Just a small favor... (open)

[Pandora]

A few miles outside the town of Horunka you find a broken wagon, Nearby stands a very upset merchant and a guard. The merchant is offering a reward if someone can fix his wagon. The catch is that it's a custom model created by a craftsmen in Tolbana. There is no chance of moving the wagon without replacement parts, And the merchant doesn't want to leave his stock unprotected. He's offering (a rather vague) reward from the cart.

~Alydra walked along a pathway towards Horunka, She was a taller women sporting jet black hair just barley touching her shoulders. Her features sharp. He skin was pale, where this the real world she would likely be beet red, And regretting this walk already. Mos players diverted their paths away from her because of the orange indicator hanging above her head. The sun was high in the clouds and a cool breeze washed over the area now and then. A beautiful day all in all. She was in a pretty good mood, Catching sight of something ahead Alydra altered her path, Curiosity getting the better of her. As she approached she noticed the broken wagon along with a plump, short, And well dressed man cursing. His hair was poking out at odd angles, But some semblance of the original clean look remained. A second was quite a bit taller, A sword buckled at his waist. He wore a guards uniform along with bits of metal armor. The sight was quite amusing.~

~The guard nodded at her approach, Alydra tapped the fat mans shoulder as he had yet to notice her. He looked back, and his expression brightened.~ Oh finally help has come. could i ask a small favor of you?

Uh sure, What can i do? ~Alydra replied. I was probably some stupid kill quest, These were getting boring. Depending on the mob she might decline.~

~The merchant held out a piece of paper, Alydra took it and looked over what seemed to be a list of parts, She guessed they belonged to the wagon behind the merchant. Te merchant continued on.~ I need someone to take this list to Tolbana, And bring the parts back to me. I can pay you for your trouble, And if you're quick about it i'll give you something from my stock. ~He gave a sly smile.~

~He wouldn't give any more information about the reward. A screen popped up in front of her with the quests information. She selected the accept button. It could be a fun trip and a nice break from kill quests. It was rare finding anything else without entering the town of beginnings. The guard provided her with the name of the shop "Toby's Woodworks" He had a friendly face she hadn't noticed before. But it seemed like his smile was a bit off. She didn't trust him even without knowing why.~

(wc: 481 - Ooc note, I have a pretty good sized quest line planned here please let me do initial interactions with quest line characters or ask before doing one yourself either is fine.)

[Yorick]

'There were,' Yorick decided, 'distinct disadvantages to being in this world without a great deal of already made friends.'

Idly nibbling on the inside of his lower lip, he sauntered down the road to Horunka. In his estimation, it wasn't a coincidence that he'd heard a local merchant idly wondering about the status of some shipments from the local area. In complete and total honesty, he was probably going to go a bit spare should he be restricted to hunting boars for any more quests. Given his recently developed loathing of anything to do with pork, the fact that he'd apparently progressed enough that the system was urging him to leave the beginners zones was nothing short of a gift.

Feet kicking up small puffs of dust as he strode along, he idly amused himself by ensuring that his steps straddled the worn line carved into the packed dirt by dozens of wagons. His arms lightly gripped the spear slung across his shoulders, the weight of his shield contributing to the weapon's slight bow as he stretched his shoulders back, relishing the light pop that his sternum gave off.

As his vision returned to the horizon, he blinked at the sight of another individual or three clustered around the remains of a broken-down wagon. One rather frantic individual had been staring, desolate, at the remains of his livelihood, and the presence of a rather stereotypical 'merchant guard' marked him as a likely questgiver. The woman standing next to him... well, she was definitely worth a second look.

Unconsciously straightening his habitual slouch slightly, his eyes flashed with interest as they assessed her. Slightly taller than himself, her stance marked an easy familiarity with the blade buckled at her hip, and her regal features definitely marked her as someone that, if he were in the real world, would probably not have given him the time of day. A wary eye continued to focus on her, even as he approached the merchant.

This caution only increased as he focused on her player icon. A brilliant orange light shone above her head, and he felt sweat moisten his palms even as he clenched his hands around the spear. The young woman struck him as far too similar to a predator, and one of the worst things one could do with that type is show fear.

'Caution, on the other hand...'

A quick in-drawn breath, and Yorick spoke loudly, both making sure he was heard by the individuals, and keeping himself well out of casual weapon's reach. "Looks like you've got a bit of trouble here, sir. I'm a fair hand with tools, d'you need assistance in making some temporary repairs?"

