18+ Private Solvale Foraging Fox and Feisty Felines

[Vina Skysong]

Fenrir's Rest was a forest considered almost sacred by the beastfolk that lived in the area, believing a bestial guardian spirit to reside within the woods. While nobody in living memory had actually met this spirit or seen any signs of it, what could not be denied was that the forest stood out amongst the many others that dotted Astorea's plains. Many trees of different types formed a diverse terrain of green and brown, with the forest floor also dominated by a surprising diversity of plants. If you but looked around you might see as many different plant species within your field of view as you might otherwise find within an entire forest, and if you walked to a different position an entirely new collection would dominate your surroundings.

While this did mean that Fenrir's Rest was a very chaotic place, it was also a bounty for herbalists and alchemists. It still fell far short of the immense jungle that was the Tangleweaves, but it was much more accessible and many useful reagents, both magical and mundane, could be found throughout the guardian spirit's hallowed domain.

Sitting on a boulder at the edge of the forest Vina was playing on her flute, the jovial tune dancing through the air to spread far and wide. As much as Vina enjoyed her music she also had a reason to perform here: the music would guide her friends towards her location.

The playful vixen had accepted a quest to collect several magical herbs from Fenrir's Rest that could scarcely be found anywhere else. A happy coincidence, as Vina also wanted to explore the chimaeric forest for personal reasons, and this was as good an opportunity as ever. However, Fenrir's Rest wasn't just a place of many different plants: the wildlife was also much more exotic and lively than in other forests, and not all of them were peaceful or friendly towards outsiders.

While Vina could potentially enter and leave the forest while only relying on her own talents, the druidess thought it smarter (and more fun) to invite some friends to accompany her. Friends who might enjoy the bounties of Fenrir's Rest and who could take care of any powerful beasts that might take offence to their presence.

To that end, she'd send out messages to Fina and Harper, hoping that both of her friends would answer positively. Fina's mastery of arcane weaponry meant she could adapt her approach to whatever hostilities they might encounter, and she imagined that Harper would enjoy the opportunity to grapple with something a bit more challenging than the average tavern drunk.

Of course, the best outcome for her personally would be if they encountered no hostilities at all and simply enjoyed their time together... But it was better to make the most of every possibility.

So here she was, sitting naked on a large rock, enjoying the summer sun's warmth and light as her music guided her friends towards her. Her silver-white-hair gently swayed behind her as the strands were caught in a soft breeze, her vulpine tail following the breeze's motions along with the melody from Vina's flute. It was still early in the day, the sun growing in strength as it climbed the heavens, the sky mostly blue with only a scant few patches of grey and white.

Looking up at the skies the druidess could predict that later in the day it might rain, but unless their expedition lasted all the way into the latter half of the afternoon they wouldn't have to worry about that. Or, rather, Fina and Harper wouldn't have to worry: the skin-showing songstress would happily welcome some rain to mix with summer's heat.

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

Fenrir's Rest. A place Harper had mostly heard about in passing at the taverns. Apparently it was like, a place deep into the forest, though its importance to the beastkin was a bit lost on a Starcalled like her.

Harper wasn't much of a stranger to the forest, having gone in and out more than a few times to train. She never went too far though. It was easy to get lost, and while there really wasn't much there that could threaten her life, it still wasn't that much fun to have to spend a night in the forest, even if she had gotten pretty good at hunting meals.

The survival enjoyment bug hadn't spread from Mizuki to her, it would seem.

As she approached the border of the forest, she remembered the message she had received from Vina. A request to help gather some herbs, it said. The tigress wasn't much of a botanist, nor were her hands made for handling delicate flora as Vina would know, so she's still being asked meant that the area was probably not the friendliest around.

All the better. At least she'd have some fun.

Eventually, the sound of Vina's flute would reach the beastkin's ears. She didn't know that it was Vina at first, of course, having never heared her play it, but she did know from past battles that the vixen dabbled in musical magic. As such, it was at least worth a shot to go check out the source of the sound.

And lo and behold, it was her. In all her birth-suit glory.

"You really can't help yourself, can you? Drawing everyone and everything's attention and being a show-off even when you are in the middle of nowhere. Pervert."

With a bit of a teasing remark, she would announce her presence to the fellow beastkin as she approached. Given her battle style and the fur that covered her body, the tigress only sported a pair of leather pants and shirt, with a few rounds of very sturdy reinforced bandages to cover and keep her chest area in place. Everything else was left unbothered by fabric, helping to keep the tigress harder to grab and allowing the proud beastkin to show-off her "guns". Not that she needed extra padding either, given how tough her fur and body naturally were.

"So you needed a pair of very strong eyes behind your back as go get some special grass, huh? You can count yourself safe, Vina!"

@Vina Skysong @Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

The muffled dull sound of hooves hitting the compacted dirt and clay carried along the feline's frame as she raced alongside the forest's edge. It was a bit unfortunate that Vina's wasn't more specific than "follow the music", which was somewhat difficult when she couldn't presently hear it. Perhaps it would have been fine if the forest was smaller, but something of this size meant that even if the vague part was specified, it wasn't difficult to find oneself far away from the goal.

Thankfully, the horse that helped Fina get from place to place in the wast world of TerraSphere was more than capable of helping her survey the land in a fairly reasonable amount of time, until the faint sound of a flute could be heard in the distance. It wasn't long then. The figure of a foxen beastfolk atop a large stone came into view shortly after.

As the gallop became a stride and eventually came to a full halt, the feline waved her hand at the two present. "I think you forgot your pants again..." her words were a bit dry with a half-smile as a flash of worry flew across the girl's mind, seeing how Vina once again decided to go on an expedition without any clothes at all... not only forsaking her own defense, but being plenty distracting for those around her as well.

"And..." She turned toward Harper. "Sorry, were we ever even introduced to each other? We fought together on top of that giant mushroom." She remembered the tiger warrior, of course. She was just about the coolest individual in that whole group, by a pretty lengthy margin as well. But she was unsure if she never even learned her name, or if she simply didn't remember... she was pretty bad with names.

