Private Isulus Crack the whistle goes

[Bonnie Bonbon]

All it took was one chain of troublesome problems in the real world, and by the end of the day after connecting back into the game? Everything appeared to have gone to hell. Several members of the expedition were missing, most people around her were battered as though they had come back from war, and she hadn’t done horseshit. After taking her share of the suppressant mist, Bonnie stood to the corners, back turned to the hustle and bustle going on as people prepared to face whatever else was the problem.

She wasn’t the kind of girl to stay in the corner, no. But the shame of having done nothing so far, of standing out like a sore thumb with pristine condition equipment and not so much a scratch? That, pardner, weighed on the blonde’s mind.

‘Ain’t this a kick in the head…’ she muttered to herself, blue orbs staring down the gold whistle on her right hand.

Gwyn was missing.

Crack!

The audible destruction of her oath to the league was swift, but noticeable to anyone nearby. Under the pressure of her clenching hand, the whistle was no more, tossed amidst the bushes. They had failed her mentor, so she had decided to fail them as well.

League no more.

‘Aight, gotta git ready for this horsedung…’ She sat down, back against one of the mushrooms, as she went over her equipment and ammunition to make sure everything was in order.

​

 

[Toko]

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.

She had been trying to unwind, to clear her mind of many worries and thoughts as the Lepus was preparing for the inevitable battle to come. Two of her friends were confirmed to be missing in action, Frey and Sol, although thankfully Ru had managed to make it back to camp. She had been excited to regroup, to see friendly faces and share with them the amazing sights of The World from so up above... but that magical moment was now but a distant memory as reality had sunk in once more.

Crack!

The unexpected shattering on an item startled the rabbitfolk, her ears quickly perking up to catch the location of the sound before Toko got back to her feet. There was still some time before they all needed to head out, and so Toko decided to go and check out what the origin of the noise had been all about.

"O-Oh..." A tiny Faerin, with pale blonde hair and an interesting outfit, seemingly going over her equipment in preparation for what was to come. "You alright? I heard a noise..."

@Bonnie Bonbon

 

[Bonnie Bonbon]

A voice reached her ears, and the blonde pushed the tip of her hat to clear the view and check up on whoever had initiated conversation. Visibly taller than herself, and far more fit as well. It took Bonnie but a glance to tell this was someone who practiced some sort of martial arts, given the dangerous experience she had gone through alongside Alonso back in the Hylands. Her blue orbs focused back on her equipment, as nodded sideways. At any other occasion, the blonde would have surely been a little rough around the edges with a reply, but it just wasn’t the time for that.

'Well, uh… Ya know, I don't think ain't anybody doin' well right now, bunnybuddy. Since, ya know' she waved her gun, the tip making circles in the air ‘all the red fever stuff goin’ on and all them tumbleweeds.’ she frowned at the realization she hadn’t done anything worthwhile thus far. Idling by was eating away at the little patience she had to spare by the minute.

A long-lasting moment of silence hung in the air. Bonnie parted her lips, releasing a strong sigh. She knew there was no point in asking again, but she had to, right? Besides, she had no idea where the big guy was.

‘You ain’t happenin’ to know or seen anyone named Gwyn, do ya? Or Alonso?’ she clicked her tongue after her question, expecting the worst already.

@Toko​

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[Toko]

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"Ah, yeah... that's a fair point."

Toko hadn't been sure what to expect upon signing up to the expedition over a week ago, even if the possibility of danger had been discussed and laid out before them she doubted many had expected something like the red fever and its effects... not until now, at least, for the Lepus. The fact that two of her friends were missing still gnawed at the back of her mind, but she would achieve nothing rushing out on her lonesome to try and find them.

"Mmm, I agree, that whole red fever thing was quite a problem... I'm glad MIT was able to device the mist to counter it from the various ingredients gathered."

The first thing the Lepus had noticed once the mist was applied on her was a splitting headache in her brain, although thankfully that had almost abated by now after resting for some time. "May I?" A motion was made to a spot not far from the Faerin, waiting to see if there would be an objection, before Toko sat down.

"Gwyn...? No, I don't think I've met a Traveler—or a Lander—by that name, gomen..." However the fighter couldn't help but perk up when a second name, this one familiar, tumbled out of the Faerin's lips. "You know Alonso-sensee too?!"

The excitement caused the golden tags around Toko's neck to shift as they clinked against one another, though they were mostly ignored as the Lepus nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah, I spotted him by a large three on the other side of camp not too long ago... guess he's resting and preparing too for what's coming."

@Bonnie Bonbon

 

[Bonnie Bonbon]

The blonde just quietly nodded as the new arrival asked if they could sit nearby. Preparing her ammunition had become second nature to Bonnie by now; check bullet condition, arrange them in the speed loaders and put them on her utility belt, rinse and repeat. As she finished however, it was time the wannabe cowgirl tried something different for a change. When the Lepus sat nearby, Bonnie focused some of her martial energy on her right hand. It slowly coalesced, turning into the shape of a small golden sphere with no real substance.

She appeared to struggle the closer the sphere was to feeling like a real object with substance and weight… Until Toko perked up when the blonde shared Alonso’s name. The mysterious object flickered out, disappearing entirely. A momentary anger vein popped up at the corner of her forehead, but it disappeared soon after.

These were good news. She couldn’t bring herself to be angered over them.

