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Post by Juni on Jul 3, 2021 14:45:20 GMT -8
It was constantly snowing at the bottom of Holly Jolly mountains, as the clouds surrounded the peak mid-way, hiding Jingle village from view at the very top of the largest mountain. It was the atmospheric eye of the snow storm at the peak, which was the primary reason the villagers lived there in the first place. In addition, hiding whatever secrets involving the history of the place. One of the many stories her grandfather Oolong has told her family in his old age was of this mountain and just like the rest of her demonic pig siblings it was far fetched story telling. A novel she read in the former Tea Princess’ youth described a genius mad scientist who created a human using the body parts of the dead and brought it back to life with the use of electricity called Frankenstein. The story Oolong told was far too uncanny to the original fictional story and he only changed it slightly by inserting himself along with the tall tale about a saiyan boy named Kakarot. Juniper’s quintuplets adored the Kakarot Comic books as well as Pilaf Adventures as part of their reading in modern literature, and it was mostly a retelling of a collection of stories published by both companies. It was with great difficulty to determine which story was true to real history as it had been so long that details have diverged over time. The Dandelion clan held different ideals in the erudition of earth’s history, only learning of it, and protecting the Pig demon duchies regardless whether or not their actions held moral bearing. Since the dawn of literature, the western lands have always been this way, unified under one banner while under the threat of a common enemy. Juniper calmly enjoyed a hot cup of floral tea, she watched the flower blossoms that survived the harsh cold weather conditions, its vibrant color standing out against the white terrain. Meanwhile, her husband and father to their five children was surveying the immediate area of the battlefront at sea. While everything was still and calm in the heated temporary home, Namekians and earthlings were constantly battling at the border, long before she was born into the world. The couple agreed it was time to end this tyranny for the future of their children, so they traveled up north to secure the border, and eventually end the life of Piccolo daimao to cease the war. [402] Chardonnay Valentus
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Post by Valentus on Jul 3, 2021 22:54:35 GMT -8
" Why-why-why is this so cold?!" a freezing pixie's scared voice rolled across the endless snowy slopes of the Holly Mountains. It was quickly suppressed by the snowstorm, however. Rolling down the mountain, tearing through bushes and woods, a torrent of snow and ice was able to deter all but the bravest and most determined travellers from reaching the more serene mountain tops. Paizu was neither - she would much rather stay in the marshes and forests she called home, where it could still snow sometimes and give her the joy of watching snowflakes fall, but not constantly. Nor this fiercely. So, the pixie was huddled in between Valentus' hands - the Tuffle held them cupped to cover her from the blizzard and give her a place to curl up for warmth. It helped, but only a little bit. Valentus himself continued pushing through the snow, his red cape fluttering in the icy wind - its newfound weight served as a drag, as if he was carrying a massive bag on his back, but it only furthered his determination. " Well..." the Tuffle muttered, stopping short to turn his face away from the brunt of the blizzard - speaking would leave his mouth full of snow otherwise. " You said it was in the North." " Yeah, but not this kind of North!" a yell came out from inside his hands. " When I saw that village in a book, it was... calm and friendly and beautiful and there was no snowfall! The bookmakers are at fault! They lied to me!" Valentus did not bother answering, he just pushed on. Granted, he agreed with Paizu in part - the storm maybe could have waited a few days. Even he, dressed in a suit of armor with cloth underneath, was feeling the chill - though, all he needed to do was just grit his teeth, ignore the feeling and carry on. Earth is a vast place, as Valentus has learned in such a short amount of time. Every region seems to have its own story, its own hive of villainy, and its own challenges which even an ensemble of heroes would take many, many years to clear out. The Far North was a case in point. During his travels across the planet, the Tuffle learned bits and pieces about the seemingly endless conflict happening in the region, between the local inhabitants and the progeny of an ancient Demon King who once sought to take over the entire planet. Though his schemes were unsuccessful, the people of the region still suffer to his descendents - fighting off raids, banditry, and attempts at conquest, constantly and needlessly losing lives every year. And that sounds like something a hero can wave his sword at. Maybe not resolve the entire centuries old conflict singlehandedly... but if Valentus manages to save at least a soul or two, then he will be more than satisfied. " FINALLY!" Paizu's voice called out again. The first unassuming houses of Jingle Village started inching closer and closer to them. Not only that, but the blizzard was dying out as well - perhaps the village was built at just the right place to avoid the storms constantly crashing at the base of the mountains. The pixie peeked her head out of Valentus' hands, while the Tuffle took an easier breath. " Looks like the village is not in immediate danger," he muttered. " Come on, maybe someone will give us shelter for a bit." (567 words, total 567) Juni Chardonnay
