes to try again next night.


    I spent my early days outside of the village, inside the forests I woke up. I tend to be unrest if not sleeping on the top of a tree, I wanted to be hit by the early sunlight each time I wake up seeing myself still alive, still inside of this unknown world.


    “Hey, how about you try going there during dusk?” my inner soul speaks, knew about my plans of trying to go back into the village - in order to communicate with the villagers regardless of differences.


    Following her advice on going inside the village during dusk, I prepared myself early before I enter the village with the usual ‘gardenia’ smells and a clean body.


    I gathered their attention by humming right away, gently and lightly, I tried to not cause serious ear damage that could happen in anytime soon. The light hummings managed to grab their attention toward me, as I closed my eyes to avoid their glares and continue on with my short humming ceremony.


    Soon after I finished, I used Veri’s voice to thank the listeners for listening to me. The rabbit girls returned back to attending to their works. It was really hard, for me to hold on to the feelings that I might scream or cry over their continuous ignorance.


    I was relieved of that feelings, as soon as I heard a few rabbit girls came to greet me. Veri was silent as she was taken back by the sudden friendliness from a very few amount of the villagers. I had to say something, but I was very clueless of their ‘foreign’ language as I tilted my head to the left, muttering a confused yes.


    The kind villager began asking me questions about my intention of coming to their village, I was surprised of how Veri was quickly accustomed to their ‘foreign’ language right away. Both Veri and the kind villager exchanged a few word before handing me a piece of paper - written in their language. I was listening to their conversations while having Veri translate it all to me. I looked at the piece of paper, Veri asked me, letting the kind villager hear her voice.


    “What’s your name?”


    I asked her by using my thoughts, confirming myself about the writings on the paper. She replied back in my mind with a yes. I calmed myself, taking a quiet breath.


    “Valuren… Chaan Hourtha.” I whispered with a small tone, I had a code to always reply back to women in a few words as I often talked with my dear mother and Veri.


    I was asked by the rabbit-human, and most of the time, Veri would translate her simple questions back to me, it was a good experience. Even though, I was the most quiet person in the whole conversation. I did answered her simple yes or no questions by either nodding or shaking my head.


    Back outside of the small village, on top of a tree that I always slept on, I wanted to ask of her about my hummings earlier, but Veri said that she already asked of the kind villager. She said something along the lines of, do come again, it was a nice, calming sounds.


    I was happy to hear that.


    I continued to only enter the village to do my usual hummings, I expected nothing to be donated to me after we had another conversation with a friendly moon rabbit-human. I was also came to know the name of this village that I loved, Moon Village.


    Time to time I would slowly learn how to write down the writings and memorized them day by day. During midnight or early morning, I would be found out by some of the hunting moon rabbits because of my hummings. I was just washing down my clothes, in my boxer or shorts and I thought of a theme song that clearly came from a game and started to hum to it. The moon rabbits began nicknaming me as the ‘hummingbird’, which I don’t really mind at all. Because I’ve been doing nothing but go into their village at night to enjoy myself humming the songs I had come up with or remembered it.


    There was a time during midnight, I caught a glimpse of a moon rabbit lady that wanted to sell her small backpack. The backpack was beautifully sewed, as if she used magic to cause that to happen. I went to her, using my inner soul to talk to her, to see if she would like to sell it to me, an outsider.


    She had doubts with me, obviously, and started asking me what would I like to trade with her. I remembered about the coin pouch, and had Veri asked her if I could buy it with the coins. She replied with a no, giving a concerned look at me - I thought that she did not want any money, and only trade items with items. I began thinking.


    I thought about wanting to ask her if I could help her with services, but I started to give up on trying to trade for the backpack.


    “Hm, can I help you with your work for the backpack?” Veri exclaimed, causing my face to become red out of embarrassment. The rabbit lady moved her long ears to the sides, she ponders for a while, “Well…” she continued to think.


    “Hmm…”


    I began to feel that she might never wanted to trade with me anymore. I tried to nod but was stopped after she smiled with her long rabbit ears lowered down from a straight line. She had thought of something.


    “What can you do, human?”


    I then, became just like her. I began to think about what can I do to help her, I tried to remember the villagers’ works around and in the village, but I couldn’t find one that might help her personally. Veri asked me what can I do. I let out a heavy sigh, before looking back at the rabbit lady’s red eyes.


    I remembered about the flower fields, I had seen the blue glowing flowers from time to time, they only glowed under moonlight, perhaps, they only bloom around night time?

    Veri immediately answered the lady for me, “I can help with the flowers, gathering them and replantings doesn’t sound hard” , but I was surprised that she just went for it.


    She goes, “Hm, how about Moonlight Flowers?” I began to think about what she meant by that, but I guessed it could be the glowing flowers at night, so I replied myself;

    “Beautiful… blue?”


    She nodded at me before a smile crept on her face, “I will be kind, since you’re an outsider.” I corked my head to my left, I got confused by her respond - she noticed my head tilt and giggled at me while patting me on the head.


    Redness hit me by the ears, again. Why is she patting me? I wondered to myself, but I was embarrassed to refuse the pattings. “On second thought, you could be a cat human - am I correct?”

    She had a glimpse of a pair of cat ears popping out of my head, adding a tail sticking out from my back.


    I immediately started to shake my head, denying what she had just said. But she might had noticed through my facial expression. It was screaming a ‘how did she know about that’ look. I had a cat-human as my biological mother, while my father was a human with… odd blood relations.


    I helped her by gathering a good amount of bloomed blue flowers, the Moonlight Flowers, as what they called it. After gathering the blue flowers, I went to replant some more of the flowers with some helps from the rabbit lady earlier and having practice watching other gardeners plant the flowers. I know little about it, but I did acknowledge that it looked beautiful to be sold as a decorative item. It could be more to the uses of this beautiful deep-blue flower, but I digress.


