Erix'aad Mines
Skyler was too far away to answer the question about names. He did say what his name was earlier though but he still hadn't caught the names of every Guardian who isn't Shannon.
The Elemental's comments took Skyler off guard. He was just expecting monsters to take down but were able to talk. Fortunately, it seemed Mark wasn't too far away and helped him make his next decision, though he did grab the wrong person. "That's right, we need answers. We're not going to pick a side with enough information!"
He was grateful for Mark to help make his choice but... "Hey slime guy, maybe you should let go. You said you wanted to deal with things peacefully but you grabbed a random elemental with little provocation."
Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.Applegem Town
Maryland kept an eye on the waitress, taking mental notes on her clothes and trying to figure out a style for herself in her head.
"Hold on, I can still help cover for this." Maryland crouched down and scooped a couple rocks off the ground. "After everything else, this oughta be easy." With a wave of her other hand over the pebbles they transmuted from normal stone into shining gold. She smiled and set them down on the table to swap then for a mug. "There, hope you guys can find some use for it. Could do something else too, was thinking about how I could just, like, plow an entire field with magic if you want, no problem." She started taking a long drink of the cider, done talking.
The Shores of Tortoran
Well, the other guy- Simon- had fallen down the stairs. And he'd been hit by a car. Were the two events linked? Was it just a coincidence? Were they both just crazy? And then the turtle-man- Shulk- spoke.
"The hell are nagas?" Was John's first question. He was going to ask why Shulk seemed confused, but thought better of it after a few seconds. If the turtle guy was confused by mentions of cars and stuff, he'd only seem weirder if he kept talking about it. Maybe this was a really, really out-there village? And they just didn't have technology?
Then he noticed that there was one other guy still on the ground- and he hadn't woken up yet. "Oh shit," he breathed, and half ran, half stumbled over to him. "You alright?" John asked desperately, feeling for a pulse. "Hey! Simon! You- I mean, Shulk! I need some help over here!"
Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' lookMines
So the wyrms would literally eat them from inside out. Intriguing. And the elementals could talk. Even more intriguing.
Then the idea of a peaceful resolution began being tossed around. While it did not occur to Lynn before, a non-lethal solution would really be best - nobody would appreciate a bunch of upstarts coming up and attacking them, which can cause unintended side effects. Besides, if she recalls correctly, their task is only to "clear out" the mines, not "eliminate" the elementals or something. As long as the elementals are not causing trouble in the mines, one way or another, then their job would be done. Lynn had no qualms with lying to the Kingpin anyway.
They still had to gain something from this tirade though, which Gum-Gum has the promise of. Then again, Gum-Gum was pretty vague.
"So, if we help you all in reclaiming this place, what's in it for us?"
Timers to measure time, thermometers to measure thermomets, mometers to measure mom, and measuring containers to measure measurements.Tortoran, Beach Area
"Unfound Adventure"
Cold. It was cold. That's weird. He never thought it would feel cold. He hated cold. Nothing was happening. Rather, it is as if time itself has paused, decided to take a break from telling all these stories, all their stories, and resumed after an instant. And yet, why is that even in that instant, everything changed? It's cold. It shouldn't be cold. It's wet. Why is it wet? Wind. He hears the wind. He hears the wind? He shouldn't hear the wind. There should be no wind, and yet, roaring and tearing, he head a storm crash against him. Where is he? He cannot see. All for a moment, perhaps, but it feels like an eternity, and he cannot see, percieve or understand what is happening. In truth, he cannot deny- he is quite scared.
