Premonitions [Firehead]

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Name: Rin Ura
Appearance: [url]https://chan.sankakucomplex.com/post/show/31951162[/url]
Bio: Rin grew up never knowing her parents, so from a young age, so she had to live on the street. Strangely she always seemed to get enough food inspite of not having money. Soon there were rumors that the girl had some kind of six sense that allowed her to avoid getting caught. In actuality, she had been caught and punished by nearly every merchant in her hometown. It was just when the finished spanking her, she would go back to before she got caught either thinking better of the theft or avoiding the mistake that got her caught. It always felt so real that she wasn't sure if it was a vision, or if she was going back in time.

She hated that she had to steal from all of those people, so when she grew old enough, she decided to become an adventurer and put her ability to use helping others instead of just herself. With the rumors, there were those that already whispered that she could be untouchable even as she scrounged together only the most basic of adventuring gear to take on her first job unaware of just how much worse getting caught as an adventurer could be compared with a little minor theft.

"Aaaand... that should do it!" Chimes the woman behind the front desk, shuffling away a few pieces of parchment that you had been asked to sign. Apparently, joining the local adventurer's guild wasn't as easy as picking up a sword and wandering off to fight dragons, but at least it didn't involve a formal trial of any kind. The pleasant blonde sets your freshly inked contract to the side with a stack of other papers, giving you an excited look.

"You're officially a member of the guild now. Welcome to the family!" She all but beams, "Like I said earlier, we don't have any quotas for how many jobs you take on at any given time. Sometimes, we're inundated with a specific kind of request, but usually the guild will just increase the payout for those jobs to make sure they get done quickly." She gesturing towards a board affixed to a nearby wall of the small, but cozy lobby of the guild hall.

"If you'd like, you can start today. New batches of requests go up in the morning, so today's hasn't been picked clean as of yet. There's a couple in there that should be good for a newcomer. Though, word to the wise; a lot of newbies will go at it alone, not wanting to share the payout. But a good party is essential, especially once you graduate to clearing out things bigger than a kobold."

[Firehead]

I sighed in annoyance as I signed the last paper. "." I had expected to be clearing tavern basements of rats or something for my initiation, but the sheet after sheet of paperwork was much worse. Sign her, sign here and initial her in a seemingly unending cycle had nearly wore down my will to join. At the very least, it was done now, and I could move on to what I had actually come here for. It was nice to know that the only quota I needed to fulfil was making enough money to keep my belly full and a roof over my head. "Thank you, uhhh...Yeah, I'll get checking that out now." I hesitated not sure if she'd told me her name and I'd forgotten, or we'd gone through all of these piles of papers without properly introducing ourselves. "I'll keep that in mind but only if I'm taking on something I'm not certain I can handle alone."

I wondered what kind of mission I should take on for my first day. Something simple I could have done before lunch leaving me time to take something else, or something that would take the whole day? Would it be actual adventuring, or would it be some odd job around town helping out in one of the town's many shops? I guess it all came down to what was available in the first place. No point in dreaming about my dream job when nothing of the sort was available. There was also the question of if I should take a partner. I thought for a moment about my daily expenses. Obviously, I wouldn't want to split the take if my take would leave me destitute.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"Oh! My name is Sandra. Please, come to me if you need anything further explained to you." The woman offers with a smile, content to let you wander off towards the board.

There's a number of parchments affixed to the cork by way of reused iron nails, some of which have seen far better days. Each has a title, a short description of the job, a listed payout, and the name of the requesting person or jurisdiction on it. There's also a rank stamped on the upper left hand corner of each parchment; you remember from your on-boarding with Sandra that the guild assigns these letter ranks to jobs after confirming the scope and difficulty associated with each assignment, so that the adventurer who takes the job can better understand what they're getting into.

E ranked jobs border on simple labor, with townsfolk requesting help in gathering crops or hauling wood for their businesses. They pay very little, and exist as more of a reputation building exercise for the guild than an actual source of revenue, normally reserved for the newest of apprentices to help them get in shape. D ranked jobs are the ones that involve actual combat, although usually something simple and easy, like clearing out dire rats from a cellar or helping catch a wolf pack harassing a farmer's livestock. They pay okay, and it's possible to make an austere living off them. C ranked jobs, that was where the money started getting good. You remember Sandra advised you to go for jobs no higher than C, and that almost all new adventurers took them on as a party. They involved potential combat with foes of a minor magical, or sapient nature. Clearing out a goblin's den, slaying a warg and its pack, or dealing with a group of bandits harrying a road all fell into that category.

In fact, the former two jobs hung right in front of you. One of them called for the extermination of a group of goblins that had taken up refuge in a defunct mine a few miles from town, while the other indicated that the wolf population in the nearby woodlands had become exceedingly aggressive in the days prior, a clear indicator that a warg had joined their number and taken control of their hierarchy. Both jobs seemed to pay out 25 gold pieces on completion. You could live modestly for three weeks on that kind of coin, or half as long if you were willing to spend more on some nicer food and a bigger, softer bed at one of the city's inns. Of course, you'd have to split the payment with your party members if you were to go as a group.

