Fandom Monster Hunter: Voyage (IC)

[Sleipnir]

Hook
In a world full of monsters, wyverns, and dragons of all types, roaming the wilds, safety can be found nearly exclusively inside the walls and gates of villages, strongholds, and even the occasional city, scattered across the continent. Behind their walls, mankind can find refuge from the beasts which stalk the world beyond, across tundras, oceans, forests, swamps, and deserts. Few are brave enough to push through the wilderness beyond -- traders peddling goods from one village to the next, mail carriers delivering messages from one guildmaster to another, vagabonds hunting for work or a home... and of course, the hunters who slay massive beasts to ensure save passage for the rest.

For a few years now, there has been peace throughout most of the continent, as calamity after calamity has been curbed by brave hunters. And, beyond the normal quarrels with the average monster, things have been quiet.
Mostly.

Rumors of sightings of dragons have taken hold in some of the larger cities. Large and more dangerous wyverns have cast their shadows across high mountains, and tales of elder dragons and Nergigante, dragon-eaters, have begun circulating. Even so, there hasn't been a reliable sighting of the worst of such creatures just yet... only rumors and fears. Some settlements, especially larger ones, have been plagued by more frequent attacks, more monster sightings, and more trouble, all with no clear cause. Word across the roads and between villages has been that these attacks have felt targeted. Occasionally large wyverns and higher-threat monsters have been found dead by hunters riding out into the wilds, with their killer nowhere to be seen, leaving rumors, speculation, and mystery in their wake.

What's killing these monsters? What's causing these attacks? Why are they targeting these towns and cities in particular? There are questions to be answered, and surely some dangerous threat to be dispatched at the end of the trail. Will your weapon be lent to the journey to find out?
​

 

[Sleipnir]

It was a fine afternoon, with the bright sun painting the enormous trees, the palm-leaved plants, and the city gates gold.

Ban Sali was an impressively large settlement, nestled away behind sturdy stone walls to protect them from the wildlife on the outside. Most of the houses and buildings inside were lovely things; they had open windows so the damp breeze could blow through and prevent the inside from getting stuffy and hit in the humid midday, and covered porches along the wide streets. The markets were lively, and in places, small, stray bird-wyverns that got loose from their enclosures flocked and picked at bugs, smaller lizards, or plants growing along the streets. It was a comfortable place; a safe place, where hunters, villagers, and wyverians could live and craft and trade in peace.

And despite how humble the average home was, there were of course exceptions— the guild hall, for one, was immense. It was almost more a small village of its own, with a large, stone gathering hall, smaller huts around where hunters lived, and a large courtyard and canteen. It wasn’t the only large building, though.

Farther toward the edge of town, near the gates, another large home sat on the Main Street. It wasn’t as dramatic as the hunters’ guild hall, but it was multiple levels, extravagant, and comfortable. It was known as Lynn’s Hostel— and that was exactly what it was: a place for travelers to stay while they spent time in Ban Sali. The food was good, the rooms were clean, and the owner, Lynn’s niece Amiya, was sweet and pleasant. Despite running the place, though, it was certainly Lynn’s hostel, named after the aunt who willed the property to the young woman upon her death. She was a sweet girl, no more than 22 years old, and had determined there was no better way to honor her wealthy aunt’s legacy.

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That was precisely where Timber was headed. Their boots were muddy, tracking wet, sticky silt on the wooden boardwalks over the knee-deep, sluggish channels of water between the rainforest trees. Elsewhere they’d waded through ferns on dry land, but near the entrance to Ban Sali, it was all mud and water and enormous bull rushes and trees. They didn’t mind it— even if they had been walking in the warm, muddy water they wouldn’t have minded. They spent plenty of time in the wild, wandering. But their wandering had ultimately brought them here. So as they stepped in through the gates and headed down the busy streets, Timber made their way back to Lynn’s Hostel.

Just outside, there was a big plaza, full of trade goods and folks hawking their wares. Timber, however, was more concerned with getting into the hostel and into its kitchen, just on the other side of the common area, where they retrieved a large bowl filled with slabs of arzuros meat. The ursine monster’s spoils were coated with a sweet, spicy marinade, and after preparing them, Timber carefully took to baking them, keeping a close eye on the meal. It was far too much for just one person: That was intentional. As much meat as he’d salvaged, it was going to be enough for everyone staying at Lynn’s, they were certain.

