Renar

I felt the bunny queen's words sting the edges of my sensitive fox ears. I should've known that she was too smart to throw such a huge curveball back into my face. The rest of them... Alex has a family, Mira has her people under her guidance, Shugo also has a family, the leopard girl, I need to get her name later, she's got a community, that sees Lancea as a rich tapestry of histories, cultures, and ideas. This planet means a lot to them, just like how Japan and Sword Coast mean a lot to me and Okaa-san. Yet we don't feel the same way.

Thinking that they're getting impatient, I hastily gave my own, pathetic response to them after letting out instant, but forced breath: "Alright, look, since you guys are so persistent I'll go with whatever you'll go as usual. I never actually said I'd complain." I shrug, since no matter how much I speak I know there's no way I'll have my say when they obviously know their way around this world better than the two of us do. At least, not unless if it threatens the safety of myself and Okaa-san. But despite the fact I tried to defuse the tension I accidentally created again, I felt as if they need more from me to ease off... I swivel my eyes around. Alex and Mira are worried sick... Shugo seems pissed off just like me, the leopard girl... I can't tell.

They're waiting for my answer, it seems as I arch my head down slightly in defeat. What is it that I'm fighting for in this damned world? Just think of something... I had to think to think of something in my defense as I snarl at the dragon girl again, the stones building up in my chest as I try to think of something that i deem is worth fighting for. These guys are just temporary travellers like me, so they don't count in my head for now. Other than that... I close my eyes briefly, and attempt to recall what I desire to protect the most...

The gyoza. That's one thing. What else... Flashbacks of myself speaking Japanese freely with the rest of Neverwinter and Waterdeep, Okaa-san pampering me as the Prince of Neverwinter to her queen, Rixi and Tenebris dueling me and losing, having a cup of occha with the former and Shiji to deepening my knowledge of the modern world with Ethan and his brother... even having to feel my heart race at the sight of Daisy and Yuri, or even a friendly child touching my tail to embarass me instead of calling me a monster... When I stare into the eyes of the two girls here... I never get this same flushed feeling. When Okaa-san spoke Japanese, she got called out for it, unlike in Sword Coast and Japan...

My heart feels clogged up and tights inside my chest as I sweat underneath my disguise. I can't think... I can't think of anything. There's nothing... I never get these moments where I'm at ease in Lancea, even though it's only been 2 weeks since I moved here. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I feel alienated in this world. I feel as if... they're all out to get me just for who I am today and make me relive these horrid moments I had when I was a kit. And if that's that case... 

I look over to Okaa-san first, who seems pretty oblivious about the entire situation for now as she rummages through the books. Sighing, I then give the rest a blank stare, despite the fact I'm bracing yet another hard . They have things and people to fight for here. Me and Okaa-san... the ones we're fighting for... they're on the other side, threatened by the very existence of this entire planet... Other than Okaa-san, it... it seems...

"I've got nothing else left in this world to fight for." 

Intimidation check passed 

Karina doesn't seem to be that scared, or maybe she's hiding it really well. "You won't do it, he said he was going to play dirty with the egg, and he didn't do it." She looks at Shugo, she would point at him if she had a free hand, but that's the next best way for now. "It's easy to kill someone, but you won't be able to live with the consequences. Everyone will hunt you down, animals in the forest and birds in the sky will attack you, and plants will rot wherever you step. Even a mindless glob of slime knows that murder is too far, I hope you're not worse than that."

When Renar asks everyone what they're fighting for, Karina answers. "I have no one. My dad left me, my sister died, and my mum is dying of cancer." Karina's voice shakes, tearing up a little bit "But I still pledge my loyalty to Lancea... because as a being, it is our duty to keep our planet and our culture safe. You can go ask any animal and monster out there and they'll say the same."

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod>>

"I've got nothing else left in this world to fight for." 

"Liar." Karina scoffs, "Not wanting to die is a valid excuse. The invaders are coming, the world is going to end soon, and if you don't fight, you might die. We all have different ways of fighting, I have mine, and you have yours." She sighs, "I just wish we could all just shake hands and be friends, but that will never happen if these savages don't follow our ways."

Not wanting to die is a valid excuse for Renar and Maya, their thoughts and intents of wanting to destroy this world can't be kept a secret forever. If they run into the myconids or creatures that can read their mind again, they will know about it, they will tell everyone and any chance of peaceful negotiations between Lancea and Toril is thrown out of the window.

Lancea has 35 times the population of Faerun and 350 times the population of Sword Coast. The only way to survive in a war against Lancea is to be on their side.

She changes the topic, "That drow in the picture is Vujica, I don't really know much else about her, you'll either have to ask Janus or Paulis for that."

She clears her throat. "There is a lever under the stairs to the ground floor, activate it and it will disable the mines." She side-eyes, her tail swaying, "If you have a chance to visit the headquarters of the People's Army, please say hi to my mum for me, and maybe bring her gifts too. Farewell."

Whilst Renar thinks that Maya is becoming incredibly distracted from all of the book rummaging, the kitsune is in fact listening to what Renar said to everyone, about what they're fighting for in Lancea. She stops when Renar causes dead silence and turns to the rest as the amulet translates for her again. Though irritated at her son's recent behaviour, she hopes that he could at least lighten the situation if it wasn't for his all round stubbornness.

But... hearing him ask everyone what they're fighting for would have been enough to bring a tear to Maya's face if it wasn't for the tense atmosphere again. It's pretty obvious for her. She knows what she's fighting for. And that's the one child she loves more than anything else in this cruel and discriminative society. Watashi wa anata no tame ni tatakatte imasu, musuko yo! (私はあなたのために戦っています、息子よ, I'm fighting for you, my son!) She wanted to exclaim if it wasn't for the absurd language barrier hindering her efforts to speak again. And then she senses it: She sense something terrible. She's sensing dread. Fear. Panic. And she knows who it's directly coming from. She knows, even though he's obviously trying to mask it. They can't read his expression properly, but she can.

