[ sure mr. 11 charisma can be the face of the party. he is happy to. testing his arm and apparently is fine with the results of this healing, thank you. ]
A man in the most garish outfit I've ever seen who won't stop spouting quaint backwoods similies says that he's looking for you. I assume.
[ bossily gesturing for shu to ... show the leaf. ]
We on the other hand are looking for someone called Alpates [ pronounced correctly ] if you know where she might have run off to?
[ the handsome young prince looks over when he’s addressed by shu - his gaze flicks up briefly to his beastling ears, and he seems to understand. ah... cat boy to cat boy communication.
politely, he bows his head. ] ...Thank you for informing me. Please, give the cat my regards. [ he has no idea how to respond to this information. real big. :man_standing: energy
but as for lucien's question! watch hikari's whole expression - well, he's not super expressive, but he immediately smiles, warm upon the realization. he loves his friends!!!! ] ... Ah, you spoke with Partitio...? I see.
Alpates... mm. I remember that two of my friends were looking for someone named Alpates after the death of the Pontiff. If I recall what I was told correctly, she cared quite deeply for the Pontiff and members of her family have long lived under his and the Church's protection. I believe...
[ he looks a little thoughtful. ] ... Mm. I believe she fled for her own safety.
[this guy's :man_standing: energy........ it's so relatable wow, probably because Eunhyuk is also :man_standing: at the same time as he is. but then hikari smiles very cutely and eunhyuk is like ah here is the difference.
his brow furrows at this, thinking of what Crick had said, then]
[ hikari may See the leaf as well. and know the warmth of love for his friends. ]
The cat wanted more fish too.
[ anyway, now that the important stuff is over with: ]
… Sounds like she had reason to suspect something would happen to her, if she chose to flee when she’s got such a long standing history with the church and the Pontiff.
...Yes, I believe so. I've heard that members of the Blacksnakes were looking for a treasure around Stormhail: perhaps those two things are connected...? But I'm afraid I know little of the Blacksnakes.
As for Alpates and the Church... [ hikari looks over at eunhyuk now, hand to his chin. ] ...It would not surprise me. The Pontiff of the Church of the Sacred Flame died under mysterious circumstances, as well, or so I am told.
[ eunhyuk - that warm flame you carry in your chest flickers. you can feel it. all three of you - somewhere in the back of your heads, you feel a sense of uneasiness, like there is a grim reminder in hikari's words. the crescent moon necklaces you wear feel heavy for a brief moment. the pontiff's murder... yes, it was caused by a felvarg, a great wolf. you fought it yourself, right? didn't you?
and after the beast fell, you discovered that the pontiff had been set up, with only the mysterious words "And soon, night shall fall"." left to you by him. a last, desperate attempt to share something with you. in a last desperate attempt that you might be able to unravel this mystery once and for all.
hikari is unaware of this, of course, and continues: ]
Perhaps she may be seeking asylum with the Sacred Guard. Though... a dear friend of mine finds them quite untrustworthy. The Sanctum Knights are supposed to be a fine and upstanding organization of warriors, but... as he would say, [ a soft, sheepish smile; ] "doubt is what I do."
… Most people are loyal as long as they can be paid. So, it might depend on who’s paying them and who’s giving them their orders.
[ she could either be as safe as anything, or in serious danger.
and. well. they’re getting pretty conflicting information in terms of what that letter eunhyuk had is telling them about a dangerous thief who must be apprehended, and what they’re hearing here about a nice girl seeking sanctuary after a mysterious death. ]
We could check in with these guards? I doubt they’d tell us if they had seen her, but they might let something slip.
[ see the thing is hikari immediately trusts all of you. why? because he's hikari. whether this is a good or bad thing, who knows for him, but he is on board.
anyway. he listens very attentively to all three of them, glancing between them and setting the polearm he's holding down. ] Ah... yours as the same as Temenos - an inquisitor. I don't know much about it, but... I believe the blue robes are for those who might be... normal?
[ he winces a little when he says that because it sounds so mean but also temenos is not normal. eunhyuk might get the feeling that his own position is very unique. blue clerics simply work for the church, not necessarily for the sacred guard, but the sacred guard is a church organization, if that makes sense!!
hikari nods, especially to shu's statement, and lowers his voice a little. ] Indeed. I imagine the inquisitor would be allowed in with relative ease, though I would be very cautious.