They settled down with their eyes fixed on their steaks, firmly prepared to sit there with it as long as it took to cook through them. Amiya had been cleaning up in the common area, clearing excess coal and chips from the fireplace, and when she could smell what it was Timber was up to, she came around the corner. They could feel her soft hand on their shoulder when they stood up to let their bounty cook. They didn’t turn to Amiya; they knew she had pretty eyes and long red hair tied back in a bun with tendrils framing her face, so they didn’t need to look again.

“You’re cooking for the house again?” She asked.

Timber nodded with their eyes still fixed on the cooking steaks. “I am.”

Amiya sighed and ran her hand to their upper arm, running her thumb lightly across a white fern-like scar, unfurling from inside their Wroggi-skin binder. Timber didn’t mind the touch— they didn’t seem to mind any touch, really. “You keep me from cooking all the time,” she pointed out. “You should let me repay you.”

Timber, in their way, didn’t seem to notice what exactly she meant. But then, they never did catch social cues well. They only shrugged and gave her a short glance. “I’m staying in your home free of charge,” they replied. “You shouldn’t have to repay me for anything.” When they turned their attention back to their work, Amiya stood by a moment more, with an amused, patient smirk, if not a little annoyed when she glanced away. And so she sighed, shook her head, and left them to their work.

She passes back through the living space to finish scooping coals into a metal bucket. Along the way, she turned to the others sitting in the room, calling to them, “Lunch will be ready shortly. We’re having steaks all around.”

Once it was done, and the kitchen and common room were filled with the smoky scent of fresh steaks, Timber brought an immense plate of them out to set on the table. One thing couldn’t be denied: they made one heck of a lunch. They didn’t set out plates or forks and knives— that, Timber thought, was not their job.

Instead, they just snatched up the best steak, plus a second one, on two plates, and went to sit down in the living area.

 

[DovahBeat]

Daisuke Ito

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MH Rise

Kamura's song of purification summer remix

Daisuke sighed at the table he and Doe had been sitting at in the living space of the hostel. It had been a long few weeks for them, it felt nice to sleep in real beds again after having been on the road for so long. He had dragged Doe along on this assignment with him, the assignment being to check in on neighboring regions after he killed All Mother Narwa. She had been the source of the Rampage after all. It was only responsible to check in on Kamura's neighbors to make sure they had held up from the agitated monsters.

Only to find that they were still a bit agitated. Odd.

Once steaks were announced, Daisuke perked up quickly. He was eager for a steak, but he hesitated when he remembered Doe didn't really care for meat...

"You gonna be okay? I think I have some herbs 'n stuff for a makeshift salad if you want it?" He offered after claiming a steak for his own, sending thanks towards the cook, and sitting back down with Doe.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Blaklyte]

Doe sat at the table with Daisuke, laid out in front of him was his research journal, the pages were filled top to bottom with taped on notes, all of which were accompanied by photos of various small monsters. He stared at the book intently, arms crossed as he skimmed through his work once again. After a moment he pulled off one of the notes and flipped to another page, where he copied the words down. He had been collecting research for weeks now. He had been more than happy to travel with Daisuke to nearby regions to check in after they stopped the rampage on Kamura. New places meant new opportunities, new things to learn, more notes to take! And boy did he take notes. So many infact, he had to start throwing things down on loose papers and a spare notepad he had stuffed in his bag to keep his main research journal from getting cluttered. Only now did he have time to sit down and actually organize it all. It was tedious, but he didnt mind. It was something to do, and honestly, it was kind of fun.
Doe was too focused on his book to hear the lunch announcement. It was only when Daisuke asked him if he was going to be okay did he pull himself out of his work. Doe blinked, confused about what he was talking about, he looked down at Daisuke's plate. As if on cue, his stomach began to growl. Oh right food, he should probably eat. As tasty as the steaks smelled, he couldnt help but wrinkle his nose at the sight. Steak... Meat. Eugh. It wasnt that he was against eating meat it was just... It was gross to him. Everything from the texture, to preparing it made him squirm. He could eat it, sure, if he had to, but he really, really would rather he didnt.
"Uh..." Doe flipped his book shut. He didnt want to eat the steak. But... It felt rude to pull out a salad when the cook worked so hard to make these steaks for everyone.. He could just not eat but that felt just as rude, and he was hungry. Doe didnt have a good excuse to not eat it aside from simply not liking steak. The least he could do was try it. Doe hesitated, then shook his head.
"N-no no! I-Its fine! I can eat it!" He said, forcing a grin. He straightened out the remaining loose papers and placed them neatly on top of his book before standing up to go get a plate for himself. He hovered around the pile of steaks, trying to find one that looked the... least unappetizing. Eventually he returned to Daisuke with the smallest, leanest, piece of steak he could find. He could eat it, he just... had to try not to think about it too much. He could pretend it was some sort of... Weird... mushroom... or something..

