Strife

In the months following the excursion to Stoneview, Emrin had been kept busy repairing the books from Lyra's library. Some of them had been too damaged to salvage, but she had been able to rebind a good number of them. Aster had decided to stay with Jay instead of Logan. Although the two of them weren't best friends like they used to be, the two were at least on friendly terms. Emrin had managed to tell her that she hadn't sold her family out to hers, though she wasn't sure if Aster completely believed her. Still, it was a start.

As exciting as the adventure to Stoneview had been, Emrin wasn't very keen on returning back into the wild. There had been too many close calls and Emrin had spent much of the trip feeling like a bit of a burden on the rest of the group. Although she had left Providence, she had come to the realization that she still lived a fairly sheltered life. She had only left Breez a few times after arriving, and never on her own. Still, she worked hard on her magic everyday, sometimes going to Logan for help, though he wasn't always exactly helpful. She was close to discovering her owl's name. She could feel it. Once she knew it, the next time she left Breez she wouldn't be so helpless.

Sometime in the winter, Emrin heard Lyra had been seen walking into town while getting breakfast. She had been waiting for her to return so she could return the last of repaired books. So, after eating, Emrin had run home and put the small stack in her bag and run over the library. To her surprise, Aster had been outside the library as well. The two had never seeemed to get along. "Lyra!" She called, "I've fixed the last of the books."
 
Logan Russo
A few miles outside the city
A month ago....

Collab with @Sketching101
“You found them like this?” Logan asked standing over the bodies of the three, torn apart people. “Yes sir. Think these were the folks that were givin’ you folks in Breez trouble a while back, they got other pieces of people in their cooler.” The older man, Jeb, was a frequent trader of Breez. He found the corpses while scrounging through the suburb they were held up.
“‘Looks like they got what was coming to them.” He continued, spitting on the ground towards the bodies.

“Yup, these were the Guzzlers cause a ruckus in the bar.” Logan recognized the three Folly-folk after he had to escort them out of town a little over a month ago. After that people started going missing when passing through the area. Most people assumed, Logan included, that a new monster was stalking the area. Seemed like it was just a group of cannibals.

Logan knelt down to inspect the first of the three bodies. Behind him Jeb force a sort-of cough “So uh, figured since I found out what happened to the missin’ people I should get some sort of reward.” Logan sighed and shook his head. “Go see Jay, he’ll cover you. Have him give you a little extra so you stay quiet about this. Don’t need anyone in town hearing that some of their loved ones got eaten by people.”

“It’s an awful way to go. Looks like that one had some ironic justice huh.” The older trader stepped up beside Logan and motioned towards the corpse in the middle of the room, the remains sprawled out on the floor. While the other two bodies were torn into, pieces of their bodies torn messily from the rest of it, the third body was mostly whole. Instead it seemed dried out, as if something had drained the body of its fluids and left the body out in the sun for too long. Its skin was starting to grey and more like a raisin. “You don’t happen to know what did that do you?”
Logan looked up at the man with a ‘get the hell out of here look’ and nodded out the door. “Can’t say I do but you should be getting back incase its still lurking around.” Getting the hint, Jeb nodded and headed out the door.


In truth, Logan had an idea of what creature drank the blood of its victims and messily tore through bodies. He hadn’t seen it in over a decade, though he still remembered the bodies of the victims she left behind. Maria Rosewald had been both a doctor and an acquaintance of Logan. In fact, it was Maria who helped save Logan's life when he first arrived in Breez. Turned out Maria was a vampire, and Logan had to be the one to kill her.

Vampires weren’t common, though he knew of one that lived in Breez. Lyra, Maria’s daughter. Lyra never showed signs of vampiric aggression in the city. No one ever turned up dead with their blood drank, nor had anyone else been affected by the Crimson Thirst. Still, the chances of another vampire being this close to the city was slim. Plus, the fact Lyra went missing a few weeks ago and randomly reappeared without saying where she was didn’t help. Logan spent the next twenty minutes examining the bodies, looking for signs of it being something else, but everything he found pointed towards a starving vampire who was deprived of blood.

So Logan gathered whatever supplies they had that were usable, headed back to the city and went straight to the library. It was nearly evening when Logan got there. “Kid, you here? We need to talk.”
After a few seconds, the telltale sound of an old door creaking open echoed through the building, followed by light footsteps climbing down the stairs. Lyra emerged behind one of the curtains, scrutinizing Logan through the windows. She opened the front door, and stood right in the doorway, her right hand still grasping the door handle on the inside. She still had a few bandages covering some of the deeper wounds, but most of the cuts had already scarred. "Need a book, or somethin’?" she asked, clearly still distraught, despite her best efforts to hide it.

