"Yeah, probably with some rest." She would love to go for a swim, but that's out of the question for now. She fiddles with her necklace slightly.

She doesn't particularly like people pulling her in directions, it makes her feel stifled. The Duke, the People's Army, they're the same in her eyes. Two group vying for power, and not caring who they drag into their problems as long as it puts them ahead. Do these people truly think they'll be able to put their leader on the throne when they can't win one duchy by themselves? It's outrageous. Why not flip the tables? Use them instead.

"I don't have an overwhelming interest in helping them outright, a lot of people around here have very lofty ideas. We could just say we'll help to get them to take us to Paulis. Where the ruins are concerned, I'm here to just.. get to them. I'm not after some relic, or artifact. I just want to see it with my own eyes. If I get a few pretty jewels or the like to take home that's a plus, but I would mostly be interested in instruments or sheet music. Cultural things, you know?"

Alexander nods... at least it sounds like these people have a decent sense of what they are doing. Well, perhaps that shouldn't really surprise him considering the fact that he really doesn't know anything past what he's read in the histories--and book knowledge can never compare to actual experience. So who is he to judge? Still, he isn't sure how involved he should get. He wants to see the best in everyone, that includes Elmars. But what if the eagle is really as bad as they say? He'll just have to wait and see. 

Turning to his companions, and following Renar back over to their group to where he assumes they will discuss their next plan of action. Then he realizes that he even though he didn't take any damage, the others definitely did. Good grief, he is just doing a terrible job fulfilling his role as a paladin today. First he can't hit anything, and now he forgot to ask if anyone wants any healing. 

"Uh... hey guys. I know it's a bit late to ask but... does anyone want any healing?" 

He listens to what Shugo has to say, as well as Venet. She really doesn't want anything more than to see the ruins? Well, perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise. Bloom doesn't seem like she wants much more than adventure either, but what about Shugo and Renar? Renar doesn't seem like he's just after treasure, and Shugo... well Alex isn't really sure what to make of him especially after seeing the elf collars in front of that shop earlier. 

"Yeah..." he says, then laughs awkwardly before continuing. "Well you don't have to worry about me uh... Turing on any of you. You can trust me. I know it doesn't mean much to hear me say it... but you can." He sits down beside Venet and looks at each of them in turn, "I... well I don't really know what to do about this whole people's army thing, but I don't like the idea of taking advantage of anyone. If they are willing to let us talk to Paulis without any strings attached that would be great, but I don't want to have to make false promises in order to get in. Maybe they'll be willing to help us out if we are willing to ask Paulis's opinion about the conflict? I mean, Elmars wanted us to talk to him too..." He trails off, suddenly realizing something. The idea is so awful, he doesn't even want to consider it, but now that it's crossed his mind he can't unthink it. He shakes his head, trying to push it aside, but it is clear by the troubled expression on his face that there are a lot of things going through his head at the moment. After a short while he continues, "Anyways. I vote we ask if we can talk to Paulis, but just be honest if we don't want to commit to being a part of the people's army. We can assure them that we won't give anything to Elmars too, just to put their minds at ease. Personally I need to think about this a bit more, and... well I guess if you all aren't interested in getting to the bottom of this issue at all then I'll deal with it myself when the time arises. For now though, let's focus on getting ourselves to the ruins. If we can talk to Paulis, we can do that first, but if not then we should just come up with some plans like Shugo said." He looks around, hoping for some sort of positive response, then adds, "And... maybe we should get to know each other a bit more before heading into the ruins? While we travel at least, we need to know each others strengths and weaknesses in order to work as a functional team."

Muphrid begins its descent down the horizon as noon becomes evening. The sky slowly turns from blue to shades of red, and eventually, another orange star appears in the north. It's bright enough to be seen even when the sun isn't fully set yet, but not bright to the point where it outshines Muphrid.

That is Arcturus, a red giant 3.3 light years away from Lancea and the brightest star of the Boötes constellation, the place where the Muphrid-Saak system resides. It's not the brightest object in the sky, though, that title belongs to Saak, which is currently on the night side of the planet right now.

A while later, the sound of hoofs gallop in the distance, it seems that the three that went out to retrieve their vehicles have returned. You all also hear the sound of them gossiping too.

"Is it true that your speech is so boring you made someone fall asleep?" Lavīze playfully jabs Veno on his side, the Tiefling seems to be in a much better mood now, because he's actually smiling for once, just teens being teens.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly that good of a speaker, maybe I should use more magic, flairs, and all... but eh, whatever will be, will be." Veno scratches his head.

"But it's not 'whatever will be, will be' for them." Elvīns walks to the two, crossing his arms. "They seem really indecisive, it's likely that they'll go and ask Paulis first... and then they will get blown to smithereens, his tower is filled with traps, and there are enough landmines to build a third or even fourth sun with it." He face-palms, "This wedding is our only shot at defeating Elmars, it's the only time when guards are relatively low compared to a normal setting. Just nine of us won't do it." 

"It's still just six of us against the rest of the barracks, Vincens and Zelta want to duel with Elmars and Olga, you know, lovers versus lovers. And of course, Alba will be there too, but we'll make sure she actually wants to 'watch' us like she said." Lavīze says, gesturing with her hand.

Veno rubs his chin, and then, something within him sparks. "Wait, I have an idea!"

Other members of the bandit gang turn towards him... except Radions, who's too busy chopping up vegetables and grinding spices.

"Have you guys ever read A Song of Ice and Fire?" Veno raises a finger.

Everyone else shakes their head.

The Tiefling slumps, "Ugh, really? You guys should read it, anyway, there is a scene in that book that plays out exactly like this—there is a wedding between two houses, but one of them plans to massacre the other, so they sneak their armours and—"

"We get it, Veno, can we please move on to what you want to do?" Glorija interrupts.

"Aww, but I just want to..." Veno looks completely dejected from that, "Ugh, fine... I propose that we disguise ourselves as guests, and then surprise the guards. We distract them long enough until Zelta and Vincens finish their fight, and then we leave, sounds good?"

Elvīns face-palms again, "Elmars might be dumb, but he isn't that dumb, Veno. They might have Detect Magic sensors, not to mention guests who are allowed in will be heavily monitored, and then there are Elmars' two bodyguards too, Zelta and Vincens have no shot at winning a two-against-four duel. We'll go back to Stučkavas for debriefing anyway, so, worry about plans later and focus on how to stop them from not joining us." He points to the general direction the group might be.

