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Fantasy The Guild of the Desperate (IC)

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Nancy Noi​

The moment the door was opened for them, Nancy was hit in the face with every sort of novelty. The scent of cooked food was so overbearing that all other scents were minimized, so he was forced to use his eyes and ears. It felt like stepping into a small cathedral, every surface and corner pristine, the ceiling above alive with painted depictions of winding trees, patterned flowers, and dotted throughout with the titular dove. And of course, chandeliers. It wasn't noble-worthy if it wasn't absolutely hung with chandeliers.

"This is," -- not at ALL where I should be-- "really nice." Though saying that felt like quite the understatement, were words even needed? It spoke for itself quite well, this establishment. He didn't even have to look at the patrons to know that he was outclassed by miles, but his eyes couldn't really escape them.
That's SO many jewels on one sleeve... and they really just carry crowns with them? That's not just in the paintings?
His nerves were frayed, being surrounded by all these exuberantly dressed folk, but glancing back down at Demi forced him to relax a bit. If she had the money to spend here, then she belonged. And if she was inviting him, that extended to him too, right? Stepping in with her flight gear with nary a hint of hesitation told him that she'd done this many times before.

Okay. Nothing to worry about. They'll probably just pretend we're not even here-- The moment their butts touched the seats, they had a small audience. Ah, just his rotten luck.


Too Much Money, Too Much Time

Had they been given enough time for the waiters to bring them drinks, Nancy would have done a spit-take at what his ears were just affronted by.
Unsanitary?!?
It wasn't the first time Nancy had been presumed to be some walking petri dish of water-borne ailments. But the boldness? The audacity to leave it right out in the open? Most had the good sense to be subtle about their bigotry, so he could only presume this pair of nobles have never experienced a well-deserved slap in the face.
But it wasn't even directed at him. He was just the ugly accessory being used to degrade Demi, who they actually acknowledged as some semblance of an equal. They spoke as if he were some muddy, shedding dog dripping grimy fur all over the polished floor, and Demi was the unseemly child bringing it inside.
"The Asella name"? So she's noble too?
It made sense, not just her being able to afford to eat here, but the fact that she was being spoken to at all. Fellow nobles were competition, biting back in battles of words and needlessly expensive flair.

And damn, did Demi bite back. Simply being addressed as the working class was enough to offend them so deeply? Goodness, what thin skin.
Wait... they're not even bringing up the potion mishap?
No, apparently he was just some icky, stinky fishman, impeding in the space of these good blessed folk and shattering the illusion that icky, stinky fishmen couldn't up and walk out of water to ruin their day.

No. Of course they wouldn't know! What was I even worried about?
What was that aristocrat going to do? Tell all the other nobles about his embarrassing fire-farting, and that a stinky fishman had caused it? That would be social suicide! Sure, it got Nancy blacklisted from the other guilds, but it had to have been because of a guild-wide decision to prevent any more noble disgraces, not due to the nobleman himself making some demand.
I'm sure she's still mad at me, Nancy thought, remembering with a pang how his sister had walked out of that spectacle in a huff. But she'll be more mad at me if I didn't bite back too.

"Um... I'm... not ready yet. Sorry," was spoken in a meek, small voice, Nancy keeping his head ducked behind his propped menu. Then, perking up to give them a far too affable smile, added in a matching tone, "I'll just have a glass of water for now. That should keep it simple for you, yes?"


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Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

Fighting words from a has-been noble was one thing. Those words from a walking fish sent the Viscount's Son over the edge. The man drew his blade, which immediately invited attention. Pointing it at her, he decided to challenge Demi instead of the fish she didn't bother to check. "You think I'm gonna take that from people like you, you insolent wench?" When in doubt, say she whores herself out, Demi thought, neither looking at the man nor outwardly acknowledging the blade challenging her.

Demi tapped her crystal twice. "Demestral to George."
A voice came over the crystal fairly quickly. "Demestral! Good evening," he said, very friendly, "What can I do for ya?"
Demi took note of the duo being taken aback at her contacting this George and conjured up a document in her hand. "Yes, so I'm looking over the invoice for the flight I'm taking you and your wife on........." Demi spoke calmly, all business-like. ".......and I was accosted by your son who is currently drawing a blade at me and my friend over at the Elegant Dove." She allowed those words and their very important implications it carried to sink in. "I'm afraid for such humiliation in public as well as the hazard presented to me by your family, I will need compensative pay as well as hazard pay. Otherwise I will have to cancel your upcoming trip."

The duo gasped. Demi currently had this family by the balls since they needed her more than she needed them. Noble or not, her services were pretty important if you didn't want to spend a long time on the trail between 2 faraway lands. "Wait! That trip takes 2 weeks by horseback! We can't afford to cancel!" 4 days vs 14 days by horseback.

"I don't know if Quincy will feel comfortable allowing on his back people that threatened the life of his master," Demi was calm but she was fighting an evil grin. "Dragons are known to be very vindictive." This was true. If Quincy got word that ANYONE in the von Levin family threatened Demi, it was the blacklist for the whole family that took nigh a dragon-level tribute to forgive.

"I understand, Ms. Asella." The actual Viscount realized that he was losing his composure and decided to steady himself by clearing his throat. There was attempts to stifle a growing anger. Demi knew it wasn't towards her. This sort of thing was common, having to come out of pocket due to a child's mistake, a mistake they KNEW better than to make. Drawing your blade on someone in public? Without a damn good reason, he was lucky to have not been arrest. "How much for you to keep this transgression from your Wyvern's ears?" he asked
"Between public humiliation, hazard pay, and hush money, we're looking at about 30 gold coins." Demi already thought this through from the beginning. In fact, she had provoked exactly this from the moment they were accosted. A lot of Fae were known to be money-grubbers. Not Demi's part of the Fae but still........... Dragons were bigger money-grubbers. She would turn into a cheapskate for Quincy if it meant building his hoard.
  • A Gold Coin is essentially a $100 bill. This Viscount was about to bleed $3000 plus the cost of the trip itself. Not much now but a boatload in this time
"That's.........." he sighed. "I understand. This comes out to 50 Gold Coins total. Mind if I pay 25 upfront and the other 25 when we land?"
"Aye, but we must reflect these fees in a new contract," Demi said. The Fae were big on contracts as they were Avalon-Bound. If you renege on a Fae contract, things would go really bad really quickly. One must never try to trick a race known for trickery. This was dual-sided. If Demi ever broke terms of her contract, she would be up in front of the Fae Counsel for severe punishment if the contract itself didn't unleash harsh punishment itself.

I'm gonna keep the currency system simple. When dealing with currency, I will put the $$$ cost beside it as a frame of reference. The Currency System in fantasy is always a pain in the ass otherwise:
  • Copper- $1
  • Brass- $10
  • Bronze- $20
  • Silver- $50
  • Gold- $100

"Then it is settled," he responded, "Mind coming by our estate this evening to renegotiate our terms?"
"Tomorrow," Demi countered. "I am still out with an acquaintance this evening." It wasn't often that someone set the terms to meet with someone that high. If the Viscount told someone like Nancy to meet, Nancy would basically be setting aside whatever he was doing. Demi? Didn't care
"I see. If my idiot son is there, tell him I want him in my office post-haste."

"I will. Pleasure doing business, sir." Demi severed the connection, then looked to the duo, who bore witness to all of this. It wasn't like they could say anything. If they did, it would not only cause more of a scene, but verify everything Demi had said. At least in this, he could attempt to save a bit of face. They probably wouldn't speak for much though since his father was having to whip out 30 more gold coins on account of his son's foolishness. "You two might want to get moving. Daddy dearest doesn't sound happy."
The man growled. His face was red with fury. Hell hath no fury like a spoiled child scorned. "I promise you this, pixie." he said darkly, "You WILL pay for this."

This...........this was where Nancy saw the less than wholesome side of the friendly pixie girl, the less than wholesome side that simply didn't exist in the vampire. Demi looked at the man, her own demeanor getting serious. "Let me be clear about something," she said, all pretense gone in the face of that threat. "Sending you home to grovel in front of your father was handling this like a Fae........."
"Huh? Handling it like a Fae?" the man scoffed, "Letting me off easy, eh? Awfully presumptuous."
Demi stood up and walked forward to him, not a flinch and not even trying to avoid the blade, which made the man/wife duo take a nervous step back. She stood right in his face, VERY close. The Elegant Dove had all eyes on this. "Yes. Like a FAE. What my Wyvern would've demanded was to let him eat both you and your hedge-born wife on the spot." There was legit anger in her eyes now, a fire ignited. "If you EVER point a blade at me again......." Having almost yelled those words, her voice was suddenly loud and decisive yet narrowed and focused, draining any other words from the atmosphere. A standoff between the son of a Viscount and the daughter of a ruined noble family. This was prime-time viewing. "...........the screams as you're eaten alive by my Wyvern will be as nourishing to me as your bodies will be to him." Bone-chilling words delivered by the pixie. Not only was she in general NOT in the mood for this given that she was currently at odds with said Wyvern, but being threatened period was a way to piss her off, and this didn't even get into them having insulted and threatened Nancy. Demi wasn't exactly a tomboy, but she was rolling with the Dragons. There was a Dragon's Heart in her, and she was as fiery as any Dragon's Breath when provoked. "Now get out of here before I handle this like a Dragon instead."
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Nancy Noi​

Nancy knew that he was poking a bear here, worse than what Demi had prodded the noble with considering what mouth it had come from. The retaliation? More scathing insults, a demand to the waiters that these inferiors be escorted out, a comment that his father would be hearing about this. That was what Nancy had been expecting, anyway. It absolutely wasn't that blade being unsheathed and directed at Demi.