“No not a book. Never been much of a reader.” He looked at the ground and scratched his neck. He wasn’t able to look her in the face and accuse her. He felt a knot welling up in his stomach. He usually didn’t feel sorry for people, but the things she probably went through. That she still was going through couldn’t be easy, and knowing that made him hesitant. “We need to talk about things.” He finally looked up at her, his eyes glancing at the bandages before he looked back behind him to see if anyone was around.
Most people were already in for the night, some heading home or to the bar in the center of town. “Mind if I come inside?”

She hesitated before slowly nodding. "Sure, the library's not mine after all," she said, stepping back. She walked over to the counter and sat on the stool. Still fidgeting, she pretended to organize some of the paper documents strewn along one of the bookshelves to avoid looking at Logan. "So, what'd you want to talk 'bout?" she asked coyly, biting down on her lower lips, and trying to get a look at the man from the corners of her eyes.
”How have you been feeling? Remember anything from those weeks you were missin’?” Logan leaned up on the counter, looking away from Lyra to scan the library. He slipped a hand inside his jacket and slipped out his flask, unscrewing the lid and taking a drink before setting it on the counter. Taking a breath and looking at Lyra, he said “Found some bodies out a few miles from Breez. They are a few weeks old. Wouldn’t happen to involve them, would it?”

The sound of paper moving around stopped as Lyra’s shoulders stiffened and her head sank. Her breathing grew heavy and rapid. "Reckon it did," she managed to say between breaths. "I barely got outta some den full of corpses, if you could even call it that, once you have ‘em sliced up into pieces like that. What those people did..." Her whole body tensed up as she continued, a panic beginning to swell in her mind. "So, what? You’re here just to talk? I ‘aven’t done anythin’ wrong..."

Logan turned and leaned his back against the counter, his elbows resting on it. “Nope, nothing wrong. You did what you had to. They were bad people who did awful things. But you did do it, didn’t you?” He slid the flask her way some, in case she wanted a drink. “No one knows I’m here. No one knows you did it. I just need the truth, kid.”

When Lyra turned around, she was holding up a potted plant with bright purple and yellow leaves and petals up, the same way she would hold up a gun with trembling hands. "So what if I did? You’ll do me in as well, then?" she managed to blurt out. "Like you did with her?" She glanced over at the flask and back at Logan. "You should know that the flask doesn’t do much for me these days," she said, forcing a chuckle.

Logan frowned, nodding some as he understood the animosity. “Doesn’t do much for me nowadays either. Used to help me sleep, but not any more.” He faces Lyra, shaking his head now. “What happened with Maria, I didn’t like it. I don’t know if she was always like that or if the virus messed with her mind, but I know you aren’t her. What you did; that was self defense. She was like them.” He took the flask from the counter and took a drink, his gaze now stern and serious. “I want to help kid. If you want to lock yourself in this library and tackle it on your own, you can. But if it starts to affect this town we will have a problem.” His gaze softened some, replaced by a look of pleading. ”So please, for my sake just let me help. If not me then Jay or Kathleen.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lyra gently put the plant back down behind her, relaxing a bit. "Right… Alright." She remained quiet for a few seconds, looking down and rubbing the back of her head. "I--uh… I go out during the night from time to time to see if I can find any newly blooming bloodroses," she said, bringing her hand up to cover her trembling lips. "I’m a bit hazy on the details. I think they shot me; I remember falling to the ground, and then..." She paused for a moment. "I guess you saw where they took me, right? I was there for a while." She placed a hand on the filthy gauze covering her left shoulder. "They brought in a few others while I was there, but they..." Her voice trailed off. She continued after a few seconds. "I don’t really remember what happened right up to that moment. But it was me." She looked up at Logan. "After I killed ‘em, I started walking ‘til I got to the town square. And… here we are."

”That’s all I needed to know. Thanks.” He relaxed some, taking a deep breath as he relaxed against the counter again. “The bloodroses helpin’ still? Looks like you really did a number on one of them. That because you were starvin’, angry or..?”

Lyra’s shoulders slumped as she gripped her left arm. "The bloodroses are… I’m working on it." She paused for a moment. "I..." She heaved a sigh before continuing. "I was in pain, tired, delirious… and, I s’pose, yes, hungry. But I didn’t have much else I could do." She brought up her wrists, wrapped around in reddish bruises between the scars. "Look, I… I’ll get a potion formula to work again, and soon. Okay?"