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Post by Chardonnay on Jul 4, 2021 1:14:48 GMT -8
“Huh, that’s weird…” Chardonnay muttered under her breath, “I’m pretty sure they went this way…” apparently, the little girl and her demon got lost in the wilderness as they follow after her brother and the Bossa Nova Twins. They were traversing the slopes of Holly Jolly mountain when the blizzard hit, the two girls tumbled together a few meters as they got carried by the fierce icy wind, and the scooter they were riding on fell off the cliff. Before they got swept away further, Sakuya the demon mustered all her strength, and caught the little girl in her arms, as she ran in a quick pace to get to the safer zone. It was a good thing that Merlot gave them instructions ahead of time, telling them that if ever they got lost sight of each other during the snowstorm, it would be best to keep climbing up the village, rather than search through the wilderness looking for one another. His confidence of trusting her sprung from Chardonnay’s determination to fight and learn despite being weak, besides there was also Sakuya, the young demon who could protect her in case she faced any danger. They were already halfway through the peak, while the blizzard slowly died down at this part, the slope kept increasing, which made it a bit of a struggle for the girl to climb up, add to the fact that the white terrain was also slippery, such that Chardonnay kept falling and tumbling downward. “Brother…”, the little girl cried lifting her face from the ground as she recovered, her amber eyes were almost filled with tears but the chill breeze instantly wiped it away. The girl started to feel numb, while she was dressed in a fur coat and snow boots, the cold was beginning to seep in through her clothes, and eventually to her skin. On the other hand, demon was tolerant of the weather, Sakuya tried to pull the baroness up, encouraging her to keep going. Yet, Chardonnay seemed hopeless. How could a little girl even survive a tremendous snowfall? She had only just began her physical training, and this situation made her think twice of her decision to fight along side her brother and the Bossa Nova twins to protect their village. Her voice instantly repeated the last phrase. To protect their village. Their village, which was invaded by the Namekians a few years ago that caused her father's death. While Chardonnay was still young to understand war, the feeling of losing someone important to her was enough to serve as a driving force for that choice. With a new found vigor and determination, she reached for Sakuya's hand and continued their journey, they were still too far from the village uphill, yet, there was no other way but up. If she wanted to be strong enough to achieve her goal, to prevent someone else from disappearing again, she must survive this storm. At long last, they reached their destination. Chardonnay was sore all over her body, and Sakuya was too hungry to take another step. Both of the girls fell unconscious at the front door of one of the houses near the village entrance. [535/535] Juni Valentus
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Post by Juni on Jul 4, 2021 15:26:30 GMT -8
Jingle village was special, only the strong willed lived here, the mountain top was thirty thousand meters from the ground even the atmospheric pressure would crush a normal earthling who was unprepared. The house the dandelion princess was resting in was different from the other dome structures, it was made of a special wood that was able to resist soaking the snow with a westernlands appearance, and it was temporary as it was not attached to any power lines like the other houses further away. Beyond the village was muscle tower, which was currently locked away from visitors, now that Juniper put some thought on it, the land was a prize for a winter event that was to be aired on television. The quintuples were so eager to participate from the announcement, she had completely forgotten about it, until now when she looked at it from the comfort of her home. After Juniper took a sip of her tea, she recognized Sakuya by the bamboo husk in her mouth, Duke Toma Fudo’s vassal, who was carrying a young girl in robes distinct to the westerlands across the snow. Both of the petite girls collapsed right in front of the entrance falling unconscious from the fall. Juniper blinked her cobalt eyes and resumed finishing her tea, unfazed by what transpired, and elegantly stood up on her tabi socks to enter the home. After a beat, she returned at the doorway with a massive paintbrush which was crafted with a dragon ball shard embedded inside, and used her mystic abilities to lift the girls by creating a slab underneath them with magic materialization. The slab levitated into the house, towards the Irori in the center of the tatami mat flooring of the living room, and their nearly lifeless bodies were repositioned on the warm floor. Juniper placed her paint brush against a wall and checked their pulses, which were weak from the cold, and the elevation they were in. It was surprising that Sakuya was pushed to the limits, given her demon blood, but it must have been for other reasons that she was this exhausted from climbing a frozen mountain that rivaled frying pan mountain and mount paozu. In order to remedy the situation the diagnosis was complete rest, so she covered them both in a futon blanket that was removed from a nearby kotatsu, and resumed sitting down on the wooden floor to pour out more tea into a cup with a kettle.