Helene says, "To be honest, I have no clue either." She sighs, "All I know is it would be devastating for us and for me to not have them on our side, because I'm starting to like some of them." She touches her cheek, "Especially that hooded guy, his name is Renar, if I recall correctly. He's quiet, but not effectively mute like Radions, I think it's less of him wanting to be cool and more about him being anxious all the time. He's a lot like you back in the day, probably likes books, too." She nudges Veno, which is probably who she's referring to.

Lavīze points at herself, "Me? I like Shugo, his Prihyehan accent is really charming to me, and he wants to spar with me, something that no other boys or girls don't like for some reason, and—"

"Hey! Focus, you two!" Elvīns snaps his fingers, "We're here to overthrow the government, not doing a blind date. Do you know what to do if they don't join us?"

The smell of broth and meat cuts through the air, followed by grassy and herby fragrant. Skābeņu zupa, the food Radions has been cooking while they were talking, is ready to serve.

"Skābeņu zupa!" Like the halfling she is, Lavīze dashes to the campfire, with Veno and Helene jogging behind her, and the rest follow suit.

Only Elvīns remains, again, face-palming himself. "Kids these days..."

Seriously? You gotta be kidding me right? though my attention was somewhere away from this place, I could hear everything with my poor fox ears. And honestly, gate-crashing a wedding is arguably the most mundane thing I've ever heard so far. Hmm? *He overhears Helene saying that she's taking an interest in him as he randomly sniffs the air* Oh don't be ridiculous. I'd rather stay out of your sight for as long as I can for the time being. And believe me: You don't want to know what happens when I show my true side; I'd rather keep the feral monster shut within me... Though you're right about one thing: I like books. Period.

Hang on... *He sniffs again as soon as he smells something in the air. It's also then his stomach growls* Oh great. Dinner's here. I wonder what the weird-as dish is? *He trots over behind the rest of the four to have the new dish* Hmm. doesn't smell that bad despite being a soup. I suppose I could have a taste of it... *He sips a bit of it* Not bad. A little bitter if I had to comment but it's acceptable. The gyoza's still currently my favourite thing in this world though. I wonder if... uh... *He tries to smile at the thought, but then his heart stops after realising he can't; His stoic expression doesn't change though*

Damn it. Why can't I smile? Why I can't I even grin?! I'm... have I reverted back to my feral self again?! No... I haven't! Pull yourself together! *Smacks his face lightly* Geez. What is is wrong with you, Raiden? Relax and finish up this soup before it goes bad! Nothing serious about it at the moment! *He continues to slurp his soup alone, away from the rest of the group, even if they invite him to join them*  

"I'll help try to convince them to lead us to him without having to go through their little tango with the Duke. Overall, You're right Xander, its important that we know more about each other. I'm more of a support and people person, I can make you all a little stronger, or focus up your skills, or even make spells heal more. I'm not very strong though, and formal learning isn't really in my wheelhouse."

Venet has time to simmer down as the evening progresses, but her stance on both parties being lofty in their goals does not change. She makes small talk, thanks them for the food, and settles down with the others. She does notice the quiet one staying to themselves, not good for team building, she muses. 

She throws a pebble at him. "Sunshine, we can't enjoy your presence when youre all the way over there!"

Ow-! What-?! Who threw that?! *He whips his head towards the others in anger but he doesn't catch who it is* Don't  throw a stupid rock in my face when it could've rebounded off my head and into my dish! Rude! Also, can't I just sip my soup in piece whilst I plan out what we can do tomor-

Quote from MrsAnjou >>

Venet has time to simmer down as the evening progresses, but her stance on both parties being lofty in their goals does not change. She makes small talk, thanks them for the food, and settles down with the others. She does notice the quiet one staying to themselves, not good for team building, she muses. 

"Sunshine, we can't enjoy your presence when youre all the way over there!"

 *And that was almost enough to make him choke but he barely suppresses it with a mouthful of muffled coughs* Oh great. You as well with the embarrassing nicknames?! Ugh what do you want from me?! *He eyes the group but still avoids eye contact with the girls out of embarrassment* "Ok fine..." You know what, just to make them shut up, I'll hang out with them just for the night, but I won't engage with them soundly just so... *He sits down next to them though he still keeps his distance* ...just so I don't accidentally sound like I'm rude...

Quote from MrsAnjou >>

"I'll help try to convince them to lead us to him without having to go through their little tango with the Duke. Overall, You're right Xander, its important that we know more about each other. I'm more of a support and people person, I can make you all a little stronger, or focus up your skills, or even make spells heal more. I'm not very strong though, and formal learning isn't really in my wheelhouse."

 Alexander nods, "Okay." He just hopes that they don't have to trick these people into thinking they'll help with the Duke issue in order to go see Paulis. He just wants to be honest with them. His mood brightens when Venet explains more about her strengths, and he answers, "Cool! For me, I can take a hit, and give pretty hard hits as well... uh, well when I manage to land one anyways." He gives an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck before continuing, "But I can also offer some protection in the form of some spells, as well as some healing. As for weaknesses... well I'm not stealthy AT ALL. And I don't have much in the way of ranged attacks, I'm mainly a frontline fighter. Hmmm what else..." He hesitates for a moment before adding in an undertone, "I can be a bit of a slow learner, and critical thinking isn't exactly on my list of strengths. But once I learn something it usually stays with me, especially if it something I learned through experience." Clearly that was something he isn't very proud of admitting. 

Once they've all obtained their food, Alexander thanks their 'hosts' and exchanges some pleasantries before heading over to join up with their group. He isn't really sure how much he should mingle with the members of the People's Army since they basically decided to stay neutral in the whole issue, so he decides it best to just focus on getting to know his team members. Noticing Renar's reclusive behavior, he decides that maybe he should try talking to him more. Clearly the guy is shy, but maybe he just needs some help coming out of his shell a bit? Hopefully Alex didn't embarrass him too much earlier... 

He smiles broadly when the kitsune comes to join them, hardly noticing that Renar is still sitting a short distance away as if he really doesn't want to be there. Maybe that spot is just more comfortable? Either way, it will be easy to close the gap by sitting next to him. So, Alex takes a seat right next to Renar, and hopes that the rest of the group will come join them--and that maybe Venet will move in closer. This is a perfect opportunity for them all to get to know each other more!