    Time signed it was too dark for me to go back into my sleeping spot in the forest, the rabbit lady from earlier - came to me with a backpack in her hands, before shoving it to me. She thanked me for the help, but mostly the whole time since I received the backpack from her, I thanked her deeply inside my heart. I was yet again, happy, while resting to a nearby tree after leaving the village for rest.


    The next day, around noon, I decided to inspect the backpack I was given by her. I felt some shapes of a belt during the time I carried them back to the forest. I peeked inside and found myself a piece of paper, it was from the kind rabbit lady last night.


    The paper was written with her words, stating that I should take the belt and two small pouches that was inside the backpack. She appreciated the fact that I helped on planting even more plants than the amount of what I gathered.


    Nothing much happened after that, I only went into the village just to hum the songs each night because I wanted to enjoy life.


    On the last year, the fifth year of me ‘staying’ at the village, I decided to bid farewells by giving a 30 minute humming session as soon as dusk hit the village. I used both my voice and Veri’s voice to say thank you to everyone in the village, for listening to the hummings. By the next morning after that, I expected nothing from the village to come see my departure as the time were already late for those nocturnal beings.


    I was wrong.


    A hunter from the village, stopped me after recognizing my face on my way to somewhere I might find an actual home. I looked at her with a confused face, then I saw her taking out six items, two wooden bowls and spoons, a steel dagger, a small whetstone, before she shoved them at me.


    “Take it, you’re going to the Adventurer’s Guild, right?”


    I heard about the guild, but never really knew about them in deeper details. I nodded at her without a pause, I did not want her to get the idea of me not knowing about the guild. The both of us bid a proper farewell, praying for either of us a good well being. I was heartfelt, that was the kindest thing I have ever had.


    A light entered my eyes, filling it with the confidence. A journey, a future, home…

    ((Never had fun writing this much, but now I do. Hopefully this helped explaining his memories of Moon Village.))
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2019
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  9. Zone Q11

    Zone Q11 『The Gas Mask』『Monochrome Plebeian』

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    Previous Event
    --- --- ---
    "So. What was that about?" Zoan asked the witch back at the cave. She then took a stick and wrote on the ground, "That village. It does not deserve to be happy."
    "Today I took you with me to see the problems you have caused. Yet you do not see what the problem is?" At the village, many things had been destroyed. Not only the crops, but also houses, trees and statues. However, the witch did not bat an eye and continued writing; "You do not know what that village had done in the past. You only arrived after I have killed the root of evil in that village. All that's left there are ignorant people who think they lost good people."

    "Wait. Are you telling me that you are not killing them because of your religion?" The deity the witch worships is named Margery. She is -according to her- the Goddess of Chaos and Madness. With a title like that, one would naturally think that every follower of that deity are madmen. "I admit that following the instructions of the one I choose to believe in is part of the reason why I did it, but my main reason was something else entirely. ...did you know that before I have become what I am now, I was a devout believer of Ophelia the Maiden?"
    Zoan narrowed his eyes, showing clear disbelief at her statements. "I see that you do not believe me. However as you are my master, surely you understand that I am forbidden to lie to you?" The nomad did not change his expression and said in a low voice: "Continue your story."

    "I was born in that village, but also gifted with the ability of understanding magic. However, the affinity I excel the most at was Darkness. The pastor of the church in that village could not accept such people, and even though I have hidden my gift from everyone, my ability still got revealed. A priest who is envious of my innate talent had apparently instigated an investigation about my past."
    "The pastor was a good man, but he placed his beliefs too high on his priority list, and even though Ophelia is known for her purity, that despicable man had used its silver tongue to raise his own position.
    "

    "..." Zoan took a moment to read the eight-lines paragraph. "...I fail to see how you turned into what you are now. How does your affinity getting revealed have anything to do with your beliefs being reversed? And as a matter of fact, how did you even know how to cast magics and curses at all if you hid your talent?"
    "As I mentioned before, the pastor put his beliefs too high on his priorities. He decided to expel me from the church, and then the rumors caused me to get banned from the whole village. As for how I learnt magic... well, that's a long story. My hand is sore. Let's do that next time."
    "...very well then. How is your throat doing by the way?"
    "Aa... uu..." She shook her head, giving a negative response.
    "I see... I will go visit Doc soon. Hopefully he knows how to cure you. ...still, it's so weird. You had a hole in your chest, but your throat is the damaged organ in the end? How does that work?"

    The witch shrugged as she smiled. She then continued to write: "I do not understand it myself, but... thank you for caring for me. Had I ran away from that village years ago, then I might not have to experienced the horror, but... at least I get to meet you this way."
    "Aren't you only saying that because I am your master?"
    Mallory smiled,"That and the fact that you are chosen by my Goddess. After all without her aid, the spell that is on my back would not have activated, am I right?"
    "Of course it wouldn't have. How do you expect a nobody to suddenly use magic out of nowhere? If everyone could enslave anyone simply by drawing some circles and symbols, then this world would have been ruined a long time ago." Zoan explained to himself, and with frustrated tone he asked: "Honestly, what is that deity of yours thinking?"

    --- --- ---

    Back when the nomad had finished the slave formula on the witch's back, a red glow had emerged from the circle. Once the light had faded, Zoan suddenly started to hear a voice. It was a woman's voice, and one that makes a man 'vigorous' by listening to it alone.
    This however, was something that Zoan never wanted to remember.

    --- --- ---

    'Making love is something a man does when he is in love, and not by anything else damnit! It's a good thing I knocked myself out as soon as I realized something was wrong with my body...' Had the nomad not lost a lot of blood that night and fallen unconscious after consciously hitting himself to the face, then he might have given his future self a major regret of which he will never come out of.