---

Interactions
Daisuke - DovahBeat

 

[MiddayDecay]

Smoothing out a faint wrinkle in his Kadachi leather armour, Lazarus was still a little disrguntled after waking up in the hostel a few hours prior. It wasn't the best sleep he'd ever had, but it was certainly much better than sleeping knee deep in mud and slurry out in the wilds. He missed the luxury of resting atop the back of Mukuro, his father's elderly Pukei-Pukei, safely nestled in the branches of a tree shaded from the high afternoon sun.

Back in the present, Lazarus neatened up his clothes and hoisted up his pack, leaving the room just as tidy as he'd arrived to it, fully intent to leave the hostel and continue on his journey away from such a heavily populated city. As much as he would love to put down roots here, he was more than aware of hunters' disposition towards riders, and he wasn't in the mood to let anyone find out about it, nor explain why he was in the city or what happened to his village. He'd had no luck in locating a new village, the secretive and hidden nature of such communities made finding them incredibly difficult.

On his way down the hallway, he could smell the wonderful sear of meat, and with Amiya's call to lunch, he figured staying for a little longer to preserve some rations would be a smart course of action. Though he didn't have time to be picky, Lazarus eyed up the platter of steaks, finding a particularly fatty cut and plating it up before looking around for a place to sit that wasn't already occupied by a group of fellow travellers. There wasn't much, so heading into the living area, Lazarus set down his pack in a clear corner, perching atop it to eat. The egg within sat sturdy beneath the layers of furs and scales, though it did make him feel a bit like a hen.

 

[Hawke.]

The hostel was a welcome bit of respite from sleeping on the floor of the rainforest and slogging through waist deep mud, the one-armed hunter was rocking back in his chair, balancing a little precariously on the legs.
It was a bit busy, he thought, though with no Guild Knights around to bother him, surely no one would notice, surely word hadn’t reached this far yet, and as he enjoyed his tea he was able to freely people watch.
He watched as another traveller found an empty corner and sat down on top of his pack, perching on it like a stool.
There was plenty of room at the table he and Timber had claimed, and the stranger was close enough that he was sure he could be heard without having to yell.
“Excuse me? You, sitting in the corner? Why don’t you come sit over here, this chair’s free, promise my friend here won’t bite.” He offer a small smile, nodding towards Timber as they returned with their food.
He figured sitting in an actual chair would be far more comfortable than sitting alone in a corner.

He looked at the steak a moment, and instinctively tried to reach for a fork and knife. But was only able to find the fork, he gave a flustered sigh, “…Still not used to this- don’t mind me-“

 

[Hel]

Seejay squinted against the sun as he passed between the golden gates that marked the entrance to Ban Sali. The city felt unchanged since he had left it five years prior- lively and beautiful. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up, and he caught a familiar site overlooking the city. The tiered, triangular pattern of a roof, designed with the frequent torrential rains in mind demanded attention of all who visited. The building looked too large to be a home, and yet it belonged to a single family- his family. Its colors were bold and vibrant- evidently they’d had it repainted recently. Even from here he could see the elaborate water feature that framed the home’s entrance.

He pulled the hood of his rain cloak over his head despite the sunshine. While he doubted that anyone this close to the walls would recognize him- and even if they did he’d be gone again before it mattered- he figured a little mystery better suited his mood. Just then, his palamute nearly knocked him over as she took off. She’d caught the scent of something- or maybe she knew where they were heading already.

“Q.T., Wait! Slow down!” He called, taking off after the big girl. Whatever disguise he’d hoped his raincoat would offer was quickly lost as the speed with which the pair tore through the city streets blew his hood back no sooner than they began their run. The palamute- whether for poor training or simply lack of care- did not slow down. She was on a mission.

It was the ginger and white palamute who tore into Lynn’s Hostel first. She found her way to Timber’s side immediately, ignoring all other distractions as she found the source of the smell that had brought her here. Seejay came through the door a moment later, winded from the chase and glad that Q.T. had, at least, chosen the right hotel to invade.

“Lynn, dinner smells great!” He called into the shared kitchen as he followed in his palamute’s pawsteps. “Wait, you’re not Lynn. Who are you? Did she finally hire a cook?”