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Post by Valentus on Jul 5, 2021 0:29:08 GMT -8
Having lived his first life in a large mansion owned by the House of Nectarine in Compote City during his first life, and spending most of his second life deep in the underground complexes of ISLET, Valentus was surprised by the tiny villages scattered across Earth when he first ventured out and arrived to one. Such a calm idyll, oftentimes with no more than a handful of people living in a village at any given time, was a significant change of pace both from busy and packed city life and from the cold sterile lifeless bunkers. It wasn't easy to come to terms with the idea that this too was civilization, not just the high culture he had been used to so far. Jingle Village was exemplary of the calm village idyll which defined so much of the surface of Earth. No more than a dozen buildings were scattered across a large area atop the mountain, with significant space in between them - no central planning, merely the whims of the local population and any new immigrants. The houses were all Capsule design dome houses, a common sight in this climate on Earth. They were both easy to set up and much more sturdy than anything you can construct from the local materials, quite useful when you are dealing with the freezing winds, blizzards and avalanches of the Arctic. Well, "all houses were Capsule design" was an overexaggeration. There was one which stood out pretty sharply from the rest. Wooden, its design looking out of place for the region, and... " That-that-that house is weird..." Paizu muttered from inside Valentus' hands, her voice cracking and shaking from the still freezing cold. " It-it-it looks perfectly dry, even though we just went past a blizzard..." " Unless th-there's something special about that wood... or the house in general..." the Tuffle replied, the chill reaching his voice as well. Even if he ignored that admittedly odd point, the house still drew him towards it, and while searching for a place which may admit him to stay, he decided to give the wooden house a try. " Hey, wait-" Paizu called out as Valentus suddenly picked her up from her hands, and she disappeared underneath the plates of his armor. For a second, at least, before she peeked out from underneath the collar, though still understandably not very satisfied. The Tuffle himself shook his head to throw off the snowflakes stuck in his orange hair, stepped onto the porch, and knocked on the door. If answered, he'd fold his hands, politely nod and introduce himself, his voice still shaking from the cold: " H-hello ma'am, my name is Valentus, I've been travelling through this region for weeks - could I go inside for a little bit for warmth...?" Paizu would peek out further and offer a friendly wave as well. (470 words, total 1037)
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Post by Chardonnay on Jul 5, 2021 18:21:59 GMT -8
From the harsh winter environment, the climate suddenly turned warm...and fuzzy, Sakuya opened her eyes, and rose up from the futon that was covering them, she looked around the house, while it wasn’t familiar to her, she immediately recognized the lady with cobalt eyes who was sipping her tea across the room, waiting for them to wake up. The young demon’s stomach growled, thus she stood up and walked over to her. Sakuya pointed to her stomach, and then to her bamboo muzzled mouth, which should give a hint to the woman that she was hungry. She would then wait for her response, and went back to sit beside Chardonnay, who was still sleeping comfortably under the warm futon. After a few more minutes, the earthling woke up, startled that they were already inside a cozy house. “Where are we? Sakuya-chan?” she asked her demon companion, Sakuya then turned and pointed her finger to the owner. With a bit of a struggle, Chardonnay curled up and turned to face the lady, she winced at first, still feeling her sore muscles, and eventually bowed down to the kind mistress, “Thank you for your kindness, miss. We owe you our lives, but we need to find my brother and his friends. They might be looking for us as well,” after giving respects, Chardonnay tried to rise on her feet, grabbing Sakuya by her hand. "Let's go Sakuya-chan," a few steps was made, and afterwards the little girl fell to her knees again. Apparently, she still couldn’t move her legs well, which was caused by the cold atmosphere outside, as well as fatigue from climbing such a high terrain. At this point a knock on the door was heard, out of instinct and excitement thinking it was her brother, Chardonnay did her best to stand up and run towards the entrance to open the door. A disappointed look formed on her face, when she met the gaze of a strange orange-haired guy, who was also tolerating the cold outside. [344/879] Juni Valentus
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Post by Juni on Jul 6, 2021 12:47:58 GMT -8
Sakuya was the first to wake up, expressing that she was hungry with hand gestures, and Juniper simply nodded as she scooted across the tatami mat to use a ladle over the Irori to pour vegetable broth into a much smaller cauldron with a lid. The ladle was given to the gluttonous demoness, it was an assumption on her part that used utensils to eat, but she had never seen Sakuya this famished before to know for sure. It was already a problem for her not to eat her fill by biting a bamboo husk between sharp teeth.
