Fantasy Rosewind Tavern (A walk in Roleplay, All welcome)

Arrow raised both of his hands, one of them still bearing a knife. "Me!" he cheered, grinning at Lillian. "You're very pleasing to look at." He leaned forward. "Miss Lily, huh? Got a thing for being on top?" All his years of experience kept him on his toes, relaxed and yet ready to jump up. He put a hand on the side of his coat, where a hand crossbow and some bolts lay expertly concealed. If the shadows' misbehavior in the corner of the room caught his eye, he said nothing of it. It was even likely that he hadn't seen anything; his years of dungeoneering lied firmly behind him, and he hadn't been on a crawl in four entire years. Being of his profession, however, he had been trained to be alert.

Shiki turned his attention from the newcomer lady to the elf he didn't notice before. Dang, she was as equally beautiful. He raised his hand along with Arrow and nodded at his comment

"I agree on that, now we have three good looking ladies on board! Lucky us!" He said exitement clear in his voice.

Temota nodded at the Lily or..Miss Lily's question. Why else would she be here in the first place? Except for dragging her twin out, that is. When she heard Shiki's comment she grabbed his ponytail once again and began pulling harder

"Oi! You including me on this!?"

"OW! Let my ponytail go! I don't wanna be banned from the Ponytail Gang!"

"Keep this up, and you'll end up under a pony's tail!"

Aus smile crumbled. He gathered his belongings and stored them back. It seems that he was not the only one that got the invitation this time. His eyes flickered towards Lilian and Ardyn, then towards the twins and the knife twirler. "It might be a coincidence, or maybe not, but I've also received a letter calling me here by midnight" He stood, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and raised it at eye-level. "Did anyone else receive them?'

He turned and raised an eyebrow at Aus. "Didn't she just take role, pigeon?" The name didn't seem to hold any meaning, but by the way he said it, it must have been derogatory. Arrow withdrew the letter and tossed it up, leaning over and throwing it onto Aus's table with a flourish and a smirk. "You're all well-known? I admit, I'm a bit of an old hand myself, but how this guy found me is anyone's guess. I mean, never stopped, obviously, but I've put in my twenty-five, so I get benefits from the guild." He laughed.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Shozu’s face, yet not specifically for the company in this mysterious quest. He was happy to know that he wasn’t the only one who received the perplexing message-- after all, there’s safety in numbers-- but he couldn’t help but feel just a tad disheartened to realize his “heroic reputation” hadn’t actually spread around. His disconcerted expression lasted no longer than a brief moment, and was quickly replaced by his typical happy-go-lucky grin.

“Wooooow,” he cooed, voice raising to a slightly higher pitch as he scooped up his gauntlets and chosen weapons, then not-so-subtly scooted his chair closer to the Ponytail Gang. “So you’ve all gotten the same letter, then? Ponytail Gang and all?” Shozu glanced around the room, nodding specifically to Lily as to be counted in the roll call. “One hundred gold pieces is a pretty generous offer, considering how many people seem to be here for this.” His eyebrows furrowed as he mentally started counting how many in present company had mentioned the letter, either in passing or by insinuation. “That’s… A lot of money. This guy has to be super loaded,” his eyebrows furrowed further, his tone becoming just slightly more subdued, “or lying…”

"That's always a possibility," he said nonchalantly, leaning back and putting his feet up on the table. He took a drink from the flask at his waist. "I came because I was bored and I'm not contracted for the next few months. A man's gotta do what he's gotta do, right?" Arrow laughed. "Anyways, so, tell the class about yourself. And I think I might be the oldest of us," he added, wrinkling his nose. "Damn. How old is everyone here?"

"Yeah entertain the knife twirler," He grabbed the letter, giving it a cursory glance before turning at Shozu and said, "The guy snuck in my house and left it by my window sill. Whoever it was should have the skills to be well loaded."

He brought the paper beside his own, flipped them over, checked their texture, and observed how heavy the ink was. "From the paper to the darkness of the ink, and the curves of its handwriting. It's completely identical."

Identical, save that it was less tattered than his own. "Here," he returned the letter to Arow and gave a weary smile. "The guy who sent them paid a lot of attention to details."

