While Ono-san did cool things

[deusexhormones]

Characters: Haruki, Kyonko, Estelle, whoever else he invites/wants to come? (PM or plurk (bigdamnhero) me to let me know you're interested)
Date: 16th of September
Format: I'm going to action spam
Content Warnings: ???
Summary: Haruki is interested in diplomatic mission and invites his girls in an open network post. A little less than a week later, the group sets out to get down to negotiations.

[I don't actually know for sure who's here and who isn't, I just wanted to get it up so I can establish it happened/is happening

So it's been a little less than a week. Haruki took that time to pack up some supplies, buy some maps, cook some lunches, and generally be ready to set out and get down to negotiations. It seems they're going to need to journey out there and while it isn't far, he hasn't left the city yet and with quests talking about murderous parrot-things, he actually is a little concerned. But... he's got this. He even has some special things backed in his backpack. So here's here to meet everyone at the greed city gate.

...Naturally he's also the first one here]

Comments

[little_miss_snarker]

'Always the first one here. Especially since he doesn't give us a time to be here in the first place.'

[And, for once, Kyonko isn't the very last person here. Which likely means she won't be the one picking up the check for once. (Hooray!)

That doesn't mean she isn't nervous about this. She's looked over the questboard a few times. There's a reason she's avoided taking jobs on it for money! But there's no way she's going to let Haruki go on something like this by himself, no matter how much he's seemed to change or how nervous it makes her. She basically chose him over a normal life back home and resolved to take more responsibility for her actions when it came to him.

So even if she thinks they're both ill-suited to this.... she's going. She even has her own backpack packed and everything!]

Uh. Hey! You forgot to tells us what time we're meeting up.

[fieldtrip]

[Toph ambles over in her own time, looking supremely unconcerned about possible danger and in fact a little eager. She'd been brought on as security, a position she relished.

There's a worn backpack along with her that looks like it's seen many trips just like this, but she doesn't carry it on her back, she has it dragging along by the strap. When she walks up to them and stops at appropriate conversational distance, she lets it drop with a whump and a small cloud of dust.]

You're coming, too? [she asks Kyonko, and then faces both of them, rubbing her hands together.] This should be fun-- I've been meaning to go out there. Think we'll run into any cave monsters on the way?

[It looks like she wants the answer to be yes.]

[storywriter]

[Estelle comes in not long after, still rearranging a few rolls of bandages and other first aid materials in her bag when she reaches the others.]

I suppose they're might be, but unless they're particularly strong I don't think there should be much trouble. [Confidence after having traveled around like this a lot--she was no zealot for fighting like Yuri or Judith, but she knew how to handle herself. Upon seeing how many people were there though...] Oh! I didn't realize we'd have a sizable group.

[deusexhormones]

Only the four of us. [He nods to himself and then gives a brief aside to Kyonko in Japanese before pressing on-] Shut up, everyone else showed up in on a timely basis anyway. Also, for the record, the pink haired one's my roommates, Estelle.

[Cough, and he spreads his arms] So yeah,the four of us! There's the security, Toph. [Waving at her] Who's been winning several local fighting tournaments lately... someone with aristocratic bearing and pleasant demeanor [and nice boobs] Estelle, a leader, me, and Kyon here who can carry any gifts they might force upon us after we win their hearts and minds!

[Y E P]

[little_miss_snarker]

'Of course I'm the manual labor. What else could I possibly ever be when it comes to these schemes Haruki comes up with?'

Uhhh.... it's nice to meet you, Estelle? And to see you again, Toph.

[Still, she gives Haruki a flat look. 'Win their hearts and minds'? Who does Haruki think he is, the Pope?]

[fieldtrip]

Yeah, yeah, nice to meet everyone, [she says flippantly, waving a hand.] Let me give you the shpiel, for anyone who missed it. I'm blind, I sense vibrations through my feet, and I know earthbending, which means I can throw rocks around.

