Sun Speckled Greetings.

[Corvus MacCallum]

Closed.

Vast blue sky, hint of clouds coming in from the south and the refreshing air of a soft wind. Wonderful time to be bare-footing it across a road in quite vast country-side. It wasn't often the Highlander found himself sticking to such clear areas of civilisation, his furred feet planting themselves one after the other upon the wagon route, its constant traffic having scratched the wild grass right off leaving it a dusty trail of dirt. His knowledge of the local region was pretty unclear and so while he wouldn't have minded simply wandering through the wilds it would probably be best to handle a few odd-jobs and with any luck, few hunts so he could get to grips with the more exceptional fauna skulking through the wilderness.

Not being much of a townie, or even much of a villager Corvus nonetheless was looking forward to his next stop. For the past few miles he'd seen a number of heavily laden wagons and even a few Gypsy caravans adorned with all kinds of coloured ribbons and strips of cloth, possibly some sort of celebration would be occuring. Brief glance around his surroundings, so many large fields it was likely there'd be some kind of harvest festival going on when he finally hit town, people making merry, having fun, almost made up for having to hang around buildings.

Ears twitched upon the picking up of distant sounds, growing closer from behind, familiar sounds in fact. The Highlander was smirking, though his mouth was covered by the slack material of his Blazen hide poncho, wondering what prospects this could contain. Then it rattled by him, another caravan of performers, not quite as colourful as the Gypsies from before but certainly fun loving folk, the Wolfen-warrior even recieved some pleasing waves from those standing at the back of the caravan, comfortably returned greetings it had to be said.

With the Caravan rattling out of sight, its horses making suprisingly good progress the Highlander was returned to the jagged silence of his surroundings. Jagged only due to his equipment, scrapes of chains against Slammer, clatter of his sectioned buckler lightly hitting against its own segments. Painfully simple to drown out however, allowing Corvus to focus on the proper sounds of nature around, the soft tweetings and chirps of bird-life, the rustling through long-grass of more than a few field mice. So many subtle and soothing little sounds.

By the time the Highlander made his way into the village the sun hung at its highest in the sky, brightly bathing the entire setting in such rich golden hues. Nearly every building seemed similiarly decorated to the Gypsy caravan that had passed Corvus by quite a while back, great swathes of reds and blues clinging to the edges of roof-tops, or clutching at the window-sills. Such a bustle in the streets as well, so many cheerful folk allowing their worries to slip aside so that they could have fun. Deep breath sucked in through the Wolfs nostrils allowed him to sample so much of the goodness that would be enjoyed today, fresh vegetables plucked right from the fields, soil still clutching at their forms, the aromas of simple and honestly cooked meats. He was partial to having his meat straight from the animal but it was a nice treat when the cooking was just so simple, he hadn't the stomach for fancy spices or garnishes.

Yea, I fit right in here.

A quiet snicker escaped his form as the Highlander caught sight of his visage in an open water barrel, giving a few light tosses of his chin to bring down the slack material from his face and hopefully allow his friendly nature to show through, nothing to hide and all that. Then he caught sight of a constantly useful building, people shifting in and out with great regularity, the Pub. He didn't catch the name, Corvus was only interested in making use of the places facilities, can't go walking through such a vibrant occaision lumbered down with the tools of slaughter after all.

Nice, standing room only... might be an awkward squeeze.

His frow burrowed only a touch as he witnessed the vast mass of bodies, the clamour of conversation filling his ear-drums. Step by calculated step the Highlander took himself closer to the bar-counter itself and the Publican behind it, his overfluffed tail doing its best to go limp so it would remain against his legs instead of smacking off any he passed. For all his grace and agility in combat, he was not a professional mover in-doors. His toe-claws catching at a scuffed chunk of flooring, balance going off very quick and in a short stagger the Highlander bumped himself into some delicate cloaked figure. On regaining his footing the Wolf-man offered up an apology before moving onwards, his senses swimming from the crowded building, so many entirely seperate scents being mingled with the odour of ale.

Today would likely be a good day it seems.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah roused dazedly, a small whine escaping her throat. She stretched lazily, lying on her side. Her strong, furry jaws opened wide for what a wolf would call a yawn. She gave a heavy huff and plopped onto her stomach on the makeshift bed, her front paws hanging over the side of the unmade cot.

Despite the privacy of her rented room, she could still hear the buzz of people in the obviously crowded tavern downstairs. It took her brain a moment to click and realize why the place wasn't as quiet as it had been when she had first got here.

Today is the first day of the Summer Festivals, she thought with a wolfish grin. The festivals, as she had heard from the town drunks, her new friends in this town, were a once a year celebration for the coming of summer and new crops..... or, something like that.

She never actually caught much of what the drunks said, through their slurred speech and hiccups.

Zarah's belly rumbled lowly, warning her that she should make use of the abundance of strangers downstairs and try to get some lonely-looking man to buy her breakfast. Or lunch. She wasn't quite sure what time it was...

The wolf licked her chops and stood with a heavy stretch, leaping off the cot. She stole a glance about the nearly empty room, aside from her clothes and personal items scattered across the floor and the messy cot.

Zarah closed her eyes, then shifted forms: large, beautiful silver wolf, to petite yet busty green haired human gypsy.

Giving a small laugh, Zarah gathered her dress and cloak.
She dressed quickly, running her fingers through her matted hair as a makeshift comb, and completed her ensemble by putting on a small golden coin belt.

She gathered her tarot cards, which were protectively hugged in a tight leather case, and her most prized possession, a polished white wood pan flute, then decided she was ready to head downstairs.

Zarah exited the room as she stuck the items in her leather bag, then pulled her hood over her head. You could never be too careful....

She started down the small wooden staircase, pausing to gasp at how many people were actually in the tiny tavern. How was there any room to move?

People bustled about the overly crowded room, constantly knocking shoulders with their neighbors or tripping over someone elses feet. She wasn't too sure if she actually wanted to deal with this...

Zarah took a deep breath, then waded through the mob, attempting to get to the bar. Damn all these drunkards.... She could hardly move.

Suddenly, a woman bumped into Zarah, causing her to stumble and run right into a man. She fell with an 'oof' onto her butt.

He cast her a distant apology and continued on his way.
Zarah grumbled and absently glanced back at him, but nearly swooned when she saw his oversized fluffball of a tail. It couldn't be...

"C-Corvus?!" she blinked.

Was it really him? She had never seen anyone else with a wolf tail, though it was hard to believe that she would see Corvus again after all this time.

[Corvus MacCallum]

Hearing a womans quiet stating of his name, no matter the tone was often something the Highlander could easily pick out. But he had an objective in mind and voices were swirling throughout his ears in a constant competition for volume and clarity, not wanting to take part in such an event Corvus merely clacked his claws clearly against the counter of the bartop. The Bar-man just about had time to part from serving his dear, dear... stinking patrons, it took dedication to get drunk this early in the day.

"What you need Traveller?"

"Looking to store my tools of the trade so I can enjoy the festivities without gouging or impaling."

"Wouldn't mind some incentive."

"Figured, don't worry I'll pass a few coins for the benefit of a proper secure little spot."

A quiet "Fair enough." was offered up by the bar-keep who jabbed a thumb to a door behind the bar itself, most secured place of course, the staff office where they had to keep the earnings. He was about to step across and flip up the panel when Corvus simply vaulted over the counter, sailing with barely a sound through the air before clicking against the wooden boards behind and pushing on into the office. Maybe the bar-keep had intended for him to pass his tools across, but the guy seemed a little pudgey round the arms, certainly would've scraped up his floor dragging the Slammer.

Enclosed in a rather bare but decently secure room Corvus began the process of unarming himself. Clutching roughly at his Blazen poncho and dragging it free from his shoulders, bundling it around one arm before dumping it in a nice empty corner. Lethal claws flicked themselves out to the Sectioned buckler upon his right arm, leather buckles being pried open and with a few sharp shakes it clanked free to land upon his bundled Poncho. Forest green eyes closed slowly as the Highlander revelled in finally having all that thick arm fur free to the air, his hand working through to bring the flattened spikes up into prominence. Then the final piece of the ensemble, clasps being released around his rib-cage and shoulders before with some cautious handling Corvus raised the Sword harness from his body, Slammer and Katana attached and threatening to make it an awkward piece to place down. Until he just gave it a toss so the Slammer landed upon its flat. With just his broadsword left upon his person the Highlander left and securely locked the office, passing the hefty key to the bar-keep for now.

"Cheers for that"

Freed from all that weight he once more vaulted over the bar-counter, eyes from the patrons now flitting to the baggy brown t-shirt where once reds, yellows and oranges of a Blazens scales had been displayed, then straight to the thick black fur completely covering his fore-arms and his right hand, the left still mostly hidden by the fingerless jeweled glove. Shoulders raising and lowering, had been so long since he'd been unburdened and it did feel good.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah blinked in surprise as he just continued to walk away. She knew he had heard her, her voice wasn't exactly quiet... She wasn't too sure why that had shocked her. After all, the chances of she and Corvus meeting again were slim to none. But still, she had grown a slight flicker of hope at the prospect of seeing him again.

She watched as the man spoke with the barkeep, though she didn't hear a word they were saying over the clamor of the bar patrons. Although distantly curious as to what they could be chatting about, Zarah's attention was pulled elsewhere as she felt a sharp sting in her left hand. With a yelp, she jerked it away and looked back. A scraggly looking man offered her an apology, and stumbled off. Another drunken idiot...