"Hey!" He says to Renar, "Venet and I were talking about each other's strengths... buuuuttt you probably heard that already since you've got such great hearing." He offers a friendly laugh before continuing, "Its really impressive though. I try to be perceptive but a lot of the time things still surprise me. Say, do you have any other strengths you think the team will benefit from?" He waits a while for his response, and then opens up a question for everyone, "Venet and Bloom already kinda answered this... but what is it you are hoping to gain from the ruins? Personally I just came to see what is there. I think it would be awesome to find a powerful artifact, but I'm not really in it for the money. Honestly it was just an excuse to leave home and go on a real adventure. I figured I'd help people on the way." His eyes drift to the 'bandits' for a moment before snapping back to the company, "Uh, heh... So anyways, that said I'd be up for helping you guys out as much as I can. The most valuable thing I can get from this quest is experience, and what better way to get that than to work with real adventurers like you all?"

Shugo nods slowly to Venet's response to his question. That puts her in the thrill-seeker category. So her plans shouldn't mess with his own at all. He half listens to Alexander as the young boy as he explains his feelings towards their position. Which, ends up getting the elf deeper in thought. As of now, if he's forced to choose sides, he'd prefer to stick with the People's army. They seem a lot less manipulative and haven't really tried to pressure them into doing anything. Shugo didn't really like Elmars from the start, this feeling spawning purely from the guy's brainwashing speech, but he's not sure if the guy is really a terrible person or not. The main issue is that Elmars' offer seems to be the faster path to getting a letter to go see Paulis. The bandit's said that a letter from this Alba person would work just as well, but they also said they don't know where she is. What? Alex seems like he's willing to help but he doesn't want to commit to either side? Really? That's not possible. As soon as they take action for one side, even if it isn't hostile to the other, they will have thrown their lot in with them. No going back.

He leans back to lay on the ground and stare at the sky as he answers Alexander's question of strengths and weaknesses. "Well, I'm stealthy. I don't hit particularly hard, but I'm fast and can strike quicker than most. I'm hard to pin down, but if I am I'll likely fall fast. I know nothing about healing so don't go putting anyone's life in my hands. I'm smart...well at least I think I am. Hahah, but I really don't function well on an empty stomach...." He spouts off a few more random things about himself as he ends up drifting off into a trance. Wow, he didn't realize how tired he was. All that thinking probably wore him out.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After about an hour...or maybe three? Eh, doesn't matter. Shugo snaps out of his trance...he smells something. "FOOD!" He sits strait up, crawls for a second then gets to his feet and runs over to grab a bowl. "Ah! I'm starving!" He smiles at the bandits who are standing around, obviously completely oblivious to whatever they were talking about before he came over. Then he holds up the bowl, "Thanks for this!" and strolls happily back over to his spot next to his companions.

Sitting back down he slurps up whatever the food is as if he hasn't eaten in days, then cocks his head as Venet throws a rock at Renar. Why'd she do that? Rude. Huh, maybe she likes him? He shrugs and goes back to his food. He looks at the triton as she starts answering Alex's question from earlier. Pointing at her he says through a mouth full of food, "I think I answered that already? Right? Correct me if I'm wrong...."

Then he turns to look at the paladin as he starts talking about himself, and continues watching him as he goes over to talk to Renar. He perks up when he asks the shifter what he's hoping to gain from the ruins. This is of great interest to the elf...

She smiles as their gloomy boy begrudgingly moves closer, she's content with him not sulking in the dark now, so doesn't bother him further and lets him enjoy his meal. In the meanwhile she finishes her own food then stands to stretch and move about. She takes out her viol, closing her eyes as she begins to play. The melody carries out around them, an ethereal piece that layers on itself making it seem at times like there's more than just her playing. It's plain to see she is consumed by the music as she plays, to her it's more than just notes in the air. In this moment she feels truly herself, probably since she got here. She plays for a few minutes, until she reaches the part of the song she hasn't written yet, the notes fading out around them. She heavies out a happy sigh before twirling around back to her case and setting the viol safely back inside.

She begins to layout her bedroll, and settle down. She pulls out her journal, writing out some proposed additions to the song, but none of them really click with her the way she knows they should. Eventually she just closes the journal and stuffs it back into her bag. 

-internet is wonky and posted it twice-

Though I made my way closer towards the other four, my head was still arched down at my soup and my sour expression didn't change. I still wasn't in the mood to interact with any of them; My batteries need recharging and the only I could do so is if I'm left to at least plan out what the next mission might be. Unless if...

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

"Hey!" He says to Renar, "Venet and I were talking about each other's strengths... buuuuttt you probably heard that already since you've got such great hearing." He offers a friendly laugh before continuing, "Its really impressive though. I try to be perceptive but a lot of the time things still surprise me. Say, do you have any other strengths you think the team will benefit from?" He waits a while for his response.

"Oh hey. What's up?" I watched as Alex trudges towards me, and was half-expecting him to be the only one who decided to do so, but maybe Shugo as well, perhaps. Either way, I... hmm? Oh. Right. So he's still interested in getting to know me more. *His face makes a tiny smirk, if not unnoticeable* Heh. I admire your courage, my friend. Usually if someone dares to pester me with useless trivia that I hardly take interest in and I claw their eyes out as retaliation. But... you are somewhat special to me. To me... you remind me of my best friend. My leader Rixi, who saved me from loneliness, hatred and misunderstanding... Anyways, what was I going to say again? Oh yeah...

"Yeah I guess you say that I heard what you two were speaking. And well..." I quietly speak. "I guess... since you're the main damage dealer, I could... maybe... be... the backup one, I guess. I'm uh... I'm not a healer and I consider myself a glass cannon... but at least I can provide both melee and range damage if everyone needs. What else... Oh yeah. I mean... I can stealth? That works too possibly? And help fill... the critical thinking bit... Maybe." I kept second guessing myself with every word I speak. Up until now I was so used to having the psychic kobold Xenia interfere with my thoughts that I've never had to chat to myself in my head this much in so long. Without her to eavesdrop on me,  I guess I have reverted to my reclusive self. I also just remembered: Back in the Sword Coast I had and memorized so many spells that reached up to 7th level. After I trained so much to not become the weakest shapeshifter, Rixi now calls me the strongest as of the war against the Dragon Queen. Now... having stepped foot into another part of the multiverse, I somehow lost all of my knowledge. I can't even conjure a spell powerful enough to wipe out the bandits we faced in one go. What will happen if I return to my home world? Will I have to remember everything again? Will my past knowledge be restored as if magic wasn't surreal enough? Well...