Stalwart resolve crumbling in the face of this threat, Nancy sat up straight with a hand gripping the chair's back, ready to push himself off and flee should the shine on the metal move, indicating movement. What?? What?? WHY?!? The man wasn't even going to open with a proper challenge? He knew that the presence of blades holstered to their belts meant that the nobles here had a fondness for meeting perceived dishonor with a challenge to a duel, but this man was deciding to forgo all that to directly threaten them where they sat.
This isn't legal, is it? He can't do this?! With that kind of money, what did the legality of anything mean?

Though his dilated eyes didn't want to leave the blade unattended for a second, his gaze flitted about the restaurant in search for a waiter or someone to call for a guard. All eyes were on the table, but were content to watch in intrigue rather than get help. But before he could call for help himself, Demi began sorting this out herself. And he realized, very quickly, that she had planned this out from the start.
Oh. Piecing together that Demi had these people wrapped around her finger simply for the fact of them being her clientele, Nancy began to relax in his seat some. So there's that Pixie trickery they talk about. She knew exactly how to push their buttons, and exactly where to hit them where it hurt. Of course, "where" being money. He could chance that this idiot manchild didn't care if he made a fool of himself, so long as someone wasn't paying out of pocket for said foolishness.

Said idiot manchild was STILL making threats, even after the embarrassment he'd brought upon himself. Nancy's veins chilled at his words. Spoken like a man who could only hold everyone else accountable for his actions, so of course they could expect retribution. What were they going to have to prepare for? Hired thugs mugging them on the way back to the guild, leaving a message from their "anonymous" tip?
Maybe if he was insane. Demi did him one better with HER threat. Well, that settles it. Nancy was glancing between the two now, not sure who to be more frightened of. Everyone in this city is a maniac. But for once, Nancy was in luck. The man threatening him had coin and a sharp bit of metal. The woman who said she had Nancy's back? She had a Wyvern.

"I've seen it with my own eyes," he told the couple, voice growing quiet again. Lacking his signature meekness, he spoke slow and low now, his warning words foreboding. "You're worried about this place becoming unsanitary?" Never mind that the fool was drawing a blade at them in said place, as if the blood that would spill wouldn't taint the perfect shine. "Her Wyvern won't let a single drop of blood hit the floor. He'll savor every last bit of flesh, whether you're alive to feel it or not. And you can forget about murder charges. Not even the King himself would dare to come between a Dragon and his chosen punishment." He forced his gaze off the blade, flicking between the eyes of the couple. "Is that really the legacy you want to leave for your families?"


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
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Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

Demi's words were threatening enough, but Nancy backing those words up drove the nail in. When even the meek Locathah discarded his fear to take on that serious tone, the message got through even deeper.
Inside, Demi was laughing her ass off from Nancy's words. They weren't untrue at all, Quincy would indeed eat them and not let a trace of them escape unless he burped up a piece of fabric. The funny thing was just knowing that, from what she knew of Nancy, it would scar him for life to witness with both eyes and ears Quincy eating someone alive. Quincy would honestly feel flattered to hear his savagery being the cause of words of warning. Fearmongering for his savagery was to Quincy what complimenting her wings was to Demi.

"You heard him," Demi said, "Let your father's bleeding wallet be the symbol of mercy. You come at me or my friend here again, and you will become manure for my garden courtesy of my Wyvern." Her eyes glowed gold, not only a sign of her Divine Favor, but something that happened whenever she casted a spell concerning Quincy, including calling him. "Now, out of my sight before I call him." She made a quick lunge at him, a feint, but the sudden move sent the intimidated man tripping and sprawling on the ground out of there along with his wife. Then she turned and looked at Nancy, that murderous look in her eyes gone without a trace and replaced with the same friendliness she had pre-encounter. "Nice going, Nancy," she complimented as she took her seat again.

The patrons of The Elegant Dove slowly but surely got back to normal low chatter, though the pixie could definitely hear people discussing what happened. It didn't matter. She gave up on trying to be a noble a long time ago. She was always too Dragon obsessed to live the noble life. While other little girls were learning how to waltz, Demi was literally imitating traditional Draconic mating dances performed to solidify a marriage

The actual waiter came to take their order. "We can continue our evening, it seems," she said, then to the waitress, "Elegant Stew, and then another of the largest order of Elegant Stew, to go."
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi​

Instead of more walking fish condescension triggering the man to lunge forward with his sword, as per Nancy's worst fear, the couple actually took the bait on this one. Ah, really, they've been taking the bait this whole time. Demi had fished for this very reaction, given her complete lack of concern, and they fell for it hook, line, and sinker. The irony was not at all lost to Nancy, and he had to keep his guffaws locked in his chest when the pair of annoyances finally scrambled away like frightened rabbits. It was the funniest thing he'd seen in weeks, not to mention satisfying.

Still. There were those little worries again, festering in the corners of his mind. The noble had pointed his sword AT Demi BECAUSE of what Nancy said, and despite it being exactly what she wanted, he still felt a degree responsible and even guilty for it. What if the man had stayed true to his threat? What if this wasn't the last they'd see of him, despite Demi's threats? Apologies wanted to surface, but when Demi gave her compliment, something changed. His shoulders felt lighter, the tangle of anxieties in his head cleared just enough for one word to repeat.

Friend.
This soon? Even though Nancy had done nothing to earn it? Unless...
Please don't try to rationalize this right now, he begged of himself. Just let it be. Please.
When Demi sat down, he met her with a smile. "What can I say? I'm Nervous Nancy, not Pushover Petey."

When the real waitress arrived, keeping her own reaction to that spectacle well off her face (for surely she'd seen worse with this lot of nobles), a new swill of anxieties flooded Nancy's mind. "Uh..." Now giving the menu a proper look over, he realized he didn't recognize the name of a single dish on here. And the prices! Good Gods, he'd feel like he was robbing from Demi just by ordering an appetizer! "I'll... um..." He sunk back into his menu. "I'm not ready, sorry. I'll just have water for now..."


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Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

The waitress scurried off giving Nancy more time. Demi was still fighting off stares and side comments with a sigh. She was already wearing her flight suit, looking the least like a noble in this place anyways. She wasn't self-conscious about it as much as she was annoyed at it. Nancy seemed to be having trouble reading the menu. While she couldn't exactly read facial expressions on a Locathah, how he was twisting the menu at times and pulling it close and then further apart gave all the signs she needed to know that Nancy either couldn't read or he couldn't understand what he was reading

Quincy, what do Locathah tend to eat? Demi reached out to her Wyvern via telepathy, the only indicator of her using Quincy-related magic being shown in her eyes gleaming gold. If Nancy had studied her face and connected the dots, he'd notice that she was using magic here. What that magic was specifically he couldn't know.
Hell if I know, came a snort back into her brain. I don't keep up with the tendencies of every creature that walks this earth

Quincy, I suggest reconsidering both your choice of words and the tone of those words, Demi thought back, not letting her irritation show on her face to Nancy. Otherwise, I shall seal both your wings and your legs so you can grovel with the worms for a day. The duo were a pair of fliers. Both the Fae and the Draconic held pride in the affinity they were born with. That was why sealing flight was such a big deal for them. For Quincy especially, Demi's words of groveling with the worms struck him harder
........My deepest apologies, Quincy responded, genuinely apologetic, but what happened? I caused the response, not the emotion behind the response.
Quincy was sharp as always. Even from afar, he could tell if something was off concerning her. I was accosted by the von Levin son and his wife, and they insulted both me and Nancy. There was no hiding this from Quincy

WHAT?! Demi could hear Quincy's roar in her head, so angry that he was more than likely roaring the words from his Stable as much as the thoughts were being projected to her. THEY DARE INSULT MY MASTER?! I WILL ROAST THEIR BONES! Tell me you're not still wanting me to carry them!
Demi stifled a sigh. Quincy was always so ready for violence. While she enjoyed venting to him about people, joking about killing people in jest for her had been determined to be something serious in the eyes of Quincy. There was a couple of times where she joked about killing someone for having annoyed her, and to her horror, Quincy went out and ate the soul. Being annoying isn't a crime, and she had to give Quincy a stern talking to about figurative language. Yes I do, Quincy, Demi finally responded, We're taking the father, not the son. Plus, I put a hole in their wallet to add to your horde for that transgression. Anyways, I'll fill you in later. The pixie severed the connection there before Quincy could suggest scorching their family tree.