He stepped on my hand, didn't he? Zarah glared at his form, which faded in to blend with the rest of the crowd. After a moment, however, she realized she had no right to be upset about it. I am still sitting on the ground...

What had gotten into her? She must seem daft for just idly lounging on the hardwood floor of the busy tavern while people were bustling in and out. Zarah shook any remaining thoughts from her head as she gathered her skirts in her hand, as to not step on them, then stood as hastily as she could. She gave herself a swift dust-off, for the floors of this packed place weren't exactly the cleanest.

She gave a passive glance to where the 'so-assumed' Corvus had been, but instead of finding a familiar fluffy tail, she saw nothing but the blurred crowd.
Where in Hades did he go? She wondered as she cast the area a quick once over. He couldn't just vanish so quickly....

Zarah's heart sank slightly more as she realized he was gone. She had hoped that, maybe, he actually hadn't heard her when she had murmured his name, but now that he was gone she would never know. Bummer... She sighed softly, absently brushing a bit of dust from the rim of her dress again. Suddenly there was a loud thump from the bar, as if someone had just landed roughly from a jump.

"Cheers for that."

Zarah's head jerked up as the words were spoken. She knew that voice.

She hesitated as she saw that happy-go-lucky grin on Corvus' face. She knew it! It really was him!

"Corvus!" She laughed happily, not realizing exactly how loud she really was, and pushed past several people to get to the large dog-man. She looked up at him expectantly, completely brushing off the fact that he had appeared completely out of nowhere. After all, she had probably just missed him when she had looked. The place was bustling... "Do you remember me?"

She couldn't quite hide the excitement in her voice. But then again, why would she want to? She got to see an old friend again. A strong, dashing old friend that she had had the hots for from the first moment she had seen him.

[Corvus MacCallum]

The Highlanders eyes brought themselves down those few inches of his own level to match that of the Gypsy girl looking to him. Silent steady breath bringing the familiar faces scent straight up to his senses, he did recall her, but once that solitary smell flared up what little time they had spent together grew clear and fresh within his mind.

"Aye, Zarah wasn't it?... Gypsy We-... lass..."

He had almost blurted out the fact she was a Were-wolf, but managed to hold back, sure Demi-humans like him got plenty of odd looks and sometimes quite a bit of resentment, but Weres of any shape... typically had quite the shit reputation and definately a terrible public image. Best to keep quiet on the fact she could shift into a pawed and furred wolf.

"Must've been... hmm about..."

... Days?... weeks?... months, shite I haven't got a baldy. Sun definately set more than three times and all those nights. Fuck I'll just take a stab in the dark, maybe she'll understand.

"... Two months or so wasn't it?... We met in that place, the uh, Bronze Bar a few towns back. That horrible little jaunt with all the family issues. What you been up to yourself?"

During his few words the two had been forced to shift their position a few times due to the increasing bustle and general flow of the crowds. Eventually it only took a few steps and then they were outside the Pub, able to converse at a decent volume and not having to worry on not hearing the other half. The wolf-man bringing his hands up and folding one over the other, fingers working through the thick black fur on his fore-arms, something to keep his fingers busy while in conversation or lost in thought.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah hesitated as he struggled to recall her. Her heart sank slightly with each wrong fact he blurted out. So... He hadn't kept her in his memories after all. Of course, he had no reason to. It wasn't as though the two had had an affair or anything. They had simply gone on a quest to help a demonic stranger break into a cave of vast treasure, which had gone terribly awry. Nothing more. But still, she had hoped her feelings of attraction to the Highlander had been mutual, not a one-sided enticement.

"It was about three months ago, actually. In the Silver Pub..." She forced a smile, feeling slightly awkward now. The only fact that comforted her even slightly was that nearly all lycanthropes had terrific memories, and they could recall just about anything without the slightest bit of effort. It could be called a type of photographic memory, really. So perhaps Highlanders had terrible memories, and that's why he vaguely remembered her. If that were the case, which she couldn't help but assume it was, then she should be flattered that he remembered her at all after so long. After all, he did travel a lot, and met a great many different people. So maybe this was a good thing after all...

Zarah's spirits perked slightly at the welcome thoughts. She merrily looked up at him, for he was about a head taller than she. "And after we split ways, i happed upon this quaint little town," She couldn't help but giggle, her mood enlightened severely.

"It's really a small town, the only reason so many people are here at the moment is for the Summer Festivals. But yeah, I've been here the whole time. It's much easier to earn gold here than the town we met in, and the people are a lot friendlier. I rather enjoy it, and there's a ton more woodland here too." Zarah assumed he would catch her drift about the forest. After all, he knew she was a werewolf, he had nearly spilled it to the entire tavern, so he definitely remembered. And so if he were smart he would have had to have caught on then.

A were- couldn't just go shifting in a town and ravage the whole place. It would wind up with most or all the townspeople dead, and any survivors would slaughter anything vaguely resembling a wolf for generations to come. So on nights of the full moon, a shifter had to go deep into a place free of any human inhabitants (large forests worked quite nicely) and wait it out. Sure, they might kill a couple helpless woodland creatures, but they rarely wandered far enough to find a village. Hence, a win-win situation. Humans go on living in their ignorant bliss, and lycanthropes curbed their bloodlust for the month. It was common knowledge..... Wasn't it? As far as Zarah discerned, every demi-human and magical being fathomed as much.

"And yourself? What brings you to this lovely little town I now call home? I'll safely assume it wasn't for me..." She forced a small laugh, "And being a traveler, I doubt it was for the festivals." Zarah looked up to him curiously.

[Corvus MacCallum]

Inside the Highlanders mind a small pup was blinking and tilting its head, then snuffling about his memory to recheck those little facts she had spoken to him.

Well bugger me, it was the Silver Pub... Bronze Pub was in Resona half a year back, Razor Drake, yea... fun one that.

His smirk remained however and listened pretty attentively, a little worried in just what she was getting up, he recalled her old tricks and they weren't precisely on the up and up. Maybe she'd taken a slight streak of more noble intents, ah well she couldn't just go forth and slay a beast to make her living anyway so making use of her curves...

Lovely curves actually, huh.

... seemed fair enough. He'd never gotten much of a chance to notice her form when they first met, but at the moment, well, nature was providing a helping hand. Strong wind blowing from behind him and pinning parts of that dress to the Gypsys frame, would be a severe suprise if she ever went hungry.

"Well couldn't exactly go looking for you, we parted without any firm knowledge of where we were going. Had hoped to see you again though, its great to rejoin with familiar faces, my own agenda though, well it was just to wander about."

His smirk spread to a full smile, he had a natural wanderlust and it did make him feel good to think about it, how he'd simply trek half-way across a kingdom because he felt like it, pure freedom.

"Figured I could do with some hunting work so I followed a trade-route that led here to see what work was going, with the festival going though I decided, might as well enjoy the craic and relax for a change."

Just speaking those words brought the Wolf-mans hands right up to his shoulders, even now it felt suprising that he didn't come across dragon-scale, or weather leather and metal plating, even while alseep he typically never removed his harness. Now however there was just untensing muscles and a worn-cloth t-shirt and it did feel good to have the suns heat pressing itself upon them. For but a brief moment his forest green eyes pulled themselves from the slightly shorter lass and swept themselves across what festivities he could make out from their position, few tests of strength...

So very tempting.

... some of memory, agility, typical little games and enjoyments that while distractions to regular folk, in all honesty the Highlander saw them as something of a challenge, a chance to test himself. His vision reasserted itself upon Zarahs face, both of the Highlanders deadly mitts stuffing themselves within his trouser pockets.

"So, were you just gonna stay inside that packed-up Pub or actually enjoy the out-doors and this little celebration?"

Bit of a round-a-bout way of asking if she wanted to come with him but despite saving the girls life once... maybe twice, his memory was a bit foggy on that regard... He had no expectations on if she'd want to stick with him.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah laughed loudly as he uttered the question. No, she wasn't laughing at him, it was just.... She, stay in a bar she couldn't even move properly in? No, thank you.

She bit her bottom lip, realizing he probably wouldn't appreciate her mirth very much. However, she still couldn't contain her flirtatious smile. It wasn't as though she was attempting to entice the poor man, for he was probably tired and weary from his travels. Nah, the smile had grown from one too many seductions of drunkards and rich men. She always cast them a provocative grin to lower their guard, and that smile had stuck with her like glue.

"No, sorry," She cleared her throat, as to remove the final traces of laughter from her voice, "I actually just woke up. I'm renting a room upstairs in that tavern." She looked up to him, smiling cheerily.

"Honestly, I've been hoping to check out the festival a bit myself. I haven't been here very long, so this is the first celebration I'll be experiencing here. There's no way on earth that anything could stop me from being here today. Not even a hurricane!" She tried to muffle a laugh, unsure of why exactly she found that funny in the least. Then, she realized it wasn't funny after all, and she was simply in a very chipper mood.

Zarah looked to the sky and took a deep breath, enjoying the sweet summer breeze. She watched the few fluffy white clouds drift lazily across the sun drenched baby blue sky.

Why had he even asked anyway? About if she was going, why did he want to know? More than likely just friendly curiosity, but perhaps...

Zarah's head jerked back down as a thought crossed her mind. As he neck began to ache from that sudden movement, she realized her reaction was probably a little exaggerated...

Rubbing her neck gingerly, she drew her eyes to his large form, which looked black against the sun he blocked out. Had he been trying to ask if she wanted to spend the day with him?