But after an instant, all of that fades away. He feels water against his eyes, sand and water on his body. He wipes away, weakly, enough to be able to see. The opening of his eyes- what it reveals, is an even more unbelievable scenery. Blue, yellow, blue again. The sea beside him, the sand below him, the sky above him. A salty breeze passes him by, awakening the last portion of his mind still asleep. It seems he is on some kind of tropical island, unreasonable as it may seem. Yes, the whole situation is completely unreasonable. It makes no sense. The sun had been denied to him, the sky had been denied to him; yet there he is. He is still much too distraught to act and get up. Besides, the essence of this vision is probably... and if that is so, then he needs pay no heed to it. Even then, it feels real, much too real. He can't just ignore it. From behind him he feels something touch him, then a voice, though he cannot quite understand what it says, its sound drowned in the waves and the wind. More voices join in, but he can't understand them. He grunts.
Eventually, someone else- there is someone else, he knows, but who? How many?- Someone else notices him, goes to check on him, and starts yelling right in his ear. At that time he really does wake up, the part of his brain still refusing to wake up now active; he opens his eyes and he sees, he has no choice but to see. Firstly, there are two other alongside him- one being the guy who checked on him. Secondly, before him is some fantastical beast he has only read about the likes of, a turtle and a human mixed, standing and using a cane to aid itself. Thirdly, his clothes- elegant and formal, what he would use to wear before. He shouldn't have those clothes; he shouldn't be there and should be alone; that creature should not exist. Yet, his brain accepts that these three impossible things are real and before him. Adapting to his new situation? Maybe, but it's still not enough. The contradiction between what he knew as reality and the 'reality' before him is too great, and so he has to act.
Not a care for those around him, not a care for himself perhaps, he jumps on his feet, shaking yet stable, and with stern voice he asks. A simple question, perhaps. But not a stupid one, in his book-
"What... What in all hell is this?!"
"Oh...I'm so sorry..." Shannon was close to bursting into tears. "Please don't fight! Maybe we can work something out..."
"I'm really sorry," she told the Earth Elemental. "Of course I'll help you. They guys that sent us here told us he'd tell us what was happening in return for a job. They didn't tell us about you and...and...I'm sorry."
Shannon sniffled and wiped her tears away.
"I want to help. Really, I do."
That last statement was said with more force and determination.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.Terry - Applegem
"Hey, are you nuts?" Terry's instinct as a financial analyst kicked in as he witnessed Maryland create gold out of worthless rock. He moved to the table and indignantly swiped the precious gems off the table. As the pieces of gold hit the ground, they once again changed to base stone.
"I don't know what you were doing back on Earth, college girl, but we call that fraud where I'm from. You keep doing that and eventually gold will be worthless."
Still, Maryland did have a point. Maybe he should compensate these people. They were nice enough to offer their town specialties after all.
"Here, have this instead." Terry took out his wallet and slapped down two pieces of green paper, each one decorated with a picture of a great American hero known for his wooden teeth and love of all things free.
They probably don't use the dollar here. I should put another spin on it.
"These are Guardian Bucks. Use them wisely."
Ugh, what have I done?
Edited by TehStanman on Oct 9th 2018 at 3:37:14 PM
"Why does everything have to loop back to YGO?" -Guy who ruined YGOMarrow's Graw
Reyna was slightly unnerved at the sight of the empty eye socket, a shiver running down her spine.
"So if we're not dead, because there's undead here...then how did we get here? And why?"
As Kirsti healed the undead boy's missing eye, a thought formed. That there was still more to explore about their strange powers. But that could wait until there were less people around.
"Fixing up a factory? I don't suppose anyone here is a mechanic then, because I'm sure not good with my hands."
Her gaze wandered around, staring at everybody looking at them like they were some prophesied ones.
"Bring great change...good or bad...huh."
Edited by UndyingPhoenix on Oct 9th 2018 at 8:52:31 PM
Marrow's Graw - Nadia
Well, that's... unpleasant, Nadia thought at the talk of cannibalism. At the book's avoidance of discussing sentience, she was hesitant to unsummon it and send it off to who knows where, so she simply closed it and held it in her hands, turning her attention to Canna and her companions.
