Red Like Roses [Closed]

Well, Vidalia and her allies won't have to worry about facing beasts, because a mysterious man eating an apple just told them that the area was beast free. Although there was trouble, in the form of said man who had mysterious appeared to the trio, eating an apple.

And asking where they were going.

Tala tried to soothe the situation, but Vidalia was weary, especially since it seems as though she might start a discussion to try and convince him to join the trio, although she was gesturing Vidalia and Hitomi to not get close.

Vidalia remained weary, as she looked at the man.

"Do you know anything about the Catacomb's nearby, and what might linger there?" She asked the man, already weary of him.

"Oh, so you're heading to those old ruins," the man stated as if talking abut the weather. Despite having a wary approach, the group had already said more than they had to. Regardless, this didn't seem to peek his interest much. As Tala approached to get a better look at him, he smiled softly at her and her companions and turned to fully face them.



"Solomon Grey, at your service," he introduced himself with a tip on his top hat. "I travel the land to heal the blights of humanity and help  those who can't help themselves in the name of my god."

He straighten his top hat and pinched his chin between his thumb and the knuckle of his index.

"Oh I don't know much about those catacombs. I merely know how to get there and how to move in and out of it." It sounded like he knew quiet a lot. "There are fascinating old and forgotten resources  there and I say I do like indulging myself on the things found there for my own research. It's been quite some time since I did that though. Are you perchance looking for such things?"

Solomon smiled and took another bite of his apple, chewing it twice and then swallowing. "Or are you trying to rescue the young lady there?"

There was a lot of talking happening right now...

Hitomi began to grow a little bored almost immediately. She kept her hand resting against her sword, but didn't offer much else to the conversation. It seemed the man was some kind of priest? She didn't know whether or not to believe him really. He certainly wasn't DRESSED like a priest. She couldn't really get a read on him.

Though, when he mentioned both the ruins and the girl inside, Hitomi's resting hand fully gripped her sword. She stepped closer to Tala, her other hand tugging on the woman's sleeve. That didn't bode well right?

As Solomon introduced himself, Vidalia and Hitomi would hear Tala...giggle .

"O-oh! Well, the pleasure is ours, Mister Grey!" she said sounding a little too delighted. "It's not so often I get to meet such polite gentlemen around these parts. Definitely refreshing! Althea, a pleasure to meet you!"

She gave a small bow herself. While Vidalia and Hitomi seemed very wary about the new stranger, Tala was sort of just staring at him fixatedly as he talked about the catacombs.


"Oh~? How learned you must be then!" she said happily. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Newcomers like myself and my friends could benefit to have someone bring us around."

Of course, when she mentioned the lady, Tala paused for a moment. She noticed Hitomi's tug, but turned and only gave her a reassuring smile. She turned back to Solomon. She clasped her hands delightfully.

"Oh! So you saw her!" she said. "Her grandmother's been quite worried!"

Lowering her glasses, she'd stare straight at Solomon, her dark gray eyes showing the tiniest sparkle of blue as she batted them at him.

"Would a strong, kind gentleman such as yourself be willing to help us per chance~?" she said. "I'm sure we could make it up to you somehow if you do?"

"He doesn't look strong. Magical probably, strong, not a chance." Vidalia interrupted Tala's talk with the man known as Solomon Grey as she looked at the man, who told the group that he knew where the Catacomb's were and how he could get in and out of them.

He also appears to know about the girl that the girls were looking for, causing Vidalia to become suspicious.

"Yes, the girl we're currently looking for so we can save her from the group that has taken her." Vidalia eyed Solomon.

"Yet you strangely know about her for some odd reason?" Vidalia questioned Solomon.

"Care to explain why and if you did encounter the group did you try to save the girl?" Vidalia said.

Solomon didn't seem to take much notice to Tala's attempt at persuasion and simply munch the rest of his apple.

"How did I know?" Solomon parroted back. "I imagine the same way you did."

He lifted up a piece of parchment paper. It had the job request printed on it.

"And I imagine you birds don't need much protecting," the man stated. "Afterall, you're planning on storming a coven of necromancers in their home territory, hm?"

He had a knowing gaze to his eyes but there was nothing malicious behind his smile or his posture. He remained leaning against the frozen tree like it was a lounge chair. Despite the group being wary of him, he seemed to have his guard down completely.

"And just like you, I simply couldn't ignore a young lamb in need," he stated, tucking the parchment away and discarding his apple core to the snow. "I scouted ahead to confirm a few things and retreated to town to gather a handful of things I thought necessary. However, these ruffians may be troublesome for a lowly vassal of god such as I. So...."

The man placed a hand on his heart and lowered his head.

"I propose to lend my assistance," he said in earnest plea. "I simply cannot overlook this injustice. I am inept as a fighter and I'm rather talentless for a mage, but I will do my best in their name."

Hitomi watched Tala wide eyed as she giggled. She expected her to be careful but...When Tala looked at her, Hitomi felt a strange feeling shoot through her. She continued watching as she smiled at the man, clasped her hands and batted her eyes...Hitomi's head sank to the ground for the briefest of moments, her hand reached up under her mask and lightly touched her lips. She'd never seen her react like this, even when they...