Well, she couldn't assume something like that so quickly, but thanks to her lightning quick woman-intellect, she concocted a brilliant scheme. Okay, so that was an exaggeration as well, but she did get an idea that would test if she was right, and at the same time getting her way by spending more time with the large heartthrob of a wolf-man.
If he says yes, that is. She thought absently.

Zarah smiled coyly and rubbed the back of her head. "This place is so big, and there's no way I can explore this whole festival by myself... Maybe, if you weren't planning anything, we cou-" She got cut off as her foot caught on a large hole in the narrow cobblestone road, and she stumbled, losing balance.

[Corvus MacCallum]

Was such a minor movement to catch Zarahs falling frame. A little shift of the left foot, bringing his right one forward, bracing and rejigging his weight and balance onto the pad of his left foot... all so very simple and instinctive. At times the Highlander did get curious on why some rather strange responses instinctive, this was one of them, catching someone nearby who would fall, socially, very acceptable... but why would it be embedded in the instincts?

Reaching out the Wolf-man gave the Gypgy-weres arm a light nudge so that in her stumble a small turn was made, his other hand making to grab her arm near the elbow. In the final moments of the rotation she lightly flumphed against him, her shoulder and partial back landing against his chest. It was a little thing he had learned back home, the most troubling point of catching someone front-on is the head, the neck may jerk forward and impact against the rescuer, in more dangerous situations perhaps even get a bloodied nose from impacting on plate-mail. This, turning the person to land side-on made things a lot safer for both parties and also allowed an adjusting of balance and weight much easier.

His gloved hand kept a light grasp on her arm, giving the lass more than enough opportunity to reset her footing and gain a bit of balance again, the jewel embedded within the palm rather cold against the Weres skin. Corvus slowly leaning his head forth to look down at the Gypsy girl and in the momentary furrowing of his brows on catching her, quickly resumed his chipper demeanour with the trade-mark smirk firmly on his lips.

"Well I did say I was going to relax and that means partaking in the festival for a bit of a lark. Want to finish your offer or can we just take it was accepted and have a laugh here?"

It barely escaped his lips, but there it was, a very quiet little chuckle shaking itself up from his chest and buffeting against his lethal teeth. Unobstructed for a rare change his tail was getting a nice steady beat wagged out, not rampantly rushing from side to side like on a suprised mutt, no, just a steady beat. He was enjoying this and that was a clear enough little signal, quiet day with no expectations and a familiar face, good prospects.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah blinked several times, not fully comprehending what had just happened. She remained against him for several moments, until his rumbly chortle snapped her to, and finally her brain decided to kick back in and take control of the situation.

She immediately flushed bright red, then placed both of her hands softly on his chest and pushed herself upright, then took several dazed steps away as she tried to regain her coordination. God, she was such a klutz...

"S-Sorry..." she murmured, absently brushing the hem of her white dress off. She looked up at him, her peppy emerald green eyes meeting his. Her cheeks were stained pink, though she couldn't resist a soft simper as she cocked her head. "And, um.... I'd rather not finish the request, so we can just feign it and call it a yes." She nodded her grateful agreement to his statement.

As she swept her gaze over Corvus and his strong, muscular arms, his moppy and strange yet drawing white-tipped ebony hair, his kind and weary forest green eyes... She briefly lost her train of thought, then realized she was staring.
Blushing, Zarah swiftly looked away and wished momentarily that she hadn't been so hasty to push away from the Highlander. He hadn't seemed to have any qualms about her pressed up against him.... So why exactly had she moved from him so hurriedly? The only explanation she could come up with was that she had been flustered and embarrassed, and when she grew emotional she usually acted rashly on impulse.

Ah, well, she sighed softly, no use in dawdling on it. Whats done is done.

"Well, ignoring that minor fiasco.... What should we do first?" Zarah hardly noticed as she put a hand on her hip, then raised the other to her eyes to block out the brilliant sun as she scanned the festival grounds. There was so much, with so little time; strength tests, musicians, petting zoos and horse riding, food sampling and eating contests, plays for the children, closed tents of every color and size full of unnamed surprises, and... was that...

Just one whiff of the simmering, slow-cooked turkey legs made Zarah's mouth water.

"Lets eat! I'm ravenous." She giddily grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the source of the delicious aroma. She simply hoped the poor wolf had brought quite a bit of gold with him today, because she was gonna milk him for all he had.

[Corvus MacCallum]

The Highlander had to smirk as she tugged upon him, braced as he had been for her landing against him his balance wasn't going to shift with such ease. Still, he had asked her to join him and here she was being enthusiastic on dragging him through to the simplest of events offered up by the festival.

Seems like food is a constant thought to the girl, first time we met she was plying her trade for enough cash to get a bed and grub for the night, then in the morning it was almost gonna happen again. Bah maybe its just the travelling instincts, never cared much for regular meals, just ate when required.

Faint disappointment brushed through the Wolf-mans form as he continued to let Zarah guide him through the general throng and bustle of revelling villagers, alongside various peddlers, entertainers and adventurers like himself who were blowing off steam. All those colourful stalls and promises of curiousity, his attention got a brief perk on spotting an arm-wrestling contest going on... it sank a bit on seeing the competition, just general folk, farm-hands most of them. The thrill of the competition for Corvus was in humiliating the vastly brawny and boastful, while very strong the Highlander was pretty leanly built and didn't fill up a door-way like some barbaric types. Oh how they loved their huge muscled frames and then losing pathetically to such a lanky looking mongrel, the fun of it all.

A meander through his mentality was interrupted by a brief whinny of discontent from a nearby riding Pony, thankfully it didn't feel the need to rear up or cause any further distress to the rider apart from simply backing away. Would need to steer clear of the animal filled attractions in future, just wasn't worth the hassle of causing up an instinctive ruckus.

Though it took a suprising amount of time, finally Zarah came to a halt with Corvus gliding in with his last step to assume a nice comfortable position among her and others crowding around a nice little display of greed. Several large spits all being rotated by soft-faced maidens from the village, the older among them being those who tended to the customers. On the metal poles themselves were plump breasted turkeys, glisteningly crispened pigs... At the back of the lot there was even the budget selection of rat and badger. A clothed table was blocking the crowd from reaching the spits and the only items upon it were a large wooden egg-time that was frightfully low on sand in the top half, along with some rough scrawlings on prices... a fools choice that, haggling was the primary method of commerce in this little situation and considering the starved look in Zarahs eye, Corvus was going to make as much use of it as he could. For all his wanderings he wasn't one to amass wealth and had no interest in doing so but he'd already paid the Gypsy once for a meal and no doubt would be approached again to ease her way with gold.

What was the Highlanders personal view on this little stall?... Nothing particulary special except.

... I do a better job frying meat on my Slammer.

Despite the lack of interest in the meat though, he was curious if they'd be interested in getting rid of the bones, he had no personal preferance on cooking those and it always felt good to have a nibble while occupied.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah bounced in place impatiently, the wind playing softly through her long green hair. She was looking for an open spot in the crowd that she could worm her way through to get to the front of the booth. But there were too many people...

"Damn it." Zarah huffed and crossed her arms under her chest absentmindedly, giving it a significant perk. "All these people are cows. Why can't they spare room for a poor, hungry girl?"

She stood on her toes in attempt to see over the crowd, but to little avail.

"Ugh!" She made a face at the backs of their heads. "Cows with big hair... Come on, Corvus. We should just go find something else to do," She raised her voice significantly at the next part, "Until this crowd clears up."

Irritated at not getting what she wanted, she snatched for his hand, but instead grasped only his index finger. She wasn't too sure how she had managed that, but unwilling to be shown up by... anything, she attempted to pretend that she had been aiming for his finger in the first place.

Taking a quick glance to her surroundings, the only things that caught her eye were a pony ride and an arm wrestling tournament. Well, ponies were for children, ruling that out immediately. That meant the only option was... "Care for some feats of strength?"

Zarah pointed at the arm wrestling area, which was full of, why was she not surprised, men. She flailed her arm in sudden excitement. Perhaps Corvus wouldn't be the only one partaking in it. Well, that was, if he even wanted to. What was she thinking? Of course he would want to. The wolf was a brute, and she was willing to bet almost anything that he absolutely adored to show off his strength.

Zarah let go of his finger and rolled up her sleeve, flexing the nonexistent muscles on her thin arm. "I'm gonna kick major butt." She smirked, forgetting completely her anger toward the food booth. She giggled and took his hand again. Yes, this time she actually got the whole thing. "Lets go."

[Corvus MacCallum]

Once more Corvus complied with her draggings and tuggins, sides he was curious if the village had anyone that could be a challenge to him, his glancing appraisal had declared a no. While a large crowd of spectators gathered up, possibly some big names in the village going elbow to elbow, both Wolfish folk managed to get a good position from the Entrants area which was kept nicely clear simply due to its purpose. The Gypsy girl was certainly excited, the Highlander though, he was a little disappointed... farmer after farmer were being seated at the small wooden table set up for this purpose, broad-shouldered most of them but none would compare to a warrior. Forest green eyes flitted out from his hair-spikes to try and spot some muscle-bound travellers that had stopped off for the same reason as he, few guys in cloaks that could fit the bill but their weaponry was rather dainty... he saw little potential in rapiers and thin-bladed sabers.

Double-chinned flab slapping against unshaved neck alerted Corvus to the organizers sudden interest in him. No suprise, young man with a lady grabbing onto him, of course, why not try and engage his pride or win the young ladies heart... plus lose his entry fee. For all his wordly travels and experiances it did sometimes suprise the Highlander that he was just a man at his age... not to mention fresh-faced despite the slaughters and neck bitings.