 

[Ginko The Mushishi]

Ginko
Location: Ban Sali -Lynn's Hostel
Hel Hawke. MiddayDecay Sleipnir Blaklyte DovahBeat

A long journey of walking brought Ginko to Ban Sali, on official business to attend what his grandfather had considered "a meet-up". The 25 year old Hunter had braved the muddy wastes just to pass through and find his way over yonder. His smile was gentle and the breeze was welcome whenever it rolled by. The young man's carrying capacity bordered on intense, as he shuffled in his way through the gates of Ban Sali.

Ginko heaved a sigh of relief.

He was surprised at how uneventful the trek was, though perhaps that gives him the proper energy to expend on conversation with others! Rather than being a downer and needing immediate medical attention. Ginko took in the scenery, and smiled as he found the city of Ban Sali an inviting and impressive land. It all came to a head as Lynn's Hostel came in view. The last thing Ginko saw was a Hunter calling their palamute to heel, or at least tried to..He chuckled to himself gently at the display but when he smelled the meat, his mouth began to water immediately.

No wonder the Palamute decided to rush inside with reckless abandon, that scent could make Ginko himself dash towards the origin of its tantalizing collaboration of spicy, sweet and fatty combinations. Ginko pushed the door open gingerly but excitedly, and found a gathering of people already forming around the food that had been laid out. With a great big lick of his chops, Ginko unloaded his stuff to the nearest corner and stretched-- letting out all of that tension in his body and crackling a few bones in the process. "Mmaaaa-aan! That feels good..." Ginko stated to himself before he unbuttoned a simple poncho and draped it over his equipment. Ginko wore a standard attire of Hunter's lounging clothes underneath the poncho. Black and white were the colors, but he would quickly swarm the table for a slab of that delicious arzuros meat.

Where ever were Ginko's manners? His grandfather would chastise him for sure.

"Hey-yall! Anymore seats around to snag?" He smiled plenty as he grabbed a slab of meat for himself. Grandfather always taught Ginko that another person's table was an invitation to their life; you were expected to listen to their stories, and find joy in their delights with them. Food was only a reward for the generosity you showed.​

 

[MiddayDecay]

Hearing someone call over pointedly, Lazarus looked up from his food over to a one armed hunter smiling gently at him. They seemed nice enough, and with a smile back took them up on the offer, shuffling his pack over under the table and taking a seat on the bench, plunking the plate down. Getting comfortable Lazarus took his hat off, setting it aside and shaking his hair out a bit, relaxing in his seat.
"Thanks man! Sitting on a pack isn't exactly comfy I'll tell you that much," he said with a chuckle. "Oh, I'm Lazarus by the way. Who are you and your friend?"
For his first time in Ban Sali, he was glad to find that the people were nice enough, and the colourful vibrancy mixed with good food and smells and the nearly blistering sun almost made him want to stay permanently. It was a dangerous thought however, he'd have to be a long ways away from any hunter guild before he could allow the egg in his pack to hatch, which wasn't exactly something he could control. If it were to hatch in such a populated area, the monster within would likely be executed, and it wasn't impossible he would be too.

He was quickly interrupted from that thought by a palamute bounding into the living area, barrelling straight into the hunter's stoic friend with a whine and a bark, its master scampering along in tow. Lazarus grinned, he adored the dogs that hunters employed, the few he'd come across along the road were always so friendly and gentle, a far cry from the skillful and vicious fighters they truly could be.
As the room filled more and more, the high spirits were rubbing off on his mood, and Lazarus found himself turning to the light-haired hunter who was asking for a seat somewhere.
"Hey! There's plenty room over here for you!" He called over with a wave.

Oh he couldn't wait any longer, turning back to the steak on the wooden dish, he just couldn't bear to let it cool any further. The steam half blinded him and the sweet yet savoury flavour of the fatty meat was a festival in his mouth. He truly could have cried. Meat was such a rare treat in his village, barely anyone was willing to sacrifice a creature just for food, and with the tribe's Chief refusing to do any dealings with hunters, the closest he'd ever came to an Arzuros steak were small cuts from Jagras and Aptonoth that had passed naturally, leaving behind toughened lean meat fit for jerky more than anything else.
Laz could barely keep his composure as he tried not to drool over the table, ripping into the slab of meat with gusto, thankfully having remembered to at least use utensils at the last second before he did.

