The young girl walked on the streets of Astorea, looking around to see just how much damage was caused by Titanius. She felt like she just saw a natural disaster take place. Some villagers were trying to make the best of their lives while others cried for the loss of their loved ones. 'NPCs' she reminded herself. The reality in the game was so real she had to often time remind herself that it was all just a game. She felt someone small, bumping against her. She turned to see it was a little boy who was now on the ground from their collision. "are you okay?" Libitina questioned, offering her hand to help the boy up. The boy, probably eight year old, accepted her hand. "I'm good.Thank you miss" he got up and started to run to the direction of the forest. The amethyst eyed female immediately held him from the collar of his shirt to stop her. "Do not go there. Dangerous creatures live there. Go back home" She instructed. "Home.. but my home was destroyed. Everyone is working hard to build new houses. I want to help, which is why I need to go to the forest and get some wood for our new house" he answered, trying to get Libitina to let him go. The girl let his shirt go, only to grab the boy from his head. "You are a kid. Go act like one and leave the hard labour for adults" He frowned and shook his head. "The more hands, the more helpful" He argued. "When they are hands as tiny as yours, you will only slow everyone down" she retorted. "Even your hands are tiny!" The girl shook her head "that was not my point...Just stay away from the forest if you value your life" "Okay...but only on one condition. If you can go get more help, then I will not try helping" the boy laid out his condition, looking at the girl with his big, round eyes. The look he gave her was so adorable that Libitina didn't have the heart to say no. The girl let out a sigh "I do not see how this is benefiting me...but alright. I'll get some help" The boy nodded happily. "Thanks~ I'm counting on you!" The boy said as he left, probably to go back to his destroyed home. "Kids are frightening...whether in real life or game"she mumbled. With that said, the girl sent a message in the world chat, requesting help to build houses for the ones who lost theirs. The meet up point was the edge of the forest. @Yukisa @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl
Never did she know their battle would end with two of her friends going down during the fray, only for her not to hear of any of them after recovering from her own wounds. Truth be told, she returned from the ordeal as a woman altered, someone those two she held in her arms knew but at the same time didn't. Her vision of the world shifted as did her emotions, currently lacking all the passion, determination and cheer she'd once put into them. She'd lost her spark. It was such a tangle of feelings she barely recognized, a knot of negative energy, of grieving, anger, hurt... And maybe, weighing her down more than the others, was the fear she might never see them again. One of them not answering her texts was already bad enough, but the fact that he didn't even meet her after the battle only served to make things worse. No other destination made sense, she had already searched through many cities and prisons as she probably could, leaving her current location as the last of her available resources. It was worth a shot. @Iván Carl had mentioned at many points in their travels how he'd opened a establishment he ran all by himself and was proud to call his home. Under normal circumstances, this would've been the first place to look for him at, but knowing enough about the man's movement, she could never be too sure he would stick to one place. Now, standing at the door of the Curry House was not the brawler everyone recognized her to be, but a mere woman dressed in civilian clothing, sporting a dress no one ever saw her in unfit for any sort of grand adventure. ''Iván?'' Her voice wavered in spite of herself, but the tears have yet to make an appearance. Tears were never an event she was fond of, and they only came to her once while she held onto the lifeless bodies of her friends. Although the doubt and possibility of him not answering her question might cause her concerns to choke her more than they already did, she continued, as if the mere act of speaking was a relief in itself. A relief, ''Are you home?'' For all her courage, she couldn't take another step. "Are you the one who requested help? I'll gladly provide it." Portia spoke out of nowhere to a girl standing at their meeting point, a hand raised in the air to display her UI while the other was closed around a man's wrist, apparently someone whom she found on the road and decided to bring with her. The more, the merrier, after all. Chancing a glance at her companion revealed a faint smile curling its way onto her lips, secretly afraid that if she did let him go, he might disappear on her again. ''Oh, and he is here too.''