((Wordcount: 447))

[Takita]

Dips on a spot. I'll write when I'm on a PC

[Pandora]

~Alydra glanced back at the sound of a newcomers voice, Her hazel eyes scanning him with a piercing gaze. Only slightly shorter than herself. He looked a bit boyish in her mind. Slight amounts of baby fat on his cheeks, And a body that he was still growing into. Alydra also made a mental note of his whitening knuckles like he was gripping the spear in his hands to tightly. Se decided to tease him, Alydra gave him a wink and tapped her knuckles. As if to saw "nice try" but only grinned.~

Well uh... if you know how to fix the suspension, a cracked axle... ~the merchants voice droned on, And on. It sounded like the only thing not broken was the shell. One might wonder how they managed such a true feat of destruction were it not for telltale signs such as wood shavings. Along with a number of oddly shaped pieces of wood the two had obviously torn off the wagon accompanied by more of another color, Which had been more crudely carved. many of which were broken. When the merchant finished he pulled a cloth from his pocket, Which he used to whip the sweat from his face.~ If you're all in a group i can give a reward on delivery to at most six people.

~Alydra wasn't surprised with this last bit of information maximum party size was six. She waved the list she had previously received at the boy.~ You didn't really think it would be that easy did you? Even if you're as good as you say we don't have proper tools here. ~She spoke purely in monotone. It was hard not to laugh, She had been playing strategy games as part of training for a long time. She had learned to read people quite well as a result. His face was totally devoid of expression however, A perfect poker face his body language was another story. appearing rigid, He seemed nervous about more than the orange marker over her head. Perhaps he never had a girlfriend before? This could be fun, A flicker of amusement passed though her face, She approached slowly catlike. Every muscle in her body relaxed but like coils ready to spring. Once close enough Alydra held out the list within arms reach so he could take it to view at his leisure, However folded in a way he would need to make physical contact with her hand.~

(wc: 409)

[Takita]

825 Outfit SHIN OF ADOX

Takita sighed as she was staring at her inventory. Something was missing and the young woman couldn't figure out what she had lost or traded away from previous visits to the town Horunka. Feeling how the tension by her temple got stronger, she gently rubbed it with her fingertips, closing the menu in one swipe with her index finger. Takita stood up from the bench she's been sitting on for the past hour and started making her way to the paths outside the town itself, leading back out in the open fields. It was still sunny out compared to when the young woman got here in the early morning hours, she had traveled with a group of other players that was curious about the world outside the Town of Beginnings. Which had given her protection during the dangerous night walk. But enough of that, Takita gently patted her cheeks with her cold hands as she left the town gate, leaving the safe zone and entering the danger once more. Her steps where light and quick, she felt uneasy on her own, especially in areas she didn't know well or at all for that matter. As Takita was walking on the dirty roads, sand got caught in the wind, forcing her to close her eyes to avoid getting them irritated. When she opened them again, Takita noticed how a little group of people was collecting on the side of the road next to something that just looked like a pile of broken wood. As Curious as she was, Takita jogged over to the group with a smile on her face, hoping with some naive thoughts that they were friendly. Fighting off PKer's was the last thing the young woman wanted to do. While approaching them, she noticed that there was four of them, three men and one woman. A quite tall woman and if anything, it made her stand out like a sore thumb. But only two seemed to be players and the fatter man among them seemed quite nervous while he was desperately trying to wipe away his sweat. She quickly picked up bits and pieces of their conversation but not enough to understand the whole concept. Parts.. Tools.. What in the world would they need that for? she thought before clearing her throat, trying to get their attention. Her attempt was successful as she at least caught the attention of the NPC, fat and rich was the aura he gave her. A shiver went down her back as the guard glared at her, almost like he was tired of having new comers approaching them in a rude manner. '' U-Uhm.. Excuse me.. But are you in any kind of trouble? '' she asked with a shutter, yet to pay any great attention to the players she spoke to. While Takita was waiting for a reply, she without a doubt recognised the man before her. The spear, dark brown hair and the aura of leadership made her smile. It was indeed Yorick that she had met before in her journey, but at that time the poor young man got thrown around like a punching bag by the boars they were fighting at the time, just the thought alone made the young woman chuckle. Takita gave him a nudge followed with a smile before her attention got placed on the cat-like woman who held a paper in her hand. Something about her made Takita shiver but it wasn't until she saw the orange crystal that her breath got stuck in her throat, with a sudden difficulty with finding words, Takita tried to hide her anxiety over her morality but her pure and honest eyes gave Takita away. A feature not many had but if they did, the player was either dead or hiding in the town of beginnings. Despite this it could be a damn curse at times. Especially in cases like this where her true feelings could get the young woman killed. In the death-game they were stuck in, there were many reasons to kill. Some did it for fun, others for supplies or even over pity arguments caused by disagreement. The thought of getting on the wrong foot with the woman who resembled a cat, Takita took a short breath prior to her holding her hands in front of her, clearly showing that she wasn't dangerous nor intending to fight for what's right and wrong. After all, Takita did not know if the killing of another player was intentional or if the situation was forced upon the woman. As her hazel eyes continued to study her.Takita noticed her raven hair didn't quite touch her shoulder and to her surprise, her eyes seemed to switch in colour, almost like the beautiful Norden lights. Despite this, the woman could be dangerous and Takita scolded herself for getting lost in thought, almost staring at her with curious eyes with a hint of fear for her own safety. Pandora Yorick

