Varia - Exploration & Acquisition Services

[CrimsonMaiden]

Nylau stared warily down the hallway. There was a presence there she could not ignore as much as she wanted to. A shiver ran down her spine and the fur on her arms and legs began to stand. It is a very rare occurrence but there are times when the soul of a deceased one returns to our world. They may be lost, looking for their way back to their homes because they cannot accept their fate. Perhaps they are seeking to play tricks on the living. Regardless, do not approach them. If you do, you may be pulled back into the maejjin, the spiritual realm, with them. She remained frozen but for her tail swaying cautiously behind her; there wasn't even a movement spared to her companion as he joined her.

"Now, I am going on the assumption that your use of the tern 'otherworldly' refers to the spiritualistic definition... And if that is the case, then I can assure you there is no such presence simply because it cannot exist. Things can exist physically, magically or theoretically. There is no spiritual existence Ms. Nylau."
Nylau managed to spare a glance his way, if only to give him a thoughtful look. Her stance softened until she could turn to face the ranting inventor. "The only thing I find relevant now is that there is a dangerous presence down there- one that is not human. Usually I would be taken by such a feeling, yet there is no want to approach it at all. I will leave you to your observations, Master Kendric, but we should not-"

Her ears pointed toward the hall from where a ghastly scream echoed. Nylau looked from the hall to Kendric with wide eyes. "Someone could be in trouble! I'll take point." She slowly pulled her daggers from their sheaths at her hips then walked up beside him. As they drew closer Nylau's nose picked up a foul smell drifting from the hall. "There is a strong scent here... like something rotten." A fight would not have her so riled up but this was no ordinary opponent. She whispered a chant for protection of both their souls under her breath.

 

[Relish]

The fourth floor seemed to be mostly office space. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, save the fact many of the offices seemed devoid of anything related to work space. That, and the lights did not appear to be functioning correctly, leaving the floor with low flickering lights. According to the steady stream of data being fed through Kendric's goggles, there was an abnormally high level of electro magnetism universally present on the floor. In addition, the building itself was generating ridiculous amounts of magical interference. With countless spells woven into the building's foundation, Kendric was severely limited in gathering any environmental data. At the least, his goggles operated in low-light environments. He didn't appear to be too shaken.

The two continued down the long hallway. Kendric was methodical and cautious in his approach. He stuck closely to the wall on the left and kept his weapon at the ready to be used in a moment's notice. As they approached the first open office, Kendric motioned to Nylau to stop. Kendric pressed himself against the wall and looked around the corner into the room. After determining there was no visible threat, stepped out and entered a firing position as he quickly conducted a visual sweep of the room from left to right. "Clear." He stated plainly and motioned Nylau to continue. He noticed that this office in particular was completely empty.

Kendric frequently checked on his companion. There was no debating the fact that she was shaken by whatever it was she thought she was feeling. There was no telling what number spells could be at work in the framework of the building, and she was probably mistaking this "otherworldly presence" as any number of them. What ever she was sensing, Kendric couldn't feel it in the slightest.

Each time they came across an open office, Kendric repeated a process similar to the first. He never went into any of the offices, but rather visually surveyed the interior from the threshold. It was just one empty office after another, why were they empty? It just seemed like all this space was going to waste... Insight struck Kendric as he made this observation.

"Ms. Nylau. Do you notice anything odd about this floor's layout? And no, I don't mean anything 'otherworldly'..." The question was rhetorical as he answered himself before the ferre could say anything. "The rooms Nylau, the rooms. I counted five that were completely empty. Now think about this logically," He said with a confident smile. "Why would an organization like this have such copious amounts of wasted space? The answer, Ms. Nylau, is that they wouldn't. Now also consider the fact that the dimensions here have also been expanded, how much energy do you think is expended on doing so? And for what? Empty offices going to no use? It doesn't make any rational sense. What's your take on it?" Kendric eased his weapon a bit and gradually lowered his guard as he spoke. He believed this space was created as part of the orientation. From a logical standpoint, there was little reason to put this much effort into maintaining wasted space. It was certainly a more sound explanation than any of that "otherwordly" mumbo-jumbo. A second opinion is always nice though, but would she reach the same conclusion as he did?

"Although... That pungent odor is a bit odd. You are correct, it most certainly is the smell of decay..." He added.