 

[Sleipnir]

Timber had since sat down beside Harn at the Table and slid the finer of their two steaks over to him. They didn't argue one bit against Harn inviting Lazarus over, instead sitting up a little more with a poorly suppressed grin when Harn referred to them as his friend. That was-- they did, right up until they stopped to watch Harn struggle with his steak. They paused to watch him try for a few moments before finally glancing up at Harn himself. The embarrassment or discomfort he might have felt about the situation must have been lost entirely on Timber, and they didn't seem to notice at all that the attention might make him uncomfortable. "I can cut it if you..." They trailed off when Lazarus asked after them, and promptly began wolfing down the arzuros steak they'd prepared. "...I'm Timber," they told him, nodding when a warm smile. They watched somewhat fondly for a moment. "Glad you enjoy the cooking."

And clearly, Lazarus wasn't the only one. In a blur of fur and eager begging, with their person no doubt shouting behind them, a palamute bounded right through the doors and came sliding to a stop with her nose shoved into Timber's lap. They startled slightly, staring with big brown eyes down at the dog as her previously-yelling friend jogged in after her. They looked up when he called out to Lynn, to tell her how good the food smelled, only to turn and find that Timber was the one managing the food. They were ready to respond when another young man -- his same age, roughly, they supposed -- came in after them. No, Lazarus wasn't the only one who seemed to think Timber had done well.
Maybe too well, they realized, anxiously rubbing one thumb over their chipped nails. It felt to them as if the room had erupted, and they grasped for a few long moments at trying to come up with some coherent thought before they managed, "...I'm... not a cook," somewhat awkwardly. "I just like cooking." They looked away to cut a slab of excess fat from their steak then to turn back to the begging palamute.

Amiya, too, had come back down into the dining space, and with wide eyes, looking around, she registered just what had happened. "Oh--! Let me grab more plates. Friends, feel free to sit down -- I'll... I'll have to catch you up, Seejay, I'm running the hostel these days." Amiya threw him a glance. This one, it seemed, she'd at least met before. Then she hurried to bring out more plates for him, Ginko... and, well-- whoever else the scent of steaks may bring in from the street.

 

[DovahBeat]

Daisuke watched Doe with a mildly concerned expression.
"Doe, you don't gotta eat it if you really don't want to, you know that right?" He tried to assure.
He was hesitant to eat his own steak now, since it was likely that Doe wasn't about to eat enough to satisfy.
Or he would eat all of it and make himself feel sick, Doe's done that with Daisuke's barely edible cooking before. Not that these steaks were on par, they looked amazing.

Eventually he actually decided to eat, paying the other visitors to the hostel no mind. His mind was too concerned with Doe.

Mentions:
Blaklyte
Other people eating, vaguely.

 

[Hawke.]

“Harn, it’s nice to meet you, Lazarus.” Harn offered another charming smile as he picked up his knife, trying to decide how exactly to approach the thing one handed, “I need to figure it out-“ he started as Timber offered to help, but then He felt his heart in his throat when he heard the shouting, the ruckus that the charging palamute caused. He glanced over at Timber, trying to gauge how they were feeling, though their attention was now on the palamute who’d slid right to their side to beg.
As another hunter approached he beckoned them over as well, “of course, theres plenty of room here.” Though he had already been invited he figured a little encouragement couldn’t hurt.
“The more the merrier, we’ve all travelled long and hard enough, friendly faces are always a welcome sight.”

It was clear everyone was excited for the food, though Amiya was by no means a poor cook Timber had a way with food, they knew their way around it, which spices to use and how long to cook the dish.
they could’ve settled down anywhere and made a killing with their food, if he dared he’d even say they’d put the meowscular chef out of business, or at the very least give him a good run for his money.

 

[Hel]

QT’s nose inched forward in Timber’s lap as the hunter became preoccupied. A second or two without their attention and she picked up her head and let a long ‘arooo-oooo’. It wasn’t a howl, but it wasn’t a bark either. It sounded more like the palamute was trying to talk like people do, with their long and calm sentences. As Timber looked back to their plate, her cold nose bumped against Timber’s arm.


“Oh, you are?” Seejay said. For his part, he followed Amaya to help her carry the utensils out to the apparently recent influx of customers. “Congratulations on your promotion, but also I’m sorry to hear it. I love Lynn, I thought I’d get to see her while I was in town.”

 

[Blaklyte]

Doe cut off a small piece of the steak and poked it with his fork. He looked up at Daisuke and shook his head. No. He could eat it. It was fine. He needed to eat anyways. Who knows when he'd remember to eat again today. Steak was better than nothing at all.
"Its fine Daisuke, i promise." He replied.
He started to bring the piece of steak to his mouth, and hesitated one last time before taking a bite. He chewed quickly and as little as possible for him to get it down, desperately trying not to make a face as he ate. Eugh. If it had been at least mixed in with something like rice or a stew he would have been fine. Its harder to taste and feel the texture it when its mixed into a meal, but this was just. pure steak. Nothing else. Not even a side to go with it. He choked down the peice of meat then forced another grin at Daisuke. "See? N-No problems here! I-it tastes--uh--it tastes great!"