“I’m twenty-six!” Shozu chirped to Arrow as he enthusiastically thrust his hand into the air as though he were actually speaking in a class, however upon Aus’s added bit of info he seemed to cringe inward. “In your house? That seems a bit… Extreme.” He muttered, a hint of pity in his voice. “I’d probably be a little more than alarmed if I knew someone had snuck into my house. I was actually staying at an inn and it got slipped under the door-- nothing terribly invasive or strange.”

He tilted his head in thought as the details behind the letters were discussed as well. No matter which way he looked at this situation, it was getting stranger and more suspicious by the second. Had he been a wiser man, he might have gotten up and left right as soon as his instincts began to whisper of oncoming danger into his subconscious. Alas, Shozu was not the wisest man in the world, not to mention he had a curiosity that could rival any small child. He shoved his concerns aside, and found himself staying rooted to the spot to learn more about this eerie turn of events. Besides, he couldn’t very well desert his new gang at the very hour of its discovery!

Arrow raised an eyebrow. "Your house? I received mine from Tiller, down the street, I was dropping some leather." He laughed. "You worry too much. I'm sure it's nothing." We're dealing with a burglar? Though his words were lighthearted, he went instantly on alert, and it'd be plain as day to those as experienced as he. Those people were hard to come by, recently, though. He hadn't met anyone who'd been a thief for as long as he had in a good three or four years, and that was a guild official. Something was off.

As everyone around the table all expressed that they had received the same letter, Ardyn began to grasp the situation a little better. She ignored the flirtatious comments here and there, although she did give Arrow and Shiki a small wink in return. She was a little surprised that some of them had been hand-given a letter by another person. "The letter was slipped under my door and I found it in the morning. No idea who slipped it, but he or she must not have wanted to be identified," she explained, not caring to introduce herself yet. Even though she was talking to the group, her eyes kept shifting over to the dark figure in the corner. She didn't want to reveal any details about herself yet, not with this man keeping watch on them from the safety of the shadows. The mysterious man was clearly observing all of them, carefully listening to what they were saying and watching their actions. Her heart began to pulse a little faster as her gaze fixated on the figure watching them. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck tingled. Something was off about this man and it kept her entire body on alert.

Ardyn chugged the last of her ale and slammed it onto wooden table with a thud. She abruptly stood up, her chair squeaking against the floor as it got pushed back. She slowly made her way over to the watching man in the corner. As she passed by the fireplace, she took a deep breath, absorbing it's heat. The dancing flames grew slightly in her presence and her whole body pulsed with the fire. She could feel her sheathed yet sharp dagger against her right hip, her hand automatically moving towards it under her dark maroon cloak. "And what are you watching us for?" she asked the man in a steady voice. Her piercing amber gaze locked with his eyes.

Shiki was grinning like an idiot when he saw the cloak lady wink at him but got back to normal when he heard the age question
“We’re both twenty three, she’s older by ten seconds”

Temota blinked and joined the conversation “Got ours from a bar around here, from the barkeep.” The twins frowned at the suspicion that the money might be a lie. Not like they needed so much, it would be equally disappointing if that was true.

Temota sighed “Don’t you think 100 gold is.. too much? I mean how important is this ‘help’ we’re gonna give if it was worth that much money”

Arrow jolted when she got up and assessed the situation. He's been staring at us for a while... but is that just a misunderstanding? She's drunk. "Hey, hey, hey, wait a second!" He stood up as well, sweeping everything of his into the inside pocket of his coat. Thank God it was enchanted. "Whatever your name is, mage girl with the mage robes, you can't just go around starting fights!" He held his hands up, as if to calm her down. "You just got here!" As he said that, something clicked. "Well, it is annoying that he's been watching us, but none of us haven't said nothing we wouldn't tell a neighbor! Yeah, maybe I got a bit too deep, but, well, better to get the broadsword than the backstab, right?" He laughed. "So chill. Seriously. You're drunk."