"Well, from my, uh, sources, this 'Zakuun' fellow you mentioned was kicked out of his castle and it's Shuria's now, so I'm guessing that wedding didn't go according to plan," Nadia informed the elder woman. Chuckling slightly, she thought about asking the book more about the factory but it was a little rude to do so when Canna seemed forthcoming with information herself. "So, what's the factory for? I'm not much of a mechanic either but at the very least it might be worth taking a look!"
Pausing, Nadia remembered what Reyna asked about why they're here, and she quickly flipped open her book as the answer it told her before appeared on the page. "According to ye old magic tome here, we are here to (ahem) 'To serve the World Lotus and restore balance to the world.' Eh, not sure I like the phrasing of that first one and that second bit is kinda vague. I'll need to see if I can look up more details later."
Tortoran
Though still unsure about whether this ridiculous chain of events was real or not, Simon decided to just play it safe and try to make a slightly better impression. "Associate with nagas? Ridiculous. I don't interact with snakes," the teen told Shulk. Nagas had to do with snakes, if he remembered correctly from fiction, and even if they didn't it was still a suitably negative term that it could simply be taken metaphorically. He wouldn't make himself look like a fool by asking a ton of questions.
Now a change of clothes sounded very nice right about now... not because he felt uncomfortable in what he was wearing, but because his current attire was a hand me down. He hated how they were slightly too large. Nothing like the incredibly well dressed older man who he had somehow completely failed to notice earlier.
Simon felt a bit jealous that this guy could look so put together even in this situation... very jealous. But he masked it beneath a facade of politeness. "Something interesting is what it is, sir," he responded dryly. "You should just follow along with us if you want answers, I think... Seems better than staying behind. Better than letting your clothes get even more dirty from all the sand."
"...You missed our introductions. I'm just Simon."
After saying that, he'd try to follow after Shulk.
Why is a yam attacking me?Gatekeeping is the Worst - Julian @ Shuria's Castle
Julian flared his nostrils as he crossed his arms. Of course, even in this weird nonsense fantasy world, no one was willing to put any effort in themselves. Spoiled brats never worked a hard day in their lives and immediately resorted to outsourcing the work. That being said, there was nothing Julian wanted more than out of this hellhole and that's what he was going to get.
"So what, we're breaking some big stone gate?" The older man's eyes narrowed as he watched Shuria's body language. "What's the gimmick? Why didn't you get off your lazy ass and do it already, if it is so important for your people? Or are you just the typical politician that makes promises they have no intention of keeping?"
"Evii is right though" -Saturn "I didn't know you were a bitch Evii." -Lior ValApplegem.
...
...Oh, well yeah, the giant fuck off castle in the distance was also a dead giveaway in the "Fantasy Aspect" portion of his addled brain but...hey he got points for thinking along the general pathway!
Besides, the Cider was REALLY damn good. As he quickly downed his drink and wiped the back of his sleeve with his hand, he gulped and held up a hand.
"Five bucks says we get up there, and we need to save Medan from like, goblins or something." He chuckled. "Whose in?"
Applegem
"Fuck your fiat currency man, like you're any better." Maryland sighed, but didn't make any move to restore the stones back to gold. "You guys have any farms to plow? Any big labor at all? I can get it done. Not for a World Lotus or whatever, but because I owe it to you as someone who can do so." She rolled her head over to Mason. God, it actually kind of hurt; he was just ignorant and, like, earnest, not one of those gross tryhards fully aware of and loving the fucked up parts of the world. "Man, I hate to be the downer here, but come on dude, this is literally a monarchy. We gotta do something for them even if we're just passing through. What makes you think we shouldn't be doing all we can with how absurd all these powers are?"
Terry - Applegem
Terry scoffed at Maryland.
"If you want to spend your time and powers here on agriculture, then go ahead. But there's no 'we' here. There's you, me, him, her, other him, and other her." He said, gesturing to Maryland, then himself, then Mason, Aileana, Tibalt, and Amber.
