Adventure Inn <AI>
Originally the Red Mage's house, Sorival seems to be keen on the idea of getting all of the Light Warriors to work together through living together. But that didn't work out. So now it's a place for those wayward Characters, bereft and cut off from their home, to come and live.
The first room you enter is the Living Area. Here, there is a large open space, with a couple of chairs, a loveseat, and an old leather couch, all lovingly maintatined. Additionally, there is a fireplace, and what appears to be a cooking area you might find in a more modern setting, like the Big Apple. A small stove/range, a small fridge, a sink, and a pantry make up the flat's cooking space. The rest of the first floor is given over to a grouping of rooms, some of which open onto a patio area with a set of hot springs. A duplicate set is farther down the hall. One is marked Men's Bath, the other Women's bath.
Off to one exit is RM's bedroom. As well, there is a staircase leading up to a flight of rooms, and a staircase down to the basement, where all the utilities are. Oh, and Black Mage's room.
As well, a second room leads off of the first, this one seems to be a guest room, from the relative lack of personal effects in it. It holds a bed, actually a down bed, a window to what seems to be Coneria, and another magical table lamp.
Needless to say, the house isn't actually here...
Contents:
Ashton's Room
Elsa's Room <ER>
Tails' Room
X-Zone Vortex <XZV>
Thief's Hideout <THO>
Black Belt's Room <BBR>
Manager's Suite <MS>
Elsa von Spielburg has arrived.
Elsa von Spielburg enters the inn, face smeared with soot, and shaking black powder out of her cloak whilst grumbling to herself about idiot magicians.
Ashton Anchors heads down the stairs, wearing nothing but a... towel? He's carrying with him some standard bathing utilities, so it's safe to assume the outdoor baths are his destination. He turns a corner and spots Elsa walking in, and immediatly turns tomato red and turns around.
<Hero-IC> Grom Hellscream says, "Hey Elsa, wheres that Inn you mentioned? This is the last time I wake up to an mad experiment."
Elsa von Spielburg turns bright red as well. "Ah...excuse me, I d-didn't mean to...s-sorry!" she quickly turns her back, not only to give him his privacy, but to hide her own embarrassment.
<Hero-IC> Elsa von Spielburg says, "It's in Corneria. Heh...I can't say I blame you there!"
Ashton Anchors coughs "Uh.. n-no... that's fine." A quick look to his back would reveal something interesting about where Gyoro and Ururun are joined to his back. It's not all horrible, scarry and disfigured, in fact it's rather seamless. It almost looks like Gyoro and Ururun are externally attatched, but closer examination would reveal that they are indeed merged together. "Um.. anyway so what happned anyway? Your face is smeared pitch black.." He says as he edges his way back towards the baths.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Oh, a pair of half-mad magic-users were playing around with something called a Chaos Emerald. The genderless one cast some sort of spell called 'YONK' I think. And we blew up. So I came back here to get cleaned up..."
Ashton Anchors blinks, "Genderless...? Oh, Afg...Afga... uh, that guy." Ashton puts his bathing suppilies down, as he reaches into a closet and takes out a bathrobe and puts it on. Seems that's what he was going for instead of going straight for the baths. "Uh, you can turn around now, I guess.... so, are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"
Elsa von Spielburg risks a glance, and then turns around a little more relaxed. "Oh, I'm fine. A little dazed, but doing well." She's glad to know that someone else can't pronounce that guy's name either. "How are you?"
Ashton Anchors happened to pick out a bright pink bathrobe, unfortunatly. Oh well, it'll do for the moment. From what could be seen of his figure front on, he's considerably slender for a guy his height, not buff, but not a weakling either. "Umm... well after that meeting Station had last night, about SDI and stuff breaking away from the Palace, I've just been working on getting my room set up here until SDI is ready to move elsewhere. I'll still be staying here, but I need to help Station get set up too... Um, anyway, yeah, I've just been getting my room set up..."
Elsa von Spielburg rubs some of the soot from her face with a handkerchief...then frowns to realize that the handkerchief is soot-soaked as well, so it does little good. "What's SDI?" she asks, while gathering up a few supplies of her own.
