Cherry Heart: A Quest Based RP [Main Thread/IC/Starting/Currently Not Accepting/Co-hosted by Skaia]

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Auburn

Auburn went to work on rearranging the main hall's furniture immediately. Because the place was so run-down, there wasn't a whole lot to move in the first place. Which really helped him, he was a bit on the weak side if that wasn't obvious.

 

He found some tarp to cover the floor, the ceiling, the windows, and all the furniture that couldn't be moved. And then, a smoke grenade was ridiculously simple to concoct. He placed the smoking brew in the center of the room and ran outside.

 

Several minutes later he peered back in and everything was as blue as he planned. Then he took off the tarps and painted the floor with a brownish shade like the previous room. Perhaps since this was the main hall, a floor-wide red carpet may be more fitting. The blue painted on the walls wasn't so saturated to contrast badly with deep red and gold. If anything it should look more and more royal, if what Auburn saw in his mind's eye was accurate. The problem would be acquiring such a luxury item somehow, but he could bother the guildmaster with that later.

 

"Hah! If this is all it takes to design a room, I'm already a master architect. Why, I'm in awe of my own talent..." He looked over the newly renovated room, now a much more pleasant sight (opinions may vary). The lovely (opinions may vary) blue hue on the walls, the masterfully painted (opinions may vary) floor only complimented the decor of the room further. The furniture currently in the room was antique, but of high quality and complimented the room's color scheme very well (even though he had no hand in picking the furniture here). If nothing else, it was certainly different from the crimson halls of the Peachfield mansion, which he certainly wasn't objecting to.

 

Finished with everything here, he walked over to where Florentia and Mina were. "Guildmaster! I'm done with the main room. If this guild has the funds for it, we should absolutely buy a red carpet with golden decorations though, it would fit the main hall quite so."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Guildmaster! I'm done with the main room. If this guild has the funds for it, we should absolutely buy a red carpet with golden decorations though, it would fit the main hall quite so."

 

"I don't think this place is some sort of fancy mansion."

 

Red and gold? Blue, white, and brown was already a perfect color combination for how natural they felt. Florentia was unreasonably miffed about the choice of decoration. Though now that Auburn was here, she turned around to face him while Mina was busy examining the boxes. The guild would surely need more than a color makeover for them to breathe new life into it. There were more things that could be added to increase its appeal. But, as she was pretty much lacking in any sort of decent taste when it came into designs outside of vaguely-defined preferences, Florentia never really bothered to buy furnitures before.

 

"Speaking of furnitures and decorations, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some. While our funds are limited, having a vision to work towards step by step would be better than nothing." Florentia tried her best to remember how her last dwelling place looked like. Her small house near Prunus' public graveyard...thinking about it, it was very lacking in content. Might not be a good indicator for what to do. "I had the idea of having various potted plants placed throughout the building, but I am unsure whether it would look good, and whether there were any better options around."

 

Florentia paused again, and hastily said an addendum.

 

"And nothing red and gold."

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Auburn

"No, we should absolutely make this place like a mansion. What will our visitors think when we become famous enough and they come here and see a commoner's pigsty? Come, guildmaster, we need a bit of flair in this building." Auburn was of course, just a little miffed Florentia turned his suggestion down. For entirely different reasons, his own sense of aesthetic was equally screwed. Deny it he would, but his upbringing was certainly fitting of a prince or so. He would reject whatever resembled the crimson halls of his home, yet found fondness in the same luxury carpet that lined them.

 

"Hmm, well, if it's plants I can maintain them. I've never tried brewing fertilizer or other things you need to maintain plants but I've looked them up before. The question is what kind of plant exactly..."

 

He wasn't a botanist. And he certainly didn't know flower language either. He's barely ever seen flowers. The desert region he hailed from wasn't exactly abundant in them. The Peachfield halls didn't bother with such decorations either. Although, he did remember seeing peach trees around because it fitted his family's name...

 

"We're Cherry Heart. We could just have some potted cherry blossoms around or something, I suppose." He blurted out dumbly.

[Wind Rider]

Florentia, in response to Mina's question about scrap metal, had gone off for bit before bringing back a couple of boxes of scrap metal and parts. "There are a lot of such scraps littering the underground floor of the guild when I and miss Celica first entered it, and these were what we had cleaned from there so far. We were going to sell them off or dispose of them somehow, but it might be better if you use them."

 

Mina's eyes lit up as she examined the boxes of metal parts. She may not realize it, but Florentia had just made Mina's day. "Should you perhaps require some tools to help with this?"

 

"O-oh no, I always have some tools on me at all times!" Mina said as she looked through a belt of tools she had taken off before she began painting the room. "I can whip up a little automaton in a few minutes. You'll like it, I'm sure!" she said as she began looking through the scrap for necessary parts.

 

She didn't notice Auburn come into the room, as she was just starting to build her newest creation. When she did notice him, he was talking directly to Florentia, so she just ignored him and continued to work.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"No, we should absolutely make this place like a mansion. What will our visitors think when we become famous enough and they come here and see a commoner's pigsty? Come, guildmaster, we need a bit of flair in this building."

 

"This is not a mansion, and we are not nobles." Florentia's tone and expression remained unchanging, but her gaze towards Auburn now felt like it emanated a sort of crushing pressure. "We have not the fund, nor the urgency, for such an extravagant and excessive decoration option to be in any way legible."