I cant bring myself to speak with my heart, but at least I know myself well enough to know what I'm getting myself into. Anyways, now that I'm breaking the 4th wall with my thoughts... My main strength as an elemental damage dealer will not develop until I've relearnt all of the powerful enchantments my fox soul can conjure; right now I'm stuck with these terrible-level spells plus Inazuma, my katana as my source of damage for the time being. Another strength, well, I was trained in the ways of the shinobi, having wielded my katana since I was a little kit, so if I ever run out of spell slots or get cornered in a fight, I can at least have an alternate fighting style. Also, Alex said he's not the one who can think critically. Well, lucky for you, that's when I come in. I'm here to pull everyone to their senses, organise how each of us can overcome weaknesses and prepare for the upcoming situations we might end up facing, even if things don't go as planned. My weakness other than awful social skills, well... Since I cannot endure as much damage as Alex can, I heavily rely on stealth and evasion to couple with my offensive prowess, both in melee and ranged combat; Sometimes it doesn't work and I'll need a heavily armoured person like him to guard my back too. And since I'm so focused on the big pictures of each task that I do, I end up missing the smallest details that could cost me the entire plan, so I need someone to help me look out for them to maximize success. I can't heal myself, so I always try to analyse which enemies I say are beatable for me alone and which ones require a stronger person than I am, so I don't teeter on the verge of life and death. Though... since I can generate soul orbs, should I die, I can technically revive myself by transferring the life force of it back into my body. I can do so with the others a limited amount of time too, should they also suffer a fatal wound...

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

...and then opens up a question for everyone, "Venet and Bloom already kinda answered this... but what is it you are hoping to gain from the ruins? Personally I just came to see what is there. I think it would be awesome to find a powerful artifact, but I'm not really in it for the money. Honestly it was just an excuse to leave home and go on a real adventure. I figured I'd help people on the way." His eyes drift to the 'bandits' for a moment before snapping back to the company, "Uh, heh... So anyways, that said I'd be up for helping you guys out as much as I can. The most valuable thing I can get from this quest is experience, and what better way to get that than to work with real adventurers like you all?"

Right. So that's where his curiosity led to him. Just an item, not money. He plus the beautiful ladies are thrill-seekers huh? What about Shugo though? What are his motives actually? Surely if he wants to visit the ruins there must be some quest that's important for him to complete. Does he need something to benefit himself? Or is it for his family? Or is it for everyone in Prihyeh? I have some speculations, but then again, if I don't know his motives, neither can he. It's the same for everyone else...

"I... I just..." I shudder with fear in my voice. "I... I'm not interested in what artefact each side is looking for, like you all said. I mean... whatever's inside these ruins... I could... yeah, have some experience, like you said Alex. And maybe... find something... that can prevent a future disaster..."

I couldn't let out my main objective to the others yet, that I need to find a legendary weapon or wondrous item that will help turn the tide of the ferocious war that I'm losing. I know I sounded vague, but that's the future disaster I'm referring to, though in some aspects I am also worried about Lancea having one too; I hope it doesn't boil down like my current home world. But... even if I know what to say, my anxiety will get the better of me in every single day. I was supposed to do this with Rixi, Yuri and mother. The three of them. And now, since I was the only one that made it here, I'll have to finish it. Even if it cost me everything that I hold deep in my heart.

"But..." I then continue. "I-I know we're all unsteady with each other... but..." *He shifts uncomfortably in his seat* "I hope that... overtime... I hope w-w-we can all get along like a team, like what Alex said..."

Bloom listens to the others as they describe what they can do, why they want to go the ruins, and she makes a face anything is remotely related to Elmars’ dumb artefact that has gotten them into such a mess. Who cares? Why not just go to the ruins and find the pretty flower there and just leave? Well…they can grab other stuff too of course.

”I can make things puretty”, she says, batting her eyelashes, “Can we go now? I don’t like these people. They’re very icky and they talk too much. I don’t want to help any of them, the stupid bird dayuke and the icky yucky bandits can play together without us!”. 

Soon enough, Muphrid sets on the horizon, the sky begins to darken and the stars begin to shine.

The brightest and the most prominent star in the sky is Saak, Lancea's second sun, and right below it is Tiberion, the fourth planet from Muphrid and the closest neighbour of Lancea. It's blue, and if you look very closely, there are clouds and even islands on it. It's clear that Lancea isn't the only place in the Muphird-Saak system that harbours life.

On the left of Tiberion are two moons: Ramih, the larger, reddish-orange moon with black spots, and Changmao, the smaller, white moon. Tides in Lancea is only created by Ramih, because Changmao is too far and too small to make any significant impact on the planet's liquid surface anyway.

Skābeņu zupa, otherwise known as sorrel soup, is a dish that can be served cold (in Summer) or hot (in other seasons). Its taste is unique, the sorrel being boiled generates oxalic acid, which makes the dish sour with some bitterness hidden in it. The many chunks of sorrel floating in the soup taste like spinach by itself, the pork is cooked to perfection and melts in your mouth.

After finishing their meal, the bandits go out to do their own thing. Lavīze invites Glorija and Helene to play a board game with her, Elvīns sharpens his longsword, and Radions lean against a tree, crossing his arms and not speaking as usual.

That leaves only one person left.

Veno walks toward the group, holding a goatskin in his right hand. He looks up to the sky and points directly above his head.

"Arcturus." The orange star seems to shine brighter for a second after he utters its name, "Izar, Princeps, Nekkar, Seginus, Genghesan." He traces his finger across the sky, forming a diamond shape. "That's Boötes, the constellation we're in right now. Beautiful, isn't it?"

His index finger returns to Seginus, he sticks his pinky, and there is another star at its tip. He uses his index finger and count even more stars, "Alkaid, Alcor and Mizar," If you look very closely, Alcor and Mizar seems to be two stars that's so close together it almost merges into one, "Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak, Dubhe, Muscida." He sticks his thumb up, at the tip of it is a bright, white star.

"Sol, right at the tip of Ursa Major, you know what that is, that's where humans came from, probably where this legendary artefact was created too." Veno says as he sits down on the grass. For each world out there, Sol is always in a different constellation from their perspective. Their closest neighbour, Rigil Kentaurus-Toliman would see Sol in the Cassiopeia constellation, for example. One thing is certain, though—Sol will always be special.

He looks down and scratches his head, "Oh, sorry for getting off-topic here, I like astronomy a lot, sometimes I get lost among the stars." He sets down six wooden cups and pours a white liquid from his goatskin. He hands it to the rest of the group, and you notice that there is a thin layer of foam on the surface too.