“You can eat the rest of the pot over the fire. If you’re still hungry, I have rice steaming in a vat and it should be done as soon as the air becomes aromatic, Sakuya-san.”
The Dame was quick to excuse her short visit, calling over her vassal before they had a chance to eat, attempting to stand up, nearly falling over, until she managed to reach the sliding screen door. A rapture at the seemingly wooden door frame changed the expression on the noble girl’s face expecting the person to be her brother. In her weakened state, she did not even pause to use her ability to detect her brother’s ki signature, and was ultimately disappointed.
Juniper complacently looked over to the front entrance, the glass sliding door was opened by Chardonnay to reveal a young man clad in armor on the other side, specifically seeking refuge inside the home.
“Come in, warm yourself by the fire, Valentus-san.” Juniper called over, she stood up, and offered a bow in greeting, “Welcome to my humble abode. I am Princess Juniper of the Dandelion Clan in the Westernlands but I hold no rank in the Northern region. Feel free to simply call me Juniper as any commoner would. What is your name my dear child?”
Chardonnay had nearly forgotten her own etiquette as a noble in her hurried state of mind so the question was directed towards her as well when Juniper’s cobalt eyes looked over at her.
[337] Chardonnay Valentus
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Post by Valentus on Jul 6, 2021 23:55:39 GMT -8
The door of the wooden house was opened by a small child, possibly not even in the teens yet, with dark hair reaching to the shoulders and two blue eyes staring up to him. After a few seconds of wonder and excitement, the girl struck a frown and did not respond - clearly, she was expecting someone to visit and it was not Valentus. The Tuffle was left confused for a second, before the other person inside of the house called out to him, and allowed him to stay.
Introducing herself as Miss Juniper of the Dandelion Clan, she was clearly an adult, and too had black hair to the shoulders with a set of blue eyes. With herself, she carried a massive brush, almost as tall as her, and her dress invoked an upper class upbringing as well - not a sight he has seen before, especially not a massive brush being used as a tool, but having lived on Earth for quite a while, Valentus has gotten used to expecting such eccentricities from Earthlings. Compared to the ever efficient and pragmatic Tuffles, who would rather create five bland, but effective armor suits in place of one ornate uniform, the inhabitants of this planet were more... creative.
A third girl was huddled up inside, near a fireplace, who too was dark haired, though the most striking trait about her was the husk of a bamboo completely covering her mouth. Why she needed to be gagged was beyond the Tuffle knight, but he figured the Earthlings would provide an answer if he ever needed to ask.
Without anything else to go by regarding their relationship, Valentus assumed that they were mother and daughters. Though, that presumption did not hold ground for long, as after allowing Valentus inside, Juniper turned to the first girl, asking for her name. So, some other hypothesis had to replace it eventually.
"Thank you very much, miss Juniper!" he called out, smiling, and stepped inside after a polite nod. The inside of the house was cozy and warm, and the decor was befitting of an owner with a noble title. Not as vast as the mansions of the House of Nectarine back on Planet Plant, sure... but, then again, Jupiter did assure that she was not from this region. From inside Valentus' armor, Paizu pulled herself out and flew straight across the room, landing a few feet away from the fire, where the bubbling warmth finally hit her, and laid down on her back with her limbs spread.
"Ahhh..." she mumbled under her breath, satisfied at last. Since it did not seem like she was going to introduce herself, Valentus spoke as he sat down:
"Her name is Paizu, Paizu of the Forest of Terror. She... can be a bit of a bother sometimes, but she isn't that bad once you get to know her..."