Grom Hellscream looks around silently as he makes his way through the door, "Lousy magic users, just as bad as those warlocks.", a roar is heard outside before he turns around, "Ah be quiet Blackmoore, don't need for you to complain. Infact you should go back and join the boys at camp.", if you looked outside you would notice a small black dragon, he shakes his head before saying, "Now wheres the inkeeper."
Ashton Anchors umms "Well, that's the 'Sony Defense.... uh... Defense... something...', I forgot the last one. It's Station's group, though it only consists of him, myself, Naoya and Chocobo. Basically, after that incident in Jipang, Station wants to break off ties with the Palace so they won't have to pay for anything he does. I think." He scratches the back of his neck. Grom's roar is enough to get his attention, he'd probably be worried if he didn't recognize him from a few reports in the past. "Umm... Red Mage isn't around right now, he's in charge of this place..." He offers, helpfully. Forgetting that he's as good as naked, aside from a pink bathrobe.
Elsa von Spielburg smiles warmly at Grom, always glad to see him around. "Lots of empty rooms, though...I don't think he'd mind if you looked around and found one with a view that you liked."
Grom Hellscream waves to Elsa before saying, "I'll look around in a bit.", he looks back out the door before closing, "While also a little advise. Dragons can make good pets at times, but mostly when their hatchlings.", he looks to Ashton and shrugs before placing his axe somewhere against a wall
Ashton Anchors blinks, while Gyoro, the red dragon head, mutters <Gyoro:... was he talking about us?> Ashton shrugs slightly, then turns back to Elsa "Well, I'll get to my bath then. You might want to have one too Elsa..." He says, still blushing a bit.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "I'd love a pet dragon..." Elsa sighs happily. "Hook me up sometime." Then she turns to Ashton with a light blush. "My glory, YES," she laughs, somewhat embarrassed. "There's a large fence up too...so we can still talk to each other. Isn't that nice?""
Grom Hellscream looks to Ashton not noticing Gyoro before focusing on Elsa, "I could but not now, got my hands full with Blackmoore out there. That black dragon keeps following me around ever since that egg hatched. The grunts can't seem to keep him in camp even though I agreed to let them take care of him. While also I still have some things to learn like how dragons are different in other worlds."
Ashton Anchors nods "Um, sure is. This is the first place I've been with outdoor hot spring baths, actually..." Once said that, he heads out to the baths, to the mens side, naturally, and relaxes in the water and waits for Elsa.
Elsa von Spielburg waves to Grom. "I'll be out later, I suppose! I'd love to meet your dragon...I'm getting increasingly fond of them." Then she turns to descend the stairwell, humming something cheerfully. And this time, she makes sure to lock the door to prevent Black Belt from stumbling into the place again...
Grom Hellscream nods and just looks around for a few seconds saying, "Well nothing to do but relax.", he moves through the inn and finds a seat near the fireplace yawning as sits down
Ashton Anchors sighs, just relaxing for now. "I wonder if things will get more hectic with Station leaving the Palace..." He muses. <Gyoro:I wouldn't count on it, not for us anyway. We never actually stayed at the Palace, and we'll still live here regardless. I wouldn't worry about it...> Ashton hmms "You're probably right... I guess. We still gotta help him out though..." He hears Elsa lock the door from her side, and is rather grateful for the wall, he's much more bashful than your average guy.
The ripples of the water nearly conceal the sound of clothing dropping to the ground. Gingerly Elsa dips her hand into the water, allowing herself to adjust to the heat before slowly immersing herself into the springs. "Whew..." she sighs with contentment, and plungs beneath the surface to rinse out her hair. She comes back up, rubbing the soot from her face. "Are you there?" she asks...more as an opener than an actual request for information, since she's pretty sure he's already there.
Ashton Anchors says "Um, yeah... so, uh... how's the water?" Another sort of opener, since he knows what the water is like. He pauses for a few minutes as he taps his fingers on the edge of one of the rocks on the side. "So Elsa, what's your world like? Do you have any friends or companions there?"
