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

[Maeriberii Haan]

Fly Me to the Moon/Celia C.C. Cannes

 

"Assuming Celica isn't your sister though. Does... your sister have blue hair as well?"

 

"Of course. It runs in the family." Celia let out a laugh once more. This region, Arbolia was it? Sure was really strange for these coincidences to happen. "And well, to tell the truth...my sister's name also is Celica, and she looks exactly like your guild's secretary...just a little bit more punchable, in a way."

 

The two arrived on the moon not long after. What greeted them there was a large palace, looking similar to palace buildings that Celia had seen back in Shenglong, just with a more futuristic tinge to it. As Auburn picked up a rock and turned it to cheese, Celia did the same and tried to dig in. It didn't taste bad, though it's not really to her taste.

 

"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."

 

"Well, then what are you waiting for? Let's find it!"

 

Celia led the way as the two nonchalantly entered the palace complex. Passing through them were many soft-colored individuals of undiscernable gender, wearing outfit similar to those depicted in the eastern paintings that Celia's father used to collect. The architecture changed as they went, turning more cubical and angled, but Celia opted to continue on her way, urging Auburn to go with her even as they passed other individuals of undiscernable gender, though in a simpler, stylish monochromatic outfit. Celia assumed that this was a part of Auburn's mind, and continued on even as the surface of the moon underneath them turned into glitters.

 

"This is all from your mind? So nice having such an active imagination..."

 

The glittery surface of the moon soon shifted into a darker one as they traveled into the dark side. The buildings were now tall spires and pillar-like, with undiscernable cultural origin. Many girls wearing rabbit ears and carrying weapons that Auburn would find strange could be seen gathering around. The two passed through many other people, now seemingly having clearer and clearer physical definition and form. Auburn would not recognize any of these, and the sight would remain alien for him until the two stumbled upon the cafe they started with in the middle of the spire-like buildings.

 

"Seems like we're definitely sharing this dream this time. Sorry for ruining your solo show with my own fantasy." Celia giggled for a bit before opening the cafe door.

 

I guess it's my treat this time?" Celia then got the two of them to sit on the same table where they started, and ordered the same coffee that they ordered earlier.

 

"Do you have any reasons to be willing to part with such an amazing device? Even if the experiences here are not real, you can have a lot of fun whenever you're feeling down just by sleeping. Maybe even using it to think of someone you love perhaps?" The last one was said with a teasing tone. "Oh though that reminds me. You did ask about how Celica looked like my sister earlier.

 

How did I know that she's not my sister? Well, it's because my sister's already dead a decade ago, and Celica's not anywhere near old enough to be my older sister."

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

---

 

"...just a little bit more punchable, in a way." Upon hearing that, Auburn couldn't stop himself from laughing. He clutched his stomach as he imagined a mental image of Celia and Celica having a catfight. It was such a small, immature detail, no, precisely because it was such a detail that Auburn hadn't expected such a response.

 

He wiped the tears from his eyes once the laughing subsided. "Our secretary aside, she sounds like a great sister to have. I say this earnestly."

 

Afterwards he was led by the hand as the two walked around the moon city. They found themselves walking through a crowd of ambiguous-looking life forms. The architecture gradually turned less oriental and more post-modern. Soon he remembered, this was his mental image of an entirely different novel he read before. He supposed the mental connection from having the Moon as the setting had his mind imagining these things. So when Celia commented on it he couldn't accept the compliment fully.

 

"This is all from your mind? So nice having such an active imagination..."

 

"Absolutely not. These are from things I've read before. I'm really surprised to see them here though. I do wish my mind was that amazing but it certainly is not."

 

The scene once again shifted. This time it was supposedly Celia's influence instead of his. Peculiar-looking bunny-eared weapon-toting girls could be seen around them. Auburn had to admit, the ears were rather charming. They eventually arrived at a cafe, that they both went in unhesitantly. It was time to try out moon coffee like they discussed earlier.

 

"Far from it. It's only natural that both of us gets to see what's in our heads manifest here. It wouldn't be as enjoyable for you otherwise."

 

Auburn received a cup of coffee, which he immediately tried. The flavor was one he was unused to, it certainly wasn't from his imagination or experience. It was Celia's. If Auburn had to say, she tasted sweet.

 

Then their conversation turned to him.

 

"Do you have any reasons to be willing to part with such an amazing device? Even if the experiences here are not real, you can have a lot of fun whenever you're feeling down just by sleeping. Maybe even using it to think of someone you love perhaps?"

 

Upon the mention of love, Auburn's mood lowered, he felt pained although he tried to hide the expression from Celia. She didn't need to see something as dull as that. "I got this orb after I was no longer able to meet the person I... respect. The way we met was a little peculiar but well, using this orb for something like that feels a little unpleasant. I'm fine with using it like this since I'm at least entertaining you, but otherwise I don't need it. And on the other hand, I need the money now so I can impress my guildmaster and prove her wrong. God, that guildmaster..."

 

Then Celia turned the conversation back to herself. She told Auburn about her sister's death, which silenced him. He had experienced what counted as a loss recently, so to some extent he could understand. On the other hand, his own sister was still alive and healthy, and if she died he would be devastated. He didn't know how the other person here felt about that. He didn't know what to say either, condolences felt condescending and insensitive. "...Hmph, rest assured then. Our accountant is very spunky and youthful then. Your resemblance is certainly a coincidence now."  

 

The conversation turned a little dark, and Auburn decided that perhaps a change of scenery was for the best. "Shall we change the background? I have somewhere in mind."

 

He remembered yet another novel he once read, about an old, dateless bar. It was a goofy bar, where eccentrics gathered in the story. Even though the mood of the story wasn't particularly cheerful, it made him laugh. And it felt just stylish enough to show to a woman.

 

Auburn stood up and, hand in hand, the two walked to the other side of the cafe. To the door that led to the kitchen instead of the exit. Auburn pushed it open, and revealed the bar in the novel he read. The details were recreated well. It was a wooden bar with stools and tables. To the sides, a gathering of rabbit-eared girls kept to themselves. That was a little different. Celia's interference perhaps. He led Celia to the counter and ordered some alcohol.