 

Florentia then went quiet for a moment to stare at  Auburn. It was always hard to get a read on her, though this time her dislike towards his attitude practically leaked out of her. She promptly stood up and approached Auburn without breaking her eye contact, then stopping when she was uncomfortably close to him.

"This commoner pigpen happened to be where you're staying in while you are in this guild. Noble or not, I don't have any reason to care about your background. You stay here and contribute, and that's it.

 

Should your privileged buttock is allergic towards this place's, I could assist with the treatment using my leg and a well-placed kick."

 

Florentia, seemingly satisfied with her words, turned around to ignore Auburn and went towards Mina again to check on her progress. She didn't know about what was Mina's currently creating, and she was admittedly quite worried about it, but she continued to watch over her.

 

"Also," Without turning around, she spoke again towards Auburn. "Cherry blossoms are seasonal flowers. Planting them outside is the only acceptable course of action to enjoy their full bloom better For indoors, something that blooms all year long is perfect."

 

Florentia could actually use her magic to make the flowers bloom through all seasons, but she'd rather let them bloom on their own rather than force them to. Forceful flowering was as much of a heinous offense as forceful deflowering.

 

"Also," Still not turning around, she spoke out again. "Further baseless critique towards our guild's architecture and interior design will result into paycuts. Unless you're willing to back up your claims by rejuvenating this guild using your own family's money that is, mister Peachfield."

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Auburn

"Well, that's..." Auburn was left speechless by the sudden words of rebuke. Perhaps he did went a little too far with his words, but even then that reaction was much too harsh. At least he didn't think what he said was that big of a deal, but Florentia's offended reaction told him that she valued the guild much more than her stern demeanor initially reflected. She was even more gung-ho than usual, but it was clearly an emotional response. And of course, her words stung hard. He didn't have a way prove her wrong. He hadn't a penny to his name since he ran away from the estate. He was also just a mere potion brewer, he didn't have the ability needed to prove her wrong. Ultimately, it was he who was in the wrong. It was only natural that he apologize.

 

But he absolutely did not want to. A paycut just for expressing his opinions? Even the people back home weren't as crude. It wasn't that words of apology were beneath him, but he wouldn't be able to honestly say them in such a situation. To put it crudely, to hell with that.

 

"Understood, guildmaster. I'll back up my words then. Excuse me!" Auburn bowed for the first time in his life, careful not to let the anger bleed out into his voice, and then turned around and ran away from the two.

 

He made a quick detour to his room. Minutes later, he rushed outside the guild building running towards the city proper. He hasn't been there too often, but he still had vivid memories of the city square where he registered and officially became a member of Cherry Heart. Back during the festival there were many open stores selling various things. It wouldn't be strange if he could find furniture or something equally fitting in the city as well. It was a better shot than the outskirts where the guild building was at least. Of course, the city festival was long over. But even so, it should have more than a few stores that'd sell something interesting. He barely had any money on himself however. He'll have to deal with that problem somehow as well.

[Wind Rider]

Auburn and Florentia seemed to be arguing about... Something... Frankly, Mina couldn't care less, her attention was focused on something else entirely. Sparks were flying and some mechanical noises could be heard coming from the corner of the room she was working in. She had made sure to cover the area so that any oil or sparks would not get on the floor or walls.

 

Mina occasionally wandered over to get a bit more scrap metal from the boxes Florentia brought and in time, mechanical noises stopped coming from her work corner. It wasn't the fanciest automaton, but there would be time for improvement.

 

"Florentia?" Mina called for the guildmaster's attention. "I give you, A.P.P.A, the All-Purpose Performance Automaton." Moving to the side, Mina presented the little drone as its two glowing, white eyes sparked to life. It was a little robot, no more than a foot tall, with a paint roller between its tiny limbs, it rolled forward on a singular tire that Mina had made from scraps of rubber that were in one of the boxes.

 

"I admit, he's a bit rough, but he will be very useful to the guild." Mina said with a proud smile.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"That was fast."

 

Florentia watched Auburn ran from the room. She was not sure on what he would prove to her this time, but she did appreciate somewhat that Auburn did not speak emptily, as it would've been expected from a part of nobility. That shouldn't be too much of a concern for the time being. Florentia already made her point so she wasn't going to punish Auburn even if he ended up failing in proving anything. For now, her focus was entirely on Mina instead. She worked undisturbed even throughout Florentia's argument with Auburn, and it didn't take her that long to present the fruit of her labor.

 

"I give you, A.P.P.A, the All-Purpose Performance Automaton."

 

Despite lacking in any similarity in form, Florentia could only describe the automaton as some sort of metal gremlin running on a wheel. Seeing it move around was strange and Florentia was admittedly still quite wary of it, but Mina seemingly was so sure about the automaton that Florentia ended up reluctantly giving her a chance to prove herself.

"I admit, he's a bit rough, but he will be very useful to the guild."

 

"Then let us take him for a test run." Florentia stood up and walked towards the corner of the room. "Have him paint this room, without letting him stain the beds or anyone's beds or belongings.

 

Treat it as an obstacle course."

 

---

 

It was half an hour past midday by the time Auburn reached the city square. Many stores had just opened by then on the roadside, but the city square itself didn't have that much going on in it at that time. Usually there would be a few street vendors selling various knick knacks or traditional snacks, but aside from a few people passing by, there was strangely nothing, not even any preparation for any festivals.