Your abilities had always given you a certain... leeway, when it came to getting caught out for your mistakes, but they only allowed you to foresee sticky situations ahead of time and correct them before you made the mistake. If you weren't able to take out a mine full of goblins or a big, magical wolf by yourself regardless of how many loops you played out in your head, it wouldn't matter much in the end. Having someone else, or multiple someones, with you for the expedition would at least even the odds a little bit, even if it cost you a cut of your payout.

[Firehead]

Looking over the available missions, I was tempted by the tougher C-rank missions. Given how easily one mission could set me up for weeks, I was certainly tempted. Even if I split it three ways, I could live for a week off one job if I was frugal. Any additional jobs this week could be used to living better, or just allow me to live off of lesser jobs for a while. The idea of it was super tempting, and I was getting the first pick. I'd have to remember to get up early on days to make sure I keep getting my pick of the crop.

Goblins were a bit creepy in my mind. I wasn't opposed to fighting them, but I figured the wolves would be a little more normal. My ability only letting me keep trying didn't really offer any power just the chance to try again until I figure out a way to succeed, so it wasn't really useful to try something impossible. With that in mind, I would definitely want at least one partner if not two. As far as deciding between a team of two or three, I should probably just select a partner and discuss whether or not to take another partner with them. With that in mind, I took the notice off of the board and took a seat waiting for people to start shuffling in for the morning rush and pick from the early arrivers.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

The adventurer's guild isn't exactly the most illustrious institution. The building itself isn't particularly large, and aside from some signage out front, it doesn't stick out too much in the humble little residential district it resides. To that end, it attracts relatively few newcomers; you sit for a while, watching those who come and go. The handful who do appear look to be more veteran adventurers, folks whom Sandra is familiar enough with to greet on a first name basis. While approaching one was certainly a possibility, you'd have to contend with actually convincing them to take on a relatively low ranked mission with a total beginner, something they could likely accomplish by themselves without the need to share profits.

Before all hope is lost, however, a fairly obvious newcomer wanders in. She must not be quite as new as you, as the wanders right over to the quest board, but the look on her face and the muttering that follows indicates she doesn't quite like what she sees. She's dressed pretty light, in big baggy robes that conceal most of her body, and a rough looking staff at her side. Some kind of mage, maybe? Not a bad pick, considering your own talents are more... direct.

On her heels, another enters. A boy, this time, probably the same age as you. He has a swagger in his step as he walks, confidence practically rolling off him as he marches up to the board. Unlike the mage with the glasses, he has no compunction about letting himself be heard.

"C'mon, Cassie, you're blocking the way!" He belts with a wide grin, "Pick a job and let's get going, they're all the same."

"Shut up! I'm trying to think!" The girl snaps, her brow furrowing as she stares at the board, "It's a bunch of goblin shit. I hate goblins. They look at you... funny."

"Every one looks at you funny, Cas. You're fa- Ow!"

One solid staff thwack to the head later, and it seems as though the duo would be arguing all afternoon. Perhaps this was all you could hope for in terms of companionship. Worst case scenario, they'd make for decent meat shields. The boy seemed to be some kind of fighter type, and the girl was, if nothing else... robustly built.

[Firehead]

I watch as the more veteran adventurers come through not liking my odds of convincing them to go halfsies on a mission they could probably take on by themselves. Feeling a little anxious, I found myself waiting impatiently for someone that might be worth talking to. I was just about to give up when the girl arrived. She certainly knew where she was going, but didn't seem as quick to swipe something up giving me hope she might be someone I was looking for. I was just about to approach her when the guy beat me to it though he didn't appear there to suggest a team-up with her. More the opposite, really.

Listening in, I learned why the girl was so hesitant to take up a mission. My own belief that goblins were creepy was something she also had concerns about. She might have even been more bothered by them than I was. There was clearly some friction between the two, so I was hesitant to suggest a team-up with both, so I'd need to select one. If the other asked to join, I could always leave it up to the other instead.

As for which to choose, the guy certainly seemed more confident though that didn't necessarily mean he was all that good, but he certainly had a bit of an attitude about him. Thinking on it, I figured teaming up with Cas might be better. Plus, if the guy was made to ask us to join, it might have him behave a little. Striding up, I stepped next to her. "Excuse me, if you're a bit iffy about the goblins, I had a mission I was looking for a partner for. Wolf pack getting pretty agitated, might be a Warg involved."

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Your approach is met by two very different responses. The girl, standoffish as she is, gives you a wary, almost glare-like look, holding her staff close to her body. She seems to be sizing you up, maybe to see how well you carry yourself, and what kind of equipment you might bring to the party. The male, on the other hand, is much more friendly; although you soon find just why he's so eager to greet you, his eyes running across your body for a much less professional reason than his companion. Still, he's the one who speaks up first.