Elsa von Spielburg starts to nod before remembering that it can't be seen. "Spielburg Valley is very nice. It's peaceful at the moment, too. We had a problem with undead things for awhile, but Hero cleaned that up. Oh, and the water's very nice, thank you. What about you? Where do you come from?"
Ashton Anchors scratches the side of his cheek "Umm... it's a world called Expel. It's peaceful right now too. Awhile ago, there was with...." He pauses, deciding not to go into great detail about who he and his collegues fought against "Well, they were called the Gods Ten Wise Men. But our leader, Claude, myself, and all my other companions managed to beat them. And then we all seperated..." He says, trailing off.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "So you don't know where any of them are?" Elsa says, rubbing her face with a cloth. "Do you keep in contact with any of them still?"
Ashton Anchors nods "Well, yeah. Most of them are still on Expel. Claude, Rena, Opera and Ernest have... left to return to their own homes." He decides not go get into the fact that they all came from different planets, that's complicated enough for even him to understand in relation to Videoland. "The rest are still on Expel... though since I came to Videoland I haven't really kept in touch. Besides, they all have their own lives, and homes to keep. I've never really had one, so I kept travelling around..."
Elsa von Spielburg remains still for a moment, trying to discern if there's a hint of loneliness in Ashton's voice. "Well how are things now? I'm sure you've met plenty of kind people to adventure with!" she smiles reassuringly as she rubs the soap out of her eyes with the corner of her towel.
Ashton Anchors says "Well, I've mostly looked around Videoland since I've been here. Technically I'm part of Station's team... but even so, I rarely even talk to my other teammates, I just help out when the time comes. If it weren't for Gyoro and Ururun I'd probably be totally alone..." He trails off again, pausing to think about something "...which is funny... most of the reason I'm looking around Videoland is to find a way to seperate myself from them..."
Elsa von Spielburg gasps. "Why would you want to?! They're so cute!" Then she thinks that 'cute' is probably the last term a guy wants to hear, and she clears her throat uncomfortably. "I guess I know how you feel. I can't find Toro either, and Hero...well, he's quite busy doing his adventures. Still...there are some really nice people here. Grom, Red Mage...I met Black Belt yesterday. He's a bit dense, but quite compassionate. I'm sure someone as nice as you won't be alone for long."
Ashton Anchors sighs "I guess... I've just wanted to be normal again... though, I don't feel as bad after seeing the sights around Videoland. Not that... I mean that in a bad way. But, on Expel I stand out, here, someone like me can fit in a bit better." Pause. "A way exists on Expel to serperate myself from them... but it involves them dying... I couldn't do it when the time came. So I hoped that I'd find a safe method one day..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Well if you ask me...which you didn't, but tough...being normal is overrated. But yeah..." she sighs. "It is kind of nice to just be who you are without people judging you by your appearance, or your family, or what have you."
Grom Hellscream yawns and stretches as he gets off the chair, he heads towards the door to the baths but stops, "Not right now, time to see if Mage has come back yet."
Ashton Anchors nods "I suppose... besides, these guys have been with me for a long time now. They're my companions. Sure, they can annoy me sometimes, but all the same, they've saved my rear once or twice too. I think that, I might forget about trying to find a way to seperate myself from them... or at least, not look as hard..." And for the newcomers, Ashton and Elsa are in the baths, Grom is inside near the fireplace. Bad Wal.
Elsa von Spielburg grins to herself, scrubbing her arms vigorously. "I'm glad to hear that, Ashton. You three make a nice little trio, you know?"
The door to the Karinin's Suite opens up, revealing a yawning Red Mage. The Mage streches, scrathes at his face, and moves into the kitchen. His eyes are still closed, and he seems to be running on autopilot.
Grom Hellscream blinks as he catches sight of RM and waves, "Heya mage, how things going?", he watches as Red Mage just passes by on his way to the kitchen
Ashton Anchors nods "I suppose so... I just wish they were a bit more considerate of when they decide to possess me." The dragons merely snicker a bit. He sighs, deciding to relax once again.