He's feeling stressed. They're pushing his boundaries without even knowing it. She can already tell by his clenched fists and unnoticeable, but bared fangs; To see him in a dangerous state is the complete opposite to his aloof, uninterested persona. She needs to do something to maintain the peace. Before Mira could finally make her son break, Maya suddenly leaps from her spot and holds out a clawed arm to stop Mira. Once she confirms that she stop her, she shakes her head, telling Mira to stop pressuring Renar and leave him be, though she hopes that she and the rest can tell what she wants for him. Despite this though, a wave of sadness then hits the kitsune when she recalls what Renar said earlier, after briefly flashbacking to what she heard, she felt a bit heartbroken that he left out the important details...

Naze? Totemo kanashīdesu... Okaa-san no tame ni tatakau to iu koto sae itte imasendeshita ka? Shin deru tte ittanoni? (なぜ？とても悲しいです...母親のために戦うということさえ言っていませんでしたか? 死んでるって言ったのに？, Why? I feel so sad... you didn't even mentioned fighting for your mother? Even though you said I'm dead?) Maya thinks in sorrow. Not even the Sword Coast either? Not Rixi? Yuri? Everyone that cared about him? Either that or he's so pressured that the thought of even being her 'guard' didn't get round into his brain fast enough until he realised it was too late, especially when she obviously hears him correcting his mistake at the worst possible minute.

Regardless, Maya doesn't react much after that, but once Renar swiftly makes his way out, she immediately follows. Giving him a reassuring headpat for his efforts on the way out and once the group has made sure the mines are down, she hopes that by doing this Renar can at least find some sense of comfort to recuperate, especially now that they're finally able to get out of this place and start fresh on what they need to do to save Lancea. And with it, the Sword Coast. However, it seems that her son and the other queen she's supposed to work with are now caught up in a different problem... and she once again doesn't know what they're referring to. Or maybe she forgot.

Mira

Waiting for a proper response from the person she barely knows, Mira had to go through a full 10 minutes hearing from everyone but him about what they want to fight for. And by the time Renar blatantly says he's got nothing to fight for, the Queen of Platone herself has just about reached her limit; A black cloud appears on her head. 

"That's it? You got nothing left?" Mira replies flabbergasted; That was not the response she wanted to hear from someone so moody since their first meeting. "What about Maya? Weren't you so hell bent on protecting her with your life? Weren't you tasked in helping her find her son and speaking... um... And speak for her? When she can't even defend for herself verbally?" She really hopes that Renar had in fact thought this through. She wonders if he even realises that every word he speaks can easily shift the course of their perilous journey far easier than when they take actions into matter. Then he swiftly counters his previous words saying that he lost the only person he trusts and failing to mask it with the fact that he doesn't want to die. He must be hiding something, but it's pretty clear from his body language that he is indeed cracking under pressure. What is he trying to convey now? The only person that he trusts... it's a woman. His girlfriend? His mother? I can't tell. He's not stating it clearly... She thinks. She wants to further interrogate Renar; Her rabbit ears briefly furrow again in disgust as she points at him. But, as Maya holds out a clawed hand and firmly shakes her head saying to stop, the queen recoils surprise. Afraid that the once gentle woman will end up attacking her for no reason, the queen was forced to hold back. She sourly complies for now. But then her train of thought became interrupted Karina states that the drow woman in the picture is Vujica. Huh. Nothing new there it seems-

Wait... Vujica...

Mira's brain suddenly short circuits as her eyes bulge in horror. "Wait- hang on! Did you just say-?!" Mira attempts to yell out, but then decides to hold in her anger last minute. As the queen she must set a proper example for the rest of Lancea-kind. Throwing a tantrum is definitely not the way to go, even if it means that she must put her values first. She looks back at Renar with a sour face. Seeing his clenched fists however, it appears that maybe this mysterious hoodie guy must be at his limit; A ticking bomb that's about to explode. If I have to guess... Maya might actually be his mother, the one that he treasures the most in his life. Maybe. I don't know. Or she could be his aunt. I'm no sherlock. She thinks. She at least hopes that Renar realises that by being stopped, it's clear that she cares about him more than anyone else at the moment. 

Taking a deep breath, she resets her brain as she sourly stares at Renar one last time with an elongated sigh. "...Alright. We'll talk about it later... Karina and Renar. I'm sorry. I won't pressure you right now, but I still need answers later from the latter. Let's move. If we want to make it out in one piece." She huffs in a dead-serious tone, far different to her normally lively one. "Karina, if Paulis comes back, we need to have a word with him about her... about some notes we have gathered that she wrote down and when we fought a certain firekid trying to wreak havoc on me." However, before she moves, she finally decides to take her ancestor's jar and tuck it somehow in her small purse. "And by the way, I'm taking this with me."

Tucking the jar safely inside her purse, Mira is the first one to swiftly exit and head down to deactivate the mines. That's Vujica?! The one that wrote all these notes that me, Shugo, Renar, Alek, and Maya gathered?! She ruffles through her bag and pulls out the notes that she and Shugo have about the virus and squints as Renar meanwhile pulls the lever without hesitation. "What do you all think? Should we hand in the notes we've gathered? Or should we just keep them for later?" She's currently not used to being called queen and felt her nerves vibrate along the edge of her skin as Renar calls her by her title. "I know, Hoodie guy. That can't be. There's no way... What? Ok fine sorry... Renar."

On the way out, she gets the feeling that the rest of her team is staring at her for holding the preserved brain despite her initial disgust about it. She sighs in response as she scans the jar first, then the vast horizon. "She needs to know. My mother needs to know what happened. Before it's too late." She replies if anyone asks why she's taking the jar with her. However, her mind has been left scrambling for answers after Karina reminds her about someone all to familiar due to some 'experiments'...

Renar

I felt the words escape my mouth as I finally answer the rest about what I asked them... and judging from the tones in their They want more from me? When I already clearly revealed that I had nothing to fight for in this damned world?! How am I a liar?! Anger suddenly boils up my fur like I've dipped into an overheated onsen. This is what I get for trying not to cause trouble again? What's with you guys and me trying to limit on how much I say?! I turn to the rest with an annoyed look, but underneath my disinterested face lies anger and panic.

