Private Corpus ex Machina

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

Corpus ex Machina

The Stem

Lilynette finds carriage trips intolerable.

The wooden structure jolts and shakes along the Kingsroad, its pace reduced to a crawl by the early morning commerce hustle and bustle. People from all walks of life scatter across the great road, piecing together a strange puzzle of colorful yet controlled chaos. For any other individual, the great decorated buildings lining their view alone would likely make this worth the trouble.

Not the priestess. In fact,

Fuck this infuriating place.

Falderen, the land of light, of subjects blessed by Tyldr’s luminance. Recent developments have flooded Dunnstads with a great… Influx of people, something that feels nauseating to someone with highly sensitive magical senses like herself. The rather delicate skin tasked with protecting her body becomes her nemesis instead, picking upon a storm of magical signatures all over the place.

This place is cold, hot, nowhere in between, everywhere all the same. They are too far, too close, too many, and invoke a growing sense of disgust at the pit of her stomach.

Today, however, the priestess is here for business. Thanks to the help of a personal contact (@Jin) and his mysterious… ‘user interface,’ she has managed to hire an adventurer for a special request.

The carriage comes to a stop, and Lilynette steps out.

She wears not her cloth of faith. Rather, she wears slick slip-in shoes combined with fine black fabric covering the tender skin of long legs, further protected by a long, high-waisted skirt colored much the same. Her top consists of a black shirt highlighted red in the center, where a vertical line of frills separates east and west—her hair flows light gold, adorned with two crimson-black bows. In summary, it's a choice of [attire] akin to a nobleman's precious daughter.

As she enters the Guild Hall, Lilynette realizes she has been learning an awful lot about travelers. A great many interesting things,

…And many strange ones, too.

She’s an observant woman who often ponders; do they sincerely believe she cannot notice their swift but subtle glances? Her eyebrows furrow in response to the realization that, perhaps, the common object of obsession among some of them is—

The priestess glances downwards.

…

She cannot see her feet.

Why won't they understand she can't do anything about th—grr!

Infuriated, she storms towards the reception where a receptionist greets her with a warm smile, “Welcome to the Guild—”

“Please give me a room.” she taps the black nails of her right hand on the wooden counter incessantly.

“U-uhm, before that, could you state your—”

“I asked for a room.”

“I understand, but could we at least—”

“Just rent me a damned room alread—!!”

---

The large double doors to one of the VIP waiting rooms close as she unceremoniously plops down on a turquoise settee adorned in gold accents. Lilynette could still feel the disgusting sensation of the horde outside, but at least there are walls between them now. A sigh of relief slips past her lips as she sinks into the comfortable furniture…

She could only hope her hiree isn’t an elf. She often hears they are good at picking up bad humors.

Opening her blues, she at last stops to perceive the room properly. It is lavish and opulent, painted in regal tones. It boasts ornate moldings and large arched windows draped by heavy curtains. The walls are adorned with gold-framed paintings of high-profile Falderen nobility. A large Persian rug sprawls across the room, originating from its center, where another settee awaits, and a small table separates Lilynette and the other party, who has yet to come. It’s a sophisticated room providing luxurious space for refined meetings and negotiations.

A few minutes go by, until finally the large double doors are opened again.

Ah, but lo’ and behold—it’s a fucking elf.

​

“Good Morning. I’m Lilynette sans Giltine!” folding her hands , she greets the adventurer with a curt bow. “I am eager to discuss insightful business matters with you!” she says, her expressive and mellow blues attempting to establish visual contact with the other party.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

It hasn't been that long since she visited Duunstads. The place could give anybody a case of chills, yet the influx of Landers that abandoned Astorea meant more of Falderen itself would get re-populated. It was a remote place, certainly away from all the blights of the magia and their recent little war against the Starcalled.

What peaked her curiosity had to be the irregular meeting place. A special request this deep in hostile territory, doubled by being within Duunstads itself. Yet perhaps that's exactly why they chose here, it was private to a certain extent. Away from prying eyes, were checkpoints are scarce and patrols searching for Magia players and Starcalled to bully are far and few.