Veno looks to the two Prihyehans, "Shugo and Renar, let me introduce you to kefir. It's not a person or anything like that." He giggles, remembering that time when Renar thought Rauna is a person. "That's the drink you're holding right now, it's a fermented milk infused with kefir grains, like yoghurt with a more earthy, grainy taste." He takes a sip, the drink tastes like yoghurt with a hint of oat.

"A lot of you seem to be new here, feel free to ask me anything about this area!" The Tiefling smiles at the group. You should probably ask something, any information is valuable, and he's also willing to answer miscellaneous questions too.

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

 Veno walks toward the group, holding a goatskin in his right hand. He looks up to the sky and points directly above his head.

"Arcturus." The orange star seems to shine brighter for a second after he utters its name, "Izar, Princeps, Nekkar, Seginus, Genghesan." He traces his finger across the sky, forming a diamond shape. "That's Boötes, the constellation we're in right now. Beautiful, isn't it?"

His index finger returns to Seginus, he sticks his pinky, and there is another star at its tip. He uses his index finger and count even more stars, "Alkaid, Alcor and Mizar," If you look very closely, Alcor and Mizar seems to be two stars that's so close together it almost merges into one, "Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak, Dubhe, Muscida." He sticks his thumb up, at the tip of it is a bright, white star.

"Sol, right at the tip of Ursa Major, you know what that is, that's where humans came from, probably where this legendary artefact was created too." Veno says as he sits down on the grass. For each world out there, Sol is always in a different constellation from their perspective. Their closest neighbour, Rigil Kentaurus-Toliman would see Sol in the Cassiopeia constellation, for example. One thing is certain, though—Sol will always be special.

I noticed the sky has gotten a lot darker; I'm now convinced that as I look up into the sky of infinity the bright stars would shine down in my white fur. Hmm... they're talking about constellations huh? Tenebris would love to have this conversation about it since he chose the Circle of Stars path; I can already imagine a deep conversation between him and those guys in the sockets of my ears. I recognise Ursa Major, Sol and Alioth, but the others I have never heard of before. *He makes another unnoticeable grin as he arches his head up* Man I'm sure these are constellations that my dark elf friend would most likely delve into. In fact, I can even see Sagittarius and Virgo up in the sky too if I'm correct, somewhere in between Ursa Major and the other unfamiliar ones pointed out. It's like viewing the night sky from Japan and South Korea themselves; Nostalgia. 

But... *He lowers his head and looks at Alex for a brief moment* I mean, if Alex is still interested, I would maybe engage in something that we might both be interested in too... but he seems pretty tired, seeing that he's also losing focus too. I should leave him be until the morning sun rises tomorrow. "Well... we can talk again tomorrow... I guess?" I say awkwardly, since I have no idea how to end small talks like this. As I rise up from my seat, I stretch my arms (and my tail from underneath and wag it) before I politely return my bowl back. "Thanks for the meal. It was delicious." I softly speak as I handed them my dirty bowl for them to wash. Without bowing again of course. Maybe for the rest of the night as I walk off to withdraw to somewhere quiet, I could finish where I originally started...

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

 

He looks down and scratches his head, "Oh, sorry for getting off-topic here, I like astronomy a lot, sometimes I get lost among the stars." He sets down six wooden cups and pours a white liquid from his goatskin. He hands it to the rest of the group, and you notice that there is a thin layer of foam on the surface too.

Veno looks to the two Prihyehans, "Shugo and Renar, let me introduce you to kefir. It's not a person or anything like that." He giggles, remembering that time when Renar thought Rauna is a person. "That's the drink you're holding right now, it's a fermented milk infused with kefir grains, like yoghurt with a more earthy, grainy taste." He takes a sip, the drink tastes like yoghurt with a hint of oat.

"A lot of you seem to be new here, feel free to ask me anything about this area!" The Tiefling smiles at the group. You should probably ask something, any information is valuable, and he's also willing to answer miscellaneous questions too.

 "If only a close friend of mine was with me. He loves to immerse himself in the stars too." I softly mutter as I notice the little hooded boy... heh, I like that we have something in common already, hands me a... yoghurt drink? *He blinks twice as he stares at it before he turns to Veno again to thank him* "Uh... thanks." I say, though I felt really sceptical, I guess it wouldn't hurt to uh... drink something... that I don't think is poisonous right? *He slurps a bit of it first* Hmm... not bad I guess. I mean I don't have any comments this time but I guess it works. *He slowly finishes the rest of the drink before he gets up again. As he turns his back to the others, he hears Veno talk again and swivels his head towards him*

"Well uh... I mean, I don't really have anything to ask..." I stutter, trying to choose my words carefully yet again. "But... maybe, um... a short tour of your place would be nice, I guess. I mean uh... it would be um, it would be nice to get to know the layout of it a little better perhaps, in case we need to return here for uh, for some... 'reason'." I don't know if they do but, well... I could technically start my plan for tomorrow, but if they have a training area I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hone my kenjutsu skills by myself too before I rest.

"Well I'm glad we've got another damage dealer," Alex says in response to Renar. "And it sounds like I'm pretty much the only one here who sucks at being stealthy." He laughs. So rear is here for experience too? Somehow that doesn't sound right, but if that's what he says then Alex will believe him. "We'll get experience together then!" Something that can prevent a future disaster? Is he really still thinking that the world is going to end? ...he really is a nervous one, but at least he's willing to talk a bit more now. Even if he sounds kind of unsure of himself. "I'm sure we'll all make a great team once we figure out how best to work together! It'll come with time of course." He adds that last line as almost an afterthought. 

He glances over at Bloom who just wants to leave, "What makes them yucky Bloom? They're being nice to us right now. There giving us good food, and offering their help..." Of course they could just be being nice because they think that they will help them overthrow the Duke. Which, at this point Alexander is considering looking into more. He doesn't want to just jump head first into a rebellion, especially since that would. mean flipping sides without much consideration. But he really wasn't joking when he said that critical thinking isn't his strong point. The amount of thought that's gone into this already is kind of starting to stress him out. He wants to help people, and this seems like the best way to do it if Elmars really is such a bad guy. But wrecking his wedding? That just seems wrong. Even if Elmars isn't the greatest person in the world, he's still capable of love, which means there's still some good in him right? Perhaps that's a sieve way of thinking, but that's how Alexander feels right now. 

Pushing the thoughts away for a moment he looks to Shugo, "What about you? What brings you all the way here to explore the ruins?" 