Either way, she slowly got down from her steed and fished out a rope from one of the many bags affixed to the horse's sides, already surveying for the nearest convenient tree that she could leash the animal to before they'd head out into the forest itself.

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

Even as she was playing the flute Vina's ears remained alert to her surroundings, sensitive enough that she could pick up the sound of approaching pawsteps before she spotted a distinct orange figure in the distance. From where she was sitting it looked like Harper was moving slowly, but as the orange figure grew bigger it became clear that the martial artist was wasting no time in reaching the boulder upon which Vina had perched herself.

The druidess kept playing her flute until Harper spoke up, after which she finally took the wooden instrument away from her lips to smile warmly at her friend, even if there was also a mischievous look in her eyes.

Hey now, can you really blame me in this weather~? (She quipped jokingly.) Besides, you say pervert like it's a bad thing. I'll proudly wear the title of somebody who knows how to have fun~

Putting her flute away she slid from the boulder even as Fina also arrived, mounted on a horse unlike Harper who'd decided that her own legs were good enough. Now that she'd already stopped playing Vina raised one hand to wave at the other feline in an enthusiastic greeting, her large vulpine tail wagging behind her.

I didn't think I'd need them here, and you two are the only ones to know I'm not wearing them~ (She winked.) Of course, if either of you minds I could put them back on, but I'm worried that in this heat I might suffer a stroke.

That was a mild exaggeration: it was definitely warm, but not so warm as to be a genuine threat to their health. Neither Fina nor Harper had seen the need to forgo their clothes, after all, and Harper would definitely start suffering from the heat before she did.

The vixen clapped her hands together, forgoing the jokes for a moment to instead address the two.

So! I can introduce the two of you if you haven't been already! Fina, this is Harper, friendly martial artist who can both give really good hugs and shatter rocks like these! (She patted the boulder she'd just sat upon.) Harper, this is Fina, who likes tea with cookies and summons flying weapons as easily as you and I breathe~

The last part was a little bit of a tease, although Vina did think that Fina sometimes needed reminding that she was, in fact, really cool with her arcane weapons and mastery of them. Not that the druidess herself was that obsessed with combat abilities... but that was a different matter.

You both already know me, so I don't need to introduce myself: it's good to see you both again, and I'm glad you came for me~ But even if I'd already be happy to just have a picnic with the both of you, I do have some work you can help me with.

She finally addressed the forest behind her, turning around to face it, which also meant her tail was hiding the parts of her body which might otherwise distract her two feline companions.

It's said that a guardian spirit inhabits these woods, and while nobody has ever seen said spirit the plants do grow faster and more diverse here, and there's more magical plants than in most forests as well~ So there's alchemists and apothecaries who want herbs from this place. (She looked at her friends over her shoulder.) Unfortunately, along with the magical plants there's also more dangerous beasts that can get a bit violent towards outsiders, which is why they need us adventurers to help out. I can take care of the herb gathering, but you two would be much better at dealing with anything too angry to listen to me~

As a druidess Vina wouldn't normally advocate for the slaughter of beasts defending their territory, but the herbs were rather important... and it wasn't like Fina and Harper needed to actually kill any hostile forest denizens.

Even if they're angry you should still be able to just scare them off. They're not going to pick a fight they know they can't win, and I don't think there's anything in these woods that could take the both of you on~ Does that cover everything?

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

Harper couldn't help but audibly snort at Vina's "justification" for coming here devoid of any clothes. She couldn't help but be impressed at the vixen's confidence sometimes. Unlike a technique or a hold, it was certainly not a skill the tigress could pick up easily even if she tried her hardest.

Not that she was particularly wanting to do so, of course. She was very much fine with her clothes on, thank you.

Her ears picked up the sound of hooves much before Fina appeared. Had they been more frantic, she'd probably had readied up expecting a wild animal, but they seemed calm enough to not be something to worry about. And lo and behold, a familiar face from her adventures at that giant shroom is here!

The happenings of their battle at the Godshroom didn't let much time for social interaction, nor did the fact that Harper's mind was clouded with rage for a good bit there. But she did remember the magenta-haired felis and her gigantic weapons . All that was needed now was a proper introduction of their names, but Vina was ahead of the two of them on that front.

"Aaayup! That sounds like me alright!"She smirked and did a exaggerated salute towards the two."Harper, judo extraordinaire and all around badass at your service! Glad to meetcha again Fina!"

She approached the felis before giving her a good few pats on the back. Of course, this being Harper, those pats unintentionally had enough force to knock a regular person to the ground. Turning towards Vina, she listened as the vixen went further in depth about their job here.

They were going to be strong bodies while Vina got her magic grass. Simple enough.

Though the request to not kill did earn Vina a bit of a frown from the tigress.

"Not killing is easy enough, but you know how I fight. Can't guarantee they might not get some injury that will impede them from properly surviving in the wild in the future."She shrugged with her shoulders, before smirking at the vixen."Then again, I guess I can count on our 5-star healer to help with that, hmm? I'll do my best to not leave them too far gone to be patched up, aye!"

She then hopped between the two of them, one arm wrapping around each before pulling them close with a big smile.

"We good then? Good. Let's start the hunt for magic grass then!"

@Vina Skysong @Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Good to have at least one cool fighter with us, then!" As Harper got introduced, Fina tossed a little remark and a wink toward her. She did remember what the tiger did atop the Godshoom, including being able to toss its very big and very heavy avatar like it was weightless. Best not to be on the other end of those punches and kicks. Their force was even reinforced by the few pats that certainly nearly sent the feline a step or two forward.

As for what they were doing here, herb picking sounded straightforward enough. But even such things could get easily complicated in the world of TerraSphere. Not to mention some things that sounded a little funky with this whole thing. "Uh... beating a guardian of some ancient forest when we are the ones invading does sound a little rude from our side." Then again, if this proposal came from Vina herself, then that probably meant peaceful options had already been attempted and none of them had worked out.