Elsa von Spielburg laughs. "I'll watch out for you if they do, don't worry. You just call on me whenever you want, all right?"
Waluigi is currently outside the entrance to the inn, dressed in his usual outfit. He may not have been able to make it here yesterday, but he's here now! Bwahahahaha! He opens the door, and quickly ducks out of sight, sneaking through bushes, behind furniture, and anything else he can hide behind or in, as he makes his way towards the baths area.
Red Mage yawns, and mumbles something about being late for the meeting. He pours the grided coffee into a cup, and takes a long drink... errr... bite, of his morning coffee.
Grom Hellscream just shrugs deciding to follow RM into the kitchen, "Hey Mage, can I talk to you about getting a room here or are you too busy?"
Ashton Anchors actually chuckles a bit "I'll remember that." He sighs a bit more, and ponders "So Elsa, what do you plan to do here in Videoland? I mean, when I first came here I wanted to find a way to seperate myself from Gyoro and Ururun, but now I've gotten caught up in the Palace's fight against Mother Brain. It feels good to be helping the side of good again. What about you?"
Elsa von Spielburg pauses for a moment, arms folded as she leans against the edge of the pool. "Actually, I...I haven't given it much thought. I came to find Toro, but the place is so enormous, I don't know if I'll ever be able to locate him... What do you think I should do?"
Red Mage yells out. "Become the greatest person to ever play the violin!" He blehs, and adds some milk to his coffee. Hmmm... Coffee flavored milk.
Grom Hellscream raises an eyebrow before saying, "But I don't play the violin or any instruments."
Waluigi makes his way to the outer fence surrounding the baths, then waits for Elsa to speak. When she does, he moves around the fence to where the girls' side is, then pulls out a hand-spun drill. After silently drilling a hole through the fence, he pulls the drill out, and pulls out a miniature magnifying glass lens. Inserting it into the hole in the fence, he then peeks through. But wait! Curses, he can only see Elsa from the back! Waluigi silently grumbles to himself, and decides to head for another place in the fence so that he can, er, get a better view. But still, he lingers here for a few minutes...
Ashton Anchors hmms "Well... that's up to you. Do what you think is right. Whether that's looking for your friend or not, do what your heart tells you." oO(At least, that sounds like good advice...) While talking, Ururun perks up <Ururun:...someone else is here...> <Gyoro:What? Are you sure it just isn't Grom and Red Mage in the kitchen?> <Ururun:No... this smell is familiar... where did we...> As the dragons ponder, Ashton just shakes his head, boy they're paranoid.
Elsa von Spielburg laughs at Red Mage's comment. "I'll give it some thought!" she calls out to him, then reaches over to snag the bottle of shampoo. "Thanks, Ashton. I think I needed to hear that...crazy as it sounds."
Red Mage carries the coffee on his way towards the Baths. "So what brings you here to the Sou, Grom?" He manuvers around the place admirably for someone who is running on caffine.
Waluigi finally pulls away from his current peephole, and moves around to another side of the fence, drilling a hole into the wood, then inserting another magnifying lens. He then looks through it. It's Elsa from the side! o/~Haaaalellujah!o/~ Waluigi's face turns beet-red, and steam shoots out his ears. This is like the second most important thing in life to Waluigi. The first is money. Of course.
Grom Hellscream quickly follows after saying, "Well I thought I'd get a room here, Mage. About time I found a place to sleep then random places in the palace. Besides its a little crazy over there with Jair experimenting some artifact called a Chaos Emerald. He almost blew the research lab to bits."
Dalton sneaks in next to Waluigi. "Let me look!" he whispers.
Red Mage stops, looks at Grom, and shakes his head. "That man has some issues. They shouldn't even have that thing sitting around, dammit..." He snaps his fingers on his free hand, changing into his swim trunks. "Bloody great fool is going to kill himself..."