(477 words, total 1514)
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Post by Chardonnay on Jul 8, 2021 20:06:10 GMT -8
The young demon was about to feed herself with the vegetable broth prepared by Juniper when she was suddenly pulled away by Chardonnay, thankfully, she was able to put it down quickly, that it didn’t spill on the tatami while they hurried out the door. Instead of her brothers and the Boss Nova twins, she was met by an orange-haired guy who called himself Valentus, and was accompanied by a cute fairy. The owner introduced herself as Juniper, the princess of the Dandelion clan in the Westernlands. The little girl’s eyes glimmered with hope knowing that the princess came from the same place as she was, and introduced herself in a beat, “Pardon my rudeness earlier Princess Juniper,' the baroness bowed down to make an apology, “ I am Baroness Chardonnay of the Wine Clan from Grape Vine Village in the Westernlands. And this is my vassal, Sakuya. Pleased to meet you, Princess Juniper, Mr. Valentus, and… Paizu.”Realizing that she wouldn’t be able to see her brother and his friends for a while, she went back inside along with the new guest, sitting by the futon. Sakuya, on the other hand, resumed eating, taking the bamboo muzzle off her mouth first with the help of her master. Her sharp teeth showed up as she opened her mouth to eat the vegetable broth prepared by the mistress earlier. With deep thought, Chardonnay pondered her next course of action. Without any knowledge on her brother's whereabouts, it would be dangerous for them to continue their journey in the Northernlands, not only because they were in a foreign territory but also because of the fact that the cold war was still on-going. “Uhmmm.. " the little girl finally spoke, "Since Sakuya-chan and I might not be able to meet with my brother soon, would it be okay if we stay here for a while, Princess Juniper?”
[315/1193] Juni Valentus
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Post by Juni on Jul 8, 2021 21:17:04 GMT -8
It seemed Paizu was far too relieved to be out of the cold and into a warm room to be concerned with formalities. The mystic offered a simple nod in response to the fairy.
Juniper’s smile changed briefly, at the realization that the Dame inherited her new title of Baroness at a young age, and while she had only been away from the Western lands for a month it seemed the minor clans were suffering losses in the war against Namekians.
“My condolences for your recent loss, Baroness. Thank you for your efforts in assuming your new title among the Pig Demon Duchies.” The Dandelion Princess bowed deeply.
There was a long pause to reflect no emotion, a custom in the Western lands to convey sympathy through subtlety, and for Chardonnay to accept with the out most respect.
“Would you like to eat vegetable stew, Valentus-san, Paizu-san, Baroness? I set some aside so that Sakuya can finish the entire pot given her demonic appetite. Join me at the table.”
After receiving an answer, she elegantly walked over to the kotatsu, placing the iron pot she set aside in the middle of the table. Refined wooden bowls were set down, along with similar soup spoons, and she sat on one side of the square table gesturing for the others to join in. Apart from Sakuya who was going to eat directly from the boiling pot over the iori in one sitting.
“The Pig demon duchies coined the name from Oolong’s voracious appetite when the fiefdom united four hundred years ago between warring states under his rule as Grand Duke. However, my grandfather Oolong, was no demon, he was simply a pig beastman with an affinity for the mystic arts like myself.” Juniper explained as she poured herself a bowl, waiting for the others to take a seat, as a host she needed to wait for them to eat first.
“You mentioned traveling for weeks, is there somewhere you need to be, Valentus-san?”
As soon as Chardonnay settled in she turned her attention to the young girl, “Certainly your brother must be at the northern sea border? It will take some time before he can rendezvous to Jingle Village given the weather conditions of the north. Take all the time you need to rest here. I am confident that my husband and the samurai of the Dandelion Clan will protect the Baron of Grape Vine Village.”
[398] [1,550] Valentus Chardonnay
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Post by Valentus on Jul 9, 2021 1:44:35 GMT -8
Both Juniper and Chardonnay had long titles to attach to their names while introducing themselves. One was Princess of the Dandelion Clan in the Westernlands, the other was Baroness of the Wine Clan from Grape Wine Village in the Westernlands. Compared to them both, a mere "Valentus Nectarine" almost appeared inadequate, as if he was suddenly thrust back into the court politics of the Tuffle nobility which marked so much of his childhood during his first life.
To be fair, he could have very easily played along. He was an heir to a list of titles inherited for generations from Asbolus Nectarine himself, and as his lineage eventually went extinct during eight hundred years of separation from today, Prince Peach made a habit of calling him by them as well. Marquis of the House of Nectarine, Alderman of the City of Cheripie, Knight of the Order of the Righteous Wing... Valentus did not particularly care about any of them, however - without Planet Plant, and without the rest of their race, those titles held no weight, and they inevitably never will.