---

Interactions:
Daisuke - DovahBeat

 

[Ginko The Mushishi]

Ginko
Location: Ban Sali -Lynn's Hostel
Hel Hawke. MiddayDecay Sleipnir Blaklyte DovahBeat

Ginko watched as Amiya dashed to grab more dishes for the rest of them. His smile never wavered, and the acceptance of Harn seemed to ease Ginko into sitting down just as easily. "With words like those, how could I ever refuse? Glad to be accepted among some friendly faces!" Ginko laughed softly, letting his body relax into the chair and look like he was deflating into it for good measure.
"Ahh, I've traveled here all the way from lil ole' Pokke Village! Name's Ginko. Glad to meet you all, and hoping to have a great meal too! Whoever cooked up these steaks has some incredible talent I could smell these from all the way at the gates!" Ginko gingerly sipped on a drink, not wanting to spoil the meal by any means with unwarranted flavors by mead, ale, or any other kind of alcohol Ginko chose: Water.
"Do you mind if I ask where you all are from?" Ginko smiled, and his eyes scanned the participants at the table, each Hunter had a life of their own- a story to tell. Harn, seemingly capable of telling the most. It wasn't due to Harn looking like he was old, not at all: In fact he looked like he was young enough to be Ginko's age still, at least if you asked him. What made it apparent to Ginko that Harn had experience was due to the way he carried himself, by extension the tone of authority vibrated against his vocals. Snow, Master Utsushi, and his father- All three carried that same aura about them. Experience..​

 

[Sleipnir]

Timber sat back and turned to watch Q.T. When she made her displeasure with their delay clear. They huffed then carefully offered her the excess fat, since she insisted. Who were they to deny her, after all?

They grinned just a bit and nodded when Ginko commented on the steaks. At first, they only kept their eyes on Q.T. while she took their offer. They didn't look up when they spoke. “It seems my cooking's making quite the first impression on you all," they insisted. Despite their smile and, when they looked up past Ginko, their warm, bright brown eyes, their voice remained stiff and flat. "I just had far too many cuts of meat to jerk or eat myself, so... I thought I might as well share. I learned that recipe where I grew up -- a settlement out in the desert plains, in Elde. It wasn't a small place, really, but... I moved away a long time ago. I took an interest in monster biology and the old civilizations and couldn't exactly study any of that inside town. I wouldn't say I'm a professional, but... I did cook for everyone a lot before I left." Mostly because that was all they'd let me do. Of course, they didn't need to say that part out loud.
Timber had already had quite enough of being small, and feeble, and incapable of making decisions for theirself. Scholarship was just a very convenient excuse to pick up a switch-axe and go out on their own. They cut and ate a slice of their steak, taking a minute to think on the matter. Then they swallowed. "I met and started traveling with Harn not too terribly long ago."

Amiya set down all the plates and set a large, ornate green cast iron teapot on the table. She glanced up nervously, listening to Seejay, and fidgeted for just a moment before she beckoned to him. "Can- can you help me with the silverware, Seejay?" She led him back into the privacy of the kitchen then, waiting patiently and collecting more forks and knives as he went in after her. It wasn't, after all, a matter she wished to discuss in front of everyone else. Not when Seejay had known her aunt, too. Once they had a moment and they were alone, she shot him an anxious glance. "I'm afraid my dear aunt's passed, Seejay, her... health took quite a turn. I'm running the hostel now in her honor."

 

[Hawke.]

The memory of a jungle, a little village just on the edge of it crossed Harn’s mind, if he had ever had a home, that was it. But that home was long gone now.
“I’ve been traveling as long as I can remember.” He said, finally settling on some half truth, he truly couldn’t remember all of the details of where he’d been born, or what had happened, “The guild picked me up when I was young, they must have seen some talent in me, or maybe I was just too hard to get rid of. My home is wherever I happen to be in the moment. Though, there are people and places I’d like to return to someday.”
Harn took a moment to look at Ginko a little closer, something about him seemed familiar, he met many people though. It was hard to keep track. “My adventures have taken me far and wide, now I’m in search of the next.”
And he needed to get far away, quickly. Luckily no one at the table had caught up with the news, it seemed. He could live with that.
“Timber here has yet to fail to impress me. They’ve got quite a talent for cooking. They’re almost as good at that as they are hunting.” He turned to the others at the table then, offering another smile, warm and welcoming. “And Im right in assuming you two are hunters as well, yeah? Something of the sort?”