 

The avenue with the most shops in it was not that far from the square, and it was somewhat bustling in activity at this time of the day. The city's primary furniture and craft shop was quite close to the square itself, but when Auburn would go to that direction, she would bump into someone.

 

A certain blue-haired woman, who hurriedly left the scene, running away from the alchemist as if she was a pickpocket who just stole the boy's purse.

 

---

 

[spoiler=OOC]

For Mina, it's time for the robot to show its mettle. While I'm not asking you to show the tiniest details, but be sure to show that APPA could feasibly paint the room without creating a mess.

 

For Auburn, don't worry about the certain definitely unfamiliar bluehead. She didn't steal his purse. You're free to go to the shop or to pursue her, or maybe to go to another shop you have in mind.

 

 

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

Auburn was just about to enter a slightly fancy-looking furniture store he finally found after walking around, when a young woman appeared out of nowhere and bumped into him. What caught his eye was the girl's blue hair. The hue reminded him of a certain other person he knew and hasn't seen for a while.

 

"You're..." Before he got a good look at her face however, she ran away as if chased by a bad crowd. "Oi!"

 

The thought that she could've been a pickpocket didn't cross his mind as he's never met one. What did trouble him was that he now had a choice. To ignore the event and head into the store to find something that would satisfy the guildmaster, or to chase after that girl who seemed to be in trouble and could be someone he knew. In essence, it was to choose between the guildmaster or a girl who could be Celica.

 

He checked his inventory again and confirmed he only had a few small trinkets with him. He hadn't planned on an encounter and didn't bring his set of battle-oriented potions with him. He had his brewing kit and some leftover smoke grenades he made earlier to paint the rooms. It wasn't ideal but he didn't have time to go back and restock, naturally. 

 

"Tch. I can't go back until I find some good furniture for the guild anyway." And if the girl was Celica, she may have some money on her that she wouldn't mind allocating to improving the guild building. He had a last resort he would rather not use, so that option was appealing as well.

 

Auburn ran after the blue-haired girl, keeping in mind he wasn't equipped to deal with combat situations currently.

[Wind Rider]

"Then let us take him for a test run." Florentia stood up and walked towards the corner of the room. "Have him paint this room, without letting him stain the beds or anyone's beds or belongings.

 

Treat it as an obstacle course."

 

Mina took a deep breath, time to put APPA to the test. "Alright, APPA, let's show her what you can do." she said as she stepped aside. A puff of steam blew from a vent in APPA's head as he wheeled over to a wall, turning around a bed, avoiding it entirely. He started to paint the wall with its paint roller arm.

 

"Now you may be asking yourself, "But Mina, APPA isn't even two feet tall, how can he paint the entire wall?" well... APPA... Show her." Mina said giving attention to the little bot. The sounds of machinery working could be heard as APPA's body extended a few inches each as he painted. Pistons attaching him to his wheel were lifting him as he painted the wall. "Well? What do you think?" Mina asked as she took up a paint brush. "With APPA helping, we can get done in no time." she said smiling proudly.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Where is she..."

 

The blue-haired girl stopped near a crossroads, looking confused. She brought out a small watch from her shirt pocket, trying to be sure that this was really the supposed time of her arranged meeting. She was worried that she would be late, but right now she couldn't see any sign of the woman that she was supposed to meet here. This place was nowhere like Ferris, nor her homeland of Naivasanna, yet it felt familiar enough that she would have liked to spend more time in it had she was not in a hurry.

 

"I suppose I can wait. If she's just a scammer, it wouldn't be that big of a proble-

 

Eh?"

Turning around, she saw a boy running towards her from the Cerasus Boulevard behind her, and she recognized him immediately as the boy she accidentally bumped into earlier. Did he thought that she was a pickpocket or something? Now that she thought about it, perhaps she really should've stolen some money from him. Her travel funds had been running short for a while. Still, without being guilty of anything, the girl decided to wait up for the boy to arrive before she introduces herself.

 

"Hey, over there! Sorry for bumping on you earlier. I swear I didn't steal anything." Well, while she wait for this Celica to appear as scheduled, she might as well talk with the people here more for now.

 

Now that she stood on her ground, the girl before Auburn clearly was a different person from Celica. Similar shade of hair, but hers was a lot shorter with a boyish cut, and despite some striking similarities, her face was a lot more youthful than Celica's. She was roughly just a teenager perhaps around seventeen.

 

"Well, since you're here, why don't we talk for a bit? I'm waiting for someone right now for a bit of a help. I'm Celia, and you can say that I'm a traveler from afar. Who are you?"

 

---

 

"Well? What do you think?"

 

"He...did well, I suppose."

 

For the most part Florentia was simply worried at the machine's motions. While it showed itself as being capable of pushing itself to extend and reach the ceiling, the whirring and buzzing made it feel like it was going to break down anytime soon. But for the most part, Mina was right. This APPA was able to paint the wall with ease and with a decent enough precision, more than what Auburn could manage with his paint bombs, perhaps.

 

As APPA continued to paint, Flo shifted her attention back to Mina.

 

"How does it feel, being able to build such a creature from scraps? It's not alive, but it still felt like a creature. Is it natural for such things to exist in this world?"