 

"I have yet to try alcohol in real life. But since we're in a dream, that shouldn't be a problem. How about it? Shall we get ourselves drunk?" He offered her a glass.

 

---

[Wind Rider]

"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."

 

Mina smiled happily, maybe her skills can be of use to the guild after all. Right now it's just APPA, but maybe she could create more inventions for the guild to use, the guildmembers might like her inventions too.

 

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

 

Her ears perked up, where was Florentia leading her? Mina shrugged her shoulders and followed behind the guildmaster without any questions. As they descended down the secret hatch in Florentia's room, it became apparent where she was. The tunnel system that Mina and a few others explored awhile back, only it was more lit and showed no sign of any icky, freaky, slimes. Mina gave a quiet sigh of relief over this fact, she hated slimes more than anything.

 

They soon came to a familiar room, with a ffamiliarwater heater in the center. "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..."

 

"But" was right, the machine looked like it was being held together by some kind of plant magic. "Would you be able to fix this? And...please keep this a secret from everyone else until everything is done."

 

Mina looked over the machine and nodded her head. "Like last time, I can fix this easily. But if it isn't too much to ask, could you disable whatever magic that's holding the machine parts together? The organic matter might get in the way." she asked as she pulled her tools out.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"But if it isn't too much to ask, could you disable whatever magic that's holding the machine parts together? The organic matter might get in the way."

 

"...Ah. That is entirely my doing. I will dispel it now as it is necessary."

 

As asked by Mina, Florentia placed her hand at the machine, and so the organic matters binding the heater engine started to rot at the time. At the end of it, only spec of dust remained from the binding that Florentia placed on the device, although the engine looked like it was on the verge of collapse at any moments. Florentia turned around towards Mina and said something around the line of "handle it with care", before going to the other corner of the room and bringing in some metal pipes towards Mina. As Mina started to work on the machine, Florentia started to talk again to Mina.

 

"I suppose Celica had never explained how this device worked? Hm.

 

While the technical details would be beyond my capability to explain, you should've noticed that this device seemingly had no power source at all. In truth, it is powered by a crystalline device stored at its core, which turns the magic particles in the air to keep itself running." Florentia visibly struggled to explain what she wanted to say here. "As for the source of enough magical particles that could make such a device self-sufficient...we don't know yet, but it seems to be related to what is stored under our guild."

 

Florentia paused for a moment, feeling that her words ended up sounding awkward.

 

"In truth, there are many such devices like this heater here, and many of those were not something neither I nor Celica managed to figure out the function of. I could show them to you sometimes, but for the time being, getting this one running should be a priority."
 

---

 

"I have yet to try alcohol in real life. But since we're in a dream, that shouldn't be a problem. How about it? Shall we get ourselves drunk?"

 

"Sure thing! No matter the place, alcohol is always humanity's best friend. Or so the saying goes, I think."

 

Celia giggled a bit at Auburn's suggestion, and she followed him to the bar of dreams. She waved her hands at the group of bunny girls talking to themselves on the side before sitting next to Auburn, letting him order and prepare her drink. She accepted the glass Auburn offered with a smile, and took a sip from it.

 

Only to find that Auburn really had no experience about alcohol.

 

This couldn't do, Celia thought. Auburn was so nice so far, but if it's about alcohol, then Celia had to make him learn one way or another about the good stuffs. At the very least so that he didn't treat any bitter juice with a strong smell as an alcoholic drink. Celia clapped her hand towards the bartender, and made her own order. Not long after another two glasses were delivered.

 

"Here, I'll show you the taste of real alcohol. Treat this as your ticket to adulthood."

 

Grinning widely, Celia went for a toast before drinking the entirety of her glass in one go.

 

"Don't hesitate, it's my treat here!"

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream Bar/Auburn

"Color me skeptical. And even if it's your treat, all this is a dream anyway. Heh." Frankly, Celia didn't look like a heavy drinker. She did seem a little older than he was, and their earlier conversation implied how old she could be (but Auburn would rather not think about that). He accepted the mug, and after the toast he gulped it down.

 

The moment the liquid flowed down his throat however, "You're right! This is good!"

 

He couldn't quite describe the flavor, it tasted a little vague as it should in a dream. But it was a pleasant taste, and just a little sweet. Auburn looked for affirmation from the girl who was nodding along. They continued drinking together, ordering more mugs, and then drank more.

 

"I feel a little weird... I think I will pass out. Goodnight, Celia." Before he knew it there was a literal mountain of empty, alcohol-stained mugs behind him. His head then collided on the table and the next moment he fell asleep.

 

Town Outskirts/Auburn

Slowly Auburn regained consciousness. Next to him, Celia's body slowly stirred as well, both of their hands still connected to the orb. He immediately let go, out of a sense of boyish embarrassment. The feeling of drunkenness from earlier was gone too, replaced by light sleepiness. "...I don't think a lot of people drink to wake up. Uh... good morning, I suppose?"

 

When they laid down to rest, they both took off the outermost layers of their respective wardrobes. Celia took off her coat and Auburn his leather vest. After having slept together, the two got dressed and stood up. Auburn spoke again. "Our session was enjoyable, I'll have to thank you for that. I'll be going to pawn this off now. I'll confirm again, if you want to come see our guildmaster then come along."

 

He then began his stride back towards town.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I suppose I could try meeting her yeah."

 

Celia went to follow Auburn as he pawned off the orb. He didn't seem like he was skilled in bargaining, but he ended up still managing to wrangle a decent amount of cash from the artifact, which then he used to buy the necessities for the guild's renovation. In the end, Celia ended up helping Auburn to carry his stuff, carrying way more things than a girl like her was supposed to be able to.

 

"Say, you haven't talked about your guildmaster yet earlier. What sort of person is she? You didn't seem to be in good terms with her."

