|
Post by Renathan on Dec 9, 2021 13:42:40 GMT -6
Renathan had been quite pleasantly surprised, after having worried quite a bit, about how well the quest had turned out. He'd been quite nervous about the presentation of the request; it hardly looked like something that was legitimate. In addition to this he had been warned off of taking the quest by the helper, who he was still was sure had some kind of hunch about the situation. Worse, the place had looked somewhat sketchy, as well... It was awkward, helping the older woman work in the kitchen. He never really would understand why no one else saw much of a reason to help her, even among the party returning the animals.
He was still thinking of this on the evening that he shut down Cloud-Nine after completing the last of his winter-holiday 'gift' commissions before the first of the holidays. He had planned on going out with Auburn to pick up another quest before heading home- since he had the time for it now.
[1]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 9, 2021 23:42:55 GMT -6
Renathan really wanted to find a quest that was something that not only played to his own strengths (he still had a lot of creative energy despite having his entire job revolve around it and rely on it so heavily and completely) but also was one that he could bring Auburn with him to. The air was getting crisp and cold now, so she was much less uncomfortable going out and about with him (during the Summer she was often too hot to comfortably go about his daily activities with him, so they spent more agonizing time apart; he liked to make up for it in the winter). Unlike many others that they passed on the street that seemed to be severely bothered by the cold snap in temperatures, Renathan just wrapped an extra layer of cloth around him and relied on his thick coat for the rest of it. Auburn didn't need anything like that; she was fine in the cold on the way to the quest board all her own.
[2]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 15:16:33 GMT -6
They got to the square that had the quest board within it without having other people around nearly as much as Renathan would have expected. People were busying about the streets, some probably heading home from work like he would have been, a few of them probably going out to man their night-shifts. He had suspected that there would be quite a few requests up on the board and he was most certainly not disappointed! There were requests of all kinds on the board. Some were written on large fancy pieces of paper, others scribbled hastily on wrapping paper backing and addressed to some mythological figure or another (there were multiple). Renathan moves to the board quickly with Auburn right on his shoulder, singing her joy to the crisp air. Renathan's breath came out of his mask in little relaxed puffs as he read over the first few requests up on the board.
[3]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 19:20:02 GMT -6
There were so many requests! Renathan skimmed over the ones that were addressed to mythological figures, not really interested in those (though there were a few requesting things that he technically could do; such as making certain kinds of toys for youngsters that were requesting them). He wanted to do something to do 'the most good that he possibly could'. It was really just in his nature. He went through quite a few of the notes, giving Auburn a pet on her chin whenever she got very impatient with him, until he found one that caught his attention upon the first skimming of it- enough for him to read it in more detail. Perhaps it was the delicate cursive writing- something he'd learned when trained classically at an evening school upon migrating to the Labs City. It certainly looked like an older individual had written it. In addition, the note had lovely illustrations on it that really caught the eye.
[4]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 20:14:18 GMT -6
The requester had been definitely very terse, but in an exasperated certain tone that he got from just the way it was worded alone. 'Looking for Assistants, to Help with the Holiday Rush.' With an additional note that there was 'no experience needed!' Renathan had to chuckle at the end of that. He glances at the back of it, and notices that there was indeed an address. "The holiday rush, huh?" That sounded a lot like something to do with orders, be it toys or other such gifts... He could certainly work with toys, and he could most certainly do a lot more good for this place than by making toys for individual children... Also admittedly he didn't feel like using his shop much more until after the holidays. He was no longer taking holiday orders after all; and this individual probably had a better setup that was more geared towards this in specificity. "Well- we better go check it out, Auburn!"
[5]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 20:28:47 GMT -6
Auburn was preening one of her wings whenever Renathan said her name, but that didn't keep her from answering him with a very cheery trill! She dropped a feather that she had removed from her beak onto the cobblestone below as she did. The russet mammalian looked back over the piece of paper. He figured that he knew where this street was... Somewhere right off of the business district on the far south side, it seemed almost like it could be near a few warehouses that he'd seen on a walk once or twice? But there wasn't a warehouse that far down- that was real far down all-right. He hums a little bit, and then starts walking that direction.