It was a busy service for Iván and the Curry House when a familiar face came knocking at their door. At first, Iván wasn't quite sure what to make of @Portia Ahrens' sudden and unannounced presence. He remembered her being there during the attack on Titanius. They weren't able to interact much throughout that chaos, but he did remember, and couldn't forget, that at one point, they were side by side, back to back, just like old times. Truth be told, he was glad to see Portia once again, though not quite glad seeing her that way. There was something different about her. For starters, she wasn't punching him in the face. She seemed to be lacking something. Motivation? Spirit? Energy? Whatever it was, something big probably happened to her. Iván wasn't used to seeing her that way. There was no doubt he was never going to get used to her being that way. And wasn't she the one who didn't die? He had three deaths now and was technically locked out of his UI. He still felt lucky for some reason. Luckier. "Hello," Iván deadpanned, standing right next to Portia, holding her hand like a child would with his mother's, afraid of getting lost. The no-longer-masked illusionist wasn't afraid of getting lost, especially not in Astorea of all places. How many times has he been here now? So many. He and the Curry House was part of the relief efforts in Vintergard, too, even though he didn't spend a lot of time with his crew, having been summoned by Witch Ops to help against Titanius. "What are we doing here again?"
Throughout his time in Terrasphere, Yukisa had heard the phrase “I’ll keep an eye on you” on multiple occasions, both in good and bad contexts. However this… was taking it to a whole new level. The dissonant hero wasn’t sure how exactly it happened. Maybe Titanius cursed him for his meddling? Perhaps it was the cause of a poor dice roll? Anything was plausible, especially taking into consideration the fact that any number of things might have occurred while his corpse lay unmoving on the battlefield. Either way, he was now stuck with this thing, and he had absolutely no idea how to get rid of it… if that were at all possible. The floating eye appeared a few days after Yukisa finally logged back on to Terrasphere, at dusk. The thing settled upon his head, wetting it with its fluid-coated body, and began to let out a faint “Feed me… feed me…” Then, as nighttime grew closer, its purple iris opened into a set of jagged teeth, and suddenly Yuki felt his stomach become a void. Ever since, that occurred each night. Whether his hunger bar was empty or full, when the sun sank beyond the horizon, he would feel an insatiable need to feed. Tonight was no different… or at least, not at first. However, Yukisa would not allow that to interfere with his quest to help those in need. So even as sky darkened, upon receiving a message from a nearby location with a request to assist in the reconstruction of a ruined village, he was quick to answer the call… even with the tentacled eyeball making itself snug on his head. Being relatively close to the area of the village, it didn’t take Yukisa long to arrive at the pinged location. From a distance, he noticed three figures, and though he couldn’t quite make out their exact details, two of them gave him a slight sense of familiarity, particularly the one who grasped the third person’s wrist. He approached somewhat cautiously, hoping that the trio would not panic from the leftover organ of Titanius that was riding him as most that saw it did. But as he came closer and closer, his footsteps gradually slowed down. Now he understood why the two were familiar. One of them he only vaguely remembered from the fight against Titanius, when they shut down the portal that the creature had opened. However the other was… “... Rushi?” he mumbled, staring at @Portia Ahrens with shocked pink eyes that glowed a slight yellow. It had only been a week since they last saw each other, yet… she had changed so much. Not because of the complete faceclaim makeover, but what stood out to him was the fact she looked as though she had been through turmoil. Indeed she smiled, yet something in her eyes made him feel guilty for leaving her for so long. The metaphorical gap in his stomach felt wider than ever, and he couldn’t help but place a hand over it. Feed me. Feed me. Feed me.
