[Riven]

It was really, really hard for Rory to suppress the urge to bash his shield into Carafe's face as bits of rice spewed his way. He could almost imagine it, in fact -- how the loose skin would ripple like the surface of a pond with a stone tossed in, how satisfying the crunch of breaking his stubby nose would be, how right it would be to put the mass of gluttony and arrogance in his place, face up on the ground. For a moment the shield fighter clenched his fists to the point of white knuckles, though his face remained perfectly stoic. Justice, no doubt, would feel the conflict between raw desire to retaliate and something colder, something battered and wounded and slightly dark in aspect playing out within. The moment, however, passed; instead of lashing out, Rory slowly rose one hand to the band of his goggles, pressing a few small buttons on the surface.

<"Well little lady it wouldn't do to hurt that cute little face of yours!"> Carafe's own voice played back to him, emanating seemingly from Rory's pocket. The student proceeded to pull out his Scroll and open it, displaying video of Carafe's earlier lecherous remarks. <"I am village Master Carafe Vita. Do you and your comrades, but mostly just you, care for some nourishment and rest for the night?">

"Due to certain circumstances," Rory explained. "I've gotten in the habit of recording my missions. These fancy goggles aren't just for show, Master Vita."

"Now, we were sent here to escort Cami Unis and help all three villages with the local Grimm problem, and we intend to do just that. However, we're not your puppets or servants. We're here on the goodwill of Beacon and the kingdom of Vale, and dependent on how you respond to that goodwill there may be more in the future... or there may be less." He pocketed the Scroll and took a half-step towards Carafe, eyes narrowing slightly. "We will do what we can to protect your people and replace your gun... but we are not your pawns. We won't be bullied, we won't be demanded of, and we won't be disrespected. We may just be students, sir, but by your own admission we and Gaud are your best hope and only real line of defense right now. So..." Managing a clearly fake smile, Rory proceeded to brush the rice bits off his face and goggles while holding Carafe's gaze. "Why not be helpful? A written request we can deliver to Navo would be a good start, and while you draft one up we'll decide who's staying to protect the village." It wasn't a suggestion.

Oh, how glad he would be to never see this place again...

[Mikelobmike]

Justice came close to being overwhelmed by the emotion around him. The smile dropped from his face as he was suddenly torn between the bitter sadness of Gaud and the raging tirade of the Chief. "I will be back soon. I believe Miss Gaud will need someone to talk to, and things are not going to be over here for a little while. I will try-" Justice said, suddenly stopping when Rory gained this cold, dark emotion that ran through Justice's heart. Justice mimicked it to the best of his ability, causing him to physically stumble back as he looked at the ground wide-eyed.

It was not every day that you get an emotion as intense and foreign as that. It was horrible, almost painful to go through. If this were any other time, Justice would have spent days attempting to find out all he could about it. Studying it, finding its root cause, analyzing the events that would put something like that in a man's head. It would have been glorious.

Alas, he had a mission. Justice grabbed a fistful of his own hair, looking up and breathing hard. He turned back toward Camelia. "I will find Gaud. You talk to Rory once this nonsense is over. Break the news to him that it is most likely him staying to guard. I recommend giving him a hug or other sort of affection, it seems that he could use it." he said, no longer attempting to whisper. With that, he walked away from Camelia and toward the direction Gaud attempted to go off to, his face perplexed with what he experienced.

[nathan67003]

Camelia remained where she stood, facing away from the wine container and continuing to superbly ignore him - although for a brief moment while she stared off, her skin crawled while her dark Aura glowed. She was seriously about to send that thing into the ground at max power. This needed to end quickly.

She brought herself back to the present as Justice spoke to her again - well, he seemed to be turned towards her by the sound of it, anyway - and acknowledged it by turning her own head towards him, if only slightly. Potato Guy was best left out of her field of view at the moment. "Alright. I'll tell him that and try to cheer him up a bit. You be careful." Yuss, she'd managed to pull off a neutral, if somewhat unenergetic, tone.