 

[Bard]

Wade quickly finished his meal, turning up the mug of mead. He nodded, and agreed with Cynder's assessment. "Mm-hmm, not bad at all! I think I'll have another!" And then, he glanced about the room. At the other end of the table, a child-sized creature of origins unbeknownst to him started dancing across the table! He was harmless, and Wade had to fight the urge to pick him up and pet him. He made it to Wade and Cynder's side of the table, attempting a twirling grand-finale, but lost his balance and fell right on Cynder's plate! The poor little creature looked afraid for his life. Wade didn't doubt it, after all she did carry around an axe as big as she was!

He was too focused on how Cynder was going to react to this disaster, he didn't even notice the two mischievious faeries fist-fighting over top his head. He felt something like a pinch of sand fall down the back of his shirt, and looked up. But, it was too late. By that time the effects took hold.

Wade started to giggle uncontrollibly, and fell backwards out of his chair and landing right on his behind. "Hahaha! Cynder! Cyndah! I donn't know wash theh put en this, but I feel all...good!!" The bard, seemingly drunk off his rocker, grasped the edge of the table, and hoisted himself up. He leaned down, and reached down to try and tickle the little creature laying on his ally's plate.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle!!"

 

[Mistress]

I can't wait to burn that man's hair when the actual fight starts, Eva grumbled with arms crossed over her chest. Hmph. She was still seething about Smith's ungentlemanly nature when she came about the last steps of stairs to the second floor. It was then that she heard the insanely loud ruckus where she thought the cafeteria was. Great Nymphs, she clicked her tongue in disapproval. It sounds worse than the pubs Mother used to visit.

She was ready to continue her way down the ground floor and find herself some plants outside before Smith comes to. I've had enough barbarians for today. With head held high, she pivoted towards the next set of stairs. But before she could take another step, she heard a loud thump behind her.

It was a man who had collapsed on the floor and was drowsily giggling. How unnerving. As there were no one else around, Eva felt she had no choice but to help the poor adventurer. Kneeling next to him and rummaging through her sling bag for the lily essence, she asked him what was wrong. The answer startled her. "Fae...hehehe... Faerie," a hiccup, "Dust..." And the man fell asleep, slurring giggles in between his snores.

The spaghetti noodle dangling on his ears and the meat pie smeared across his back affirmed her suspicion: The commotion really is coming from the cafeteria. She looked at the direction where the man must've run from. A mischievous grin crept across her face. Imagine the kinds of plants I can grow with faerie dust, she drooled.

Decisively, without giving the sleeping man a second thought, Eva walked towards the cafeteria. One look through the open entrance doors, she knew collecting the faerie dust won't be easy. Some explorers may have dropped face first on their meals but many were dancing slapdash across the room. She will have to snake her way through the dancers and keep away from the ones with large fists and feet-- and not to mention the faerie dust raining everywhere. Oh dear, she gulped before dashing towards the nearest table she can hide under and plan her next course of action.​

 

[Seth Bloodmoon]

Lifting her mug of mead to her lips again, Cynder proceeded to down rest of the mead. The mug was lowered back to the table's wooden surface as she wiped her mouth with the back of her free hand before uttering, "Another one would definitely be a wonderful idea, smirking a bit. She hadn't taken note of the spectacle that was currently making its way down their table, her attention focusing on her brunch plate as she popped another piece of bacon in her mouth. She did hear the overly happy chattering pick up, but ignored it for the most part. It didn't concern her, right? Right!

Then something happened, something dreadful and unthinkable. Something of apocalyptic proportions. That strange little creature she had noticed upon entering the cafeteria had fallen right smack onto her precious bacon. When that little creature looked up at her it would behold an expression that was almost unreadable. Till you took note of the twitching, dark blue eye, and the possibly pulsing vein on her forehead. On the inside she was warring with how to react to this incident. Should she lash out at the poor creature for destroying her remaining bacon? Should she do her best to remain level headed?

While she wrestled with this inner conundrum, she failed to notice Wade fall victim to the cat fighting faeries above his head. As the fairy dust messed with him, she pushed herself up out of her chair, her gaze focused on the strange little creature, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. At the very least she made no move to heft her great axe, for the moment. She was just about to say something and then Wade fell while in the midst of a giggle fit. Then he started talking, which stole her attention from the destroyer of delicious bacon.

The frown upon her face deepened some, was the bard unable to handle his drink? Had one mug of mead rocked his world? Again she was about to speak, but then Wade had managed to pull himself up and proceeded to assail the unknown creature with tickles. This caused Cynder to actually face-palm. What had she gotten herself into? Now her bacon was destroyed and Wade was apparently blitzed out of his gourd with mead. When she finally managed to speak all that came out was an exasperated, "I don't even..."