 

As she walked, Celia felt like she could hear the sound of screaming from the distance, but she wasn't sure about what it was and ended up strolling alongside Auburn without turning around.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

"Our guildmaster? She's a...tough person. Very stern and strict, she's scary." Auburn shuddered from remembering the few encounters he has had with her. "She gets along quite well with our accountant, Celica. I don't know what's the deal with the two of them, friends who decided to form a guild together I guess. Also you're...stronger than you look."

 

It was then that Auburn heard a scream from nearby. The sound was muffled and barely audible, and even he thought he might've had heard nothing. He didn't want to get into further trouble. It was lucky of him that the only person he ran into so far was a cute blue-haired girl who wasn't actually trying to steal his wallet. That wasn't likely to happen a second time. But at the same time it bothered him that something else could be happening in broad daylight. If it was a woman who screamed and he ignored it, what would his sister or Ierne think of him?

 

"...God damn it. This is such a pain. Let's...head that way instead. That's uh, a detour we need to take." Auburn guided Celia along to where the noise was, under the guise of needing to to reach the guild building.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"...God damn it. This is such a pain. Let's...head that way instead. That's uh, a detour we need to take."

 

"If you say so."

 

Celia didn't object Auburn's decision, and promptly followed him towards the source of the scream. It was apparently from near the city, and a lot of people were already there, murmuring about something unclear, but with a visible hint of hear in their voice. As Auburn made his way through the crowds, he would see that the people who gathered there were looking at a corpse. It was that of a woman's, although she would be a complete stranger to Auburn. She was physically mature and would seem to be in her late 20s, but something noticeable was that the crow-like wings on her back. She was surely one of those rarely-seen elves from the neighboring major island.

 

The injuries that killed her however, it was hard to determine what happened. Many cuts were visible on her body, but there were a particularly large cut near her abdomen area. However, from everyone's reaction around as well as the scream, it was clear that her death seemed to be a sudden thing, which didn't explain the sort of precision on her wounds. As Auburn gets closer again, he would step on a large-ish bloodied purse. Everyone seemed to be fixated on the corpse to notice him, so he should be able to pick it should he wanted to.

 

In the meantime, Celia watched him from the distance, looking worried about the fact that such a murder happened here.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Town Square/Auburn

The corpse was a shocking sight, with cuts and wounds over its body. Despite that, with its wings, Auburn found it, no, her to be beautiful. Even though the horror of a freshly killed human being unnerved Auburn, its beauty too calmed him. He wasn't scared by it. The bystanders surrounded the corpse but no one seemed aware of what was going on.

 

When he stepped on the purse, Auburn put down his luggage and reached his hand out for it. It was all bloodied and jhe wondered if it was the corpse's. It would be improper to take it with him, he wasn't a thief or a grave robber. He walked past the stupefied bystanders and approached the corpse itself. On a closer look, she was even more beautiful Auburn found it hard to take his eyes away. He gently placed the wallet into her hands, covered with cut wounds, and then walked away.

 

"I don't know what happened but we shouldn't involve ourselves. Let's go back and report to the guildmaster, and then you can talk to her about Celica." He was surprised by how calm he sounded, but he didn't want to unnerve Celia either, so speaking in a calm, confident manner was best.

[Wind Rider]

After Florentia had removed the plants holding the machine together and brought some parts into the room, Mina got to work on the machine. She had been working on it for a few minutes before Florentia spoke up. "I suppose Celica had never explained how this device worked? Hm.

 

While the technical details would be beyond my capability to explain, you should've noticed that this device seemingly had no power source at all. In truth, it is powered by a crystalline device stored at its core, which turns the magic particles in the air to keep itself running."

 

A magic crystal huh? Not quiet what Mina expected, but interesting nonetheless. If only she were dismantling this rather than repairing it, she wanted to see this power source for herself.

 

"As for the source of enough magical particles that could make such a device self-sufficient...we don't know yet, but it seems to be related to what is stored under our guild."

 

Florentia paused for a moment, feeling that her words ended up sounding awkward.

 

"In truth, there are many such devices like this heater here, and many of those were not something neither I nor Celica managed to figure out the function of. I could show them to you sometimes, but for the time being, getting this one running should be a priority."

 

Mina nodded in agreement, as this was all making her more and more curious, she needed to get done with the current project. "I'd like a look of these other machines, maybe sometime after this. You've got me interested now." she said looking back at Florentia with a toothy smile.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I'd like a look of these other machines, maybe sometime after this. You've got me interested now."

 

"In that case, I'll be sure to show you in time. But not now, not now."

 

Florentia continued to watch MIna work on the machine, her expression remained neutral but she seemed to be watching her with interest. When she and Celica explored the underground area the first time, the first few levels seemed to have a lot of these devices lying around. Since Celica was the more historically inclined of the two of them, Florentia let her deal with the identification of them. Most seemed to be merely usual contraptions and conveniences such as washing machine, strange device that could control the temperature of a room, and other things. Neither of them managed to get anything to work though. Lack of technical knowledge aside, it was due to the strange power source of the device necessitating strange design choices for them.

 

"You seemed to have done an admirable progress so far. Keep it up."

 

At least, it didn't seem to hinder Mina much in her effort to fix the heater. Not an hour later, and Mina was able to get the machine running. Although, since the piping was not done yet, they wouldn't be able to enjoy warm baths just yet, but that could be done pretty soon. As the two left the underground area and returned to the surface though, they saw Auburn returning with a stranger to the guild.

 

"It seems there is an abberation in nature. You should have been dead for years, Celia."

 

---

 

"I don't know what happened but we shouldn't involve ourselves. Let's go back and report to the guildmaster, and then you can talk to her about Celica."

 

"Yeah, I'd rather not stay here either."