[Ordelis]

RORY & CAMELIA

Spoiler: ShowHide

With a sigh and a face-palm Carafe remained unchanging with a neutral expression despite Rorys rant "Sheesh you greenhorns take things too seriously, you caused a major problem, all I ask is you fix it. As if I would seriously hit on a kid like you" with a flat gaze on Camelia. "Though perhaps if you were a few years older...I'm kidding!" Carafe added quickly.
"Anyway, the fact of the matter doesn't change I still need one of you to make up for the gun you destroyed and the rest of you..." now noticing he was talking to only Rory and Camelia.Blinking he continued "Wherever they are, to go to Navo and tell their Master, Torah Rutilant we need a replacement gun and to continue the old trade deal, one for one, understand?" Carafe now narrowing his eyes back at Rory, still under the impression he's the one responsible for the gun.

JUSTICE

Spoiler: ShowHide

Walking in the direction of the gate going outside Anov, hat tilted down and face hidden Gaud gave Justice a flat "What" as she noticed his approach. The same sour saddness, frustration, and dissapointment still eminating from her.

CALEN

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"I'll be fine...if we could just reach the town" Cami replied holding her head where most of the blood was cleaned  but clearly still pained her. "Gaud will be there" she reminded herself and the thought brought a smile to her face.

[Riven]

Carafe going from furious invective to defensive downplaying was, honestly, about as much of a win as Rory had been expecting. He knew Carafe's type, what the priorities of that sort of mindset were, and that any sort of apology or acknowledgement from the village master was just about out of the question. Showing that Carafe couldn't just roll over them was good enough; he'd take "too serious" over being a footstool any day.

"We'll get your gun. You see to the needs of your people." It was as much of an agreement as Rory was willing to give, under the circumstances; agreeing to force a one-to-one deal with another village probably wasn't practical or realistic, so keeping their options open made the most sense. If Carafe couldn't see past his own arrogance to cut a deal -- even a lopsided one -- that would save himself and his people, well...

... honestly, it was hard not to think these villages all needed new leadership.

Before Carafe could verbally bludgeon him any further, Rory turned and walked over to Camelia. "Sorry for the scene back there, but we have our out. I don't think he's gonna tolerate me leaving, so I guess I'm stuck defending here until you get back." He glanced around. "Where'd Justice go to?" The shield fighter realized suddenly that their group's empath had almost certainly picked up on earlier -- the very sort of thing he'd been afraid of happening. Nothing for it now, though...

[Mikelobmike]

Justice kept his distance from the woman. He did not want to approach at a short range in fear that he would provoke the barbarous woman. "I see that you have been working on this deal for a while, Miss Gaud. It is a shame that short-sightedness could get in the way of ensured prosperity. The leader of this village seems...deplorable." Justice said, leaning against the wall next to the gate. He slumped, failing his normally impeccable posture. He was in a fair amount of pain. Physical exhaustion was finally catching up to him after such extended use of his semblance. A haphazard wipe of his face brought a fresh flow of blood, if only a trickle.

Justice was mentally kicking himself. His search for knowledge had caused him to be careless with his semblance and showed a sign of weakness in front of not only the first years, but the leader of the village. His failure to control his urges left him bloodied and humiliated in a public forum. This was unacceptable. Reaching into a pocket on his coat, he pulled out a small bar of food. He needed to regain strength quickly.

[Ordelis]

One on One conversation with Gaud, freeposting for Justice until finished

JUSTICE

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A single eye poked out from under Gaud's hat, eyebrow raised in uncertainty and her head tilted slightly liked a confused dog. She gave Justice a neutral stare with one eye and replied with an equally flat "I suppose" expressing absolutely no concern for Justice's sudden fatigue. Reaching the main entrance to the village she looked up at the guard's nest, there sat two gaurds and an intact machinegun pulling watch for anything hostile, the same kind that Gaud herself had destroyed earlier on the opposite side of the village. A spike of guilt.