Then she finally took note of things going on around her. Half of the long table she had chosen to sit at was fast asleep. The other half was acting rather silly. Some dancing like fools, others acting just like Wade. What the heck was happening? Slowly she stepped back from the table, shaking her head a bit. Was this how things were normally in Varia? No, that couldn't be the case, could it? Was this perhaps part of orientation? That was a possibility. Then again it could simply be a freak occurrence.

 

[Kalista]

Faerie Trauma & Sleeping On The Job: Previous

Scenario: Faerie Trauma, bisque

Morning, Cafeteria, Second Floor, Varia HQ

"PUPUUUN PUPUUN P-P-PUUUN!" Plue couldn't stop laughing as the stranger tickled him crazily. His little legs were flailing in the air as he was still lying in the bacon. Moments before, however, Plue felt a deeper fear than ever before. The serious and angry looking woman had given off such a murderous aura that Plue shivered harder than he usually does. The faeries fighting above them saved Plue indirectly, but now he was under the assault of a highly affected human. Mustering all his strength, Plue jumped off the table and landed on the floor nearby. At this point, Vayla was hit by a random dancer quite hard, and pummeled to the ground near Plue. Ritta was momentarily shocked, since just an instant before, she was dueling with her sister.

"Oh no!... Vayla!...." Fluttering down to her sister, she looked sad and tried to wake the unconscious Vayla. Plue ambled over hesitantly to them. Looking down, he picked up Vayla in a bridal carry and started for the stairs, intending to find help. Unfortunately in his haste, Plue tripped over a fallen mug and fell nose-first onto the floor. His sharp drill-like nose dug into the floor, stopping his body from crushing Vayla.

"... ...PUPUUN!!" Stuck in this pseudo-pushup position, Plue called out to the girl that he saw was under the table. It seemed that she was still sober since the table had shielded her from any flying faerie dust. Ritta had also flown over to Plue to try to get him unstuck.


Poor Plue

Faerie Trauma: Next

Scenario: Sleeping On The Job, bisque

Morning, An abandoned office, Fourth Floor, Varia HQ

Shaking uncontrollably, the staff member hiding in the room rolled up into the fetal position and shut his eyes hard. The room he was hiding in had some broken desks and chairs strewn around, lying behind the largest chunk of desk, he hoped he wouldn't be found. Not by that... thing at least.

Outside, the dark figure trailed noiselessly and slowly after the staff worker. Its head was completely obscured by some unholy cloud of darkness, but two small pin pricks were visible as eyes. The rest of its body was in horrid, dry decay. When it reached the closed door, it pressed against the surface as if ignorant of it. However, the dark figure was unable to pass through, and simply kept pressing forward against the unyielding door.

Sleeping On The Job: Next

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Nylau was fully alert and glanced around in anticipation of an attack from any side. This floor seemed to be in a strange state compared to all they had seen so far. The entrance hall was beautifully decorated and that large room they had occupied earlier was also very nice. This hall, however, seemed rather neglected. The lights flickered or were just weak, and so far the rooms they had checked were all empty- void of anything but a window. This did not ease the Ferre's nervous tension.

Perhaps they had fallen prey to a mischievous soul's tricks. She followed a few paces behind Kendric, low to the ground so she could possibly feel any approaching danger through the sensitive skin on her hands. She paused when Kendric motioned for a cease of movement. He moved ahead to check the room then let her know it was safe to move on. Nylau sighed in frustration.

"I do not like this," she whispered as they moved on. "I can smell this horrid stench but I cannot see anything or hear anything. I have to trust my instincts and they are telling me things I do not like..." There were more empty spaces to come as they moved further down the hall. At this point her ears were wide open and her tail was actively waving about like a cat's just before it lashes out with tooth and claw.

Nylau only half listened to his observations, seeing as she was trying to make sure there was no sudden attack, human or not. Varia did deal with a vast many places and it would not be strange if something had come with one of their employees, right? Perhaps her previous accusations had been wrong and it was something else that was "haunting" the hall. It was the only way she could think of to describe the feeling. It was a strangely strong fading in and out kind of feeling that she could not shake even if she focused completely on Kendric's mania. She sneered and flicked her ear.

She slowly stood as Kendric lowered his guard, surveying the area before looking at him. "There is something wrong here," she said slowly as she looked past him. "Perhaps something they did not expect. I do not have a vast knowledge in magic but, it must not be something you simply take back. Or something else is using or sustaining this hall." Her ear turned to face the opposite end of the hall and she looked with dilated pupils. Honestly, she could have cared less to speculate in the hall itself. If he wanted to talk so much about it then they could always return to their previous task- outside the hall- then he could talk all he wanted. As of right then she was in more of a predatory mood than a sharing one.

