Fire Emblem: Wretched Whispers, Act 2: Warpath

[SB.]

Until Rein or I explicitly state that your character can post, don't do it yet. If you have any out of character comments to make, do so here.

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Phase order is Player/Allied NPCs->Enemy->Other NPCs->Player.

Stats and inventories of all characters can be found here.

Chapter Links:

Act 1

Prologue: Danar's Game

Chapter 1: Demons of the past

Chapter 2: Ardiera Under Siege

Chapter 3: Return of the Cult

Chapter 4: Nocturnal Symphony

Act 2

Chapter 5: To War

Do not post yet.

[SB.]

Intermission: Bonvale

The Hollows' travel to Bonvale was a surprisingly quiet one, managing to stop at Ardiera for the night and traveling the next day. The morning of the third day had begun to turn into noon as they reached the city, Sheikah leading everyone to Nora's first off to collect their payment, entering to see the noblewoman dressed in a colorful green shirt and blue dress. Two other woman stood near her when she came to the door, one tall and rosy-haired, the other clearly a young girl but appearing to be dressed in full leather armor, both with swords sheathed.

"Ah, Sheikah, Mina! I imagine all went well, then?" Nora welcomed, waving them in invitingly.

"Mhm. Got the guy right here," Sheikah confirmed, unceremoniously dropping Regus to the floor when the opportunity was good. "This guy was a bit of work. I wish you told us about Mina ahead of time... might've made for a good surprise attack. Who are these two?"

"Mina!" the rose-haired girl spoke suddenly after eyeing her amongst the visitors, rushing over to her and pulling her into a tight hug, much to the smaller woman's dismay. "Ah, sorry... I was just excited to see you again. It's been almost a month now." She let go quickly, turning to the rest of the group and waving childishly, then bowed. "Umm... I apologize for my rudeness previously, sirs and madames! I am Sierra, an Irskan soldier! Currently I'm part of the city guard, and... well, being here isn't really part of my assignment, but I was hoping to see Mina again. We've been dating for a while now, but I don't get to know all the details of her super secret job and she has to go to mystery places sometimes! It's really sad. Sometimes I'm scared she won't come back..."

"It is fine, Sierra," Mina responded coolly. "This is Tara... she is quiet, but dangerous, and acts as a personal guard for Lady Deriyenn." Tara growled, eyeing each visitor carefully.

"Well, regardless, it's good to see you all. I'd imagine you all came here for payment, correct?" Nora headed down a corridor, returning a few moments later with many pouches of gold in her arms. "I wasn't entirely sure how many of you there were... I am sure you will find it sufficient for your work, however, as I am truly grateful. Don't worry about Regus- I have the royal guards on alert to take him to a special detainment cell. It has a magic seal to prevent any summoning problems. I've also arranged for two nights of stay at one of the inns for all of you- not far from here, if you head east from here it's on this road and the closest one- and if you head to the theatre, tell someone you are with Hart's Hollows and you'll be allowed a free show. You are also free to roam the first floor of my home as you'd like- I prefer to be open when I can." She handed out gold to each mercenary, handing Sheikah a slightly larger pouch.

Sheikah was clearly bewildered with the information she was given. "This is all too much, Lady Deriyenn... though, I'm certainly not complaining. Thank you." The boss turned to face the other mercenaries, passing out a few fliers. "I grabbed these earlier... they have a pretty good list of a lot of big destinations. Writing style on them is kinda weird, like they weren't intended to be passed out or whatever, but it's got good info, so it doesn't really matter. Be at the inn eventually, I guess, maybe six at night tomorrow, since we need to talk over work and stuff. Other than that, you're free to do whatever. I'm heading to the army barracks to see if we can secure a job- anyone who wants to go with me is free to."