He smiles as Venet pulls out her instrument and brightens the night with her music. The song was really quite beautiful, and it feels like a long time since Alexander has just listened to something like that. He listens silently until the triton puts her instrument away and begins laying out her bedroll. Then he looks to Bloom again and says, "Its late, why don't we stay here for the night and think about heading out tomorrow?" 

As he starts pulling out his own bedroll, Veno approaches them and starts talking about the stars. This draws Alex's attention to the night sky, bringing another smile to his face. He didn't really know most of the constellations, aside from those helpful for navigation, but he always liked looking up at the stars. Seeing Ursa Major made him wonder about the artifact said to reside in the ruins, could it really help anyone? What if it just makes things worse? No, it's a human artifact, it has to help somehow! He just had to keep believing. 

When Veno asks if there is anything they would like to know, Alex hesitates. His mental energy has pretty much been sucked away at this point, but he doesn't want to just say not thanks. So, he asks, "Could you tell us more about Paulis? I just think it's odd that Elmars and Alba both have connections with him if they are enemies? Is he a neutral party?" He hesitates, "I... don't want to ask too much about your base or anything since I'm not sure were going to be able to commit to anything just yet. I don't want you to tell us anything that could put your group at jeopardy." He fiddles with the edge of his cloak for a moment before saying just to Veno, "Personally I would like to help, but I think I need to do some digging on my own to determine what course of action is the best for me. Honestly that's my main reason for wanting to talk to Paulis. Maybe he can help me figure out what path is right for me."

After whatever answer he receives, he returns to where he started setting up his bedroll and flops down on it. Sleeping in armor is never the brightest thing to do, but at the moment he's got too much on his mind. If he gets cold oh well. So, he offers up a prayer to God, thanking him for his new companions and asking for strength and wisdom. Please help me to find the right path. Guide me forever towards the light, and help me to guide others as well. Lend me your strength to protect my comrades, and your wisdom to make the right choices. Thank you, Creator. Your faithful servant Aleksandteri. Amen.

And then he attempts to fall asleep. 

“They want us to help them become kings and queens Lexi! They are not doing this because they want to make everything puretty and nice, they just want money and to sit in their stupid thurones. Its yucky yucky with a bit of sticky. Once we touch that we can’t let it go. And I am letting go!”, she explains. 

Bloom eyes the bandits as they return, her eyes narrowing at them. They were like fungus that kept creeping back no matter how many times you got rid of it. No wonder the bird duke didn’t like them. She did not enjoy the lesson about the stars and instead skipped off to investigate their camp, hiding behind a tree before turning into a small spider and skittering about. Let the others listen to yet another tall tale if they wanted to, she would have a look around and maybe even see something interesting. 

The small pink spider skittered quietly across the camp, eyeing the different bandits and rolling all of her eyes at their conversations. How boring was this place? No matter they were hungry and starving. Even plants and animals would die at such a depressing location. Where was the music? Where was the singing? Why wasn’t ANYONE dancing? You couldn’t even find a decent place to sleep with all the constant talking and yammering. 

Still, Bloom did make her way about sneakily in spider form to listen and hear what these people were about and what they were saying behind her friends’ backs. Better not be something nasty, or she’ll burry all of them under the dirt! Nobody can hear their boring conversations there…

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

"Yeah I guess you say that I heard what you two were speaking. And well..." I quietly speak. "I guess... since you're the main damage dealer, I could... maybe... be... the backup one, I guess. I'm uh... I'm not a healer and I consider myself a glass cannon... but at least I can provide both melee and range damage if everyone needs. What else... Oh yeah. I mean... I can stealth? That works too possibly? And help fill... the critical thinking bit... Maybe." I kept second guessing myself with every word I speak. Up until now I was so used to having the psychic kobold Xenia interfere with my thoughts that I've never had to chat to myself in my head this much in so long. Without her to eavesdrop on me,  I guess I have reverted to my reclusive self. I also just remembered: Back in the Sword Coast I had and memorized so many spells that reached up to 7th level. After I trained so much to not become the weakest shapeshifter, Rixi now calls me the strongest as of the war against the Dragon Queen. Now... having stepped foot into another part of the multiverse, I somehow lost all of my knowledge. I can't even conjure a spell powerful enough to wipe out the bandits we faced in one go. What will happen if I return to my home world? Will I have to remember everything again? Will my past knowledge be restored as if magic wasn't surreal enough? Well...

 Shugo finishes up his bowl of soup as he listens to Renar's response to Alexander. Glass cannon eh? Backup damage dealer. Hmmm. This guy's talents sound awfully similar to his own. If he had a bow, Shugo's sure he could match the shifter in just about everything (Even if that's not true). Critical thinking? Tch Shugo does way to much thinking as it is. Plus he's not about to put that out there. As soon as he says he can do that sort of thing, he'll be expected to do so and speak up about it. Nah, he'll just let the group think Mr. quiet is the smart guy of the group....well he probably is smarter, but whatever. He can be the main thinker too. 

Right. So that's where his curiosity led to him. Just an item, not money. He plus the beautiful ladies are thrill-seekers huh? What about Shugo though? What are his motives actually? Surely if he wants to visit the ruins there must be some quest that's important for him to complete. Does he need something to benefit himself? Or is it for his family? Or is it for everyone in Prihyeh? I have some speculations, but then again, if I don't know his motives, neither can he. It's the same for everyone else...

"I... I just..." I shudder with fear in my voice. "I... I'm not interested in what artefact each side is looking for, like you all said. I mean... whatever's inside these ruins... I could... yeah, have some experience, like you said Alex. And maybe... find something... that can prevent a future disaster..."

I couldn't let out my main objective to the others yet, that I need to find a legendary weapon or wondrous item that will help turn the tide of the ferocious war that I'm losing. I know I sounded vague, but that's the future disaster I'm referring to, though in some aspects I am also worried about Lancea having one too; I hope it doesn't boil down like my current home world. But... even if I know what to say, my anxiety will get the better of me in every single day. I was supposed to do this with Rixi, Yuri and mother. The three of them. And now, since I was the only one that made it here, I'll have to finish it. Even if it cost me everything that I hold deep in my heart.

"But..." I then continue. "I-I know we're all unsteady with each other... but..." *He shifts uncomfortably in his seat* "I hope that... overtime... I hope w-w-we can all get along like a team, like what Alex said..."