[Yorick]

An effort of will loosened his fingers on the spear, and he inclined his head slightly in the manner of a fencer acknowledging a point. In response to her question, he allowed the ghost of a smile to quirk the corners of his mouth upward. "One can only hope, right?"

He felt his mouth dry as the woman prowled over to him, and extended the list to him. After an awkward half second where he tried to divine a way to take a look at the quest item without bodily contact, he reached out to pluck the list from her hand, unable to completely prevent a minor tinge of redness from touching his features at the physical contact, almost unnoticeable against his tan.

'This woman is dangerous,' he decided. It wasn't that much of a stretch, given the color of the icon above her head, but that certainly wasn't the only reason for his nerves. The fact that she had yet to move out of his personal space and that her voice was coming from close enough for a frisson of what he sincerely hoped was unease to work its way up his spine despite the monotone, and well...

As he warily read the list of items, he was struck by the complete lack of tools. Both on the list, and in the immediate vicinity.  A small shift of his upper body managed to conceal a glimpse around the area, the calculating shift of his eyes focusing on several small discrepancies under the cover of the lateral movement necessary to scan the list.

'Come to think of it, there really aren't any tools in evidence around here either. Combined with a distinct lack of those on the list here... those wood chips and other evidence of possible deliberate destruction, and something's definitely fishy.'

A slightly larger fragment of a grin touches his features at the sound of a previous companion's voice, his concentration on his surroundings removing some of his control of his features. Takita had been an extremely capable comrade, and he'd be grateful to have her assistance in this situation. An absent glance up threw her nervousness into the forefront of his mind, and his thoughts churned rapidly as he tried to come up with some way of ensuring that this femme fatale not focus her possibly fatal attention on the younger lady.

A quick decision sparked in his eyes, and his body language shifted slightly, doing less to hide his nervousness and embarrassment, even as as he responded to Takita's query. "I would certainly appreciate your help, Takita. I'm sure you would as well, Miss..?"

'C'mon kitty, y'know you want to play with your food...'

((Wordcount 448))

[Pandora]

~The Merchant quickly replied~ as I told these two, I'm willing to give each of you a reward just get my wagon fixed, And be quick about it. ~He turned his back on the three and began his crude attempts at making replacement parts. Clearly not a skilled craftsmen this would never work. The guard simply stood still, Muscular arms folded across his chest. Maybe he was a simple program without many lines? So far the fat little man had done most of the talking. Between his tone, And willingness to try his hand at manual labor the pair seemed to be in a rush.~

~Alydra smirked at the mans comment. If a quest was to easy the reward would be tiny. She secretary hoped for a new dagger or armor to replace the current beginners gear she wore. Maybe a little more for armor. Though she loved the color blue it just didn't mix well with the fair tone of her skin. As the man took the list a minor tinge touched his cheeks. She began a internal battle trying so very hard not to crack. The newcomer broke her will. Cute was the only way Alydra could describe her. Not just in appearance, The way she acted, Everything. No she decided this girl was adorable. She had the most honest face Alydra had ever seen. She had her hands held out devoid of a weapon, Clearly showing she didn't want to fight. It reminded Alydra of her meeting with Anna, Alydra had held that same pose. Her eyes are truly what topped it off. She could almost see the fear, And lost it. Alydra was laughing so hard she just about fell over into the mans arms, instead used his shoulder to steady herself. As she calmed down Alydra used her free hand to wipe a tear from either eye. This, This is why she lived in a field map. The beginners town was filled with cowards. But out here she met people just bold enough to approach. She delighted in teasing them, Alydra would reach up and attempt to pinch the mans cheek. Gasping for air as she spoke.~