 

[MiddayDecay]

Ambrosia of some kind of god for sure, Lazarus was disappointed the steak had to end, but end it did, as he mowed down the remaining vestiges of fat and meat he could scrape from the plate. He washed the rest down with a generous swig of water from his flask, reclining back in the wooden chair to teeter back on its legs. Mulling over Ginko's question, Laz listened quietly as Timber and Harn spoke their stories, the images of deserts and jungles blooming vibrantly in his mind. He took the time to think of how he would answer, not wanting to reveal anything "incriminating" about himself and his past.
When the table fell quiet and it was his turn, he took an extra moment before he spoke. "I come from a village far up in the North, overrun with plants, herbs, the village flooded and marshy for the majority of the year. I can tell you now, meat this flavourful was a very rare treat out there, even the toughest monsters didn't want to brave the thorns and brambles near the village." He gave a light chuckle. "Ah, but there's a lot to tell and I don't want to bore anyone, all that matters is that I left a while ago to start my own life." He gently rocked back in his chair and thumbed at a stitch in his gloves mindlessly as he spoke, barely a few degrees away from tipping over entirely. "I'm not so much a hunter as a long-term traveller, really. I keep a weapon just in case, but I haven't much experience using it."
He waved the attention back to Ginko, grinning warmly at him. "So. Ginko is it? You're from Pokke Village, what brings you out here to Ban Sali? You look like you've got a good tale to tell."

 

[Hel]

Seejay’s upbeat demeanor as he followed Amiya to help with the silverware quickly fell when he heard the news. He knew that Lynn was no young made, but he hadn’t expected to hear that she’d passed away in the time he was gone. It didn’t seem to have been that long since he saw her last.

“I see,” Seejay said, sullenly. He pulled a hand up to run through his hair to let out a sigh. “I’m truly saddened to hear that. Sorry to bring it up anew.”


Q.T.’s heavy tail swept the floor where she sat as Timber fed her fat scraps- brushing back and forth and kicking up dust. She watched the food they offered with keen interest, eager to snap it up as soon as it left their fingers. As soon as the food stopped coming, her wet nose gently bumped against the skin of Timber’s wrist, seemingly still unsatisfied.

 

[Sleipnir]

Amiya sighed and shook her head with a dismissive wave of her hand. It clearly wasn't a pleasant topic, but she was doing her best not to appear too terribly hurt. It had been long enough to bear the burden, after all. "It wasn't terribly unexpected," she assured him gently, offering a hand on his arm to comfort him, too. "She'd appreciate you thinking of her regardless. She never had anything to say but good, you know. But all sad stories aside, I am glad to have you by. It's good to see an old friend..." She trailed off, though, and whipped around as a loud crash shattered the quiet outside, followed by the clamor of panicked people in the street. Instantly, Amiya left Seejay's side to instead turn and figure out what had caused such a commotion.

Timber had since returned to their meal, shortly after startling at the insistence with which Q.T. snatched her gift. Certainly, she didn't have the finest manners of any palamute they'd met. They huffed when Q.T. nosed them again. It was clear enough that her sharp bop was a demand for another slice, and they glanced over at her from the side of their dark brown eyes. "It's my steak," they mumbled, but all the same, they were cutting another slice off for her-- right up until the noice caught their attention, too. Amiya was hurrying to the window, but jumped back from it when a loud roar tore through the building.
Timber stood up and hurried to the door, grabbing their switchaxe from beside the open entrance to peer out. There, crashing through the market street, tearing down stands and crushing goods, was the big white shape of a khezu. No wonder it was causing such a commotion-- it wasn't as if the thing could see. It stumbled awkwardly, shrieking the whole way as people scrambled away and shouted, seeking shelter from the monster ransacking their streets.
They turned to look over their shoulder, grabbing their hat and pulling it on, and watched the others in the room, waiting to see who else would have a weapon to grab.

 

[Hawke.]