"What? You expect me to say more and unintentionally cause more misunderstandings again?!" I snarl but barely kept my cool. I then glance at Okaa-san in panic as I struggle not to unleash my fury again; Her now nervous face is the reason why I'm fighting to save a world where us kitsunes aren't accepted. Seriously, all this effort to suppress my mouth and I still end up causing trouble inadvertently, I hate it here. Facing forward I clenched my fists, hoping to suppress the built-up rage that lasted due to the immense pressure and discomfort. "I... I didn't say I want to betray Lancea, did I? What that dragon said... I meant... the only person that I trusted too... the only person who looked after me and could keep me happy... she's gone. I have no one left to... to..." Realizing that I might have exacerbated things again, I gulped and took a deep breath; She's not gone. At least, not right now. They just don't know yet. "Ok fine... maybe I over exaggerated; I do have something to fight for. It's just that lady to my left. I did say I'll fight to save her son. To save her life. And yes, I don't want to die, ironically. End of story." I was so focused on not letting my built-up anger overwhelm my thoughts that I didn't see Okaa-san stopping the Lancean queen from provoking me any further; I only then realised that we have two royal women standing in tandem for the entire world: Queen Okaa-san and Queen Mira. I promised I swear to guard Okaa-san with my life. IF she wants to ally with Queen Mira, I'll need to protect her too... I'm stuck in a loophole. 

Recovering briefly, I shake my head and squint in defeat. "Let's just head downstairs and get it over with. Or are we gonna stand here and let this planet die?" I deadpan, already having enough of this pointless argument. But then... I hear a name that's all too familiar, especially when I flashback to the notes me and Okaa-san read...

Wait... Vujica... my eyes widen in shock. That was what I read in one of my notes that me and Okaa-san found. What the heck. Paulis and Janus know her? I glance over the queen who appears to be pulling out the notes we had extracted rom that secret chamber. Regardless, when we all reached the ground floor, I didn't hesitate to search the stairs and pull the lever straight away before anyone else can react. "Queen Mira. About the notes earlier, plus the fact that you devolved into my hoodie guy nickname..."

Liivi reacts quickly when Maya leaps up to move aggressively at Mira. In a flash she has her greatsword in hand and comes up alongside the rabbit woman. Calmly she watches the hooded woman until she eventually moves back. Once the commotion has ended, she speaks softly. "I am sorry about that Mira."  Her sword is placed back into its scabbard nearly as quickly as the tabaxi had pulled it out. "I hope I didn't frighten you, but she should not have made a threat like that."  

(OOC - I'm unclear whether Maya left as she claimed Renar ran out and she followed.  But Renar did not appear to do that.  She would not say the following unless the two had left the room.)  "I see how those two react to each other; they clearly know each other well.  I don't know why you all travel with them, but they seem dangerous. The woman still refuses to speak to us even though she was given the means to do so. And the man teeters between maniacal and despondent. Perhaps they do not mean ill, but they also do not seem very helpful." 

Once the group has settled things here, she is ready to go with them downstairs, to find the lever, and head out.  She makes no complaint about Maya and Renar continuing with them, should the others make no more comments. 

Wait what? The drow is... okay. Alex stays uncharacteristically quiet as the rest seem to grow louder. He's surprised at how easily Karina caved, or rather, how calm she is about it. But this whole issue of who's fighting for who and who and what is worth fighting for... why is it so difficult for everyone? Why has it become so awkward for everyone? Why does Renar seem so awkward about it? 

Once everyone has calmed down, he says finally, "I do think we should share what we found. I guess this answers the question of why she's the only one crossed out in the picture. ... but anyways, clearly we aren't on the best of terms with Paulis." He looks at Karina, "I'm not sure if it will help at all, but consider this a peace offering. I don't want to stay mortal enemies with Paulis, I'd like to stay on talking terms if at all possible. I get it if he decides we will be excluded from the exodus. I don't agree with his method for that, the entire thing should be completely random if he wants to argue his case, but regardless I'll respect the decision. We won't interfere with his plans, even if he decides he doesn't want our help or opinions at all. However, sharing information is important too in case one of our parties ends up taken out of the picture somehow. So, we have some things to tell you..." He glances at his companions, he's assuming based on Mira's comment about telling Paulis if he comes back, that she at least is fine with the idea of sharing information. "I doubt Paulis will want to hear anything from us, so leaving this information to you seems like the best option." If no one else objects, he'll give what information they found about Vujica and her experiments to Karina. 

"Alright, that's all I have to say for now, let's get moving," he follows everyone to the basement to disarm the mines. "Hopefully Paulis doesn't come back and fight us himself since we uh... sent his familiar back to wherever familiars come from." 

After a moments hesitation, he also says, "Um... not sure if I'm out of line here but... I don't really think we should start referring to Mira as Queen yet..." he glances from Renar to Mira, "Even Future Queen might be pushing it, though I do appreciate your ambition and confidence. I think we want people to know you plan to run, and the more people who like us who know those intentions the better, but we might not want to shout it fro the rooftops just yet. Especially to people who might be working with Paulis... who is kinda helping the People's Army if I understand correctly." He waves a hand, "Please don't take offense. Obviously I hope we can call you queen in the future, I just don't think it's proper to call you that now since you haven't gotten the position yet." He gives an awkward chuckle, then looks to Shugo, "I don't know... what do you think? You said you are a noble right? Am I thinking too hard about this?" As he asks the question his gaze shifts to the others in the group too. He really doesn't know too much about how the system works. All he knows is that calling yourself ruler when you technically aren't sounds like a recipe for disaster. 

With slightly more hesitation, he looks to Renar and Maya, "Um... I know things seem tense between you and the rest of us for some reason... but I kinda want to talk to the two of you in private when we get the chance. I... have something important to ask." He rubs the back of his neck, "I want this team to stay together. I know it hasn't been that long since we met each other, but... I consider all of you friends and I would put my life on the line for every single one of you. I want you to know that, before I start asking questions. Nothing you say to me is going to change my mind. I don't care what it is that's keeping you from trusting us." 