 

[Kalista]

Back to 1.a

Chapter 1.b, bisque

Morning, West Lawn, Varia Grounds, North Aristos

Hm... the fourth floor has space... definitely an option... or... how about the dojo area? One of those two... ugh I can't decide!!

Stuck with this dilemma, Risuna tilted her head with her eyes still shut tightly. The mental image of the Varia headquarters building plan rotated and turned in her mind as she made measurements. While it was useful to have the map inside her brain, Risuna found it hard to do anything useful with it since she couldn't mentally project rulers and other tools. It was strictly useful for recalling or reviewing, but the ability was far from comprehensive.

Suddenly, Risuna snapped out of her process and turned to see a figure walking up from the distance. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out the face, but the person was still far away. Waiting patiently, when the traveler approached, she recognized that he was one of the new recruits. The recruit was late, but Risuna didn't mind much since the letter of acceptance didn't state a specific time other than "come early morning".

"Welcome! The other recruits have already arrived, but you haven't missed much, you are all simply given free reign to explore headquarters and acquaint yourself with the area. Feel free to leave your belongings to a staff member from the front desk, but do keep your weapons on hand if you carry any."

Smiling at this, Risuna cast her heal spell to restore the newcomers vitality. The newcomer looked strong and handsome in a rugged manner, hardly tired at all, but Risuna used the spell anyway to be fair. Thinking back on the additions to the roster, Risuna counted another missing. As if right on cue, there was the sound of hoofs in the distance. Soon, a figure riding a fiery horse appeared. Slightly alarmed, Risuna turned towards the fast incoming rider.

Tiana Veyliss realized she was simply not going to make it to Varia headquarters on time. After receiving the acceptance letter, she was so happy that she ended up staring at the ceiling all night in anticipation. Finally falling asleep just a few hours before "early morning", Tiana snoozed on through until breakfast at the inn she was staying at was just about to end. In her haste, she decided to throw modesty to the winds and speed through the streets using one of her latest spells. She didn't have a name for it, but Tiana really liked it. Summoning a lot of fire essence, she sculpted a horse out of it. For realistic effect and a way to notify people to watch out, Tiana always carried some horseshoes in her bag to shoe the fire horse. Galloping urgently, she made her way down the straight long path leading to Varia headquarters.

When she neared the building, a dark-haired lady and a man with a goatee stood. Slowing the horse down, she came to a stop in front of them and dismounted. Patting the horse gently, Tiana released the magic and leaned on her staff a bit. Catching her breath, she waved cheerily to the two.

"Hello, I am Tiana Veyliss, I'm sorry I'm late, but I am here."

Chapter 1.b continued, bisque

"My... such a fascinating use of magic... you are a fire mage? Oh, please relax," Risuna said as she cast her heal spell on the newcomer. "You should feel much better now! And... this is perfect!"

Turning back to the first newcomer and looking at the other again, Risuna repeated her welcome speech and finished with, "...and so, you two shall be partners for the first part of this... unorthodox orientation. For now, please have fun exploring and a staff member will located you when we are ready for orientation to begin."

Next -> 1.c

 

[Relish]

Kendric listened intently to his comrade. She was incredibly tense and appeared poised to lash out should anything move suddenly. She had said something about instincts. Pah! Irrational things instincts or "feelings" aren't accepted in the scientific world. Everything must be quantifiable. Still, not even fifteen minutes prior she didn't seem daunted in the slightest about doing combat with him... What could have her so rattled here?

Kendric was convinced there was no real danger. It only made sense that this was part of the orientation. There was without a doubt some smell of decay lingering in the air. Odd? Yes. Supernatural? Most certainly not. Nylau did seem torn between her fight or flight instincts, Kendric couldn't figure out why though. If there was any heaviness in the air, Kendric didn't feel it. Even if there was no spiritual phenomenon, Kendric couldn't outright deny her suspicion that something could in the hall.

"...I suppose that is a possibility. Though, I still do not believe it to be anything supernatural. Yech... I will admit however, that this odor is indeed quite unearthly." He looked down the hall. It was very odd. He couldn't see more than twenty-five feet even with his goggles set to low light. The smell was getting stronger as well. It was simply putrid, it was like somebody left a hamburger out in the sun for a week. Kendric was no longer poised to fire. He still clung to his weapon with his right hand, but he had brought his left sleeve up to cover his nose as he walked. Whatever the source of the smell, it was pretty damn close. They were wasting too much time, if this was a test to rescue someone they'd need to hurry up. With that in mind, Kendric picked up his pace and slowly distanced himself from Nylau.