"We don't owe these people anything. We don't even know if they're real. I don't know how long I've got left in this dream, but I'm not going to spend it plowing away at some field." He then pointed a thumb at himself. "So I'm going to Stormguard. If you want to stand up to the monarchy, go right ahead. Until then, have fun farming. It's a dying industry on Earth anyway."
He then turned to the others. "So are we going or not?"
"Why does everything have to loop back to YGO?" -Guy who ruined YGOMarrow's Graw
Okay, okay, so apparently I can grow back missing eyeball, Kirsti thought, I guess that's the limit of how far her healing power can go. Kirsti took a glance around the town for a little bit, she doubted that a factory fix alone will help the town. Then she had an idea.
"Is that bastard's full name Zakuun Deez Nutz?" she hurriedly said, then have a quick restrained chuckle to herself. Then she turned to her new found comrades and asked "Okay, so...errmm, I don't feel right leaving this town to its own demise, so we're helping, alright? We're gonna find some answers here anyway. I know you-" she pointed at Reyna."-have some sort of this speed thing going on with you and I am damn well certain that the old factory had some...things inside that won't make it that easy but Nadia, what else can you do? I don't think you have anything to help in fighting but I recall you being in college for cooking, maybe you can cook something up for this folks so that they won't eat...well, any humans around here."
http://www.last.fm/user/sgtpendulum Yo, check out what I'm listening, it'll be heat, brah :^)Shuria's Castle
Shuria stood up from her prone position, pouting a bit at Julian's reluctance to help. Eventually, she let out a delighted sigh as Dimitri agreed to help. Still, for this task it would probably require the aid of two Guardians she thought.
"The gate in question was made by a Guardian of old to seal us off from the outside world. It is also why I was being forced to marry Zakuun, since the deal was for him to destroy the gate with his immense strength in return that I give him my body... but as Guardians, you both proved to be stronger than him. I'm sure that you both could destroy the gate with ease with your strength."
Taking a moment to think on how to win over Julian, Shuria extended a hand. "I'll form a contract with you then, Guardian. If you do what I ask, I'll be bound to help you on your journey to return home to your family. Having the ruler of the undead on your side will surely prove to be a great boon, yes?"
It would seem that the Succubus was serious in her offer to help the older man in his quest. If Julian took her hand, then the contract would be formed and he would gain a powerful ally... Though, the decision was ultimately his.
Marrow's Graw
Canna's eyes perked up as the news of Zakuun being defeated brightened her mood, and seemed to have given her more hope. She then looked over towards the factory and then back at the trio. "I believe the factory in question was made to arm the denizens of Sepulchrum in case of war with the outside world. However, the Guardian who made it died long ago..."
"Shuria says that once the factory is operational, we will be able to reclaim what is ours!" says Nagato as he smiled at the Guardians.
"Or so she says," added Canna. She herself chuckled at Kirsti's joke, before taking notice that she was worried about being eaten. "Oh, don't worry about being eaten. We wouldn't dare hurt a Guardian. Besides, we usually only eat dead bodies... though some of the more savage ones probably won't wait."
"Anyway, shall I show you folks to the factory?" said Canna as she began to lead the group.
As Canna walked over towards the factory with you all in tow, the people of Marrow's Graw seemed to be more respectful, bowing their heads as you all walked towards the factory. Upon reaching the doors of the massive warehouse-like building, Canna opened the doors to reveal a massive assembly line of sorts, with technology that seemed far beyond what would be available in a medieval fantasy setting.
"Here's the factory... I think it just needs some power?" said Canna as she pointed towards one of the generators.
By the looks of things, the generators just needed a bit of cleaning and a bit of wind in order for them to power themselves up again.
Erix'aad Mines
As the group fought with the smaller elementals, the Elemental Lord turned towards the group.
The Elemental Lord paused for a moment, as if to explain the situation... however, in that moment the hobgoblin boss took advantage of the opportunity and struck the elemental deep in the chest with his pickaxe, shattering part of the elemental being in the process.