The amethyst eyed female heard a feminine voice call from behind her. She turned to see a beautiful looking woman holding onto a man and showing her UI. Libitina furrowed her eyebrow finding the male's appearance rather familiar. She walked closer to him, going on her tip toe to have a closer look at his face, her eyes were narrowed as she tried to figure out just who he was. The moment he spoke she realised who he was. "Nice to see you too Ivan's. I see you dropped the mask" She made distance from the man. "I sent a request to build houses for this village." she informed Ivan's before turning to the unknown girl 'Couples?' Libitina wondered, seeing how close the girl held onto the man, as though her life depended on it. 'They can also be close friends, either way, this is not my concern as long as it does not affect the job' "I am not trying to sound unappreciative for your help but you do not plan on working while holding his hand right?"She questioned. "I mean, as long as the work is done in time, I do not mind what you do" she added. Another member entered the scene and judging by the looks, he knew the girl. 'I hope this isn't a love triangle. Otherwise, I'll go mad' she thought. "Wait, I have seen you as well" she told to the recently entered male but unlike Ivan's, the girl recognised him quickly. "you're the one who helped in overloading the portal during the Titanius attack." The only reason she remembered him from the portal quest was because of how intense his magic looked. She knew his attack would had done a great damage if it was fully executed. She didn't look down upon him though. She acknowledged that it is normal to slip up from time to time, as long as the person had the will to work hard. "Thank you for helping back then" she thanked the pink eyed male. "I appreciate everyone's arrival" she said to get their attention. "My name is Libitina Cerin, a pleasure to meet you all. I will try to make this short." 'because a certain green eyed someone has a short attention span' she thought. "We have nothing to start with so I was thinking we could break into pairs. One pair will go get wood and other equipment while another will go and survey the land to see which houses can be fixed and what has to be remade. If someone has any other idea, they are free to speak. "
Portia wasn't expecting him to open the door at all, but when he did, the color leeched from her face faster than she ever thought it could. Frozen in place, she could feel the weaving of her newest magical mastery beginning to alter the temperature around her, sending shivers down her spine. As much as she would've liked to stay like that, she'd come here with a purpose. Without waiting any longer, she pulled a fist back at an angle, punching the man right in the nose and sending him stumbling back into the curry house. ''Just...'' A slender hand of hers clamped onto his forearm, keeping him from moving without her permission. She came one step closer to the man and felt her mind go blank in the process, unable to form any other coherent form of speech, which was utterly ridiculous with all things considered. Whenever she thought about what would be said, what would be done under these specific circumstances, it was often that she would find her mind swarmed with different ideas and possible scenarios. Now that she stood in front of him, however, all failed her. ''Just let me have this.'' Light words trickled from her mouth, more of a plea than an order for him to stay. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her face in his chest where it was away from anyone's view. It was strange of her to invade another person's space, especially after punching them in some sort of righteous punishment, but here she was, doing it anyway. Hoping he wouldn't go away. Not again. ''What? I am not...'' She trailed off, following the player's line of thought only to encounter that somehow, along their way to these specific coordinates, the illusionist and she had started holding hands. Moving her arm away from his with a delicate gesture, she allowed it to fall back to her side, casting a subtle sideways glance to her partner in crime. She would probably scold him for that later, or maybe she wouldn't. ''Rest assured... We are in perfect conditions to fulfill these tasks. I won't cause you much trouble, Miss Libitina.'' The title rolled off her tongue with an ease she didn't think she possessed, but that failed to amaze her in time. With all the changes she'd endured after the battle, after the majority of her wounds had been healed, this was a tiny detail not worth paying half a mind to. Clasping both of her hands in front of herself, she bowed and her lips parted to let a question slide out of her mouth, interrupted only by the voice of another calling her name. Her real-life name. She turned to face him, taking the entirety of Yukisa's frame in without so much as a hint of emotion in her eyes. Though her face betrayed none of what she currently felt, the manner in which she dressed, acted, and even spoke did. Making quick work to deliver the boy his deal of punishment before they started with their respective jobs, she walked up to him and, despite the dress she wore, balanced her weight on a side, throwing a kick up to Yukisa's head. ''Hello.'' ''Unless someone else wishes to disappear without saying anything, I suggest we do what Miss Libitina suggested and set out to help these poor people.''