”You did what you had to, I get it. I know the feeling all too well.” He reached over and gently patted her on the less damaged shoulder, then started to rummage through his bag. ”Maybe you should talk to Kathleen.” He found what he was looking for, a small orange bottle with glowing pills. He showed them to Lyra, shaking them so they made a little noise. ”She made these to help with my uh… Ailment. Works better than syringes and easier to make. Kathleen is a good person. Even better alchemist.” He popped open the bottle and took out a pill, popping it in his mouth and washing it down with his flask.

Lyra tensed up in a reflex as Logan’s hand touched her shoulder. "Mr. Adar used to help me with it, so it might be helpful to get advice, but..." She paused for a moment before looking up at Logan. "Er… Does she know about me? Otherwise, that might be an awkward little talk."

Logan nodded. ”As far as I know the only ones that know about you are me and the council members. The council agreed to not keep secrets from each other, and I’m the one who keeps my hands dirty for’em. I reckon you’ve told Mona somethin’ too?”

"Yeah, she’s known for a while now." Lyra interlocked her fingers and let her arms loose. She let out a sigh. "I’ll talk to Miz Ramadan soon, then." She seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, at least as much as someone could calm down in that situation. "Was that all? I want to get some work done before it’s too late."
”Yeah.” Logan said, starting to gather his things and heading towards the door, pausing to give a nod to Lyra. ”Have a good night kid.”

Aster Russo
Outside the Breez Library
Mid Morning
@Sketching101 @ItariChan
Jumping some, Aster turned laughing some at how easily she was startled. "Hi! No, no books today I'm still reading some of Jays when I have time." She gave the book-keeper a smile, hugging her before pulling away. "How've you been feeling? I heard you got stuck outside the city when that last storm blew through." She remembered the letter, and urgency that Jay spoke with. "I'm actually looking for you and-" before she could continue a voice called out from down the road. "Lyra! I've fixed the last of the books." Smiling, Aster waved to Emrin, giving her a hug when she came close. "Just who I was looking for! Jay has asked for you two, Nomad, Mona and Logan to visit him in his office. It's important, wanted to tell you himself so I really need to find everyone quick. Have either of you seen the others around?"
Logan Russo
His home
Morning
@The Wanderer
He just wanted a solid sleep. Just once in his life. Yesterday he managed to barter a traveling trader for a new mattress from Providence, one not covered in dirt and sweat. He was up a bit later that night dealing with some obnoxious drunks, so he was planning on sleeping in. The banging on the door caused him to jolt up, reaching for his revolver. "Sheriff? Sheriff Russo are you in!" He set the gun back on his nightstand and groaned. Another knock at the door finally got him to answer. "One second damn it, I'm getting dressed." Standing up, he was still wearing his jeans and boots from the night before. Walking to his table, he poured himself a shot and took it with little trouble. Making his way to the door, he was greeted by an older woman and a cold draft came from the hallway. "What do you need and how'd you find where I live." The woman look at his shirtless body with a look of curiously, expecting to see someone not as rough. She extended a muffin, a small smile on her face. "The nice girl at the bar told me. The one with the tattoo'd face."
He groaned and took a bite of the muffin, thinking silently Damn it Aster.

A few minutes later...

"I'm telling you sheriff! It was the biggest griffin I've seen. Size of a dragon I tell you." The woman finished her story, expecting him to ride out on a horse and bring in the creature. She was one of the newer folks living in Breez, in a small homestead just outside the city with her boys and some cattle. "First off lady, don't call me 'sheriff'. I'm not enforcing any laws and certainly not hunting some giant griffin." He started to close the door. "Second, if it was the size of a dragon you and your boys would've been taken, not your cow." He left the door cracked some as he finished up. "Third, if you want someone to take care of your griffin probably just throw up a bounty on the board. Someone will get to it eventually." He heard the lady say something else, but he ignored it as he rummaged through his closet for a shirt. Her steps echo'd down the hall and he started to button up the flannel. Heading to his desk, he pulled open the drawer and got an orange prescription, the label peeled off with 'Mana-Suppressor' written on the bottle with a marker. Taking out a pill and swallowing it with a liquor chaser he slipped the bottle in his bag on the table.

After getting back to Breez months ago, Kathleen had made up a pill-formula for his normal syringe injected medicine. It was more convenient, less damaging to his muscles but didn't quite give him the rush any more. Like the liquid, each pill glowed a dim blue.
Gathering the rest of his things, he grabbed his flask on the way out and frowned when he felt how empty it was.