    Mallory smiled even more, "Knowing my Goddess, I assume she has deemed you as trustworthy and wants to offer you my body so you can indulge yourself in me and worship her in return." After finishing writing the sentence on the ground, she hinted the nomad that she did not mind if he were to follow her Goddess' script. Zoan closed his eyes and pinched the area between his eyes. ...he certainly felt his blood rushing to his lower half, but his brain forcibly cooled it down as he calms his breathing.

    "You know that I am going to ignore that, right?" Hearing the nomad's denial, the witch pouted. "Just so you know, I may be a stupid barbarian with no manners, but at least I have a minimum sense of restraint. Not to mention... I already have a wife."
     
  10. Blackwater

    Blackwater Well-Known Member

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    After the recent quest with Gourd and Vandrin, I now am aware of one thing. I am weak. I have neither the skill, nor the body, nor the soul to measure up to those with real power. I can defeat and kill a common bandit, sure. But I am helpless against anything stronger. So I have to get stronger.

    What I am aware of, almost painfully aware of, is the fact that training my body like others won't do me much good. My body's power is directly connected to my soul and nothing else. Physical training does not help my soul grow stronger - at least not to a noticeable degree.

    So I will need to grow stronger in another way. I need to grow my soul. I am lucky to have been in my soul before, so I know that my soul is made up of memories and emotions, coming together as myself, defined by my personality. So in order to bring more variance to my soul, perhaps I should reflect, and try to remember ways others have described me as which I do not define myself as.

    While that sounds nice and good, the only such notable description I remember is that of me being a cat. While not what I was hoping for, it will work. I take a deep breath and start to slowly reflect and remember what might be perceived as catlike in me. Looking back, there are... indeed quite a few things which fit.

    So I start to convince myself. Isn't that natural? After all, I sometimes am like a cat, even if I don't look like one. Willful, stubborn, curious. And so much more. In addition, cats are adorable - not that I'd openly admit that I like them. And which girl doesn't like being adorable? So really, being a cat is only a good thing.

    I nod to myself, satisfied, as I can feel something forming within me. A seed of personality, which will slowly grow and blossom.
     
    leegood, Siostar, Xalysian and 4 others like this.
  11. michael.kx5

    michael.kx5 [Sloth Incarnate][Lewd Overlord][The mediator]

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    "Oh, fancy meeting you here!"

    A gourd ran into a particularly short oni, right outside the guild hall. It's rather late, he only finished dealing with an emergency request and now sported a brand new silver badge halfway peeking from his shirt like some necklace.

    Rei noticed the silver badge on Gourd's neck and replies while fiddling with her new bronze badge.
    "Yeah, I just finished teaching Plumeria about Ki.
    What about you? I see you also ranked up huh."

    "Indeed, just got it done in a few hours. It helps when the rankup is sitting an hour walk away waiting to be killed."

    He did smelled slightly of blood.

    Rei carefully observed Jack as she detected the slight smell of blood and sweat.
    "hmmmm, indeed you do seem to be straight out of battle........I hope you are not too tired for another vigorous exercise?"

    "I'm still good for a while! It's just lengthy walk most of today." He smirked. "You seems to still have the tendency to speak in innuendos all the time."

    Rei tilted her head and stared confused at Jack.
    "hmmm? What do you mean? I was talking about that sparring session you promised me before.
    Now is the best time for it, don't you think?
    Or more like, how do you expect me not to get excited when you are practically oozing with the smell of battle?!"

    "Alright, I'll accompany you." The gourd chuckled in amusement. "Where'd you want to go at it?"

    Rei started to muse while holding her hand on her chin.
    "Probably somewhere we won't bother other people.......oh! what do you think about the open plain on the west side of town?"
    Rei made an Eureka-like face as she bumped her fist over her open palm.

    "It's a fine location." The gourd replied. "Weapons? You seems like a hand-to-hand fighter."

    "you are right, I am.
    I only use these arm and leg guards, as well as a chainmail under this light armor.
    (As well as a small suprise I created earlier hehehehe)"
    Rei finished the explanation with a small whisper and a snicker.

    "I'm no good barehanded." The gourd flatly stated. "While this... could lead to accidents."

    Broken as it was, his blade was still unusually sharp.

    Rei looked at the broken swords and nodded.
    "Yes, indeed that would be a bad idea for a simple spar.
    How about borrowing a blunt practice sword from the guild?
    I heard they rent those out quite cheeply - as long as you don't break it"

    Right, that's an idea! Be right back!"

    Five minutes later, the gourd walked out with a wooden zweihandler and a buckler for the side. He didn't seems to have any problem wielding it.

    "Let's go!"

    Once they arrived at the plain, Rei and Jack faced each other at a distance of 20 steps from one another.

    Rei took a large copper coin and tossed it in the air in a way that will ensure it will fall on the big boulder nearby.
    The sound of the coin touching the stone was the sign.
    Rei used her normal self to check out her opponent first.
    Closing in with zig zag movement she tried to launch a normal mid height punch towards Gourd's upper body.
    "Arcane Armament."

    Violet light coated the sword and shield, it didn't look any sharper but getting struck would be a bad idea. The gourd held his ground, using the reach of the sword to sweep at and keep Rei away from him.

    When the sword sweeped towards her, Rei jumped back lightly.
    She was satisfied with the results.
    'He has nice reflexes and good judgement....this will be fun'
    She kicked her lips in anticipation and crouched down, almost parallel to the ground.
    She couldn't use this fighting style due to body size in her former form but now....... Rei made a quick dash, arriving below his waist height and used her arms as a leverage to send a drop kick without losing any of her momentum.