Harper's concern had some merit to it as well. If she was a martial artist through and through then at least she could try and measure her own strength. Fina, on the other hand? Sharp weapon remained sharp no matter how carefully she swung it. Restriction to blunt instruments, then... the thought was interrupted by the tiger pulling them all into a big semi-hug.

"I-I suppose we are good-?" Vina certainly attracted certain kinds of people, it seemed. Very physical sort that were not afraid to get in there, or to approach others. Which seemingly made Fina herself a bit of an anomaly in that department then.

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina watched as Fina and Harper greeted one another. As expected, Harper was as enthusiastic as ever while Fina cracked a joke, the vixen chuckling as her tail swished behind her.

Even better that we've got two of those~ Honestly I think either one of you could have taken care of my request by yourself, but the more the merrier I say!

Fina and Harper were both very competent combatants, and given that Vina didn't expect any really tough monsters to show up during this expedition having the both of them with her was perhaps overkill. But she liked having them around, and going on adventures together was part of what made Terrasphere such a wonderful place to be.

Unsurprisingly, both of her awe-inspiring bodyguards seemed to be worried about beating off any would-be assailants non-lethally, with Harper voicing those concerns where Fina instead questioned whether they had the right to go disturbing the guardian of the forest. The druidic vixen nodded along with their words, then held up her hands in a reassuring gesture.

So! First things first, the guardian spirit is only a story of which we don't even know for sure if they exist, so you don't have to worry about them waking up and getting angry at us. It's just wild beasts that are a little tougher than you might encounter out in the plains or the other forests around here~

But yes, as long as you don't kill them I should be able to fix them right up. I'm sure the both of you can do that. (She held up a finger.) You could even treat it as practice. Plenty of things out there you'll want to subdue with minimal injury, after all~

Fina's usage of big weapons could put her at a bit of a disadvantage here, but her creativity with applying her arcanamancy meant Vina had no doubts the arms master could figure out which weapons were safe to use and which she could better leave for another time. As for Harper, her raw strength meant she could easily kill something if she wasn't careful, but as a martial artist she must've learned how to be careful with that strength. At least, that's how Vina thought martial artists were.

Harper pulling them in a group hug was unexpected, but Vina quickly returned the gesture, hugging both her feline friends while curling her large vulpine tail around their legs. After the brief group hug ended the silver-white-haired songstress took the lead again, walking into the forest before turning around and winking at the both of them to encourage them to follow her.

There's a couple of different herbs I need to get, but the first should be close to the edge of the forest. We'll slowly go deeper, which means the odds of meeting something that doesn't like us will go up. (She spread her arms.) But here at the start there shouldn't be anything~

Her sharp ears could already pick up sounds in the distance: small critters moving about, but also bigger beasts that had noticed their presence from afar and decided to stay away. Travelers were rare in Fenrir's Rest, but there were still animals here that could remember other encounters and knew it was better to not start trouble.

Whistling a carefree tune Vina cast her azure eyes over the verdant world that embraced them as they slowly moved through Fenrir's Rest. Trees were everywhere, as were the numerous different plants that formed the undergrowth. To a druid like Vina the sheer diversity was astounding, but even for those who normally didn't pay close attention to plantlife it would be obvious that there were an absurd amount of different plants. Flowers of various shapes and colours, bushes and ferns which fought for dominance... even the trees showed such variety, with some of them being thick and sturdy giants which even Harper might have trouble pulling out, while others were tall and gangly as if begging to be turned into spears.

I'm also getting some herbs for myself so I can try something out~ I can use my magic to grow most plants, but magical stuff is a bit trickier. (She hummed.) Like, say, a plant which lets you fly like a bird isn't easy to make if you don't have an example~

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

Harper couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Fina's line about her being the only cool fighter around. From their adventures dropping down from the wall to battle the Szofrit-controlled Magia to their desperate struggle atop the Godshroom, the tigress had seen the magenta-haired Felis pull some incredible feats so the lack of confidence from her was... Concerning, to say the least.

But she was no psychologist, nor did she know Fina that well, so she decided to hold her tongue on any advice until she had a bit more material to work on.

Heck, she still needed to find out if Fina even wanted the advice in the first place.

She listened attently as Vina expanded on what their little job would entail, and her response to their inquiries. Though she found most of it completely reasonable, she couldn't help but find herself snorting once the vixen mentioned taking things down with minimal damage.

"Definitely easier said than done, you know? A beast doesn't react the same when put into a hold than a person would. Many would rather risk a limb than a perceived demise. That and... They tend to "spaz" out a lot, so if I happen to be holding them a bit too tight... Well-" She placed a hand at the side of her neck, before gently cracking it. "-You get my drift? So while I'm holding it down... Do your thing and get them to chill, alright? And yes Fina, good we are indeed! Now lets get grass grabbin!"

She noted, but it wasn't like she didn't think Vina could do it. She had seen the druidess do far more impressive things than getting some animals to pipe down, so she should have this in the bag. Giving herself a few final stretches, she followed the vixen deeper into the forest.

--

Once inside, she really could tell why this place fascinated Vina this much. Even to her... Well, not-as appreciative eye, the place still had quite the vibrant beauty to it... Though one thing was bothering her. And even as Vina mused about the different kinds of plants she was here to see, she couldn't shake this concern out of her mind.

"Hngh... That sound cool and all Vina, but tell me something: Will there be any spores or stuff like it in this place? I don't think my throat can handle another round of what went down up in that dang shroom..."

She would bemoan, rubbing her throat. It took a good day before breathing wasn't at the very least itchy after their ascent, and she'd rather not have to go through it again.

@Vina Skysong @Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Sure, things like that are usually just legends in the real world, but that kinda changes inside of a fantasy game, where fabled legends often turn out to be bosses you need to defeat..." Obviously, Terrasphere didn't necessarily play by the same rules as other games. It was quite different to those in so many different aspects, they'd be here for a week or longer if they wanted to name them all. But the point still stood - Vina couldn't say with absolute certainty that this place did not have some sort of guardian. Be that a beast or something else entirely...