He gives them both a meaningful look, especially Renar since he can tell the 'changeling' is stressed out. But then he moves away from them, opting to walk closer to the others instead since it also seems like the other two need some space. 

(OOC: I need to clarify that Mira walked out first, then Renar left straight after that. I think from my friend's post Maya shortly follows the two when they leave but didn't say anything. Also we didn't mean that they'd leave to reach the basement straight away either. Sorry if we confused you Culuril. Neither of us were thinking straight)

Renar

Heading down the stairs behind Mira, I noticed Okaa-san tumbling over some steps as she tries to catch up with me on the road to the basement. Of course I had to catch her before she tripped and face planted painfully. In the meanwhile I can't help but wonder why did a simple "find the artefact, grab it and then leave" mission morphed into such a massive disaster. And then Alek asks me not to call Mira queen. I flinch as he notes my mistake. Shoot. He's right. I shouldn't have called her a queen in the first place either. I'm just thankful that it's just us six and not some angry mob trying to assassinate all of us for nothing. My hidden fox ears flatten with dread. Especially when the leopard girl thinks that us kitsunes are maniacal and despondent. I haven't been in my best mood for the past 36 hours and this is already rubbing salt on the wound. Fighting Stupid Rixi to getting tangled up in another war to not being able to have some peace to recover... what have me and Okaa-san gotten into? What are we supposed to do when all we have done is suppress our killer instincts for the sake of this planet?

I withdraw into my head until Alek tries to catch my attention. I almost paid no attention to him at this point. At least, until he says he wants this team to stay together. Sigh... I mean, I can't argue with him there; He is the closest person that reminds me of the teammates in the Sword Coast... Okaa-san would say so too, if this stupid place accepted Japanese and allowed her to speak for herself without oppression. I then abruptly stop for a moment, then wait for the young boy to reach where I stand on the steps... "Next time... when we find a quiet spot for real." I whisper into his ear before he darts away from me; I shrug and kept descending with or without the other three. I hope it wasn't because of what I said again. We haven't been able to properly get to know each other and we're close to having each other's mentalities ripped apart by... by this.

Obviously though, it seems that my strategy to just remain in the shadows is once again not working for me. 

Mira

As they travel down the steps, Mira flashbacks to how Liivi tried to fell Maya when the latter in fact, was just signalling for Mira herself to stop. "She wasn't, actually. I could already tell. You didn't have to come to my aid there." The dejected queen speaks. "And... I didn't agree to travel with them, Liivi. You weren't there but... Those two... they were already part of the pack that saved me down at the cave, which mean they, alongside Shugo and Alek, must have known each other for a few days already. Us ladies minus Maya are the newcomers here." She pauses, not wanting to worsen their moods until she's out of their reach. "To call them maniacal and despondent at first glance would be a crazy understatement. If they were, I would've died instead of being saved. I wouldn't have been able to meet you. To revive... the um..." In fact, about the despondent bit, Mira guesses that if Maya was able to speak Lancean, she would've been able to voice for herself, for Renar, and for everyone if she knew what to say. 

But then Alek suggests her to keep the Vujica notes, causing her to flinch at her mistake. How did she not factor this properly? "You're right. Wouldn't be wise to foolishly hand in notes to an already grumpy turtle." Mira agrees sullenly as she swiftly puts the notes back in. Not to mention she couldn't help herself eavesdropping on him telling Renar to not call her queen against her will. She sighs. "Doesn't matter, Alek. I'm not concerned if you all call me a queen. Now that we've gotten to this point, I should be fine in handling this responsibility." A complete opposite to her initial hesitation at taking charge of this massive weight. "Besides, it's just the six of us, so no big deal for now. But around a crowded place I'd definitely ask you all to watch your tongue." At this point seeing that everyone is dropping to their lowest points, the rabbit queen thinks it would be best to withdraw into her thoughts for now as they walk down; Her train thought is interrupted if Maya does trip along the way, but not for long. I don't if I can remove the language barrier myself even in my hometown, but I'll make sure to find a way for Maya to speak freely or teach her Lancean once we've settled down somewhere quiet. I'm pretty sure she has a lot to say underneath her silent demeanour, as with Renar. Despite my rather bossy attitude, I put the needs of people first, no matter how 'weird' or 'alien' they behave or appear. The last thing I need is to be surrounded by a wave of misery coming from my people.

"The truth is, even if I am put off by their weird mannerisms..." She calmly continues to Alek and Liivi with a pang of guilt. "Alek. What you said to them... it's what I would say to you too." Mira points out, padding her paws on his shoulders as best as she could despite her short stature.  "I... I don't want them to stay miserable. I don't want you and Shugo to be miserable either. Whilst I haven't known all of you in full, that is honestly the last thing I want to go through too. Whatever language Maya's speaking, I want and would love to learn it from her; Even I'm sick and tired of this absurd language barrier that our planet has. But, if they're refusing to open up, then... I won't know how to get them to warm up. I don't know if I can even help them when the time calls for it." She then stops speaking since neither of the trio have anything else to say; Mira will just descend the stair in silence until they catch up to Renar and Maya at the basement.

"Anyways, let's cut to the chase, finish our job and get out of here. I'll speak for everyone when we're ready to finalize with Janus." 

Liivi is a bit confused by Mira's suggestion that Maya wasn't being aggressive at all. 'I'll have to recall that next time I come at someone with my claws,' she thinks, mostly joking. "Ah, yes, I'm still struggling to remember that the others were together before they rescued you from your captivity. Having recently joined, I see you all as having been together." She's intrigued by the mention of information about this drow named Vujica.  Here she thought they had just found this picture, but they all knew something about this woman.  Assuming Alex does share the information with Karina, she too listens to learn more. (OOC - Guess I'll need to find that back somewhere in the thread!) 

She finds it interesting how Mira has transformed. Liivi feels like the group mostly was ready to support her as queen from the start. And she had seemed reluctant. But now she seemed to have set her mind to be queen.  Even seeing herself already in that role.  It was a quick change. She hopes the woman will be happy with the choice. However, she can't help but admire the confidence she seems to express. 