Heading off towards the bar, he nodded to a few familiar faces as he neared town square. It was already starting to bustle with people for the day, some people trading will others made their way to the bounty board. In the road was a truck with lumber pilled in the back, Natasha direct a few men and pointing them down the road.

As Logan paused to examine the square, he spotted a some-what familiar 'face' across the road. "Hey Gasmask." He hailed the younger man. The two didn't talk much, mostly due to the kid literally not speaking and Logans anti-social behavior. When they did interact, it was almost always business. "My flask is running empty again and I'm out of bottles. Need you to do a run for me." He said as he crossed the road. "Normally I'd take one from Jay, but he said my tab is starting to add up." He clasped Nomads shoulder, shaking his hand.

For some reason, be it they survived Stoneview together or simply the gas mask wearing kid found good liquor, Logan liked him more than most.

Jay Kennedy
Jays Bar ~ Parlor
Mid Morning
Collab with @StareNation
Downstairs the sound of a door opening causing Jay to glance up from his desk to the door. He was about to call out We’re closed until the evening. before he heard Nissa’s familiar voice. “Yeah, I’m up in my office. Grab a bottle of tequila on your way up. Hastily straightening up his desk to make things more presentable, before turning to a mirror on the wall beside his desk to fix his hair. He turned in time to see Nissa reaching his door. “Well good morning to my favorite gunsmith. How’re you doing today.

Nissa eventually saunted through the office door with the aforementioned tequila bottle subtly dangling from her hand, a small smile lifting as she watched him swivel about on his chair. It had been a good few months since they had seen one another though as usual nothing with Jay seemed at all out of place.

“Caught someone in a good mood i see,” Nissa replied.
”I’m always in a good mood.” he replied with a lively smile. In truth he was freaking out inside. Kathleen’s report had done a number on his nerves, and he needed a drink to calm himself down. Opening the desk drawer on his right, he pulled out two glasses and set them on the table. “Take a seat, we needa’ catch up!” He motioned to the chair across from him.


“You know, you should go get outside once in a while, get some fresh air,” Nissa mentioned as she handed him the bottle and wandered over and made herself comfortable in the chair across from him. “All this time spent in an office and the bar downstairs will age you y’know.” She mused as she casually swung one leg over the other and leant back in the chair. His smile was broad and she couldn't help the warmth it set.
“Although I actually came to see if you could do a tattoo job for me,” She asked. Her eyes cast a glance at the desk of papers and she looked back at him with a small chuckle.
“So what's new then?.”

Jay took the bottle, pouring the liquor in one glass and sliding it her way. “I got a few good years left before I start getting some gray hairs.” He replied with a playful wink. Besides I got everything I need in here. Drinks, work and good company.” He filled up a glass of his own, raising it in the air and taking a drink. Setting the drink aside he grabbed a piece of blank paper and pencil. ”Nothing really. Running the town while Kathleen and Natasha stress me out. He chuckled, and for once there seemed to be a crack in his enthusiasm as he glanced over to the paper on his desk. “So about this tattoo. Enhanced or standard?
“You don't have downtime and we both know that's the truth.”

Nissa took a drink and set the glass down beside her as Jay told her about what was happening in short form and mentioned Kathleen and Natasha. It was no surprise to hear the drop of other council member names and she figured the stress he mentioned was over governing matters.
“Enhanced,” She went with his change in topic. She dug out a small folded piece of paper from the pocket of her jeans, unfolding it and handing it across to him. It was an old tattered sketch drawn with a piece of charcoal, the paper long since weathered and smudged in a few places. The image she had brought him was a symbol, archaic looking and she had figured if he couldn’t get it done for her then perhaps he would know a useful contact.


Jay started to sketch the charcoal drawing on a separate piece of paper, trying to fix the edges that were smudged.”So where’d you find this?” He paused, to observe the paper, reaching over to take a drink before continuing the sketch. ”And what enhancement are you thinking?”
The question was met with silence for a moment as Nissa juggled internally with how much to say and how to go about requesting the enhancement. She trusted Jay enough to tell him things that no one else knew about her but her mother’s words echoed in her mind. Trust noone, never tell them what you can do, who you are. After a minute she eventually answered.

“From home..stoneview home. Its from my mother and it comes with scripture. The enhancement is for a strong protection of the wearer.” she reluctantly told him as a frown creased her brow. “I’d appreciate it if we kept this one quiet.” she added shortly after.
He nodded, silently lifting the paper up to examine it in better light. “It’ll be our secret.” He finally replied, giving her another smile before starting on the last details of the sketch. “I’ll be busy most of the day.” He put down the pencil and observed the sketch, grinning once he decided he was happy with the work. Sliding the paper across the table for Nissa to examine it he continued. ”Some annoying business with Kathleen. I should be free tomorrow if things get sorted out this afternoon.