[spoiler=Bonvale tourist flier]Bonvale is the sprawling capital city of Irska, and the biggest center of attraction on the continent. While it is smaller in size than Angala's capital Vallisent and the one-magnificent city of Graan in the Deadlands, the former is secluded to outsiders and heavily guarded, while the latter is deserted after the Great War. At the center is Bonvale Palace, home to the nation's government- a small group of representatives and the royal family, including the nation's current queen, Thalia I.

The nobility of Irska is slowly dwindling in size and political power as it moves closer towards a republic, but they are generally still held in high regard due to the current government being seen almost universally as helpful towards the people. Although many noble homes are often close together and tend to be near the palace, there is no single distinct layout to the city.

At the outskirts of the city is the Irskan Army Barracks, where new soldiers are trained and General Dervas Merv leads the country's military. As Angalan aggression has increased, many youths who are proud of their country have enlisted and begun their training, increasing the activity greatly. Training in weapons is available to non-soldiers as well, with expert trainers offering advice in form and strategy for a small fee.

As a gathering for people of many different ways of life, there are naturally many places for tourists to go. Several inns are open for business to accommodate the many visitors, and stables are dotted across the city, free for anyone's usage. One of the most commonly visited attractions is a group of theaters sponsored by the Deriyenn family. Plays, magic shows, and dances are held daily, sometimes combinations of the three. Guest performers are allowed and encouraged to add variety, and skilled performances are paid for handsomely. For those more action-oriented is the wildly popular boxing ring, where competitors fight fiercely for prize money and glory as hundreds of onlookers cheer on.

Many other interesting people and places are within Bonvale, with only a bit of exploration finding a magnitude of options. A vast library is not far from the palace, where scholars and mages often rent from the large collection available to improve magical skills. Another oft-visited location is the fortune teller, where a diviner can glimpse events in the future for a fee.

[spoiler=Boxing Ring flier]The Boxing Ring is one of the most frequented locations in Bonvale for fighters and spectators alike. It is a simpler way of fighting than complicated battles of weapons and magic, with two competitors fighting using only their fists and no outside interference other than healing after bouts are finished. It is owned by retired fighter Bruce, who rose from relative poverty to riches in his own career in small local establishments. The manager, Douglas, is another frequent fighter, though he usually doesn't contend due to his impressive win-rate even among professionals.

There are three circuits of increasing difficulty available, each consisting of five rounds. Cost increases at higher ranks to dissuade overly-confident but unskilled fighters, but rewards for those who are truly worthy increase as well. Each group's champion- currently Rocky, Randy, and Mac- often competes professionally, and even the lowest circuit is considered a rather impressive feat to clear. The first circuit is the Minor Circuit, which costs 50 gold to enter and rewards the same amount for each round. The second is the Major circuit, with a 100 gold entry fee and reward, while the World Circuit has a 150 gold entry fee and once again the same payout. Those who defeat the World Circuit are honored in the Hall of Fame and are rewarded highly for their prowess, and are offered an opportunity to fight Douglas.

Everyone has received 1200 gold! You can post now.

Edited May 9, 2016 by SB.

[Refa]

Artemis smiled warmly at Sierra's display. Of all people, she hadn't expected Mina to be in a relationship; the girl struck her as somewhat cold and distant, so it was nice to see that her initial impressions were off. "It's no big deal. I can't speak for the rest of us, but just Artemis is fine for me. It's nice to meet you, Sierra," Artemis finished, before frowning a bit at the next part. Not having known either Mina or Sierra for very long, she refrained from commenting on it. "Hey, since you got a magic seal and all, any chance you'll be interrogating Regus soon?" Artemis asked Nora hopefully while fiddling with her bag of gold. She didn't respond to Sheikah's request; fighting a war was the furthest thing from Artemis' mind at the moment, let alone a war on Anglana.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Refa

[Bluedoom]

The group had finally arrived at Bonvale, the Irksan capital. Wolfgang's eyes lit up as he saw the huge capital once again. The Irksan Library... it was waiting for him again! He would have liked to spend time checking around the other places in the capital but he needed to know how much time the Hollows were going to spend in Bonvale. He hadn't got the chance to enjoy the luxuries such as the theatre and magic shows since most of the time he spent as an Irksan soldier in this city's library. If the Hollows were to spend very few days in the capital, that would not be good news for him...