Downstairs, once the lever to deactivate the mines is pulled, she steps forward. "I should be the one to try the minefield. I think Karina likely has told us the truth, but it is even possible she was deceived. You should not take chances."  She takes the first steps out to walk across, back towards Janus' residence. 

Shugo simply shrugs when the dragonborn calls his bluff, and stays silent as the group continues questioning her.

However, when the drow is revealed to be Vujica he stiffens. With this revelation, he can't even be irritated at Renar's poor exuse for an answer. That's the woman. She's the one to blame for Akari's condition and maybe....No don't think about that right now. Still in this state of shock, he doesn't object to Alex's telling her of that evil elf's doings. Why, why would and elf do such a thing to her own kind. The thought makes him sick. He spaces off for a while, and once again fingers the item in his pocket....he'd forgotten about it with all that's gone on.

It takes him a moment to react when Alex addresses him. However, when he finally registers what was said, he suddenly reverts back to his usual self. "Yeah, I'm a noble. But I tend to stay away from noble stuff...like politics...so I might not be the best person to go to for that kind of advice." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. Though in his mind he believes Alex is right. Outright proclaiming Mira as queen is not the best idea. Though it seems like the others have figured that out now.

He nods when the Mira says they should head downstairs. They know how to deactivate the mines so better do it quickly. Though he looks back at the dragonborn before he goes. He doesn't like the idea of leaving her tied up alone...and awake. Who knows, she may have some magic trick to get out of ropes..."Sorry about this, you don't seem like a bad person, but I don't want to fight you again. This is for your own good." He says, and he knocks her over the back of the head. (Not sure if you will allow this, but she is tied up so it should be an auto crit anyway. Though obviously this would be nonlethal.) (If that's not possible I'll retcon this. I think he'd know if he can't knock her out)

Quickly, he follows Mira downstairs to deactivate the mines. Shugo want's to get out of this place as soon as possible. He looks down at the small rabbit lady with a different perspective. Despite the foolishness of calling herself queen already, he has to admire her sudden surge of confidence.

Before Karina can protest Shugo's words, she is swiftly knocked out by a blow to the back of her head. The fight is over, and you step outside, your job is done here.

The sky outside remains cloudy and it's getting dark, the sun is setting soon, but maybe Janus might have a plan for tonight.

You pull the lever under the stairs, you hear a click and nothing else. Liivi steps on the ground where she thinks the mines are supposed to be and nothing happens, looks like the traps are successfully disarmed.

The walk to Janus' estate is short and uneventful, you see him leaning up against the front door with a bowl of seeds in his paw. He walks to the side and sets it on the ground, and you see various small birds coming down from the treetops to eat their food.

"You did a good job." Janus walks back to the position, arms crossed. "You're only mildly hurt, not unconscious. Not many people survive a Paulis encounter without getting knocked out or being severely injured, and it only took you less than five hours, that's good enough for me."

"So." He places a paw on his hips, "Are you ready to give your answers now? Do you have other questions or need more time?"

Mira

Reaching back to Janus with her frills singed, Mira takes a moment to dust herself off before Janus startles her and she jumps back, almost tripping into the person closest to her. Unamused, she gives off an unenthusiastic courtesy to Janus again, before being put off by his comment about being mildly hurt.

"To call us mildly hurt is a major understatement you're making here, pal. Some of us nearly died to be exact." She scoffs with disdain, clearly not having any of it after what happened previously. "I won't bore you into the unnecessary details, but we have stood firm. It was tough; Both you and Paulis have some... 'considerable' options. I'll admit the way you both delivered what your intentions are seem... let's just say... perplexing." Though obviously in her mind, she knows it's too good to be true, what she said, especially with Paulis and his forcible behaviour.

"But first..." She turns behind her to the rest of the royals, expression unchanged. "Anything else left to say to him before I spill the beans? Last call. Once I reveal our decision, there's no turning back."

Shugo remains at the back of the pack in uncharacteristic silence. He's content to let Mira do the talking. The rabbit girl and Liivi seem to be the most cool headed at the moment, well Alex too but even he seemed a bit flustered.

When Mira asks for any last words before they solidify their answer. He shakes his head. It irritates him a bit that now Janus seems loose on the "you have six hours" thing, though he can't be upset about his comment about only being minorly injured. Janus had warned them, they'd been warned about visiting Paulis multiple times now. Either way, it still irks him that all of these people seem to think he and his companions are the only people capable of doing anything in this world. They don't even know them for crying out loud! Whatever, whether they agree to help Janus or not, he doesn't intend to go down without a fight. So, they might as well make this deal.

As he thinks these things, he fiddles with the item in his pocket. He really needs some time alone. Both so he can cool off and collect his thoughts, and so he can get some answers.

Alex sighs, "It doesn't really feel like we did a good job." He really wishes he could have gotten more out of Karina after telling her about Vujica and what they found in the under dark, but Shugo had been too quick to knock her out. If there was any hope of not becoming mortal enemies with Paulis, he'd hoped for that option. At least they'd gotten back safe. "But I guess it was the best we could do."

He nods to Mira, "I think it's obvious by the state of our party what choice we've made. I wish there were better options, but everything I've come up with has been shot down by people smarter than I. So that leaves us without much of a choice." He doesn't really feel like he needs to say more. It's pretty obvious that they're going to stick with Janus. Mira will run for queen, and they'll just have to hope that their bombs are enough to dissuade the enemy from engaging in a war. 

Right now, he just wants to talk to Renar and Maya. They need to get things figured out between them so that they can all properly act as a team moving forward. 