...Do you think she's in danger?
[ in the background, you can hear the shopkeeper behind you briefly grumbling - Blacksnakes. Always the feckin Blacksnakes. First they show up, then they mug me, then they attack my counter looking for treasure...Useless Sacred Guard... grumble grumble. man someone had a bad day. ]
[ well i was gonna try and intimidate this guy with the snake tattoo but if shu has got it I'm just going to try and steal. do i need to steal from a person directly or can I try swiping from the counter?
If he can try the counter he'll do it, but if it has to be a person - shopkeeper it is. ]
hikari looks thoughtful, frowning. that poor woman is in trouble.. maybe his quest to make an incredibly awful decision can wait a few minutes. ] ...Are you in need of assistance?
[ would you like to guide hikari? O: you do not have to but you can! ]
[ in the meantime, the shopkeeper just grumbles, throwing his hands up. ] Like an hour ago! This gigantic scholar showed up and cracked my counter in half, and some dancer with a mean mouth came and robbed me half blind! Other guy left me some money, but what, twenty leaves? That's nothing.
[ speaking of robbing half blind! you BARELY succeeded that roll so you are successfully able to steal from the counter. lucien you obtain: 20 leaves! haha.
you also obtain whatever this is...? it feels like a coin or a bead, but it's not the same as the leaves. there's a red thread stuck to the top of it. weird. ]
[ we all take a moment to stare into hikari's beautiful, marriageable eyes with a wistful and soft sigh. deep in his heart, shu feels something. like an alliance once forged, a memory of teamwork, typos and a connection lost too soon.
he also, oddly, feels like he should go to sleep.
anyway. ]
It'd get you a nice coat at the apothecary. [ but, hmm. interesting. ] Did you see which way they went after they-- [ bullied ]-- robbed you?
[ rest assured that hikari feels that way too, shu... his heart grows warm and his expression even warmer, and he smiles at you. you get the sense that perhaps... perhaps in another lifetime... you were meant to be teammates.... you are truly friends.....
anyway, also, he nods. ] Yes, of course. I... will need to get to Rai Mei soon, anyhow. I wish you the best of luck on your journey ahead, my friends.
[ with that, sweet hikari bows. unless one of you wants to rob him or pick his brain for information he will take his leave... perhaps to go meet up with the rest of his party.
[ shopkeeper time! he grumbles, completely missing lucien robbing him AGAIN (BLACKSNAKES!!!) and tries to put the counter back together. ] Iunno. Back towards the Sanctum Knights'd be my guess. They've probably caught them and thrown them in prison by now. Snake bastards.
[ damn.
anyway maybe you'll make the guys day because there are SO many weapons in here! here are some things in your price range.
- Sanctum Sword (40 leaves) - Chef's Ladle (60 leaves) - Black Dagger (60 leaves) - Cupid's Bow (60 leaves) - Staff of Judgement (120 leaves) - Marietta (120 leaves), which appears to be a dagger
there is also! - Rotten Jerky (1 leaf. why would you want this.) - Rosary of Redemption (20 leaves: bought after confessional) - Blessing in Disguise (60 leaves: a small charm that you could say is lucky) - Vivifying Stone (120 leaves: leaves you feeling lively) - Cait Powder (300,000 leaves: summons an adorable cait. )
["perhaps to go meet his party" I THINK HE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO THE MOUNTAINS TO MAKE BAD DECISIONS
Eunhyuk is thinking that if they go back to the provisioner's shop then perhaps he will buy more grapes.... but
he looks at the rosary........ that looks church-related..... he will buy two (40 leaves) and offer each to shu and lucien in a desperate attempt to make them look religious for whatever future alpha roll he has to do maybe,]
[ HIKARI HAS NEVER MADE A BAD DECISION IN HIS LIFE (this is a lie). hi jan when you read this we love you and your malewife.
shu will turn to nod at the man he probably knew in another life, another murdergame and nods. ]
Safe trip.