[Mikelobmike]

Justice was perhaps comforted by the fact that she did not seem to care about his weakened state. He expected someone of Gaud's perceived disposition to pick up on it, but her current emotional state points to her being preoccupied with this agreement. "It was...unfortunate that they fired on us. It would make the entire situation much simpler. Now, we have to get a repair done on the gun and attempt to negotiate between the villages." Justice said in between bites of his food.

[Ordelis]

JUSTICE

Spoiler: ShowHide

"An unnecessary situation" Gaud muttered somberly "I've put this village, its people, your group whose names I don't even know in harms way, and despite all this Goggles has taken the blame for my mistake. Why?" Gaud now faced Justice properly to ask her question.
"This was supposed to be simple...Cami arrives and make everything better, but I can't face her now that I've broken our promise. I really can't seem to go anywhere without destroying something" she said looking down at the ground, even without seeing her expression her tone of voice implicated plenty of sorrow and regret.

[Kingnoname1]

(Just going to slip Calen's action in quickly because there isn't much for him but don't feel the need to continue until the conversation is over.)

Cami seemed to calm down quickly enough muttering quietly to herself. Well she wasn't going to be winning any beauty pageants any time soon but Calen felt he had done a reasonable job cleaning the girl up considering he could only use one arm. Still not really sure how to interact with Cami everyone favourite dancer simply decided to whistle quietly as they rode, unable to fill the silence with anything meaningful but still not wanting it to hang. A simple tune from a fairy tale sung in verse, six bars repeated over and over again. The story had many different variations but all concerned a boy and a girl entering a dark, forbidden forest and very few ended well.

[Mikelobmike]

"To be fair, that gun could have very well put a hole in my skull had you not disabled it. I do owe you for that one." Justice said, gesturing in her direction with his half-eaten food. "Rory took responsibility for the gun because he considers himself the leader of our little group here. Mistakenly, but I will indulge him for the time being. Now as for you-" Justice had started addressing her when his legs slipped out from under him and he slid down the wall, sitting on the ground.

A deep breath and a sickening crack as he adjusted his neck later, Justice continued. "You are going to be fine, Miss Gaud. Your friend would not have sent us this far out of the way to get you if she was going to hold an offense like this over you."

[nathan67003]

Camelia's face returned to its disturbingly neutral state when Carafe resumed speaking, ignoring the man all the while. Rory's approach released her from her self-inflicted restraint of "don't ram him into the ground".

She turned to her team leader - something she wasn't entirely used to, seeing how she was the leader of CBLT - and replaced the flat facade with a kind smile. "Yeah, Justice said to tell you you're the one staying here. He's gone over to where Gaud is - wherever that happens to be."

She paused for a few moments, staring into the guy's eyes as she looked for traces of emotions justifying Justice's suggestion. Having come to the conclusion that as good as she may be at reading people, Justice was probably better, she stepped closer and wrapped Rory him in a brief, albeit warm, hug. "Don't nail this village's leader to the wall yet, 'kay?"

[Ordelis]

CAMELIA RORY

Spoiler: ShowHide

"We'll get your gun. You see to the needs of your people."

"I don't need children to tell me to care for my family" Carafe growled back at Rory. Deciding this was as far as he was going to get in negotiations he finished with a grouchy "Send your guard up to the back gate" and with that Carafe hobbled away.

