Catherine
“Ooooh-ahhhhh!” Finally, a good sleep! I swear if Mark came a moment later, I would have snapped! … well I kind of did snap, but it was his own fault. In fairness, when I think about it, no game would allow someone to be imprisoned for three days, forced to sleep on the floor, nothing but a roll of bread to eat everyday…
The shutters opened up into a bright and sunny day, though in the distance dark clouds brewed. A ‘burbol-gurgul’ rumbled from my tummy.
“Oh dear, excuse me.” I said in case anyone was within earshot.
Thank-god Sloane and Rebecca didn’t hear that… I miss them though, I do hope they are okay.
The facilities were no better than the prison, but there was nothing to be done about it, ‘When in Rome’, as they say. It was tempting to go down stairs in just underwear, but no, the prison rags would have to do for now. In the foyer, a girl behind the counter in a cat costume served out meals to other-equally weird costumed people.
“Myaa, good morning Miss Reicat, would you like some breakfast.”
Is she trying to sound cute? And what is with the boob-job, seriously? “My name is Catherine, but… Oui, s'il vous plaît, j'aimerais un petit-déjeuner.”
“Myaa? Sorry, I don’t understand.” She said tilting her head to one side.
“How unsophisticated, it’s French for ‘Yes’.”
You have loss 5 disposition with Kalm, the Innkeeper
Huh? What’s disposition mean?
“Ok mya, please find a seat and I’ll bring it to you shortly.”
Two long benches separated the room. People in costumes on the left and people in costumes on the right, there was only one person not dressed up, he was huge probably the biggest person I had ever seen, obviously a gym-junkie with his muscles on muscles bulging out of the leather straps wrapped across his torso, a huge mace hung from his back.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
“Urgh.” He grunted. Not much for words this one… at least he isn’t dressed as an animal.
He didn’t even bother to look over when I sat down, just wore a dumb look on his strong and chiselled face as he stared into his bowl of porridge and stein of milk.
The girl in the cat-costume placed a bowl of porridge and a mug of milk down in front of me. “Enjoy your breakfast, mya.”
Did she just pull that out of thin air? If this was real, there would be no way to explain that, stupid Mark. Ordinarily, I would not permit this sludge to grace my lips but having nothing but a single roll of bread for breakfast for three days does wonders for one’s figure but also their appetite.
“So, my name’s Catherine, what’s your name?” I asked, eyeing the big lug, between begrudging mouthfuls.
He rolled his eyes up into his head as if searching for some lost treasure… “Brutus,” came his deep chested response.
How original… I bet that isn’t even his real name. “Hi Brutus, a pleasure to meet you.” He was doing something with the corners of his lips, I think he was trying to smile.
You have gained +15 disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer
Huh? Guess you’re not as tough as you look. “Why are you here, Brutus?”
He thumped his chest a few times. “Brutus here, fight Beastmen.”
Persisting with the act, okay weirdo. “Who are the Beastmen? Are they not nice people?”
His face turned grave. “Beastmen bad, Beastmen monsters, Beastmen invade country, invade city.”
Well, like, that doesn’t sound good. “But… you are strong…”
You have gained +5 disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer
“Brutus strong!” His deep voice boomed, eliciting some head turns from the costume crew.
“You are brave…”
You have gained +5 disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer
Your disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer, has reached ‘Friend’
“Brutus brave!”
I stroke your ego and now we’re friends? You’re just as simple as some of the boys at school. “Umm, okay, if the town is invaded will you protect me?” My puppy eyes were usually irresistible… but his face scrunched up and he looked like he was struggling with something, like a mental cog was jammed. A white moustache was all that remained of his stein of milk.
Well, they do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So, I pushed my mug of milk over, hoping that might sway him.
You have gained +25 disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer
Your disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer, has reached ‘Companion’
Oh, simple creature. A couple of extra graphical bars appeared in my vision, until I swatted them away.
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“Brutus protect!”
Yes! I feel a little bit safer now. “Thank you Brutus, you’re the best!”
You have gained +5 disposition with Brutus, the Adventurer
“Oh, stop it.” I smiled. The girl in the cat-costume was walking around serving, not responding to my flags for service.
