rokubiraijuu

"People... are interesting?" She raises her eyebrows, then nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess people are pretty interesting." She's not sure she'd say they're fun to play with, but he's a fae, so she doesn't think too much about it. Okay. So now it's just... asking some people about Lancelot. Accosting strangers and praying she doesn't get looked at weird. Totally not scary. Mustering up some courage, she catches sight of a passerby who looks more or less approachable. "Excuse me?" Putting on a smile, she waves in a bright and friendly manner. Other people have always told her she sounds just fine, but she feels like she'd rather run in the other direction. "Sorry to bother you. Do you know anything about the rumors about Lancelot the Black?"

By the time he's satisfied with his repairs, it's getting close to the time for lights out. Picking himself off the floor, he stretches and arranges his things before heading out to the spare linen closet — which was quite sparing, at the moment — to gather a few extra supplies. He ought to make sure everyone else is properly settled and not lacking anything important. Some things, unfortunately, would have to wait until they purchased more supplies tomorrow, but it would be wise to at least get an idea of what everyone wanted. The first door he stops by is Shin's; he doesn't recall if there had been a consensus on whether he would be sharing his room with anyone, but regardless, he knocks gently and waits just outside. "Shin? Pardon the intrusion. I'm merely making sure everyone is doing all right. Is there anything you require?"

It's not as elaborate as a more thought-out plan, but... well, they said sometimes simple is best, right? Hopefully they wouldn't get unwanted questions. "You can be moral support," she replies wryly, with a smile. "Okay, so that sounds like a working plan." As they head into the village proper, she looks back over to him. "What else did you want to look at while we're here?"

Bless him, he was trying. "Mm... I don't know, I don't want to sound some kind of village-wide alarm..." she replies dubiously, but gently. "If people actually tried to get together some kind of militia to fight off an imaginary threat, we'd end up with more on our hands than we bargained for." She lets the little tangent about this 'Gwyn' person fall to the wayside. No idea who that was, but she wasn't going to ask. "The message idea's nice, but I wonder if more nosy people would start asking us who we were and all that, then... and then we'd have to be careful about our story and who we're telling it to." Her mouth quirks thoughtfully and she rests the back of her hand against her lips in contemplation. "Hm..." "Maybe we can pretend to be some people who need his help with a personal issue. He's a fabled knight, right? We can always say we're looking to find him because we want to learn from him, or something." She shrugs as though to say 'it's the best I got'.

Eyebrows lift, and Juliett has to suck in her lips a little to clamp down on the smile that appears. Nickles... "I'm glad someone's got a use for it." She thinks briefly back to the day before and Nicolos' odd reaction to the tome. He'd seemed startled by it, or maybe put off, for some reason. She's not really that interested in knowing the reason — everyone's got stuff they'd rather not share — but she does wonder. Especially since it seemed like, as far as his sword was concerned, he was pretty comfortable with slinging fire around. Although Ari is a little more exuberant than what she usually looks for in company, she's more glad to just not be going in alone, and for all his energy, he seems friendly enough. "Haha, okay... just don't leave me high and dry, and we'll be good." Delineating the task of actually asking for information entirely to her sounds like exactly that, so she'll keep her expectations low. "What's the best way to go about this...? I mean, people'll get suspicious if we just start interviewing everyone on the street about Lancelot."

[ ENEMY PHASE ] Scholar 2 attacks Kerr. Through the chaos, the Scholar takes careful aim amidst the trees. With a mischievous lick of fingers, he turns the page of his tome and lets fly a destructive blast of dark magic at Kerr, bringing him to his knees. As the group nears the western doorway to the courtyard, some muffled voices can be heard around the corner. "Hey, do you hear that?" "... The courtyard? Is something going on in there?" [ PLAYER PHASE ] Cheat Sheet:

Look for information about Lancelot, huh? Juliett casts her eye around at the town... a pretty modest, quiet place. She's not really a fan of the climate, but beggars can't be choosers. "Iba, if I leave you tied up somewhere out of sight to graze nicely, you won't make a scene, will you?" As much as she'd like her pegasus to accompany her as she looked around and give her a greater sense of safety, something like him would probably draw more attention than she'd like. In response, he snorts as if in derision, shaking his head restlessly. "Well, you're just going to have to deal with it," she says tiredly, though not without a touch of fondness. He has a grumpy look on his face the entire time she fastens him to a more out of the way spot near where Nicolos is reading. At least he'll be able to keep an eye on him, if anything happens. "Let me know if shit goes down, okay? Yeah, you'll probably tear your reins off if there really was action you were missing out on. Okay, behave yourself." There's still the issue of heading into town by herself, though, something she's not too eager about. But she doesn't really know any of the others too well... oh, wait. "Hey... Ari? Right?" It's thankfully not too hard to find him, and she pulls out the Fire tome she'd been safekeeping. "I picked this up during the fight yesterday. Nicolos said to give it to you."

Coming up to hopefully surprise the scholar, Johanna is surprised to find that he's more adept than she'd guessed. Luckily though, she rights herself quickly and cleanly avoids his own counterattack. Cheat Sheat:

Dinner had been a success, and nothing warmed him more than seeing the space around the table expanded beyond what it had been. First, just himself and Kane had sat there in the evenings. Then, one by one, that had grown to three, four... now, it feels almost rowdy. A smile comes to his face, and he moves around to collect others' bowls and spoons, gently refusing assistance to bring them all into the kitchen when offered. Once everything is cleaned, he returns to his now former room and moves all of his belongings into Kane's space. It takes the better part of the remaining hour; even though his belongings are sparse, he couldn't leave even a single corner untidy for its next occupant. Finally, around the time Kane officially calls for lights out, Ferdiad is settled into the room he'll also be calling his for the forseeable future. In a way, this is more like what he's used to; in the military, there had hardly been a day when he had had a room to himself, and he had missed the company. Even though everyone is settled and quiet has descended on Virtuous' humble home, the light is still on in their room as Ferdiad sits on the ground, his armor arrayed across his lap and the floor immediately around him. He's quiet as he works to polish out the scratches, reverse any dents, looking content.

At Vivianne's call, Juliett steps away from the sidelines of the conversation to take a look at what she's indicating. Curiosity enters her eyes as she looks at the marks that the mage points out. Yeah, that's Cursed marks, no doubt about that. ... Please accept my apologies. The conversation that occurs behind her is largely background noise, at least until Owena speaks up, her words cutting through Juliett's idle thoughts like a knife point. The judgmental ignorance in them makes her stomach churn, and she hates discord more than anything, but it's impossible to just let this go without saying something. "Hey. I... wouldn't make assumptions, if I were you," She turns around to face the rest of them. Her tone isn't sharp, but there's a clear note of irritation, as well as a hardness in her expression. Then she looks down at the ground, avoiding eye contact but still visibly discomfited. "Just. Please, stop."

Quietly from the sidelines, she watches as the discussion takes a sudden turn at Nicolos' insistence that the Cursed have to be put down. Is it just that they're a danger, or is there something else there? She's realized since coming here that the way Cursed are handled... is different. It feels like maybe she ought to say something, too, but she holds back. They can come to some conclusion without her, right? It's best if she stays out of it. Her gaze falls to the nearest body, one of those that Nicolos had felled, and she just looks at it, perhaps past it, as the rest of them talk amongst themselves, her thoughts empty, a thick, discomfited feeling in her chest. The sooner they decide on something and move on, the better.