 

The two spent the rest of their walk to the guild in silence, still unsure on what to say to each other after witnessing a fresh murder not far away from their guild. Behind them, more and more people were gathering at the site of murder. But the two didn't pay further attention to it and continued on. It was afternoon when they arrived at the building standing at the edge of the cliff facing the sea. The new coat of paint on the outside, courtesy of Dmitri who worked tirelessly all day long, blended well with the orange hue of the coming sunset. Celia thought of commenting about it, but chose to move forward anyway, taking the two of them to enter the guild proper.

 

And now, before them was a woman with braided silver hair, as well as a cat beastkin.

 

"It seems there is an aberration in nature. You should have been dead for years, Celia."

 

"Eh?" Celia was confused, being greeted with such a strange accusation. While yes, she lived perhaps for around a century or two too long, but that was hardly an aberration in nature compared to usual non-humans. She assumed that this was the guildmaster Auburn was talking about due to her harsh attitude. "I don't think we have met yet, although it is strange that you know my name. Did Celica happen to tell you about me, miss Guildmaster?"

"...No, that's not it." Florentia was unusually tense. Even if she maintained her usual composure, Celia's presence seemed to push a button inside of her. However, several minutes later, Florentia started to loosen up as something seemed to come across her mind. "I doubt you would even forget if you are her, so I suppose that you are not the right Celia."

 

"The right Celia...? Aanyway, I'm here helping one of your children with their shopping and I decided to visit since I heard you know Celica C. Cannes personally. I have some issues about her and her disappearance, and I'd like it if you can help me with locating her." Celia was unsure about how to proceed after such a greeting, but she managed to keep her composure and went straight to the point.

 

"Yes, you are right. If that is why you are here, please wait in the central room at the end of this hallway. I will come to you shortly." Florentia's voice became less steady for a moment. Once Celia disappeared into the guild office room however, Florentia regained her composure and turned to look at what Auburn brought from his trip.

 

"I see, I see." Florentia examined the furnitures and rugs that Auburn brought. They were of high quality and of a surprisingly not too gaudy aesthetics, but Florentia was suspect about how he managed to get the money to buy these. "You have managed to prove yourself, however there is something I am quite concerned with. I expect a full report regarding the expenses and source of said expense for these purchases once you are finished with placing them properly."

 

Afterwards, Florentia then asked Mina to help Auburn with the placements of the furnitures he bought, before leaving the two to their own devices as she went to the office room to address this familiar stranger.

 

---

 

[spoiler=OOC]

@

@@Wind Rider

 

@Mr. Hyde

 

This really marks the end of the quest. It's not really a quest with tangible rewards and grand resolution, but you can say that this quest sets up for future plot points.

 

Since the quest is pretty much over, you are free whether to react or not to what happened here or to close it off in any way you like. I will post again tomorrow with the actual start of the next round.

 

 

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Auburn

Auburn stood dumbstruck as he watched the two women exchange words. He had no context for either side and could not contribute in any meaningful way. He had a ominous feeling this meeting was perhaps a prelude to a larger, greater event somehow though. The tough, stern guildmaster with a past he didn't know about, and a blue-haired girl whose resemblance to the guildmaster's friend was almost uncanny, and was 'supposed to be dead'. Before he realized it, Celia had already disappeared into the guest room. He hoped that wasn't the last time he was going to see her.

 

When Florentia addressed him again, he didn't even remember the little quarrel he had with her, nor did he feel dissatisfied she didn't look more surprised. Before she left to continue the conversation with Celia, Auburn felt he had to get a word in. "Guildmaster. Celia, she isn't a bad person. I don't know what's going on, some of your conversation just now was real shady, but I think she's trustworthy...That's all. Hmph, sorry to interrupt you."

 

Once he was redirected to Mina, his mood was lifted a little. "Behold. This is fine furniture right here. The wood and craftsmanship is sleek and old-fashioned, and it'd certainly improve the presentation of this guild building."

 

---

 

Report of Celia C.C. Cannes

Auburn Peachfield

 

I encountered Celia C.C. Cannes on the streets during my outing to buy furniture. I had mistaken her for a common thief, but the only valuable I had at the time was my quest reward from Myrdain, a small, magical artifact, so I wasn't very concerned that it could've been stolen. The reason I chased after her was because, for obvious reasons I mistook her for Miss Secretary. Once I caught up with her, she gave me her name and that she was looking for Miss Secretary, so I decided to take her back to the guild building. Before that, she assisted me in selling off the quest reward so I could afford the furniture, but not before both of us tried using it at least once to share a dream. Afterwards we properly sold it off and brought back the furniture you have seen earlier. On the way we encountered a corpse in public, and decided to quickly return, details to be elaborated on in a later paragraph. The expenses were entirely covered by selling the magical artifact, which I have earned myself.  There should be no complaints, I hope.

 

I believe what Guildmaster is most curious about is her resemblance to Miss Secretary, Celica C. Cannes. I had initially thought Celia to be Celica, but after we cleared our misunderstandings I thought they were sisters. However, Celia said Celica could not be old enough. Combined with your statement that Celia should have been dead, I've arrived to several possible conclusions, although those are not important right now. Celia's behavior is similar but not so to Celica, Miss Secretary is meeker and less adventurous. That is to say, Celia is more bold and daring as a person. It struck me that she is seemingly experienced as a traveler. Beyond that, no other details come to mind, other than the interesting coincidence that Celia C.C. Cannes is just Celica C. Cannes with the C moved around a bit. I don't know if you've noticed, Guildmaster, but that is a fairly unusual coincidence.

 

My evaluation of her is based on our interactions in the shared dream space. We merely held conversation while exploring several scenes from the books I have read before, and hers as well. Nothing struck to me as strange.

 

The corpse we both stumbled upon was in a public square, with a crowd already formed around it. It was the corpse of an elf with wings, and there were tiny lacerations all around it. I had found a bloodstained wallet on the ground nearby that I assume to be the corpse's, so I returned it. The  cause is unknown but judging from the crowd's reactions, the corpse's appearance was sudden. That was all I was able to infer.