" Hah! This mission was definitely unique and...interesting, to say the least. Commander! How long will we be staying in Bonvale? I...It has been a long time since I've been here! Hah, maybe I really want to see the theatre..." he told Sheikah as he pondered over his course action for the next few hours. But going to the library is sooooooo tempting! I haven't learned all that I could from it! If I remember correctly the last book I read there was...

With that Wolfgang continued to be preoccupied with his thoughts and day dreams.

[MRDRHAWK]

Declan felt on edge about everything that was going on. After all, he still had some issues with the matter that he was back in his homeland, and he was currently in the presence of a member of the city guard. Never a good place for a former crook to be, even if she seemed cheerful and cordial now. Sighing, Declan took a look around, every now and again glancing over at the group's other swordsman, Vale. He seems like he could be interesting... and that hair... No, not gonna think about that now. I gotta keep a low profile...

Slinking to the back of the group, Declan hoped none of the locals would notice him and try and get him arrested - that was the last thing he and the group as a whole needed while they were here.

[Nanami Touko]

Melanie was wrong; riding that long on Celestia's horse had gotten incredibly uncomfortable for her, electing to walk the last day. Her legs appreciated it, even if her feet didn't. But that all washed away as they entered the city, and Mel was greeted with the sight. It was heartwarming to see such a place seemingly unaffected by war and the fighting going on. It just seemed peaceful, at least near the entrance. That was interrupted for a moment when she was handed a large sack of gold. It was far heavier than the last time they were paid. It seems she had some shopping to do! Merveilleux... I sink I will like staying een zis place.

Her thinking away taken away as another woman hugged Mina harder than she had, Mel seeming rather confused at the sight. The explanation confused her even more, and she simply stared at the two of them for a moment. Eh? But zey are bose women... Wanting to ask a probably awkward question, she wandered over to Sierra and Mina. She'd have to look at the fliers Sheikah had handed out after, and she was most definitely not interested in going to any barracks.

"'Allo, Sierra! Je m'appelle Melanie. Your... Erhm, girlfriend, 'as 'elped me wis some of my magique, so I juste wanted to sank 'er one more time before I disappear into ze city, mais... Bien, well, j'ai une question... Eet might be personal, zough." Mel coughed to clear her throat, and looked down, a bit embarrassed for asking. "You are bose women. So... Mais, I mean, ees zat fine? I juste... Well, I 'ave never see two women togezer, donc, excusez-moi eef I am juste un petite peu confus." She laughed to try and seem jovial, but she really was confused. Was this fine? It didn't seem like a problem, but...

[SB.]

"We probably won't know until she gets a job." Norman replied to Wolfgang, looking up from the flier he'd been skimming at the time. "But judging by how the war is progressing, probably not for long. Irska is pretty desperate for fighters, after all. We'll probably only be a couple of days at the most."

Meanwhile, Calden his way back to his wagon, his pay in hand, still looking kind of annoyed. He's lost a fair chunk of money to Helen's group when he encountered them again, so he'd likely have to sell a lot of wares to earn it back. Now that the group knew about his past habits, he probably wouldn't even be able to raise the prices enough to make up for the loss. Sighing, he set off in search of suppliers. He knew a few places where he could pick up cheap enough weapons at least, as long as they still had some stock considering the war...

[Oersted]

Lugos watched the display with his usual I'm-not-frowning-but-it-isn't-a-smile-either face, only smiling when Sierra felt the need to apologize to them and went onto introduce herself. It was nice to lose the serious atmosphere, if only for a little bit. "Don't worry about it." He wasn't going to introduce himself, he didn't think he'd see her again. And even if he did, he could just do it then. The amount of gold he received was... much more than he expected. Now what to spend all this on? Probably should save some of it too... Having never been to a city like this before he immediately began reading over the flier Sheikah handed out, trying to find something that interested him. Being a mage, the library and theater caught his eye, he bet that with all the mages in their group they could put on one hell of a show. The only problem with that was getting all of them to agree to be apart of it.