Iván should've expected that punch. After all, it was one of the most memorable things to happen to their relationship, their friendship. Also, he probably deserved it. After everything was said and done regarding Titanius, the Ancient Dissonance, he should've contacted her, made sure she was okay, let her know he was okay. Unfortunately, he had opted not to, not just because he lost access to his user interface, depriving him of contacting @Portia Ahrens in-game, but also because he was a little ashamed of having died yet again. Death was never something Iván was afraid of, especially not in this game. If he could, he would just jump head-first into everything this game would throw at him, knowing full well he'd come back. Sure, he'd get an awesome new chink or two in his armor that was his character, but he could roll with those punches. His newfound religious fervor regarding his purple god? He coped with it. His Zalrisis? He adapted to it. His hunger past dusk? He could live with it. Knowing someone actually cared about him, his character, in-game and would weep should he finally bite it? That was something he had not prepared himself for. The thing with Portia, it had gottten more serious, it had evolved further than he had expected. Iván was caught unprepared for the bond they had grown to share. He wasn't sure if he could be responsible for her, for her feelings, if what he was feeling for her wasn't just a passing phase. He had never experienced anything like it. People were just characters, names, faces, nothing else, nothing more. But Portia? She was one of his first friends in the game, and she was there during a lot of his other firsts in this game. He didn't want to be some sort of added emotional baggage to her. It was a complication he had not accounted for. He grabbed her in turn as she did first, one hand on each arm. He was out of words. There was nothing he could say, nothing that could justify anything, make her feel better. As she did the unthinkable, hugging him in front of all his other customers, patrons of the Curry House, Iván could do nothing else but slowly, carefully, put his arms around her, hugging her back. That warmth... He missed that warmth. We're never going to get away from each other, are we? "Ah, dang it," Iván expressed his mild disappointment at @Libitina Cerin easily recognizing him. He was certain that she'd at least encounter more weird guys to forget about him. Haru, Bradwynne, that King of Yladian dude... So many weirdos in this game, and yet he always gets recognized. That whole mask thing was pretty much useless, after all. At least, in terms of hiding his identity. Or maybe it was just because he got around that much. "I thought for sure you'd forget about me, Libi. I guess you're the captain of this ship then?" The hooded illusionist was a little disappointed that Portia had elected to stop holding his hand. He liked holding her hand. It was soft. Way better than Snowy's sharp quills or Antonia's antennas. Antennae? He should really learn more about insects. At least enough to know what body parts he's touching. Sure, they wee actually just magical familiars that have taken on the form of the monsters he's encountered, with a little help from his memory and of course trophies from those encounters, ant juice for the Ant Queen and the stinky red mask for the Snow-Quilled Guardian, but he should at least know a thing or two about those forms. That was just irresponsible. "I...am good with whatever," Iván winced after witnessing Portia kick the other guy in the head. He wasn't about to pick a fight, even just a verbal one, with her. Or Libi. He had already been punched prior to getting here. He did not want to get punched again. Besides, what else could they do, anyway? Libi's plan sounded good to him. He looked around them and the tinkerer in him immediately started thinking of ways, solutions, associated with their current goal in mind, "I could do either. Wood and equipment with Snowy... You remember Snowy, right, Libi? ...or checking out houses. This seems exactly up my alley. I've been talking to Ciri about doing more tinkering and whatnot." Iván smiled softly, pride in his heart.