 

If you will allow for some closing personal comments, guildmaster, then what the hell is going on? Who on earth is Miss Secretary and Celia and even you, guildmaster? This is funking suspicious and the only way for me to express my very reasonable and justified doubts is in this part of my report. Maybe it's not something that concerns an outsider, but after spending some time with Celia C.C. Cannes I do want to help her, and there's no funking damn way you and Miss Secretary are entirely unrelated to this. I would like to know even if I have to if at all possible. That concludes my report. ~ Auburn Peachfield

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

 

A few days had passed since the Restoration of the guild building had been finished. With a new carpet that blends well with the sky-blue coating of the building's indoors, as well as the many fancy drapes covering the used to be bare windows, the building had seemingly gained a new lease of life. Compared to how it was in the beginning, it was as if the building had been rebuilt completely, and it was thanks to the effort of everyone, especially those undertaking the quest to renovate the guild personally. Mina's efforts in fixing the water heater underground also bear its fruit by now, allowing the completion of hot baths at the back of the building. There were still a lot of work to do on the building, but it now truly felt that the guild was ready to take on the world for reals.

 

However, the same thing couldn't be said towards the administration of the guild. The secretary of the guild is still missing, and even if the young lady that suspiciously looked like she was related to her volunteered to help with the guild on occasions, nothing were truly resolved on her end. It seemed that the guildmaster had the same idea as Celia regarding what was up with Celica. However, it was noted that Celia herself was still hiding something from the guildmaster.

 

Speaking of her, however...

 

---

 

"To all of our new guildmembers, I welcome you. From today on, you are part of this guild, where we will struggle together, bond together with each other, and reap the rewards that we worked on together for. I expect good things from all of you. Whether you are human, a Golem, or a Senki, you are all the same while you are underneath the banner of this guild.

 

I hope you enjoy your stay here."

 

Florentia finished her addressing to the five new guild members in her usual emotionless tone. but there was a hint of tiredness on her voice. Her eyes visibly had eyebags and signs of a lack of sleep. If not for her magic, she probably would've long since collapsed, but even then she showed a rare lack of maintenance on her own body.

 

"What are you even doing, Celica...?" She mumbled to herself for a moment, but realizing that she was still in the position of leading the morning assembly, she snapped back and returned her focus towards the guildmembers. She brought up the paper she was holding to refresh her memory regarding the five new additions to the guild.

 

Rudy, the overly-eager aspiring warrior that was transferred from Mimirwood of all places, as well as his canine companion. Florentia remembered how he was trying to apply using the name Percival as well as barely any notes regarding his biography, but after some persuasion, it ended with him writing a proper application that Florentia could accept. The refined-looking girl near him was Reginleif. Something about her background had an air of familiarity to Florentia that made her smile, and her wish to be a renowned knight was admirable in its own way. It would be too early for Florentia to say whether it was the right decision or not for her to pursue that path in here of all places, however. The one with the mask next to them both was Reina. She was met with some administration issue when she attempted to apply to the guild, but with some assistance from Florentia, the rest of the process went by without a hitch. Florentia still couldn't believe that a place as laid-back and demilitarized as Fraxinus actually had an active royal guard however.

 

Towering above the others was Ajalon, the young Golem with an appearance that reminded Florentia of insects she used to like to observe out of curiosity. A beetle, was it? There was many things that she wanted to know more about him, being an artificial lifeform different from Mina's automata that veers in the thin line between natural and mechanical. And lastly was Miro, the young warrior of the Senki race. It was actually the first time Florentia even knew about the existence of such race, a different sort of beastkin than what she used to. He was helpful enough in submitting some information regarding his people too, which helped Florentia from doing a faux pas of lumping him with beastkins in general. She plan to put said information on the compendium that Celica used to work on, but that could be done later.

 

"It would be best if the five of you familiarize yourselves with the other members of the guild before taking any of the quests in this board. And now, this morning assembly is over. Thank you for coming here, and now I will withdraw myself."

 

Florentia made a small bow towards the present guildmembers before turning around and leaving towards the front door, something was clearly on her mind. And now, on the guildhall was only the members of Cherry Heart as well as the guild notice board. There were five quests available today, although there seemed to be some odd scratches at the bottom of the board. Although the guild had taken its rank up quest, there were some administrative issues on the Yggdrasil side, so their ascension into the next rank had been delayed for at least another week.

 

---

 

"Auburn, meet me after you're done with your quest today."

 

That was all Auburn would hear from Florentia about the report he sent several days ago for the time being. The guildmaster was now all alone, looking at the fresh batches of flowers that had started to bloom on the way to the guild building. It was supposed to be early in the morning, but the sky still had no signs of turning brighter yet. A murder of crows flew around in the sky, hovering as an ominous sign over the sky of Prunus, as if they were drawn in by the recent series of killings happening in this town. Many things had happened through the course of the week, but it was unclear yet about what was actually happening here now.

 

"I wonder. How far will you go this time?"

 

---

[Wind Rider]

It had been a few days since the renovation of the guild, Mina was just coming into the main lobby of the guildhall after she had taken a nice and warm morning bath. A.P.P.A. followed close behind her, his body making a soft purring sound as he wheeled behind her.

 

Apparently Florentia was addressing a new group of guildmembers, including a large insect like golem. "Hm... Looks like we got some newcomers..." she said as she listened in on Florentia's speech.

 

"It would be best if the five of you familiarize yourselves with the other members of the guild before taking any of the quests in this board. And now, this morning assembly is over. Thank you for coming here, and now I will withdraw myself."

 

Mina watched as Florentia left the room, something was off about her today. She shook her head, it wasn't any of her business what was going on in Florentia's mind. Instead, Mina turned her attention to the notice board. Since renovating the guildhall wasn't so much of a quest as it was a service to the guild, she was dying for some action. She walked over to the notice board with A.P.P.A close behind, whatever quest she gets this will be a good opportunity to show what her little automaton was capable of.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

A new city. A new guild. A new group of people. It was an ordeal but for one such as Percival surely this trial would be defeated handily right? Beside him his trusty companion, Snow, stood proudly and protectively next to the boy. Who had his hand atop the dog's head.