"You young lad, care to get your ladies heart fluttering by testing your mettle against our local brawn?"

Chuckling, that was the Wolf-mans reaction... not on the comment, nono, he was used to being right about details like this. No his reason for amusement was on watching the Organizers face as it trailed down and beheld the thick black and white fur adorning the Highlanders fore-arms, not to mention the thick black claws of his wolf heritage. The guy had been too suprised to even spot the wagging tail which was currently getting a few light impacts from passer-bys trying to avoid the crowds.

"Oh... n-non-human are ya boy?... Still feel free to step right on up, just remember its illegal to use those claws."

Great, so any sore loser that doesn't want to admit he got bested can just claim I poked him too hard when gripping, what a gyp.

"Grugg will challenge dog-man"

Though obscured by his messy mane the Highlanders eyebrows were perked damn quick at that booming voice, plus, it had suddenly gotten pretty dark. Slowly he turned about to see who the challenger was.

"Wow, yer a big lad ain't ya?"

"Always eat greens."

Fuck, had not been expecting an Ardent round these parts.

Standing in front and towering above both Corvus and Zarah was the Ardent who had already proclaimed his name of Grugg. After a quick guesstimation the Highlander sized up Grugg to be around eight foot tall, getting close to the half-way mark. The Ardents always struck him as an off-shoot of Orcs and Ogres... mostly human looking and with a skin-tone that would almost let them blend in if they didn't poke their heads through most roof-tops. Still it wasn't all that bad a situation, he now had something with plenty of strength to go up against and with the large flats on each side of Gruggs head, Corvus knew he wasn't dealing with a tribal Ardent, they always shaved off their horns when taking up a solo life of travel.

Although... the tall git did have a fist larger than the Highlanders head, that could pose an issue in the competition. The sweat-slicked Organizer made an attempt at scuffling silently towards Corvus to ask him a very simple question.

"Umm, you up for that?"

"Fuck yea, I want a crack at this."

The wolf-mans expression was bright and chipper at such a prospect, his answer had come without hesitation and almost rushed out before the Organizer had finished his nervous inquiry. Catching Zarahs eye the Highlander gave her hand a light squeeze and felt reassured when she caught the signal and let go... quick vault over the crowd-stopping fence... Grugg, just... stepped over it. Corvus waited until Grugg had given himself a comfortable position of sitting on his knees just so the massive arm could be laid down on the table. To follow up on the odd positioning Corvus lept up onto the chair nearby and with a light thud slapped his palm into Gruggs... he felt tempted to just wrap his fingers round the Ardents thumb but instead balled a fist and pressed it against the life-lines.

"Grugg know of Land Highs, know you are strong."

"I won't disappoint... now get this thing started."

The organizer, flustered and just as awed into silence as the rest of the crowd... except perhaps Zarah finally recalled he had a job to do.

"Oh yes, y-yes of course. Right gentle... men, you can only use one arm, in the case of the table toppling you are to wait until its replaced. Oh and you can quit at any time by tapping out with your free hand, no claws, no biting and... no growling."

"Someones feeling marked out here. Now come on just start it!"

"Yes yes, alright, begin!"

That one word signalled... what felt like a dragon smashing its fore-head into the Highlanders arm. Everything had to tense simply to prevent getting torn apart, the strain being felt throughout his entire body, but, judging from the rush of breath coming free from his opponent, the Ardent was feeling it just as much. Despite the Wolf-mans attention being focussed almost entirely on pushing all of his might into the opponents arm, he still had time to appreciate the vast veins starting to rise out from the Ardents gigantic biceps, triceps and various other ceps, this likely wouldn't be an endurance match.

The table was creaking and straining as both Warriors shifted their weight onto it to aid in their leaverage. He didn't have the gigantic frame of the Ardent, but every vein and bit of tissue in the Highlanders musculature was soaked and bloated with adrenaline and oxygen, energy building up within his body and all of it getting forced against Gruggs onslaught. With each hard-drawn breath from the competitors their shaking hands shifted mere inches one way, then the other as a new flood of oxygen swelled their lungs and prepped their muscles.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah watched the challenge with a gaping grin. She could already predict the outcome of this situation, yet it was still fascinating that Corvus could actually hold his own against this big lug.

"Yeah! Go Corvus, go!" Zarah cheered, flailing her arms wildly in the air and screaming for him at the top of her lungs. However, as she quieted to take a breath, she leaned to the closest guy to her and murmured, "How much do you want to bet that the Ogre's gonna win?"
The man looked at her as if she were insane. She cleared her throat and stood strait again.

As Corvus continued to struggle with the beastly humanoid, Zarah took a quick gander around. She was bored... Were there anymore booths? She wanted to show off her strength as well. Sure, she definitely wasn't as strong as Corvus, but she would be willing to bet a gold piece or two that she could whoop an average farmer...

Either that, or she could just try to pickpocket some unsuspecting man. She was low on gold anyway, and that sounded a lot more rewarding.
Zarah slipped into the crowd, keeping a keen eye out for a particularly rich-looking man. As soon as she caught a whiff of the metallic odor of old coins, she followed it like a bloodhound on the trail of a goose.
She tracked it to a young man with a wide brimmed, stiff-cloth hat atop his head to block out the heavy sun. There was a peacock feather in the brim of it, though she couldn't put her finger on why anyone would want such a tacky accessory. Was he some sort of royalty perhaps? All the better... She thought with a cat-like smirk.

Zarah took a moment to straiten out her dress and fluff her pin-strait green hair. Once she was sure she looked at least halfway presentable, she strode up to him nonchalantly. Flashing the man a flirtatious look, she "accidentally" knocked shoulders with him.
Zarah fell to the ground with a soft thud. The rich man looked at her in surprise.

"My apologies, ma'am..." He extended a hand to help her up. Zarah looked at him with wide, innocent, emerald eyes.

"No... It was my fault." She accepted his hand and he pulled her up. However, even as her feet made contact with the ground, she stumbled and fell against him. He caught her. She remained motionless against him for a moment or two, stunned, then straightened with a soft blush across her cheeks. "I'm sorry sir...." She bowed her head.

"Nonsense." He smiled warmly. "You are fine. Now be on your way."

Zarah nodded. "Yes sir." She smiled. "Thank you."
She turned on her heel and strode calmly away. Once she was out of eye-shot, she held up a plump velvet pouch full of gold. "Man, I am good..." She grinned in satisfaction.

She attempted to make her way back to the booth Corvus was at; However, before she could see it, she heard shouting from the direction she had just arrived from. "Stop that gypsy.... Thief!"

"Oh, crud!" Zarah jumped to a start, bolting toward Corvus' booth. He was the only chance she had if she wanted to keep both of her hands intact...
She weaved through the crowd, hoping to find her date before the soldiers found her.
"Corvus!!!" she squealed as she pulled up the hem of her long dress to prevent herself from tripping. Gah! Where on earth was he?!

[Corvus MacCallum]

No words were exchanged between the tussling titans of the trivial tryst, mainly because muscles under strain demand oxygen and they can't go wasting breath on such unimportant matters when a contest of pride was underway. Well for the Ardent anyway, Cor was just having a bit of a laugh though he'd certainly like to pull out a win and get that little extra notch in his record of victory...

... okay that's bollucks, the Highlander was aiming for the win. Gritted teeth, focussed stare and ignoring the slowly swelling pain within his arm, something his opponent seemed to be having a slight issue with. His opponents arm weakened for the briefest of seconds, a feint to get Cors bracing undone and then return with a hard smash to snatch a win, would've worked on an unseasoned challenger mayhaps but the Highlander just kept pushing his advance without relent and suddenly the Ardent found his feint exploited and left with nary an inch from the table-top. For any arm-wrestler this is one of the worst possible positions and against an equally strong, endurable opponent typically little more than a place to drag out the inevitable defeat. This realisation wasn't lost on the Ardent either, Corvus seeing it clearly displayed in the eyes of his opponent, still he didn't see any sign of the Ardent quitting, likely going for his last resort of simply out-lasting the Highlander. Not an intelligent sturggle though, with his arm in such a position greater and greater strain was being placed on his muscles than at the start and with such power bearing down on him... slowly he began to lose... the crowd on tenter hooks... leaning closer with each passing centimeter... that giant hand coming closer to the table... closer...

"Fucking yes!"

There was a small chorus of cheers as those interested in a clash between two non-humans either won their bet or simply enjoyed the spectale. Much frustration rippled through those who bet on big though and the compulsives among them quickly started reassesing their opinions on the other challenges ready to kick off nearby. Resplendant in his victory call, not to mention all the other trappings of winning the Highlander rested his backside on the top of the chair, smirking straight at his opponent and giving his arm a good few flings, flicks and stretches to let those muscles work in all the ways they were meant to.

"Nice one Grugg."

The Ardent didn't meet the chipper Highlanders gaze but it simply stemmed from a brief moment of humility, none of his race liked to lose, particulary not in strength.

"Also good one Land High, now know must improve."

A great relief went through the organizer of the event, his mind had been filled with worry, if one of these non-humans lost they could've got angry and then... well he had not looked forward to the carnage which would've spilled into the crowds.

"Congratulations go to uh... go to..."