So Quincy was useless in the matter she had to ask him, so Demi may as well just ask Nancy directly. Like she should have the first time. "You're a Locathah, so I imagine your taste buds are stronger than that of humans," she said. That would make Locathah fairly picky about what they eat. The more taste buds, the more particular one was about how things tastes. However, the diets of most non-human species were so simple (due to them not really cooking their food) that things like cooked food may be intimidating. "But cooked food seems to be something you're not used to." Even in the fanciest menus, there were simple options. If Nancy didn't understand it, it meant that, like most of those non-humanesque species, there was little to no variance in the diet overall, thus no need to remember the names of dishes.
"How about this," Demi suggested, ready to compromise. "Choose a fish and I'll have it lightly seared and lightly seasoned for you, with a simple salad. That way, you get the taste of this place without stepping TOO far away from what you know best." If Nancy couldn't recognize the name of the dishes, he could at least know the names of the fish used in dishes with them.
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi​

Alright, maybe he'd overreacted a bit. It was a little overwhelming looking at so many options at once, especially with his mind still buzzing with nervousness from that encounter. But he was... still so confused. It was easy to know what a soup or a salad was, but he was certain half of the names weren't English, for one. And the dishes listing what foods they consisted of helped, but not when the picture looked absolutely nothing like the food it mentioned. That brownish green lump scarcely looked like an artichoke-- ah, now he could see the leaves. Maybe they needed to hire a better artist. Or maybe he needed better eyes.

Preoccupied with decrypting these odd texts, Nancy only looked over when Demi spoke up. "Oh. Uh... yeah, you'd be right there." He turned back down at his menu, though hardly to continue reading it, seeming embarrassed. "Sorry. I should have said something. I didn't want to be rude... but I guess not letting you know beforehand was rude, too." Letting out a sigh, just shy of frustration, he resisted the urge to bring his hands to his head. Had Demi gone through all that for nothing? He should have just said something when they were at the guildhall, so he wouldn't have wasted her time--

No, no. It was fine. It would be fine. Demi had a solution. "Yes." Nancy nodded, a little more frantically than he meant to. "Yes, that works. Thank you." Keep it simple. That was his best bet. Now wasn't the time to practice daring culinary pursuits, as he'd feel even more guilty if he hated a dish Demi paid for. No, he could try that with the free meals his guild badge would get him.
"Um..." It wasn't like there were a lot of fish options, so this was markedly more simple. "I'll... I'll try the salmon." Everyone liked salmon, right? Pisceans, humans, birds, bears. Couldn't go wrong with it.


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

My god he's adorable, Demi thought, fighting a squeal. The Fae LOVED the whimsical, and a literal walking fish amongst a realm of humans definitely fit that bill. That alongside watching him struggle to read the text by pulling the menu close and twist to try and make sense of it it struck the pixie with nothing more than the will to capture that memory and play it back a million times. Not that she had any romantic interest in him (she wanted a Dragon Rider after she herself becomes one), but BY THE COUNSEL was this endearing to watch.

He'll never live it down if he knew how cute I found this, Demi thought. Most would find it condescending. It was something she had to grapple with PLENTY of times in life, especially as a noble. Then again, she always thought it condescending whenever Quincy observed her butchering the Draconic language in her attempts to learn it. "I'll order it for you."

The waiter came over again with the drinks as ordered, and Demi explained Nancy's order to her. Salmon lightly seasoned with a salad. No dressing on the salad, just on the side so he can try it and determine whether or not he liked it. The waiter quickly wrote it all down then scurried off. "Ya know, Nancy....." Demi said, "If you don't understand what something is, all you have to do is ask. I don't even know everything on this menu." Then again, it was because Demi just didn't care. She wasn't some food connoisseur. Her questions were simple: Was it good? Could a Wyvern eat it? That was IT. "But I have been living in human societies to know a thing or two. If you're new to all this, it's best learned from nonhumans who have learned to integrate, like Vessy and I."

The food came out fairly quickly from there, only a few minutes. Demi had a small bowl, then another massive bowl far too big for a normal person to eat what's inside it. It was the Elegant Stew she was taking back to Quincy.
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi​

My god, she's so nice. Ordering for him? Sparing him the additional social interaction after he awkwardly sent that poor waitress away? It was too much. He felt undeserving. Fending off a million "sorrys" was hard enough just by existing, let alone when someone was going so far out of their way for him. Though he could easily turn those "sorrys" into "thank yous", so long as he didn't overdo it. People seemed to get just as uncomfortable with too many thanks as too many apologies.

So Demi didn't even know half of this crap herself? Well, that's nice, worrying over all that for nothing. "'Vessy'...? Oh! Vespera?" The vampire girl, of course. The slightly scary one who was only scary when someone was breaking into personal property. It wasn't like he had any plans of breaking into places, so he was safe. Still, he supposed it was her apparent status that made him a tad wary. Either seniority, or authority, or something. He was still learning how everything worked at the Stoneroses. "If you're offering to help, I suppose. And if you don't mind a lot of questions..."

He wasn't exactly new to this. Not clueless new. He'd left the Springs many years ago at this point. As a pretty isolated community, you don't just walk out knowing a language you aren't even designed to communicate in, let alone knowing how to conduct yourself. Nancy had come a far way, but there was a far way to go still, especially when every new place came with new expectations. It was fascinating as much as it was incredibly nerve-wracking. The Springs were pretty homogenized culturally, with little variance within, so this was... a lot. Suffice to say.
None of this was said aloud, but Nancy wasn't exactly opaque. He hung well in between knowing what he was doing and having not a damn clue, and it was apparent to anyone who cared to observe. Demi offering help in that forte was a comfort, but also twisted a small knot of shame in his stomach. He felt such a nuisance, being this hopelessly awkward.


When food arrived, Nancy only caught the faintest whiff of salmon before whatever that bizarre concoction in the bowls was assaulted his nose. And it wasn't even a bad scent. He was curious as to what on earth was in that stew to make it so strong, and a glance over didn't answer much. A slew of cooked vegetables and meat, it looked like, with spices he couldn't begin to-- oh no, he could some. That definitely was saffron, and this definitely was a fancy restaurant.
Needing to give his senses a break from that, Nancy picked out details in his own meal. He couldn't identify the spices lightly sprinkled on his fish yet, but between browned bits, the distinct pink flesh appeared more flaky and marbled than its raw counterpart. Warmth emanated from it strongly, which warned him against digging in right away, so he diverted his attention to the salad. It was very plain, with a lettuce he wasn't familiar with but that looked enticing with its dark green leaves. And... were those tomatoes, diced up? The last tomato he had was half rotten and gave him indigestion, so he was about to be in heaven.

"So, how long have you been in Toron?" he asked, spearing a single piece of tomato with the tines of his fork. It was sweet and savory, the juices making his mouth water. The overstimulation of this establishment had made him forget about hunger up until this point, but he fought back the urge to scarf the salad down like a starved dog. "What brought your family here? It seems like you have quite a presence."


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

"Hmmmmmm. I've been in this city for 20 years." Demi responded with a laugh, "Our name is synonymous with.......let's say peculiarities." As is most things that involve the Fae. Things can get very crazy very quickly. "My father is a former pixie turned human. This means he's my birth father but he's not my biological father. Losing his Fae blood made him very weak in comparison." The fall from grace between champion pixie knight to human knight was meteoric. Her father really truly underestimated how much of his talent was in his blood vs in his training. Not to downplay either side of it, but losing that natural affinity for something made him suffer in those areas. Fae weapons he isn't allowed to wield (like all non-Fae)

"I am known as a Dragon obsessed tomboy not fit to be a lady of Nobility," she chuckled again, not giving a care about it. Too much appearance-based actions. Not enough action to earn the appearance. "My maid is a cursed draconian named Lattice. People are scared of her, but she's sweet." She was ugly in the eyes of pretty much all of these societies. Fae, Draconic, Elf, Human. But Demi loved her and Lattice was a hard worker without complaint. Plus, Demi found her cute and endearing in general. "My best friend is a vampire, a Daedric person within this Holy city. I serve the Dragons of Avalon AND the Fae Counsel so I'm polytheistic instead of monotheistic." In other words, in a crusade, to the Church, and to more religious noble families, she was straight up seen as a heretic. Not like they could do anything about it though. Most Holy Gods weren't repulsed by the Fae per se. Only Fae witches. "Aaaaannndd the Stoneroses is a rundown guild with a small population of non-humans that humans are generally weirded out by. Now including yourself.