‘That so? Glad he ain’t got a kick in the head yet. I’ve been worryin’ like a cactus on the highway. This game’s got some serious stuff goin’ on sometimes.’ she’d return to focusing her martial energy on her hand, before speaking up again.

‘I was trynna get this one quest for the Lea- for a friend. Met big ol’ catman back in Hylands.' A soft smile adorned her features, 'Was about to git the big adios endin’ before he showed up outta nowhere and saved me butt. He’s a real strong fella.

'How about ya? Ready for what's to come? I ain't thinkin' I am, but I gotta save Gwyn.'

@Toko​

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[Toko]

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.

The moment the energy on Bonnie's hand fizzled out Toko felt a pang of guilt wash over her, the Lepus aware of how hard it could be at times to try and manipulate energy and condense it to such a point. "Ah, gomen, I didn't meant to interrupt your preparations." A part of Toko wondered if perhaps it'd be best to let the Faerin be, but then she actually spoke back and the rabbit decided to remain sitting.

"Yeah, he looked alright... and I think most of the MIT members were fine too."

She wasn't sure what had transpired, but Toko had heard the rumors of apes actually appearing at the camp—probably the same apes as the one that had catnapped Caccu earlier on while the AG gang had been canvasing the slime lake for ingredients.

"Mmm, that does sound like him alright." At first glance Alonso was certainly intimidating, and most seemed to be wary of him as a result... the classic error of judging a book by its cover. "I met him one day while venting my frustrations against a tree in Finweald... I had failed my rank up challenge in the Guild for the second time in a row." Toko couldn't help but chuckle softly at the memory. "He ended up sticking around for a while and helping me practice my close combat."

A slow sigh escaped the Lepus when Bonnie asked how she felt for what loomed in the horizon, Toko's arms moving back to support her as the rabbit reclined sightly to look at the sky while in thought.

"Honestly speaking? I have no idea... there's not much I can do to prepare personally—I like smacking things with my fists and my kicks—but if I start second guessing myself it'll only lead to possible mistakes down the road."

Mistakes that she couldn't afford... not if she hoped to find Frey and Sol.

@Bonnie Bonbon

 

[Bonnie Bonbon]

I gotchu readin' this, pardner

On her second try, it appeared the stability of the coalescing energy had improved by miles, perhaps a testament to a traveler’s ability to quickly grow and achieve their potential. Soon after the beastfolk spoke about her experience with Alonso and introduced herself as an adventurer, Bonnie quirked up an eyebrow at Toko as her blue hues checked out the gold tags around her neck.

‘So ya one of ‘em yohoho and a bottle ol’ gold kinda fella, eh? What’s it like over yonder?’ A bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she remembered the vow she had just broken. In the back of her mind, memories of the times she was found out sneaking to the torchbearer’s forge to craft her own guns came to mind.

Whistle no more… Easier said, than done.

The golden energy at the palm of her hand became a tangible sphere of a mixed gold and glass-like material. Bonnie promptly destroyed it, beginning the process anew. Faster, stronger. If she wanted to grow as a person and as a player, she’d need to learn to walk with her own legs. That was the bare minimum she needed to, someday, find her sister.

‘In any case, since yer one of ‘em punchy fellas, then how about this...’ she stood up, crushing yet another one of the mysterious orbs in her hand, casting a faint light over the flora surrounding them.

‘You do yer thing of punchin’ and smackin’ at me, and I focus on dodgin while making these.’ With a snap of her fingers, another sphere materialized on her palm.

‘How ‘bout that? Soundin' like a good way to keep yer mind and body ready, hmm?’

@Toko​

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[Toko]

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"Hahahaaa, I suppose that's one way to describe the Guild...!"

She couldn't help but chuckle as Bonnie's choice of words, already used to the lackadaisical and whimsical approach most thought the members to have. Something about accepting to perform quests for payments didn't seem to rub some the right way, even though everyone needed to earn their livelihood someway. However the Lepus never allowed it to bother her, and from the look on Bonnie she could tell the woman wasn't just trying to poke fun at the Guild with her statement.

"Not gonna lie, we're all a rambunctious bunch for sure..." They all definitely shared one thing in common, a reckless act first and think later attitude that was only exacerbated by the adrenaline rush generated from the difficult situations tended to land the members in as a result of semi-poor choices. "... but so far everyone I've met there seem to have a heart of gold deep down."

A whim had been her reason for joining the Guild in the first place, wanting to take on quests for the Landers that other players seemed to ignore—she was more than happy to receive payment in food and other stuff accessible to the People of the Land instead of hard golden coins. It had also seemed like the best option to sample a little bit of everything out there, something that resonated with the jack-of-all-trades nature that Toko possessed.

"I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, though..."

It was Honeyhome all over again, before the rabbit knew it the Guild and its members had become something near and dear to her heart—it had grown and become a home of sorts, just like the simple and quiet starter village located in Eastern Brisshal.

"I see, looking to get some last minute prep-work and tuning in before the big fight?" A grin crossed her lips at the offer Bonnie made, the Lepus nodding as she stood. "I like it, besides nothing like a good warm up to loosen the muscles... don't want to get a cramp out there in the middle of our finale, ne?"

There was a pause, a moment of realization, before the hare turned to look at the blonde elf and stretched out a hand in Bonnie's direction as a greeting.

"I'm Toko, by the way."

@Bonnie Bonbon