"Corvus"

"Corvus!... the dog-man"

"Wolf-man ya bloody fo-... aw shite"

He hadn't heard Zarahs squeal thanks to the general din of the crowd but seeing the girl rather paniced and running... in an incorrect direction he had to add... did not bode well. Snatching up his winnings Corvus managed a quick parting wave to Grugg before bounding off his chair, onto the next table, dashing along a fence before leaping towards Zarahs scarpering form. Only a few more bounds and the girl found herself snatched up in one of the Highlanders furred arms, then quickly turned just as he himself spun on his heel to confront whatever problem she was leaving behind.

"What the hell did you do-oly shit."

It wasn't exactly the equipment of the town-guards he was all that worried about, they just had some leather wrappings, few spears and a number of swords between them. It was the curious punters and villagers that had formed up behind them, along with a beet-root faced fop just behind the armed ones who had obviously be the cause of this.

"T-t-thief!... Harlot!... Robber!"

"Now just calm the fuck down mate, that goes for all you lot too... grah, Zarah, give me, now!"

He had only glanced at her from the corner of his eye, quite impatiently waiting for the Gypsy girl to reluctantly give up her snatchings, one chubby and relatively weighty coin purse. The very second it plopped into the clawed mitt of the Highlander it was tossed right at the displeased fop. As expected simply having the wrong undone was not enough and Corvus narrowed his eyes while the fool went into another tirade of abuse on the part of Zarah, handful of the villagers were joining in too. Nothing brings together the worst of the bunch like insulting outsiders, though all hushed up when a sudden, sharp bark tore through the air in front of them.

"Shut it!... You've got your cash back, shes in my grips and I'll simply make sure she dosen't go doing something like this again, now, bugger, off."

"Shes a thief and shall be punished acc-"

"Said shut it!"

In response the town guard just quailed and scraped their heels through some quick shuffles back, the lead among them regretting his words, his chasing of the girl and even getting out of bed this morning. The villagers had long since departed by this point and the fop was almost out of sight with his waddling run, without their backing the guards also broke rank and began a solid retreat.

"Jus... just make sure she doesn't do it again."

"Sure sure, now git!"

Git they did, leaving the Gypsy still in the grip of the Highlander who was looking none too pleased that she'd stirred up such hassle.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah watched, wide-eyed, as the crowd slowly dissipated. After the last man was gone, she released a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh crap, that was scary...." She wriggled free of Corvus' grip, then straitened. She just looked at him for several moments, then tackled him in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She nuzzled him madly, eternally grateful. "Cor, you're the best!"

After several moments of useless affection, she realized that she was probably scaring the poor wolf-man. That, and she looked like a total idiot to the onlookers. Zarah released the hunk of a wolf, blushing softly. "Er, sorry about that...." She looked up to meet his eyes, and cleared her throat at his scowl. "You're angry, aren't you? Well, in my defense, he was just asking for it. I mean, really. What kind of a man goes to a public place with a huge sack loaded with gold! He had to be insane or something! Someone willing to flaunt his wealth like that is just waiting to be robbed blind." She sighed and looked to the right to avoid his glower, looking off at all of the giggling children darting about and the lovey-dovey teens gripping each others hands in mutual adoration. For a brief, fleeting moment, Zarah wished that she had a mate to cuddle with on a rainy day, or to keep her warm on the harshest of winter nights.

"I'm sorry, all right? It's not going to happen again, I'll promise you that. I've had enough adventure for one day..." She huffed and brushed her wispy green bangs from her soft green eyes. "Will you forgive me?" She cocked her head cutely to the side with a flirty smile. Hopefully he's a typical man and can't resist my cute face.... She thought with a stab of triumph. She was an irresistible she-wolf, and she knew how to use that to her advantage. If only that advantage were enough to get everything she wanted though....

[Corvus MacCallum]

She may have considered herself an irresistable she-wolf, but Corvus came from a long line of Alpha males in the Highlander packs and he'd been taught by a smart mother not to fall for the simple charms of a woman. Hell of an education when your mother shows you how women swing their hips when wanting material goods or attention, at the least since he wasn't fretting about pleasing the girl he could enjoy the curved display provided by Zarah. Not a bit of it showed though, while not scowling he certainly kept a stoic expression on his face, eyeing up the situation and its possibilities before a sneaky thought crept itself within his mind.

"Lass, your coming wit' me."

Powerful grip locked itself firmly around the dainty wrist of the sticky-fingered Gypsy and soon she found herself being led by the Highlander, with his back to her he allowed himself the luxury of cracking a trade-mark smirk on just what would happen at their destination. Places like this had very definate smells, aromas and history behind them, easy thing for a good nose to track down.

"Oh hello there sir and madam."

Chipper, cheerful, everything most could want from a purveyor of personal goods. Zarah was left a little confused by the rush and probably quailing a touch on the fact he'd given no answer or lightening up from her little display of silk lips. The Highlander had not come across too many vendors like this, certainly not ones that had their own building but this should hopefully lead to a suitable laugh and peace of mind for the rest of the day at any rate.

"I've got a bitch thats a real handful, keeps slipping free of her rope leash, fancy making the change to chain but I need a decent collar to hook it onto."

"Oh of course sir, what size will you be needing?"

Quietly snickering Corvus gave a light tug on Zarahs arm, just enough to catch her balance off-guard and bring her close up to the pet emporiums counter. Clawed and furred hand gesturing to the pretty little neck of his dodgey charge.

"Gotta fit right round this..."

The trader was left... so very perplexed but complied and disappeared below the counter to rummage through various open topped boxes. The still chuckling Wolf-man looking to Zarah, expression entirely whimsical.

"Pretty obvious words can't keep you under control, so as the Alpha I'm getting a better handle on your habits, as a bonus though you can pick out which one you like best."

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah blinked several times, realization slowly dawning on her. "Heeeeeeeeeeeeey......" she slowly looked at him, her eyes narrowing in a glare. "What a jerk!" She huffed.

Zarah pushed his arm in annoyance. "You seriously called me a bitch? Ugh!" She threw her arms in the air. "And I thought we had something special going on too...." She sighed softly, calming and letting her arms drop. Zarah looked at him, her lower lip protruding in a pout. "You... You.... You're a... Big... Dumb face." She threw her arms behind herself, shoving her chest forward and, with her eyes shut tightly, jut her tongue at him. "Dumb face jerk!" She repeated, realizing she probably sounded like a drunken monkey. Seriously, who called a hot guy a dumb face jerk?

Zarah straitened, her cheeks flushing pink. "I hope you know I'm not going to wear that collar. You're just wasting your gold." She worked her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot in annoyance.

[Corvus MacCallum]

Brow lowered, eyes narrowing just so very slowly and his smirk starting to gain a little twin on the other side of his face at this rather lack-lustre challenge. The owner of the store though was just ignoring everything that happened above counter, she wasn't going to eavesdrop on kinky perks or disagreements when a sale was to be had.

"Oh we had something special sure, but it took a bit of a break when you went and coiled your clutches around that pudgey gits change purse."

Took only moments before the statement sunk into her mind and caused the Gypsy girls air of defiance to faulter just that small amount... just the required amount really. Flick of his eyes took the currently clattering ensemble of collars into stock within his mind and with a lash of the hand got his claws around a rather simple but sturdy looking black leather collar. Before the arm had even retracted with his prize the Wolf-man gave a meagre shift to his balance, left foot sliding forward on the bare wooden panelling and drawing him closer to the puffed up bitch. Forest green eyes peered down upon the young lass, letting her sight rise and lock upon them before... snap. He had moved like slicked snake oil and managed to clasp that collar on her with consumate ease, slight chuckle of victory getting loose from his throat, it hung just a bit loosely for comforts sake but was definately the right size... rather fetching for her too.

"Well lucky for me then, this little one will do quite nicely and considering its material won't even cost much..."

Slowly his eyeballs rotated themselves within the sockets in order to catch the shop-girl within his sight.

"... That right?"

"U-um... Oh yes yes, it's only ten gold, or you know, anything worth the same value really."

Already the Highlander had shifted his auditory focus to ignore the likely tirade that was rising through the Gypsys form on being collared and with such a cheap one too. Sifting for a few solitary seconds the Wolf-man fingered through the assortment of coins he had received for odd-jobs, slaughters and rescues. Just enough heft in the current fingerful to equate ten gold in anyones money and let the coins clatter upon the counter, thankfully none deciding to go travelling upon their sides. That deal done completely it was now time to turn to the other matter at hand...

Now there's a notion.

The laugh rising was purely in his mind but the delight was clearly dancing through his eyes as with one sweeping motion the Warrior brought his arm sweeping across the soft curved waist... down along the hip of his charge and clutched his palm on the fabric of her. Sharp tug was offered and once more she was caught so easily, falling once more upon his chest and stuck looking up at him, the two smirks properly joining into a firm smile as he craned his neck down inch by inch. She'd been flushed enough the first time as an accident, but now it was a deliberate action by him and the response was just so much heat being forced from those reddening cheeks... almost felt slightly burned when he was but half an inch from her lips, heated breath of the Highlander travelling across every little feature of her face, cascading down her neck and being lost down the neckline of her outfit. His fanged smile opened itself as he came in closer before a sudden stop and hushed whispers formed words.

"Suits you nicely lass."

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah's eyes lingered on the Wolf-man's lips for several moments, waiting for them to move further down and meet her own. His words took a delay before settling on her ears. However, as she pieced his speech into something her head could actually make meaning of, Zarah's hands clutched his shirt as she balled them into fists. Her eyes finally left his lips, narrowing into a glare as they met his own gleeful gaze.

So he found this entertaining? Ugh! This man was not worth the trouble...