 

---

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Mostly interaction again.

 

If either of you wanted to form full conversation for your post, you can get in contact with me. In the meantime, I'll be focusing my effort on figuring out how to integrate Hyde back into this quest.

 

And disclaimer: Celia is not related by blood to Celica in any way. The names are just coincidence.

 

 

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

What Auburn caught up to wasn't Celica, but a girl whose resemblance to the accountant was quite unnatural but not unnervingly so. His first thought was that they could be sisters. This new blue-haired girl was certainly younger. Well, that's as far as visual resemblances go though. It was unlikely that such coincidences would happen. Once he caught his breath after chasing after her, he slowed down and began to talk.

 

"Ah...ha... Stolen? I don't have anything worth stealing anyway, I'm beyond penniless. That's not it..." He did bring one thing along with him but it was unlikely anyone else would know what it was. "Mm, you look like her but you're a little different. Apologies, thought you were someone else."

 

Since the other side was willing to talk though, he reciprocated. Auburn dusted off  his pants and made sure his appearance was proper. Then, he nodded and introduced himself. "I am Auburn Peachfield, of the guild Cherry Heart. A brand new guild with some history behind it, as contradictory as that sounds. We're still a shabby guild but..." For a second he remembered the stern warning Florentia had given him. "...well, shabbiness aside if you ever are in need you can come to us, Miss Celi...a. Hah, even your name is similar to the person I mistook you for, what a coincidence."

 

If he had to be honest, he found her appearance quite pleasant, much in the same manner he viewed Celica. He couldn't quite identify why, neither of them were that pretty. His sister was cuter, if he had to put it crudely. And well, Ierne was more his type too. But the shade of blue shared by the accountant and this new girl was absolutely satisfying to behold. There weren't any people with hair like that where he came from, or even around here aside from the person still missing, or this new girl. It was more than enough to get Auburn to let his guard down.

 

"And, pardon me for asking. I don't suppose you have any relations at all to the name... Celica, do you? You remind me an awful lot of our guild accountant."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"And, pardon me for asking. I don't suppose you have any relations at all to the name... Celica, do you? You remind me an awful lot of our guild accountant."

 

"Oh? Now that is convenient. I just happen to be looking for a Celica too."

 

Auburn so far had proven himself as a pleasant individual to talk with, however the final mention really took Celia's attention. Fate surely was smiling to her, for once. It perhaps really was a sign all along that this Celica resembled her to some degrees. She sure reminded Celia of her long-dead sister, for one.

 

"So you have been looking for her too, huh?" Sighing, Celia then pointed towards a bench near the crossroads. "Let's sit there while we wait. She said that it's best if I don't have anyone following me, but if you're also looking for her too, then it shouldn't be an issue, right?"

 

The two ended up sitting on the bench for the next fifteen minutes, with Celia patiently waiting for any signs of Celica coming from anywhere on the streets. Past that though, it didn't take much longer until she checked her watch again and let out a loud groan.

 

"What's holding her...? It feels like she's scamming me or something at this rate..." Celia turned to Auburn finally, and struck up a conversation with him to pass some time.

 

"Uh...so anyway, I came here from faraway, from the continent of Jianghu across the vast ocean." Not exactly correct, but it's the best equivalent that Celia could figure out right now. "I came here to find my family heirloom as well as investigating a certain legend about a treasure island, and your guild accountant, this miss Celica, met me on a bar near the harbor a few days ago. She said she could help me, but now I feel like she was just making fun of me...

 

Can you tell me what sort of person she is? She really doesn't seem to be the type to scam people, you know?"

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

He hadn't expected the bluehead in front of him to be looking for Celica as well. It didn't seem like they were related, or even well-acquainted though. Even though they were so similar... Aside from the voices, perhaps. This Celia had a rougher, boyish voice. They had sat down before Auburn realized it and they began talking about the absentee bluehead. From the corner of his eye Auburn could've sworn a couple of strangers were whistling but he ignored them.

 

"You met her a few days ago? The thing is, she's supposed to be on leave from the guild. None of us except maybe the guildmaster knows where she is." Once again, Florentia's stern scolding resurfaced in Auburn's mind. "I'm just surprised she was so nearby when I haven't seen her for a while."

 

He paused to consider things. "Miss Accountant... Celica is certainly not some low brow thief. I admit I don't know her circumstances but I don't believe she'd be trying to scam someone. At least, if that was actually her you met. I'm much more inclined to believe this could be someone else, since she's supposed to be on leave. Or well it's annoying to find out she's been nearby all along if that's actually true so I hope that isn't the case... Well that wouldn't mean much to you though."

 

He withdrew a small piece of paper from his shirt and scribbled in some small notes. "I could take you to meet our guildmaster. She should know whether Celica is supposed to be in town. However I have an errand I need to take care of right now. If you wish to tag along with me that should be fine, but if you're in a hurry then here's the address. It's not very far away, I came from there by foot actually. Also, at the guild we have someone from that continent, if I remember... I've not talked to him but he may know something about what you're looking for."