On the way there, the sky begins threatening to spit out a little bit of snow; but it was really all just flurries. Still, people were excited. It would be the first snow of the year.
[6]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 21:02:32 GMT -6
There were various people that stepped out of businesses on the way there to look up at the little flurries, and even a child or two looking up with their tongue stuck out to catch one or two flurries if they were lucky. Renathan does enjoy it, though he knows that he is going to be hit by that general 'winter sorrow' feeling as soon as the first 'real good' snow blanketed the ground. He wanted to start learning how to live for the here and now, so it was nice to see people enjoying the flurries. The snow flurries had stopped by the time that Renathan got to the address indicated. He stood there for a moment, surveying the strange warehouse-like building. It most certainly was not here the last time that he had been in this area on a walk. He reaches up to scratch the back of his nape.
"Auburn, this is so shady." He murmured to her. Auburn trills, knowing that he is nervous but not understanding why.
[7]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 21:18:26 GMT -6
Renathan did not like the looks of this, naturally. The 'no experience needed' and the brand new warehouse that most certainly was not here before... Yeah, he figured that it might be easy enough to build a new warehouse at any time, but to get so many orders within the last couple of months to need help; and no experience needed? Renathan grits his teeth beneath his mask, but he walks forward anyway beneath the thickly silver-cloud covered sky towards the nearest door. Wasn't this close to the old Labs? That was creepy. That area was dangerous, and had mostly been... Well, hadn't it been burned at one point? He wasn't entirely sure, since he'd only migrated to the Labs City in the last few years. This was old news, and old obscured-sounding news at that.
He sort of hopes that the door doesn't open, but of course it does. Hopefully they wouldn't be too mad that Auburn was with him!
[8]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 21:41:33 GMT -6
Before Renathan could get all the way into the door, someone barrels through the door- and if Renathan had been a smaller individual he would have easily have been pushed down. Instead, the two meet in the middle, and Auburn raises her wings and flaps twice, making herself appear larger. "Calm down, Auburn." He murmurs before turning apologetically to the individual that had burst from the door. "Sorry-" He started. However, Renathan noted something odd- fire! "W-wait your uh, your sweater!" He pointed, palm-up. The young fellow is already patting it out and has it out by the time that Reanthan even had time to say anything.
'You gotta help me out, it's crazy in there, big red button, can't miss it-' Renathan gets all of the words a little jumbled, perhaps because he just saw a person bust out of a warehouse with his sweater on fire. Was this even safe? 'It'll shut the whole thing down!'
...The whole what now?
[9]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 21:58:56 GMT -6
Renathan stammers for a moment, perhaps a little on the uncharacteristic side. "The what now?" He voices, a couple of seconds later. The person just gestures into the building, and more calmly this time (hadn't he just been on fire a second ago?) he simply said 'if you could, please'. He could not believe that someone else would ask this of another person- wasn't he just on fire! That being said, Renathan was just the perfect person for this job. He never really had any issues with heat, and hardly had any issues with fire at all. In addition to that, though Auburn wasn't really good with heat either- her down tended to keep her from the brunt of it.
Renathan doesn't say anything, though he does hope that 'the back' would be easy enough to find. Auburn senses that he feels anxiety, however, and slicks down as close as she can to his shoulder as they enter the building.
[10]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 22:15:22 GMT -6
The building was a little smoky, but it didn't seem like anything was actually on fire. Instead, it seemed like the machinery, from what he could see from the door, was going absolutely super fast. He was pretty sure that machinery wasn't supposed to go that fast! None of the toys were getting made properly, bits of stuffing would fly out of the stuffing machines, and little toy trains were missing half of their wheels. Renathan grits his teeth. Was this person just sending random people in here to see if they could get to the back? What a weird thing to do! The russet mammalian moves forward, away from the door- somehow feeling a little safer inside than near that weird young guy that gave him the absolute heebie-jeebies!