[ well. the name is something, but he will drop 60 whole leaves to get this cupid's bow seeing as he's a bow boy now. can he sell the weapon he did have? ]
[ who doesn't love a knife with a woman's name? that means it's gonna be good. he'll drop the 120 on sweet, sweet Marietta so hey at least the shopkeeper gets his 20 back and lucien got a cool discount. aren't we all happy now. ]
eunhyuk, you are now down to 60 leaves! he hands the rosaries to lucien and shu. i will tell you what those do shortly.
shu: yes you may have the cupid's bow! it is a white bow with pink heart shaped arrows. you know that you have a chance to confuse a target if you shoot them with it. when you sell back your bow, it is only worth 20 leaves. that leaves you with 80 leaves. also the fond feeling of friendship that comes with interacting with hikari ku.
lucien: you buy marietta! marietta is a nice dagger - it feels right in your hand, in a way you don't know how to explain. it feels so right that you realize you have a slim chance of instantly killing a target if you use this dagger. wow... also you're broke now.
the gang decides to leave the shop! by the time they get outside, the sun is starting to set which means its time for a music change.
up ahead looms the entrance to the sanctum knights headquarters. you also might see that to the left... castti, partitio and hikari have convened nearby! they're all talking to each other because they're friends. now might be a good time to decide if you want to recruit one of them.
you also notice it feels like there should be a fourth person there - if you look, you might see a flicker of bright blue flame out of the corner of your eye, but you blink, and it's gone.
weird! anyway aside from trying any path actions on these three you might not have done before, you may also want to discuss your information that you've obtained so far. you've got a lot of it! ]
[catboy shu with a cupid's bow is so funny. also eunhyuk will buy the chef's ladle for 60 so he is also broke now. may future merchants look kindly upon his holy vestments.
he glances over at the headquarters, armored figures walking in and out.]
I told one of the Sanctum Knights in the tavern that we're here to find Alpates. He told me about her relationship with the Pontiff, but said it was a secret he discovered working with another Inquisitor.
[also he glances over at the three familiar faces, and then back at shu and lucien.]
I can ask one of them for help, if you think we need an extra person.
[ he really is just a little catboy cupid now. i hope we're about to experience The Horrors so we can remember The Horrors are happening while shu is just like this. why is shu the only one with cash now, help. come and get your pocket money, kids. ]
... The woman, maybe? She seemed pretty fierce. And she'll probably stand out less than the guy in yellow. [ thoughts? ]
[ all shu has is an innate knowledge of how to throw his bird at people and be a disney catboy cupid princess these are so many words. ]
If you make me travel with that man, I will slit his throat. The woman at least has demonstrated she knows how to take care of her business.
[ THREATS? ]
He did mention Alpates seemed ... gentle, or nice. Or perhaps simply scared. I imagine she's not as much thief as pawn in this game we're being made to play. We'll need to enter their stronghold.
[ eunhyuk has a chef's ladle! as it turns out this is as big as his staff. he can cast magic through it and whack stuff with it both. wow. it also has a slight chance of confusing an enemy when you hit them with it!
you may continue to decide and approach them when you are ready. i made you wait 25 minutes for this tag im sorry my notifs were not happening ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
A man in the most garish outfit I've ever seen who won't stop spouting quaint backwoods similies says that he's looking for you. I assume.
[ bossily gesturing for shu to ... show the leaf. ]
We on the other hand are looking for someone called Alpates [ pronounced correctly ] if you know where she might have run off to?
no subject
politely, he bows his head. ] ...Thank you for informing me. Please, give the cat my regards. [ he has no idea how to respond to this information. real big. :man_standing: energy
but as for lucien's question! watch hikari's whole expression - well, he's not super expressive, but he immediately smiles, warm upon the realization. he loves his friends!!!! ] ... Ah, you spoke with Partitio...? I see.
Alpates... mm. I remember that two of my friends were looking for someone named Alpates after the death of the Pontiff. If I recall what I was told correctly, she cared quite deeply for the Pontiff and members of her family have long lived under his and the Church's protection. I believe...
[ he looks a little thoughtful. ] ... Mm. I believe she fled for her own safety.
no subject
his brow furrows at this, thinking of what Crick had said, then]
...Was she afraid of someone from the Church?
no subject
The cat wanted more fish too.
[ anyway, now that the important stuff is over with: ]
… Sounds like she had reason to suspect something would happen to her, if she chose to flee when she’s got such a long standing history with the church and the Pontiff.
no subject
...Yes, I believe so. I've heard that members of the Blacksnakes were looking for a treasure around Stormhail: perhaps those two things are connected...? But I'm afraid I know little of the Blacksnakes.