 

Although the topic greatly intrigued him, Auburn stood up and prepared to leave. He was quite curious as to how Celica was related to this girl in front of him but he himself didn't have the capability to help her anymore than what he already did. There was someone from the guild who came from the same general area as Celia, and it wouldn't  be surprising if someone in the guild could use some sort of searching magic. As a potions brewer and a rich boy from the deserts, he couldn't do a whole lot. It lowered his mood a bit. He turned his head towards a nearby furniture shop. He still had to buy something or he wouldn't have the confidence to show his face in front of Florentia.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I think I'll tag with you. This place's pretty pleasant, I'd like to stay here for a while even if I don't get what I'm here for."

 

And so, this new girl Celia tagged along with Auburn as he went towards one of the shops on the side of the road. The one he entered was labeled as Fleurir. The shop was situated on a noticeably large yet old building, and the insides were filled with various hand-crafted furnitures, made of wood or marbles, as well as embroideries and carpets from both Fraxinus and other lands. All were polished, and there were no signs of work or any dirt being around unlike expected. Loud sounds could be heard occasionally though, so the work probably was done on a separate part of the building.

 

"Welcome, would you like some help?"

A clerk approached Auburn just as he started to observe the various stuffs being offered there. From her face, it seemed like she picked up Auburn's mannerism as that befitting of a rich and privileged noble kid, so she already had high expectations for him to spend a lot, although she seemed to keep some distance from Celia for some reasons.

 

"Please do look around for the selection of our finest choices.. Our furnitures surely would be able to turn the most drab-looking house into a personal palace for yourself alone.

 

Like here, this marble ornamental pillars were designed-"

 

The clerk started to drone on and on. Celia didn't seem to be interested in most of the things inside, but some of the tapestries on the wall seemed to take her interest. She excused herself from Auburn as he dealt with the clerk, and went to check out the tapestry more.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

"Hmph. I'd love to look around but it's better to get this out of the way first." His hand went to inside his pocket, to pull out the one thing he owned that could possibly have any value. Myrdain's words flashed through his head as he recalled its functions. "This right here, it's a magical artifact. You hold it while you sleep and you can fully control your dreams. As far as I know there are only four of it in this world, it's quite a rare item. Even without magic, you can make use of magical artifacts like this one. It should be priceless."

 

Auburn had no idea how to barter things or if it was even accepted around here, so he hoped for the store clerk's goodwill and that the item he held was of greater value than he could possibly imagine. Why if he was the clerk his heart would've jumped at the prospect of a magical artifact anyone could use. Well, that was just him though. "How about you let me choose a handful of things from the store and I'll barter with this?"

 

To the sides he already began looking around. Celia had left his side before he knew it, she was standing nearby looking at something else. As for Auburn himself, he kept an eye on the carpets. Even if Florentia veto'd it, he was confident there'd be a carpet hue that won't offend her. Something dark and a little inconspicuous perhaps...

 

"Also if you know a flower store around here, I can lower the value of this necklace in return if you buy me some chrysanthemums in a nice pot. That alone won't be enough but I'll certainly consider bartering for it too."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"This right here, it's a magical artifact."

 

At first, the cleric looked to be quite disappointed that Auburn brought up that topic. She was already used to people claiming that they had something really special and that they'd trade it, despite of the fact that the special thing were rarely valuable and that the shop didn't even accept barters in the first place. However, her eyes soon lit up when she saw the thing that Auburn brought up, the cushion-like strange pink substance. A Dream Soul. Of course, there were more than four in this world, but it was still very rare and very valuable, especially for rich lonely middle-aged nobles.

 

It was very valuable, and the clerk was tempted to accept the offer for barter, just so she could undervalue it. But in the end she decided not to, and instead voiced something at Auburn, just as Celia returned towards the two.

 

"I am sorry sir, but this place does not accept barters. However, there is a pawnshop not too far away from here, just two blocks down. Just note that it is very valuable even if I don't know its exact worth. It is best for you to not sell it for low value."

 

"Ooh, what's that?" Celia noticed the strange pink substance and stared at it in curiosity before turning towards the clerk. "Anyway, can you keep anyone from buying that tapestry over there? I'll buy it tomorrow, just need to finish something first."

 

"Uh, sure."

 

Their time on the shop was not for long after that, since Auburn was not able to buy anything before the Dream Soul could be pawned off. As they walked on the streets, Celia started another conversation with this new acquaintance of hers.

 

"What sort of look do you want for your guild building? That place felt too extravagant for my tastes...but their woodworks sure were superb!" Celia almost droned on about the small things she noticed aside from the tapestries, but before that she stopped herself and shifted the topic into somewhere else. "Say, what does that thing do? I only caught a bit of what you said.

 

It sounds fun though, maybe we can try it a bit before we sell it off?"

---

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

His impromptu bartering session was both less and more fruitful than he expected. Auburn wasn't sure if bartering was common around here but luckily he was redirected to a nearby pawn shop. He marveled at the artifact with Celia walking by his side, and he almost began to not want to pawn it off.

 

So when the blue-haired girl suggested they use it at least once, Auburn was heavily tempted.

 

"It's well, you hold it when you sleep and it'll let you control your dreams. I think it's called lucid dreaming, although I haven't found many books about it. I received this as reward for a quest and well, I don't really have a use for it." He supposed what he was doing was almost like bragging of past accomplishments. He's never done it with a girl so attentively focused on him though. "It's well, something you need to hold onto while you sleep so it's a little awkward for two people to try it... It's best I just quickly get it sold off so I can buy furniture though. Otherwise I can't return and won't have anywhere to sleep for the night."