He glanced at the paper his fellow council member sent him earlier that day, a thought forming in his head. “Maybe you can do me a favor. Just a small one. Then we’ll call it even on the cost of the tat’.”

As Nissa picked up the sketch to examine it she stood up and walked over beside Jay, picking up the original sketch she had brought to him and turning to lean against his desk as she compared the sketches side by side. It was important to her to have the detail correct and though Jay was damn good at his job she had her own concerns involving the design. She nodded as she concluded that the design was perfect and lifted her gaze to him as he mentioned a favor in exchange for the cost of the tattoo.
“Given your history of favours I’m not sure if i want to blindly accept this one,” Nissa commented as she raised a brow. “Tell me what you need Jay.”

He nodded understandingly. His last favor ended up with her crashing a motorcycle, fighting some trolls and limping back home. His track record wasn’t really known for ‘small favors.’ “That’s fair.” He motioned to the paper in case she wanted to read it. “Kathleen found<i> something </i>. She isn’t sure what, and that bothers me. He paused, taking another long drink to finish up the cup on the table. She thinks it could be a number of things. A manawell. A magic anomaly, the beginnings of a portal, a magic ritual or even just some unknown creature. He reached for the bottle before stopping himself with a sigh, pushing up from the desk to start pacing. “It’s three miles west of the city in a small suburb. It attracts a creature or two every few days, then they leave as if nothing happened. Says they aren’t hostile, some are even docile she claims.My usual guys are helping Natasha with the wall, so I’m sending a few of the younger people in the city to just help out with whatever she needs. Lyra, Mona, Emrin, Nomad and Logan if I can convince him with a little liquor. He strode back to the table, leaning on the table to face Nissa with a smirk. “See, nothing crazy like Stoneview. Just babysitting some kids while they help Kathleen. You and Logan can share some drinks for all I care. Just want this sorted as peacefully as possible so nothing happens to the town.

While Jay explained the situation, Nissa took up the report from the desk and skim read through briefly to get an idea of what Kathleen had presented. There was no wonder why Jay seemed a little tense and even though the main points were that there wasn’t much to worry about, Nissa had some reservations.

“These portals are starting to become a damn problem.” She commented before listening to him explain exactly why he needed her involved. As much as she hated the idea of having to babysit again she knew he had a point in regards to being protective of Breez.

“You are lucky your reasons are logical..” she murmured before heaving a sigh.
“Alright fine but as soon as I get back I need this tattoo done.” she replied as she looked back up at him, watching him smirk and shaking her head.

“Deal.” He said, the smirk widening to his normal cheeky grin. ”I’ll start getting my tools prepped as soon as you leave. If you want to gather your things, everyone should be getting here shortly and you all can head out around noon. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Gives you about an hour and a half to prep.

With Jay agreeing to the terms, Nissa took the original sketch and refolded the paper, stuffing it back into her pocket and stepping away from his desk, leaning up and kissing his cheek gently.

“Sounds good, I’ll be back in a little.”
She promptly headed for the door and paused at the top of the stairs, leaning back so that she could see through the doorway to him.
“And thanks,” she added with a small smile before heading downstairs and out of the establishment with the purpose of heading home to collect her things.​
 
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Nomad

When Logan approached the young scavenger, Nomad was about to utter a very quiet 'hello' before the older man continued, asking Nomad to go on a run for a drink for Logan. Which made Nomad ponder if fate was leering at him, so rather than let the man be left without an answer. He would quietly say to Logan. "S-sure, Mister Logan, I know a f-few good places, though you w-will need to specify what you want. But I heard Lyra is back in town and being a friend, I-I would like to make sure she is fine before departing. If t-that's alright with you, sir." The saying was a bit quiet as Nomad had to lean close to Logan's ear so he could hear it through his whispered words through the ski mask.

Waiting patiently on the older gentleman's words, as Nomad didn't want to sour the sheriff's mood any further than what it potentially was. And once an answer was given, Nomad would continue his path to the library, with Logan if he chose to do so.

"Uh, h-h-hello. Just c-checking in to make sure Miss Lyra is feeling better or...." Nomad didn't finish as he saw the gathered trio there with Lyra being one of said trio.