"So the Asella name isn't associated with the status quo. Nobility doesn't take well to those who don't uphold the status quo." It wasn't even like the Asella Family was trying to upend the status quo. "We're more Wild Cards than enemies. What's the difference in the eyes of the system?"

But Demi had to ask. "Why did you come out to a place like Toron? Did you come alone?"
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi​

"Really?" A Pixie abandoning their blood to become human? What a strange concept. But the revelation resolved Nancy's confusion about this Arnold Asella. What little he knew of the Stoneroses, he knew it was human-fronted despite the majority of members being non-human. Once he heard that Demi was an Asella, he wondered how a Pixie and a human could be related. Married in, he had assumed, but turns out the real answer was a lot more fantastical.

"Tomboy"? Like, a tomcat? Do they think she's a man? Weird. But by Demi's description, she was surrounded by weird. Dragons and vampires, and now, weird fishfolk like him. "Goodness." Not that Nancy had a great frame of reference for what was unusual in Toron eyes, but if anything was strange to him, that was saying something. Altering one's bloodline, cursed dragon maids, juggling multiple faiths (his Goddess could get very jealous over Her children, so seeking other Gods was considered Shirking and thus blasphemous), and all of the species he had met up to this point he was unfamiliar with. It didn't surprise him that the nobility approached Demi with their brand of condescending hostility.

But even that couldn't explain to him what Demi suggested. "Enemies to the system?" He shook his head a little, more so in confusion than disagreement. "I could understand being considered liability." As accommodating the city was, non-humans would always find somewhere they'd struggle due to culture or even biology. Nancy's muteness was a species-wide trait, but he'd be considered disabled in a human society for needing a crystal to speak. "But enemies? We work hard and add to the economy, don't we? We're contributing members of society." Why make enemies out of someone who brought business to the city? It seemed like a net positive for nobles, if only they could look past the general weirdness of their workers.

"We heard that Toron was a good place for opportunity." Which was ironic, considering what Demi had said. But he could give the city credit for tolerating other folk, at the very least. A lot of places didn't accommodate at all for non-humans, or even outright barred them from becoming citizens. To explain the "we" tagged on, he went on, "I came here with my sister. She's a very skilled Mage, so she found guild work our first week here." Nancy flipped over a lettuce leaf with his fork as he spoke. Given his distant gaze, it wasn't to continue the inspection of his meal. "It... took me a while. I just don't have many skills to offer." It was sort of embarrassing, really. Getting work only because the place was desperate enough to take him in. He was grateful, of course, but compared to his sister, it said a lot about his worth as a potential employee. In his eyes, anyway.

"I'm just glad I got lucky with the Stoneroses." He forced that forlorn look off his face best he could, giving Demi a reassuring smile. "I can't promise I'll be exceptional, but I'll do my best. I want to help bring you all a good name."


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
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Demestral Asella
The Elegant Dove​

"When you bring something different than the status quo, you could potentially expose or be a catalyst for changing something within the system," Demi responded, "In the case of us Fae, we blend in in human society quite well. Heck, there are some Fae around shifted into human form." That was the difference between Nancy and Demi. Nancy would always stand out. Demi, on the other hand, until she unfurled her wings, looked no different than a human. It was a thing in societies to sniff out interlopers and, in a way, Demi could understand. The Fae killed intruders quite regularly. If you enter Avalon and you don't belong there, you will be killed on the spot upon discovery. No questions, very very few exceptions (mostly for minors and/or mistakes on part of the Fae), and it's execution for harboring intruders.

"In the Stoneroses, we don't expect you to be exceptional. Just not actively counter-productive to what we do here." She said simply. They were trying to build something here, and it was hard enough without bad eggs spoiling their already roughed up carton. "Toron is indeed a place of opportunity, but for non-humans, don't be surprised if you have to work much harder to earn your place."

The food was soon consumed and Demi left them a hefty tip. "But we have great expectations of you, Nancy, as we do every member. My dad will take all the help he can get, so it's on me and Vessy and make sure the help is actually help and not leeching. But........... Next is the library." Demi expected to go into the night at the library. She was good friends with the Kitsune Twins. They weren't Fae, but the type of magic Kitsune used were typically in line with how Fae magic operated. "I'll have you meet the Kitsune Twins and then we'll cut the evening after exploring the library for a bit."




Arnold Asella
Stoneroses HQ​

A cancelled mission? No. There was a timeline for it to be done, so it wasn't like they had to report it cancelled right now. Plus, the Harpies of Zephyr Peaks knew that they over at Toron weren't as mobile as them in the Peaks. Maybe he could go get that done himself. He had been in Spellbound Grotto a bunch of times and Demi could get them to the base of Zephyr Peaks. There was no room to be reporting this mission as cancelled. They needed the money and they needed the good will of the Harpies as regular customers. Arnold knew that the good will of the Harpies would grant them a constant stream of gold. He eyed the request. They could get it done quite easily, and it looked like it needed to get done. I'll get Demi on it. She can get it done alone, Arnold thought with a sigh. Demi was an excellent member of the Stoneroses. As the one with a Wyvern, Demi could do it all. However, knowing her worth and being adamant about said worth was something Arnold also taught her. Demi was not about to work for free, nor should she. Even if she were willing, QUINCY definitely wouldn't allow it


"Is this the........... the Stoneroses?"
Arnold's Crystal lit up with the sound of the voice of a teen boy. How'd he get this signature? Communication Crystals were loaded with a special signature to allow contact over larger distances. Aka, they're this RP's (and Pirate's) equivalence of a phone number. "Yes this is the Stoneroses HQ. Guildmaster Arnold Asella speaking."
"Uhhh yeah, I was wondering if I can put in a request? I don't have much money, but this request is important."
"What's the nature of the request, son?" Arnold said. HQ was pass closing hours so unless this request was emergency level, they weren't drafting up any new ones. Granted, this boy could draft up his own, bring the fee, and officialize it with Efi any time, but if the guild was expected to draft it up, it wasn't happening this evening
"I need something called a Mirage Flower," the boy responded
"I'm not sure what that is." Arnold wasn't exactly out there frolicking in the meadows. "Do you know?"
"Uhh uh........ I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I-I need it."
"Boy," Arnold said with a sigh. He was asking them to get something that he didn't know much about so he didn't know if he ACTUALLY needed it. "If you don't start getting specific or making sense, I'm gonna close up shop for the night."
"I need it to make a medicine for a friend who's sick!" The boy exclaimed urgently. "I'll pay the price, honest! I'll even pay extra to expedite it!" To expedite is to get someone on the case immediately
"You actually need it that quickly?"
"He can su-"
"Then don't expedite it," Arnold said bluntly, interrupting him. "We will be here tomorrow. You can come first thing. In my office."
"Ok," the teen sounded relieved. "Thank you sir."
"Uh huh." Arnold hung up with that.
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
The Elegant Dove ---> Noble District​

When spelled out like that, what Demestral was saying made a lot of sense. Nancy couldn't claim he'd been a catalyst for change, that he knew of. Though he was certainly an outlier within a system that expected strict adherence. And he certainly knew what it was like to have to work harder than his peers to earn his keep. Of course, of all the hard work he put in, it only yielded--
No. Not thinking about that today.
"I'm not one to cause trouble," he assured her, finally forking that lettuce he'd been harassing and putting it out of its misery between his teeth. "You need something of me, I'll do it to the best of my ability. No complaints." If something needed done, there was no use in whining about it. Not to the person making the request, anyway. That would be rude. As for taking and giving nothing back... "Leeching"? You mean, like what I'm doing here, using up your time and money? He ought to not think like that, he knew. Demi must be extending some form of trust, along with goodwill. If the Stoneroses were willing to treat their members and make them feel welcome, Nancy would be expected to do the same.

Demi's meal was already nearly finished, so as to not keep her waiting on him long, he tended to the neglected salmon cooling on his plate. Tender flakes of flesh pulling away readily with his fork, Nancy gave the morsel a tentative sniff before braving a taste. Seemed normal at first... until the complex palate unraveled in his mouth. Not at all wanting to know what look was forming on his face, he hid what he could behind a self-conscious hand when his eyes began to water from the flavor intensity and the following swell of emotion. After settling with monster meat and random herbs for so long? "This... This is the best thing I've tasted in years..."


Evening Falls

Leaving the restaurant, the two stepped out into a different Noble District. Against the waning, pale orange sky, strewn rows of magelights were coming alight. The last sunbeams had the leaves of gardens aglow with gold, daytime blooms curling up while flowers of the night began to unravel from their buds. Surrounded by other passing folk, their noble attire bright and vivid especially as nighttime crept in, Nancy felt much safer here than he did wandering the other districts at dark.