    The buckler bashed forward, meeting Rei's kick head-on with the gourd's full mass behind it. In addition he flicked his blade into reverse grip and attempt to follow up the blow using a pommel strike.

    Having her kick blocked by the buckler, Rei used the power behind the bash to accelerate herself backwards which allowed her to dodge the pommel strike.

    This was enough for testing out the waters.
    "Warm up is over Jack, here I come!"
    Rei activated her physical enhancement and dashed towards her opponent, mixing in some feints into her footwork before releasing a powerful low kick on Gourd's leg.
    "Hah!"

    "Very well! Hardlight!"

    A block of Hardlight platform materialized horizontally, inch away from Rei's head. That'd leave some nasty mark and she's launching full-speed at it.

    Feeling a slight sense of danger from her intuition, Rei barely managed to slow down in the last second to decrease the damage she would take from crushing into the thing Jack manifested in front of her.

    Bang

    It still hurt a lot.
    Retreating to a safe distance, Rei Bagan to analyse the enemy fighting patterns.
    "Nasty tricks, freely controllable barriers, and some sort of equipment enchantment. Tricky type. Should I try to bulldoze through? Yeah, let's try THAT"
    Rei began to circulate physical enhancement throughout her whole body was imagening the Ki bursting out of her like a bonfire.
    A huge colourless Aura started to leak out of her body in all directions.
    Next she condensed the Aura to cover her skin by a thin layer of ki, and then she began to imagine that Ki becoming hard and strong like steel.
    Rei's skin began to gradually change colours from light blue to metalic purple.
    It had patterns resembling reptilian scales.
    Next Rei raised her power by activating the flame enhancement but she kept the flame itself inside the "black skin".
    As a result the patterns started to glow red from the inside.
    "Ki Art Ougi - inferno panzer!"

    "Dart. Hardlight."

    Did she expected the gourd to be stationary fighter? Well, she's not the first. He'd normally interrupt earlier and/or wirh nastier move, but it's a spar after all.

    Nevertheless, the gourd propelled forward with impressive speed that betrayed his earlier slow and steady approach. It's immediately followed by Hardlight platforms boxing Rei in, save for the side facing himself.

    Similarly to the spar with Duckfoot, the gourd's simply bullied the lighter opponent with a direct clash of mass.

    Towards the incoming enemy Rei grinned as she planted her feet into the ground, assumed a wide legged position with one hand forward in a fist and one hand near her torso ready for a palm strike.

    Normally she wouldn't do that with a heavier opponent that came rushing at her but......currently her defensive stats were higher than they ever were (in this form) and she had the physical strength of the flame enhancement resonating with no way out, building up pressure inside her "skin".
    Plus a certain technique of planting your feet in such a way, the enemy's momentum is used against themselves.

    As soon as Gourd was within striking distance, Rei made a single movement.
    She switched out her hands and used the rotation of her wiast to add more momentum to the palm strike as she unleashed all the pent up power and pressure she was saving untill this moment.
    If this hit lands it will most defenitely hurt him.

    There's few rules of thumbs when it came to a battle. One of them says, "it's generally a bad idea to attack an entrenched position". Granted, that's just common sense and sometimes there's no better options, but in this case? The gourd wouldn't break himself on someone well-grounded when he have different methods to tackle the problem.

    Simply put, just un-ground the opponent.

    "Here, catch."

    First, he flicked his buckler to Rei's face. Barely any force behind it, but it robbed her vision for a split second. In the same moment the Hardlight dispelled and Shadowflip activated, the gourd falling on all four to crawl forward like a spider. Rei's counterattack missed barely above his head, then his left hand lightly brushed her feet as he passed.

    "Vertigo."

    Imbuing the Brand onto Rei's body, it sent her falling into the sky. To her credit, she didn't scream. The gourd took his time standing up, dusting himself, and picking up his buckler before glancing upward to calculate her fall trajectory.

    "In three... two... one... here she comes."

    He prepared his zweihandler.

    Rei experienced jumping to great heights before, and jumping from roof to roof or from tree to tree, but this......this was new.

    Rei tried to fix her position in mid air but she couldn't even figure out which was up and which was down.
    "Okay, close your eyes and concentrate!"
    Rei focused not on her sensation of gravity or anything else but rather on the presence of living beings around her.
    Soon enough she found a humanoid presence in what she perceives as 'up'.
    Locking into Gourd's position as a marker Rei forcefully realigned her senses back to normal and released several flame bursts in order to slow down her fall.
    She also focused most of her panzer armor towards her arms and back, ready to perform an ukemi once she reaches the ground in order to transfer the main force of the fall to the ground.

    However when she opened her eyes she saw Gourd reading his weapon in anticipation right where she would land.
    It was too late to change course using flame bursts.
    "What should I Do?"
    For the first time in the fight Rei started to panic a bit.
    She also felt her body temperature and heart beat rising, as well as her cheeks flushing for some reason but she would leave that for later.
    Rei frantically searched for something she could do.
    .....
    Grab into him?
    No way. She wasn't fast enough for that even in lightning enhancement, even if her hands were up to the speed her brain wouldn't.

    Wait a second.
    Brain?
    Didn't her teacher say the brain controlled the body using weak lightning pulses?
    What if.......
    It was worth a shot.

    Rei activated her lightning enhancement while focusing all her panzer on her arms, turning the colour of her skin on them into pure black.
    Using lightning enhancement, Rei used the image of lightning traveling through her body, carrying her will with it.
    Suddenly the world around her slowed down.
    She could see every single motion in Gourd's muscles, every little leaf dancing in the wind, every flap of a bird's wings.

    With her accelerated senses Rei grabbed into Gourd's sword, then arm, and wrapped her legs around his helmet.
    Rei tried to ignore the shock-like sensation and that went through her body, and the squeezing inside her chest when she touched him.