She looked well enough, the red shine to her eyes still present, which worried Nomad as it meant that whatever was affecting her from Stoneview was still doing so. "I'm g-gonna be heading out on a scavenging r-run soon for Mister Russo, so s-should you require me to look for any medical supplies, medicine or herbs to help. Or uh books if n-needed." He would stop himself, only adding in a quick 'Hello Miss Aster and Miss Emrin.' As he didn't want either to think he was ignoring them. The thought of being rude to friends made Nomad a bit embarrassed despite potentially not intending such a thing.

Which made him twiddle his thumbs while looking around to perhaps focus on something as even with a ski mask on with goggles covering his eyes, he couldn't make eye contact after he believed he had embarrassed himself. Though he could barely look around due to the lack of much outside due to the still growing city around them that he eventually settled on just looking on the ground.

@TheQueensGuard @Sketching101 @ItariChan
 
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Lyra Rosewald

An "Oomf!" sound escaped Lyra’s mouth as Aster’s arms wrapped around her.

"How've you been feeling? I heard you got stuck outside the city when that last storm blew through."

Lyra’s face soured as if someone opened the curtains and let the sun shine in while she was sleeping.

"Lyra! I've fixed the last of the books." As Lyra was just about to respond, Aster gave her a hug as well. "Just who I was looking for! Jay has asked for you two, Nomad, Mona and Logan to visit him in his office. It's important, he wanted to tell you himself so I really need to find everyone quick. Have either of you seen the others around?"

"Thanks a ton, Emrin! I owe you," Lyra said with a wide grin once Aster let her go, adjusting the bag over her shoulder. As she was about to go on, she noticed a masked figure looming in the background.

"Uh, h-h-hello. Just c-checking in to make sure Miss Lyra is feeling better or....I'm g-gonna be heading out on a scavenging r-run soon for Mister Russo, so s-should you require me to look for any medical supplies, medicine or herbs to help. Or uh books if n-needed."

"Ah, hey there Nomad. You-uh-y’know you don’t need to call me ‘miss’, right?" she said with a sigh. "Though… Thanks for checking in." Adjusting the cap on her head, Lyra looked over at Aster from the corners of her eyes. "So about Jay’s request... Do we really have to? It didn’t go too well when we were all out of town with that band."

Mentions/Relevant :@ItariChan @TheQueensGuard @The Wanderer
 
Logan Russo
Market Square
Morning
@The Wanderer
Barely able to hear Nomad through the ski mask, quiet voice and stutters Logan managed to get the gist of what the kid was saying. "Fine with me kid, go do whatever you need to do and meet me at the bar. Gotta' settle some things with Aster and Jay anyway." He headed towards the bar without a goodbye, intent on getting the day started with a drink at Jays. He paused at the far end of the square, noticing Nissa leaving the bar and heading back towards her place. He smirked and shook his head. That should've gotten Jay in a better mood than he normally was, might even help him settle his tab. He knew the younger man fancied the gunsmith, though he was too busy to pursue it like he'd like.

Heading into the bar, he paused at the door to read the Closed sign. "Huh." He said aloud, heading into the bar and calling out. "Jay, you in?" It was silent for a moment, then he heard the bartenders familiar voice from up the stairs. "Yeah, come on up old man." Stopping at the bar to grab a bottle of beer submerged in ice, he popped the top and went up the stairs, taking a sip as he entered the parlor where Jay sat.
"That's going on your tab." Jay said, glancing up from his tattoo needles he was starting to prep. Logan nodded towards the bottle and two glasses on his table. "That going on her tab?" Logan replied with a smug smirk, settling in the chair. "She's doing me a favor." Logan scoffed, taking another drink before saying "I do favors for you every day." Jay shook his head, setting the needle to the side and peeling a rubber glove off his hand. "You do your job every day. Today you're doing me a favor." Setting the bottle on the table, Logan pointed a finger across the room. "Speaking of my 'job', quite telling people I'm a sheriff and where I live." Reaching for one of the unfinished glasses of tequila, he continued. "Whats the favor any way."
"I'll tell you when the others get here."
Aster Russo
Library
Morning
@The Wanderer @ItariChan @Sketching101

Greeting Nomad with a friendly smile, a "Hey Nomad!" and a hug, though she rolled her eyes at the sound of 'Mister Russo'. She turned to Lyra once again as the redhead started to speak.
"So about Jay’s request... Do we really have to? It didn’t go too well when we were all out of town with that band."
Aster rubbed the back of her head and shrugged. "I mean I guess not, but I'd hear him out." Reminded to tell Nomad, she turned to the Nomad and restated Jays request. "Jay wants to see you three and a few others in his bar, guess he has a job offer. Don't have much in terms of details, but I'm sure he'll pay well."
She started to walk down the road backwards to keep facing the trio. "I need to go find Logan and Mona, but if you three are interested I'd head his way!" Waving goodbye, she turned to head down the market square in search of the other two.
She spotted Logan crossing the square towards the bar already before disappearing inside.
"Figures he'd be drinking this early, guess that just leaves Mona." She headed off in search of the bat-wielding enchanter.
 