He wouldn't be Nancy if he didn't worry about getting shanked anyway. "I had something a lot nastier to say to those two," he revealed to Demi, mischief ticking the corners of his lips. "But I didn't want us finding ourselves at the mercy of an assassin's blade." It would be unfathomably stupid to try to pull that on a Wyvern Rider like her, but whoever that man was certainly fit the description. Stupid and bored, for sure.


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Demestral Asella
Noble District​

"Smart," Demi commented as they walked along the path of the Noble District. "It's never a good thing to go around creating enemies. With me though, it's more a 'so be it' approach." Demi was a very accommodating girl. What she wasn't though was someone willing to compromise who she was to her core. The basic difference between them though is that Demi could actually fight. She was still training, but she wasn't defenseless. Her biggest milestone at this point was making herself not reliant on Quincy. She wanted to be fierce in her own right. "I'll be going to Redcap School not too long from now."

Redcaps. Redcaps were a ferocious Goblin that served the Fae Counsel. They tended to be mercenaries and were famous blades for hire in Avalon. On earth though, they were murderous and quick, their blades never dull and their strength never waning. They were more intelligent in battle strategy than the average Goblin. Redcaps bathed their caps in the blood of their enemies and such ritual, uncreatively called Bloody Cap, gave them strength until the blood dried, hence their namesake. The more soaked the cap, the greater the strength. The more pure the blood, the greater the strength. The more rare the blood, the greater the strength
  • OOC: Some interpretations have them bathing them in the blood to keep on living, but.........nah, I'll let it be similar to Plunderlust in its nature since they're a type of Goblin. I kind of like the whole conditional strength buff thing I have with Goblins.
To know that Demi was going to Redcap School to be trained by some of the most savage malevolent warriors on the planet meant that her skill now was nothing to scoff at, and that any threat to kill was NOT a bluff by any means. Not just anyone could go to Redcap School. Going in with not enough strength was like approaching a Dragon with too paltry a tribute. It often resulted in death.

"We the Fae avenge insulted honor. Draconians kill over disrespect. Where does that leave me?" The answer was obvious: Whatever Demi felt depending on how the insult made her feel. "A person who struggles to deal with human nobles." Then she laughed. "And fighting the urge to put their head on a pike." The way she spoke about such gruesome acts casually still drove home not wanting to be on her bad side. She was basically saying if it weren't for the laws of the land, she'd have a trail of bodies for disrespect. It was a weird dynamic, a trifecta of contemplation before her social interactions


"Arnold to Demestral."
"Dad? What is it?" Why would Arnold be calling her. Granted, Demi loved her father dearly, but small talk rarely happened over crystal
"Where are you?"
"I'm out with Nancy," Demi responded, "We're about to head to the library then I'm headed home."
"Library? Perfect! I need you to look into something for me."
"I guess........"
"I got a call from a kid looking for something called a Mirage Flower. It's looking like it turn into an official request Can you look into it for me?"
"A Mirage Flower isn't a thing in itself. It's a category of flowers." Demi said. This was Fae stuff, so her dad should know this! Then again, it only moved further into the territory of unsurprising given that he gave up his Fae blood. "What does he need a Mirage Flower for?"
"From him, it's for some medicine."
"Righty, so I'll find a book on the types of Mirage Flowers, but Nancy is the only one here who knows how to brew a potion."
"If he can't then we'll hire someone who can." There wasn't a shred of trust in Arnold's voice. Seems reasonable given that Nancy was very much so new.
"Let's rely on what we have before we cut into our potential earnings looking elsewhere." Demi said with a roll of her eyes.
"Right. Arnold out." Demi would never get used to how formal her dad could be when speaking over Crystal



The duo made it to the library. It looked like a normal library front. Bigger than some buildings, big sprawling letters spelling out Library, with a big book for those who couldn't read. It looked pristine though, no grime or overgrowth, no cracks in the bricks. Not even bugs crawling along the building. The Kitsune Twins had a good thing going with this library. However, nothing prepare Nancy for lie within

It was like a castle archive's amount of books within. OBVIOUSLY this was a different place on the inside than what was shown on the outside, up to the point where this 1 story building outside had like 4 stories inside, complete with multiple spiraling staircases littered around, as well as teleport arches that could take one up or down floors for the price of 1 copper coin ($1) a pop. While the outside matched the aesthetic of the buildings surrounding it, the inside was..........well it was like a literal castle.
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
Noble District ---> Twin Tails Library​

He was a little taken aback. Nancy had been half-joking, really. But now apparently his paranoid worry that someone might send a hit on them wasn't so paranoid after all. "If I were a noble, I'd hire you to walk me home. No contest." Demi was going to Redcap School. REDCAP School! Deadly warriors and mercenaries rivaled by few. Even Moonblade Banera's subjects were put to the test when dueling just one Redcap, let alone the groups they usually worked together in. Fae weren't known for mercy, even less so Dragons. They made a king who threw petty criminals in a cell for years stand like a shining example of mercy.

"If it's any consolation, I struggled dealing with my own people. But you seem to know how to handle things pretty well." It wasn't something he was eager to delve into detail about, as easy an assumption it would be to make. But Demi's case was finding wiggle room in her place, while Nancy simply had no place. Not then, not now. Though Demi already had burgeoning skills. Like she said, Nancy would just have to work extra hard to get to where she was.

Overhearing what could be his first step towards that immediately piqued his interest. "A Mirage Flower?! We were just in the Spellbound Forest!" That frustration was released in a faint sigh. "Such a shame." He wouldn't beat himself up about not foraging when he had the chance. Those flowers weren't exactly daisies one could pick between the cracks of a sidewalk, Fae forest or not. "Mirage" was the keyword.
"I could research it for you if you'd like," was said with in an eagerness Demi could see in his wringing hands. With having 5 hours of Draconic studying to do, she seemed hardly enthused about the extra workload. "I'll have to refresh my memory anyway, if I'm going to take on this task." Completely ignoring how Arnold had suggested the guild pay someone outside, there was no offense for Nancy to take there. He was just some no-name stranger they picked up from the streets out of desperation. Hopefully he would prove that in panning through sand in the stream, they found... eh, not gold. Maybe bronze? He'd take being copper over useless mud, at this rate.


(Most Likely) the Greatest Finding Since Entering this Damn City

After passing through the library's modest doors, Nancy began to doubt his eyes. While it hadn't looked like a humble village building, he shouldn't be entering what looked like a CASTLE, of all things. But when no amount of blinking and shaking his head broke the illusion, anticipation spiked to glee unmatched. "Oh... my gods." They said a good book could hook you, but Nancy was already dragged inside, stout legs carrying him well away from Demi. "This-- This is--" Sprawling bookcases rose to the ceiling. Spiraling staircases rose well past it, and when he looked up one, saw them reach up to three... no, four! "Four floors?! WITH teleporters?!" The magic it had to take to run a place like this! Only a creature with the power of a Kitsune could.

And only a creature with the knowledge and worldliness of a Kitsune could fill a place this big to the brim with books. "Novels, biographies, encyclopedias," he rattled them off as he scanned the rows, hands cupping the sides of his head in disbelief. "History, science, language... all in SUBSETS?!" And that was just the first floor, which was breaking his mind. This place had to have everything! "Hundreds-- no, thousands! The years it had to take, to amass a collection like this!" The Twins had to be centuries old at this point, or were very prolific in their collecting. The athenaeum he grew up reading in was nearly a millennia old, formidable to even this beast. But Lungborne didn't have the easy connection to the rest of the world an open borders city like Toron had. The sheer scale of subjects covered here had to outclass that dinosaur of a labyrinth by leagues. And the old book smell! Gods, what a heavenly aroma! If only he could catch that scent, mix it in with some everlasting wax, and make a candle that he could take wherever he went.

As for comfort? Also outclassed. Anywhere there weren't books, lounge areas cushioned with couches, seats, and pillows beckoned readers to come rest and let the ample window light their pages. Or for an evening like now, a warm magelight hovering by to position where one pleased. "You could spend hours-- DAYS in a place like this!" Fit for a noble, yet he saw people of all sorts perusing the stock. Flashy dresses and modest workclothes, human and beastfolk, all kinds were welcomed here. Nancy didn't have to worry what anyone was thinking if he showed his fishy face here. He could come here every day. Forget that, why didn't he just live here? Hypothetically, of course; he doubted the Twins wanted homeless freeloaders making permanent residency in their business. But staying here, reading the hours away, going out to forage for food, only to come back and repeat the process? An absolute fantasy.

"Demi, you'll never find me anywhere else again," he warned her, hands over his snout to hide his toothy grin. It was impossible to not squeal with delight. "This place is INCREDIBLE!!"
--SHUSH--
The collective demand of all glaring patrons, louder than whatever undisciplined ramblings he'd been debasing the silence with, hushed Nancy right up. Curling in on himself and tail coiling around him, he opened the hand that had shot over his crystal just a hair so he could whisper, "R-Right! Sorry!"