A hug would’ve been nice at that moment. Even a warm smile would do. That’s typically how things would go after not seeing one another for so long, right? But no, when @Portia Ahrens approached him, her blank face betraying so little that only someone who had known her as long as Yukisa would be able to tell she was in some sort of turmoil, all that greeted him were the toes of his friend’s shoe. Yuki definitely was not prepared for that. The momentum easily knocked him to the ground, and a small bruise even formed on the side of his head, just barely noticeable under his fluffy white hair. The strange eye-cum-mouth creature that was perched on his head flew off in the middle of a high-pitched “Feed-”, disappearing into the surrounding bushes. Placing his hand on his temple, he rubbed the injury, staring up at Portia with wide eyes. It wasn’t new for her to hit him, but those were always meant as an affectionate kind of thing: a punch on the shoulder, a tug on the ear, things like that… but this time, he could feel real weight behind her kick. “Why-” Yukisa began asking, his voice ever so slightly quivering as his eyes filled with the start of tears, but she ignored him completely and continued on with her speech. Unless someone else wishes to disappear… The boy felt a sharp pang strike his heart. He hadn’t realized this until now, but he really did vanish without making any contact immediately after dying, so of course she’d be mad. And not to mention, he already had to apologize for hurting her once… only to do it again a few hours later. ‘I messed up…’ he thought in exasperation, turning his gaze away from his friend. When the rest of those present finished speaking their piece, Yukisa finally stood up from his seat on the ground. As he did so, the mini Gaze slowly floated back to where he was, though this time it stayed clear of Portia’s sights. “I’ll do whatever you need me to,” he said to @Libitina Cerin, who was apparently the assigned leader of their makeshift team. “But… shouldn’t we ask the villagers what they need? I’m not sure they’d like us to just… build whatever. Right, uh..?” As his words trailed off, he realized he did not know this girl’s name, despite having met her prior. Which also meant she didn’t know his name. “Ah! I’m Yukisa, by the way. You could call me Yuki, if you want.”
Libitina nodded her head. "Thank you for your understanding. Let us get along" She said to the female in front of her. Seeing as how she didn't make a huge fuss about her comment, libitina felt it would be alright to believe in her words. Neither did Ivan's seem like the type who would let something like romance get in between his work. 'however..if they do end up being those lovey dovey couple, I will regret taking up this job so much' she thought with a sigh. She turned to Ivan's who seemed disappointed when the girl said she recognized him. Normally people would be thrilled when someone remembered them. He however, did not seem that way. The girl raised an eyebrow as he casually called her with the same nickname Janet had given her but said nothing against it. She didn't mind nicknames. In fact, she would take them as her progressing with her socializing skills. "It is hard to forget a male as confusing as you. Besides, I doubt people find masked individuals around here, making it all the more reason to remember you. And it seems I am, although honestly, you are free to do as you please as long as the work is done." It all happened in a few seconds. The white male calling out to the woman and them wham. He got kicked. The girl looked surprised at the violent nature of Portia but the look vanished just as fast as it had come. She turned to look at Ivan's, wondering if he knew what had happened but all he could see was him winking, as though he had also just gone through the same rough handling. Ivan's didn't seem to mind the hit but the white male certainly did. Portia's words confused her but Libitina did not voice her confusion. This was a fight between those two and she had no reason to interfere. She turned back to see the hooded male. "Yes I remember Snowy. Quite an adorable familiar you have. She can be really useful in gathering materials.."the girl placed a hand under her chin in thought. Other than Ivan's, she didn't know any of them and they all seemed fine with doing anything. The small girl wasn't sure how to assign the duties. "Yes, we would need to ask the villagers. My name is Libitina but Libi is fine as well..Even you-" she turned to Portia. "No need for using honorifics for me. Libi will work perfectly" She stayed silent for a bit, thinking what step to do next. 'I know I am not the greatest speaker so me talking to the villagers is out of the question. Ivan's can be useful for getting raw materials but I know he also has good skills with communications..It seems the girl is upset at the male, so keeping them apart would be the best for this construction' "Alright. As much as Snowy can be a great help, you are also good at talking with people so I think it would be in the best interest if you survey the land along with Yuki. We shall meet here before the sun goes down and will begin our construction during the night, in the peace and quiet. With that said, let us hurry off..shall we?"She looked at Portia, wondering if she was fine spending time with her to collect raw materials. @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl @Yukisa