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Having made arrangements with Jay, Nissa headed back to her railcar to gather the things she would need, deciding it would be best to leave her work tools at home and instead take a few small survival items that she rarely left on such trips without. luckily they all fit into a small satchel along with a couple of shirts and pants she would need. already wearing her new jacket, singlet sturdy boots and appropriate pants all Nissa had left to grab was a long hunting knife and rifle, sliding the knife into a sheath strapped against her thigh and slinging the rifle over her shoulder with her satchel. Locking up her railcar home, she called out for Whistler who eventually appeared beside her as she headed back to the bar and gently pushed the door open to wander inside.
 
Logan Russo
Road out of Breez
Early Afternoon
@The Wanderer @Sketching101 @ItariChan

So after waiting around drinking with Jay, everyone else eventually showed up. Nissa and Whistler were the first two, followed by Nomad, Lyra and Emrin and then finally Mona and Aster. After breaking down the simple task of helping out Kathleen and just added protection, almost everyone agreed too the job with only a moderate amount of complaints. Mona was the only one who said no, due to her already agreeing to help out Mr. Adar with something.

So the eight of them were to head out of town, walk two hours to the suburb and then hang out for the night. Sounded easy enough to Logan, though he didn't like the fact Aster was going.
"It could be dangerous"
Logan told Jay as the others started to head out the door. He replied with a grin "It'll be fine, she isn't helpless and everyone will protect each other. Just think of this as a bonding moment." Then pushed Logan out the door of the bar.