Pulling his cowl up to obscure that embarrassing violet his cheeks were awash with, Nancy murmured to his companion, "So, um... Mirage Flower. W-- Would that be in general Botany, or Avalon Florology specifically?"


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Demestral Asella
Twin Tails Library​

Demi stifled laughter at Nancy's excitement, and the fact that she was stifling it was NOT well hidden. God, if I had to bottle happiness, Nancy alone would fill a 55 gallon barrel, Demi thought. She just wanted to capture him and put him in a glass bowl and just watch him go about his daily life. Wait.........that wasn't a sane line of thought, was it? Nancy wasn't some fi-.......well he was, but he was not some goldfish to trap in a bowl just to watch. Oh, but she could wish. "Mirage Flowers would be under Avalonian Botany. Also look into Avalonian Alchemy. Fae concoctions are.........well they're Fae." In other words, subject to absolute lunacy at times in terms of what ingredients are required

"Since we will be digging into the weeds here, you go look into Avalonian Alchemy. I'll go into Avalonian Botany and Hallucinatory Gardening." Hallucinatory Gardening? Looks like the Mirage Flower was starting to sound exactly as it was named, as Fae as an object can get. Gardening within hallucinations didn't even sound possible, but nothing is impossible when the Fae come out to play.

"If you bring me the books of interest, I'll check them out and then get to getting you a library card." Demi said to him. "But we are in no rush, so take your time. As long as we ultimately leave with the books we need, we can call this successful." It was a formality, as seeing Demi already saw this trip as a success on Nancy's reactions alone. Anything else was a cherry on top. She WAS genuinely intrigued on why this kid was looking for an unspecified Mirage Flower.
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
Twin Tails Library​

All too eager to blend into the rows of bookshelves, Nancy kept himself hidden under his cowl, feeling scornful eyes crawling all over him long after they had lost interest. Of course, OF COURSE, I manage to make an idiot out of myself! Can't I get through one damn social interaction without ruining it?!
But no, Demi was laughing, and not of the mocking sort. And she didn't scold him, which would explain why the librarian wasn't rushing over to demand he silence his crystal. Maybe... He was just overreacting. Of course. Just a small, forgettable faux pas. As if he wouldn't make a big deal out of--

"Oh!" There's what he was looking for, a guide to this labyrinth of a place. Tracing a finger along its tiny text, he followed up the stories of the map. General Sciences... Alchemy... third floor. No surprise he was going to have to scale all those stairs, he thought with a sigh. At least he knew where he'd be getting his exercise throughout the week.
Engrossed in the search, Nancy's embarrassment was soon buried under heaps of books, mountains of information to sift through. It was impossible to care about anything else other than this entire world opened up to him, a landscape he could get lost in and never want to find a way out of. Of course, he could. If he wanted to. He was on a mission, so he only got a little bit sidetracked.

At some point, Demi found Nancy with a stack of books tightly packed between his hands and his chin. "Um... I swear most of these are relevant," said muffled words.


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Demestral Asella
Twin Tails Library​

Demi gave Nancy about an hour before looking for him to look through the books. She didn't want to burst his bubble, but most of these were useless. Such a cute face didn't deserve making sad, so she'd make use of what was present. A big part of it was that she wasn't specific enough, but then again, "That's quite an amount of books, Nancy," Demi said with a shake of her head. "Most of these are not relevant, at least not relevant to what we do. BUT, you can still get them. I did say I would check them out for you to read." That was that. She couldn't see every title, but she would assume that his sidetracking came after getting the actual relevant books.

"Let me help you out," Demi said, grabbing half and stacking them all in one pillar in her hand, stabilizing them to prevent having to balance them as she walked. "We'll get these to your room and I'll take most of the ones on Avalon to look over, leaving you with Avalonian Alchemy." Since the alchemy part was all his, Demi would leave it with him. The discovery and location of such flowers was on her knowledge.

They took it to the front desk, and there they met the Kitsune Twins. Beautiful people, 3 tails each, flawless almost porcelain face. "Hello my fairy friend," the sister said, her snow white tail swishing happily. "Who do we have here?"
"Hey Yoko, Toshi," Demi chirped, "Here we have an Alchemist, Locathah named Nancy."
"A Locathah named Nancy?" The brother (Toshi) said inquisitively, "Locathah names are determined by visions, right?"
"Must be the name he gave himself, his human name. Pretty common, and acceptable so long as you're consistent with using it on documents." The sister (Yoko) responded. Nancy was nowhere near the first to use a name different than his given, it seems. It was news to Demi though that "Is he a Cupcake?"
"Definite cupcake," Demi nodded, "but a cupcake who can bite back. I just make sure he doesn't get baked twice."
"Can't say I'm surprised. You're our little weirdo." Yoko said to her, then to Nancy, "Now let's get you applied and checked out. A friend of Demestral's is OK with us. BUT, you get started with the lowest tier card, which is a 5 book limit. We'll do it under Demi's name this time around, but when you return them, it's a 5 book limit until you upgrade it."

Then they took Nancy through the application process, which wasn't all that different than applying for the Stoneroses HQ. Took only about 10 minutes, then the checkout which consisted of a contract sealed with blood which bound the responsibility and accountability for damaged and overdue books to their very existence. "Nancy, Quincy takes it as an attack on me if your actions towards their books harm me. Just keep that in mind." She didn't doubt him, but she still had to make that clear to him. If Quincy got a taste for seafood since Nancy wanted to turn in his books late, there wasn't much Demi would be able to do to stop him. The amount of harm and danger she was in inversed her control over Quincy. He could very well disobey her if obeying her would allow her to come to harm.

WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
Twin Tails Library​

"They are!" he insisted, shuffling a little to regain his balance. "I know it doesn't look like it at a glance, but there's a lot of overlap. See," he risked delegating the whole stack to one hand so he could point at an astrology title, "the star positions and seasons have a big impact on the potency and solubility of reagents, so I'll have to calibrate the lab setup according to the constellations here. Since this is a new place to me, I needed a refresher. And this," next was a book on Human gastroenterology, "okay, landwalker digestive systems are surprisingly different from Piscean ones. I hypothesize that it's because of the different environments and food sources, but-- um, anyway, I made a really bad mistake giving a potion to a human before, so I want to make sure I don't brew something that'll make the client ill. Especially if it's medicinal! Doctors and alchemists go hand-in-hand for a reason. So that's why you're seeing books on alchemy basics too. I swear I'm not that much of a novice, I just wanted to cross-reference my knowledge."
The need to justify himself kept usurping the fact that Demi was offering to check out the books for him anyway, but his gratitude eventually shut him up. He was too excited at the prospect of reading the night away to stay bothered. Well, reading until exhaustion from the day's activities knocked him out, which was more probable as the evening went on.

Meeting the titular Kitsune Twins, Nancy found himself blinking in confusion. Not at their comments about his name, which he expected to hear at some point. But... "cupcake"? Was that to say he was sweet, soft, and with a tendency to cause gastric regret? The first two were more complimentary, anyway.
"Um--!" Wait, there was a limit?! Oh no... "I-- Sorry. I didn't-- sorry..." Guilt at his presumptuousness made his face heat up all over again. He didn't want to use Demi to circumvent the rules, but, "I mean, only if-- if... she's okay with it... thank you..."

After the application process and admiring his shiny new library card, Demi dropped that bombshell on him. The Twins were strict about their return policy, even more so when it came to treatment towards the books themselves. An Ord of Misfortune was certain if Nancy screwed up, then certain fury incurred by a wrathful Wyvern. Becoming garden fertilizer was definitely not how Nancy wanted to meet his Goddess.
"I'll cherish them as if they were my own," he assured resolutely, holding one of the books to his chest. The anxiety in his widened eyes was ever present, however. What if he tripped and dropped one in the mud? Or that intrusive thought about hired muggers came true, and all his belongings would be trashed and scattered? Oh gods, what if something completely out of their control happened and she got blamed for it, and then Quincy ate him, then his sister would--
To put a stop to his catastrophizing, Nancy said to Yoko and Toshi, "Thank you for being so generous. Um... when's the due date?"


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Demestral Asella
Twin Tails Library---> Streets of Toron​

"Normally it's 21 Days," Yoko explained, "To renew, you have to bring them back in and so long as no one has it reserved, you're free to check it out again. 2 day grace period before they're considered overdue. Then the punishments begin." Seemed a bit weird to have a theoretical psuedo ownership of a book, but when you are soul bound to take care of them, it made sense. They didn't care who had the book. They just wanted them taken care of. "But since these are under Demi's name, it's her responsibility."