After barely surviving the previous ordeal, Maya, like Shugo and Renar, remains incredibly quiet as she shakes her head; Her way of saying no. She does raise her eyebrows when Alek speaks up though.  In her eyes, he seems very innocent like Rixi and her daughter. Watashi wa jibun no ishi de iitai koto ga takusan arimasuga, watashi ga jibun no ishi o kataru koto ga dekinai to iu riyū de, musuko igai no minasan ga watashi o oidashi nakereba yokatta nodesuga. (私は自分の意志で言いたいことがたくさんありますが、私が自分の意志を語ることができないという理由で、息子以外の皆さんが私を追い出しなければよかったのですが, I have a lot to say on my own accord, if only you all except my son didn't cast me out just because I can't speak your language.) She thinks again. Though deep inside her aching heart, she obviously has so many things to discuss about, especially considering that she and her son are already being endangered by their strict customs and by the lack of people to reach out to, let alone to get along with for who she is; If she hadn't found Renar by accident, she would've been worse off from the start, so she understands what he meant.

Out of context though, she instantly spots Renar leaving without even thinking twice. Not wanting to endure any more embarrassments, she instantly snags on his right arm and grips it so tight to prevent him from escaping and going again. Rude of him especially to abandon his mother like that. She gives off an unnerving pout at him in response. Sure he's fed up and wants to leave she gets it, but there's no way she'll allow his bad manners to influence the group. No way in hell.

Quite honestly, Liivi was quite relieved the mines were truly disabled.  She tries not to show it though as the group continues over to see Janus. Once there, Miri jumps right into the conversation.  The tabaxi smiles, it seems like she has taken on her mantle as leader quite suddenly and determinedly.  She remains quiet at first, until Mira asks them all about 'spilling the beans.'  'Any more questions?' she thinks. 'Well, hopefully Janus will be more willing to share information once we agree to help him.' 

"I have nothing right now," Liivi says. 

Renar

Down the path after noticing that the mines have been disabled, I don't say much to anyone at this point. Sure, let's fight for a planet I don't even want to come back to. But if it's also considering the destruction of the Sword Coast, I will not have it. Plus, Japan is close by too. I don't want any of my habitat, the cultures, the hard-won friends I made... I don't want them to perish. Of all things considered, I'm fighting for the things I love the most. I'm fighting for Okaa-san too. I'm fighting... to help repair the multiverse.

When Janus comes out and the queen asks us if we have anything else to say, something inside my frazzled head says that enough is enough, especioally when I semi-hoped that Mira would just straight up announce the group's future intentions; I promptly turn towards the path with a sigh. "I'll see you all at the town centre when you're done." I huff as I turn my back and prepare to walk off... at least until felt some sharp claws piercing the fibres on my sleeve coupled with a menacing pout directed at me; I tried to shake her off but found that her grip is painfully increasing the more I did so. Okaa-san?! "What- Hey! Ow! Lemme go-!"

 Mira

After hearing almost nothing from everyone but Alek, Mira nods her head solemnly, but then turns back in annoyance. She is very irritated that Renar just gave an excuse to take her question for granted and announce that he's straight up ditching them at this crucial moment. Well, or she thought; as Maya restrains a flailing Renar from walking off and ditching the group, it was enough at least get a chuckle out of her after the depressive moments she just went through, especially seeing that Paulis is in fact, the traitor of the rebellion. "Sigh... thank you Maya." She smiles in amusement with closed eyes. Clearing her throat, she turns her attention back to Janus.

"So... after that near disaster with Paulis, we've finally came to a unified solution as to how we want to go forward with this world-threatening scenario. Obviously not all of us wanted to agree in the first place, which in turn, complicated the situation a lot more that we should've..." She glares at the oddball pair before turning back again. "...but, in all seriousness... I'm relieved we've agreed to come to a valid conclusion. It was tough, but even I think that being forcibly coerced to be migrating to some 'Exodus' is just asking for more trouble. You're right. Maybe we should've thought about this a bit clearer." She ruffles her bunny ears and then clears her throat a second time, before projecting the state of the group in a louder, more assertive voice.

"We're gonna fight for your cause, Janus. We all agree that we must unite Lancea as one, for our homeland and for our people. At the end of the day, we're all in this together, whether we like it or not. I myself dislike violence and corruption, but seeing where these courageous heroes are going, I... As the next queen in line... I will do my best to lead the world to peace and stability. Even if..." She chokes for a moment before continuing. Flashbacks of her adoptive mother and the desires to connect with the outside world rather than to become a majestic ruler reel in her head before she continues.. "Even if it means... even if it means I have to make unimaginable sacrifices, whether it is involving my people, my rebellion... my homeland, everything. Even if it means going against my values of harmony. There's nothing more than what I want, what these five behind want, than to live a life of peace again. Either way, we have to lose things to gain others." She stands firm, as if she's imagining that she has the total command of Platone, the rebellion, and everyone that she dreams of being loyal to her.

"We'll defend this planet that we all love with our lives."

"Ha ha! Yes!" Janus pumps his fist in the air, his tail wagging and he has the widest smile on his face. 

"Oh, uh..." After realising he had broken his stoic, calm, and collected persona, the Arcanaloth returns to his former self. "Right, as I was saying, welcome to the team."

He rubs his paws, "Alright, first step: taking down Elmars and The People's Army. There will be a wedding between the Duke himself and Olga on the 16th of April, which is about 9 days from now. We must finish assembling sun-bombs by August -1C 4987 CY, plenty of time left to do some side quests."

He snaps a finger and presents a coupon to Shugo, "As promised, a discount coupon. Astra will move her shop to Madura tomorrow, she'll give you more information about the Madura Fortress, that's where the wedding will take place."

Anyone who is born in Perkwunos would know that Madura Fortress is the main attraction of Madura city, it was built seven thousand years ago near the end of the First Planetary War, and ever since then, it served as the place where the nobles and officers of Rauna resides. There is also a small church within the confines of the fortress, and because Shepherdism wants everyone to access their church, the fortress is always open to the public, but not in all areas.

Janus continues, "I've booked a carriage for you, make sure you're at the town centre by 6:00 tomorrow. It will take around five days to reach Madura, so you'll be there this 12th."

He holds up a finger, "Feel free to stay in my mansion for the night, I've already got the rooms prepared. I will cook up dinner for you too, come with me."