—Oh. Well, that works too. She lowers her lance, letting out a relieved sigh. She'd been prepared, but honestly it's nice to avoid engaging with the Cursed if she could. Sparing effort wasn't the only part of it, either. She tries not to look at the bodies around them, both those unconscious and those that are... in a more permanent state. Iba doesn't seem to agree with her relief, snorting loudly and lashing his tail in indignation that the opportunity for a glorious last blow had been denied them. He glares sidelong at Nicolos, which goes unnoticed by his rider as she overhears Galen's remarks with a tinge of discomfort. Yeah, she doesn't like the flare much either, but being passive-aggressive like that? She doesn't really believe his dismissal that he's just joking, either. Awkward. With a tired exhale, she dismounts from Iba's back, strapping her lance into its holster and taking his reins in hand. "Um, good job, everyone," she says genuinely, if a little subdued. "I thought that went pretty well."

Nicolos N15, attack Large Cursed. Filthy, diseased claws, huh? Glancing at the now-still body of the Cursed on the ground, Juliett slightly lifts her eyebrows in a somewhat deadpan expression. Well, he wasn't wrong. Those claws do look pretty nasty. Thinking about it too long makes her stomach churn, so she decides that putting her attention back on the fight would be a better idea. M15, stab Large Cursed.

"Making a valiant attempt, at the very least." Ferdiad half turns to reply to Lenore with an upbeat smile as he arranges a set of cookware on the somewhat chipped counter top and looking over their available ingredients with a slightly furrowed brow and a discerning eye. "... It may be more difficult than I thought. Perhaps we ought to have visited the market before the mission if we hoped to be adding new recruits." "There is nothing more vital to one's performance than a balance of nutrition." He turns fully around now to address Lenore directly. "Is there anything in particular you would like to have, my lady?"

Suddenly, Virtuous was double the size it was, which has to be the single largest acquisition of members they've had to date. Prior to that, people had joined one at a time, and the adjustment had been relatively easy. While it's certainly exciting, and will broaden what they are able to do, it also means that resources are likely to be rather tight for some time. "Our funds ought to be enough to cover some new amenities," he says after thinking about their budget for a moment. He had looked it over the other morning. "We may not be able to afford the finest quality, but I am certain I could find something." He helps Kane gather the pots, pans, and necessary ingredients as he talks. "I can handle that tomorrow, if you wish."

"I have no objections at all." On the contrary, Ferdiad seems to be in a better mood than he was earlier before and during the fight. After a meal, he'll get to moving his things into Kane's room to free up more space for the new arrivals. Thankfully, there isn't much. None of them in Virtuous have been able to amass too many belongings, and many of them have come from a life where they don't have much to bring along in the first place. For now though, he heads into his room to remove his armor. Now that the danger has passed for the time being, his muscles thank him for the heavy load taken off. Free of the considerable added weight of solid metal, he examines the plate, making mental notes of where he will have to do repairs later, and takes a few minutes to stretch, loosening up the tension from the day, before joining Kane in the kitchen. "Let me help you prepare dinner. There are many more mouths to feed now, and you should not have to do it on your own."

"Okay, I'll pass it over to him when I get a chance." That... had definitely not been a normal response. But she wasn't going to pry. This isn't the place, and he's her boss, so. As Owena helps Nicolos dismount, Iba gives his wings a shake and tosses his head, flapping and already lifting back up into the air at the sound of the remaining Cursed approaching. "Okay, okay! I'm going, calm down!" N14, Stab Myrm, Canto to N12.

"Uh... a... Fire tome?" His surprise catches her off guard and makes her a bit concerned. That house had been really shifty. "Is there something wrong with that?"

The mood seems to have lifted with the addition of their new teammates, and Ferdiad looks from one person to the next with a smile on his face as they introduce themselves in turn. He seems to entirely miss both Crimson's reaction to Tabitha's name as well as Shin's reaction. "Ferdiad Domniann, and glad to be of service to you all. Please don't hesitate to ask me if you require anything."