[scorri]

"I'm with you boss. Figure we can go take care of business, and then you can show me this boxing arena. Since you know where it is and all." Taima grinned, excited to be in a new town. So far, it had been a fun town, what with the excited girl introducing herself and the news of good pay, good rooms, and good fun waiting for them. She looked forward to a few relaxed days before jumping back into the war.

[eclipse]

Hmmm. The theater looks like a place where the women would hang out, but I'd probably fall asleep. The barracks look interesting - wonder what kind of weapons they have there. But we're finally in town, so I can get a proper drink! Ah, the decisions! As Peter mulled over his options, he spotted Declan, sulking off in the back. "Hey, you overwhelmed by the choices, too? Can't decide whether I want to bug the barracks or drink until the sun comes up," the woodsman said heartily to Declan.

[riariadne]

Direct Workflow

"Haha, good to know I'll at least have someone with me, yeah?" Sheikah responded jovially, smiling and punching Taima's shoulder playfully. "The barracks are right near the castle, and the boxing ring isn't too long a walk from there. You'll probably like General Merv. He's pretty down to earth, real honest about everything. I'm sure w'll be done in no time, but I think it's okay if we stay for the two nights paid for. Any longer and it'll start getting costly with so many of us."

Regal Matters

Nora was a bit intrigued by the pegasus knight's curiosity about their captured enemy. "Perhaps later today. The laws are strict when it comes to visiting people within the custody of the military, regardless of context. Is there any reason in particular you would wish to know about this?"

Panic!

Sierra seemed thrilled at the positive responses she was getting. "Yay, nice to meet you all too! Artemis and Melanie are such pretty names." She did look quizzical at the mage's question, however. "Huh, what's odd about it? You're just supposed just try and be with the people you wanna be with forever. Just because both of us are girls doesn't mean I can't love her as much as anyone else." She ran her fingers through Mina's hair, who seemed a bit exasperated but content to allow at least that much. "Have you really never seen any pairs of two girlfriends? Oh no, are we breaking some sort of secret rule?! They take you out of the guards if you're breaking the rules!" She flailed her hands around a bit, panicking.

"Calm yourself, Sierra... Melanie, you said you are from a small village, did you not? It just may not be common in other areas. There are a lot of different kinds of people here, as it is the most populated city on the continent," Mina explained more rationally. "It is perfectly allowed for two women to be in a relationship."

"Oh, okay! You had me scared for a second there. Don't wanna be kicked out of the guards because that's where I get money and stuff!" Sierra clasped her hands together and smiled once again, completely recovering from her moment of worry.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

"Sounds good to me. It'll be nice to meet a general, see where I once imagined I'd be, you know?" She grinned at the shorter woman and playfully rubbed her shoulder where she'd been punched. "Well, if that fake punch is any indication, you should do just fine in the arena. You going to give it a go? Show me how it's done and all that? And yeah, it'll be nice to have a few days break. I'm sure we could all use it."

[Nanami Touko]

"Eh? Non, you 'ave not broken anysing!" This new woman's mild freakout caused Melanie to freakout a bit as well! Had she said something wrong? She didn't think any rules were being broken; she'd never heard anything wrong with this. Melanie was just confused because the only relationship she'd ever been near had been her parents, a man and a woman. I guess zat you should be wis people you want to be wis forever... Zat does make sense. Mel calmed down as Mina explained things, watching the bubbly girl go back to how she'd looked in but a moment. "Oui, I 'ad never 'eard of zis... I suppose, zough, zat such a sing ees juste fine, eh? Eef you love each ozzer, zen, pas problème~" Mel smiled, and chuckled a bit. Her parents had always loved each other, dearly, so gender shouldn't matter. "As long as you keep loving each ozzer, oui? I must say, Mina, you seemed très, ehm... Très distante... For such a relationship." She shrunk a bit as she said that. She didn't want it to be taken as as insult, but that was the face Mina seemed to put up. And with how friendly Sierra was, well... I suppose opposites do attract... For a moment, Mel couldn't help but think of Celestia, and the jokes they'd been making. They were just jokes, right...?