But it was indeed quite unlikely that they would encounter anything particularly bad this early on. So Fina merely followed alongside Harper, doing her utmost not to stare too much at the backside of the vixen that led them, perhaps intentionally being so provocative as to take the lead in this manner. So instead, she occupied her mind with the idea that the tigress brought forth. Her issue applied to the weapon specialist as well - even if she didn't conjure anything with stabby pointy bits, no animal would enjoy being bludgeoned either. Such things could easily come with plenty of internal damage that would do the wildlife in later.

She had some ideas, but she wasn't sure if any of them would work in practice, so there was really only one way to go about it, try and find out. "Fly like a bird..? What manner of plant could even do that- besides, can't you already do that with magic?" She assumed that some of the more rare ingredients would only be found far deeper into the forest, else they would be easy to pick and therefore not rare at all. But if Vina had ideas like that, who knew just how far in she would drag them all.

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

Neither Fina nor Harper seemed to share Vina's optimism, even if their thoughts went in different directions: the felis was still worried that this guardian spirit might show up, and the tigress wasn't sure she could peacefully subdue any beasts that tried to get frisky with them.

The vixen turned around to smile at the both of them, walking backwards for several paces.

We'll be fine~ I trust both of you, you know?

Spinning back around she led them further into the diverse woods. As usual her hips swayed noticeably while she walked, her tail moving from side to side along the same rhythm as her bare footsteps as she hummed and looked around, azure eyes surveying the plants that surrounded them. Although not so intently that she couldn't answer her friends in the meantime.

This isn't mushroom land, so as long as you don't stand on any big puffy shrooms there shouldn't be any spores either~ (She tilted her head.) One of the ingredients I have to gather is fungal, but I promise I'll be careful with those. As for plants that can make you fly, once magic is involved lots of things can happen~ (She patted a tree as she walked past.) Magic is a part of the world, and in places where both magic and nature thrive the two will combine to create things you won't find anywhere else. The Godshroom we visited together is an example of that, but it can also manifest in different ways.

Granted, herbs that would grant you the gift of flight weren't exactly common, but the explanation should at least give an idea of just how fantastical the world could become once magic was allowed to play a role.

So! That also means no eating anything you don't recognise, unless you want your fur to start glowing or your skin turn green~

She glanced back at her two friends to signal that she was joking, briefly sticking out her tongue before casting her gaze forwards. There truly were a lot of plants here that Vina was interested in, but there were only a select few she was looking for this time... if she allowed herself to be distracted they would be here for weeks.

But the sight of a particular plant did draw her attention, the druidess coming to a halt before changing her course.

There you are~!

Near the base of a large tree the grass had an unusual appearance: shiny as if made from fluid emerald, glistening where the occasional ray of sunlight managed to make its way through the foliage of the trees. Crouching in front of her prize Vina hummed a merry tune as she began to carefully extract the grass, making sure to get the roots as well so she could deposit the entire plant safely into her inventory. Her tail wagged along with her humming as she worked.

At the same time a snorting sound came from the left, a large and bulky figure appearing from amidst the trees before coming to a halt. It looked a lot like a boar, but its fur looked like it was made of grass and its tusks split like branches. Its tail was also long and flat, like that of a platypus, with sharp torns sticking out from amidst the grass-like fur.

The green boar stared at the trio with beady eyes, snorting again but making no movement for the moment. Vina was ignored for the most part, its focus on Fina and Harper, remaining in place as with each exhalation puffs of white air escaped from its nostrils.

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

A noticeable sigh of relief escaped Harper's lips at Vina's reassurance that No, her nostrils wouldn't be attacked this time. On the same coin, however, she couldn't hide her annoyance at the vixen's lackadaisical response to her concerns either.

Then again, they had survived much, much worse in the past than a simple excursion in the woods for some fancy grass. Given the degree of expertise of all involved here, she couldn't deny that it was very unlikely that they would be faced with any sort of mortal peril.

Well, considering her lack of the same enthusiasm for herbalism Vina had, there was a non-zero chance that she would experience mortal boredom considering the very probable reality that nothing here could give her much of a challenge.

Nevertheless, she followed the vixen, though her shameless display was a bit of a bother. It wasn't like she didn't like it or anything, Vina would certainly call her on it if she attempted to say otherwise, but that's not something she should be seeing or thinking about while on a job!

Thankfully, Vina's comment about not eating anything they found on the ground gave her something else to focus her mind on, at least for the time being.

"Afraid you are wasting your worries Vina." She smirked, before opening her mouth and pointing down her gullet. "Takes something a few magnitudes more caloric than herbs to configure as a snack for me. Besides, I ate on the way. On that topic, though…"

She turned to face Fina, drawing a finger through the air to open her inventory before materializing a filled leather sack that was visibly wet on the bottom, with a strong smell of iron emanating from it. The trademark scent of blood.

"You need a bite Fina? I have some leftovers from a boar I struck down on the way here. Vina probably wouldn't be too partial to a campfire here though, so it would have to be raw, but I do have some rock salt with me. And these claws can dice it up dang good!" She would proudly proclaim, unsheathing the claws from her right hand as she held them up close to her own face with a smug grin.

Her escapades with Mizuki had left the tigress at the very least partial to eating raw game, but she would take a juicy grilled steak in its place any day. In any case, if Fina didn't take it she wouldn't be heartbroken about it. More for her, after all.

--

Eventually, Vina would stumble upon the herb that she was looking for, the fox beastkin hopping over to it like a child walking to the candy store.

The sight of her wagging tail helped sell that innocent impression. The sight of the rest of her body helped shatter it. But Harper couldn't dwell on it for long, the two furry ears atop her head twitching as the sound of something approaching hit them well before the boar made itself visible, the tigress turning to face the direction with a frown.

" And right on cue… We have company, Fina."