Nicolos to M8, attack Myrm, Press Owena. Vivi to N8, Heal Nicolos. She looks down at the tome in her hands, curious as to how this one, of all the ones in the chest, had managed to remain intact. Casting a look back at the dilapidated house, she wonders how long it'd been here, how it'd gotten abandoned... and what had happened to it. The stories a place like this must have. "Well, that's better than being ambushed. I'll take it. Time to get the fuck out of here." "Nicolos!" She flies back over to where the battle's taking place, alighting next to their leader. If nothing else, it's part of her job to keep him alive now, she guesses. "Hop on. Oh, I found a Fire tome in the house back there. What do you want me to do with it?" M9, Rescue Nicolos, Canto to M11.

At the forefront of the gathered group, Ferdiad stands straight, arms behind his back, and listens to their leader with full attention. Having something to focus on like this helps keep the uncertainty that threatens to creep into the crevices of his thoughts at bay — at least until Kane mentions something about dirty work, and Ferdiad can't help but furrow his brow just a little bit. He quickly forces himself to brush it aside, though. Now isn't the time. Thankfully, first the older man interjects with an offer to join the group. As Kane pauses and then accepts, Ferdiad can only stare in stunned surprise. He would have thought that, after the earlier display, none of them have any interest in such a disorderly-seeming band. But perhaps Kane's reassurances had done more to alleviate their fears than he had thought. And then the young girl with the bow and arrow who had displayed such bravery in the fight chimes in similarly, and Ferdiad cannot help but break into a delighted smile, thrilled at the thought that perhaps his worries had been misplaced after all. "What say you, Phoenix?" he asks brightly, turning to look at their leader again. "We know too well how society is often hesitant to accept those who have seen prison, regardless of the justice of their charges. For those who would start their lives anew with us, this chance may be as good as any." And, to Mim: "And I think Snowbird is a fine name."

Kane's forgiveness helps to assuage some of the blame he feels leaden on his shoulders, but it's Justine's kind words that dissolves much of the anxiety from his face and brings the beginnings of relief back into a smile as small as her own. "You don't know how it heartens me to hear that I've done that much of my duty." "But a fortress to hold off the enemy is no good if the soldiers manning it are in disarray. I can only hope this can be resolved..." He trails off into an uneasy quiet, lost in his head again.

Ceridwen's javelin sails through the trees and injures the spearman, who sees that he's getting surrounded and opts to surrender. Cheat Sheet:

Once more, Ferdiad finds himself on the fringes of a confrontation without any way to stop it. This seemed to happen all the time — in the barracks back home, within the populace of his own people, even with his lord and lady. All that had been then, and he had left that behind when Kane had spoken to him in that inn. And still, all he can do is watch as conflict unfolds again in front of him, once more between those who should hold each other in good faith, those who, regardless of their own opinions, should be banding together to form a united front for the rest of the world to see. He feels helpless. It's not your place to do something about everything, his mother had once said sternly to him. But if not him, then who? As Baldur leaves the hall, a stunned Lizaveta and an angered Justine in his wake, Ferdiad simply watches with a crestfallen look on his face. How long could they work together like this if everyone seemed more interested in upholding their own beliefs over the good of the group? He is certainly not perfect himself either, but he has always endeavored to lift morale when possible and encourage a sense of fellowship. With the scene just now, however, it felt unlikely that any of the former prisoners would be keen on joining their cause. Slowly, he walks over to Kane, leading Bradwr by the reins after having dismounted. "Phoenix... I feel I must apologize. In light of all this, I have not done adequately in maintaining the harmony of Virtuous. I swore that I would serve you as your right hand, and in this I've failed. I will do better if you'll allow me."

"Ah, it's that time, is it? A fine development." ferdiad will promote to cavalier / social knight. his new preferred stats will be defense, strength and he will receive the class skill triangle adept. promotion bonuses: hp +2 str +1 skl +1 def +1 res +1 spd +1 con +3 aid +3 ferdiad gains the personal skill lumen lance. he will take +5% in resistance. his new proficiencies will be lances (D), swords (D)