Edited November 9, 2014 by I have opinions

[Ether]

After a few days' travel, they finally reached Bonvale, and were lead by Sheikah to a meeting with the benefactor that had sent the Hollows on this mission to start with... Celestia had been told that Sheikah would see too it that she too was paid, but the weight of the bag of gold she was handed far exceeded what she had expected. When the briefing adjourned, some of the mercenaries began to spread out... Celestia herself was planning to wait on Melanie and see what her thoughts were at the moment. Based on what they had said earlier, at the least, they would likely go buy some of those scented candles that she was so fond of, and then hit the baths, which sounded absolutely lovely to Celestia, but she wanted to make sure it was still something Melanie wanted to do. Of course, speaking of Melanie, she had walked directly over to Mina and this Sierra woman, which prompted Celestia to follow, trailing slightly behind. That is, until Melanie asked a rather... brusque question, which prompted a rather panicked reaction from Sierra, before being cleared up.

Of course, that question was with regards to the potential ethics of a relationship between two women. It had been somewhat gnawing at Celestia's mind when it had been announces that they were a couple, but she had no intention to ask. Melanie, however, had simply waltzed up and broached the topic with all of the tact of a detonate spell. The sheer bluntness of it all caused the colour to drain from Celestia's face, only to swiftly be replaced with a bright red blush, leaving her simply standing behind Melanie, trembling somewhat, entirely reddened and flustered. She couldn't manage to let out any words, just a few mumbled attempts... if you want to even call them that.

"Ah, M-m-mel..."

[Refa]

"Well, I'd like to find out how he summons monsters and if there are any other people on the continent with the same abilities. I'm...looking for some people who may be connected to all of this, which is why I'm so curious about it. If you find anything about it, it'd be nice if you could tell me! Uh...that is, if it's not classified or whatever," Artemis said apprehensively, a bit unsure if she should have revealed all of that. Tilting her head towards Sierra, Artemis replied, "You really think so? I guess it is, although I never really put much thought into it before. Sierra's a really nice name, too." Artemis laughed (although not in an offensive manner) at Sierra's confusion; she had never seen someone who was so...sincere. Just then, she noticed that Calden had left the building. "Uh, hold that thought. I gotta go somewhere!" She said as she proceeded to run out of the building in pursuit. Eventually she finally caught up to Calden, which was no mean feat considering he left quite a while ago. "Hold on! I...need to...buy...something," She said, panting. Taking out some of her recently acquired gold, she asked, "Got any strength tonics on you? I just get the feeling that I'll need it later on, dunno why though."

Edited November 9, 2014 by Refa

[SB.]

Calden had made it just past the inn by the time Artemis caught up to him, and was kind of surprised at her request. Doesn't she use magic? Oh well. Not my problem. He nodded back at her. "I think I have one somewhere in here..." he said, digging through the back of his wagon, reemerging shortly after with the product in hand. "That'll be 50 gold." he said matter-of-factly, not feeling as 'charitable' (or more likely: irritated) as when he was dealing with Wolfgang.

[Refa]

"Sure, here you go," Artemis said, handing Calden the gold and taking the tonic in return. "It'd be cool if you stocked more tonics. I'm sure most of the people in the company would appreciate it if you did. Probably would make more money from that as well," Artemis said offhandedly. "Hey, you're holding all of our stuff, right? Mind handing me the Energy Drop? Not that I'd use it myself, mind, but someone in our party might need it in the immediate future."

Edited November 10, 2014 by Refa

[SB.]