Arden whipped around as the man named Arrow stood up abruptly and inserted himself into the situation, waving his hands around like a flailing duck. She was slightly offended, but honestly quite amused, that he had accused her of being drunk. She had a glass of ale every night before she went to bed and she knew she could drink him to the ground if she wanted to. Her sharp eyes washed over him, her gaze filled with judgment. All she had done was ask the hooded man a question because she had a feeling he had the answers to the questions they were all wondering and now this scrawny guy was overreacting and throwing out needless accusations. Sure, perhaps her tone had been more sharp than maybe someone else’s would’ve been, but she surely did not appreciate how this Arrow man was treating her like a dense drunkard. “I didn’t realize that asking one question meant that I wasn’t being... chill,” she drew out that last word, her eyes narrowing at the man. “And maybe one glass of ale wipes you out,” she retorted cooly, “but I assure you that I am nowhere near drunk.”

Ardyn leaned back against the side of the fireplace and crossed her arms. She shifted her attention back onto the hooded figure, waiting for an answer.

Temota looked over at the commotion and stood up with a sigh. She had also noticed the man staring at them all and that put her on edge. Shiki didn’t notice at all so he was more worried about getting kicked out.

The twins made their way to Arrow and the lady, both wearing different expressions. Temota looked suspicious while Shiki looked worried

“I’m pretty sure this guy was inspecting ir spying on us” Temota said, crossing her arms.

“We..Shouldn’t really make a scene or we’ll get kicked out” Shiki said with a sigh.

Shozu, alarmed and more than a little concerned at the sudden tension in the room, slipped on his gauntlets and held his iron knuckles at the ready. Not quite brandished, but he definitely held them in a position that he could equip them at a moment’s notice. He couldn’t help but grimace at the feeling of cold, damp leather as he slid his arm in. Eugh, still soaked… He gave them a couple of test squeezes causing just a couple more droplets from the recent downpour to fall from his palm. It would have to do...

“Now, now,” he urged, broadly gesturing to the entire group as he cautiously moved closer in calculated, measured steps. “Staring and watching is definitely, uh… Creepy, and a bit rude,” he shot a look to the shadowy figure, “and so is pointing out a lady’s alcohol consumption,” his gaze fell upon Arrow and Ardyn though with a much gentler-- almost pleading disposition, “but we really don’t need to let this kick up a fuss. As long as everyone keeps their hands-- and weapons-- to themselves, then we can live and let live.” Shozu kept his hands facing outward, allowing his body to also make the plea for peace to his fellow tavern-mates, but also to ready himself if things were to escalate.

Shozu flashed a nervous but understanding smile to Shiki. The atmosphere in the room had taken a somewhat dire turn, and he would much prefer to return it to the jovial moment of his self-declared camaraderie He was of a similar opinion to the twin, although he too had his suspicions about the dark figure.

Arrow groaned. "You people really want to start something? Look, man," he added, directing his gaze towards the hooded figure. "We apologize for the problems." He smiled. "Really, no ill will. And you, the girl, forgot your name already- redhead- is that a challenge?" His smile turned into a smirk as he jabbed a finger at her. "Are we gonna have a competition? Well- never mind, actually, I don't know what's in this stuff and my flask isn't bottomless. Next time!" He laughed, hiding his concern. This guy could be dangerous, the first rule of strategy is not to commit, why are you like this?! Idiots. You're all going to die. He sighed after these thoughts and returned his knife to his hand, twirling it around a finger. "I will, however, compete with anyone in marksmanship." He grinned. "Arrow H. Jones, finest crossbowman west of the East, humbly at your service."

"Hey, miss elf. What do you think about the situation?"

Aus stayed seated amidst the commotion, but from underneath the table, his left hand stroked the cold metal locket of a scabbard. Things have begun to escalate. He did notice the man by the fire, but he thought thought it would be normal for anyone to be curious of the unusual. Our gathering here isn't exactly inconspicuous. Be that as it may, once the fuse has been lit things could go south pretty quickly. With a subtle movement, his sword-hand laid softly on top of the hilt. His eyes glazed over as he handed all of his senses to his hearing.

//
I'm gonna be offline for a while

Temota narrowed her eyes and took out her bow. She had expected a fight, but not against a mage, or clones. With impressive speed, the braided brunnete shot two arrows at a two different clones. Shiki was surprised by the attack and took out a longsword and charged at the other clones, with a serious but exited look on his face.