The sensation of being in his arms for the first time in Gods knew how long was unlike any she ever had the pleasure of feeling. It was as if she rebuilt her walls and kept them intact, only to see them come undone in his presence. She swallowed hard and felt her arms around him tighten ever so slightly, sensing his initial surprise that eventually faded into acceptance. He wouldn't fight back, for reasons she wouldn't comprehend at the moment. But she had places to be, things to do, and none of them involved any of the curry house's closest villages. After what felt like an eternity to her, she began to pull away from his warmth, leaving her hands on each side of his arms until they slowly fell into his hands. A gentle gesture as any of his patrons would've assumed, had she not seized one of his wrists with her fingers, her ice touch stopping him from trying to get away. ''You are coming with me, so either tell your customers to go home or call your second in command and tell them they're in charge.'' Reassuming her position next to Iván while he and Libitina kept talking was not so difficult, the woman doing her best not to interrupt their words as her hands quickly patted her well-cared-for dress, dusting off the dirt clinging to the delicate fabric she'd chosen to wear these last few days. Her eyes were narrowed, throwing subtle glances over her shoulder in Yukisa's direction to test his reaction to what she'd done to him. They needed to talk, later, not while there were others present who might get uncomfortable from their interaction. Her attention was pulled immediately when Libitina addressed her due to the use of the title she'd given her earlier, making Portia tilt her head to a side and nod afterward. ''My apologies.'' Despite this, Portia couldn't exactly recall how or why had she started using honorifics when she referred to others. She just knew that one day, she started and hadn't been able to stop herself ever since. It rolled off the tongue so well it was never too much of an issue. ''Please do not get lost,'' remained her sole response at what seemed Libi's plan to split their numbers. She shifted on her heels to look at Iván and Yukisa both, regarding the two of them with the very same cold expression in her eyes and the lacking smile she used to greet the two males. There was a small hint of sadness lying underneath her voice, one she didn't pay enough attention to before she walked up to Libi's side, ready to go where she commanded.
To say that Iván was surprised was putting it mildly, may even be the understatement of the year. First, @Portia Ahrens walked back into his life after the events of Titanius the Ancient Dissonance despite him failing to communicate with her, stay in touch. Almost immediately, she punched him right in the nose, not even missing a beat, a perfect callback to the first time she punched him in the face after he attempted to save her. Now, she was demanding his cooperation if not his very life. To go with her, his oldest friend, and abandon the Curry House? Or to stay in this quiet life he had made for himself, away from the thrill of the adventure, a comfortable distraction from life and death? The choice was never easier. “Girl,” he yelled to someone off-screen, not even turning his back to face her. “I’m needed elsewhere. You know the drill. Don’t let anyone burn this place to the ground. Yet.” Yuki…sa? This man seems familiar for some reason. Iván mused as he made the mental note to remember this man’s name. @Libitina Cerin’s words stole his attention, and the previously masked illusionist heeded every single one of those words that slithered out of her lips. She was the one calling the shots, after all, him having only been dragged her by his old friend, that old friend simply responding to Libi’s request of sorts, and this @Yukisa fellow seemingly having done the same. Iván narrowed his eyes when Portia and Libi left him with Yukisa, only being able to nod at the pair in response. He was pretty much dragged into all this, and now he was left with someone who also seemed like he was also pretty much dragged into all this. But maybe Yukisa wasn’t all that he appeared to be. Maybe he was well aware of all this. Maybe he would be able to help him, lead him, finish this quest as quickly as possible. It was possible. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me now. What do you want to do? And how do you know that punch-y girl?”
Yukisa had been shamelessly staring at @Portia Ahrens the entire time they stood there and discussed matters. Well, most of the time anyway, because whenever Portia threw a glance at his direction, he was quick to look elsewhere. His mind was racing with thoughts of what to do. Apologize? Stay quiet and accept his punishment? ‘Aaah, this is all so confusing…’ he thought helplessly, just about ready to shed the frustrated tears that had built up when he was kicked to the ground. His mind snapped back to reality when he and his now partner were told to make sure they don’t get lost somewhere in the depths of this place. “Ah- yeah, you two take care, too!” he responded with wholehearted concern, giving a slight nod as the two girls walked off to get working on their task of material collection. Yuki then glanced towards @Iván Carl , giving him a friendly smile. He wasn’t one to complain about meeting a new face, or having to work with someone who was a stranger. “Yup! Looks like it. Please take care of me!” he told the illusionist with a slight bow. When Ivan asked about Portia, aka the “punch-y girl”, the white-haired male couldn’t help but bite his lip. “Well… we’re just good friends from a while back. I’m actually not sure how long it’s been since we met…” he added, trying to recall the exact date they had met online. “But, um! We can talk about that a bit more once we start working. I think we should head into the village and ask those that live here what exactly they need help with. Let’s walk, uh…?” he began asking, when he realized he didn’t know this man’s name. “Er… my bad, I don’t think I caught onto your name. I hope you don’t mind me asking..?”