The boar itself was certainly unique, certainly fitting with the rest of the forest's unique ecosystem. A part of Harper wondered if its meat was somehow also infused with a more herbal taste… But Harper would wipe the saliva that just started running down her mouth, respecting Vina's wishes for no fatalities.

Instead, she would place herself between Vina and the quarry, using her arms to protect her vitals as she crouched down into a charging stance. She was confident her tough fur could handle some tusks… But she also felt she would reeeally regret it should she end up wrong, so the tigress went for the side of caution this time, digging her back foot onto the ground with a smirk as she dragged it back a few times, taunting the boar.

She couldn't kill it, and slamming it around could end up leading to just that. But maybe if she clashed with it until it got tired, it would just give up on them and leave?

There was no basis or much logic in that, she had to admit… But it sounded fun, and that's what mattered to her right now.

@Fina Drago @Vina Skysong

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Harper might have been pretty good at hiding how Vina's lack of any clothes whatsoever might have bothered her, but Fina had a considerably harder time doing so. At least when the vixen was leading the way, a very fluffy tail would hide most of what would attract one's gaze, but when she turned around and walked backward like that, the feline had little recourse left to her but to avert her own gaze to the side until the silver maiden returned to her original position.

"This whole thing would be pretty hard if you didn't trust us, so..." Not like they had any reason to distrust each other. Well, it wasn't like Fina had spent too much time with Harper, but from the few occasions they were together, she figured the tigress was a fine enough person, especially given that she was hanging around Vina. Even if that had some... Other potential implications.

Though, the moment the bag of raw meat was pulled out, Fina's nose almost scrunched up. The fact that it was wet and almost dripping wasn't exactly helping either. "Er... No, I'm fine... Thanks..." The idea of eating raw meat was making her stomach churn, and she really didn't want to see what was inside of it be outside. The boar, then, might have even been a little bit of a blessing to distract them all from what was happening.

Even as Vina seemed to do her best to ignore the beast completely, Harper quickly went to a defensive stance, ready to throw down. But the boar was not charging yet. Frankly, it seemed to be sending out a warning more than a signal that it was about to attack. Standing in place slightly dumbfounded by the quick development of the situation, the feline laid her eyes on the animal before her hand twitched.

Something in the air whizzed for a while before a sudden loud crack. Fina had used her magic to manifest a whip of sorts, bright strands that glowed in all shades of purple, shining as if they were made out of precious gemstones. But with all the properties of a proper whip, she used it to create a loud crack between herself and the boar. If she knew anything about animals back in the real world, they were generally afraid of fire and loud noises... So the question was whether that translated to animals from this forest as well.

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

If Vina knew how much her naked appearance was bothering both her friends she didn't show it, her smile friendly and upbeat as always as she led the way further into the woods, with only her tail keeping the two felines from being exposed to the druidess's most private regions with every step. However, even that large, fluffy tail couldn't consistently hide her shapely behind.

Oh, I'm not worried Harper~ Just making sure you know~ (She laughed softly.) Or just telling you that this is the opportunity of a lifetime if you wanted to know what the world looks like to an eagle~

The miraculous powers of herbs were, after all, the whole reason they were here. Aside from the companionship, which was a given. Vina looked at Harper over her shoulder again, her eyes now holding a playful shine.

I know you like to dig into something a bit more meaty, but as you can see I've got little on me other than myself~

Of course, that was when Harper pulled out a leather bag clearly filled with fresh, untreated meat, the metallic scent of blood assaulting Vina's nose and making her blink before quickly shaking her head as if to wave the scent away. It wasn't like she was a strict vegetarian, but the sudden presence of the rich smell of blood and prey took a moment to adjust to.

We could make a campfire if we're careful, but it's a bit soon to take a break. That said, there might be some things living here who'd like a taste of that as well~

There were predators in these woods, and for them the smell of blood would be like a beacon, telling them a fresh meal could be had where Harper was walking with her afternoon snack. Not that Vina was actually telling Harper to put it away: she just wanted to make sure the tigress knew that if she wanted trouble, carrying around the scent of blood would be a good way to increase the odds.

Although it was left up to the heavens to know whether that was what had drawn in the green boar or if it was pure coincidence. Either way, the grass-furred mass of muscle was scraping the ground with one hoof as it looked at the trio of travellers, Vina still humming to herself as she trusted the other two to deal with the disturbance while she carefully extracted the emerald grass.

With Harper choosing to provoke while Fina tried to scare it away the botanical boar appeared to be struggling to decide what to do, its gaze going from one feline to the other while another puff of white smoke escaped its large nostrils. The cracking of Fina's crystalline whip earned her an angry squeal, the beast taking several steps back... but then lowering its large head and charging straight towards the two of them, tree-tusks pointing at them as it quickly built up speed.

Despite its bulk its movements were deceptively agile, which combined with its unusual fur meant that Fina and Harper would find that a part of them struggled to properly perceive the advancing threat: the boar's camouflage messed with their ability to distinguish between scenery and entities, leaving the open question whether they were being charged by a boar or whether the forest itself was moving towards them.

Rolls

Herboar
1d2 (1) = 1
1 = Attack; 2 = Retreat

Herboar

Status: Momentum Active
Camouflage: The Herboar's appearance blends in with the forest, causing all rolls against it to be made with Disadvantage unless a DC 50 Awareness Check is passed (Disadvantage does not apply to Camouflage). Characters with Hyper Sense are immune. Characters with Amplified Sense (Sight) have Advantage on the Awareness Check.

Momentum: The Herboar relies greatly on accumulating strength through charging. If not Restrained the DC of all Checks and Saves against it is increased by 20 (does not apply to Camouflage).

Thorny Hide: The Herboar's skin is covered in thorns hidden underneath its fur. When a character comes in direct contact it must succeed a DC 50 Knack Check to avoid Bleeding.

Actions

Block: Pass a DC 100 Fortitude Save to block the Herboar's charge without getting injured.

Evade: Pass a DC 60 Reflex Save to avoid the Herboar's charge entirely.