The dining room is on the ground floor with views of the garden. The table is very long and there are about thirty chairs, it feels weird to be in a room that's designed to support a lot of people, but maybe his mansion may have some other uses.

Janus walks out of the kitchen with a cart and begins serving food.

"Wagyu A5 medium rare steak, cooked with Upper Sehulese salted butter and fresh herbs from my garden." He places two plates of steak for Shugo and Alex.

"Spaghetti carbonara, topped with the finest guanciale, pecorino romano, and black truffles from the forest." He places another two plates for Renar and Maya.

"Central Smudho Ocean bluefin tuna, served on the side with mussels from Manos, topped with chips and salad." He places a plate for Liivi. Tabaxis are partial omnivores, vegetables are not part of their daily diet requirements, but they can still eat as much of them without consequences.

"And a potato salad." He places a bowl for Mira, unfortunately, luxury food options for vegans are very limited, so that's the best he could do.

Janus places wine glasses and a wine bottle in the middle of the table. "Feher Estate -1C 3063 CY Malbec, one of the three bottles ever made. I got this one at an auction a few years ago at around 350,000 gold pieces." He wipes the dust off his paws, "Make yourself at home, gentlemen. If you need something, come find me upstairs." And with that, he snaps his finger and teleports out of the room.

You're free to roam his mansion now, and maybe have some private conversations too.

Shugo, still not back to his usual self, blinks when Janus hands him the coupon. The elf doesn't even remember asking for it....actually he's pretty sure he didn't. Maybe that cat from the store told Janus he'd wanted it before sending them over. Just like she'd told him about Maya's predicament. Taking the coupon, he nods and tiredly says, "Thanks."

He listens in silence as Janus explains the next steps of his grand plan. At the moment the elf couldn't care less about what needs to be done. He has way to much on his mind to burden himself with any more thoughts.

Taking his place at the table, his eyes widen slightly at the food Janus brings out. Normally free food would have lifted Shugo's mood immediately, however with the anger that had filled him previously fading, his energy has faded away along with it causing the rest of his emotions to become dull. He manages to give Janus a tired smile, while adopting a hollow facade of his usual self until the demon teleports away. Once Janus leaves, the elf reverts back to his worn out state.

He picks at the luxurious meal. It's certainly far more grand than anything else he'd eaten since leaving home, which only makes him think about his family more. After eating about a third of it, and not touching the expensive wine he slowly stands up. "I...need a moment." He says, turning to head to whatever room Janus assigned him. (I'm assuming with the size of the manor each of us gets a room to ourselves.) Leaving food is extremely out of character for Shugo, and normally he would have jumped at the chance to try such a rare wine. He may just have lost his appetite from the last few events, or something is really bothering him.

Once in his room with the door shut:

Alex glances at Renar when he attempts to leave for town, and is rather relieved when Maya prevents him from doing so. Still, he can't help but find it odd that Renar is so comfortable around Maya compared to how he is with everyone else. That and the fact that he knows her language just leads to more questions. Hopefully he'll get answers to them soon. 

He gives a weary smile when Janus momentarily breaks character. He might not agree with everything that Janus has planned (most specifically the part where he sacrifices himself if they have to break the no-killing law. If he's thinking that will save them from the unforgivable sin that seems wrong. Only God can forgive that, and unless Janus has come to some sort of agreement with the guy upstairs then how is him killing himself supposed to prevent everyone else who broke the rule from ending up in hell?) Still, Janus seems like a good guy. Way more pleasant than Paulis, and more forgiving too it seems. 

"Oh wow," he exclaims when Janus provides them with food and a place to stay. "Thank you. This is great!" He wishes that he knew whether or not they would have received the same hospitality had they decided to join Paulis, but that might have been asking too much. 

He eyes the wine, wondering if Janus realizes that he's... well kinda underaged. Plus as a Paladin he's sworn off intoxicating drinks so... he'll politely decline. He's thankful for the food though, especially after the last few rough days they've had. It feels almost wrong to have some time to breathe. 

As they eat he glances at Shugo... recognizing that something is wrong. His first instinct is to ask about it, but then he thinks better of that. If Shugo wants to talk he'll talk later. Right now he looks like he needs some sleep before anything else. Hopefully he'll be back to his usual self in the morning. Then he turns to Liivi and says, "So, I'm not sure you've been formally welcomed to the crew... or if you really had plans of joining the team for an extended period of time, but I wanted to welcome you again anyways. After what we've already been through together I can tell you're a great fighter and a great team player too! I look forward to working with you to... well, hopefully stop this war."

He gives an awkward smile before looking to Mira, "You really do know how to talk. I'm sure you won't have any problems with being queen. Now we just have to figure out how to actually get you in the running... since I have no clue how this whole thing actually works." He laughs a little, clearly trying to lighten the mood, "God willing this whole thing will work out. We'll just have to have faith that things will fall into place even though I don't think any of us are really satisfied with the option we chose."

After eating, he approaches Renar and Maya, "If it's alright.... well, I guess we likely have our own rooms so we could talk in private in whichever one you want. It doesn't matter to me." He looks a little worried, likely cause he's afraid his questions might ruin whatever friendship they have. Regardless... he can't just not ask. This is extremely important to him, and he can't help but notice the tension surrounding the two of them ever since talk about this war started. If they have ties to one or both of those worlds, this whole thing must be crazy to them. Whether for good or for bad. 

If they agree to talk in private...

Renar

I jumped slightly when Janus suddenly becomes enthusiastic about us enacting out plan. "Really? Now that we've sided with your cause you decide to release your enthusiasm? And you're gonna react the opposite if we resorted to Paulis' plan? Very appropriate..." I sigh, especially when I learn that this guy is just inviting us over to stay at his mansion. Pfft. Fine. Hopefully I'd be able to pick up from where I left with Okaa-san in learning Lancean. Hopefully we can have our quiet time to recharge our longed-drained batteries after this disaster, and maybe at some point, we can get along a little better than last time.