This fact didn't stop her from finding herself crowded within all the gloom and doom that made up Duunstads's 'lovely' environments. She would have bothered with wearing a tin can to cover her face, if only she wasn't so easy to tell apart given the clank of her plate and the ragged cloak drapped all over her shoulders. Being this tall and bulky came with it's downsides within social environments, but it made walking through the masses easier.

No one would keep her from reaching the Guild's Hall that easily.

"Uhm, how may I help you, miss?"

The receptionist tapped his hands against the counter, wielding a customer service smile as Fiora closed the gap. "I'm looking for a room." She opened up, a hand reaching down behind her, underneath the cloak.

"Sure! Could I bother you for a few minutes to write done things such as you-"

The weight of gold within a purse shook his words as it fell on the counter, poised not to tell much else to his dismay, reluctantly taking the totally-not-bribe to keep his beak shut as he gives pointers and watches the brick wall elf walk away.

"Why is everyone so rude today..."

---

Crossing through a set of double doors, the interior design spoke volumes, aesthetically pleasant for most, but a tad too... Snobbish. It wasn't so much of a guess as to why, given her 'client' seemed to be a girl that very much fits such terms, and the name confirmed it- It's always those long names the ones that got money. Not 'John Smith' or something basic like that.

Golden iris peered into the blues. The right sees a rich blonde. The left though, the hollow socket, sees something much more peculiar: Magic, an uncommon trait within Landers. Or perhaps just too common Starcalled.

"Fiora." Indifference in her voice cast out after a considerable silence and enough eyeings at what had to be some horny teen programmer's character design. With the presentations out of the way, she sat down opposite to the hostess, unclasping her tattered cloak, folding it neatly over the chair's backrest.

"Don't be so eager, it might be over in a few minutes depending on what I hear." Fiora begun leaning forth from her chair as she opened her palm menu and begun to fiddle through her inventory. "Type of request, details, location, and extra quips you want to mention. Priority in that order." Finally she found what she was after, and soon two objects begun to materialize in thin air. The first being shaped like a cylinder, ending on a much thinner, constricted shape. The other similar but rather wide. Smaller too, and stacked one inside another. Caught one on each hand, Fiora put them down on the table.

"That said, you did make me come a long way, so I'll indulge myself a little." She uncorked the bottle of rum soon after setting two glasses down and begun to pour the rather yellowish liquid into one glass, "But feel free to join me, unless rum isn't refined enough for your palate." Cheap rum didn't mix up well with the noble sort afterall, something that this girl had an air of.

@Lilynette sans Giltine

 

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

Impolite.

The priestess immediately senses the duality of the scrutinizing gaze from the other side. The prolonged silence suggests unspoken thoughts, and the sharp sensation of a blade gliding across her skin implies magical investigation. Under different circumstances, Lilynette's curled lips might have remained impassive despite the rather indifferent introduction of her hiree.

Considering the arduous journey to this point, however, she has no patience for this. Lilynette frowns, and her lips part, ready to deliver venom until —

"Fiora."

Surprising. This one, at least, introduces herself without the prerequisite of a deal with the devil. She swallows her venom back, granting the elf respite from an earful about manners. Lilynette can only guess that this woman likely indulged in some spice-rich flesh straight from Titanius's gut in the past, and its wonderful flavor has molded her countenance into that of a perpetual resting bitch face.

The other party continues before she can speak up, asking for more details on her request —

And, of course, she indulges the elf's priorities.

"For all intents and purposes, I shall wait for your...cosmetic preparations." The black nail of her index taps away at the settee as she quietly observes the elf materialize things out of thin air.

She often hears stories about it, but this is the first time she gets to see it up close. It is incredibly distressing how they disregard one's existence to weave their fingers in the air like madmen. As each materialized object appears, the puzzle completes itself rather shortly.

"Suit yourself. I imagine it tastes akin to liquid dirt." Her eyes sharpen as she almost glares down upon Fiora until a sigh escapes her lips.

No. This is not the way things should go. If the elf denies her request, she will be back to the drawing board again. She has to focus and recall the reason she's here. The woman before her is someone recommended by the Bloodsworn, so there's less chance of her being yet another Starcalled trying to scam her with useless magitech. Some of them even used terms she couldn't understand, thinking they could fool her.