"Thanks for the distraction, Guardians!" exclaimed the hobgoblin with delight towards Skyler and the rest of the group as he ruthlessly began to chip away at the Elemental Lord.
It would seem that Skyler's hesitation to act in aiding the Elemental Lord or the Hobgoblin Boss resulted in the situation being solved itself... however, perhaps there is still a chance to amend things with the elements by acting quickly and without hesitation by rescuing the Elemental Lord?
Upon their leader being fatally harmed, the rest of the elementals began to go more berserk, ignoring any previous conversation as their eyes began to glow red with rage
Throwing themselves towards the group they began to swing their mighty arms at them, even the one that was bound by Mark began to ruthlessly twist and turn, attempting to attack anything in sight.
Apple-Gem Town
Amber just watched as the group fussed over how to pay the people, and eventually deciding upon 'Guardian Bucks' to compensate. Amber giggled a bit to herself before composing herself with a cough.
"Well, Maryland does have a point... is there anything we can do to help around here?" asked Amber towards the Innkeeper by the window.
"Not particularly," he said as he began to clean a mug. "We live pretty peacefully here, the work is fair, and we have the protection of King Artis' men to keep us safe. Troubling Guardians with work that we can do on our own wouldn't be respectful. Though if you want, I'm sure we can find some work for you people if you so desire."
"Honestly, I think it's about time we head towards the castle, perhaps we could get some real answers from whoever is in charge there... along with some real work if we really want to help anyone," said Amber as she began walking down the road towards Stormguard.
It would seem that a choice had to be made... stay at the village and complete some tasks, or follow Amber to Stormguard and talk to the king.
Those who decided to follow behind Amber, would find that the entrance to Stormguard's massive gates were open wide. At the entrance of the city, stood a female knight
alongside some heavily armed guards. She simply gazed at the lot of you before speaking up.
"Guardians, eh?" she said as she inspected Amber and those who decided to follow. "I take it you are here to see the king? Come with me then."
As the group followed the female knight, they would see a bustling town filled with many districts including shops, inns, banks, barber shops, and even an auction house where people were buying and selling. The group gained the attention of many civilians, all looking with awe and with inquisitive faces. A few guards even turned from their posts to see the group better.
Walking along the paved roads towards the keep of Stormguard, the group entered the hallway leading to the throne room... where they met a young man no older than twenty years old standing in front of a throne with his hand upon it; a young king
.
"My king, I bring you some Guardians who have recently arrived," spoke the female knight as she saluted the young man.
"Thank you, Trish, you are dismissed," said the king as he bowed his head towards the knight. Trish hesitated a bit, before nodding her head and leaving the throne room.
"Welcome, Guardians, to Stormguard... It is an honor to have you here. I am..." the man looked sad for a moment, before speaking up, "I am King Artis."
"I suspect that you must have many questions for me, and I am willing to answer them to the best of my abilities," spoke the king as he turned and looked towards the lot of you. "It is the least I can do for what previous Guardians have done for my father's-" Artis paused, "I mean, my kingdom."
"Sorry, I'm not quite used to being king," smiled the young blond man.
"Which is something that you will need to get used to," spoke another man
as he entered the room from the side. "They could be assassin's for all we know."
"Relax, Gregori, I sense no ill-intent," spoke Artis as he patted Gregor's shoulder. Turning back towards the Guardians, he continued to speak. "Please forgive him, he means well. Now then, back to the matter at hand, what can I do for you all?"
Tortoran
"This," Skuld pointed towards the area around them as if it was common sense, "is a beach. You," he pointed towards the newly awakened man with his staff, "are probably a human stowaway from a far off land. I," he pointed towards himself, "am a Totollo. Tor-Tol-Lo. But you may call me Skuld."