You.. sh... should have seen the look on your faces. The two of you are so cute. ~She let out another laugh. her stance had changed to a more relaxed position, And amusement could be read in her voice. She went on to say.~ I'm sorry. The names Alydra, Just Alydra. And you are? ~She hadn't caught anything but the first part of the younger womans name through her laughing fit. Talk? no that can't be right Tasha? She chose to just wait for a reply from the girl herself, It seemed better than guessing aloud.~

(wc: 458)

[Takita]

401 Outfit SHIN OF ADOX

Takita listened to what the fat, rich Merchant had to say. He simply informed her about a reward to get the wagon fixed, doubt spread across Takita's facial expression as she looked at the wagon before her, it looked like a mess! Not even the games best worker would be able to put it back to its former state. Her attention got pulled away from the wagon as Yorick turned to her, stating that her would certainly appreciate her and the cat-like woman's help. She nodded in agreement before getting a pleasant surprise, the young woman with the orange marker burst out in a laugh, a laugh that sounded.. harmless? Like she was enjoying herself. Tears started to form in her eyes as she leaned against the man while wiping her eyes clean from the tears from a good laugh. But Takita's surprise didn't stop there, the young woman was laughing at the two of them, pointing out how their expressions had looked prior to her bursting out in a laugh. With difficulties holding back her own laugh, the young woman chuckled before she cleaned her throat in an attempt to hide the laugh that was building up inside of her. '' Takita. '' she said with a giggle, it had happened before that people had miss heard her name which was something the young woman found amusing. As she started to relax around the two warriors, Takita held her hands behind her back, smiling towards Alydra. She wasn't so bad after all, she seemed to be like every other player in the death-game. Just cursed with the bright orange colour above her head. Curiosity grew inside the young woman but she quickly pushed the thoughts away as she yet again looked at the Merchant. Something with the fat man didn't seem right to Takita, like he was hiding something away from the group of three. Maybe something about the simple quest that he didn't want to tell them? Or was he going to kill them instead of giving out the so promised reward? Her thoughts kept collecting different possibilities as she continued to wonder about what possibly could be kept away from them. She decided not to dwell on it another and turned to face the two warriors. '' What do we do now? '' she asked with a raised eyebrow, waiting patiently for a response from either of the two warriors before her. Pandora  Yorick

[Yorick]

Yorick blinked. You could practically feel his mind grinding gears as it struggled to adapt to the suddenly non-threat that the recently named Alydra had become. The fact that she was currently using his shoulder to prop herself up certainly didn't contribute to him keeping his composure either. 

He was fairly certain that this was just another of Alydra's ploys to keep him a bit off balance, and to be honest, it was working. Conversely, however, was the fact that while she was toying with them psychologically, they were not being attacked physically.

Despite his best efforts to continue viewing her with the utmost caution, his instincts were insisting that her attitude was genuine, that she was genuinely happy that they had not judged her harshly because of her current player status. This, of course, kicked off a herculean mental effort to adapt his mindset to a viewpoint that could handle the new paradigm.

Fortunately, quite a few of his sister Rachel's friends were far too entertained by attempting to make him blush, and the shift from unknown to probable friendly acquaintance gave him some queues to guide his responses. His upright, tense posture collapsed as his nerves alleviated, and his torso struggled to support the sudden additional weight of Alydra. A lopsided grin tugged at his features, assisted by the pinching fingers of the older woman, who was still far within the normal bubble of his personal space. 

'Cute, eh? I can certainly live with cute.'

Reaching up and catching her hand with his, he shifted from underneath her, spun about and, in an effort to keep the good humor going, deliberately overacted a courtly bow over her still cupped hand. A rakish grin expanded on his features, eyes glimmering in good humor as he introduced himself as, "Yorick, milady. A pleasure."

He continued to feel the glower of the guard boring into his spine, and the irritable gaze of the merchant urging them to get on with it, and it was that feeling that guided his answer.

A glance aside brought his eyes to meet Takita's as he straightened, proffering the list of materials to her. "I think we should be on our way. Our merchant friend here has indicated that he needs the supplies on this list from... Toby's woodworks, was it Alydra?"

'Besides, if I'm paranoid, we should be getting away from here to discuss the things that've made me nervous - don't want to insult our benefactor. That certainly goes double for if I'm not. If he's planning some ambush or something, we certainly don't want to let on that we know...