Dinner was, I have to say, interesting. Though I couldn't help but stare in confusion over what I was served. Carbonara? I've never had that dish before, but... I had to sniff it out of curiosity. It doesn't smell as bad as I thought. Though, as i peer to Okaa-san, I know she's having none of it; Once again, being a very fussy eater, I doubt she'd enjoy this meal. In fact, I notice every once in a while she'd stick out her tongue in disgust after taking small nibbles. Also... I gawked in surprise. Why does Alek and Shugo get the wagyu?! And Janus is asking me to have something i don't like; I wave my hand in response. "I'll pass. I don't drink anyways." I state when Janus offer me wine. Besides, I don't have any alcohol tolerance myself unlike Ethan and Tenebris. Other than that, the last thing i could take note of before he disappeared is the fact we're now going to Madura. Great. That's the place for our stupid trial isn't it? And then... I notice that Shugo just gets up and leaves his food half-eaten. My ears twitch, thinking about all of this food going to waste, but I manage to keep my expression unchanged.

"Do what you need." I respond to Shugo with an equally unamused tone. "At the rate we're going we're not gonna get anyway with the current moods of ours." I watch as he suddenly retreats into an available cabin. He must be troubled by something just like me. Since he didn't pry into my thoughts, I won't pry into his. Once he leaves, I couldn't help but sneak two bites at his untouched wagyu. As I do, my jealousy explodes by a factor of a million. Why did Shugo and Alek get the wagyu whilst me and Okaa-san get this... Carbonara... is it? Not that I'm complaining but whilst I do like my dish, the wagyu was on another level. Ugh, either way... once dinner was done my first instinct was to get out of my seat, thinking that Okaa-san will be the overprotective mother she is today and follow me to a private room. I did hear some footsteps, so I assume it must be her. I breathe a sigh of relief as I relax and plop my bag down on the floor near the desk and turn around...

"Ok Okaa-san. Shall we be... gin..." I ask her, only to realise... we have someone else too as the door closes shut. I raise and eyebrow in response. What is Alek doing here?

 Mira

Like Renar, Mira jumps slightly when Janus suddenly becomes enthusiastic. Wow that's so not like him. Regardless, when Janus invites the group to stay, she had to give a courtesy of thanks. "Thank you. It's an honour to be staying at your place when we least expected it." However, when Janus reveals that he's planning to send to Madura, she frowns. Well, they do have a trial it seems too. Damn it. Guess I'll have to delay my trip to visit mother... She scowls. She really want to deliver the preserved brain of one of her ancestors to her and tell her about everything behind the scenes, but it seems that's for another time.

At the dinner table, Mira's expression morphs into jealousy when she peers first at her salad bowl, and the over the rest of the group's meals. "You guys are very lucky that you can eat all types of delicious food. If only my stomach was wired the same as yours. I would've attempted to take a bite out of every single one of your dishes without thinking twice." Other that that, she doesn't say much as she eats; She wants to talk to the others and lighten up their hearts again but finds that she can't. Well, at least until Alek flatters her and she smiles back. "Oh please, Alek. No need to flatter me. If anything, I already like you for your strong sense of justice and your heartfelt compassion, my boy." She teases him. "Don't worry about it for now. From this point onward as the rule of my people, I will take full responsibility of what happens to us if I have to. You can just sit in the backseat for now until it's necessary."

Unlike the rest, Mira was quick to gobble down her rather small bowl of salad. It wasn't filling, but the queen herself doesn't have much of an appetite in the first place anyways. Almost immediately though she notices Shugo getting up first, and leaving such exquisite cuisine half-eaten. "You sure? I mean you haven't... ok..." Something must be up. I can't help but worry about him like last time when we discovered Vujica's notes. Is he okay? she deduces. And the immediately after that, she notices Renar and Maya retreating next, with Alek quietly following behind the two; She doesn't say anything when Renar does in fact steal a bite from Shugo's half eaten dish. She wants to interrogate the two oddballs so bad, but she realises that means she'll have to leave someone behind too... faced with the choice of leaving her be or to miss out on potential info about those two, Mira comes up with a quick-witted solution to handling both tasks...

"Um... Excuse me for a moment. I'll need to head to the restroom. I'll be back if you want still want to talk. I know you must have a lot to say." She coughs to Liivi as she gets up. In reality, as she hops up the stairs towards the bedrooms, she wanted to turn heels and follow the oddball pair up to their rooms. Unbeknownst to the trio, Mira had to press her ears and eavesdrop on what they want to talk about. Of course she wasn't surprised about Renar finally unleashing an ounce of his anger, and it pierced her poor heart too when she eavesdrops on his anguish. But then Alek tries to ask something crucial about the two; Mira again listens... and gasps. The language that Renar and Maya are speaking... she knows it. She knows it too well. "J-J... Japanese?! that's what Renar and Maya-!" She silently whispers to herself whilst her tiny paws move to cover her mouth. Out of all the foreign languages she secretly has taken an interest to, this was the one language she had been interested in learning the most. They're outsiders... they came from another world... She was right. These two are not from Lancea it seems. No wonder why they're so easily stressed out just now. But... seeing that Alek is indeed keeping them company, she decides to save her interrogations another time.

For now she decides to leave them be. She then hears more commotion coming from the other side and knocks on shugo's door. "Hey. Shugo? Are you ok? Is there anything I can help you with?" She asks him. No response. "Um... well, if you need something from me, I... I'll be downstairs. Even if it's to talk it out with you... I'll be here to listen." She trots down back to where Liivi stands in silence. After all, putting the needs of her people comes first... and now that she knows that there are two foreigners present, she'll have to factor in their needs to if she ever wants to stabilize the group again. I'll need to make sure these two outsiders are protected under my watch. Even if they're weird... even if they don't understand half of what us Lanceans do... I have a lot to learn from them too. It's my responsibility to ensure they're well accommodated no matter what! Don't you guys worry! She pumps her fists and steels herself for taking in charge for the time being. But for now, she wants to relax. She wants to socialize properly. And who'd be better than to chat with the one, lone female that remains in the open space of the mansion...

"Sorry I took long, Liivi. I... Anyways... where were we?" She cheekily smiles just like the playful woman she had always been up until now.