So he got his things, leaving behind the Inquisitor riot armor and shield, then waiting on the edge of the market square. Eventually everyone showed up and they went on their way.
"Everyone stay close. Don't need anyone walking into the den of a dragon." Logan called back to the rest of the ground, glancing back to Nomad before focusing on the road. Aster was back walking alongside Nissa, clearly enjoying the company of the gunsmith.
"So what have you been up to Ghost! I got a job helping Jay at the bar, so I know how to make all sorts of mixed drinks. Plus I run a lot of his errands and deal with a lot of the other people in town. Sometimes Miss Ramadan has me go out searching for plants with her..."
Logan let out a small sigh and shook his head. It was going to be a long walk.
~~~
Aster Russo
Edge of Breez
Early Afternoon
@StareNation

As the group neared the end of the town, up head was the sound of hammers and drills. Up ahead was where the crew in charge of making the wall around Breez were hard at work. A wooden wall was already up on the right side of the road and they begun on the left side. Each post was pointed at the top and every few panels were reinforced at the back.
"A little more... Just a bit... Perfect."
A younger woman stood back supervising two spell-casters who were lowering another post down into the ground. One of the workers raised a hand to the group, making her look back. "Afternoon everyone, where are you all off too?"
"Heading out to help Kathleen. Looks like the wall is coming along nice Natasha." Logan called out, not slowing his pace. Natasha was another council member, the youngest of them all and was in charge of keeping buildings from falling over and making defenses for any monsters that got too close to the town. "Thanks. You all stay safe out there."
Aster looked over the wall. It wasn't like the concrete and metal wall of Providence. That had walkways around it so patrols could see and fire over the wall if they needed too. This reminded her of old medieval villages she used to read about in books. "Its nice but nothing like Providences wall."
She murmured loud enough for those close to hear, which caused Logan to shake his head and sigh. "What! It's still a nice wall. Just not as advanced? As Providences." She looked towards Ghost with a look of That makes sense, right?
Kathleen Ramadan
Site of the Anomaly
Early Afternoon

@Accelerator
The anomaly still hadn't changed. Kathleen stood about ten yards away where they had made a perimeter of tape surrounding it. The anomaly itself was a light blue ball, roughly the size of a dodgeball, that rotated in the middle of a crossroad. Around the ball were cracks in the air, as if it was cracking through the fabric of the world. It emitted pure magic, which seemed to attract any magic creatures in the area. So far a group of Tatzlewurms approached the orb before bounding back into the woods. A lone manastarved ignored the various mages in the group and went directly towards the ball. It reached out to grab it, only to disintegrate to dust when its fingers connected with it. That was two days ago and Kathleen was betting that another creature was bound to show up soon.

Around the cross road was an old gas station and a few other shops on each corner of the road. Though most of the buildings were crumbled in and unusable, the gas station itself had made a good headquarters for the group. Past the buildings were trees, some of which were starting to grow into the ruins of the buildings. "Hey Voyd." She called over her shoulder, her eyes still watching the rotating orb. "I need you to do a perimeter around the crossroads. Grab anyone if you need them. We have a group coming here today and we should make sure its secure when they get here."
She turned to head back towards the gas station, giving the younger man a smile. "Oh, and be safe."



 
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Nomad

After the reunion, it seemed the group was to be heading out to help someone with a find of great importance. Something that Nomad was glad to help out with as it could mean that people can potentially be aided by the outcome of the findings. Although leaving on such short notice did feel Nomad with worry as he made sure his humble abode was well secured before he left. Not that he had to worry about people breaking in, but was done to sooth his mind in general regarding the safety of it.

As this was his first time having such a place to settle in that wasn't a tent or sleeping bag. And the very thought of it being ransacked filled him with a sense of dread that was only comparable to when he made eye-contact with that dreaded dragon just a few months ago in that library.

After various checks to make the locks were secured and he had his gear in order, he met up with the others at the meet-up point before they began their trek to the location of the find. Nomad sticking close to Mona and their little circle of friends, making small talk and discussing plans. The topics often changing from mundane to reminiscing about the past, and philosophical ponderings of the future. Nomad would occasionally look over at Lyra and feel concerned for his friend.

So, sidling over to her, he would ask once again but in a low voice. "I-is the effects of the s-storm from Stoneview still making you sick?" He paused before continuing. "Like I-is it bad, bad?" The tone which Nomad adopted hinted at what Nomad's worst fear, that this was turning fatal.

Nomad wasn't well versed into magic and how the mana-storms affected people, as he knew about as much as he did with most medical knowledge.

Very, very little.

So much so that he only knew the basic of treating wounds, sickness and others of the sort. Nomad could only ask a description of an herb, but would know little with what to do with it. Hence why he asked Lyra in the past what herbs she needed or what medicine was needed. It made him feel bad that he lacked the knowledge necessary to aid more than what he could. But knowledge like that was only found in books or through mentors that were hard to find.

And the thought of this potentially turning lethal made Nomad's stomach turn cold, as he disliked losing a friend. Especially when it could be something as simple as getting a particular treatment done so the unfortunate outcome never occurs.

Nomad hoped that it wasn't something bad....

@Sketching101 @TheQueensGuard @Accelerator @StareNation @ItariChan @Paz @Equusheart [When the character gets sub'd.]
 
The job described by Jay seemed easy enough, so Emrin had agreed with no complaints. Even if things did go bad, there was no way it could be worse than the almost disaster the trip to Stoneview had. The walk was relatively uneventful. Emrin walked next to Ghost and Aster. She had forgotten what a chatterbox Aster was. It was hard to get a word in once she got going. She welcomed the chatter though. Seeing Aster so laidback and worry-free helped Emrin feel more at ease. Plus, it helped pass the time.

Emrin was intensely curious to see what this anomaly that Kathleen had found was. If she had to guess, it was somehow related to the portals, a new type that had suddenly appeared or maybe an old one that had changed into something new. She had recently been reading more about the portals, but there was very little information on them. Studying them was so dangerous that few people were willing to do so.

After a two hour walk the group arrived at a gas station that had been made into a base camp of sorts. The anomaly was visible from where she was standing. It looked ominous, but Emrin couldn't help but walk up to the barrier where Kathleen was standing for a closer look. "Have you seen anything try to approach it yet?"
 
Voyd merely nodded in accordance to Kathleen's orders though he decided to do this task by himself. If monster attack their camp right now, it'd be better if Kathleen has as much protection with her as possible. The walk was not that long though he could tell there was something unsettling about the place. It was quiet... too quiet even for ruins of the past world.

The crossroads had a lot of routes for monsters or bandits to sneak up on so he opted to use old fashioned techniques like making an alarm out of trip wire and metal scraps and applying a sound amplification rune on it. As well as just marking structures with an alarm rune. Borrowing a bow from one of the other hired guards, he used an alarm rune as well on the arrows and shot them on possible blind spots above them to prevent an ambush from above.

After he's satisfied with the early warning defenses he had set up, he reports back to Kathleen and voices his own opinions regarding the area.

"I hope you know what you're doing doc. This place has given me the creeps ever since we got here. Like someone or something has been watching us this entire time. The sooner you get this done the better." Voyd suggested in an urgent manner.