Restrain: Pass a DC 100 Fitness Check to stop the Herboar's charge and leave it Restrained.

Creative Action: Do something else, I'm not your mom.

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

"Welp. Your loss, it is certainly a good lot better than the rations you usually get in towns."

With a small shrug of her shoulders, she quickly diced up a small cube of red meat and popped it into her gullet, her sharp animalistic teeth making quick work of it. At Vina's suggestion to seeing the world from a Bird's eye, the tigress looked up to the sky for a moment, as if considering it… Before shaking her head softly with a smirk.

"Already had my fit of that after those catapults back with the shrooms. I'll keep the airtime to whatever and whoever I'm throwing for the time being."

She would note, before being quite noticeably stunlocked by Vina's playful suggestion, her expression freezing in place save for a newly unlocked deeper shade of red in her cheeks before she let her head drop for a moment, mumbling nothings to herself in frustration.

Why. Is. She. LIKE THAT?!
--

Harper kept her eyes on the Herboar like a… Well, like a tiger. Matching every little movement of his with her own, focused on it to catch any sudden actions while keeping her muscles relaxed enough to spring into action at any moment.

The corners of her vision seemed to almost vanish into nothing, and the sounds around her muffled themselves into irrelevancy, leaving only what mattered right now. It was just her and her foe, her prey, her-

**CRACK!**

"M-MUGYAAAH?!?!"

Every stand of fur on Harper stood on its end, the tigress jumping back and away from the source of the VERY loud noise that caught her completely off-guard, before relaxing slightly at identifying the source as Fina, the beastkin's mouth turning into a very annoyed frown.

"G-Gah… Give me a warning next time, okay? These are very sensitive…" She covered both fluffy ears atop her head to emphasize her complaint.

Said ears did pick up a change in the Herboar's behavior outside of her vision, the tigress quickly turning to catch the animal beginning its charge. Its foliage-covered skin and speed made it hard to track, but she had tracked worse before, Harper making sure to never let it leave any of the corners of her field of view.

It would be hard to get a good grip on it with how fast it was moving, and their current priority was to protect Vina, not necessarily do anything to the boar itself. So, when it finally took a straight line to gore them, Harper decided to take the role of a metaphorical-yet-very-real brick wall.

"Hyoh!"

Using her back both for its dense and tough muscles and its lack of sensitive and vulnerable areas, she planted herself on the ground as a shield against the Herboar, using one of her arms to protect the back of her neck and head while the rest of her limbs and tail served as anchor points to give herself support against the charge. While not much of a strike and more of just a defensive position, the motion bore resemblance to Bajiquan's Iron Mountain Lean.

Of course, this meant that the tigress did nothing other than keep the boar's tusks away from her friends, but she had hope that Fina would manage to do something with that whip while she kept it at bay.

Well, other than to make her ears ring, that is.


Expertise Check
1d100 (40) + 15 = 55
Awareness | Harper | Spot the Moving Boar!

Save
1d100 (72) + 90 = 162
Fortitude | Harper | Back Block!

@Vina Skysong @Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Damage
-

Healing
-

Status
‎ ‎ Stats

"You don't make your own provisions..?" Fina's response was almost quiet enough that anyone could reasonably say that it was meant for herself and herself alone. But she was in the company of other beastfolk, who were both adorned with their own pair of fluffy ears that allowed them to hear even the smallest of details, the subtlest of changes in their environment. So Harper was left to eat her 'snacks' alone, though Fina did have to do her best to avert her gaze out of the fear that seeing someone actually munch on chunks of bloody raw meat would trigger her gag reflex.

As the boar engaged them, it was much too late that the feline realized her first mistake, Harper's sudden scream making Fina jump as well, nearly throwing her off of her feet. "O-oh, sorry! -I mean, my ears are pretty sensitive too, but I guess I already got used to this while training..." It was pretty rough at first, but it seemed that even her ears could get used to such horrid sounds after being exposed to them repeatedly for a while. Her allies, however, did not have the luxury of such training.

At least it seemed that Harper's eardrums did not immediately burst, and she had chosen to face the boar head-on on top of that. This allowed Fina to run around the beast, her eyes only barely keeping pace with it. And the moment it was stopped by the tigress, Fina had used that whip of hers to try and restrain the boar's legs. Unfortunately, whether it was due to her still being shaken from Harper's outburst, or her mind being preoccupied with the image of Vina's assets, her aim ended up being... a little bit off.

That ended up being the second mistake - the crystalline whip had wrapped itself around Harper instead of the boar. "Shit-!" It seemed that this just wasn't her day...

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎❰ Actions ❱
Failed to restrain the boar, hijinx ensue

Rolls

Expertise Check (Success)
2d100 (Advantage) (26, 32) + 25 = 57
Awareness | Fina Drago | Boar awareness

Expertise Check (Failure)
1d100 (22) + 50 = 72
Fitness | Fina Drago | Boar restrain

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina laughed merrily as her suggestive words provoked such a strong reaction from her striped friend, the vixen's tail also betraying her amusement as it quickly swished from side to side before calming down again. She didn't have a bad bone in her body, but it was difficult not to tease Harper sometimes when the martial artist could so easily turn into a blushing mess with the right provocation.

I like flying, so maybe you can throw me around sometime Harper~

Resisting the urge to playfully stick out her tongue she instead turned her attention towards Fina. Her ears were sensitive enough to have caught the weapon master's confusion about Harper's approach to provisions, the druidess making a bit of a face before chipping in.

I think many people find it easier to just buy enough food in town to last the next journey Fina. And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to make a good pizza in the middle of nowhere~

When the Starcalled entered Arcia they brought some of their culture from Earth with them, and a very strong example of this was the introduction of fast food. Unlike older games you couldn't just ignore the food mechanics in this game, but at the same time wild boars weren't about to drop entire meals for you to consume: the end result was that in every sizeable settlement there would now be shops where you could buy almost comically out-of-place modern meals... or the much more efficient (if less appetising) rations Harper had clearly gotten used to.