She jerked one paw from his chest, raising it subconsciously and smacking him hard across his cheek. She had her eyes shut tightly, and she realized that if she had been in her canine form, all of her fur would be on end.

Zarah pulled from Corvus' embrace, backing up slightly. She didn't look at him, instead keeping her gaze fixated on the floor. However, she could still picture him wearing a startled expression. She opened her mouth, ready to yell, yet she managed only an inaudible mutter. What the hell was wrong with her? Never would Zarah let anyone, no less a wolf man, claim her as their own. He should have known better; didn't all wolves hold that value? Sure, she may sometimes have thoughts of settling down and having a litter of pups, or even just claiming a mate for life, but the truth of it was that she always had been, and always would be, a lone wolf. Sure, Corvus might have thought he was being cute, but he had deeply offended her.

Unable to voice her anger, Zarah simply turned on her heel and left the shop. Obviously he didn't care if she left or not, so it didn't bother her at all to just scram. Standing outside the shop, she took a deep breath of the crisp air. She didn't know what to do now.

Bah.... Zarah gently raised her hand and ran her slender, pale fingers through her silky hair. Good, she was calming down already.

[Corvus MacCallum]

"... I see she likes it sir."

"Funny girl."

The Highlander didn't even bother rubbing at his cheek, the sting to the nerves was already gone and instead he simply slipped both furred death-dealing hands within his pockets and stepped out to the join the lass that had been so easily offended. At the very least it was pleasing to get the fresh air through his nose once more after having to stand within that small emporium, the air inside buildings always got stale so quick, it was a pain to the senses.

Suns getting low... think I've goofed off long enough.

Slowly his body drew itself up, filling with the fresh air laden with new potentials for near death and immense injury, back to solo wanderings and having to look at couples with a hidden slew of jealously, still he couldn't settle down anytime soon. Wanderlust, it was a pain in the ass to deal with, he didn't crave solidarity, hell he loved having company but he was wandering at random and seeking out danger when he could, that isn't something you take a sweet-heart on. Forest green fell upon the Gypsy girl he'd had a fairly entertaining day with, he was sad to say it wasn't exceptional but it was definately memorable and worth keeping her face and scent within his mind. This was it though...

"Well, so much for enjoying the trinket. Was just something to remember me by lass."

Light shrug went through his shoulders, he honestly couldn't feel bad about all this despite her negative reaction and the slap, it was a little token of affection, what was there to get upset about?... Lone wolfs, pride, he'd thought that was the issue but there was no tag, no marking upon it, just some simple little collar that looked pretty cute on her throat. Glancing about his surroundings the Highlander managed to spot the Inn he was stashing so much of his lethal equipment within and immediately set off towards it, good and slow, enjoying the peace of a festival winding down. Still some clamour of conversation and also those lovely noises of stalls being taken down, fading scents of cooked and devoured meat... all such fun facets he rarely got to savour. More than a few feet now from Zarah he didn't break pace but gave a quick look back to the girl he'd rescued twice, perhaps thrice now and just smirked.

"Cheerio."

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah watched him, holding herself in place, as he took several paces away from her. His scent, so familiar yet original, lingered with her as if....

She sighed and lowered her gaze. Just a trinket to remember him by, eh? Perhaps she had overreacted....

Then, just one word, snapped Zarah back to reality and made her stomach churn.

"Cheerio."

Goodbye.... She had always had a weakness when it came to that word. Perhaps it was the thought of never running into someone so close again, to lose them forever, or maybe she was simply just an over dramatic person, but it hurt regardless.

Zarah reached a hand out to him, toward the man who wasn't even facing her, toward the wolf who she despised yet adored. And then it hit her. Today had been a one in a million encounter, and she knew deep in her heart that it would never happen again. This would be the last time they would see each other, so why not make it the most memorable time of his life?

As Zarah snapped from her thoughts yet again, she realized that he had been striding daftly away the whole time. She blushed angrily. Of all the nerve.....

Without a second thought, Zarah did something that, by the end of the night, she would either regret or greatly appreciate. Giving a loud huff, she shut her large, emerald eyes. With a soft flutter of wind, she shifted. The large canine shook out of her dress, then bounded after the man. Okay, so perhaps he wasn't so far away from her that a wolves speed was necessary to catch up, but she wanted the momentum for one reason....

As she reached Corvus, Zarah made a flying leap for him and snarled. She knew he had heard her, for all wolves had extremely keen hearing and, well, she wasn't exactly aiming to be silent. The wolf man spun to face her, which made her give a wolvish grin.

A split second before she tackled him, she shifted back to her human form. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, and the force of her leap caused her nude body to be thrown against him. He stumbled back, narrowly catching her, which caught her off guard. Any human would have lost balance and gone sliding in the dirt with her. But then again, he wasn't human. He was a beast.

As soon as everything calmed, he simply stood there. She couldn't blame him. She would be extremely startled too if she were in his shoes. But that didn't mean she would pity him. Gaining sturdy footing, Zarah stood on her toes and roughly introduced her lips to his. She meant business.

A long, passionate kiss later, She pulled back for a breath and looked him in the eyes. Hers were clouded with lust, so obviously stated by her slim, pale body pressed fully against him. She had to admit, the collar did add a nice accessory.

[Corvus MacCallum]

It was a common belief by the normal uneducated that beast origined demi-humans like the Highlanders were always in two minds upon every detail, that raging battle between instinct and the correct human mentality, that was nothing but a farce cooked up by those who believed themselves superior to animals. Staring down into the eyes of the woman who had in a few ways given all just to reach him before departing, there was no conflict of lust-filled beast or empassioned human mentality, there never was for anything in the Wolf-mans life. The emptying streets were a dwindling thought, one completely superceeded by the feeling of such immensely soft and smooth skin, that of a loving female within his grasp. The soft fur coating his fore-arms stroking themselves up and down along her back, much as the hands attached to them were, truly revelling for this solitary chance to break free of his self-imposed solace.

Bringing her bare form up into his arms the Highlander knew immediately of the right place for this evenings memory, for it to be etched perfectly upon both their mentalities. Some dark stormy night sitting alone, either beneath a tree or behind the filthy glass screen of a window they would recall this evening, how it became so much more notable as the last few tender flittings of the suns grip drifted from the globe. The gypsy dress was clutched and then dumped upon the Highlanders still tail, removing a hand from her as little as possible and then his path changed for the out-skirts of town, to the forest. With nothing but the chirps and twitters of the savage pure world around them he knelt slowly, guiding her to the ground and unable to hold back pressing his lips to hers. From within his chest came a deep rumbling that would shake the very leaves off the trees if even a hint of it had escaped their embrace.

How many had there been?... the Highlander had done his level best to never try and recall in his journeys how many women seemed interested, none were genuine anyway, simply admiring something wild with sheltered curiousity. The wolf-man was not egotistical but aware of the effect passing adventurers could have on bored village-locked young women and at worst seen some members of his old party prey upon such confused feelings. He had made something of an oath to himself not to leave broken hearts or worse ambitious romanticism. The path he was walking was stained with conflict, death and with any luck a few better futures some folks, he couldn't drag someone who cared for him along it and so while he may have let some women know of their attractive features he never allowed something to develop, moving on before hands were placed in an affectionate way.

There had been one before that went further, it started with feverish yells of hatred and anger, before ending with a passion that rivalled such fervour and yet come morning she had ran from his life. The pain was gone as, he was sad to admit, was the girl for so very long, was he just doing the same?... The gypsy had chosen to settle here, at least for some time and he would be the one moving on, the one leaving in the morning into a world she was leaving behind. He was committed though and would not leave without a word, perhaps it wasn't the best choice but he refused to just abandon someone he would share this with.

For the briefest moments they allowed the embrace to cease the stark contrast between the two became more apparent. While her skin was pale and smooth, barely a flaw or fault upon it, even as a Were-wolf his was coloured from a hard-beating sun, hardened from the elements he had walked through with his head held high and rigid from the muscles packed within which made his profession possible. The only lines upon her body was the outline itself, curving so smoothly and offering up the shapes most men would lust for without ever knowing the true reason, while upon his hide, excepting the face were a myriad of lines but all were fairly independant. From those made by flying chunks of bark of some fire-compacted explosion to the great claw marks of a ferocious razor drake. He was the Adventurer, she was the Traveller though neither were safe occupations.

Before any shiver could wrack her form his heated form fell upon her, great swathes of dirt forced around his claws as the Highlander swept his arm beneath her, clutching her soft form against his and not wanting it to leave him for even a moment. Each time their lips met it seemed some kind of unbearable pressure just kept building within his chest, constricting his heart with each forceful pump, hammering against its confines as if aiming to sunder the heavens with its beat of raw emotion. The feeling of sharing his lips with something that was not merely sustanence or an opponent was intoxicating and for once he allowed the addiction to grow, at the back of his mind a quiet and somber Wolf was looking to the future where this sensation would not show itself... past the horizon it still seemed unlikely to ever appear. This was truly all he had, the moment and he would give her everything in this brief span of time that he could. The history of the world was an ocean more vast than even a poets imagination could bring forth and the handful of hours allowed by a day far less than even the most minute droplet. But tonight she was his world, the forest could rot, the winds could end and the sun itself burn out and he would not care for it for all of his time rested here within the insatiably soft form of the Gypsy girl he had met upon some horrid excursion.