Impolite. Rude!

"Fine, we skip the pleasantries. You seem the straightforward type." Her index continues tapping, though this time she rests her chin on the other free hand. "I need the highest caliber of central processing unit you can get from Vintergard," she says, as though her request entails Fiora buying milk from the average RPG item shop.

There are a few reasons for her request, mainly that the Mystical Institute of Theory has been confiscating anything worth her time, and so, useless magitech has flooded the market.

"I shall reward you generously for any other useful parts as well, but the central processing unit is a must."

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

For all intents and purposes, they were holding back their tongue on whatever they wished to say. A good start in her opinion, but it wasn't enough for her. Preaching is one thing, doing another.

The deed is usually what differentiates Landers in her eye. Materializing objects from her inventory is and will forever be one of the most controversial moves to pull infront of the intolerant. She would have smiled at Lily's words be it not for elven emotional suppression keeping faint expressions mute.

"It does but I love it's honesty about it." She admitted, taking a sip that made her brows furrow a little. It packed a punch akin to a horse kicking it's hindlegs at a farmer, with all the adrenaline that comes with being the offset to an otherwise passable drink. Giving a glance back to her hostess, the comparisons were sound. That wine-like regalia and eagerness of earlier barely masked the rum-like vitriol she speaks and stares with.

Alas, they proved smart to tell that pleasantries should be set aside, focusing now strictly on their business. The explanation seemed to aim at magitech, and while that didn't make her mind relax any less, it was a great relief that this wouldn't be some noble plot to assassinate some other noble plotting. People in positions of power or wealth aren't usually fond of rejections and loose ends.

She took the glass up to her lips for another sip, this time far more accustomed to it's bitterness as her golden gaze dropped onto her contractor. "I won't bring you any more junk than that processor, that's for future contracts, should you pay well, and it's not gold what i'm after." She put the glass down on the table just then, hands resting at her knees, plate armor rattling with such faint motion. "What does a Lander like you have to do with Magitech, huh..? That answer's part of my payment, unless you feelin' charitable." With her terms stated, her hand reached out for the bottle of rum and begun to fill the second glass, carefully setting it on Lily's side of the table.

"Not too high a price considering I've been to Vintergard, dealt with Magia, and know how to extract hardware without busting it open in the process. Do we have a deal?" She grabbed the glass, tapping it once against the table. The realist in her knew Lily would rather poison herself than drink her liquid dirt, but she didn't lose much by trying with a straight face to see if the lite-gothic lolita would chug jug it to one up her or something similar.

@Lilynette sans Giltine

 

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

Unamusing.

“I urge you not to lump me with the horde outside these walls,” she declares, her blues shifting away from Fiora the moment gold is mentioned as an unacceptable form of payment for her services.

It's the second time in a short span that her generous offer of literal precious metal is declined. “Pray tell, is your kind allergic to gold pieces?” She remains silent in response to the adventurer’s questioning, this time resting her cheek upon her hand. The act of disregarding the value of money baffles her. Many starcalled seem to share this hobby, but for Lilynette, gold is the means to acquire her precious clothes, fund her carriage trips, and enjoy non-dirt drinks—the very essence of all the wonderful things Arcia has to offer.

Why endure a life of struggles when one could indulge in a life of pleasures?

Lilynette clicks her tongue.

In this moment of self-isolation, the priestess contemplates her next step. According to her preconceptions, lying to an elf is the epitome of stupidity.

… Ah, but perchance subtle truths are not off the table?

“Oh, apologies. Perhaps I should have deduced your physique must come with a cost…?” The blonde sits upright again, facing her hiree as she leans closer. “I am noblesse oblige, adventurer; providing for my people is my role. I come from the far north of Zalra. Our only hope of surviving the next day is magitech.” She says before pulling back, observing the elf with piqued curiosity as she seems to fill the second glass...? She furrows her eyebrows in response.

Could she mean…?

Her eyes sharpen again, “Your terms are vague. If the other part of your payment entails even a drop of that…thing…,” she points at the glass, visible disdain dripping like venom in the undertones of her trailing words, “…entering my physique in any capacity, the deal is already off the table.” She says, falling silent then.