---

The cracking of Fina's whip had startled Vina as well, although not enough to turn her attention away from the emerald grass she was carefully harvesting. Aside from a startled glance in the felis's direction, that is. The vixen hummed a soft, soothing tune as she kept working, trusting fully in her friends to deal with the herboar.

Harper's decision to simply stand in the way of the herboar's charge resulted in the grass-furred creature slamming straight into her back, its branch-like tusks barely missing her to instead stick out on either side of her waist. Her strength combined with her stance resulted in the herboar coming to a dead halt, its beady eyes trying to focus on the striped foe which had stopped its charge so bluntly. It squealed angrily even as it tried to topple Harper, but robbed of its momentum it found that it didn't have the raw strength needed to topple the entrenched martial artist.

But then Fina's whip wrapped around her companion, leaving the herboar free to step back and disengage. It snorted as anger turned into confusion, only for the anger to quickly return as it turned around and ran away... only to turn again, intending to simply charge again.

The only difference being that Harper was now wrapped in Fina's whip, and even if the felis were to dispel her creation immediately Harper would have little time to react as for the second time the camouflaged beast boar down on her.

Hearing Fina's curse Vina glanced over her shoulder, blinking as she saw that the tigress was entangled in the felis's arcane weapon.

Do you need help?

It seemed like a silly question to her, but she also was pretty confident that Harper wouldn't appreciate Vina getting involved in fending off the boar if it wasn't absolutely necessary, after the vixen had asked the two felines to act as guards.

Rolls

Herboar
1d100 (32) + 20 - 10 = 48
≤50 = Attack; >50 = Retreat

Harper

Break Free: Pass a DC 88 Fitness Check or a DC 68 Knack Check to escape your restraints. If successful, take an Action. If unsuccessful, take an Action with Disadvantage.

Herboar

Status: Momentum Active
Camouflage: The Herboar's appearance blends in with the forest, causing all rolls against it to be made with Disadvantage unless a DC 50 Awareness Check is passed (Disadvantage does not apply to Camouflage). Characters with Hyper Sense are immune. Characters with Amplified Sense (Sight) have Advantage on the Awareness Check.

Momentum: The Herboar relies greatly on accumulating strength through charging. If not Restrained the DC of all Checks and Saves against it is increased by 20 (does not apply to Camouflage).

Thorny Hide: The Herboar's skin is covered in thorns hidden underneath its fur. When a character comes in direct contact it must succeed a DC 50 Knack Check to avoid Bleeding.

Actions

Block: Pass a DC 100 Fortitude Save to block the Herboar's charge without getting injured.

Evade: Pass a DC 60 Reflex Save to avoid the Herboar's charge entirely.

Restrain: Pass a DC 100 Fitness Check to stop the Herboar's charge and leave it Restrained.

Creative Action: Do something else, I'm not your mom.

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

Harper knew it was going to work. She trusted her body that much. Yet it was still very gratifying to completely halt such a large beast on its tracks like that, the tigress smirking with prideful joy as she looked over her shoulder at the beast's futile attempts to gore her.

"Haha, what's the matter piggy? Feel like you just rammed a ancient tree? A impossibly heavy boulder? Or straight-up a mountain? Yeah, that's me alright."

Unfortunately, the whip of her nightmares came to haunt her once more. A bit more prepared for the crack this time, mainly because of her having Fina in her direct line of sight, Harper only winced slightly at the sound… Before looking back at the felis with a hint of disbelief amongst visible shock at herself being the one wrangled.

If she were in a bit of a calmer situation, she'd just take her time untying herself; she certainly had the flexibility and body mechanics know-how to manage it… But she could already see the boar readying another charge. As such, a much harsher method was required.

"Darn it, you better not feel pain feedback on these, Fina! HROOAH!"

With a mighty flex of her entire musculature, she forcefully made the whip give away enough for her to slip out, her attention quickly going back to the boar. No time to boil up a new maneuver, the same one from before would have to do. Besides, it was a beast. 9 out of 10 times, it wouldn't change the only thing it knew how to do to counter her.

She stopped her motion briefly, however, to face Vina as the vixen offered her help. Closing her eyes, she shook her head with a grin.

"Nuh. Uh. We have your jobs, and you have yours. Besides…"

She stepped firmly onto the ground, leaving a crater as she started her motion.

"TIOH!"

Once again, her back met the boar's unrelenting ram. Using the fact that the block left her facing the other two naturally, she continued her train of thought. However, Vina could probably tell by a slight shift on her face and a small wince that this charge wasn't as painless as last time.

"The less I have to look at you, Vina, the better I'll do my job… Perv."

She jabbed at Vina… With no hopes of it actually making her feel anything besides mild amusement. She knew how her friend was, but she also couldn't just keep taking it the whole day.

Thus begun her counter-offensive… With baby steps.

@Fina Drago @Vina Skysong
Expertise Check
1d100 (40) + 60 = 100

Fitness | Harper | Muscle Fury!

Expertise Check
1d100 (63) + 15 = 78

Awareness | Harper | Spot the Boar 2: The spottening
Save
1d100 (34) + 90 = 124

Fortitude | Harper | Back Block 2: Spine's Revenge!

Expertise Check
1d100 (47) + 0 = 47

Knack | Harper | Ouchies check

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Damage
-

Healing
-

Status
‎ ‎ Stats

In response to her rather embarrassing blunder, Fina quickly tried to quickly retrieve her whip, but it got tangled something fierce. In the end, Harper managed to take action quicker than the weapon's wielder- namely, she managed to completely destroy the arcane, gem-like rope that snared her, well before the feline weapon master could dissolve it on her own. And, thankfully, it only caused her to stumble back as the tension of the rope suddenly gave. Sure did leave her a bit speechless, though.

". . . ."

She didn't know if her weapon was too weak, or if Harper was just that strong... but either way, the boar was still somehow a problem. So while the tigress managed to stop it once again, Fina felt a bit hopeless in her position. Which was making this whole ordeal rather embarrassing... after all, they were here to protect Vina from god-knows-what, and yet they were stumbling around like fools against a mere boar! Well, she herself was... Harper seemed to be doing just fine, frankly.

