[PP-F4] Wintertide Wayfarers

[Miaki 0]

Miaki unhooked himself from Elyth's arm as she put away the umbrella and they made their way inside. It was then that Miaki thought about how silly they might look together wrapped up in a blanket that could probably be used as a rug. He unwrapped himself from the blanket and left it on Elyth. "Sure thing and hold on to that for the time being. I'll get us something warm too while I'm over there if you'd like. What will it be my lady? Cider? Hot cocoa? Tea? Or something else?" He bowed a little as he finished. "I am at your service." He said with a smile.

[Elyth 0]

"...I was thinking of getting some supplies before leaving to find the Chief. We don't know how long it will take to walk there, nor do we know if the person in question is even present at the moment," Elyth explained to Miaki. "Now, if you'll excuse me, myself and Mr. Blanket need to ask around for directions, which I will write down."

Elyth went straight to the tavern keeper, a stout man with a well-oiled beard.

"Excuse me, would you know where the Chief of this village lives?" Elyth asked him.

"Young lass, the Chief has been at the prayer hall for days; prayin' for this god-forbidden storm to end," the tavern keeper said with a strong accent. "I know you're looking for the Chief, not his house, so if you'll go down the road from this street, you'll find our Sanctuary. Now, if you're not buying anythin', I've got customers to attend to."

Just down the street? That seemed easy enough. Elyth went back to find Miaki.

[Miaki 0]

Elyth made her way over to the tavern keeper looking for directions. Meanwhile, Miaki breathed onto his hands and flexed his fingers in order to return full feeling to his fingers. He glanced up and saw no negative status beside his name. "Good news." But saw that Elyth was still suffering from a cold status. "And not so good." Miaki opened his party window and checked her condition.

<>'s cold was is improving. The body has become less rigid and the physical ability is reduced by 10%.The speed at which satiety is reduced is increased by 30%.

"Well we have some good news. Looks like everything working out and things are even improving in some cases." Miaki made his way over to a wooden counter where a woman, maybe aged around 28-30 was working. "Why hullo d'ar. Vhat can I do for you sur'?" She said in a European accent. "Is that Norwegian accent? It's been a while since I've heard the a sample of that accent but I think that's the accent I'm hearing." Miaki said to himself.

"Uhh yes Ma'am. Could I get two... uhhh do you have anything warm and sweet?"

"Why ser' I do! I have jost the thing." She made to steamy hot pints of something and handed them over to Miaki.

"Oh and we'll be seated over there if you could send some over in a moment."

"Ser' thing!"

[Elyth 0]

"Hey, hey, Miaki," Elyth whispered, tugging on his sleeve. She still had the blanket from earlier, and she thought that they may seem somewhat strange, with her dressed up like a polar bear with a human face and no limbs.

"I got the directions." She looked around. "Are we going to wait here? Or are we going to leave once we get the food?"

The tavern was mostly full of players and the NPCs serving them. The tavern was full, so Elyth was comfortable with staying, but she had to deliver the envelope, so...

Now if only she had a coin to flip.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki looked at the Elyth burrito and couldn't help but smile. Her appearance looked like nothing he had ever seen before and was the picture of cuteness. The blanket was certainly made maybe to be a cover for a bed or for two people because it was huge on Elyth and dragged a little on the floor.

"Hmmm that is a good question isn't it." Miaki took a glance at a frost covered window and saw nothing inviting him outside. They could get everything done as quickly as possible but that would require leaving the warmth of where they were. But if they stayed overnight, assuming not all the rooms were booked based on the large number of players inside, they could rest and hopefully wake up to better conditions.

"I can't decide. Let's leave it to chance." Miaki said as he grabbed a coin which was laying on a table perhaps as a tip left for the NPC. "Heads and we leg it out into the brisk cold like true adventurers after we eat, tails and we be smart adventurers and know to try and get a room to stay in overnight and hope for improved weather in the morning." He flipped the coin in the air after receiving no disagreement from Elyth, still wrapped up like a burrito.

(OOC: If battle dice is even, the adventurers fight the elements and leave after eating, odd is the second option.)

[Elyth 0]

"Mm," Elyth groaned. It seemed that they would have to stay overnight at the tavern and wait for the storm to end.

Were they going to get a room and sleep when the Chief was right down the street? Something just didn't sit right with Elyth's current mentality. She wanted to keep going forward. But she had a cold...