Calden shrugged at the suggestion as he took the money, handing Artemis her tonic. "I guess. I don't really get much of a profit out of them, so it's not really a priority." After hearing her other request, he retrieved the Energy Drop and passed it to her as well. Well, if she does anything stupid with it, it's not my fault. "Is that everything?" he asked, hoping that she would buy something else. Like he'd said before, the tonics didn't exactly bring in a lot of money for him, so ideally he could make another sale.

[Refa]

"Oh, that's true. Guess this is why I'm not a merchant, huh?" Artemis replied. "Well, that depends. Got any swords that I can use? Granted, I haven't really gotten much practice in, but maybe actually owning a sword will help motivate me to do so. Probably doesn't make a difference to you either way though; a sale's a sale, right?"

Edited November 10, 2014 by Refa

[SB.]

"I have one." Calden replied, pulling out an odd looking sword he doubted Artemis had ever seen before. "It's a fairly special sword, for the record. It doesn't matter what the guy you're fighting has - its performance won't be affected. I'll sell it you for cheap too - only 350 gold." It hadn't really sold well before, so he was happy to drop the price a little bit if it meant getting rid of it. Hopefully it would be enough to convince her.

Edited November 10, 2014 by SB.

[riariadne]

Talk To Corporate

"Ha, we'll see. You're a lot stronger than I am, and pretty tough, too. I can't take a few good hits..." Sheikah trailed off. "Well, enough waiting around, then- let's go see the General." The wyvern rider lead Taima towards and eventually the barracks, walking past many young and eager trainees and drill sergeants preparing for the war. "It's a lot busier than normal, which makes sense... they didn't even try to get ahold of me this time. I guess they assume everyone coming here has some interest in joining or otherwise helping the war effort... though, I guess paying money to train counts for that a bit, too. You need a lot of money to fund a war." She looked around as they wandered through the camp until pausing. "Ah, there he is. Hail, General Merv!" She waved at a stocky man in dark silver armor with green trimming, a fierce spear in hand.

"Miss Hart! Are you here to offer your company's services once more?" he asked gruffly, trudging over. As he approached, the insignia on his chest became more visible- four silver stars indeed indicated his rank as General. "I apologize for the disarray in the camp, but we are busy training every hour of the day. Commander Moore approaches swiftly, and I fear that I will soon have to confront him myself. Your previous excursion's success was a pleasant surprise with a fresh group, but I'm afraid I can still only offer you our standard rates. Full-on war means we can't afford to be selective."

Sheikah mentally struggled for a few moments, clearly hoping for better pay. "Fine," she settled eventually. "We're not gonna get hired anywhere else right now. The earliest we're starting is in two days- in the past four, we've been in five intense battles. What do you need us to do?"

"The idea is simple, but the execution not so much," Dervas spoke gravely. "If we don't try a counterpush against Commander Moore's troops soon, we'll be forced to slowly concede ground. Those are your only orders for now, because if it doesn't work, there aren't much more orders to give. I'm afraid that's the whole of the situation right now... it's been barely a week, but Angala may just have us totally overwhelmed, and if that's the case there is unfortunately very little we can do other than try now before they build even more momentum."

"... Fair enough to me." Sheikah shook the General's hand before turning to Taima. "Hey, that's that. Looks like we've got ourselves a war to be fighting soon, huh?"

"You are one of Miss Hart's, I assume?" Dervas asked his fellow armored knight. "I am General Dervas Merv, as I'm sure you've detected by now. The path of an armored fighter is a difficult but worthy one, so I am glad to see it isn't fading away even among mercenaries. Still, it shows the signs of a dedicated individual. What is your name?"

Talk of Mystery

"I see. A sort of quest for knowledge," Nora spoke understandingly. "I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll see if I can tell you anything they learn." Suddenly, Artemis darted off after one of the others gathered among them. "Strange girl..."