 

The boy waited, quivering with excitement, as he stood among his new guildmates. He knew he was making the right choice when he looked around. These people weren't like those in his old guild. There he could feel the strength of his comrades which dwarfed his own. These people, while likely talented in their own right, weren't on that level.

 

Which meant it was his time to shine! He would join the most dangerous, most heroic, and impressive quests alongside these people and show the world his bravery and skill!

 

As the guild leader, a rather...different type than he was used to, finished her speech and the guild members began to mill about Percival ran towards the quest board and spun on his heels.

 

He hooked a thumb at himself and proclaimed loudly. "Legendary Blade / My story is yet untold / I shall bring justice!" His heart was beating with adrenaline as he looked at all the people. Including several of races he has never seen before. His heart pounded and his resolve nearly wavered but he wouldn't let himself show weakness. So he continued. "I am Percival Crimson, the hero of the ages, and I look forward to taking on grand adventures with you all!"

 

He glanced at the quest board, scanning it for the best fit, and then spoke up once more. "Who shall join me in saving a train from certain doom!?"

 

Snow let out a bark and bounded next to his master. "Ah, of course, my most noble of companions, who shall join US?!" Percival corrected.

[Andx]

"Tch..."

 

That still never felt right but Miro was getting better at it. This little guild meeting seemed fairly uninteresting. Though it might have been a result of the lack of energy in Florentia's voice. The Senki stood with his arms crossed, his scarred right eye shut, his scythe across his back and his large tail swaying about slowly behind him. He looked around while attempting to appear to remain disinterested at the guild members, both new and old. It was quick to determine he was indeed the smallest person here but he hadn't been expecting much different. Even the largest Senki would have been dwarfed in the present company. The speaker's message concluded by encouraging the guild members to get to know one another prior to reviewing the quests available to them. The weasel found himself curious about the others but didn't want to come across as weak or clingy by immediately introducing himself. Rather quickly one of the other newcomers began attempting to rally the others for a quest with him.

 

"Noisy one aren't you?" he said calmly before making his way to the board himself. A twinge of disgust crossed his face briefly as two of the five available immediately brought up birds, a distasteful subject to him unless said birds were being eaten. Neither interested him as moving about an Elven settlement disgusted him and attempting to hunt a bird sounded like more work than it was worth. Percival, as he had introduced himself, had advocated for a quest involving a railroad company that had been threatened. The others spoke of an artist wanting materials gathered for him which while not altogether unpleasant, the Senki decided would not be a good introduction for a warrior such as himself. And apparently there was a whole underground structure below the guild itself which Miro had to pause a moment to process how the guild didn't know that it existed sooner. Having examined them all he stepped away from the board to make room for the others, not that he took up much room compared to them. He resumed his leaning with arms cross position and looked up and to the side at nothing in particular.

 

"I suppose I could go with you on the train. Just don't go orating all our plans Mr. Hero."

[Alaina]

 

The building, while showing recent signs of painting, still seemed to be rather drab and its age still seemed quite apparent throughout. There was very little to make note of, and even then, what was here did not seem to be of recent construction or maintenance. The guild master herself did not seem to be all that interested in them with a demeanor that was about as rough as the building itself. To top things off, the new recruits that she had seemed to be alongside were certainly a motley and odd lot, the most normal looking of them being between a boy with an eyepatch and a girl with a mask of sorts over her face. 

 

In the face of all of this, the girl's eyes were lit up with eagerness, as she said, "my my, it's all just as I had expected!" The perfect beginning to her journey, this certainly was. 

 

As they were told to introduce themselves, the girl merely giggled a bit as the young boy in the eyepatch gave poetry to preface his introduction. Following up on it, the girl pointed to herself and with a proud expression on her face she said, "and as it is my pleasure to meet you motley lot, you may have the pleasure of being in my, Reginleif's, company. Though, as we are on more familiar standings with one another, you may call me Leif all you like. I am a knight in training, and through these experiences I shall become one the history books shall write stories about."  With a sudden look of realization she said, "oh, if you would all tell me your name as well, then I could be sure to include you in my storied history! " 

 

After her introduction, the boy proclaimed a quest that was on the board, one that involved great heroism in stopping a train from some kind of doom. She hadn't read the notice herself, nor did she feel like reading any of the others, but with an eager smile she said, "oh you may most certainly count me as present for the quest! There shan't be an evil on the train that shall be safe from us." Walking over to the trio at the board, she bent down examining the more annoyed of the two, and with an neutral expression said, "oh my, you really are weasel, head to toe. How truly magnificent." Turning to the dog, she then looked to it with bright eyes saying, "oh my, what a magnificent dog. I had read stories about ones that grew to such sizes, but had never seen one myself," without asking for any permission, the girl went to go pet it. 

[Andx]

Miro's previous experience with humans and guilds seemed to be failing him as yet another eccentric individual stepped up offering to join the quest on the train. This one called herself Reginleif or Leif for short. She was very caught up in her image of what a noble knight was similarly to Percival's fantasies of being a hero. Miro wanted to question their sanity but doing so would require questioning himself for he too was attempting to live an idealized role he wasn't cut out for.

 

Before much more of that train of thought continued he flinched in response to Leif bending down to get a better look at him. The beads of his necklace clacked and the bells at the end of the tie on his pants chimed as he shifted, unsure of what the girl wanted. She made a simple observation but it was enough to elicit a response from the young weasel.

 

"Weasels are nature's mockery of Senka's handiwork. They look like me not the other way around!" he said getting a bit more passionate than he intended to. She hadn't used the word beastkin, there was no need to get upset. After clearing his throat some he tried to resume his pose from earlier as if he hadn't ever lost composure.

 

"...It's Miro by the way. Miro Sapat... since you wanted to know my name."

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

"I suppose I could go with you on the train. Just don't go orating all our plans Mr. Hero."