"Looks like we're staying," Elyth sighed, looking towards the fire. "Welp, if you require my presence, I will be over at the fire, heating my innards."

With that, Elyth headed for the fireplace, intending to warm her body and hoping that her cold would improve.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki flipped the coin he borrowed back onto the table where he got it and watched it bounce a few times before settling on the wooden table. "Allow me to join you. Someone will be over shortly to help us with getting something to eat." Miaki said as he picked up the two pints he had containing the warm, sweet smelling beverage inside and followed Elyth towards the fire.

They both sat down on opposite sides of the fireplace with a few feet between them to place the pints and food to join them in a moment. "You know I just realized something. I know we've met each other before a long, long time ago; on the first floor you may recall, but I don't think we've ever seen each other since." Miaki told her having felt perfectly comfortable in her company thus far. "Wasn't it on the first floor where we met? I think it had something to do with Haine." He held one of the pints out to Elyth. "Here, try this. I don't know what it is but it is warm and sweet."

[Elyth 0]

"Warm and sweet," Elyth thought. Somehow, those words seemed to jog her memory. As Elyth gazed into the mesmerizing crests of flame, she remembered a taste somewhat like... candy?

Candy. She gave candy to Haine... Oh, that was it!

"Wasn't it the time when Haine lost Yue? I remember giving her candy afterwards to congratulate Haine for finding her," Elyth wondered aloud. She took one of the pints gingerly, not used to such beverages. "T-thank you."

[Miaki 0]

Miaki picked up his own pint and brought it close to his face, smelling the contents. "You know. I do believe you are right. Yes! And you also were the one who had a cure crystal, or was it a healing crystal? No matter. You were the one who saved Yue if I recall it correctly."

The warm, yellow liquid smelled sweet to Miaki as he took a small sip, careful not to burn his tongue. The substance enter his mouth and tasted as well as it smelled. He tasted the sweet nectar and tried to remember what it was he was drinking. He had it once or twice before in a time long ago and then recognized it as <>. "Oh my. That hits the spot right there. I hope you like this." He told Elyth as he noticed an NPC walk up to them and take their order.

"Yes ma'am. I'd like to get myself a warm bowl of soup. Something creamy please." The NPC nodded and looked at Elyth for her order.

[Elyth 0]

"Oh, I'd like a some soup as well," Elyth told the NPC. She lifted the pint up to her mouth and took a sip, testing the temperature. It was too hot, and she burned her tongue. Typical. Elyth put the sweet, boiling apple cider-like beverage in her inventory. she would need it later.

"So, the tavern keeper told me that the Chief was down the road at the 'Sanctuary,' though I don't know what that is," Elyth explained. "I think we should rest for a little bit before leaving, but we shouldn't take too long."

Then came the really awkward question. "Will we book a room?"

[Miaki 0]

Miaki took another careful sip of his drink. He was a little too careless and drank too much burning his insides. He started fanning his mouth and breathing heavily. "Oh that's hot. Hot. Hot!"

He placed the mug back down and waited for his insides to settle. "Okay, well it might be a good idea to rest here for a little bit. A room would be nice too if you are not opposed to it. Hopefully they are not all taken up. We can check soon as we finish our soup."

[Elyth 0]

Elyth looked away from the fire and down at her drink. "...I want to keep going, but I guess we should wait until my cold gets better. Anyway, enjoy your soup."

The NPC waitress soon came back, meandering fluidly through the crowd with several trays. One tray she carefully set down between Elyth and Miaki. Elyth took the less creamy-looking soup and a spoon, and curiously stirred the gooey liquid before lifting it up to her lips to drink.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki picked up his bowl of soup and blew on it learning from his mistake after burning himself on his drink. "Well we could just take a brief rest. We don't have to stay the entire night or something." Testing his soup and thinking it was safe he dipped his spoon in and brought it to his lips. "Wanna just get a room for a few hours? Long enough to recover from the cold. I don't like the idea either of getting hardly anything accomplished tonight. "

[Elyth 0]

"Alright, then. Let's stay for a while," Elyth agreed. She looked back down at her soup. "Why don't we get some information about this floor? I admit that I came here with no idea whatsoever that the weather would be this way, and surely there's going to be something even more terrible out there."

*Ding*

Your cold is improving. The body has become less rigid and physical ability is reduced by 5%.The speed at which satiety is reduced is increased by 20%.