 

"And well, I'm not quite sure what kind of furniture I should get for the guild. Something a little more extravagant than wood, but not quite marble or obsidian, I'm too used to those. And it does have to fit with the guild building. Like I said before, it's well, shabby. Not fully repaired or painted over yet."

 

He paused again as his sense of curiosity overtook him. "Well, if it's a quick nap we can try this artifact out. I've never used it myself after all..."

[Wind Rider]

Mina was quite proud of her creation and was equal parts happy and relieved that Florentia liked it.

 

"How does it feel, being able to build such a creature from scraps? It's not alive, but it still felt like a creature. Is it natural for such things to exist in this world?"

 

Mina looked at Florentia for a second before turning back to APPA, this was a question to think about for sure. After giving it a few minutes, she answered. "Well... In a sense, it's alive... It needs fuel to live, it needs care and attention... It's just... Not fleshy, you know? And to say it's natural is... Well... Call it playing god if you want... But I don't see it that way. The way I see it, I'm creating something that can help others. He may be small, but as you can see he can get the job done... With a little tweaking, he'll be able to do more than just paint..." she paused for a second before turning to Florentia.

 

"I can tell you're wary of this, but all I ask is that you give it a chance. This is my passion, to invent, to create." she said with a smile and a quick flick of her tail.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Well, if it's a quick nap we can try this artifact out. I've never used it myself after all..."

 

"Really? That's a shame. What's use is an artifact if you don't use it?" Celia let out a little giggle afterwards. "It's not like it's something that looks good when displayed over a glass case."

 

Nevertheless, Celia agreed to try it out together, and the traveler girl guided Auburn to the city's outskirts. A while of walking around and they found a nice spot off the road to lie down and rest. It was underneath a tree not far away from the river. The main road was around fifty meters away, so the two wouldn't be seen by random travelers. Celia didn't bring anything valuable herself, having left them on her inn room, and Auburn did say that only the artifact was worth anything among his belongings right now.

 

"Alright, I think we're save. Nobody would disturb us here." Celia rested herself on the three, her eyes looking at Auburn, inviting him. "Come on, let's do it."

 

---

 

"Playing god...huh?" Florentia echoed those words from Mina's explanation regarding her automaton. It was a sound explanation, and Florentia was willing for now to admit that her worry was in the wrong albeit she would still feel uncomfortable about the automaton, but those words in particular struck something to her.

"I can tell you're wary of this, but all I ask is that you give it a chance. This is my passion, to invent, to create."

 

"Alright, I will give it a chance. Should it prove to continue being beneficial for the guild's operations, I will even allow you to use sme of the guild's funds to continue developing it."

 

It was not everyday that Florentia admitted defeat like this, but the benefits didn't lie, and her own sentimentality should not matter when it's about the guild's own wellbeing. Even so, she still thought about what Mina said. Playing god. Acting like a higher being in creating and dictating the life of everything underneath it. In regards to that, Florentia was a lot more guilty of it than Mina would ever be.

 

At the very least, Mina admitted that her creation wasn't alive.

 

"Anyway. I remembered about something, now that we can finish painting the insides on a reasonable timeframe. Please follow me."

 

---

 

Gods. The Kingdom of Fraxinus, and the majority of the people in it, was always an oddity when compared to the the rest of Arbolia as well as everywhere else. If asked whether they followed any religion or believing in any god, many would  answer that they believed in some form of abstract conception of "god" as what Mina said, but there were no names being thrown around, no figure that explicitly being worshipped, nor rituals done to appease the concept.

 

They all accepted God's existence, whoever or whatever it was, and moved on with their life.

 

However, back then in the distant past, at least a few centuries after the Cataclysm, people worshipped tangible gods here. The Ten Einherjars, as well as the three chief gods lording over the ten. Thor. Loki. And of course the All-Father himself, Odin. Thirteen gods that lorded over the people. Historic accounts about them were scarce, and it was not clear about whether they actually existed or just figures that the people invented to cope with the Cataclysm's aftereffects. Those thirteen in the end did continue to survive until today as memories, lending motifs, sigils, as well as folklores into the collective unconscious of everyone in the kingdom, many generations later. Even the current official sigil of Yggdrasil incorporated Odin's eye superimposed of its image of an eternal, all-reaching tree.

 

"We're here."

 

Florentia took Mina underground from a secret hatch on her and Celica's room. Mina would notice that it was illuminated better than the last time she went there, and the storage room where she and the others fought slimes were now actually functional as a storage room. Florentia would lead Mina to where Celica last took her, the room with the strange, ancient water heater where Mina and Celica was ambushed by a kobold.

 

"I tried to keep it a secret from the others, but I was working with Celica to fix this on our own and to install a large hot water pool up there rather than here. I suppose that it would be something that the guildmembers would appreciate. But..." Florentia let the condition of the machine speak for itself. Mina's last attempts on tinkering with it were still visible, but it was clear that Florentia had haphazardly tried to fix it on her own, with terrible result. Now some parts were seemingly only tied together by plants and strange tissues growing from nowhere.

 

"Would you be able to fix this? And...please keep this a secret from everyone else until everything is done."

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

City Outskirts/Auburn

"Are... you ready?" Without his control, the situation escalated further than he ever expected, coming to town with the sole intent of pawning off some artifact. It was hard for him to trust this new girl and now they were about to dream together. Were people from lower upbringing this forward and ready? He couldn't help but voice out doubt. "I do wonder though, why would you trust me enough to follow along?"