...

Her hand dropped heavily to her side before she looked up at the man. As he spoke and called them 'birds' anyone paying attention could see Hitomi's hair almost bristle. Despite his words and his evidence...Something told Hitomi that this man needed to go away. There was a new feeling...A rumbling of anger mixed with hurt and...something else. She didn't know why she was feeling like this, but she knew that him being gone would make it stop.

Then Tala asked him to help.

Then he accepted.

Hitomi reached out, sliding her arm around Tala's as she stepped close. Her hand snaked into hers and stretched her palm. She placed her other hand on the flat of Tala's hand, raising it slightly as she began to trace words. Her movements, in her mind, had been entirely necessary in masking their 'conversation'.

'What are you thinking? We don't even know this man. It's bad enough we have another here with us.' Her head snapped up briefly as he mentioned that he basically had no skills. Briefly, her ear twitched in annoyance and she looked back to Tala, tracing more. 'He's also useless in a fight too. Let's leave him and be on our way.' Even with the mask obscuring Hitomi's face, Tala would feel her intense stare as she finished tracing. Oddly enough, Hitomi made no moves to step away after the fact.

..Just in case she needed to respond quickly of course.

Vidalia and Hitomi were adamant in expressing their doubts about the man, but Tala seemed to be having none of it. Once he explained his side of the story, she instantly smiled and cupped her cheek with her hand.

"Daaw, how sweet~! See girls? He's a kind-hearted soul! And we can always use the tiniest bit of help. And certainly, sir, you jest! I'm sure you have wonderful skills in the craft of magic!"

She made a grand bow with her hand in front of her. Well, the one that Hitomi wasn't clinging on.

"We would be delighted to have you in our party, Sir Solomon!" she said in a feigned regal tone. "We are a small crew, but an appreciative one."

Hitomi was probably seething at this point, and knowing Hitomi would worry, Tala turned to the Enkidu with a warm smile.

"I'm certain I'm making the right choice here," Tala said in a lower voice, and with far more seriousness. As she tilted her head, Hitomi would notice the tiniest reflection of light against her lens made Tala's eyes visible. She was staring seriously at Hitomi as if asking her to trust her on this. She'd follow it by petting Hitomi's head just behind the ears.

Before Hitomi would get too comfortable, however, Tala yawned and stretched her arms, slipping away from Hitomi's grasp.

"Weeeeeeell, we better go, don't you all think?" she said.

With her hands behind her back, she'd start walking ahead of everyone, completely relaxed and seemingly not having a care in the world.

As the three marched uphill along the jagged path, they'd see more evergreens along the sides. The walls of the mountains started surrounding them like a trench but widened as they reached the manor proper. It was a wide structure, much like most noble Eisen homes, and surrounded by a wrought iron and stone fence. The structure in itself, was dilapidated. Broken windows, some doors boarded up shut. The manor gate had been forced open and the door dangled askew on the side.

"It should be just up ahead," Tala said with a low whistle. "But I'm not sure if I know the exact location. We should perhaps split up into pairs. Hi-err--Lucy, Vidalia? I think it's best if you two go together. My fighting methods don't bode too well with arrow fire and Mister Solomon here will need a tank if things get messy. What do you say?"

"Yeah, we should continue. That girl is probably dead by now because of we wasted our time trying to recruit this very suspicious man." Vidalia eyed Solomon before she started to follow the group towards the Catacombs. Hitomi was also on Vidalia's side on not trusting Solomon either so that was good, she wasn't alone and as they got closer to the Catacombs, Vidalia took out her bow, weary about what might happen soon.

And then Tala thought they should split up.

"Split up? In pairs, with someone following him!?" Vidalia pointed to Solomon as she shook her head.

"No thank you. I prefer to die of old age rather then in the depths of these dark Catacombs. I suggest we stick together even if it might take longer to explore the Catacombs." She suggested to the group.

"Now that does hurt my feelings a little, y'know," Solomon stated with a downtrodden look. He's been trailing behind the group for some time remaining a few steps behind. Directly behind him looked like some sort of indented trail in the snow. In one of his hands looked like a a twine rope that trailed behind him. Was he dragging something along? Notably, the only weapon he seemed to have on hand was a silver dagger unbedded with some sort of clear jewel, most likely his focus stone and it was sheathed at his blind-side (noting the obvious eyepatch).

"However, the lady is correct," he noted. "This house will have many rooms and hallways. As a result, in the case of an unexpected combat scenario, it is better to work in smaller groups due to the narrow spaces, especially for an archer...."

He had a sullen look and side.

"I understand you can't trust me so easily," he stated. "So if necessary, I'll go forward on my own. My house of magic does not do well independently, but I will manage. Just promise me one thing."

He pulled at his gloves to tighten them as if already set to go alone.

"If any of you need help, do not hesitate to call out to me," he said, his eyes extensively serious. "I may be a talentless mage, but I have my own way of helping. You can count on that."