"Oh, I'm getting better! We may not have to stay for a few hours anymore!" Excitedly, Elyth put the soup in her inventory and got up, shedding the blanket, only to start sneezing again.

"Achoo! Damn it, is this blanket some kind of temporary sun... Hmph," Elyth mumured as she sat back down.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki chuckled having seen the notification in his field of vision. "Sneeze you. Seems that cold really likes you. Don't worry I doubt it will take too long. Nothing a power nap can't fix." He opened up his inventory adding the remains of his soup and selected a <>. "Here." He said offering it to Elyth. "For your sniffles. I feel you need it more than I do right now. I'll see about getting a room for a little bit though the tavern keeper looks a little busy. We could gather some information instead while he is occupied." Miaki offered his hand. "Care to join me?"

[Elyth 0]

"Achoo! Well, that's absolutely grand. I'm sure it loves me," Elyth replied sarcastically.

*Sigh*

"Well, -sniff- it's not like I have anything else to do at the moment," Elyth replied miserably as she used the handkerchief to dab at her nose. She got up and placed her hand on Miaki's. "Lead the way, Miaki."

[Miaki 0]

Miaki pulled Elyth up to her feet and put his right hand to his waist, extending his arm out to Elyth to latch herself to. "Right this way my Lady." Miaki said to her as he guided around the busy tavern. He scanned the crowd for someone that would have some information that would be useful to them. He could ask a normal player for help but he wanted an NPC. Some taverns had an NPC inside that could give players the low down on a floor or region. Examples of this were explorers out in places like the sixth floor who found a camp with a character looking like he was on a jungle expedition. The NPC would be able to mark landmarks on a player's map and tell them of the lore to the area.

Telling the difference between an NPC and a player was usually a pretty easy ordeal. Players were always moving around it felt like. NPCs were typically more static and remained stationary. Miaki's vision focused on one character playing the accordion. "I think we found our guy." He told Elyth as the two walked closer. "Excuse me."

"Why hullo thar." The rather large and bearded NPC replied in a deep, joyful voice.

"We were wondering what you could tell us about the area."

"Why certainly. You are in <>, where winter is always here. Most people aren't always too happy of that fact but we dont mind it here. Well atleast for the devilish storm we've been suffering from lately. Good for business in this tavern. Pretty much every room is booked I reckon-"

"Oh that's not good to hear right now."

"But you're wondering but the area aren't ya. Our village is rather large compared to most around this land. Much more dense the some of the settlements further off. We have everything a village needs. Town hall, chapel, clothing store, and let me tell you she is one fine seamstress, a tavern," the gentleman said taking his arm and point out that that was where they were. "Bakery, forge, though it is rather small compared to most, and a few other types of things a stable village would need."

"What can you tell us about the storm?"

"Aahhh yes. This storm. You two seem to have shown up at a rather unfortunate time. Things are usually rather nice here but this storm has forced people inside. Our village chief is currently praying for the storm to leave soon. He has actually been praying for it to end taking time to address those who seek him out. I'll tell ya' this storm is like nothing I've seen here ever before."

[Elyth 0]

"Agghhhhhh," Elyth groaned. They really were going to be stuck here forever, weren't they. It was only by good grace of the miracle called heat that something good happened:

Your cold has passed on. Congratulations.

"Yay!" Elyth cheered, previous annoyance only partially forgotten as she double-checked to ensure the credibility of this announcement. Great. Yes, it was valid. She was now cured of the cold.

Elyth looked up at Miaki. "Shall we wait or move on? Do we have enough food to make it to the Temple?"

[Miaki 0]

Miaki saw the notice that read Elyth's cold had lifted and could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Shall we wait or move on? Do we have enough food to make it to the Temple?" She asked him.

Miaki rubbed his chin in thought and thought about the idea. Why not? They had the power of the bear pelt blanket to keep them warm and the flora umbrella to keep the snow off their backs. After a moment's thought Miaki threw his hands to the side and said, "Your colds gone? If you're feeling up to it then why not test the elements once again? Third times the charm out there right?" He said with a little enthusiasm.

[Elyth 0]

Miaki's cheer was evident in his voice, and a high morale was a good thing. But, ya know, the third time could also mean death.

Ahem. Well, just to be realistic about things for once. Anyways, now was the time that she had waited for!

"Let's go, let's go," Elyth though aloud, pushing Miaki torwards the door before taking out the umbrella and heading outside first.