"Now, if we're done with the questions, I suggest we head to my village and get you people some nice clothes," spoke Skuld as he stubbornly began to walk up the beachhead and onto the trail leading towards the village.
As the group followed the stubby turtle man, they would soon enter the village of Snappershore, a peaceful little village filled with various different folks. As they walked down the road towards Skuld's inn, they would see bipedal bears walking around, orcs, trolls, and even elves! There were even a few humans as well busy trying to sell exotic goods by stalls.
"Here we are!" spoke Skuld as he tapped the bamboo door leading towards the inn. "Feel free to make yourselves at home!"
Opening the door and leading you all to a room, Skuld whistled towards one of the elven maids, who promptly came over with some fresh clothes, mostly of a foreign Asian-like aesthetic, including kimonos and robes.
"Like I said, make yourselves at home and feel free to get changed into some warm clothes... There's a hot spring in the back if you're desperate for a bath. Well, after you're done doing your business, come find me for some grub!" spoke Skuld as he left the trio to their business in the room.
It would seem as if you all have some time to talk among one another or explore the inn with the free time given to you.
"Believe in the me that believes in you!"Shannon shakily sobbed a few more times, yelping as she dodged blows from the lesser Earth Elementals. At last, fear turned to anger and she shouted at the hobgoblin, summoning Wilhelm again. He cleaved his giant sword at the hobgoblin, trying not to hurt the Elemental Lord further.
"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Shannon shouted.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.Stormguard City, City Castle
Well, things were picking up apace a little, now Tibalt and these other 'Guardians' were meeting with the king. Perhaps their role was a little more important than he expected and that felt... Good really, it felt like there was some definite purpose to their role in this world.
"We Guardians are here to solve the problems of this land, to quest and strengthen the world. We would be proud to take on work on behalf of your kingdom if you're willing to keep us in good steading and reputation while we do so."
Tibalt... Really had no idea where he managed to pull that little speech from, but he kinda hoped it would be convincing.
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.The Factory of Arms, Marrow's Graw, Sepulchrum... the World, Lotus - Nadia Al-Amin
Nadia's expression stiffened at the mention of arming the populace and she had second thoughts about helping with this particular venture. Canna and Nagato seemed kind enough but as the village elder mentioned, there was the question of "the more savage ones." Seeing the place with her own eyes, her doubts only grew - cheerful as she may be, she knew enough history to know what death toll asymmetrical warfare could bring. Her hands gripped the hard cover of her book as she let questions form in her mind, needing a consult who had no stake in the situation.
Who was the Old God who cursed Shuria and her people, and why? It seems like to these people, the curse "took" something from them - what is it that they want to reclaim? Nadia poured her doubts and fears into the pages of her tome. More importantly, what kind of weapons would this factory create? And if Shuria had access to these arms... what would her plans be afterwards...? Would they be used for self-defense? Or... expansion?
The college girl couldn't keep the worry from her face and she was thankful when Kirsti asked her questions. "Well, according to this book I'm pretty agile too, I have a good... mind? And I can summon all sorts of kitchenware. And apparently I'm really good at cooking. That being said, just because I can cook doesn't mean I can work without ingredients... and I'd rather not work with formerly human meat- blehhh..."
Taking a deep breath, Nadia turned over to Canna and bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry; I don't think I'll be much help here. Actually, if I'm being honest, I don't feel comfortable with... helping to produce weapons. Call me naive or a coward of a guardian, but I don't want to create a situation where people get hurt... or worse. Maybe we, or at least I, can help in another way?"
Erix'aad Mines
Skyler went in to rescue this hobgoblin and he responded by betraying the dragon's trust. Forget the promise he made to Gum-Gum, forget the information he could bring, forget the inn voucher.
There was no more time for reluctance, right now he needed his head clear. "Shannon, focus on healing the big elemental! If he dies the goblin with the pickaxe wins! One of you guys help the warrior stop that goblin from doing more harm. Everyone else, aim to disable the elementals rather than harming them. If that isn't possible, just aim to stay out of harm's way!"