 

Then, he shook his head. "Never mind that. Let's hurry."

 

He took a seat next to her under the tree, and held the artifact to Celia's hand. He tried to ignore the feeling of having their shoulders and fingers touch, and the sensation of sitting next to a girl, and closed his eyes. From what he remembered, he had to imagine what sort of dream he would like to see. His brain(and now hers) would fill in the rest, but for the artifact to work it needed a base 'idea' to work with.

 

It then came to him. "...What do I want to dream about?"

 

The first answer that came to mind was Ierne. But no, he would never use dreams that way. Then he wondered if he could use it to help fulfill his goal somehow. Maybe a dreamworld where everyone was able to use magic? But that would only be escapism. And it should be a dream that Celia can enjoy as well. The nature of their dreaming together was a little...awkward, ,but she would become a guest to his dream. As a Peachfield gentlemen, no, as far as basic human decency went, he had to make sure the guest would have a decent time. But to ask now was too late and too boring. He'll entertain her somehow. And if he wasn't enjoying himself, there was no way anyone else was going to enjoy it. So what did Auburn enjoy?

 

He remembered a novel he read when he was younger. It was an unusual story, about a world where magic did not exist. Such stories were rare, since magic was so prevalent and it was almost a given that protagonists could use magic. No one wanted to read stories where they couldn't. No one except Auburn. But anyway, it was a story about two girls exploring various locations in the fantasy world. There were ruins and temples and advanced cities that didn't exist in real life. A black haired girl and a blonde haired girl. One who didn't believe in magic and one who did. Auburn was fascinated with such a story where magic was important but did not exist. And the girls with their well-written personalities and dialogues were charming, he fell in love with them. He also found a lot to think about, things that didn't seem relevant in real life but were interesting anyway. It was a story of mystery and intrigue, but also warm friendship and with just a little hint of tragedy. He hoped that Celia would enjoy something simple enough like that.

 

Auburn clutched the artifact and imagined as many details as he could of that book he read once, and slowly fell asleep.

 

Dream/Auburn

Auburn woke up to find himself in a building packed with people walking around. Nearby there were train tracks, which made him assume this was a train station. Although so many people were walking in a hurry, none of them collided into him. There was just enough open space around Auburn that he didn't feel cramped. Perhaps, Celia was somewhere in this crowd.

 

As he walked around shouting for Celia, a piece of paper flew by and struck him in the face.

 

"Mmf!" He pulled it out and looked at it. it was a flyer for an upcoming train that could fly to the moon. Looking at the frail-looking transportation, with gears and black metal everywhere, it was hard to imagine such a thing could fly at all. The details were a little off, but it certainly resembled the novel Auburn read before. He then saw to the right, the train was right there and the doors were open. What a tempting invitation.

 

There was also to his left, a building that resembled the cafe he visited with ierne in his dream. It was made of bricks and contrasted greatly with the more modern-looking(but still medieval) station he was in. However the inside looked comfortable, and it was empty.

 

Once he found Celia, standing in the crowd having just gained consciousness, he decided to ask her. "Hmph. We have two options. We can relax at a cafe with great coffee, or we can take a tour to the moon on a train. Where would you like to go?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

Dream/Celia C.C. Cannes

 

"A train station, huh?"

 

Celia woke up to find herself in the middle of the rail track. At the warning of a few people, she managed to get out of the way before she was hit by a train. That was the time she heard Auburn shouting towards her, and so she approached him. She was aware that this was a dream, but it was nice. She felt in full control of herself and had a lucid experience so far. She was tempted to stand in front of the train earlier and perhaps suplex it while she could.

 

But no, that'd be too much for Auburn to see.

 

"Hmph. We have two options. We can relax at a cafe with great coffee, or we can take a tour to the moon on a train. Where would you like to go?"

 

"Hmm..." Celia never actually disliked going around on a train. Back from where she was, it was the main transportation method outside of airships as well as the few cars. But she was always the kind of person who prefer walking to her destination even if it took years for her to do so. Moreover, she felt a little bit hungry. "Let's go to the cafe instead for now."

 

The two managed to find an empty table for both of them, and Celia asked to see the paper Auburn was carrying. It listed the train trip and how to order a ticket, and it also listed the price to get there, which was ridiculously expensive, even for her standards. Celia let out a groan. Even in a dream, that was a bit too much.

 

"What do you think we'll be able to see in the moon, anyway? I always heard stories about rabbits creating cakes up there, but that sounds a bit silly, don't you think?"

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

---

 

"Something that silly likely doesn't exist in real life, but since we're in a dream that could be what we see." Auburn entertained the possibility. If something did exist on the moon, it was much more likely to be some secret magic society. How would normal, magic-less rabbits get to the moon anyway? If even humans can't get there yet. "If there's a magic that lets you go to the moon though, maybe someone could open up a cafe just like this."

 

He turned to a waitress who appeared just then to make an order. He thought for a second, then ordered the same cups of coffee he did when he was with Ierne. A moment later, the two cups were served. He pushed one of them to Celia's side.