Lilynette crosses her arms, eyebrows furrowed, as if feeling offended at the mere notion of letting that thing touch her lips.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"I urge you not to lump me with the horde outside these walls,"
"When you come up with a good reason for me not to." Dry tone quickly replied to her demand

Fiora fell silent, leaning back against her seat as a brow quirked up at the sudden questioning, a pinch of disappointment rolling through her stone-like face. "Does it matter? All you need to know is I don't want gold for payment." Her shoulders turned up on a shrug, despite how hard it might be to get that across with all the layers of armor and the old cloak wrapped around them. Gold just didn't measure up to the task, and these questions just made that more of a fact than a gut-feeling.

At least until Lily proved herself to be every part the snobby rich girl. She didn't need two eyes on the blonde to tell the duality in her words as she blends insults with a supposed greater good behind her actions, yet her amusement was kept at a low this time around, an open palm rised to stop her dead on her tracks...

"Spare me the lies because you are terrible at them. Bonus points for saying that with a straight face though." It wasn't like any seat of power from her own world did any better considering how corrupted these same governments tend to be. But if Lily wished to be childish...- A cheshire smile formed on her lips just then, "But if you want to talk about bodies, I'd say yours got an inverted pinnochio curse: Every truth you say makes your chest grow. That would explain your poor lying." She lifted the glass back up to her lips. It was hard to hide her smile right now, but she did her best not to break into a laughter at least. "No wonder the 'horde' outside was so shocked when some nobleman's daughter shows up equipped with 'ballistics'." Would the noble even get half of her references? Nope, but given they are mockery, and this one isn't that dense, they would be able to tell they are meant to be derogatives.


"Alright alright-" Her hands lifted defensively, muffled chuckles as she tried so in vain to be stoic once again. Between the way Lily worded her disgust and her pouty posture, it almost made her look harmless in comparison to the image she presented moments earlier.

"No liquid dirt for the lady. But the rest of my terms remain the same, least you want to add anything else?" Her hand reached across the table for the glass, corking open the bottle of rum to pour it back into it, spilling a bit of it on the table, but no biggie. "Let's keep this short though, I rather get to work, least you want to tag along and watch me pluck magia hearts with my own hands." Sarcasm bleeds from her lips. The thought of having balloon girl with her while dealing with deadly sentient robots was beyond ridiculous. But a funny thought regardless.

@Lilynette sans Giltine

 

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

"I will consider giving you reasons if you keep your manners in the trash." Her response is so natural it borders the threshold of uncanny.

"… And I speak no lies, adventurer; only the truth you need to know," save for the nobility part, but let us gloss over details. "Information is a great means to an end, but some things are better left unsaid," she says, unfolding her arms, tapping her black nails on the settee again as she ponders what to do next.

All things considered, Fiora should know arguing with someone who perceives themselves as noblesse is a futile endeavor. Despite their ongoing bickering, however, Lilynette feels as though they are on the path to a successful partnership. She would find it rather unlikely that someone knowledgeable in noble-like manners would also have the know-how to survive Vintergard of all places, and thus, Fiora is perfect for the job.

Lilynette finds her line of thinking interrupted, however, when the elf preambles about bodies. At first, her eyebrows raise in confusion, but they soon morph into a frown of disapproval as she doesn't quite understand some of the terms, until…

The pieces of the puzzle click together.

Her fair skin burns red and her eyes widen as the realization crashes upon her like a wave of insults. "W-w-w-what is wrong with you people!" she instinctively recoils away, protecting her bosom with both arms.

Not that would solve anything, given the size difference between them.

"Why won't you starcalled just stop staring!" For someone so hell-bent on keeping her composure, the priestess sure lost hers for a brief moment. Ballistics! Ballistics?! How dare this woman compare her body to—

“Grr! Fine! I’m not revealing anything else if I drink this thing!” She slams her left arm on the small table, leaning forward and picking the glass up before Fiora could retrieve it. She would down this stupid drink and show this little adventurer what the people of the land are made of—

Even if she is technically not one of them, but, let us gloss over details, Mk.II!