“Excuse me? Excuse me? Innkeeper?” She placed a bowl of porridge and milk in front of a purple robe weirdo who was eyeing me.
“Yes, Miss Reicat?”
“I would love a ‘Green Goddess’ smoothie please.”
“I’m sorry myaa, I don’t know what that is.”
“Umm, okay…” I said a little frustrated. “Can I see the menu!” Just as I uttered the word, a larger than normal see-through menu appeared, hovering in front of my face, moving where ever I pointed my head.
“Are you okay, Miss Reicat.”
“Ahh yes, sorry, it’s just this stupid game.” I swatted at the menu and then turned to the Innkeeper. “Hi sorry, hey, I never got your name?” I asked with a smile, after realising I was being quite rude.
You have gained +5 disposition with Kalm, the Innkeeper
“My name is Kalm. Kalm, the Innkeeper, myaa.” She said with a curtsey.
“Well, Kalm, do you know where girls can go to wash up?” I glanced at my rags to emphasise the retched state I was in.
“Oh yes myaa!” She said excitedly. “There is the Bath House..”
Bath House?! I don’t even know what that is… Sob-sob… I’ll take anything at this stage, but how do I use a bath house? “Thanks Kalm, maybe… we can go together?” I have no idea how a Bath House works.
You have gained +25 disposition with Kalm, the Innkeeper
Your disposition with Kalm, the Innkeeper, has reached ‘Friend’
Woah easy costume girl, we just met. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have any spare outfits?” To which she just shook her head. “Okay, well, want to go now?”
She smiled and her whole face lit up. “Okay Miss Reicat, I am looking forward to it.” And she pranced away. Oh, she’s going to go get ready?
I certainly wasn’t going to walk the street in the garb I was currently in, not in a million years. Maybe one of these other weirdos have a spare outfit or something?
Maybe the man in the purple robe dressed as a badger had a spare robe, but that might make a person feel like a seductress, walking around with nothing but their lingerie beneath, no, only if I was truly desperate. There were two people with similar body sizes to myself sitting at the other bench, except that they were wearing fox costumes with hooded cloaks around their shoulders.
“Hi, my name’s Catherine.” I said to them as I sat down opposite the two girls, hoping that an introduction would earn some disposition with them, but I guess they were being a bit snobbish.
“Good morning Reicat, the Parolee.”
“The umm-what? Never mind, what are your names? Where are you two from?”
A pained look etched across their faces. “I am Kris, and this is Sai, we are from the village Kakurega.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that question would upset you both.”
You have gained +5 disposition with Kris
You have gained +5 disposition with Sai
Hmm no title? “Do you mind if I ask what happened to make you so sad?”
They looked to each other and nodded, before Kris spoke again. “A terrible curse has befallen on our village, and our people have lost all their strength and will to live.”
“Oh-my-god that’s terrible, I’m so sorry.” I said genuinely concerned.
You have gained +5 disposition with Kris
You have gained +5 disposition with Sai
“Maybe there’s something I can do to help?”
“We have the impossible task of finding the Well of Life, hidden deep within the Tower of Heaven, where Seven Trials bar us.” Kris hung her head in shame, and Sai continued. “It has been weeks, and we have still been unable to find the temple.” Sai also hung her head.
Oh-my-god these poor girls… “Well, I can’t promise anything, but I’d like to help if I can and if you’d let me?” I said clasping their hands.
They looked to each other again, this time life seemed to kickstart in their eyes.
You have been offered the quest ‘Save the Hidden Village’.
[Accept / Reject]
Oh cool! I accept.
You have gained +20 disposition with Kris
You have gained +20 disposition with Sai
Your disposition with Kris has reached ‘Friend’
Your disposition with Sai has reached ‘Friend’
Again, a few bars appeared in the air before I waved them away. “So… Now that we’re friends, would either of you have some spare clothes or a cloak?”
“No, sorry Miss Reicat, we have nothing spare.”
Dang… “That’s okay.” I said as I got up. “Hey, me and the Innkeeper are going to go a Bath House, if you want to join? Might help you relax and gather your thoughts.”
They looked at each other again and returned with smiles. “We will join you.”
You have gained +5 disposition with Kris
You have gained +5 disposition with Sai
That only left the man dressed as a badger…
“Hiya.” I said sitting down next to him. “My name’s Catherine, what’s yours?”