"Y-you're already in range, can you try to restrain it or something?!"

After the quick shout at Harper, she got to reforming her weapon. Unlike the somewhat unique form she had before, the girl manifested a spear in her palm this time, quickly tossing it, and taking great care not to hit Harper, embedding it by the boar's sides. If nothing else, it would ensure that the beast could not just run around the one who was blocking it right now, effectively locking it in a duel that it would surely lose... eventually.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎❰ Actions ❱
Failed to restrain the boar again

Rolls

Expertise Check (Success)
1d100 (80) + 25 = 105
Awareness | Fina Drago | Boar awareness #2

Expertise Check (Failure)
1d100 (16) + 50 = 66
Fitness | Fina Drago | Boar restrain #2

@Vina Skysong @Harper

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina blinked as Harper forcibly freed herself from the arcane whip, although she wasn't quite as stunned as Fina. Instead, after her initial surprise her tail swished behind her as she smiled a bit mischievously, a playful light in her eyes even as Harper once more blocked the boar's charge simply by standing in front of it.

She also wasn't surprised by Harper turning down the offer for help: the martial artist took her job seriously, and wouldn't want her escort to get involved in warding off something as minor as a boar. Even if this was a particularly persistent beast. The tigress's jab earned her a lighthearted chuckle, the vixen clearly amused.

Fair's fair, no point in mixing business and pleasure, is there~? (She turned her gaze back towards the grass she was harvesting.) Don't worry, I'm almost done here!

She might have playfully wiggled her butt as well, but that wasn't important at the moment.

Given that she'd been busy with her own work she didn't exactly know what the two of them were doing to deal with the boar, although at a glance it looked like Fina was having trouble figuring out how to restrain the boar without hitting Harper as well: perhaps the combination of a grappler and an arcanist didn't have the greatest compatibility, since Vina knew Fina was in her element when she could cut loose with large attacks which would definitely hit Harper as well in this situation.

Try aiming for his tail!

Unlike your common boar the herboar actually had a sizeable hind appendage, which made the vixen think that Fina might have an easier time if she aimed for that part.

The herboar, meanwhile, was once again halted by Harper's sheer sturdiness. The beast snorted as it pushed against the tigress, only to be distracted by the spear hitting the ground next to it. With a sharp motion of its large head it managed to create some distance, its branch-like tusks threatening to draw blood. The scratches Harper had received from the thorns hidden underneath the herboar's fur were more distracting than anything, although they did make Vina frown as she scent reached her nostrils.

But the beast had apparently decided on a different approach: it once again circled around for another charge, but this time it ran straight at Fina, head lowered and tusks pointing at her as if the camouflaged swine wished to impale her. It also ran with a wide berth around Harper, trying to keep her from jumping between it and its new target as it tried to assault the weapon master.

Rolls

Herboar
1d100 (39) + 20 - 10 = 49
≤50 = Attack; >50 = Retreat

Herboar

Status: Momentum Active
Camouflage: The Herboar's appearance blends in with the forest, causing all rolls against it to be made with Disadvantage unless a DC 50 Awareness Check is passed (Disadvantage does not apply to Camouflage). Characters with Hyper Sense are immune. Characters with Amplified Sense (Sight) have Advantage on the Awareness Check.

Momentum: The Herboar relies greatly on accumulating strength through charging. If not Restrained the DC of all Checks and Saves against it is increased by 20 (does not apply to Camouflage).

Thorny Hide: The Herboar's skin is covered in thorns hidden underneath its fur. When a character comes in direct contact it must succeed a DC 50 Knack Check to avoid Bleeding.

Actions

Block: Pass a DC 100 Fortitude Save to block the Herboar's charge without getting injured.

Evade: Pass a DC 60 Reflex Save to avoid the Herboar's charge entirely.

Restrain: Pass a DC 100 Fitness Check to stop the Herboar's charge and leave it Restrained.

Creative Action: Do something else, I'm not your mom.

@Fina Drago @Harper

 

[Harper]

Ignoring Vina’s teasing for her own well-being for now, Harper withstood the boar’s second charge much better than the first, barely letting out a grunt on impact this time as she tauntingly waved her striped tail at the beast. Given that Fina seemingly wasn’t in her best form, the tigress felt it was in the interest of both of them to keep the heat on herself.

However, this admittedly did make actually doing much other than taking the brunt of it a bit awkward. The animal was fast to switch actions, and if she had to wait her turn to not get tangled up on Fina’s own efforts, it left her with very little time to actually attempt something on her own part.

Thus, when the beast decided to switch avenues and go after the smaller of the two of them, while there was a hint of worry in Harper’s mind on whether her comrade would be alright, the tigress knew that she needed to seize this opening.

Timing is everything. She needed to strike as soon as the boar was completely fixated on the fellow Felis.

She counted its steps. A small wiggle of her ears was all Vina’s advice received as Harper’s eyes were dead set on discerning the boar from its surroundings, her irises widening as the beast’s figure started to almost clash with the forest around it. Dead-on.

And when it and Fina were set to clash… She struck.

Going almost belly-down onto the ground, she launched herself. And as soon as she got into range, her hands flew towards their intended targets: One towards the tail, the other towards one of the boar’s front legs, trying to get a hold of them before the judoka used one of her legs to push herself upwards in an attempt to capsize the enemy.

"GRAAAAAAAAH! FINA!"

Harper almost roared those last words. This had gone way too long and their faled attempts were starting to leave the martial artist without her cool.

@Fina Drago @Vina Skysong
Expertise Check
1d100 (61) + 15 = 76

Awareness | Harper | Stares very Staringly | 2117
Expertise Check
1d100 (28) + 60 = 88

Fitness | Harper | owo glomps you(violently) | 2117


Expertise Check
1d100 (56) + 0 = 56

Knack | Harper | 2117