Arrow let out a loud groan and looked around, accustomed to shouting orders. "Ranged, fire! Melee in! Healer! We need a healer!" He loaded bolts and rapidly shot them from his hand crossbow, cursing his growing complacent. *Nothing's going to happen, they said. It'll be fine, they said.* He didn't seem to take into account that nobody there knew him, relying on his forceful personality and years of experience. "Listen now, argue later! Mage lady, you've got elementals, right? Hit an area, and everyone get out of the way!" As he said this, he started throwing knives, recalling the one he was using and throwing it once more.

With barely a beat of hesitation Shozu took a large step back to allow himself space to assess the situation and quickly slip his hands into his iron knuckles. He lifted his fists to his face, body tensed and immediately ready for battle. "I was hoping it wouldn't end up like this..." He bent his knees as he zeroed in on potential targets. With a sharp inhale, he cast a glance in Arrow's direction. "I don't need instructions on when to knock some heads!" A smirk pulled at his mouth and he widened his eyes with adrenaline coursing through his veins.

After scanning the immediate threats, Shiki charging forward caught his eye. Shozu darted in his direction and threw a few powerful punches as he approached the creatures to his newfound comrade's side. "Got your back, Ponytail Gang!" he shouted as he sunk the iron spikes into yet another creature. Despite being childish and a little over-enthusiastic, the brawler definitely was an exceptional fighter. Even though he truthfully was hoping for a relatively calm task, his expression had shades of excitement running through his eyes-- it seems he enjoyed the excitement of fighting.

Arrow huffed, spinning to avoid a strike and stabbing a thing in the elbow. "Don't forget I've got over twenty-five years of combat experience!" He delivered a palm strike to one of the monsters. "I'm a *veteran*. Be respectful!" He laughed, as if it was only dancing and not potentially life-threatening.

Ardyn immediately took a defensive stance when the dark figure charged towards her. She put her hands together in front of her to create a protective concave wall of fire, but she wasn’t quite fast enough due to the creature’s lightning speed. She managed to block the majority of the attack, but she felt a sharp pain on her right shoulder as the dark creature moved past her. Her adrenaline pumping powerfully through her veins, she ignored the pain and the fresh warm blood that started to drip down her arm. Her amber eyes narrowed to assess all of the clones that had suddenly appeared before them. Ardyn extended both her arms in an area with a crowd of dark creatures and flaming hot bolts of orange fire exploded from her hands, hitting a few of them directly in the chest and knocking them down. She continued to blast as many creatures as she could with her blazing fire bolts, quickly shooting out from her hands.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a creature lunge for Arrow as he was preoccupied with fighting another dark creature. “Watch out!” She yelled and kicked up her right leg towards the attacking creature. This time, a smaller, but sharper bolt of blue fire shot out from her foot and hit the creature from the side, knocking him across the floor.

---Aus-------
The time the creatures began to appear, Aus immediately reacted and stood. However, his sudden movements caught the attention of one of the creatures. He felt its gaze towards him and quivered. He moved back, but his legs caught on to the chair. He stumbled but was able to recover by rolling backward. His eyes widened, and his fingers were trembling. He saw the creature land over the table with its gaze towards him.

Those eyes could only be described as that of a mindless beast. Its skin was ink, a stark contrast to the glow of its crimson eyes. It leaped towards him with its obsidian fangs. The distance to him and the creature was less than a breath away. Remembering the teachings of his mentor, he quickly drew his blade to counter-attack. He slashed downwards with what little force he could muster, and the strike rung true. However, it was only enough to shut its mouth and send it back. It was unable to inflict serious injury and only angered the beast even further. He winced, the recoil stung his hands and caused his grip to loosen. His heart was drumming as the thought of death loomed over him.

His ears twitched, he heard a swooshing sound. The creature swung its claws towards his flank. Aus shuffled his feet and moved the flat of his sword to block, but the impact sent him flying. Tables and chairs were strewn around as he came to a grinding halt. His head rattled, and blood sprayed as he coughed and wheezed. His weapon clang as it fell a distance away from him.