CAMELIA RORY CALEN

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"There it is!" Cami cried with what little strength she had. The tall walls of Avon appearing in the distance as the pair approached closer. The guards at this entrance able to see further out, knew not to shoot at a seemingly ordinary pair of riders approaching the entrance.
Cami and Calen entered Avon...without encountering anyone they knew, the two wandered around the town looking for any familiar faces. "Gaud?" Cami would occasionally call out turning her head left and right looking for her. Instead they found Camelia and Rory apparently in the middle of embracing each other. "Hey you two! We're not interrupting something are we? Is Gaud with you guys? Where is she?" she said with a hopeful look, her general appearance still a mess from the injuries she sustained

JUSTICE

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"Was that the purpose for your group being here? Cami brought you out here because she thought I needed help?" Justice didn't need his semblance to know Gaud was clearly irritated, but it didn't last long. "No she knows better then that, unless..." giving Justice a suspicious look "She sent you to watch me,that's it isn't?
To prevent something exactly like this from happening" she said with certainty and now an angry cloud hung over her.
"I've done worse things then break weapons" Gaud said as if it explained everything. She looked out the gate with a thousand yard stare at nothing, her thoughts a mess of emotions. She didn't stand for very long though as her powerful hearing caught something. Hoofsteps, a horse, a rider, and something familiar, something she had waited to hear for a long time, but something didn't allow herself to just yet.

With a powerful motion she grabbed Justice by the collar and effortlessly pulled him  into an alley inbetween the wall and a nearby building, hiding behind some conveniently placed storage crates, she threw Justice out of sight. Gaud herself crouched down the same crate and peered over the top. Just in time to see Calen and Cami on a steed trot into the village, the handle on Cami's guitar case making a clunking noise as it bounced on itself. "What hurt her?" Gaud said out loud as she noticed her injuries, Gaud's emotions a crazed blend of joy, saddness, confusion, and anger.

[Riven]

Rory found himself... well... at a loss, really. With Camelia's arms wrapped around him he felt simultaneously very exposed and strangely safe, not to mention exceedingly awkward. It wasn't a bad feeling, just... one he wasn't used to. The realization of how long it had been since he'd received a real, genuine hug, even just one meant to comfort and reassure, momentarily made him feel like an outsider in his own skin. It was no fault of Camelia's, to be sure . . . the boy just simply wasn't used to being cared about like that.

"Don't nail this village's leader to the wall yet, 'kay?"

When the hug ended Rory was left stunned for a good few seconds -- not shocked, more like his brain had briefly checked out and his body had been put on pause until it returned. A gentle, yet strangely sad, smile finally broke the stillness. "... Thanks. And... don't worry, I won't."

"Gaud?"

It took a moment for Rory to fully process that he was hearing Cami's voice. He turned to look her way as she addressed them both. "Hey you two! We're not interrupting something are we? Is Gaud with you guys? Where is she?"

"N-no, not interrupting anything." A hint of a blush crept into the shieldmeister's cheeks. "We weren't expecting you to head out here, but I'm glad you did! Things are suddenly getting spread a bit thin." He glanced around. "I'm, uh, not sure where Gaud went -- or Justice, for that matter. We've got a bit of a situation and --" He suddenly noticed Cami's injuries. "Were you attacked? Are you both okay?" Those scratches and the faint hints of blood on her forehead didn't seem like the work of Beowolves, somehow... more like Cami had taken a bad tumble down a rocky slope.

[Mikelobmike]

Justice found himself struggling to find the most effective way to articulate his thoughts on the matter. This woman was determined to see things in a negative light. For someone that seemed confident, she had a large amount of self-esteem issues and emotional turmoil. She would be an excellent candidate for long-term therapeutic study. Or, she would have been if she did not decide to throw him down a goddamn alley.

Justice was aware of the woman's strength. It was obvious to anyone who saw her that she had the physical capability to out-muscle most men. Justice was now aware that her feeling of constantly breaking things was not unfounded. She threw him by the neck to the ground, spiking his head and causing him to bite a sizable chunk out of his cheek. His neck bent at an unnatural angle as he fell to the dirt, his wound opening up again on his cheekbone.

He only stayed on the ground for a second before pushing himself up so that he was sitting on his knees. Spitting was against his sense of etiquette, but it was necessary given the chunk of flesh currently sitting in his mouth. After removing the flesh and adjusting his neck, Justice looked over at Gaud. "It is impolite to touch others without their permission, Miss Gaud." Justice said, the blood in his mouth staining his teeth.