As for Alpates and the Church... [ hikari looks over at eunhyuk now, hand to his chin. ] ...It would not surprise me. The Pontiff of the Church of the Sacred Flame died under mysterious circumstances, as well, or so I am told.
[ eunhyuk - that warm flame you carry in your chest flickers. you can feel it. all three of you - somewhere in the back of your heads, you feel a sense of uneasiness, like there is a grim reminder in hikari's words. the crescent moon necklaces you wear feel heavy for a brief moment. the pontiff's murder... yes, it was caused by a felvarg, a great wolf. you fought it yourself, right? didn't you?
and after the beast fell, you discovered that the pontiff had been set up, with only the mysterious words "And soon, night shall fall"." left to you by him. a last, desperate attempt to share something with you. in a last desperate attempt that you might be able to unravel this mystery once and for all.
hikari is unaware of this, of course, and continues: ]
Perhaps she may be seeking asylum with the Sacred Guard. Though... a dear friend of mine finds them quite untrustworthy. The Sanctum Knights are supposed to be a fine and upstanding organization of warriors, but... as he would say, [ a soft, sheepish smile; ] "doubt is what I do."
no subject
I've seen clerics around that building, but dressed in different color. Is that because they work with the Sacred Guard?
[possibly an odd question to ask from someone dressed as a cleric himself, but]
no subject
[ she could either be as safe as anything, or in serious danger.
and. well. they’re getting pretty conflicting information in terms of what that letter eunhyuk had is telling them about a dangerous thief who must be apprehended, and what they’re hearing here about a nice girl seeking sanctuary after a mysterious death. ]
We could check in with these guards? I doubt they’d tell us if they had seen her, but they might let something slip.
no subject
Eunhyuk's robes seem to be a pretty good pass into anywhere. Walk in quickly and confidently enough, don't think they'll stop us.
[ that does mean eunhyuk has to be confident. assert himself as alpha. ]
no subject
anyway. he listens very attentively to all three of them, glancing between them and setting the polearm he's holding down. ] Ah... yours as the same as Temenos - an inquisitor. I don't know much about it, but... I believe the blue robes are for those who might be... normal?
[ he winces a little when he says that because it sounds so mean but also temenos is not normal. eunhyuk might get the feeling that his own position is very unique. blue clerics simply work for the church, not necessarily for the sacred guard, but the sacred guard is a church organization, if that makes sense!!
hikari nods, especially to shu's statement, and lowers his voice a little. ] Indeed. I imagine the inquisitor would be allowed in with relative ease, though I would be very cautious.
...Do you think she's in danger?
[ in the background, you can hear the shopkeeper behind you briefly grumbling - Blacksnakes. Always the feckin Blacksnakes. First they show up, then they mug me, then they attack my counter looking for treasure...Useless Sacred Guard... grumble grumble. man someone had a bad day. ]
no subject
he glances over at the shopkeeper who's clearly having a terrible time, and then back at Hikari.]
We were asked to bring her back alive.
[but there was also a 'but' somewhere in that letter]
But if the Blacksnakes are looking for treasure, then they could be after what the Church claims she stole.
no subject
…
and then is wandering over to the shopkeeper. hol’ up. ]
Did you just say something about getting attacked by the Blacksnakes? When was this?
no subject
If he can try the counter he'll do it, but if it has to be a person - shopkeeper it is. ]
no subject
hikari looks thoughtful, frowning. that poor woman is in trouble.. maybe his quest to make an incredibly awful decision can wait a few minutes. ] ...Are you in need of assistance?
[ would you like to guide hikari? O: you do not have to but you can! ]
[ in the meantime, the shopkeeper just grumbles, throwing his hands up. ] Like an hour ago! This gigantic scholar showed up and cracked my counter in half, and some dancer with a mean mouth came and robbed me half blind! Other guy left me some money, but what, twenty leaves? That's nothing.
[ speaking of robbing half blind! you BARELY succeeded that roll so you are successfully able to steal from the counter. lucien you obtain: 20 leaves! haha.
you also obtain whatever this is...? it feels like a coin or a bead, but it's not the same as the leaves. there's a red thread stuck to the top of it. weird. ]
no subject
...We should be fine.