The mammalian wasn't too far inside whenever the first 'weird' thing happened- he nearly dodges whenever a strap off of the machine snaps off and strikes exactly where he was standing- it was so thick! How did it just snap like that?!
[11]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 23:04:02 GMT -6
Renathan had enough experience with things that weren't quite right (namely, this reminded him of the Mansion) to know instinctively that it was no accident. He moves out of the way, and Auburn nearly takes flight. "No- Auburn stick with me!" He calls out, though perhaps he didn't need to say it that loud. "Something is not right here!" Auburn may not understand the words, but she understands the tone. She digs her claws into the fabric at his shoulder to hold still and caught his fur a bit, but she managed to hold on as he caught himself.
He hangs back against a wall, squinting in the smoke, trying to see if there was a way to get 'to the back' without getting close to that machinery... He does decide to hang close to the wall; he should be able to find where 'the back' was if he kept close to the wall.
[12]
[The Funky Gadget uses Whip!]
[Renathan's Danger Sense Procs, the Funky Gadget misses!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 23:17:43 GMT -6
The last thing that either of them needed was for Renathan to get them lost in this... Weird place. Renathan was grumbling under his mask as he scooted along the wall. A couple of times he had to move away from the wall just a few steps due to different pieces of furniture being pressed up against them. It goes well until he goes to round the very first corner and he is forced away from the wall due to a huge piece of machinery that was... Coming out of the wall. It was a large assembly line piece- and he knew much better than to get too close to it due to the earlier issue. He stands back for a moment, eyes squinted against the dim light, to see if he could detect anything that could help him out here.
Auburn stiffens as she looks in a particular direction, and Renathan turned just in time to put his hands up and block another attack. From where, he had no idea.
[13]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 23:21:08 GMT -6
Renathan doesn't have time to think as a shield forms right in front of his palms. Just in the knick of time, both himself and Auburn (because she was on his shoulder) were saved from a direct swinging attack from what looked to be a GIANT teddy bear. It had a button hanging from it's face, and another that was cracked on the other side of its face to form an 'eye'. Oddly enough, in the spare second when Renathan's pink eyes met his button eyes; he blinked. Renathan's stomach turned immediately.
Auburn acts immediately and without Renathan's input, just based on his emotions and the reaction that he had. There was a decent amount of blunt force blocked with the shield; and the bear attempted to swing through. Instead, Auburn produced an ear-splitting screech that did give the giant creature pause to divert its attention from the larger Renathan to the much smaller target of the izer.
[14]
[Deranged Teddy uses Bash!]
[Renathan's Holy Shield Activates; Bash is Negated]
[Auburn uses Screech! Deranged Teddy will lose its next turn.]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Dec 10, 2021 23:29:01 GMT -6
Renathan didn't have to think to know what to do next. He draws on his magic, already feeling the embers of it lick across his fingers- finally turning into long tongues of flame. He holds his hands together for just a moment and then launches a ball straight into the chest of the huge teddy bear. The creature immediately raised a forearm to try to block the attack, but the flame immediately overtook his form. It was only just then, as it staggered back (obviously very affected by the flame), that Renathan realized that maybe trying to set a giant stuffy monster on fire in a factory probably wasn't a good thing. Luckily for him, it staggered back and crumbled into ash on the cold concrete floor.
"Holy-" Renathan started, his voice shaking. Auburn flaps her wings a few times, and Renathan nodded. She was fluffing herself up, trying to appear larger. "I know, it'll be fine." They were going to have to go around the machine, in the direction of the pile of ash.
[15]
[Renathan uses Ball of Fire's Fury at the cost of 4 Fire MP]
[Deranged Teddy takes 4 Fire Damage x2 due to Fire Weakness]
[Deranged Teddy Collapses into a Pile of Ash!]
|
|