The first to step up was a...what was he? Percival had never met anyone quite like this before. He had seen a weasel once in his life but he was fairly certain it hadn't talked nor was it armed. He felt a hint of nervousness as the unknown person decided to join him.

 

But no, this was just a test! If this weasel man wished to be his companion then he shall accept him with a smile!

 

Before he responded, however, someone else came up as well.

"oh you may most certainly count me as present for the quest! There shan't be an evil on the train that shall be safe from us."

The young woman who came up next had introduced herself as Leif earlier. Percival had been too focused on the weasel, who told them his name was Miro, to pay much attention.

 

But now that she had approached him, and Snow, he got a better look at her.

 

He felt nervous, once more, though it was a different kind of nerves. His mouth felt dry and, for once, he wasn't sure what to say.

It was only when she leaned down to pet Snow that he was able to respond. "Ah, hold milady. That is my Snow, companion...er, my companion, Snow. He is a fierce warrior who uh..."

 

Snow's tongue lolled out as Leif pat his head and he attempted to lick at her hand, though it was placed on his head, happily. "That is..." Percival felt his face heating up as he stumbled over his words.

Closing his eyes for a moment Percival tried to compose himself. When he opened them, though only one was visible, he had a more relaxed look.

 

"Pair of warriors / resolute and powerful / Percival and Snow!" He looked directly at Leif. "I am glad to have such an eager companion with me. And you, too, warrior of the beast-kind!" At this he turned to Miro. "I have already given my name, one of the most precious and powerful things one can give another, and I look forward to battling by both of your sides!"

[Alaina]

 

Leif happily petted the dog, as it seemed to enjoy it as well, as she looked over back to the weasel boy. He seemed to be passionate about him not, in fact, a weasel. Or rather, he was one, the weasels just stole their aesthetic from him rather than the other way around. The girl was a bit confused by this statement, unsure of who this "Senka" was, and so she merely said, "oh, is that so? Well um, pleasure to meet you then, Miro the um, handiwork of Senka." While she seemed to pause in her words, the tone through them still seemed to be genuine. 

 

As she continued to pet the dog, she then looked towards the boy who seemed to be the dog's owner. The girl found the way he spoke to be quite strange, yet amusing in a way, and couldn't help but show this in a smile on her face. "I too admire the zeal you both display towards this cause. So it is well met to you as well Percival," looking back towards the dog, the girl continued petting as she said, "and of course you as well Snow." After a bit more, the girl stood herself back up, looking more towards the quest notice to the one she volunteered for. "My, I do wonder what kind of villainy we'll find ourselves against." 

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Auburn

A few days later, another wave of recruits came. Auburn had barely time to accustom himself to the current group and now there were five brand new faces around. During the downtime Auburn hadn't done a whole lot aside from refining his current kit to be more combat-suited, so it couldn't be said that he was too busy to greet the new recruits. On the other hand, he just couldn't find it in him to. The new recruits were likely capable mages, which he wasn't. To act like a senior despite that was something that bothered him on a minor yet fundamental level.

 

The one thing that kept his mind from feeling too heavy was Celia's occasional visits. Auburn wasn't made privy to what they talked about, beyond the guildmaster not telling her anything satisfying. Instead of leaving, she remained in town and came by often, which was a blessing. Somehow Auburn came to enjoy her presence, he felt they had struck a strange friendship. They had shared a dream together after all.

 

Finally, he was told to meet Florentia after a quest that day. But there's no way he could wait that long. Once the new members began loudly declaring where they would go, Auburn decided he was going to bail this round, and quickly followed Guildmaster to the door and knocked. 

 

"It is I, guildmaster. I forgot to restock my health potions so I won't depart today. What did you want to talk about?"

 

Guildhouse/Reina

My first thought upon seeing the people I was going to be working with from now on was: they were... a very colorful group. Nothing like the rowdy drunks in pubs, men like those were colorful too but in a vulgar way. Here, it was their personalities that stood out and clashed against each other vibrantly. And they were all likely younger than I am... Well, I don't know how to tell for the non-human ones but aside from them I was probably older. I wasn't sure how to deal with that. 

 

It's only been a few days since I moved here and already I found a place to live in and work. Guildmaster Florentia Philomel was kind enough to even help me with the registration process, and I'm really grateful to her. I was prepared to give my all to this new job, but standing there in the flesh surrounded by younger, more vigorous people than I was, was a little daunting. 

 

"I am Reina. I used to be a Fraxinus royal guard, so I can use protective magic. Pleased to work with everyone." When my turn came, I introduced myself briefly. It'd probably come off as creepy if I tried acting like I did back home when I was a kid. "It does worry me that there's a serial killing going on, I want to solve that before more people get hurt."

 

Truthfully told I didn't want to travel a lot right now. The journey to this country still wore me out, I was sick of carriages. 

 

When I looked around, I saw one of my seniors walk into Miss Florentia's room. I believe she called him Auburn, and he looked really young, and had a mean look to him. He could probably stand to make himself look more welcoming, and actually greet us newcomers or something. Then to the side, I saw the other new member who has yet to speak at this point. He... she? It didn't look human and I had no idea how to approach... it. But it becomes quite troublesome for the entire workplace if everyone doesn't integrate properly, I had to experience that once before. To prevent that, I reached out to... the person.

 

"I don't think you've introduced yourself yet."

[Mr. Hyde]

 

After the Guild Hall had been spruced up, it seemed as if the entirety of Cherry Heart had burst forth with new life and vigor.  New recruits were arriving left and right, it was kind of hard to keep track of it all!  He looked upon the guild hall with a look of pride...although he hadn't helped much during the restoration.  The last thing he remembered was painting the outside, but taking a quick nap soon after.  He laughed to himself.  He would have to congratulate the others on a job well done.  After all, it sure was bringing in quite the crowd.  

 

 "I am Percival Crimson, the hero of the ages, and I look forward to taking on grand adventures with you all!"