Libitina watched from the side as the female exchanged a few words to the two males before coming by her side, ready to leave. With a wave of her hand, she bid the two males farewell and left with the raven haired girl, who had yet to introduce herself. She headed into town to gather the materials needed. The market seemed deserted, most of them probably busy reconstructing their destroyed houses. The effect of Titanius could be seen even in the market area where buildings were either getting repaired or small stalls were put up as a temporary shop. Half of the trip was silent, the young girl looking uninterested to interact with Portia, which was not the case. She just did not know what to say to the woman who clearly had her emotions running wild. "I know we have just met and I do not even know your name" She broke the silence as she glanced at the woman next to her. "-But if you want to talk about your problems, I can lend you an ear. Talking things out make situations easier" The girl paused wondering if her choice of words and tone were used correctly. "If you do not want to tell me, that is also fine. I am not trying to poke my nose in your business" she added, wanting the woman to know that her offer did not root from wanting to get into her personal space. If she did not wish to share her problems, Libitina would understand. They finally reached an equipment shop that was handing tools for rent and logs for a very cheap price. The shop owner noticed the his buyers and waved at them. "step right up young ladies! are you here to buy something!" he asked, in an overly cheerful voice. The girl let out a small sigh as she glanced at the huge pile of logs. "Do you perhaps have Aeromancy or any masteries that can help to carry these?" she pointed at the logs as she asked the female companion @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl @Yukisa
''As you've said so yourself, it is none of your business.'' Did the girl know about her missing ear? Had the rumors of what transpired at her first expedition reached people she'd never met before? If that was the case, then this girl probably meant to pick up a fight with all the commentary she made on her injury, concealed as it might be behind thick locks of stark black hair. Putting more thought into it, that couldn't be the entire truth behind Libitina's true motives. Perhaps she was concerned and nothing more, nothing else. ''Portia is my name and... I am in perfect condition, rest assured I won't offer you much trouble.'' But if she was willing to pick up a fight, Portia would answer, troublesome as it might be with the way she was dressing. ''My associate will specify the supplies we mean to take from you,'' the woman addressed the merchant with the sweetest voice she could manage in her current state, turning to face Libitina with a slight hint of satisfaction shining in her eye. From what she could gather, the player was not as socially adept as most were, and would perhaps struggle to keep up with a conversation with a stranger. Payback, if it could be called as such, was sweet. ''We'll pay half each? No need to worry, I'll figure how to carry these myself.'' A simple glance in Portia's direction offered all the negative responses Libi could expect from the mastery-related question. Had they taken more time in inspecting each others' abilities, it wouldn't have taken long to notice both of the boys had Aeromancy in common. Meanwhile, all she could offer was explosions, water, ice, and crystals. Useful? Yes, when trying to damage an enemy from afar of setting up a defense. For carrying stuff around? Not so much. Thankfully, her physical mastery had layered her avatar's frame with a functional amount of muscle, allowing her to perform above-average physical feats with much more ease than those who were solely based on their magical abilities, but nothing that would ever compare to those with Heroic Might. No, those were freaks of nature. Piling a couple of logs one atop the other, she held them with both arms, close to her chest as not to let them fall, while allowing one of her hands to retain its mobility. Without whispering any incantation, she drew a small shape in the air with said hand, giving the silent command for the levitation spell to activate on the logs that remained still on the ground. ''Now, shall we?''