Talk of Unity

"Aww, Mina's not really distant all the time!" Sierra protested. "She just thinks it's rude to be too affectionate in front of others, and she's gotta protect her super hidden spy persona or whatever, of course! When you've got a hidden job or something like that you have to be all secrety all the time when you get the chance, so you don't ruin your secrets! I'm sure if you were a secret spy, you'd totally understand the feeling. But wait, hmmm..." The woman paused for a moment, appearing shocked at what she thought of. "What if you're one of her secret spy friends I don't get to know about and you're just saying all this to trick me? Woah, that'd be really clever! I'm on to you, little miss spy! Well, anyway, she's a looot more fun when we get to be alone and stuff," she explained.

"Sierra, please," Mina spoke up, face flushed at her last comment. "All is fine between us, I assure you, Melanie. There is no need to worry about us, and I would rather you not delve too much into it. Regardless... I must head to the theatre to inform them of my successful return, and perhaps schedule some time for myself. Perhaps we will encounter each other again later. You should come as well, Sierra... farewell." The priestess quietly slipped out the door, Sierra not far behind.

"Bye! It was fun meeting all of you!" She waved again, smiling widely, before exiting as well.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

"Indeed. A war it is then... I suppose we could have expected that." Taima blinked in surprise as the general addressed her. She bowed to him and stammered slightly, "Ah, uhm, yes, I use heavy armor in battle. I... Well, I tend to find myself in the middle of the conflict more often than not. So using armor helps. I'm afraid that I'm not as good as someone like you or the enemy commander but... I am doing my best. Oh, er, my name is Taima Rai. And yes, I am a part of the Hollows." She shut her mouth, hoping to stop the slight rush of words that was happening. She was a bit embarrassed at the first impression she'd given the general, hoping that he wouldn't hold her nervousness against her.

[Tryhard]

Ivan never being to Bonvale before, but it was some of the places that father Ivan be taking Ivan to, better times. He not really for things like theatres, but.

While he be staying silentful between exchange with Sierra and Mina, that Mel girl seemed surprised someone who being too close to girls herself.

Ivan did be wondering if he needs a better weapon to work demons. The Lance of JUSTICE be serve him well so far, but perhaps demons don't be fighting for justice after all... injustice? He had to be thinking about that.

While Ivan would prefer to be going back to carpentry... Ivan hadn't had time recently to carving wood, maybe he was interested in seeing tournament ring. Hopefully it being lot better than the one he finding himself past. For now, Ivan stayed near back room near other men... was Declan, yah?

Edited November 10, 2014 by Tryhard

[Nanami Touko]

Melanie got a good laugh over all of what Sierra was saying, and how much it seems to set Mina off base. It was nice to see the normally cool and calm woman all flustered. Eet seems she brings out ze best in 'er. Fantastique. "Ben oui, I am un merveilleux secret agent, zat ees why I 'ave ze accent." Mel would've tried to press the joke further, but if she tried to make an accent other than her own, it would've sounded terrible, and the joke would've become awkward instead of amusing. At least she got another laugh out of that. "I will not worry. You two seem très content. Sierra, keep 'er safe! 'Ave fun alone, and all of zat." Mel giggled and cocked an eyebrow, as Mina and Sierra left. Then she sighed, and shook her head a little bit. "I can not believe 'ow 'appy she seemed to make Mina. I feel almost as 'appy juste watching zem, haha."

It was then that she turned around and spotted a flushed Celestia, causing her to change her expression to confused, right away. "Eh? Celestia? Are you okay? Ees eet you 'oo 'as ze fever, now?" she joked, reaching a hand up and putting it on the woman's forehead. "Oui, you seem 'ot. Per'aps we should save ze candle shopping for later, eh?" She didn't want to get her friend sicker, if she had indeed caught something. "I can always get zem alone and meet you at ze eenn."

[Ether]

"No, it's nothing like that. I just wasn't expecting you to ask that out of the blue, it threw me for a loop... I think I shut down for a second there." Celestia replied, giving her head a shake so as to clear her blush.

"Let's go and buy them, I'm fine, after all. You don't need to worry about me."