((Word count: 436))

[Pandora]

~Alydra nodded to Yorick, Backing away. She would open the menu with the swipe of her hand. Sending a party request to both of them. Accompanied with a questioning look. They made it sound like they wanted to come along so she didn't bother asking.~ So Yorick and Takita? And yeah I guess it's somewhere in Tolbana, Though I haven't actually heard of the shop before now.

~Without waiting for them to accept she thought Yoricks suggestion a good one and set off down the road. He seemed troubled about something, His posture had visibly relaxed that was something she guessed. It could be worse and he might have attacked her on sight. Some looked at her like that, Unsure if they could win they would back away from her own stares. Well she supposed. It could be her own fault. She didn't feel bad about it though. The glares most gave her in the town of beginnings the attitude even more gave made her want to play the part they had cast for her. Takita on the other hand seemed curious. It was probably the combination of her lax nature within the game, And the orange mark. Takita didn't, And Alydra didn't offer any information,. It might come up later but that wasn't something she was looking forward too. Almost every player who had heard her thoughts on death inside the game thought her insane, Nobody had agreed, Most of these discussions moved to violence rather quickly. None had died from it... Yet. Mostly because none had directed that violence at her, Rather at objects before storming off muttering that she was touched in the head.~

~The wagon, Along with the people that stayed behind grew smaller, and smaller until they were but specks on the horizon, The guard had simply grunted a farewell as they left, The merchant seemed to busy they were gone until they had exited earshot. She wondered by the way he talked if they had a time limit but no countdown appeared in the quest log. Only "Go to Tolbana and speak to the Craftsmen Toby" "Rewards: Xp, Col, " The mystery item intrigued her, She had even thought about sneaking a peak inside the wagon. But every time her eyes wandered the guard had given her a hard stare, Alydra wasn't sure how he might have reacted but was sure it wouldn't be good. After a time she noticed Yorick had something to say, With the wagon far in the distance, And no terrain around that could hide prying ears. She turned, Sitting down and taking a drink of water content to hear what it was about.~

(WC: 443)

[Takita]

327 Outfit SHIN OF ADOX

'' Toby's woodworks.. '' Takita mumbled as she held her chin between her index finger and thumb, wondering why that sounded familiar. With a sigh in defeat, the young woman shrugged and was ready to start their walk as the UI window blocked Takita's view, she quickly read it before accepting the request sent by Alydra, gave the woman a smile and followed her as she started walking. There wasn't much being said between the three as the walk continued, getting further away from the broken wagon that now was in the distance. As the young woman started to hum to create a somewhat relaxed atmosphere between them, Alydra sat down and took a few sips out of her water, like she was waiting for something to be said. Takita hesitated before she sat down next to her, with yet another smile before she leaned back against her arms, looking up at Yorick that seemed uneasy. Unsure if she should ask about it, Takita easily shrugged it off as she closed her eyes to prevent the sand to enter her eyes, causing them to sting. While she was sitting there, the young woman started humming yet again while she was waiting for either of the two to say something. She wasn't that great in conversations when it came to people she didn't know that well. Where you supposed to ask them how the weather was? Or what they missed the most? She let yet another sigh leave her pink lips before she crossed her legs and looked around the party, just to make sure it was save to sit here like this. After all. PKers were always a possibility. '' Is it just me or does the quest seem a bit... spooky? '' the young woman said after a few minutes of silence. She couldn't be the only one to notice the signs of nervousness and how uneasy the fat man had seemed, especially when they became a party of three.    Pandora Yorick

[Yorick]

As the other two players began to move off, Yorick absentmindedly tapped an acceptance into the UI window that was floating in front of him, accepting his place in the new party. Hopping slightly into a quicker gait, he jogged to catch up with Alydra, and exchanged a quick glance as the group passed out of sight around a slight rise.

It was only a few paces later that Alydra lowered herself to the ground, and uncapped a canteen, with Takita joining her in reclining on the grass. Yorick joined them, dropping with a puff of breath atop a mossy log, resting the haft of his weapon on his knees. Upon hearing Takita's statement, he nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, he seemed outright adamant that we not look further into the situation. Combine that with the fact that there were no tools on the list he'd given us, and from what I could see he'd made the effort at woodworking..."

Yorick trailed off with an expressive shrug, and extended a finger skyward. "Well, from what I can see, there's several ways this seems off to me. There were no tools in evidence, and while I'll admit that some of that carving might have been done by the weapon the guard had, he didn't look like he'd have given it up to do that work."