The call for dinner immediately got the Tuffle to perk up - he had only just removed his suit of armor and placed it next to the front door.
"Yes, absolutely, thank you!" he called back and immediately made his way to the table and take a seat. After walking through blizzards and snow for so long, any sort of warm food was ambrosia to him. Paizu, meanwhile, merely raised her head from the ground and replied:
"Do you have... flowers, instead?" For fairies such as her, nectar was the main source of nutrition - so she was not up for stew at all. Valentus, meanwhile, clasped his hands, nodded in respect to the owner of the house, and began eating with an enormous appetite. It did not take long for him to stop, however - Juniper raised a question which he needed to answer. If he was travelling for weeks, then where is he travelling to? The Tuffle gulped the food in his mouth, wiped away a bit of stew around his lips, and answered:
"I am not travelling anywhere in particular. I am a travelling hero - or, at least, I aspire to be one," His voice was building up with energy and enthusiasm. "And I heard that the people living throughout this region are in a constant need for aid. Raids, banditry, attempts at conquest - all things which I can jump in to and help those who need the help. I had a worry that Jingle Village might need help as well, but as I've come here... it seems life here is peaceful for now."
(444 words, total 1958)
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Post by Chardonnay on Jul 9, 2021 18:52:44 GMT -8
Chardonnay couldn’t hide the grief she was feeling until this day, it wasn’t easy to have lost someone very dearly to her, and to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of everything he left, circumstances didn’t allow her to lament on their loss properly, and she had decided to train and become strong so she could protect their people alongside her brother. Tears were visibly about to fall from her eyes, but she held back and instead put on a warm smile when she looked up to the princess, “T-thank you, princess. I appreciate your concern. Yes, I am doing my best, I hope I could be someone who our people will be proud of someday.”
The next few moments, they were ushered to the kotatsu to eat, “That’s very kind of you. Thank you,” she said as she followed Juniper and the other two guests, while Sakuya remained where she was and was currently enjoying her fill. When everyone settled down, the princess introduced their faction to Valentus, a fact that Chardonnay already knew. The little girl was silently eating her fill as she listened to the orange haired guy, that he was travelling far places to help those in need, a trait which the baroness admired since she was still learning how to be tough. “T-that’s very admirable, Mr. Valentus. Having to go the distance to help others,” a blush formed on her cheeks, she wished she could do the same for her people, ”Does that mean your people are safe from danger? As a baroness, I am still training with my brother so I could protect my own. I know I am still weak, but I hope I could be as strong as him, or as brave as you.”When Juniper mentioned about the possibility that Merlot and the Bossa Nova twins were at the border, the little girl couldn’t help but worry, though the mistress’ words brought comfort to her heart, Juniper then continued that the two girls could stay at her place while they wait for her brother's return, "I-i see. Thank you princess, I could also help with the housework in return for your favor.”
[367/1560] Juni Valentus
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Post by Juni on Jul 10, 2021 2:20:50 GMT -8
As soon as everyone settled in to eat, the fairy asked if she had any flowers, it seemed she had a specific diet, and Juniper was curious on the type of flowers provided nourishment. Fairies were rare in the first place, especially one that was not exactly a familiar for someone who divulged in arcane magic, and her cobalt eyes looked over to the fresh flower arrangement inside a vase that she put together this morning. “Can the flowers be freshly cut or do they need to be planted?” Juniper wondered curiously, while she waited for an answer, she demurely ate the vegetable stew while it was still hot. Valentus offered his plans for Jingle Village, specifically being of aid, either as a mercenary for hire or for fame. The red head’s motivation was unclear at first glance, since he was not well informed on how to be of aid in the community, he must have been unfamiliar with the resources needed to accomplish his goals. Juniper reached inside a hidden side pocket of her kimono, pulling out a mobile Capsule Corp phone, activating the screen and sliding it across the kotatsu table for the young man to look at. “All the available requests for assistance are online, each region has its own governments, and it is updated daily. These are the jobs available for the Northern Lands. Do you have your own mobile phone, Valentus-san?”Juniper turned her attention to the Baroness, who offered to do chores in exchange for her temporary stay, and she picked up the concern she felt knowing her brother was fighting Namekians at this very moment. With a gentle nod, she finished eating her portion of the stew in her bowl, and then folded her hands neatly on her lap. “Of course, I appreciate your help Baroness, and do not fret if your brother takes too long to arrive at Jingle Village. I can personally escort you to coast myself to check on the status of the battlefield.” [334] [1,884] Chardonnay Valentus
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Post by Valentus on Jul 10, 2021 12:23:50 GMT -8
"If they still have nectar inside, then they're good enough for me..." Paizu muttered as she drowsily rose from the floor and sat down on her butt, then yawned - the sudden change from freezing cold to radiant heat of the fireplace left her sleepy and lacking energy. Or maybe that was the hunger. In some respect, fairies were like insects, or in this case bees, and fulfilled a similar role in the biosphere, feeding on flower nectar.