 He watches the shifter intently as the man explains his motives...sort of. He seems to be stuttering over his words a lot. That means he's either just super shy...which isn't far fetched, he's not telling the whole truth, or both. Shugo's betting on both. Well, so far he doesn't seem to have caught on to Shugo, but that could just be an act. The elf could just be paranoid over the issue, but better safe then sorry right? The last thing he needs is for someone to get in his way when he is this close. 

He laughs cheerfully at the shifter's last words. "Hahah, maybe we will. Eheh, but full disclosure I'm really not used to being in a team setting." He shrugs, "That's probably obvious at this point. I've been on my own for some time now."

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

Pushing the thoughts away for a moment he looks to Shugo, "What about you? What brings you all the way here to explore the ruins?" 

He smiles as Venet pulls out her instrument and brightens the night with her music. The song was really quite beautiful, and it feels like a long time since Alexander has just listened to something like that. He listens silently until the triton puts her instrument away and begins laying out her bedroll. Then he looks to Bloom again and says, "Its late, why don't we stay here for the night and think about heading out tomorrow?"

 He turns his amber gaze on the young paladin. Rrriiight. He was supposed to tell them that. Well if Renar can be vague so can he. He smiles, "Oh me? I'm looking for some kind of artifact or maybe some lost knowledge. It doesn't have to be THE artifact. I had no idea there as One Artifact to Rule them All. Hahah. So, I guess you can call me a treasure hunter of sorts." There, that should be plenty of info for them, plus it's not even a lie. They don't need to know WHY he's looking for something after all. For a split second, his usual smile morphs into a slight smurk before switching back just as fast.

The elf gives Bloom an odd look just before Veno makes his way over. Clearly the girl didn't understand the group's explanation. These people specifically don't want to rule. They want to take down the guy who's ment to rule so they can put someone they see as worthy in charge. Heh, sounds familiar.

Blinking, the elf moves his thoughts away from that subject, he squints at the bandit for a moment before following his gaze into the sky. Ah, one of those people. The elf can never understand how someone gets so infatuated with something like the sky. Sure the stars are pretty, and it's interesting to think about where humans came from, but in the end it doesn't really matter.

Veno looks to the two Prihyehans, "Shugo and Renar, let me introduce you to kefir. It's not a person or anything like that." He giggles, remembering that time when Renar thought Rauna is a person. "That's the drink you're holding right now, it's a fermented milk infused with kefir grains, like yoghurt with a more earthy, grainy taste." He takes a sip, the drink tastes like yoghurt with a hint of oat.

"A lot of you seem to be new here, feel free to ask me anything about this area!" The Tiefling smiles at the group. You should probably ask something, any information is valuable, and he's also willing to answer miscellaneous questions too.

  His gaze turns back to the bandit as the guy addresses him specifically and says something about introducing him to...his drink? He looks down at his empty cup, then smiles back up at Veno, "Oh. Haha, So that's what that was."

He turns his head back to the paladin as the boy asks about the turtle. As he listens a thought hits him. Earlier he had thought that Alba was the one missing, now he remembers that he was wrong. It's her husband that's missing...hmmm. Still, just watch them ask the group to find the woman's missing husband in order to get a letter to see the turtle. He shakes his head slightly to banish the thought. If they ask that, there'd be no way to get that letter.

After Veno gives Alex his answer, and everyone starts to settle down for the night, Shugo lays back down on the ground where he is without bothering to set up a bedroll. Hands behind his head, he stares up at the stars for a while. Those thousands of dots really do make one person seem insignificant don't they. insignificant people with insignificant problems.

Venet plucks at her lyre as she listens to everyone talk, laying down on her bedroll. Treasure seekers, adventurers.. what a group to ask such tall things from. Xander wants to do the right thing, but is there a 'right thing' in this scenario? They're stuck between two groups who want more power, for whatever reason, duchy or throne. Peace, or dominance. It would make a good song probably, no matter what they end up doing. 

She ends up falling asleep while Veno is pointing out stars, her lyre still in her hands. 

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

 

When Veno asks if there is anything they would like to know, Alex hesitates. His mental energy has pretty much been sucked away at this point, but he doesn't want to just say not thanks. So, he asks, "Could you tell us more about Paulis? I just think it's odd that Elmars and Alba both have connections with him if they are enemies? Is he a neutral party?" He hesitates, "I... don't want to ask too much about your base or anything since I'm not sure were going to be able to commit to anything just yet. I don't want you to tell us anything that could put your group at jeopardy." He fiddles with the edge of his cloak for a moment before saying just to Veno, "Personally I would like to help, but I think I need to do some digging on my own to determine what course of action is the best for me. Honestly that's my main reason for wanting to talk to Paulis. Maybe he can help me figure out what path is right for me."

Veno breathes in, well, time for another explanation.

"Paulis is really, really, old. That's what most people know him about, he's one of the few surviving veterans of both the First Planetary War and Second Planetary War." You all know what that is, it's the two most recent wars in Lancean history. After the Second Planetary War, there was no other war since, only a few border conflicts or 'peaceful' coups like this one. "A lot of creatures can live for ten thousand years, but most of them died or even completely extinct due to the sheer scale these two wars were."

He brings his knee up and continues, "Just like actual tortoises, Paulis never knew his parents, he was born in a clutch and he left to explore the world immediately after that." He makes a quote mark,  "Back then, people were much more... 'old-fashioned,' they didn't like Paulis because he looked like a monster to them. After wandering in the wild for a while, he stumbled across several ruins, both human and Lancean ones, and he began collecting trinkets and books he found in his free time. There weren't many ways he could entertain himself when he was shunned by society, after all.

"Then, in -2C 6952 CY, a series of events led to the First Planetary War. It's... a long and complicated topic by itself, but essentially—there was a nation that abolished slavery for the first time, some nations supported it, and others immediately retaliated against it. By the end of the war, 88 years later in -2C 7040 CY, the population of Lancea went from 50 billion to 4 billion, that's like 92% of the world's population. But by sheer miracle, there were some nations that managed to survive and rebuild society, without slavery this time, thankfully. He said that the war was so destructive, that the world took a massive step down the technological tree, and people had to use bronze tools again because the scandium deposit was nearly emptied by the war." Scandium was an element people used instead of iron back in the day, it's as light as titanium and as hard as steel.

"After the war, that was when he became famous. He delved into the ruins of civilisations that were wiped out during the First Planetary War, he found some trinkets and schematics that helped people learn to make tools with iron, and then he was tossed out by society again because they still thought some races like him were monsters. He built his tower in Meņkalde and secluded himself there, he occasionally went out to scavenge for more artefacts, but he mostly spent his time in his tower."