Harn was finishing the last of his tea when he heard the shrieking from outside, caught off guard he jumped, spilling tea all over his chest, he grimaced at the mess and stood as Timber nearly leapt from their spot at the table to investigate the awful noise, but a moment later he was moving himself, hot on Timber’s heels, he reached for his glaive as he got to the door, his kinsect buzzing a circle around him before latching onto his arm.
It still felt awkward holding his glaive one handed, he felt as though he couldn’t put the same strength behind his blows that he could before, the grace he normally moved with felt lost.
looking outside he saw the monster, white and writhing, sightlessly crashing around and he wondered if it was aware of the destruction it caused, he turned to look over his shoulder, eyes searching for the other hunters. His mind was already racing for a plan. “Get your weapons! If anyone has a trap bring that! We need to stop this thing causing anymore damage.” He barked, perhaps coming off a little more harsh and demanding than he meant.
Killing it was important, yes. But they’d only cause more destruction if they didn’t wrangle the Khezu first.

 

[Blaklyte]

Doe ate his steak like it had been poisoned, chewing as fast and little as possible to avoid tasting the meat. The nice people at this hostel didn't have to cook for him, yet they did anyways, eating it was the least he could do to be grateful. It wasn't even bad. He just... Didn't like it very much...
If Doe's stomach wasn't churning before, it certainly was after hearing the shrill call of Khezu outside the building. He startled and dropped his fork, whipping around to find the source. A monster?? In town?! How did it even get in here?!--Oh Gog so many people could get hurt--Doe immediately reached for his glaive. He nearly tripped over his chair as he tried to stand up.
"I-I got traps!" He called out, frantically fumbling with his bag to pull them out. "Daisuke cimon--w-we gotta help them!" He said. Doe tossed a bag of supplies Daisuke's way then followed shortly after Timber and Harn.

---

Interactions:
Daisuke - DovahBeat
Harn - Hawke.
Timber - Sleipnir

 

[MiddayDecay]

The sudden clamouring outside the hostel practically spooked Lazarus out of his skin, extinguishing the lingering joy of the food he'd eaten from his mind, and the sudden uproar within the hostel in response to it certainly didn't help the situation. His first instinct was to grab the egg and bolt out of the city, but with the throngs of people fleeing from the equally as panicked khezu causing havoc it wasn't exactly going to be possible. Steeling himself as the hunters around him prepared to help, Lazarus hoisted his pack onto the table, barely caring that it sent a plate toppling, and settled his hat atop his head again. Unclipping the hunk of metal from the underside of his pack, he followed after Timber and Harn, unlatching the gunlance fully when he had some space.
Agile from his years dipping and weaving around trees and monsters, he slipped past the two hunters at the front door and, with the crowd mostly passed and a shot perfectly clear, pulled the trigger of his lance and fired a heavy shell at the fleshy knee of the stumbling monster. Lazarus had never seen a khezu before, only heard of them in the stories of village elders who'd explored the world before him, only seen them in drawings the ecologists amongst them would bring back from their expeditions. He wasn't sure how much the shells had actually affected it, as his attempts to trip the beast didn't seem to have worked in doing anything other than turn its attention squarely on him. It turned its gross head to him, still shrieking, and with feet light on the ground Laz backed off towards the others. What was he thinking, throwing the first punch? He was taught better than that.
At least he wasn't alone, they'd be able to drive it off back into the wilderness with ease, right?

 

[DovahBeat]

Daisuke caught the bag of supplies from Doe, quickly going through it as he stood, then reached for his Switch axe as well.
"So much for resting. Never dealt with a monster in a village before, I always stopped them before they broke the gates to Kamura. Anyways, I got some tranq bombs! We'll have to make them count, though! I don't have many!" Once his weapon was obtained along with the supplies, he used a wire bug to launch himself in front of the khezu. He was trying to take its attention off of Lazarus, who seemed a little inexperienced and therefore nervous. From Daisuke's perspective anyways.
"Alright, Mr. Monster. Let's see what you got!"

Blaklyte
Hawke.
Sleipnir
MiddayDecay

 

[Hel]

As the loud crash interrupted their conversation, Seejay, too, ran to see what had caused it. He was no more than a step behind Amiya as another crash caused her to stumble back into him.
“That’s not normal… someone should do something about that.” Seejay said, as he reached for the great sword that he hadn’t yet had time to take off. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he wasn’t the only one with this idea, especially as he heard the sound of a gunlance firing from just outside the main door.

Tranquilizers? Traps? These folks don’t fight clean. Seejay thought to himself, as he propelled himself through the window as another hunter dashed beside him with a switch axe.

“Push ‘em back, then worry about the kill?” Seejay asked. He figured being on the same plan would help out, even if the poor ugly beast was a little out numbered here. As soon Daisuke answered, Seejay lunged forward to initiate a slow- but powerful- strike with a clear intention of doing just what he’d suggested.