    Oof-"

    After all said and done, Rei was still falling at considerable speed. It's just now she had a gourd as a cushion, having bypassed the blunted sword simply by grabbing it. So the two fell onto the ground, Rei latching onto the helmet and transferred most of the impact to him.

    "...say, can you please get off?"

    Several seconds later, the gourd's muffled voice rang from under her. Whatever battle-frenzy afflicted them both, it all evaporated.

    Rei felt a bit of tickling when she felt Gourd speak from under her........
    Their current position made it really awkward the continue the fight.
    Even a battle junky like Rei was never in such a situation before.

    "Yeah, right, okay.....ahem, sorry for that."
    Rei tried standing up but it seems some of the shock from the fall made.it to her knees and she collapsed on top of Jack, this time she was half-sitting on his waist.
    Rei's face flushed deep red as she mumbled a weak "sorry!".

    "Well I really prefer us to be unclothed in this kind of position." He chuckled, still rather numb from the crash landing. "Blunt sword, damn it to hell."

    In reaction to what Jack said, Rei's face blushed into even deeper shade of red And she started to throw harmless punches on his armor.

    Poka poka poka poka

    "You have Ayumi don't you?! Stop flirting with me already! (I might take you seriously...)"
    The last part was whispered in a quiet voice she hoped Jack wouldn't hear.

    In hindsight, all the signs were already there.
    And that last battle just clinched it for her.
    She didn't want to admit it but she was definitely in lo.....attracted to Jack.
    'Ayaya is SO gonna kill me'

    "This and that are unrelated!" He lightly answered. "And since it you don't seems to be in walking condition..."

    He got to his feet, picking up the smaller Oni in his arms. Then he deftly kicked up the loaned weapons and caught it, still holding onto Rei, before strolling back to town. Unhearing of her objections

    After she realised that none of her objections are coming through, Rei gave up and just burries her face in her hands, trying to hide her blush as well as damn hope that Ayumi-chan won't see them like this.
    ((@A5G_Reaper ))
     
  12. Unreachable Hope

    Unreachable Hope Unspecified, Wandering and Doubtful Member

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    While Cinis was drinking in the tavern, aimlessly after been promoted to Rank-D, a sort of emptiness filled his heart, quickly after he became D-Rank, he thought that maybe he should celebrate it, then, a bitter laugh escaped his mouth.

    “Hahaha... “, what a fool he is, after all, you can not celebrate anything alone, where was Aelia? Where was Liya? Where was Hornety? Where was… there was nobody, as simple as this, nobody at all. Perhaps with some adventurers, some names came to mind as he thought of it, nevertheless, he thought that he was not close enough to them to celebrate it with them, after all, it only has been some months, not dozens of years.
    Then, he shall simply drink then wander outside at night, maybe, he should just ride on Odio and trot around Nagrand, why? Just to relax his mind, he could not stay idle, his body needed to stretch, to break, to tear, to crush, to do something.

    “Pierre, beers.”, nothing more was said, he decided that he will spend at most ten large copper coins before leaving, to walk, to take a stroll, to admire how everlasting and never changing are the stars, how they are the same as up there, then, let melancholy influence his thoughts, infusing regrets here and there.

    “Maybe… we shouldn’t have left.”, that is what he was thinking as the alcohol began to rise up to his brain, to fret his nerves, to stimulate his passions, to provoke his hate, to drag out of its slumber repressed emotions.

    ‘...how are they doing today?’, it was what he was thinking, where were they? Were they even still in Ternus? Are they still alive? Are they buried six feet underground? The fact that he did not know anything troubled him to the highest point, quickly, drinking became abhorrent, how dared he to drink when he didn’t know anything? But, how should he learn something about them? Does he have any networks? Any contacts? Of course not, however…

    There is a solution, wasn’t the Empire chasing him? No, not the Empire, his father was chasing him with all of his troopers, his agents, his war veterans and such people. What to do then? Use them against him? Was it not a solution? After all, shouldn’t they know plenty of things? If he could just drag them somewhere, in the woods, with a knife, carving a smile on their face, opening them, making them scream, beg, then seize the information.

    Everything is clear now, a smile crept up on his face, the corner of his lips sinisterly lifted as he finished his fourth drink, it was decided, he will not be preyed on, no no no, he will be the hunter, or he would try, it would not work at first, but don’t traps exist for this same exact motive? In his mind, he always thought that he could not defy him, no matter what happens, albeit, what was stopping him? Wouldn’t he be able to do so? Wouldn’t it be rather easy?

    “Ah, perfect, perfect, thanks Pierre, here are 4 Large Copper Coins.”, he handed them to him then immediately left the tavern, he knew what to do, all he had to do was to simply… counter-attack, was it not supposed to be his thing after all?

    ***

    Meanwhile, in the Southeast of Ternus, near the mountains, in a cavern, a young man with blonde hair, pale skin, wearing a gambeson was leaning against a wall of rocks, tainted in a purplish color due to dried blood, a sigh escaped his mouth as he held on his wooden polearm, he would need to wipe it.

    “Well, time for dinner, isn’t it?”, Liya, formerly Cinis’ bodyguard, was looking at his two comrades at this moment, thinking that it was perhaps an unwise decision to go there, but, it was the easiest way to blend into the crowd they could say. They were at the border of Seditio, indeed, Seditio, country ravaged by a civil war since years, filled with affiliated and independent groups, the Empire seemed to be terribly involved into the matters of this country for some reasons, how reassuring.