Veno sighs, "You probably know what comes next, in the year -2C 9803 CY, the Second Planetary War happened, it's similar to the First Planetary War, but it's about racial inequality this time. It was even more destructive than the first, especially for Perkwunos, we lost 895 million out of the 900 million we had. He was really upset and sad when he talked about the Second Planetary War, and he didn't say anything further. That's all I know... well, according to Alba, who told me all of that."

He rubs his hands together, "I'll leave the rest of the history lesson to Paulis once you meet him, anyways, the war was a 'success,' racism was abolished and everyone is equal once again. Even though people no longer disliked Tortles such as him, he secluded himself even more, laying traps to deter anyone who might bother them. Very rarely, he might answer people's calls for help, but if he doesn't feel like it... you might end up char-grilled."

Veno looks to the side, "I'm not sure why he did all of this, but I suspect he probably witnessed something really bad during the Second Planetary War and must've blamed himself for it. He isn't really under anyone's control, though, he's old and very powerful, and he can pretty much do anything he wants with his spells, that might be another reason why he shuts himself in because he doesn't want to be used by a bad actor. In summary, he's entirely neutral in this situation."

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

 "If only a close friend of mine was with me. He loves to immerse himself in the stars too." I softly mutter as I notice the little hooded boy... heh, I like that we have something in common already, hands me a... yoghurt drink? *He blinks twice as he stares at it before he turns to Veno again to thank him* "Uh... thanks." I say, though I felt really sceptical, I guess it wouldn't hurt to uh... drink something... that I don't think is poisonous right? *He slurps a bit of it first* Hmm... not bad I guess. I mean I don't have any comments this time but I guess it works. *He slowly finishes the rest of the drink before he gets up again. As he turns his back to the others, he hears Veno talk again and swivels his head towards him*

"Well uh... I mean, I don't really have anything to ask..." I stutter, trying to choose my words carefully yet again. "But... maybe, um... a short tour of your place would be nice, I guess. I mean uh... it would be um, it would be nice to get to know the layout of it a little better perhaps, in case we need to return here for uh, for some... 'reason'." I don't know if they do but, well... I could technically start my plan for tomorrow, but if they have a training area I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hone my kenjutsu skills by myself too before I rest.

Finally, something more light-hearted. He smiles at the fellow hooded person and pulls out a map, he scribbles something down and passes it to Renar, "Here, have this. Our base is located in Stučkavas, once you reach the town, head north and you'll find a ruin of a church there. Head to the right room from the road and there is a hatch under rubble, once you open it, climb down the ladder and you'll enter an old dungeon and dragon's den. Don't worry about the dragon, though, he left our base three years ago, missed that guy." He softly chuckles, "Do you mind telling more about your friend, Renar?"

Another thing to note, though: dragons, both chromatic and metallic in Lancea, are not evil and people don't see them as monsters. They're very intelligent and capable of speaking Lancean, but they don't appear in public very often. There is an exception, though, the country north of Kerwos, Arusa, is entirely ruled by dragons, and some regions (including this one) have dragons that act like aeroplanes, transporting people on their backs to places that are hard to reach by land or water. 

"Thanks. Veno... was it?" I reply as he hands me the map. I didn't hear his extended explanation this time since I'm actually getting drowsy by the minute. But, on the bright side, *He glances at the new map*, at least I have another piece of paper to scribble on. "I... um... I mean... I didn't really catch you earlier after we fought because... I uh... sorry." I honestly didn't know what else to say honestly as i shift my gaze to a random point towards the forest canopy. It felt super awkward.

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

Finally, something more light-hearted. He smiles at the fellow hooded person and pulls out a map, he scribbles something down and passes it to Renar, "Here, have this. Our base is located in Stučkavas, once you reach the town, head north and you'll find a ruin of a church there. Head to the right room from the road and there is a hatch under rubble, once you open it, climb down the ladder and you'll enter an old dungeon and dragon's den. Don't worry about the dragon, though, he left our base three years ago, missed that guy." He softly chuckles, "Do you mind telling more about your friend, Renar?"

Hmm... I'm a little sceptical of where we're supposed to head next though. Maybe I should talk it out with the others tomorrow. We already have one wanting to ditch these guys here on the spot; I would have followed her too, if it wasn't for the gentle nature of everyone I've met (and struggled to talk to). And... he wants to know more about Tenebris huh? *He closes his eyes as his smirk widens* Heh...

"Well, It's getting late, so I'm not really gonna go much into detail about him yet..." I reply to Veno. "...But yeah, like I said, this friend of mine, he's a dark elf longing to be astronomer like you. That has been his interest since I first met him. In fact, since he's a druid, he is able to transform into a constellation of his choice similar to the ones in the sky right now. Despite knowing the irony, as in, a dark elf using the powers of light and stars, I'd say you'd get along well if he was here. *He shifts his katana on his left thigh* He's just as shy and misunderstood as I am, and everyone thinks he's plotting something treacherous when in fact, he just wants his privacy, so he doesn't really talk much. But... if you enjoy talking about space, stars... or anything astronomical, which I guess you do, I can guarantee you will mostly likely strike a deep, meaningful conversation with him that can last for hours. I know this... because now, he considers me as a friend." I glances up at the night sky again, wishing that rest of the shifters could... um... where was I? I had a brain freeze. *He rapidly shakes his head in panic* Oh yeah... "Anyways, that's just some basic info about him. We can talk about again later tomorrow night if you want. Right now, I should prepare for the journey ahead." And with that, I give a gentle wave to Veno and the rest if they even bother to notice, before I spend the rest of the night in my comfort zone, away from vanity, finishing what I suppose to finish. And for a moment, I felt a wave of sensation flowing through the softness of my fur when I did. Honestly, I've never ever felt compelled to smile this hard in my life in so long... *Though his smile does persist after a while he yawns after finishing his neatly revised schedule for tomorrow, with a few backup plans in check*

It's getting late. I should save my melee training for tomorrow morning. *He begins to lie down soundly on his back and his tail curled up underneath his yellow and black jacket, though he doesn't change into an actual fox since he still wants to hide his true appearance for now* Maybe I could perhaps spar with one of them later on, especially Alex and Venet... the latter's music is so beautiful, I can hear Yuri singing and playing her flute alongside her... *It takes a while for him to do so since there was so much chatter going on, but he eventually falls asleep in an isolated place*