 

"I read in a book once, there's a way to make coffee taste amazing. If you used magic to deprive the air around the coffee beans as you brew them, it brings out the flavor." Auburn grasped the cup to his lips and drank. It tasted like normal coffee. He frowned. "My imagination wasn't enough to create a new flavor, tch."

 

"I've also read a variation of that story. Instead of rabbits on the moon, it's immortality elixirs. Perhaps those would taste just as good as the coffee I just described. What do you think? Would you drink such a thing?"

 

After that they talked a bit more, then decided collectively to leave.

 

Once they did so, instead of returning to the bustling train station they found themselves at night in front of a fountain. The water was running, but the surface clearly reflected the moon above. It was a full and beautiful moon, and Auburn could not help but admire it. Auburn decided to take a seat on the edge of the fountain. A moment later, he fell into the water.

 

"Pfft!" He spat out the water as he pushed himself back up. A moment later, his clothes were dry again. "Dreams really are convenient."

 

The mood now was just right. They had been enjoying themselves a whole lot, as much as Auburn hesitated to admit such a thing. Auburn decided then to ask her. He wanted to be able to trust this stranger he just met, and he didn't know any other way than the way that got him to trust Ierne. "Celia. Is there anything you really want? Aside from your family heirloom and investigating that other  treasure island. What do you desire?"

 

---

[Maeriberii Haan]

Dream Cafe/Celia C.C. Cannes

 

"Immortality elixir sounds fun." Celia's voice turned grim for a moment. "But I don't need it, thanks."

 

The coffee, for something that was born out of someone's mind, tasted nice. The fact Celia was able to taste something in a dream was surprising in itself. That artifact was surely very valuable, being able to create such a vivid dream scenery. The two continued to talk about sweet nothings for a while afterwards before they collectively left without paying. They would soon find themselves at night, walking near a fountain. Auburn tried to sit at the edge of the fountain, but he ended up slipping and falling backwards. Celia let out a laugh seeing the scene.

 

"Dreams really are convenient."

 

"They sure are."

 

She was surprised that Auburn didn't try to go for something more extravagant. She expected something bizarre, like a hunt for giant monsters, a battle between superpowered heroes summoned by questionable methods, or other such thrilling dreams. At the same time, Celia found it to be quite nice. With her life, she found that dreams that felt comforting to be better than any sort of wacky romp of adventure the dreamworld might offer to her.

 

"Celia. Is there anything you really want? Aside from your family heirloom and investigating that other  treasure island. What do you desire?"

 

"Hm?" Celia paused, thinking for an answer. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure whether it'd be best to say it. "Well, I wanted to be reunited with my stupid sister again so I can drag her to my father and get her to apologize for worrying everyone. but that really isn't something that I can say as my desire."

 

Celia walked towards the fountain, looking at the reflection of the moon there. It sure was pretty. She could even see the craters on the moon's surface there. It felt like something that she could reach. Right. This was a dream. And since this was a dream, then she could...

 

"I guess, what I wanted the most is to live a fulfilling life."

As if it was dough, Celia pulled the reflection of the moon to the side, enlarging it. With another touch, the water surface stopped moving, and the reflection of the moon was now on a completely flat surface. Satisfied with her work, Celia then turned towards Auburn, extending her arm to him.

 

"And to die a satisfying death. Now, will you come with me to the moon, Auburn?"

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

---

 

Auburn listened to her answer carefully. There was a part that lightened his mood a little, such that he felt like making a joke about it. "You sure Celica isn't that sister of yours? You two are...annoyingly similar. Not for any particular reason though."

 

Then it occurred to him. "Assuming Celica isn't your sister though. Does... your sister have blue hair as well?" If so he wanted to meet her. He had to see that blue. Even if he had to pay. Well, that aside.

 

"I guess, what I wanted the most is to live a fulfilling life. And to die a satisfying death."

 

He brooded over her answer. Perhaps it was arrogant of him to do so, but he felt it was a dedicated, passionate answer. It was a much more vague goal than his or Ierne's though, and it surprised him. It didn't matter how, Celia wanted a fulfilling life. To Auburn it would matter greatly how that life was attained, or rather he only cared to achieve it through one set way. Celia's answer was more open minded.

 

He wasn't quite sure what to think of it yet, but he liked it. Celia was someone he could trust, at least a little.

 

"Now, will you come with me to the moon, Auburn?" As she spoke, Celia manipulated the surface of the water to open a path straight to the moon. Impressive, considering it was his dream.

 

"Hah... and here I thought we could take a relaxing train ride to the moon." Auburn stared at the situation. There was something unsatisfactory about it. Then he figured it out and approached the reflection in the fountain. His hand extended to the rough surface in the water and held it. As the host and as a male, it was his duty to act politely. "No, by all means, after you, Celia."

 

They leapt into the fountain and a moment later, they stood upon the bright surface of the moon. Instead of the pure white, rocky surface they expected, the two found themselves standing in front of a palace. A futuristic palace whose architecture didn't resemble anything Auburn had ever seen before. No, he remembered, he imagined a place like this but from a different novel. He could recognize parts of the building as being eastern in origin. He couldn't see any entrances into the building though.

 

Auburn picked up a pebble. The next moment it turned a slight shade of yellow and became malleable. It became cheese.

 

"it isn't much, but we could explore and walk around a bit. I'm sure moon society will be welcoming. We can find that cafe I talked about earlier." Auburn laughed.

 

---