A second finger joined the first as he continued, "If he's willing to do the work to craft repair items himself, why send us for parts, and not just the tools to make his own? It would certainly get faster results if people didn't have to worry about bringing such large items."

A third finger joined the other two. "Not all the wood chips looked like they were made from green wood. Some of the chips and chunks of wood look like they were bits of the already existing parts. Now, that could have been a result of crude attempts at making replacements, or it could have been from destroying the parts in the first place as a lure."

His frown became more pronounced as he leaned forward slightly, entwining the fingers of his hands as they rested between his knees, "Now, I'll be the first to admit that this is possibly me being paranoid - this is still the starting floor after all. However, most of the tabletop games I've encountered have situations like this as preludes to ambushes of some sort..."

((Word Count: 404))

[Pandora]

"I don't mind being the darkness inside the light." ☒ Yorick, Takita ✐ 336//2137 ✉ notes Alydra Lv1

Alydra suppressed a snort at the two, They appeared to think this merchant malicious. Trying to lure them into a trap of some kind. It was odd that they were trying to fix the cart themselves she guessed. It could be he was just in a hurry to get out of there, To the next town with his cartload of goods. Pondering a moment, She would shrug. Nothing they could do other then refuse the quest, And they had already accepted. "I don't think it matters at this point, I'll grant you it's odd they had done some work without tools." She looked thoughtful even while rejecting his idea. "Perhaps it was just game generated, Little thought may have gone into the floor 1 field zones. I mean we only have what? 5 mob types not counting the dungeon boss. As to his attempts to fix the cart he could simply be in a hurry, The the Merchant did say "If we were quick about it" for the reward from the cart but I don't think his attempts will work anyways. It seemed to me that wagon had shocks for transporting breakable goods. I don't believe he would accept that crude work and go on his way. As for your third point it could have been nonessential parts he was attempting to use to replace the ones he needed." She seemed satisfied with her own explanation, Even if not totally believing it. "I'm not saying we trust that merchant but let's see where this quest takes us. Don't worry i'll protect you" She gave the two of them a wink, Clearly not worried about what was coming. Though this was in part due to not being worried about dying.  Standing up she shifted the dagger at her hip into a more comfortable position. Then turning to the two of them. "you're welcome to turn back. My curiosity has the best of me at this point though. I'll be heading on to Tolbana, To meet this Toby"

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS - EDITS BY ANGELO OF SAO-RPG

[Takita]

Words Outfit SHIN OF ADOX

As Yorick started to explain his concern about the fellow quest giver, Takita listened patiently. He wasn't wrong with many of the things he said and quests like this had been seen on the 2nd floor. But as he followed with that he might just be paranoid, Takita sighed and leaned back against her hands, looking at the world around her. As the young woman was ready to blur out some of her worries, a weird sound catched her attention as she turned her head to Alydra that seemed to be the source of said sound. The young cat-like woman didn't see to share the worry of others as she stood up said with a wink that she would protect the two. A chuckle left Takita's lips as she heard this. Despite the orange marker above Alydra, despite the fact that she killed someone. Takita didn't dislike the woman. And if she had the chance, they might even become good friends. While she got dragged away by her thoughts, she noticed how Alydra stood up, explained that she was indeed going to the workshop as she her curiosity took the best of her. Scared of what might happen if she let her go alone, Takita stood up, brushed the e damp grass off her blue starting gear prior to giving the two a smile. '' Shall we? '' she said while pointing towards the road ahead of them, Tolbana wasn't close but nor was it far away. Despite this, the young woman would prefer being there before nightfall. You never knew what danger could find the protection of the dark. A shiver went down her back just by the simple thought. Pandora Yorick

[Yorick]

Yorick found his lips twisting into a wry grin as Alydra calmly riposted all of his points. He even found himself biting back an amused snort at her promise to protect them. Not that he wasn't appreciative of her offer, it was the fact that he found himself goaded into moving forward with her reply.

Even though he was fairly sure that it hadn't been meant in such a way, and his imagination was running away from him again, he still found himself struck by the mental image of Alydra pinching his cheek, declaring his worry 'oh, so cute.'

'C'mon, David, she doesn't seem like the type to do that.' he ruminated. Levering himself to his feet, he nodded slowly at Alydra's point, all the while exhorting himself. 'Keep your mind on the job, buddy. Don't get pulled into tangents.' 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Takita regaining her feet as well, and gallantly waved her forward before falling into step at her side, "After you, my dear Alphonse."

((Word count 172))