Ah, but when she downs the glass at once and the liquid touches her sensitive palate, the blonde’s fair skin burns a red so deep that hell would blush before the might of her countenance. It takes a few seconds, and it looks as though the individual muscles of her visage are trying to successfully input a Konami code into Terrasphere’s nonexistent joystick.

She swallows the liquid dirt, as if a mouthful of nails have just gone down her throat.

“Bleeeergh! What- What is this thing?? Water, I need water—”

“…least you want to tag along and watch me pluck magia hearts with my own hands."

“Of course I do. I need to verify things for myself.” Lilynette immediately puts an end to her faux-noble drama, speaking to the elf as though she never had consumed the alcoholic drink in the first place.

“What’s so bad about a short trip to Vintergard, anyways? Can't protect the lady while plucking some magia hearts?” she says, with the unshakable confidence of someone who has never stepped into the aforementioned machine hell.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"I don't think you know what you askin' for, but sure." Fiora shrugged. Keep her manners on the trash? That's what she's doing right now. It's like she just wants her to keep acting like an ass, which isn't too difficult for her when it comes to the noblesse oblige sorts. Anything for the client so long as they pay.

"… And I speak no lies, adventurer; only the truth you need to know,"
"You ain't making your case any better." Incredulous in tone as Lily gave a very sound definition of what lying is. That's a point in her favour, given the blonde knew big words and definitions by the book. An academic in Terrasphere? A surprise to be sure, but a grain of sand in comparison to the confusion on Lily's face as she begun to digest her words.

A faint tug on her lips turned into a smile, faint, whereas Lily's only worsened. Did she caught on..?

The futile attempt to cover herself and her face, as if someone gave her a makeup out of red spices, proved her theory just right, canines flashed on a toothy grin towards her client. "Hard not to with one eye. Three quarters of my view is just your chest. Your head's small in comparison." Even if she never broke eye-contact thus far. But that wasn't something to tell when one's ahead.

Her mockeries came to an abrupt end as Lily picked up the glass she was just about to retire back with the bottle, surprising speed taking over the lady. Fiora had to watch on a first row seat with a wide open stare as Lily simply chugs down the rum like it were water, right after so many complaints. There was a clear weakness in her features, the face of someone who clearly never had a glass of rum in her life, or simply couldn't tolerate them.

"I'll be damned, you took the deal in full." Stoicness returned her to normalcy, a hand slipping over to her back as she pulls from the waterskin kept attached to her belt, ease of access made one yank all she needed to get it to unravel before handing it over to the wanna-be queen. It didn't make her opinions any better, but she can respect someone who goes through entirely, specially one who wears their emotions under their sleeve.

This only made it harder to pinpoint her motives, a drawn-out sigh escaping her lips as she let two fingers rub against her now wrinkling forehead. Her eye shot up once again, dead center on Lily as the most offensive thing thus far had been said- No, not the fact she couldn't protect her.

The fact she would tag along.

Silent, she opted to instead store the bottle into her UI inventory once again, precious seconds to think while her stone-like expression keeps the other in the dark about her thoughts, if her sudden staring wasn't tell enough of her disapproval.

"Well, you are the one paying so, feel free to. Maybe you'll learn the gravity of your situation once you experience it." She smiled. Double meaning, yes, she wasn't going to hide it.

Gravity,
Lily's chest,
She will get it eventually and punt her shin when she ain't paying attention for it, but it's worth the laughs for her, barely held back behind a mask of non-chalance.

Her unwillingness to keep loitering around overwhelmed her senses at this point, hands resting on her knees as she pushed herself to full height.

"I know someone with a horse to spare. It should let us get through Duunstads safely." It would be easier to just slap a horse's butt and send Lily away should things get dicey than to hope this brat has any idea how to drive a carriage anyways. She squinted-

Something tells her they won't run away if the worst were to happen. There's something utterly malignant about the magical essence flowing through her.

@Lilynette sans Giltine

 

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

"I don't think you know what you askin' for, but sure."

Imagine informing a priestess she knows not the intricacies of her own faith. “Are you certes about that, Fi-o-ra~?” the name rolls out of her tongue, dancing to venomous yet upbeat undertones. She stands up, taking two steps to her right before crossing her arms and side-eyeing the elf.