Skyler then breathed in, guessing what was coming next would be natural for a dragon but what was coming out, something told Skyler that this will buy some time. A stream of cold breath came out, close to the legs of the elementals. As the cold hit the ground, ice formed, immobilising the beings. They were weak to water but it'd take some time to melt anyways and even if that was the case, the damage would be minor.
Edited by JustaUsername on Oct 10th 2018 at 5:46:30 AM
Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.Stormguard City – Castle
Dear god, he looks barely a day older than me...
“I suppose if ye want an answer resembling common sense then I will echo dear Fake-Name's answer, Your Highness. But an honest answer is perhaps more difficult regarding my own current agenda. But your compatriot is not wrong in sensing no wicked intent. And indeed, I'm not impolite. So at least be comforted by that.”
The gorgeous purple anaconda chose this moment to slip out from beneath her collar, partially wrapped around a cider jug as it extended itself out in offering to the young king.
“Cider? I hear it's quite good.”
Her shadow was both an uncanny and amusing sight at this moment in time – as instead of illustrating a woman offering a beverage via the use of a pet serpent, it instead showed a teeming mass of said serpents expunging one of their own out for use as a makeshift tendril; the shadow of the cider jug itself adding to the ridiculousness of the scene.
borkApplegem
Maryland bit her lip. "I can get myself a bike and catch up if I want. You're welcome for the clothes by the way." She decided. "I said I owe it to these people and I do still believe that." With a short thrusting punch she swung her fist forward and smoothed out the town's main road, buffing out bumps and cracks and hardening the earth to maybe keep it from getting muddy in the future too. She put a hand over her eyes as a shade and checked out the buildings too. "Anything you need, seriously, no task too small for me. There's no matter of 'respect' here. Anyway, let's get to it, I can't tell, are these buildings in okay shape?"
In the back of her head Maryland was certainly concerned that only magicky folks like the wizard woman could actually give them juice, sure, but this wasn't a matter of points, it was the right thing. The way she saw it, for now, she had to trust that this place was as "real" as any other. And it wasn't like the Medan guy she had no leads on at present couldn't wait. Maybe there'd even be stuff she'd otherwise miss by sticking around!
Tortoran Inn
As grumpy as Shulk may have been, he was taking the time to essentially rescue them, and was offering them clothes, John thought. He followed the turtle without hesitation- considering that all three of the humans were likely weak from... whatever had happened to them... the Tortollo could have killed them right then and there if he had malicious intentions.
John had thought that turtle-people were the strangest thing he'd find today, but he was proven wrong very quickly. He tried not to gawk at the orcs, elves, bipedal animals, and even trolls that populated the village, and mostly succeeded.
They were quickly bustled into into an inn, and one of the maids- an elf!- came over and handed them some clothes. "Thanks," John said awkwardly, trying not to stare at her pointed ears.
After pulling on the thankfully dry kimono, the young man finally asked the people around him what they were probably all thinking-
"... do any of you know what the fuck is going on right now?"
Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look

Erix'aad Mines
"Name's Mark. Pretty sure I can't do the magic stuff that Shannon can, just some stuff with potion crafting...I think. Need to eat more ingredients to be certain" The slime man commented. flexing a hand experimentally as the Elementals appeared. "Though this body seems to have a few tricks."
Mark's body instantly shifted into a long stream that flew over to the closest Elemental and wrapped tightly around the rocky form to bind it. "Now hold on here." Mark's head moved towards the lights that made up the Elemental's face. "I'd rather we don't have to try and kill one another, so why don't we try and resolve this without bashing faces in, eh? Besides, My companions and I need answers our situation, and the bastard who sent us here's pretty damn stingy about information. At this point, I'll take whatever information I can get."
Sure it went against Gum-Gum's orders, but Mark didn't care. He wouldn't fight if he could resolve the situation peacefully.