Though not a hint of it was made within his eyes the Highlander could feel something almost, terrifying within the sensation of having such a delicate being run her palms against him. It was so horribly unknown and despite being made by something of flesh and blood, so utterly intangible for him to form into words. He was not wholly eloquent but simply describing someone touching another had to be a simple task for even a simpleton, then why was their a hurdle of some magnitude he could not form it into something that would ever be recognizable.

With the last of his garments falling upon the pile made by her discarded dress the Highlander sought out to better explore and more importantly, show his passion to this ravishing woman. The tongue, a simple appendage but caught up in the near vital sense of taste for a hunter and required for those various noise rising up from the vocal chords to form speech. It's purpose now was altered beyond those basics, his sense of taste still alert but it wasn't for the stomach, but for the heart and mind that he would keep note of her very living essence. Palms that rarely held more than a meal or a blade lavishing what gentleness he could bring forth upon her form, rows of white lines marking along the supple flesh as his claws rested ever so lightly on the Highlanders lover.

The next shifting moments came the moment that some Alphas would dub the claiming, but it didn't feel like she was his. It came as a stark clutch of ice within his breast that for now they were each others. Each could feel the others heart-beat surging through them, their muscles joined to please both themselves and the other within this embrace. For one of the rare times in his suprisingly intelligent life the Highlander allowed his mind to blank, to let nothing but the emotion and love... wether it being that of a life-time or a moment to fill his sense and guide himself through the evening. Everything they had achieved among the heated gasps that washed upon his neck from her, or the furrowing of his brow as his muscles burned to display his passion on her.... it could all be described by some medical fool as simple and primal actions to do nothing but cause off-spring and further the course of life. It was true in many ways but so utterly hollow and devoid of what made life truly beautiful, it was a fleeting thing littered with struggles and harrowing experiances... then the miracles, not from some diety or coincidence of chance but the miracles brought about from sheer determination or well established affection.

The Highlander knew not to wish so futily to the stars and heavens that the moment wouldn't end. In truth while every beat of his heart flooded the Wolf-man with sensations and feelings that took more will-power than that which would make him rise from the dirt with vital fluids seeping from great rents in his flesh, this would only truly be savoured in their futures if it did indeed end and they were left with the warmth to flow within their veins on any night that the world felt unloving. They had both barely witnessed the sun leaving them alone for their lusts and now, so slowly now as they both remained unsated it was climbing back into the heavens.

Words attempted to draw themselves out of each part-wolf beings throat, instead only gasps and great draws of breath to recover from the exertion that had lasted into a whole new day.

All new possibilities...

While his lips brushed against that of the female who had given him a point in history that would burn brighter than any mere victory against the great twisted evils of the world... he allowed himself to think. Images of a roughly hewn cottage, a vast field tilled purely by fist and claw. The tools of his trade locked within some large wooden chest in the attic awaiting the youths coming of age, the woman he loved so dearly bringing her weary form against his own tired body, each so drained from the raising of a furry tailed little git sleeping in its cot and yet both loved it perhaps more dearly than each other. Looking into her eyes and seeing nothing but those possibilities... it looked nice, it looked, more rewarding than any reward spiritual or material that could be within grasp if he continued the path of a Monster Hunter. The dragon that had slayed his brothers-in-arms had been ended moments after their deaths... so there was no promise to the spirits that would force him along a path of combat. In so many ways it wounded the Highlander to know that, staying here, with this beautiful woman that he would attain everything to make a man content and that the direction he had taken his life to this point seemed to hold nothing worth keeping grasp of.

Which regrets to pick...

[MinzigFrish]

*** the next morning***

Zarah yawned sharply, rousing to the beams of the heavy sun pouring through gaps in the tree leaves. She blinked groggily a few times, then glanced sidelong at the sleeping form beside her. He was passed out, lying on his side facing away from her. His tail twitched in his sleep, and she nearly cracked a grin. Well, that was a fun night..... It made her mind work. This had been the first time in a long, long time that she had.... Given herself to a man. A blush rose to her cheeks involuntarily. Yes, she was a temptress; she tempted men and robbed them, but that was just to survive. She never gave herself to any of them.... She smiled slightly. So perhaps she could feel love for the male species after all. Tch, yeah, if you could call irritation and an endless desire to strangle him, love. Zarah's eyes focused on him. Strong, handsome, kind... He seemed to be the perfect man. Could she stay with him? If he wanted her as his mate, would she accept? ...It was a tough question. She liked the idea, possibly even adored it, but she didn't know if she could change her ways for him. She was a thief, she had been one her whole life, and she honestly loved it. Would a lonely rogue ever be able to handle a mate?

She stretched deeply, then clambered to her feet. Where was her dress? She spotted it in a crumpled heap a few feet away, along with her belt and card deck. She strode to it slowly, in a peaceful mood for once in a long time. After dressing, she sat on the ground beside the oblivious snoozing man. What now? They couldn't stay here all day. More than likely the villagers would meander their ways over to the couple. Hell, after her little misadventure with the duke yesterday, that was the last thing she wanted.

But she couldn't just leave him here.... With a soft smile, she poked his thick shoulder. Nothing but a grunt in reply. She poked him a bit harder, but without effect. She poked him with her foot now, in place of a finger. Talk about a heavy sleeper.... With a determined expression, she pushed him with her foot, actually rolling Corvus onto his back. She kneeled beside him, leaning down so her rear was in the air and her lips were a hairs breath from his ear. "Corvus....." she whispered slowly, sexily. She reached up and brushed a strand of green hair behind her ear. "Pst..... Wakey wakey."

[Corvus MacCallum]

Quiet little cracked chuckle from the awakening Highlander, trade-mark smirk spreading itself along his luckily fresh and unscarred features.

"Was wundring when ye'd try a' softer metid."

Was a bit of a slip, his natural accent puncturing the more typical forced dialect he kept up for the benefit of others, few could handle the rapid pace and hacking apart of certain words and pronounciations. Still it would fade back to its storage box for when he was around his people or a particulary nostalgic moment hit him, nostalgic yes, never a sickness or wanting of home... At times he thought it strange such standard notions never arose within him. Only took a few moments shuffling for the Wolf-man to get clothed once more, though morning mohogany was such a pain when adjusting the wardrobe. Shirt was well within reach and he dragged it over his quiet substantially scarred and lined torso, not even bothering to shake the leaf litter and hidden insects from it. He could do that while simply walking, just add a hop or two to each step now and then.

Did feel bizarre to him though, not the waking up with a woman though that was pitifully rare within his travels... for good reasons he reminded himself. No it was the lack of clanking metal, the screech of chain upon Slammer and the sheer weight that would press upon his shoulders and arms, none of his familiar tools present upon his body. Was nice feeling so light but it wasn't a sensation he felt he could get used to any time soon, there was still so much that needed doing. For now though he would cherish the fact a lass had shared the night with him and she remained with him, a first in all two of his sexual escapades. Seeing her rise up, his eyes flitting upon exposed cleavage like so many red-blooded types he sidled up to the gypsy girl and pressed his lips once more to hers. Stung at him to think this was either the actual article, or merely the first in a fleeting handful of goodbye embraces.

"Well, let's get ourselves back to the village, I've got gear to sling over me before you know, heading off into the great unknown."

That was going to be it, just flowed off his tongue, all that deliberation and thoughts of settling stabbing at him through so much of last nights slumber and yet just like that he had stated he was heading off just like he had done before coming here in his travels of whimsy. Not even left a suitable gap or tailing off at the end to offer her a place by his side, he'd be cursing himself for that some time later but for now it just reminded the Highlander of what his lifes calling was and why it came like instinct... it just felt natural to be the Monster Hunter Corvus.

[MinzigFrish]

Zarah held a soft smile on her plush lips, reaching up to brush a bit of hair behind her ear. Yes, she had figured as much. He would be rushing off again to his escapades, like the valiant warrior he was. She doubted he had spared a thought for staying with her, though she couldn't blame him. It had been a one-night stand, simply an evening of frolic and lust. There was no love involved, and certainly not a mating bond. It made her heart a little sad to see such a perfect potential mate slip right through her fingers, yet she knew that she didn't deserve one. No, some other lucky female would wind up taming the beast and capturing his heart.
Zarah nodded and raised her large, moss-colored eyes to him, a bit disheartened yet even more complacent. She stepped back and tugged her dress over her head, then did a twirl so her skirts spun about until they twittered to a halt at her ankles. She sloppily buckled her belt about her waist as well, then stretched her arms above her head, glancing over to the Highlander.
"Hm... The great unknown, eh? Sounds exciting. We'll have to keep tabs. I would say come back and visit me, but heavens know how much longer I'll still stay here. You've inspired me to do some traveling of my own. So, I suppose I'll leave it at, I hope we may meet again, after you wander off. I had fun; we should do it again sometime." She winked and turned her back to him, strolling merrily back toward town. She hummed a tune from the local pub, and gave her her hips a bit of a flirty sway as she walked away from him. Ah, yes. This was what she loved more than anything; a man who loved to look but couldn't touch. She was a natural-born seductress, and that very thought made her realize that, although she was hoping to someday eventually find a mate and have cubs, today was not the day. She would still love to keep teasing and flirting for a few good years yet. She turned back to face him, now a bit away yet still close enough to be heard in a normal tone.
"I wish you well, Mr. Corvus. May your travels be lush with wealth, luxury and all the monsters you can slay. You will remain in my thoughts, as well as my heart. I only ask that, in one way or another, you come track me down when you find your mate. I would like to meet her, and congratulate her." she smiled a genuine smile. "That is, is you ever stay in one place long enough to find her."
There was a sudden unexpected breeze that fluttered in from her left, and it pulled loosely at the hem of her long dress as well as the tips of her hair. Zarah suddenly stuck out her tongue. "Race you back to town?"