“I am fully aware of my needs, adventurer. I want the processing unit, and I must retrieve it in person. It’s that straightforward. On the other hand…” she intentionally lets her words linger in the air. Her blues then snap away from Fiora, studying the pointlessness of the noble portraits hanging on the walls. Spectacular craftsmanship… depicting terrible facial features. As if intentionally wanting to occupy the elf’s time, Lilynette plays with the light gold of her twintails, all while checking out her black nails.

The priestess finally continues her train of thought, “…What do you know? You lack etiquette, knowledge of good wine, awareness of my goals, understanding of my capabilities… Oh! You haven't revealed your desired payment method either, so you lack proper negotiation skills as well.” she says, counting on her hands the imbalance of knowledge between the two.

Her lips curl up, revealing a signature smugnette, “Fufufu. Perhaps, I shall at least guarantee my goals won’t turn into your problems in the futu—” she finds her babbling interrupted, raising an eyebrow at the waterskin.

It’s a sudden reminder of the lingering awful taste in her palate, putting a swift end to her monologue. Lilynette’s face transitions from fair to blue, as she promptly drops her pompous act and takes the waterskin with a swift motion, gulping down as much water as she realistically could muster. A refreshing sigh of relief escapes her lips, just in time to notice the the elf insulting her perfectly normal, average-sized bosom.

“Hmph. I can rest assured I won’t need thirty-seven layers of steel to attain a feminine figure,” she retorts, eyes closed, facing some distant and imaginary horizon. “Besides, the gravity of my situation is already grim as it is.”

She produces a small handkerchief from her dress, cleaning her lips before continuing. “My guide is a walking tin can festival. Everyone in bloody Vintergard shall know we are paying them a little visit.” She crosses her arms under her ample bosom, finally opening her blues and staring straight at Fiora.

An audible sigh escapes her lips as she comes to a conclusion, “Regardless, I admit you seem dependable. However… A horse? Not even a carriage—actually, no. Forget that.” She shudders at the thought of another carriage trip. Lilynette initiates a handshake, even when her hiree is still talking about payment. Regardless of what it may entail, she’s not quite worried about the price just yet. Keeping her subjects alive in Valentine takes precedence over any vague reward anyway.

“I look forward to working with you. Do we have a deal then, Fiora?”​

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The way Lily worded her rhethoric out earned her a quirked brow from the elf. She couldn't make heads or tails out of the swingy attitude the blonde had, and opted for silence instead.

Lily's words were met with a half-closed eye as the elf scratched her own cheek. Words meant to be insults, or derogatory even? More to that pool of confusion her mind's at right now, occupied by Lily spacing out her speech as if she wasn't borrowing her time already, far more than Fiora had come to tolerate, really.

Wiggling the waterskin certainly did the trick though as the Bat of The Smug finally ceased her etiquette rants to satiate her ill-forgotten thirst. "Too thirsty for a glass, my lady? You gonna spill it all over you." Fiora added, stretching a hand out to get the waterskin back. "Where are your manners by the way? You are supposed to thank me for the water." The smugness certainly didn't match up to Lily's, or her own face, all too stoic despite the line being all but that.

"Besides, the gravity of my situation is already grim as it is."
"Heavy indeed." Fiora nodded.

Only now did Lily bother to clean her mouth from drinking that much water, curious little detail that caught her attention. A smile curved her lips as she shook her head from side to side. "You've never been to Vintergard, I get it." Not many places to hide in a flat techno wastelaned, not unless they got too close to the ruins, which would be swarming with the remaining magia anyways.

Her hand tightened around Lily's, not aiming to harm but rather pressure. Her client pushed for a deal, forcing her gaze into a shape much sharper than it's lackadaisical stance of earlier.

"Vintergard is not your daddy's backyard. If things get out of hand, then either fight or hide, but don't get in the way. I'd just be wasting time if you died." The dead don't pay afterall.