    “Indeed, Hornety, can you please?”, on a soft tone and smile along with a soothing voice, Aelia asked to the young girl next to her, one that was completely unrelated to all these troubles, all the scourges running wild on the land, all these nuisances, Hornety, she was originally picked up by their former ‘young master’ since he was interested in her dreams, then, she more or less knew how to cook, on the contrary of those two, one was training into magic and physical arts, keeping a certain balance between the two while the other was completely immersed into learning magic, as well as teaching Hornety some tricks she could use once she grows up to a fine lady, or so she was saying to a formerly homeless kid who is now a traveler, a wanderer.

    “Yes, Aelia.”, then she proceeded to roast the hunted beasts, the meat that will be for dinner, once again, they did not seem eat something else than meat, from time to time, they would eat bread they have bought from a local village that was lost in the middle of nowhere, unlisted on maps and so on.

    “...so… uhm, we’re going to Seditio?”, she asked, she was curious, she knew all the rumors she heard from this place, it seemed that entering there was basically suicidal, it was way too risky. They could die from a lost arrow the moment they enter a village, everyone is everyone’s enemies, as well as people from Seditio are usually called the most competent people in terms of fighting, after all, some of them live war since their birth, if they were not more skilled than the others, how could they survive? A land of danger, if someone wanted a mercenary, if he came from Seditio, it is almost guaranteed that he will be one of the most efficient person he would ever meet.
    Since, it would be filled with people so outrageous, or so she thought, so many people tha may wish to kill them because it is how it is, how dangerous could it be? Way too dangerous.

    “Indeed, not only, we are also going to try dismantling a group.”, in a rather peaceful manner, Liya replied to her question, as if it was normal, it meant that they will fight, they will slaughter, they will live war, at this moment, she wished to flee yet did not want to, she was thinking about Nagrand, why could they not find a way to come back there, instead? Why did they need to go to another country?
    “...is there not a way to stay at-”
    “No. Too close to the Empire, if you wish to go there, go on your own.”, it was crystal clear, they would not change directions, and how could she go back to Nagrand on her own? All she knew was some tricks, she was just a child on top of that, did she even know how to hunt? How would she get money? How would she be able to dissociate herself from this group as well?

    “Afterwards… I am willing to go back to accompany you. We still have time, they should be more focused on Cinis.”, Liya commented while looking away, it meant that he did care about Hornety, as well as for Aelia who did not protest a second. They could have asked why she asked about going back just now, but they knew why, it was because she didn’t know that they were going to Seditio, while they do want her to be with them since despite being a child, she has been a great help, especially a moral help.
    “...will we be able to? And how do you think he is… feeling now?”, the young child asked as she looked at the campfire, she remembered the nights all of them spent together, eating in silence, in peace, these moments, despite being cold, were precious compared to this hectic and tormented life they have been living.

    “Of course, he is feeling bad. What else? Hopefully, he might be feeling worse than ever he ever felt… or he now became obsessed with something, how unexpected would that be!”, a hint sarcasm left Aelia’s mouth who shrugged at her own words, while she was close to Cinis, while they almost crossed the line, she felt a bit of displeasure toward him, how he treated them was unacceptable, she wished him to realize that his foolishness and unwillingness to accept change he has provoked brought him to this situation.

    “...Aelia, calm down, you know why he is like this, he was raised this way.”, he was feeling the same as her, nevertheless, he was much more pragmatic, he knew what they did, namely leaving him behind, was not the most effective way to make him realize his errors, maybe he still did not understand why, nevertheless… escaping a prison you lived all your life in while longing to live outside with the people you love to reach another prison, who is in fact fictitious but still weight them down, force them to stay in one place, to restrict their own freedom… who wouldn’t be worn by this?

    “Maybe, but that’s not a reason to imprison us in a damned forest! Did he really want to free us or just himself and decided to bring us along because why not? Because of his own selfishness? Oh, and you may say because he is afraid, well, because we aren’t afraid? T-”, before she could continue badmouthing the half-elf that wasn’t here, Liya interrupted and rubbed her hair.

    “Then, if you understand that he is afraid, then, why can’t you understand this? This overprotectiveness? In his case, would that not be logical to do this? To defend what you love with the most radical way?”, the women let out a sigh as she couldn’t deny what he said, her hand reached his cheek, another sigh could be heard, it seemed that she was really annoyed by this situation, distraught, what could she say or do?

    “Why are you like this? Do you want to make me say that you are right? Of course not, I may understand, I do not forgive, and now I am wondering about whether to pinch, to punch, to stab or to castrate you.”, she just exposed all her thoughts in front of Liya and Hornety, the former just laughed while the latter seemed to be slightly worried, trying to guess whether she was is able to do any of these or not, somehow, she preferred not to get an answer, neither to ask the question as well.

    “Pfft. Aelia, let’s drop this subject, we understand each other but partially disagree, that’s the most important.”, then, he took her into an embrace, Aelia’s eyes rolled in a certain annoyance, despite this, she did return the hug and patted his back.
    “You really are as foolish as him…”, while she was saying this, Hornety internally shook her head and kept her thoughts to herself as she finished roasting the meat.

    ‘More like you are the fool… Liya got you…’, she cleared her throat, to remind them that she was here and that they could not go further than that, or so she thought.
    “The dinner is ready?”, then, both of them seemed a bit embarrassed because of the ‘show‘ that for once had a spectator, they immediately sat beside Hornety and began to eat. From time to time, Aelia would try to tease Hornety, while Liya would simply observe both of them.

    Despite everything, every day was lively. he thought that however, it was a bit sad, now that Cinis is not here, he can feel like they are really like a family, this thought was awfully cruel, he gritted his teeth and wondered whether Hornety should return to Nagrand alone or with both of them…
    It was a real dilemma, what should they do?

    “I suppose that we will see that later…”, for now, they should just travel and appreciate the sightseeing.