Kendric passed a large intersection and went straight content on continuing down the hall. The soft sound of crunching metal rose up from the ground as Kendric stepped on something, crushing it to pieces. Somebody seemed to have left some odd little contraption 'Who leaves tools laying about like this? How careless.' He ranted to himself. Bending over to examine the now scrap-metal, Kendric noticed as clipboard next to it. The device was strange. It appeared to be some sort of EMF detector, but judging from the now exposed wiring, it was clear to Kendric that wasn't the case. He couldn't determine its purpose; that would take too much time. For someone to leave something like this so carelessly...

The clipboard screamed of strangeness as well. It appeared to be some sort of layout, presumably of the floor space. It just wasn't finished. Who'd leave a job half done? That's the epitome of incompetency! A better question though: Why would somebody leave these things? Everything else on the floor had so far been devoid of anything of practical use. Why were these things in the middle of the hall? Someone must have been in a hurry.

"Hey Ms. Nylau, I think we're getting close... Ms. Nylau? " He said as he quickly turned around. Oh dear... he seemed to be alone. Had she somehow gotten lost? Or had he pulled too far ahead? Ughhh... The stink was really strong now. It was making his eyes water. Kendric turned around and quickly begun making his way back to the large intersection.

 

[TeaRiverBridge]

"Recruit..." The corner of his mouth twinged up in a mildly unsatisfied manner and his eyes slanted somewhere to the side, mumbling under his breath as he did so. But only for the briefest of moments. He didn't think she could see his expression that clearly yet. That word just had a little more history with him than the Varia staff member thought.

"Feel free to leave your belongings to a staff member from the front desk, but do keep your weapons on hand if you carry any." She chirped welcomingly as he approached her and started calling upon the nuturing side of magic.

Well, maybe she isn't that bad. He watched, regaled by the bright orbs as they danced around him, the itch in his right shoulder had gone and he adjusted the small traveller's bag he had over it.

"Thanks."


He was about to ask something important when the sound of galloping hooves thundered from behind. Accompanied by a strong odour of soot, ashes and a tinge of decay, he turned around only to be greeted by the sight of a fiery warhorse charging towards them! The man chose to remain in front of the Varian employee, scowling at the offending equine. Fortunately, the creature slowed down and stopped before it trampled him to death. As it reared, he squinted at the glare coming off it and had to raise his hand to shade his eyes.

On top of the thing was a woman of sorts, whose bum was suprisingly not yet on fire, who then promptly dismounted and started introducing herself as Tianna Veyliss. Needless to say, it would be hard to forget that name now.

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"...and so, you two shall be partners for the first part of this... unorthodox orientation. For now, please have fun exploring and a staff member will located you when we are ready for orientation to begin."

He looked her over when the word 'partners' came up, quickly noticing her exposed navel amongst other things.

"Wogren Wattfield." He said offering her a handshake, the kind you would give at business meetings, looking at her face now. "You're not from around here, right?"

 

[Kalista]

"Wogren Wattfield. You're not from around here, right?"

Tiana was hesitant to shake his hand immediately since she had just held fiery reigns in her hand moments ago. While her body is immune to fire while she has most of her mana in fire affinity mode, Tiana knew it would be a bit before her body cooled down to touchable levels.

"I would shake your hand, but right now..." She trailed off as she blew on her hand. Realizing how silly she looked, Tiana's face burned in embarassment, though not from fire. "I don't want to singe your gloves, nor your hand if you weren't wearing any gloves." She tipped her headpiece as if it were a hat instead, to substitute for the handshake. However, it messed her hair up a bit, so she ended up just taking it off.

"By the way, how did you know I'm not from around here? Also are you here as a new recruit as well? I just got the letter yesterday since the courier couldn't find me easily." Her stomach growled lightly, and Tiana looked away. Not a good first impression.... ahhhh!!

 

[TeaRiverBridge]

"I would shake your hand, but right now I don't want to singe your gloves, nor your hand if you weren't wearing any gloves."

That was rather considerate of her, unlike the general concenseus that fire-users were a hot tempered and ill-mannered bunch. She went against the grain, and it made him feel somewhat glad that way.

"Understood."

"By the way, how did you know I'm not from around here? Also are you here as a new recruit as well? I just got the letter yesterday since the courier couldn't find me easily." She then made a sound he was all too farmiliar with.

"I'm a newcomer." Without further ado, he started walking with her along the lawn towards the main building. There ought to be some sort of cafeteria in there.