"Just let me know." Quincy you'll answer to if that trust is violated. I'm sure you got the point, Demi thought. No need to scare her little cupcake any more than that warning. "Now, let's go listen to you speak more doctor jargon about the differences in the systems of humans and Pisceans," she said happily, taking the books. "The constellations do affect Mirage Flowers though, so make sure that's perfect. Altalune and Darcel are pretty particular." Altalune, High Goddess of the Full Moon. Darcel, Daedric King of the New Moon. All of the phases were direct subordinates, Waxing being Holy and Waning being Daedric.

The duo left the library after pleasant goodbyes, Demi balancing the stack of books in one hand. "So I think where we get started is study a little to get the juices flowing. Then when dad gets the information for the mission, we'll hit the books for figuring out what we need," she decided, "I must get my punishment studying done tonight. Being unable to fly is kinda depressing." Kinda? It was immensely depressing. Teasing Nancy turned this evening from an undoubted terrible evening into a fairly decent one. She wanted to go ahead and mend that little spat they had. Quincy was ferocious, but he was a big softy. She wanted to embrace him as much as he wanted her to embrace him. A punishment was making him wait, but there was no point. She loved him. He loved her. She committed the offense, so she had to put up with the consequence. Quincy, I'll be making my way back soon, she communicated to him.


Quincy Being Petty

Why did you think I wanted to know that?
Oh, so this is how things are gonna go, Demi thought. You take my report or THE report of my death, Demi responded.
.........I still expect the study time. Where's my progress?
Shut it and wait, dumbass, she countered.
You with that Locathah?
Yes, and had a good time being flightless. Don't make me extend it.
HURRY UP! he roared suddenly. It occurred to Demi that Quincy expected her to be atoning, not out having fun. It's what she would usually do.
YOUR JEALOUSY IS NOT MY ISSUE! SHUT THE HELL UP!
............Get home safe, Demestral. Quincy grumbled
That's what I thought, asshole! Demi responded, This didn't happen on my will! I love you too much for that. Demi was being as honest as ever in her expression.
I love you too. Shame you wanted an imposter.
Fuck off! Don't question my loyalty. Demi thought, though this wasn't communicated to her Wyvern.
When you're done with your tantrum, get back safe, Quincy taunted
I'm pissed off! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!! She was on the verge of being driven to rage and tears. It hurt to not fly, so his lack of empathy was infuriating.
Sorry sorry. I just await your return. He must have sensed genuine anger brewing and decided to reel it in. She reeled him in 90% of the time. This was his 10% moment. I'm glad you made light of this evening. Please, visit the stable so we can mend this. I just can't have you following imposters
Unfortunately, Quincy prodded the bear a little too much. The window for negotiation had closed. The angry tears began to flow. I swear you'll feel the lance for this! Demi tearfully retorted. Never did I want another. I was just awe-struck at his beauty. My loyalty is NOT UP FOR QUESTION!!
............I went too far. My sincerest apologies. I'll absolve you of your punishment.
Absolutely not, Demi said, seething now. Quincy knew he prodded the bear. Absolving her of her punishment meant that she couldn't punish him for this. It was because he knew she would destroy him. He was right. I'll serve my punishment then I'll punish the FUCK out of you for questioning my loyalty, Quincy. Spend the next 5 hours preparing yourself, because it won't be pleasant.
None of this was said aloud, so all Nancy would see is the end result, which is a Demi with gritted teeth and absolutely boiling, radiating a strong draconic aura and teeth growing as if she was literally transforming into a Draconic beast. If Nancy ever felt like he would be eaten, this gave off that same feeling. "LATTICE, COME FORTH!"
A sigil, and Lattice jumped out of it. The cursed mutated draconian girl, looking gentle and subservient. "Yes, my Lady?"
"This is Nancy," Demi said aggressively, pointing to the Locathah. "You will get him home safe."
"Yes, my Lady," Lattice nodded. "Shall I bring some of those books back?"
"I'll tell you when you get him back to his room. It's the Stoneroses HQ." Demi turned to Nancy. "Quincy just pissed me off. I want to kill him," she said, almost itching to impale something. "Lattice will get you home. I'd rather not endanger you." That in itself was grim. Demi was self-aware enough to know how hot-headed she was. She would rather ger away from Nancy than to potentially lash out at him.
"My Lady, remember to not punish in anger," Lattice informed her, being ever so calm in the face of dangerous anger. She didn't fear her Lady's wrath. "Surely Sir Quincy's sin was redeemable."
"He questioned my loyalty, Lattice."
Lattice closed her eyes for a moment. "............That cannot do. May he find mercy," Lattice said, resolving herself to accepting what was to come. To Draconians and the Fae, to question loyalty was to question personhood. Lattice understood this. "Will you put him to the lance?"
"What an idea," Demi said darkly, then began stalking off, "See you tomorrow, Nancy. I apologize for this."

  • OOC: If you feel whiplash from what just happened, it's by design. The inherent instability of the Fae as well as Demi's nature makes this perfect to demonstrate baby Demi's low control over her emotions
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
Noble District - Streets​

Well, that wasn't so bad. Nearly a month of time? A grace period? Nancy would have to be trying his damnedest to screw up. Only... So long as I don't get jumped in the street. Nah, Demi would stick them on a pike for him.
Happy indeed to speak more jargon about the many subjects his mind now buzzed with, said happiness dampened at the reminder of why Demestral was here with him. Yes, her and Quincy's little altercation. And by little, that was to say, significant. That does seem a little extreme. There was quite a steep difference between thought and action, and if that was the punishment for mere thought? Then again, these were dragon matters, well known for being extreme.

"I really do appreciate this," he told Demi, oozing gratitude from his sad eyes. Not with tears this time, just metaphorically. "I'm having the best time I've had in a while. Once I get my pay from this mission, I'll have to treat you too." Or... no, that made it sound obligatory. "I mean, you'll have to let me--" Now it sounded obligatory on her end. "I-- I just wanna do something for you too."

Thankfully, she wasn't paying attention to him fumble over his words. Less thankfully, it was because tears were streaming down her face. "Demi...?!" Was it something he said?! Her eyes had been flashing magic before, but now they burned brightly like golden flames. He would feel guilty for it later, but seeing those humanoid canines sprout into fangs made him lurch back and reach for his pouch. Suddenly he wasn't walking the streets with his new pixie friend, but a snarling beast looking for flesh to sink those growing teeth into. But against his luck, the flesh was already decided upon.

The rest happened. Her maid Lattice appearing, Demi's ire at Quincy made known, her apologies towards Nancy met with the repeated "It's okay". It wasn't okay, but not because of Demi's behavior.
Is this my fault? Nancy stood there in shock, the silence growing after she stormed off. Was it because she stayed with me instead of...? The pressure of tears in his eyes shook him out of it. No, you're being ridiculous! This isn't about you! She literally just said why this had happened, and it had everything to do with Quincy. Not Nancy.

Blinking his haws until his eyes dried, and breathing until his chest loosened, Nancy looked down at the little maid tasked to chaperone him. An odd creature with shattered irises and mismatched features, her appearance screamed Fae. "Um..." He offered an uncertain wave, a small smile tense from circulating adrenaline. "Hello. Um... I'm Nancy, as she said. You're... Miss Lattice?" They both already knew, but it felt improper to go without a proper greeting. And Nancy needed to ground himself somehow from that frightening display.


  • OOC: Baby Demi. I love it, I'm stealing that
Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Last edited:
Lattice Stoneburn
Noble District- Streets​
Lattice Stoneburn
"Lady Demestral's orders are absolute. No exceptions."
-Lattice Stoneburn, on her standing as a maid

Lattice Stoneburn.jpeg
Name: Lattice Stoneburn
Age: 18
Occupation: Personal Slave (Maid) to Demestral Asella
​
Lattice Stoneburn is a member of the Stoneburn Family, who have been servants of the Asella Family for generations. Cursed, the Stoneburn Family will never rise beyond their place as slaves, due to the egregious misdeeds of the matriarch over 500 years ago towards the Fae Counsel. Lattice was one such girl born into these unfortunate circumstances. With her body changed by the curse as is every Draconian born in the Stoneburn House, her specific mutations made her aquatic in nature.