Except, of course, fairies were magical, and bees were not. Or maybe they were? They do say, after all, that according to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee would be able to fly...
While Paizu was drowsily sauntering through the room and flying up to the table for the set of freshly cut flowers which Juni offered to her, Valentus glanced to the side, slightly taken aback by Chardonnay's sudden awe at his, admittedly, still rather meager exploits - his description of himself as an aspiring hero got her inspired as well, and she assured that as soon as she grows stronger, she will try to become as brave as him.
"I... try," Valentus finally formulated an answer. "Someone has to get out there and try to make things better for others, though, and I am hoping to be that someone." Juniper's questions were more matter of fact, however - she was wondering on how he was handling his quest, whether he ever took a look at the Mission Board, which she so helpfully displayed from her mobile as a display of what she meant.
"I have looked at the Mission Board, yes, though I do not have a phone myself - if I ever need to, I ask someone to open it up in the villages I travel, and usually, people are helpful enough to do so." It wasn't that he was so out of touch with modern technology that he was unfamiliar with it at all - in fact, back during his time in ISLET, he had access to a plethora of telecommunications devices and personal computers alike, but he deliberately abandoned all of those in his bunker when he fled. Any helpful electronics were also a tracking hazard, and while that would be a ridiculous concern at best for any normal person, it was an entirely different matter for someone on the run from ISLET.
"And besides, not every call for help ends up on that Board. Not everyone can access their phone to report their need at any given time, whether it's because they live too remote from civilization, or they are lost in the wilderness - and someone needs to look after them, you know? And it's just... more nice to go out and meet people myself. Makes it feel less... detached, than just filling out a mission check list."
If anything, Chardonnay's case today was similar to what he had just said.
"You can count me in, too, if you need help to find your brother!"
(500 words, total 2458)
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Post by Chardonnay on Jul 11, 2021 10:12:33 GMT -8
For a moment, Chardonnay watched the little fairy Paizu relish in the food provided by the princess for her, the winged creature happily hovered over the flowers, sipping through their nectars with great satisfaction. The little girl then went back to feeding herself, feeling the last scoop of the almost cold stew between her lips, and thanking their host for such a nice meal, "Gochisosama deshita," she uttered as she clasped her hands together in gratitude. It was also at this point that Sakuya finished chowing down her portion, leaving the pot empty, the demon hastily moved towards her master, handing out the bamboo muzzle to her asking for help in tying the husk against her mouth again. The baroness happily complied while listening carefully to Valentus. The question of whether his people were safe from danger was somewhat evaded, the travelling hero didn’t answer directly, as if he was reluctant to share anything about his community. Chardonnay was not the type of person to stick her nose into other people’s businesses, while she was friendly and curious, she wouldn’t force anyone to spill anything if it was beyond their comfort to share. The mention of Valentus not having a telecommunication device surprised the little girl, as a traveller, wasn’t it important to keep a handheld phone or GPS or any technology that could help him navigate places better? Her brows twitched for a second as she pondered deeply. It was quite odd, and the little girl was beginning to suspect if the other guest might be a runaway or criminal, but then eventually dismissed the strange thought. There was no way a runaway or criminal would put themselves in danger to help others, and Valentus looked like a promising valiant warrior. Perhaps, it was just… his preference. Juniper then brought up the idea of escorting them to check on the status on the border to look for her brother and the twins. While she wanted to see Merlot and the Bossa Nova twins as soon as possible, the idea seemed a bit scary… certainly, she wouldn’t be able to protect herself yet from the dangers that they might encounter there, but sensing the ki of the princess and the foreign hero....Chardonnay felt confident to try, at least she might be able to join them as soon as she hoped for. [397/1957] Juni Valentus
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