---

Unfortunately for Lily, the people around were all giving her an eyeful every once in a while, if only because of how eccentric the duo was. Some already could see a lady and her bodyguard, and others mildly intrigued for what outsiders of this fair little town were up to. Not many visited Duunstads, and the last few who did were far from pleasant company. With one of them being-

"Chamsae." A plated fist slapped the man straight on his chest, awakening the sailor from his nap inside a carriage. The gasps and screams that followed had a few eyes turned over to the rather dull-looking transport. Far from Bat Brat-standards.

"HA- WHAT?!" His face turned sour, eyes half-lid as his heart almost escaped through his throat from the shock he's gotten "By the eleven heavens... Truly the worst face to wake up to. Falderian Guardsmen aren't nearly as bad."

He set himself straight, adjusting his rolled up sleeves back down and grasping his tricorne from the tattered seat next to him, getting himself out of the carriage. His gaze immediately fell onto Lily, then back at Fiora, then Lily again, and finally at the elf.

"Is she..." His voice rolled over, almost hopeful for something only Fiora could know right now.

"No she's not with the mouse, but-"

Fiora couldn't even finish before the man adjusted his tricorne, a smile peppered the noble lady with his best charms (or the best a man who passed out last night and just woke up could) as he offered a courteous bow.

"But nay! This fine lady here deserves the best a gentleman such as myself can offer. Ma'am, apologies for my poor state but this sad elf over here has been working me to the bone. Captain Chamsae, at your service."

Rubbing her temples, she stepped aside and instead focused on the wagon's horses. Or rather, singular, as only one of them where two should be, a reminder of the pursuit concluded not so long ago. "I'm gonna need this one." Her hands carefully stroked the horse's mane, giving it a few pats over her neck.

"May I ask yo- Again?!" His seduction attempts brought to a halt as he turned heel to face Fiora, who already had her hands on the horse's reigns "Going to hunt mammoths or cursed people again? What happened to the last one I gave you?"

"It served his purpose. Besides, you wouldn't want to leave this poor lady without a horse, would you?" She aimed for his better- albeit flawed- senses.


Chamsae hummed, fingers stroking away at his beard as he gave a look over to Lily, turning back to face her with a cough to clear his throat.

"Is that true, Madam..? Are you in need of a horse? Mayhaps a guide such as myself?~" His voice danced against the winds, almost like a lullaby.

Ew.

@Lilynette sans Giltine

 

[Lilynette sans Giltine]

Naturally, she catches people sneaking glances.

“Urgh…” the priestess shudders in response to the stimuli, patting her clothes as if trying to cleanse herself from all the eyes fixated on them.

Lilynette comprehends some modicum of curiosity, but she cannot, in any shape or form, fathom the starcalled activating their investigation mode. The sensation of sharp blades dragging along her back is always the worst.

She frowns, “Does no one teach you Starcalled some manners? I keep feeling your strange magic…” she mutters a question to herself, loud enough for the elf to hear.

The question kind of answers itself when her eyes land on Fiora.

The carriage before her is indeed unimpressive, but to Lily, even in the hypothetical timeline where it would be a grand carriage, it would suck nonetheless by virtue of being, you know, a carriage.

"By the eleven heavens... Truly the worst face to wake up to.“

She tries her utmost, absolute damned best to stifle a short-lived chuckle. Lilynette couldn’t agree more. With that said, however…

Chamsae looks at her once. She frowns.

He looks again. Lilynette’s frown deepens.

“Is she…?” How rude…! To even go as far as referring to herself without introducing himself first is incredibly—

"But nay! This fine lady here…“

She’s taken aback for a brief moment, his sudden shift in behavior disarming the furrowed eyebrows and light scowl on her face. Would you look at that! It appears there is still some hope for Arcia, after all—it seems starcalled haven’t completely infested the local culture with their lack of manners completely.

She greets him by lowering her body with grace, slightly bending her knees with a subtle adjustment of her dress, completing a curtsy. “Lilynette sans-” before she could even finish her introduction, however, his attention is torn away towards Fiora.

Lilynette puffs her cheek while becoming a background character for the scene for but a brief moment,

“Served his purpose, she says. If you’ve been worked to the bone, Mr. Chamsae, I imagine the poor horse got crushed to the bones instead.” she crosses her arms under her ample bosom, rolling her eyes away from the two, unamused, “I could not blame the poor animal, considering the thirty-seven layers of steel she wears for armor…” her blues then land on Fiora, with a knowing grin drawn on her face.