Lattice is a Fae-Cursed Draconian, robbed of her future as a Wyvern flying high in the sky. Instead, the Fae Curse has mutated the girl into a an aquatic being that's not quite Draconian yet not quite Fae yet screams Fae influence. Eyes with "shattered" irises, claws in the front with hooves in the back, a mermaid tail, Draconian scales looking like aquatic Piscean scales, Lungs that turn into Gills when submerged in water, acrophobia yet a longing to fly, Lattice has a look of peculiarity that makes her ugly in the eyes of Draconians and ugly in the eyes of the Fae. It's a bleak life for a young girl who's done nothing wrong and is suffering the consequences of someone 500 years ago

Despite all of this, her master, Lady Demestral who Lattice is ordained to serve under for the rest of her life, loves her. A Fae-cursed Draconian is perfectly up the alley of the Pixie girl obsessed with all things Dragon. As such, Demestral took to her at first sight. Ever since Lattice could walk with consistent stability, she was put to work by the Asella family. Housekeeping training, Gardening, Combat training, Maid training, cooking, working the stables, and the occasional having to serve her Lady in the bedroom, Lattice has plenty of work to do. However, unlike most of the Asella family, Demestral wears her heart on her sleeve. Super affectionate, super grateful, always grateful, Lattice's life purpose Ordained by the Fae Counsel was a stroke of luck. She could've gotten one of the less benevolent Asellas afterall

Good food, training, a comfortable bed (even more comfortable since Demi likes having Lattice sleep in the bed with her), work to do, Lady Demestral is Lattice's entire being. If Lady Demestral tells Lattice to die, she will die. If Lady Demestral tells Lattice to eat a pile of feces, it will be consumed. If Lady Demestral tells Lattice to kill someone, their head will roll or Lattice will die in the attempt. If the Dragon Supreme tells Lattice to do something contradictory to Lady Demestral's order, the Dragon Supreme will be denied. If Lady Demestral sets Lattice free and tells her to live for herself, Lattice will immediately request to work as her maid. Ordination or not, Lattice loves Lady Demestral with all her heart and will gladly lay her life on the line.


Lattice was internally quaking as Demi stormed, different from her poker face being shown to Nancy in the form of her sitting with her eyes closed, tail neatly wrapped around her paws. LADY DEMESTRAL IS SO SCARY!! Lattice thought. She was more Draconic than Lattice herself! The maid could see why Nancy was shaking as well. His fear was thick in the young woman's nose. As a Draconian, Lattice was taught to never show fear. This was especially important in her role as her Lady's maid. Her kind could smell fear afterall. Luckily, Nancy was not on the receiving end of the wrath, but Quincy. May he suffer the consequences to the fullest extent, Lattice thought. This vengeful thought was a contrast to what she said aloud, but it was not for no reason. Quincy was NOT fond of Lattice. Her being a slave to a non-Draconian made her worse than dirt in the eyes of the Draconic people. Not only them, but all of the people who fell under the *Reptilia umbrella......... and no, Lattice being cursed by forces beyond her control or the Draconians staking their claim on Demi's soul didn't change Quincy's view of her. As far as Quincy was concerned, Lattice was a shameful existence. A human enslaved by a Draconian is higher than a Draconian enslaved by any non-Draconian. Quincy treats her with disdain and only Lady Demestral's interference would prevent bad behavior. Putting into Demi's head the idea of putting Quincy to the Lance was an act of revenge. Demi was MERCILESS with her punishments and if Quincy wanted to be disrespectful to her, Lattice would make sure his punishments were to the fullest extent.
  • *Note: All Reptilia are Draconic people. Drakes are the Draconic equivalent of Angels and Dragons the Gods
Lattice is Negatively aligned with Quincy. He looks at her with disdain

Lattice bowed, "My name is Lattice Stoneburn," she said with a nod, in a soft-spoken yet confident voice. "No formalities needed, Sir Nancy. You are above my position afterall." That phrase alone would send Quincy into a simmering rage to give her a mouthful later. It didn't matter to her because since the onset of her memories where she began her training, she's greeted more non-Draconians than Quincy has eaten. Maybe it was the fact that Lattice didn't have a problem with it and didn't feel humiliated that irritated the ever-so-proud Quincy. "I will be accompanying you home and ensuring your safety as we do so. I was trained by Lady Demestral so you're safe with me."

Lattice's the green of Lattice's irises glowed a light blue. It looked freaky as the shattered portion didn't glow, but the books they were carrying began to arrange themselves into neat stacks that floated beside her as they walked together. "It's [Telekinesis]," Lattice explained, "I use it for almost everything so I can sustain it quite well. You are all precious cargo, so leave it to me." A quadruped couldn't exactly pick up much, so Lattice had to do it with [Telekinesis]. It took far more dexterity than one would think. "So what do you think of Lady Demestral overall.........before she showed you how scary she can be?" Lattice asked Nancy
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Nancy Noi
Noble District - Streets​

A bow? To him? Now that wasn't something Nancy had received any time recent. "If you say so..." He wasn't keen on being placed on some sort of hierarchy, let alone above anyone, but he wouldn't question it. The ways of Draconians and Fae were beyond him. "Demestral did mention getting ready for Redcap School." So scratch that, Lattice would stick them on a pike for him.
Nancy watched the maid levitate his books with fine precision, finer than he'd seen anyone use such a spell. Destined to walk on all fours, and had been for quite some time, he presumed. She sounded young for that level of skill, though maybe the voice came with her smaller size.

Lattice wanted his opinion on her Lady. "Oh, she's very sweet! She's only known me for a day, but she took me out to dinner and showed me around the city." To him, it was generosity that bordered on excessive. He couldn't be that interesting. Maybe she just needed the distraction from Quincy's scolding. "Does she treat all new recruits?"
His tail tip flicked with glee, though not at the subject, as joyful he was recounting the outing. A word cycled in his thoughts, heart fluttering to hear it echo. Precious cargo. Yes, that was the sort of deference he could appreciate. Precious.
"That was frightening to see, but I'm no stranger to it," he assured Lattice, walking alongside her with ears pricking at evening noises. His sister was ferocious in battle, and as much in daily life when something wasn't to her standards. So long as that anger wasn't directed at him, he could manage. But she also wasn't Draconic. Nancy had smelled fear that wasn't his, which told him that Demi's wrath was to be feared by even her own. For Lattice to have appeared so calm in the face of it told him that it was just as common.


Kylesar1 Kylesar1
 
Lattice Stoneburn
Noble District- Streets​

"Oh Redcap School, yes!" Lattice perked up with pride. "My Lady was recommended for Redcap School and is leaving soon. I'm so proud of her! She will be gone for quite a while." Demi will get more frightening after Redcap School, but she will learn more control. That means for far harsher punishments, but a less fiery temper. "I'll miss her........." Lattice would not have much work while she was gone. While Demi said that Lattice could sleep in her bed, it was no different than her own bed if her Lady wasn't in it. "......BUT in her absence, I will be taking on some of the guild requests in her stead. I'm no Quincy, but I am more well-studied than that brute." What Quincy had in strength Lattice had in intellect
Then Nancy asked about Demi's tendencies for new recruits. "She only treats what intrigues her. You're not the only new recruit, right?" Good point. Nancy was the only one treated, but not the only recruit.

As the duo walked about the city, Lattice was hit with an unsettling feeling but she stayed calm. "We're being watched and followed, Sir Nancy," she said, though this came into Nancy's head instead of being said aloud. Lattice could smell malicious intent, and Lattice could make a guess that it wasn't HER who ever had to worry about enemies, though Lady Demestral's personality isn't conducive to positive nobility outlook. "Have you made any enemies that I should know of?"
WayfaringWaaksian WayfaringWaaksian
 
Nancy Noi
Noble District - Streets​

"Intriguing...?" Nancy supposed a walking fish among landfolk was an oddity. But interestingly, Demi hadn't asked anything about what he was. She had asked for his story, and indulged in his interests. Her intrigue had to be in him as a person, then.
... Why? At least I can't be annoying her, he thought with gratitude.

Then Lattice confirmed something Nancy had been brushing off as mere paranoia. That scent still lingered in the air, those same footsteps never tapering off like those of the other pedestrians. A sharp spike of fear pierced his chest. "I... I wouldn't think so," he answered telepathically, eyes fixed forward but his mind's eye taking in all angles. "But we did have an altercation at the Elegant Dove. A nobleman threatened Demestral, and she made him pay for it by bleeding his father's wallet." That last part stuck out intentionally, his words becoming urgent yet pointed. "But it's only been a few hours since then!" Nancy didn't doubt that idiot was petty enough to try it, but so soon? He had to be busy getting punished by his daddy dearest, so where would he have the time to send a hit out on them? Did nobles just have an army of lackeys at their command?

But then there was the other nobleman he'd personally pissed off, the one he accidentally made fire blow out of his ass. It had been a few weeks since then, so Nancy would have thought revenge would have happened by now. It couldn't have been hard to find a Locathah in this city... though it was a very big city.
"This is supposed to be the safe part of town." It wasn't a bemoaning complaint, rather an observation. Guards stood watch over nearly every street Nancy could see. "So I doubt they're common muggers."

Nancy lifted his nose, breathing in the night air to gather any information about this potential threat he could. And surely Lattice had some to supply herself, with how close she sounded to Demi. "I never caught the man's name, but his father's name is George. The one about to go on a trip Demi's ferrying him to. Do you know anything about that family?"


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