“In the North the icy winds blow, in the East the mountains sit, in the South the fires rage, and in the West the waters wave.”
Okay then… think this one might be a bit crazy,
“Umm, hello? Good morning?”
“Is it morning? Or has some great mage cast an illusion in the sky?”
This guy is definitely on something. “Does it matter?”
“Does it matter? Does… it… matter…?”
You have gained +5 disposition with Torovir, Bishop of Enchantment
So, his name is Torovir, very different to the other people here, guess he must come from far away? Now, it would be rude to address him by his name, especially since he hasn’t even introduced himself yet.
“May I ask what your name is, Sir?”
“What is in a name? Do we even need names? Why do Spells need names?” He muttered to himself as he stroked his chin.
Oh-my-god, you’re more annoying than Grand-papa. “A name helps us identify things and people, it can also add symbology to an idea or thing.”
He turned to me and his costumed eyes seemed to light up. “Indeed! Very well child of mischief, my name is Torovir, Trainee of Enchantment. How can I be of assistance?”
You have gained +5 disposition with Torovir, Trainee of Enchantment
“Well, as you can see, my clothes have been taken from me and I’ve been left with only these rags for the past three days. Would you have a spare outfit or robe I could wear?”
His eyes undressed me, sending a shiver down my spine, then he looked straight into my eyes, boring into my soul. “The insolence! To beg for a Robe of Enchantment, who do you think you are!” he shouted.
You have loss 10 disposition with Torovir, Bishop of Enchantment
Brutus went to stand, but I spoke before he could. “I am deeply sorry if I offended you Bishop Torovir, I meant that… I had an interest joining the… discipline?”
“Hmph, is that so, yes, well indeed, that’s what I thought. Splendid then.”
You have gained +15 disposition with Torovir, Bishop of Enchantment
“There is but the matter of the trials, if you pass them, I will vouch for you at the temple of the Mystic Aura.”
You have been offered the quest ‘Enchanted Trials’
[Accept / Reject]
“I accept! Thank you so much!”
“Welcome child, to the path of Enchantenment!”
Even though I would look like some sort of seductress or worse a streaker… it would be better than this, but he still hadn’t handed me one yet. “Umm, where’s the robe?”
The weirdo looked confused. “The Robe of Enchantment is only bestowed to those that past the trials and are accepted into the temple.
What a freak! “Oh, thank you… for this great opportunity.”
“Miss Reicat? Are you ready to go?” Kalm said from behind.
It was all for nothing, not one of these people could help me out, what was wrong with the world, not one single person has a spare outfit of any kind?
“Yeah Kalm… let’s go!”
The door opened in on us as we went to leave… and the nerdiest cosplayer I had seen yet walked through.
It would have taken months to create, his E.T like costume was like an old tree with grooves of age wherever his skin was visible. He wore an officer’s attire, medallions and all.
“Ahh,” he spoke with a deep and ponderous tone, “you must be the other one,” he said rudely.
I looked levelled head with him, straight in the neck, where I assumed his actual head would be, and went with one of my go to power poses, hands on my slightly thrusted out hips, enough to make most nerds quiver.
“Excuse me?! If by the other one, you mean me, well I have a name, and you best use it, but not before introducing yourself!” I squinted at him and chuffed.
He reared up, almost out the door him just came from, his eyes going wide for a second.
“Oh, ahh, yes, quite. My apologies, my mood shouldn’t dictate my manners.” He bowed his head. “My name is Azarok, Lord Mayor of Dagon. And what, pray tell, do you go by?”
He was still being rude, but it was a start. “Good day, Lord Mayor Azarok. My name is Catherine.”
“Catherine… I see.” He strummed his beard. “I believe we need to have a chat; would you please take a seat.”
He gestured forcefully from the doorway, leaving little choice for anything else. Torovir, Kris, Sai, and even Brutus were standing, their postures no longer relaxed but taught, the smiles I had grown on their faces gone, only serious looks of those on business.
An uneasiness grew in my chest, but no worse than the unease I felt when walking alone at night from the bus stop or when creepy guys stare at me.
“Hmph, I was going to suggest the same thing, but was just being polite.”