    ***

    “Mmm, oh, right, that book.”, it has been a while since he had it, he just has been too distracted to think about it, a book he got from the Cultist’s hideout, now that he was thinking about it, he was feeling awful since he quit that hideout, Cinis let out a sigh as hopefully, his mind will be distracted by the content of this book.

    ‘Some thinking about the soul., it was a title accompanied with some sublines that could be considered as different categories of this book, he looked and thought it was a normal book of some hundreds of pages.

    ‘Mind? Spirit? Physical byproduct? What could be considered to be the soul?’, well, it was obvious to have this part, after all, wasn’t it basically the point of the book? It will probably be just an introduction.

    ‘Does the soul make itself? Or was it predefined before even the birth? Can it be altered during the process?’, wasn’t it easier to ask what is the nature of the soul instead of asking all these little questions? Wouldn’t it be easier for the reader? Instead of going, here, there, and be disoriented, it could set up a straight diagonal line...

    ‘For curses that don’t apply on the body, on what are they applied? The mind? The spirit? The soul?’, a rather perplexing question, what kind of curses were these? Some that do not apply to the physical shell but to a mental one? Cinis thought he would see once he begins to read and immediately read the other sublines.

    ‘Debt & Contracts’, contrary to the previous ones, it was… rather blurry, what would it speak about? Why would it speak about debt and contracts..? How was it related the soul? Quite intriguing.

    And there were two other titles, afterwards, ones that seemed a bit secondary or less interesting. So, he simply read these and shrugged it off. Maybe because he did not know what to think about it, as in, he has no idea about it.

    ‘Intuition and momentum.’
    ‘Myself, me and it.’

    “Myself… me and it? Are they all separated..?”, something was odd about this, nevertheless, he thought that he should begin reading this book later, now that he knew what it would be about, the souls, the curses, the nature, and such elements.

    “Mhmm, it does seem interesting… maybe I will learn something out of it… maybe not.”, Cinis was unsure, he simply put the book back in his backpack and then returned to the tavern with a brighter smile, he knew what he had to do.
    Once again, the option he has chosen is violence.
    OOC: And here goes 2.4K words~
    Just needed to do an SS to actualize things a bit, to set Cinis' goals and troubles his family a bit~
    And finally began stuff with that book!

    I will have to think about a name for the author of the book, the precise content and his life as well~
     
    AliceShiki and Xalysian like this.
  13. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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  14. Haxagen

    Haxagen Fallen's|Addicted to Gacha

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    No matter how many times you all have made a mess in the living room, no matter how many times you sneak out to play, not matter how many times you all quarrel, bicker, and fight amongst each other, Shiori will never become angry.

    Even when any of you become rowdy and injure yourselves, none of you fail to come to Shiori for help. You trust Shiori, and it makes Shiori happy.

    Getting your clothes torn while playing is no big deal. Shiori has enough silk, and more than enough time on Shiori’s hands to mend them.

    Shiori hopes that regardless of what happens, you’ll always look to Shiori first for comfort.

    Because Shiori loves all of you, from the bottom of Shiori’s heart. Every single one of you are Shiori’s pride and joy, Shiori’s greatest source of accomplishment...

    Oops, Shiori wasn’t being entirely candid there. There is one thing that Shiori loves more than you all. Shiori loves emotions.

    Shiori can sense them. Little bits of feelings, vibrating like a light pluck of a violin string. So curiously delicate, yet so profoundly satisfying.

    A little smile from any of you is enough to make Shiori’s day. Because Shiori can feel the purity within those smiles.

    A little kindness can go a long way.

    But, did you know this? There’s nothing which runs deeper...than the heartbreak that comes from the betrayal of trust. The greatest displays of love and affection far pale in comparison.

    It is simply...irresistible. Why just thinking about it gives Shiori chills.

    Ah, Shiori is rambling again. Hehe.

    No matter what, Shiori will always be here, watching all of you. Observing you all learning new things, picking up new skills...And growing up.

    It’s such a hassle, you know. Growing up. Not only do you not gain anything, instead you become burdened with all sorts of nonsense.

    It’s an adult’s job to worry about things. Children should just play happily and enjoy their lives.

    Seriously, if Shiori ever finds whoever invented such a shitty concept, Shiori will tEar hiM To sHrEDs, rIP HIm ApARt pIeCe bY PiECe, aNd tHrOW hIM tO ThE---Oops. Shiori got a bit carried away there, hehe.

    But don’t worry so much. That’s an issue for another day.

    Because, until the day comes when you break out of your cocoons and become fine prey…

    Shiori shall coddle and protect every single one of you. And when that time arrives...Shiori will make it as painless as possible. So, please live out your childhood years as happily as possible, my children.

    Regardless of what happens, you’ll all always be a part of Shiori, an irreplaceable, inseparable part of Shiori. Before you leave the nest for the final time, let Shiori grant you one more kindness...

    WoN’t yOu cOMe AnD giVE mOtHEr a hUg?
     
  15. Xalysian

    Xalysian Well-Known Member

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    Crackle…


    A drop of a firewood into the flames.


    It was a quiet night, accompanied only by the fire roasting down his lucky find, a green pheasant. The smells of a roasted meat are the best indeed, Valuren did find some rabbits earlier, but since he remembered a fellow adventurer and some people he had met in his life were either a rabbit-kin or a hybrid, he felt great guilt about the thought of wanting to try some rabbit meats.


    Valuren was glad to obtain some water from the town, as he looked at the filled wooden bowl to his right.

    “Finding shrooms, buying some spices to make the food taste better - sounded easy enough. But with the lack of knowledge of the town of Nagrand, hell strike me down. It was hard.” He inner monologue'd to himself, before adding more, “I should get a cooking pot too, if I want to make a soup in the future.”