[as shu talks to the shopkeeper and lucien steals in the background]
But thank you for offering.
no subject
he also, oddly, feels like he should go to sleep.
anyway. ]
It'd get you a nice coat at the apothecary. [ but, hmm. interesting. ] Did you see which way they went after they-- [ bullied ]-- robbed you?
no subject
is there anything interesting around for sale before we bounce? Weapons wise? ]
no subject
anyway, also, he nods. ] Yes, of course. I... will need to get to Rai Mei soon, anyhow. I wish you the best of luck on your journey ahead, my friends.
[ with that, sweet hikari bows. unless one of you wants to rob him or pick his brain for information he will take his leave... perhaps to go meet up with the rest of his party.
[ shopkeeper time! he grumbles, completely missing lucien robbing him AGAIN (BLACKSNAKES!!!) and tries to put the counter back together. ] Iunno. Back towards the Sanctum Knights'd be my guess. They've probably caught them and thrown them in prison by now. Snake bastards.
[ damn.
anyway maybe you'll make the guys day because there are SO many weapons in here! here are some things in your price range.
- Sanctum Sword (40 leaves)
- Chef's Ladle (60 leaves)
- Black Dagger (60 leaves)
- Cupid's Bow (60 leaves)
- Staff of Judgement (120 leaves)
- Marietta (120 leaves), which appears to be a dagger
there is also!
- Rotten Jerky (1 leaf. why would you want this.)
- Rosary of Redemption (20 leaves: bought after confessional)
- Blessing in Disguise (60 leaves: a small charm that you could say is lucky)
- Vivifying Stone (120 leaves: leaves you feeling lively)
- Cait Powder (300,000 leaves: summons an adorable cait. )
in case you feel like making some purchases. ]
no subject
Eunhyuk is thinking that if they go back to the provisioner's shop then perhaps he will buy more grapes.... but
he looks at the rosary........ that looks church-related..... he will buy two (40 leaves) and offer each to shu and lucien in a desperate attempt to make them look religious for whatever future alpha roll he has to do maybe,]
no subject
shu will turn to nod at the man he probably knew in another life, another murdergame and nods. ]
Safe trip.
[ well. the name is something, but he will drop 60 whole leaves to get this cupid's bow seeing as he's a bow boy now. can he sell the weapon he did have? ]
no subject
Let's go.
[ bossy AND impatient ]
no subject
eunhyuk, you are now down to 60 leaves! he hands the rosaries to lucien and shu. i will tell you what those do shortly.
shu: yes you may have the cupid's bow! it is a white bow with pink heart shaped arrows. you know that you have a chance to confuse a target if you shoot them with it. when you sell back your bow, it is only worth 20 leaves. that leaves you with 80 leaves. also the fond feeling of friendship that comes with interacting with hikari ku.
lucien: you buy marietta! marietta is a nice dagger - it feels right in your hand, in a way you don't know how to explain. it feels so right that you realize you have a slim chance of instantly killing a target if you use this dagger. wow... also you're broke now.
the gang decides to leave the shop! by the time they get outside, the sun is starting to set which means its time for a music change.
up ahead looms the entrance to the sanctum knights headquarters. you also might see that to the left... castti, partitio and hikari have convened nearby! they're all talking to each other because they're friends. now might be a good time to decide if you want to recruit one of them.
you also notice it feels like there should be a fourth person there - if you look, you might see a flicker of bright blue flame out of the corner of your eye, but you blink, and it's gone.
weird! anyway aside from trying any path actions on these three you might not have done before, you may also want to discuss your information that you've obtained so far. you've got a lot of it! ]
no subject
he glances over at the headquarters, armored figures walking in and out.]
I told one of the Sanctum Knights in the tavern that we're here to find Alpates. He told me about her relationship with the Pontiff, but said it was a secret he discovered working with another Inquisitor.
[also he glances over at the three familiar faces, and then back at shu and lucien.]
I can ask one of them for help, if you think we need an extra person.
[his innate knowledge of guide is in his mind]
no subject
... The woman, maybe? She seemed pretty fierce. And she'll probably stand out less than the guy in yellow. [ thoughts? ]
[ all shu has is an innate knowledge of how to throw his bird at people and be a disney catboy cupid princess these are so many words. ]
no subject
[ THREATS? ]
He did mention Alpates seemed ... gentle, or nice. Or perhaps simply scared. I imagine she's not as much thief as pawn in this game we're being made to play. We'll need to enter their stronghold.
no subject
you may continue to decide and approach them when you are ready. i made you wait 25 minutes for this tag im sorry my notifs were not happening ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)