"What you did back there with the fire. There are laws in Aristol against that." Generally, running dangerous beasts that could burn, maim or kill, down the street was illegal everywhere. But he did not seem to be reprimanding her, there was not any harshness in his words. There was nothing in his words really. Instead it just seemed like this Wogren fellow was just sharing his thoughts in an absent-minded manner.

"You also look like one of Madam Harley's exotic whores ...strippers? ...courtesans ...escorts." He continued. Trying to find the word the old woman used to call her 'darlings from faraway lands', but that was such a long time ago, the last time Wogren saw that old crone was almost a decade back - in the news, when she was arrested for indecent exposure in the town square's fountain. Come to think of it, " .... there are laws against that too."

 

[Kalista]

"What you did back there with the fire. There are laws in Aristol against that... You also look like one of Madam Harley's exotic whores ...strippers? ...courtesans ...escorts ...there are laws against that too."

Tiana couldn't help but wonder if her new companion Wogren Wattfield was talking about the city they were currently in, Aristos, or if there was some other city with a very similar name. She was indeed new to the area, so any laws she broke would have been out of ignorance. Though Wogren basically insulted her, Tiana felt that it wasn't out of vicious intent. He seemed to be lost in thought during his inconsiderate words, as if remembering past times with those type of women. They entered the building and the sight that greeted her was astonishing.

It's like one of those palaces or royal hotels you read about...

Tiana had never been one to worry about laws since the village she grew up in treated her as a living deity. There was a lot of tension and verbal conflicts when her master, a mysterious wandering mage, taught her how to control the fire and earth affinity. She wondered where he was and what he was doing now, and hoped that maybe in her travels while working at Varia, they might meet again.

"My master gifted me this outfit and staff," Tiana spoke as they approached the majestic fountain in the middle of the lobby. "It is convenient since it can withstand fire magic and other non-physical elements, but I guess he had a sense of humor as well..." Blushing as she gestured to the revealing front, Tiana thought of the times her master had been a little less proper in conduct. He was kind and funny, a silly man to be honest, slightly perverted but he had never made her feel unsafe.

Suddenly, two smiling men, identical men dressed as Varia Staff, approached them and bowed in unison. Then, they spoke in unison as well. "Welcome. Please Allow Me To Bring Your Belongings To Your Rooms. In The Conclusion Of Orientation, Your Assigned Rooms Based On Your Varia Application Rooming Preferences Will Be Ready With All Your Belongings There."

Tiana only carried a small brown leather bag with cleaning supplies for her outfit, along with other daily necessities. She didn't mind carrying them, but decided that she didn't mind not carrying it either. She kept her staff, as Risuna had suggested, and when the mysterious staff members left, they went up the stairs to begin exploring.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

The longer they stayed the worst she felt; while there was still no immediate danger she wanted to leave. Honestly, she felt her companion was taking the whole situation too lightly, then again, she could be taking it too seriously. The smell was also getting stronger as they progressed. Nylau bit her tongueand continued to follow Kendric deeper into the hall. There was someone on this hall and they had screamed. They were there, and so, had to do something about it.

She sighed as they went on, looking behind them once more. When she looked forward again Kendric was disappearing down the hall. "Master Kendric!" she called after him before running to catch up. Nylau slowed to a walk then turned in a circle. Her daggers were held firmly in hand and she paused to listen for any strange sound. Only the sound of footsteps fading. Probably Kendric.

Nylau had stopped at the large intersection on the floor. She knew he had gone straight and so took the chance to venture the other way to see where it may have led. The smell of decay was strong and she couldn't- didn't want to- go taking big whiffs to find the target so she went to gather her companion. "What where was his head?!" she said hurriedly as she moved almost soundlessly through the shadows in the hall.

Her temper flared quickly when worried; she did not want to see a companion inured on her watch. There was a sound coming dow the hall...footsteps approaching quickly. Nylau froze and her ears turned toward the sound. Her pupils dilated and she flattened her back against the wall. The afore mentioned scent had her sense of smell over ridden and though she could see in the dark the adrenaline rush from the situation had her reflexes ready before her mind could register what she had seen.

Once the target was close enough, the footsteps just in front of her pounced with her daggers poised to make a killing strike. Hopefully she could see the catch before she ended it. Maybe she had found the person in danger??

 

[TeaRiverBridge]

At first Wogren was not astonished like Tianna was, but seeing how she gazed at the structure when they entered. He too started noticing the details and artisan's touch that carassed each nook and cranny of the place, looking around the place as they walked in it's halls. He soon became impressed as well, maybe not as much as the Mage was, the girl looked like she had never seen such things before!

"My master gifted me this outfit and staff,"

Hearing her voice, his eyes went back to her.