    “Cooking was easier in the future, my home world, to be precise. But resorting to using old ways of cooking, does not sound bad at all. I loved every last moment of it, a little too much. If you wanted to include my ways of strangling a poor pheasant to death. But, do not count on me showing it to the kids.” he continued to talk inside of his mind, hoping the sleeping Veri to wake up to chat with him.

    She had a tiresome day, after all.


    The word ‘kids’ reminded him of a certain orphan.


    “Especially Roy, that tomboy. There could be a second Roy, who was actually a male? Heh, hell do I know? The name Roy sounded pretty neutral or gender-less to me. I would like to visit the orphanage again, just to play with the children. But well… I’m no good with them.”, he sighed after relieving himself by watching the fire being fire.


    “Hahh… I’m too afraid to talk to anyone, really. I don’t want others to be hurt by my stupid and silly ideas. I learned sign language because I wanted to be different.”

    “Not to mention that it hurts to talk, let alone shout.” he pointed at one of his recent memories in his very first quest.


    He took out a piece of bread that he had saved up from that time, it might be a little too rough now - to chew on. But he had something else in mind…


    Taking out the small pouch he had used to store blue berries that was gathered during last quest. He lassoed down his backpack from the tall tree with his whip ability to grab two items - another bowl and a spoon.


    He wanted to savor the tastes of a blue berry bread he had missed back home. He placed the bowl in front of him and poured half of the blue berries into it. After taking a wooden spoon, he began to stir and mash the blue berries into a messy jam. He then smeared the jam on the top of his bread before biting into it.


    “Heh, tastes good.”, he muttered to himself, one could say that his eyes were filling with the tears of happiness after a long time without eating something that felt like home.


    He continued to smear more of the jam to the bread as he munched the bread while waiting for his roasted pheasant to finish burning. He added one more firewood, to make sure the process to be faster.


    *****


    “That should be enough? Hell, being unable to find a good reliable source of water nearby are really hard. The town are probably be sleeping by now. I should get a drink there sometimes.”, he thought to himself - possibly having conversations with himself.


    He had just finished clearing the site;


    First, he had to put down the fire with some water from the bowl.

    Second, he had to clean the bowl and spoon used for the blue berries jam with more water.


    Well, he decided to use the blue berries ‘juice’ as his drink for the night. He relaxed himself by resting his back against the tree, with the juice at hand, he monologue'd once more - this time talking to the night starry sky he gazed on the top of the tall tree he rest in.


    “I get tired so quickly… I need to get one of those water pouches, waterskin… was it…? Grappling and doing stylish stunts aren’t easy after all.” Sighing, he continued on. “I wonder, how much one of that water pouches or waterskins costed here.”


    Hearing a howl of a wolf from far away, he remembered about his two encounters in his previous quests. It was about the dark green goblin, walking their ‘dogs’ on a leash. Two adult dark wolves, and a young pup.


    “That damned goblin again, was it stalking me? Hell strike me down right now, I swear I really want to follow that goblin the second time I saw it. But, time is so precious that I don’t want my quest to be a failure yet again!”


    Letting out a heavy sigh, his expression changed to a concerned one.


    “I wonder… if that goblin was blind all along… Maybe, maybe.”


    He gulped down the blue berries juice from the wooden bowl, he let out another sigh and expressed his thoughts in a simple manner. “Heh, too sweet.”


    He turned back to watch the night sky from where he was, he smiled at the sky before meowing to himself, “Hmph… mew.”


    He continued to drink the juice while swinging one of his legs around - humming a tone similarly to Ode to Joy afterwards.

    ((I was going to add more to this - but that would be too early for him to have such development/improvement, can’t decide which words fit. Here's to "Hell strike me down." catchphrases.))
     
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  16. System

    System Well-Known Member

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  17. Naraku

    Naraku 『』『』『』

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    Don't mind this~
    I am just reposting the tags as nobody has received an alert~
     
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  18. Arexio

    Arexio Blob Fanatic | AG Player

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  19. A5G_Reaper

    A5G_Reaper [DCLXVI, sohyee, and iampsyx's cute imouto]

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    "Oho!"

    A happy gourd could be found amidst a toxic garden, showing unrestrained elation at a dull brown glass jar. It was sealing black soils into a hanging vines which continously dripped its poisonous sap into, nourishing the source of all that happiness.

    Namely, a tiny and delicate sproutling barely growing out of the black soil.

    He swivelled around to check the other three jars, but those weren't showing signs of growth yet. No matter though - if one could develop then surely there would be more. He'll just need to continue care for them, as he always did.

    The gourd hummed a hearthy tune as he carefully watered the jars into a very strict level before boiling more water to keep the manmade environment damp and humid. Following that he splashed the thick cover with water, all routine work at this point. He had way more vigor considering that the sapling managed to grow at all.

    "Hmm, all done! Now..."

    Turning his gaze at the other, less important plants in need of maintenance, he shrugged.

    "...perhaps I should permanently hire that kid."
     
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  20. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    New Quest Batch is live everyone~


    Ah, and we decided on a small rule change in the game, figured it would be a good time to say it now.

    We're not allowing you to control staff NPCs as you see fit anymore... As in, you can still control how your character interacts with a staff's bartender as you see fit, but you can't control how that bartender would interact with other players as if he was your character.

    We are doing this because we don't feel that comfortable with players controlling someone that should be in a position of authority within the guild. It may lead to some issues in case things go wrong.

    Hopefully this isn't much of a bother... Uhn... Anyways, go get some quests and kill stuff I guess? xD

    Oh, and if you're at rank up requirements, please poke us about it, we don't keep track of points for the most part, so we will probably miss if you reached it. (I know @TiggerBane and @Blackwater already reached it though)

    And as usual, if you want to be removed from the tag list, just poke me and I'll take you out~

    Phew, this one was longer than usual, Alice is now going to sleep, nighty night~