"A warg, huh? Never fought one myself, but they don't sound like they'd be too much trouble," He boasts with a wide grin, offering his hand. "Name's Maxwell, but you can just call me Max. This lovely lady here is Cassandra. We're sort of new here, but uh, you must be too. I'd definitely have noticed you around if you weren't."

[Firehead]

I stop dead in my tracks at Cassandra's reaction. Was it the way I approached, or was this just how she was with strangers? "Sorry if I startled you. I'm just new to the guild and in need of a partner for this mission." I could practically feel the guy's gaze ooze over me like a pair of creepy hands. I had some armor on, but to keep it light, it only covered the most vulnerable parts of my body which left me unfortunately vulnerable to such looks. The twin daggers hung against my hip ready for trouble though not here. The guild would obviously have rules against attacking other members.

Maxwell was certainly confident the way he talked. I had meant my comment towards Cassandra, but seeing how she was being standoffish, I might have no choice, but to take his help or give up on the mission. At the very least, he couldn't hurt me just by leering at me. "Yes, I am Rin." I took his hand firmly not wanting to show him any sign of weakness.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Maxwell gives your hand a gentle squeeze as you shake, either unphased by your discomfort, or simply not noticing it. When you mention wanting a partner, he laughs a little.

"Oh, don't mind her. She's always been like that. She doesn't mean anything by it," He offers, although it's met by a scoff by his bespectacled companion, "If you want, we could probably come with you on that job. Help you learn the ropes first hand."

Cassandra, while apparently rather standoffish, doesn't seem adverse to the idea. While her acquaintance chats you up, she directs her eyes to the board, apparently reading over the request for the wolf hunt. At least one of them remained relatively on track.

[Firehead]

The way he was talking, it sounded like these two were a package deal which seemed odd considering the way they spoke to one another. Had I misinterpreted things? I looked to her to see if she would give me any hints, but she was more focused on the task at hand than the conversation. Splitting the reward three ways would still set me up for a full week and would improve the chances of success, but he was a bit much.

Still, it wouldn't be good to turn down help I needed just because he wasn't quite to my liking. "Really, that would be great. Oh yes, that's the one. Even split three ways, it's a good payout." I turned my attention back to Cassandra hoping to redirect Maxwell's attention to the work that's to be done. "Any idea how close this area is? I don't want to get started too late and risk not making it back by dark if it can be helped at all."

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"Not too far off. Could make the walk in a few hours," Cassandra mutters to herself more than anyone else, but it gets the point across, "Not sure how easy it'll be to find them. Wolves are clever, and Wargs more so. Could take a day or two of camping."

"I'm sure we'll get lucky. If they're truly that aggressive, they'll just swarm us and we can take 'em down no problem," Max is quick to chime in with an ever so confident grin, "So, what do you say, Rin? You ready to go make some pelts?"

[Firehead]

I was glad to hear it was so nearby. We'd definitely need to take something to eat even if we found them right away, but then Cass brought up finding them might take time. While the idea of being out for several days was less than desireable, Max's idea was even less so. "I'd rather they not swarm us myself. It'll be much easier to take them down if we take the initiative rather than waiting for them to descend upon us. Are either of you experienced gatherers, or should we bring along something to eat while we're there? I'm not sure I have enough money for many camping supplies besides food."

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"Oh, c'mon. It's just a couple of wolves. We can handle 'em." Maxwell boasts, although his companion proves to be a little more pragmatic, chiming in just after.

"I know enough to get us by in a pinch, and I've got a tent we can share," She offers, gesturing to the door, "If you wanna get some provisions before we leave, go right ahead. I'm gonna go sign us up for this job."

With as much haste as you've seen her exercise since arriving, she snatches the paper listing off the wall, and proceeds towards the counter with it in hand. Max laughs a little as she does, turning back to you.

"Don't worry about her. She's always a little mean, but when push comes to shove, she's pretty good with magic," He assures you, gesturing to the sword at his side, "And I'm real good with this baby. We'll have this job done in no time at all, and when we're done, what do you say we all go out to celebrate? We can get some drinks, have a little fun. That kinda thing."

[Firehead]

I shrug at Maxwell's boast. "There might be a worg, and that might mean there might be more than a couple wolves too. Plus it's my first job, so excuse me if I'm not fully aware of how dangerous any given thing is." I was a little more taken aback by Cassandra's more dismissive behavior seemed like I really was being overly cautious. Maxwell was boastful enough that I could dismiss him but not both of them. "No, if you're both that sure it won't be a big deal, I'll take your word on it."

I waited for her to go and accept the mission leaving me with Maxwell. I nodded when he told me what they were both good at which matched up with their equipment. He also invited me to a party to celebrate. It was a pretty big payout, so a celebration for both the size of the payout and my first successful mission would call for a celebration. "If things go well as you two say it will then I can't see why I wouldn't want to celebrate a bit."