"It is convenient since it can withstand fire magic and other non-physical elements, but I guess he had a sense of humor as well..."

Wogren sat down on the ledge of the fountain, holding on to the cold stone marble and watching her as she blushed when gesturing to her dress. He unwittingly made a wry toothy grin when she did so, "You do wear your teacher's 'sense of humor' quite well." He seemed so guiltless about it too, letting out half a cough and half a laugh. Maybe somewhere, deep down, he was worried she might be taken advantage of.

Suddenly, two smiling men, identical men dressed as Varia Staff, approached them and bowed in unison. Then, they spoke in unison as well. "Welcome. Please Allow Me To Bring Your Belongings To Your Rooms. In The Conclusion Of Orientation, Your Assigned Rooms Based On Your Varia Application Rooming Preferences Will Be Ready With All Your Belongings There."


"..."

"..."

"Sure."

He handed them his bag after fishing out two small bottles of granules and a few coins, taking short glances at the twins. He did not carry a weapon per say, not for the lack of use, but for the lack of chances to use them. Sometimes he even made them for others, but sadly never took the time to wield one himself.

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Soon they were exploring the upper floors of the establishment.

As they rose in level, Wogren Wattfield constantly brushed his nose with the back of his hand, breathing out rather than in through them, and letting out a few quiet coughs along the way as they went higher.

"Hope you're still in the mood for food. Smells like something died upstairs." He tried commenting non-chalantly, despite his suffered expression.

 

[Falcon]

It wasn't long before Raven's companion seemed to have left him behind. He was severely disappointed in that. He had liked the young woman, girl, lady . . . whatever she chose to classify herself as. He never could tell with non-humans, and he hoped at some point to see and talk with her again. Even if he hadn't been able to tell if she was making fun of him. Still, The staff had instructed him that it was ok to wander about the grounds, and if he was going to make this his new home he should probably familiarize himself with the locations of at least the important places.

After a short time of wandering he managed to make his way to the second floor. There seemed to be a large amount of noise coming from what, if he remembered correctly, was the cafeteria. To him it sounded like a party. Raven had had very few experiences with parties in his life. It seemed he was the sort of person that was often forgotten about. Either that of he was the sort of person that people never thought to invite because they never believed he would come. That, of course, was not true. Raven may not be a talker, but he enjoyed the company of other people. A good drink was never out of the question, and he was a great person to have on hand for a round of cards or any number of other games that might pop up at such festivities. But still, because he rarely spoke much, people usually didn't bother to ask.

However, if it was a party, because it was in the dining hall which was a public area, Raven thought he might as well attend and make it known once and for all that he was not adverse to social situations and new friends. This was Varia after all. That was exactly why he had come here. They were supposed to be there for each other, and get to know each other in spite of individual quirks.

With a friendly grin across his face, though his eyes were shaded by both his hat and sunglasses, Raven stared towards the door to the cafeteria. As he approached the sounds became more clear and he quickly realized that it was not the sound of a party going on at all, but was far more likely to be a full out barroom brawl. Not wanting to be caught by surprise he approached the door from the side so he could use the closed half as a shield if needed, and very carefully opened the other with one hand.

 

[Relish]

Kendric made a calm, yet hurried pace down the hall. This floor got stranger and stranger. It seemed like it was darker than it was before, he couldn't see anything share the malfunctioning lights. Maybe there was something wrong with his ether causing his goggles to run on reduced performance? He couldn't check it now and either way he couldn't see as it stands. He was a little more nervous now that he was alone, still he wouldn't be victim to any superstitious belief.

He was really worried about Nylau. She was like an over wound spring ready to let fly when he left. In reality he was at fault for this. She was in no mental state to be left alone, who knows what she might do if she saw a funny shadow. There wasn't any need to shout. Doing so would probably spook her more, and he couldn't have walked that far. Kendric was completely unaware how correct he was about his comrade, or of how close he was to her.

A few steps in front of him there was burst of movement that went too quickly for him to react.

 

[Kalista]

Sleeping On The Job: Previous

Scenario: Sleeping On The Job, bisque

Morning, Hallway, Fourth Floor, Varia HQ

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tenshi Kota's scream renewed as the floating corpse-monster broke through the door. What scared him even more was the sheer unhurried pace at which it advanced. Tenshi couldn't move, as he was paralyzed with fear. Perhaps a less sensitive fellow could have simply circled the slow moving figure and escaped, but not Tenshi.