"Is that true, Madam..? Are you in need of a horse? Mayhaps a guide such as myself?~"

Yes, but not in a million years.

“Yes! It would be most chivalrous of you to lend us the horse!” she turns to him with a practiced smile, turning her face at the perfect moment, where the breeze blows past her, giving life to the flowing gold of her voluminous twintails.

“And while that sounds like a wonderful offer, captain, I am afraid I must decline. I require the expertise on magitech from bone-crusher Fiora over there. However…” her words linger in the air, shortly before she turns around from him. Her hand slips into the neckline of her dress, producing from the depths of her bosom a small golden ring etched with a green-blue opal.

F̴u̷f̶u̶f̷u̸.̷ ̶L̶i̴l̸y̶n̸e̴t̵t̶e̵ ̴n̶e̷e̸d̸s̷ ̶n̶o̶ ̷i̸n̷v̵e̷n̶t̴o̷r̴y̷ ̵U̷I̵!̵

Turning around again, the priestess offers the valuable piece of jewelry to the man between her index and thumb fingers, expecting him to offer his palm, should he accept.

“Consider this a generous thank you, Mr. Chamsae. I’m sure it is enough for two new horses…!” with a light wave as parting, she approaches Fiora.

“You could use a lesson or two on manners from him.” she chuckles, positioning her hand vertically over her lips. The following words, however, are spoken in a hush,

“Can you make it past the Falderan border? I would rather not meet a priest of light on the way.”​

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Fiora glanced back to the noblesse oblige from the corner of her eye as the mention of magic came up. Loud enough even her bad ear could tell her words apart. "Deal with it or go home." Indifference that she could only hold within her voice, as deep down, it's a surprise.

Only the most sensitive of folks outside of elves could tell. To find that on a Lander, however, was exceedingly rare- It shouldn't baffle her as much. Not when she's not the only weird with the stench of magic in this group.

The worst part couldn't be that, but the inability she's gotten to stop Chamsae from rambling. Worst even, the man went ahead and stroked Lily's ego by being a 'gentleman' for the 'unsuspecting noble lady'. Were this reality, her pinkette self would be crashing this party down with an insult orchestra.

"My lady, the pleasure is all mine- But yes, I can imagine all the work the fine steed was put through, and I'm sad to imagine the worst came to happen..."

He paused, bowing his head lightly as genuine sadness painted his features, at least for that moment he allowed weakness to hold him over, lasting little as he pushed himself back to present day.

"Armor is not made to be heavy, and mine is no exception." Fiora retorted, pointing a finger over to Lily "Regardless, I'm still lighter than you." Words ready to cut a new wound on her, with her stern idle expression clashing against Lily's smugness.

"That's just very rude, on top of being a lie, Fiora. Have some respect for the lady here." -he cleared his throat, rubbing his temples in dismay as he turned back to Lily with a pearly smile, clasping a hand up to stop her- "Nono, please, I cannot accept payment for helping a lady in need. This land is dangerous, troublesome even within civilization! I'm sure you are paying more than enough already to have this hunk of meat protect you."

"Consider it an apology in behalf for the verbal treatment my uh, 'acquaintance' over here caused you thus far."

Amused, Fiora folded her arms against her chest, a brow perked up as she watched the exchange happen, holding back her tongue if only because of Lily's plans, which seemed to be working down to the letter: To ramsack Chamsae of a horse with honeyed words. She kept quiet while they were winning, and instead opted to take the noble's side as she oh so smugly spoke about manners...

"I won't hand you over to anyone unless you give me a reason to. Less so to Falderans." She awaited expectantly for Lily to climb up, only stretching a hand a few seconds after, guessing the woman probably never climbed a horse in her whole damn life. Lack of need being one of the reasons, but Newton's Laws being the second.

"Hop on, or I'll ask Chamsae to help you." A devilish smile plastered her lips, borderline sadistic in a mute kind of way. "Let's hope whatever you carry with you is going to be useful once we get there, I rather not have you be deadweight in an expedition to Vintergard."

@Lilynette sans Giltine