 

A rather perky fellow introduced himself to the entirety of the guild.  His spirit was rather refreshing.  His companion, it seemed, hadn't been so inclined to give them their name.  He must have specialized in grumpy magic.  Dmitri just waved at the two.  He wasn't sure how long they'd last around here.  He was lucky enough that he had taken such easy quests...but now they seemed to be getting tougher and tougher.  

 

"Geez..."  He whispered to himself, as he approached the board.  One particular Quest had caught his eye....the Quest to Apprehend a Murderer.  His Quests hadn't been too serious up til this point...besides the whole almost getting killed in a hellish dream-scape, but this one tugged at his stomach.  There was nothing more twisted in this world than murder...did he even have the guts to stop the perpetrator?  It was a question that tugged even harder on his entrails.  

 

"I am Reina. I used to be a Fraxinus royal guard, so I can use protective magic. Pleased to work with everyone." Dmitri heard someone else state their introduction. "It does worry me that there's a serial killing going on, I want to solve that before more people get hurt."

 

"Yeah..me too..."  He didn't realize, but he had subconsciously said that.  

 

The girl turned to another new recruit...a creature he had never seen.  

 

"I don't think you've introduced yourself yet."

 

Her curiosity equaled his own, and he couldn't help but introduce himself as well.

 

"Don't be shy!  You're Cherry Heart now!  My name is Geo, but please call me Dmitri.  I'll also accept Dmitri Sensei, Mr. Newton, Teacher, The Mighty and Powerful Geo!"  Then he ducked in closer and whispered to the new member.  "By the way, would you happen to have any odd books in your inventory?  I'm trying to get a rather large assortment to try and educate all of these lugs.  Nudey mags will also be accepted, and stored in a private section!"  He nodded, his lips pursed, his face full of purpose and pride.  

[VCR_CAT]

Ajalon
 
"To all of our new guildmembers, I welcome you. From today on, you are part of this guild, where we will struggle together, bond together with each other, and reap the rewards that we worked on together for. I expect good things from all of you. Whether you are human, a Golem, or a Senki, you are all the same while you are underneath the banner of this guild. I hope you enjoy your stay here." Florentia, leader of the morning assembly, had just finished addressing the new recruits. Ajalon stood among the others with their back straight and arms neatly by their side. Ajalon had heard from some elderly folk in one village or another that this was the proper way to address people who deserve of respect, and Ajalon made sure to put that practice into good use. "It would be best if the five of you familiarize yourselves with the other members of the guild before taking any of the quests in this board. And now, this morning assembly is over. Thank you for coming here, and now I will withdraw myself."

 

The recruits proceeded to introduce themselves to each other. The first was Sir Percival Crimson who introduced himself with quite the poem and flourish. For the most part, the others didn't seem very impressed. Ajalon, however, stood among the others quietly clapping their onyx hands together, however the sound of stone slapping against stone sounded like anything but clapping. The smaller girl, Leif, introduced herself in a similar haughty manner and, along with the beastkin Miro, begun to make plans to address the quest regarding a "Train", whatever that was.

 

"I don't think you've introduced yourself yet," one of the other girls among the recruits said, turning to Ajalon.

 

"Don't be shy!  You're Cherry Heart now!  My name is Geo, but please call me Dmitri.  I'll also accept Dmitri Sensei, Mr. Newton, Teacher, The Mighty and Powerful Geo!"  Another, rather studious individual introduced himself as well. "By the way, would you happen to have any odd books in your inventory? I'm trying to get a rather large assortment to try and educate all of these lugs. Nudey mags will also be accepted, and stored in a private section!" He nodded, his lips pursed.

 

"Oh my, I apologies!" Ajalon said, startled for a moment. "I'm afraid I was a little... distracted," Ajalon paused to make sure they got the right word, but nobody seemed to correct them so they moved right along. "My name is Ajalon, I am a golem as you people will call me. I can wield the sword with some skill, at least some strong men have told me so! I can also adapt my exterior to whatever material I am in contact with! It is a pleasure to meet you all!" Ajalon did the best to convey a smile through their stiff, stony face and then remembered the question that was asked them. "Oh, and I'm afraid I do not carry any books. My old master had plenty of them, but I did not take any of them with me. I'm afraid I can only read so well! But I hope to learn much from working with you all!"

 

[mitchermitcher]

Guildhouse/Reina

"A golem, I see..." Without a doubt I had never seen one walking around or talking so lightheartedly before. Either this country is filled with such weird things, uh, people, or I don't go out enough. I'd rather it not be the latter case though. I looked around to find something to continue the conversation with while adjusting my gas mask. "Ah, your hands. They don't seem to be very well suited for clapping. Maybe next time we can get you a pair of gloves or some kind of clapper instead." Only after speaking out did I realize that could've been rather rude, so I kept my mouth shut and turned to one of the guild seniors.

 

"I'll be in your care then, senior Dmitri." I bowed to the man. "By the way what can you do? I use barrier magic and Ajalon here's good with a sword."

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Having did all she had intended, more than she intended truly, Kasayee was fine just laying on the floor of the carriage as they made their way back to the guild. Though she made sure to keep her head as far from the creature as possible.

 

She felt conflicted over the feeling of wood on her back. It wasn't the worst thing she slept on but the thought of trees being used just to save these humans some time felt...wrong.

Kasayee began to think where the wood must have come from. How old was the tree when it was cut down? How large and old had it grown and what had it seen? It was a shame that she couldn't ask it. Old trees sometimes had their own spirit to them. It was harder than with other types of spirits but on occasion Kasayee had found, in deep meditation, that she could commune with elder trees. Though it had not happened in several years.

 

The thoughts drifted through her mind as she, herself, drifted to sleep. Even the bumps of the road did nothing to sway her. Indeed it almost seemed like they were rocking her to sleep.

 

Once they reached the guild Kasayee was fast asleep and, as the carriage was not the guild's own, someone would need to lift her or rouse her in order to get her off. Lest they faced the surely incredible wrath of a carriage driver who needed to continue his work.