[Corvus MacCallum]

Chuckling quietly the Highlander chased after the Gypsy girl though being careful to make victory for her earned, he could've out-run her pretty easily after all so many things were in his favour, main one being he was in simple trousers while she had a bustly skirt that would've got in the way.

From then on the events somewhat blurred in his mind but the feelings and enjoyment of such a rare event in his life remained vivid. All too soon the familiar weight of his trade was felt upon the Wolf-mans body, large metal and leather harness covering his shoulders for the most part, tightening the various straps that would it tight to his body and prevent slippage... then the chains lashed around and the Slammer trapped among them. The heavy clanking buckler slid along the cloth bindings, quick flex to close the segments and then stretched out once again. All of it was being slotted and placed upon him, all that weight of responsibility that reminded him that he couldn't settle with the Gypsy girl, he just couldn't. The guys may not have known he was tackling monster hunting since their death but he considered it what quite simply what he had to do, the Wolf-brothers would survive and garner a new pack to deal with the many big nasties the world could offer up to the defenceless.

Gonna wind up getting killed for such stupid idealistic crap... oh well.

Fully equipped and stepping to the trade path that would lead him out of the village and to the world beyond, it was quiet, standing there with Zarah as she drew up closer. So slowly did his arm bring itself around her waist and press her soft form against him one last time and press her lips to his.

"You stay safe now. Scars aren't all that sexy."

No smirk, for once it was a good honest full smile that he let spread across his lips, giving her backside a firm pat.

"Can't make any promises, but I'll always survive. Cheerio lass."

That was it, he'd probably never return to that village, coincidences of fate notwithstanding and she'd be gone from the place within days. It was a large world despite how small it could seem out of chance, he didn't hold out much hope of seeing the Gypsy Were again, but then it meant his memories of her would always be of this frantic and passionate time. That was fine by him.

All bunnying approved of course.

Spoils: Meagre winnings from the arm-wrestling bout.

[Nayeli]

Sun Speckled Greetings
Hello Corvus and Minzig! I’ll be your judge today. :) I thought this thread was interesting because it was a romance without any real quest or anything, and although there are some threads like that it’s certainly different from the normal monster fighting deal. So yeah, that was neat. You requested full judgment, so let’s get on with it!

Continuity (3)
Although you mentioned a thread and adventure before this, it was really never explained what happened there. It seemed like Zarah was either already or instantly infatuated with Corvus, who didn’t even know really know her. That’s fine, but you need an explanation why? That ties into your persona score as well. I don’t think a long flashback or anything was necessary, but some explanation of previous events would be good. Each thread ought to stand on its own without the reader having to know a lot of backstory.

The same thing applies to Corvus and Zarah’s pasts in general, actually. Where were they before this thread? Who are they? There was some explanation (more from Corvus than Zarah), yes, but it wasn’t really sufficient. It’s tricky I know, but try to weave that kind of thing in so that we can get to know your characters a bit better.

Setting (6)
Your setting was fairly good, I’ve got no real complaints to make here, other than adding a bit more variety. You did a good job of creating the atmosphere of the festival and the pub, but you do both have a tendency to repeat certain descriptions. For instance, you talked about how crowded the pub was quite a few times and emphasized that fact, while not really describing a lot else about it. Remember to describe setting in a greater variety of ways than just sight. All five senses should be used when possible: smell (especially effective for were characters), sound, touch and…well I’m not sure about taste, but I’m sure there are situations where it could be useful. :p

Still, I thought both of you—especially Corvus—did a good job of creating atmosphere. I’ll tell you what I’ve told people before: your score in setting is highly dependent on whether you make setting an active, lively part of your writing. Your setting was good, and your characters did interact with it, but I would have liked more variety in the ways you described it.

Pacing (4)
Your pacing was way off at the beginning and the end of the thread, but fine during the middle. At the beginning, for the first ten posts or so, it moved very slowly. That’s probably a function of the way you were doing the dialogue and conversation, split up among different posts. It’s often more effective if you work out dialogue over an IM client or PMs, to avoid how much it slows the thread down. Once you got out of the pub and into the festival proper, like during the arm wrestling bout, it was much better paced. However, the…climactic scene at the end (post 23) was far too long. You definitely needed to pace that out better, I don’t think it really added anything to the thread by having it be quite so long.

Dialogue (3)

Romance style stories are often driven by dialogue rather than action. This thread was no exception, but unfortunately neither of your character’s dialogue was quite compelling enough to pull it through. Both, especially Zarah, seemed forced or unrealistic in their speech at times. Again, working dialogue out over PM may have helped this, but maybe not. You’ve got to ask yourself each time whether the things your character is saying: a) are believable to what an actual person would say, and b) make sense with their character. Sometimes your dialogue came off as cliché, or even cheesy. There were a few lines (the one about hurricanes…) that just didn’t make sense. Corvus’ dialogue was somewhat better and conveyed his character well, but it also seemed cheesy at times.

I think all you (specifically Zarah) really need to do here is pay closer attention to dialogue and focus on making it believable and strong. That’s something you might want to doublecheck when you’re reading over your posts before putting them up. Maybe even reading your dialogue out loud would help, if that doesn’t seem overly silly.

Action (6)
There wasn’t a lot of action in this thread, so I don’t have much to point out here, but what action you did have was effectively done and fitting to the characters. The one thing I would point out is that Zarah’s actions sometimes seemed a bit random or illogical, like picking the guy’s pocket. Oh, and the whole scene with the collar was…confusing and strange. I didn’t think either character’s actions or motivations were adequately explained during that scene, but that ties into what I’m talking about next, which is Persona.

Persona (4)
I had a hard time judging this category, to be honest. While both of your characters do have emotions and distinct personalities—which is good—their emotions aren’t always believable and the characters aren’t always likable. The strength of persona also varied a lot between you two. Corvus, your persona was strong and evident in your dialogue and actions. The lone wolf archetype is a good one, and you play it to its strengths…although it does come off a bit cliché at times, so just keep an eye on that.

Zarah, see what I wrote under Wild Card. Your characters emotions are frequently exaggerated and sometimes unbelievable. She’s infatuated with Corvus from the start, but for no apparent reason other than that he’s a “hot werewolf stud.” Real people have much more intricacy in their emotions, I should hope, than trying to get in attractive guy’s pants. He also treats her rather poorly, and while she does get angrily, they immediately start having sex only a few posts later. Huh? It didn’t make a lot of sense, logical or emotional or otherwise. She seemed very wild and unpredictable, as if she didn’t quite have a solid personality but acted very differently from one post to the next. Definitely try to solidify that and make her a more rounded character if you can.

Mechanics (4)
There were quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes that I saw. Make sure that you read over your posts after you write them and look for that sort of mistake. It really detracts from your writing when there’s missing punctuation, missing spaces, and spelling errors.

Corvus, you seem to have a strong tendency to forget to use the apostrophe in cases of the possessive. Your capitalization is also off sometimes. For example, you regularly said “Wolf-mans” when it should have been “wolf-man’s.” I’m sure you know this, but you don’t only use the apostrophe in cases of contraction, but also to indicate possession. The rules are a bit more complicated, but long story short, watch out for your apostrophe use.

Zarah, you didn’t make any specific consistent mistakes that I saw, but you maybe need to read your posts over a bit more closely just to make sure you catch stuff that a spell-checker might not get.

Technique (4)
I saw very little advanced technique used in this thread. For now I would recommend focusing on improving the basics of your dialogue, action, and pacing, but remember to insert stuff like metaphors and foreshadowing and the like as well. Anything that makes the reader think (like symbolism), or see things more clearly (like similes), is definitely good for making your writing more interests.

Clarity (7)
No real problems here, both of your posts were generally easily understandable and it was usually clear what was going on. Corvus, you maybe need a bit more brevity at times…the arm wrestling bout went on a bit too long, and the sex scene went on far too long, and while that’s really a pacing problem, it also takes away from the clarity of the thread sometimes and makes it hard to read. Other than those few exceptions, good work in this category!

Wild Card (4)

Well, she couldn't assume something like that so quickly, but thanks to her lightning quick woman-intellect, she concocted a brilliant scheme.

I couldn’t think of a category to put this under, but I really wanted to point this out somehow. Didn’t impact your Wild Card score, don’t worry, but this sentence made me pause for a long time. Woman-intellect? I’m not entirely sure what you meant by that, but…um…I don’t know what to think of it. It comes off as maybe vaguely offensive, I think that just “intellect” would definitely have sufficed, there was no reason to point out that she was a woman. That wasn’t actually the only time that I found Zarah or your writing to be vaguely sexist, either. I’m not sure if this was your intention, but she came off as a bit stereotypical and something of a ditz, so I didn’t find her to be a likable character. I don’t know, maybe that was just my impression, but you might want to take a look at that.

Total Score: 42!

Corvus MacCallum 1450 gains experience and 210 gold! A bit of gold added for winning the arm wrestling bout. ;)
Zarah Altis gains 470 experience and 175 gold!

If you have any questions about the thread, feel free to PM me or contact me on AIM at (umbrellaella41) and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able. ^^ I don’t want you to think that this thread wasn’t enjoyable to read because of the low score, it was, but there are certainly areas of improvement for both of you to make. Keep at it, and I hope I’ll see something from you in the future! :D

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!