The corpse-monster reached Tenshi and Tenshi felt that same strange sensation at his feet. It had happened earlier when Tenshi was still asleep, but this time he was awake to see it. The corpse-monster's feet hovered over his and two mouths appeared on the corpse-monster's soles. Only now did Tenshi realize his shoes were badly chewed up, and the corpse-monster's... feet-mouths were finishing the job! One of the mouths broke through the shoe and bit Tenshi's toe. The pain jolted him out of his paralysis and he scrambled to the side. Stumbling out of the room, he tripped over the unbroken part of the door and fell face first onto the ground hard.

As Tenshi lay sprawled in the hallway unconscious, the corpse-monster slowly started chewing on the heels.

Sleeping On The Job: Next

 

[Bard]

They were having fun, Wade and his new best friend. They were laughing and playing the age-old game of tickles, when catastrophe happened. Plue stopped laughing, scrambling up with a determined (albeit fearful) demeanor, and hurried off the table. Looking ahead of the small and adorable creature, the bard spotted a small faerie on the ground. Was she alright? What happened? Wade had no idea.

The courage of Plue was inspirational, he serpentined through the room of large and dangerous obstacles toward his goal. He was a hero in Wade's book, and he silently noted that he would write a ballad of epic proportions of the little guy's bravery. Then, something horrible happened! While carrying the tiny faerie to safety, he somehow got his nose stuck in the floor!

This is my destiny, he thought to himself. This was the reason I wandered here, to help this noble hero. Leaping up upon the table, Wade ran its length to Plue, calling out to his friend. "Don't worry my friend, I am on me WAAAY!" Making it to the edge of the table, Wade jumped. He crashed into two people dancing in the cafeteria, all three of them crashing to the ground. He rolled on his belly, crawling to Plue, determined to free the little noble from his captivity.

"Don't worry little budday," Wade soothed as he grabbed both sides of Plue's head. "It's my destiny to save ye!" With that, he pulled with all his might, praying to all the gods he could think of to give him the strength to persevere.

"Cyndah! CYNDAAAH! I need your help!" He called for his companion, hoping she could hear his calls. If he couldn't free him in time... he didn't want to think about what would happen.

 

[Kalista]

"Hope you're still in the mood for food. Smells like something died upstairs." Wogren Wattfield said to Tiana.

"Oh? You must have a better sense of smell..." Tiana sniffed some, but couldn't smell anything other than a plethora of pleasant smells from the cafeteria area. There seemed to be some festival going on, since there were lots of excited shouts. She noticed her partner seemed to be suffering from some odor and when he wasn't looking, sniffed herself some. Tiana knew she would smell like ash sometimes, and hoped it wasn't that or something else... Tiana showered this morning even though she was in a rush, so it couldn't be body odor. I hope its not me!...

There was a well-dressed man with a hat opening the cafeteria door cautiously. Tiana couldn't help smiling a bit at how hesitant the person seemed. She could understand as well, since who knows what was going on in there to make such noise. When the man opened the door, Tiana saw that there was some strange party going on. Half of the people there were asleep, so it must have been going on all night. Wow, seems like a fun place to live!

"Wogren? Please wait a moment, I will get us some food." Seeing her partner in such agony, Tiana decided they should probably eat outside of the cafeteria. They probably couldn't safely eat in there anyway. Approaching the door, the man noticed Tiana and held the door open for her as he went through first. "Thank you." Tiana smiled as she went in with him. Both of them paused to figure out how to navigate through the craziness. Tiana looked over at the man. "We should probably go around the edge of the room, too many swinging arms and kicking legs."

The man turned to her and nodded. After carefully getting food, they navigated back to the entrance. "My name is Tiana Veyliss by the way, nice to meet you." Tiana sort of curtsied since her hands were full with food and drink. The man was carrying food for one, so with his free hand he removed his hat and nodded politely to her.

"...Call me Raven... I am... also new..."

Tiana noticed that Raven seemed to be alone. "Oh, do you have a partner? I think we were supposed to be with them, but you are welcome to join my partner and I if you would like!"

"That would... be wonderful..."

With that, Tiana and Raven returned outside of the cafeteria. Joining up with Wogren again, she offered him his share of the food. Together they went up the stairs and briefly looked around the third floor. Tiana was starving so she practically wolfed down her meal. Tossing the trash into a nearby garbage bin, she smiled happily as she drank her juice leisurely. It seemed to Tiana that Raven knew about the floor, since he sort of led them around. She learned from him that this floor was the auditorium.

It was when they reached the fourth floor that the smell hit Tiana hard. Barely keeping her food down, she pinched her nose. "Wut iz thot?" She asked with a nasal tone. "Oh my noz!"