Being down here is like being in a playground for me. I can sense things coming, and if anything shows up, I've got it covered. Leave it all to me.

[storywriter]

It's nice to meet you Kyon, Estelle. [a small nod in each of their directions] We really are an interesting bunch!

If anyone gets wounded while we're traveling, I can... Well, I can do first aid and things like that. Please leave the patching up to me. [Of course she did have her artes, but after what happened back home, she was a bit wary of using them--she didn't know how they'd work here.]

[deusexhormones]

[Really? Only first aide? Even he can manage that. Oh well, he won't press it, though he does seem to have a disappointed look that he hopes no one but maybe Kyon will notice for a second before he turns and then pumps a fist in the air] Well let's not waste vaguely day light! To the caves, adventurers!

[And he starts walking them to the gate. Right then. Quick introductions are totally legit]

[fieldtrip]

[Toph doesn't care about introductions anyway, so she trails after him at a sedate pace. When you can feel everything around you, you aren't really in much of a hurry to keep someone in sight; she's not worried at all about losing track of anyone, or getting lost.]

How are we gonna know when we've found it? Should I be looking for a landmark? [She might not be able to get lost, but she still wants to know where they're going.]

[storywriter]

Hmm, I believe we'll encounter them at a village or something similar to that. They're called the Kra'shak according to the quest, so I guess whenever we run into people.

[deusexhormones]

Kra'shak's the species name- [...wait, blind] They're lizard-people. Shaped a little like me but with scales all over their body and taller, also tails. I have a general idea where we're going... [Out the gates now, into the caverns proper. They are still in the "territory" of the tribes associated with Darstone still. For now] I've asked around a little, and apparently the tribe we're going to meet is called the Krasp'rek. ...My boss is actually wary of them, so this could be interesting. Anyone else heard of them?

[They weren't exactly the most common topic in the city, but after her got a name associated with them, he'd realized he'd heard locals talking about things that were probably them pretty often. The political situation with them really is a big deal]

[little_miss_snarker]

'Huh. Maybe we won't die doing this if he's actually looking into it like this.'

I think I've heard a couple people mention them at the shop? Warrior race that's pretty much a matriarchy and there's a couple women who keep gossiping about the Chieftain and one of her Braves being together.

'Actually there's a lot of gossip I overhear even if I don't want to at work now that I think about it.'

[fieldtrip]

Lizard-people... that's kinda neat. And a war-based matriarchy-- I like the way they think, [she says thoughtfully, walking along. That explains a lot about how they'd felt to her senses when she'd run into them. The description is helpful, because she hasn't physically accosted any of them to get a feel with her hands. At least not yet.]

I haven't heard anything, but I haven't exactly been listening. I get enough gossiping old ladies at home.

Think we'll end up fighting them?

[storywriter]

I'd hope not. This request is supposed to be a diplomacy request; if we ended up fighting them, that means we failed.

[deusexhormones]

Yeah, exactly. [...] So that's all we've heard from rumors, really?

[little_miss_snarker]

What do you expect? I've been focusing more on work than gossip. 'Surprisingly, I've learned how to make a halfway decent cup of coffee because of it.'

[She steps a little closer to the group in general. Even if she agreed to this the whole idea of meeting these people in an official diplomatic capacity still leaves her nervous.]

[fieldtrip]

That's what they always say about it being diplomacy, [Toph says with a snort, folding her arms behind her head and walking along leisurely.]

I know how politics work, and the boring parties are just a lead up to the messy parts.

[storywriter]

Still, I think I'd rather deal with the boring parts rather than the messy parts. It can get a little too hectic for my tastes otherwise. [Or just downright violent.]

[deusexhormones]

[Okay, consulting his map... down this side passage. Up front, he leads the way and looks up at the ceiling when he hears some chirping. He can't see that far but there's... movement up there.

Bats?

Okay look back to the cave]

Yeah, well, we're heading to a warrior society with only on-- two [He assumes Estelle can] people who can actually fight. Let's hope it doesn't go too far south.