Ashton Anchors hmmms "So who's Toro? A friend of yours? Family?" Gyoro and Ururun perk again <Gyoro:This time I definetly heard something...> <Ururun:I told you... but it sounds like it's coming from the other side of the baths, so I can't quite tell...> The two dragons pause, then it hits them <Gyoro:The other side? Where Elsa is?> <Ururun:No one else is there besides her... this doesn't look good. Hey Ashton, ask her to see if anything is wrong> Ashton blinks "Um, ok... Elsa, Gyoro and Ururun seem to think something is going on over there. Can you see anything?"
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Huh?" Elsa rubs her arm across her eye, blinking the water from her lashes. She looks around somewhat blearily, but doesnt' really see anything out of the ordinary... "No, everything is fine. I'm pretty sure Black Belt is still asleep, so...""
Waluigi doesn't look away as he whispers. "Screw-a you, this is-a my peephole." He holds out the drill and a magnifying lens to Dalton. "Make-a your own." He then freezes as Ashton speaks, but then relaxes as Elsa doesn't notice the peepholes. oO(That was-a close.)Oo
Dalton is about to respond with irritation, but then sweatdrops at Ashton. He heaves a sigh of relief, and sneaks over to one of the previous holes Waluigi made. He looks through. Wheee!
Grom Hellscream nods, "Yeah that thing shouldn't be in there, atleast around anyone experimenting with magic. Sonic and Tails I believe feel the same way."
Red Mage sighs, and jumps in the hotspring, placing his coffee cup up on the ledge. "What in the world is everyone so jumpy about this morning?" He looks over and waves at Ashton. "Morning bro!" And back to Grom. "Like I mentioned to everyone else, rent is 50 gil a week, plus damages. Rooms pretty much take care of themselves."
Ashton Anchors waves to Red Mage. And is a bit relieved when Elsa says nothing is wrong. He starts to speak again when Gyoro and Ururun notice something else <Gyoro:Hey wait... if Red Mage has coffee... then where's that smell of garlic coming from?> <Ururun:That strange man that met us in Simsville... he had the same scent! I had a bad feeling about him...> "Huh? What're you guys..." Gyoro and Ururun quickly scan around, trying to discern anything with their uber dragon senses... <Gyoro:I'm almost certain... there's someone behind the fences outside of Elsa's bath...> "Eh??" <Ururun:Wait, don't say anything that'll alarm Elsa... I got an idea.> Ashton barely has time to question it, when a blue shade falls over his eyes, seems Ururun decided to possess him directly "Hey Red Mage... do you have any sort of... precautionary devices set up around the spring to protect from peepers?"
Elsa von Spielburg calls out a greeting to Red Mage from her side of the fence, and leans back to rinse the suds from her hair.
<<Some Time Later>>
As Red Mage continues to chant, the room begins to fade, fade, fade out of existance. Water drains out of the pools, and the rocks glow a dim yellow.
<InterZone Chatter> Sol Badguy snickers.
<InterZone Chatter> Sol Badguy says, "Smooth move."
<Hero-IC> Captain N says, "Okay. Looks like we may got somethin'..."
Black Belt immediately opens the door right after Elsa takes off the robe and starts dressing, a wide smile on his face and his new hammerchucks held overhead. "Hey, Elsa, check out my new Hammer-Chu-" His arms fall to his sides, and he STARES wide-eyed at Elsa. "...Hey... You're naked again."
Grom Hellscream shakes his head as BB continues to run saying, "This isn't going to be good.", he quickly looks around before yelling out to Red mage, "Fire in the hole!"
Electric silence crackles through the air as Elsa remains frozen, staring at Black Belt. Then... "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! GET OUT OF MY ROOM YOU PERVERT!"
Elsa von Spielburg strikes Black Belt with her PUNT smash attack.
And where's Ashton been lately? Still... in the baths. Soon before he suddenly went quiet, his arm slipped and he slid forward, and beat his head off the rocks he was leaning against. He would still be out, if he didn't slide down into the water further, and almost drowns. He shoots up suddenly "Gaarghle.... bleh... guys, what the heck so suddenly? Geez... what time is it?" He notices he's pretty waterlogged. And stands, and puts his bathrobe back on, and heads back up to his room. "How long were you going to let me marinate in there? Sheesh..." Lucky for Ashton, he doesn't have to pass by Elsa's room to get to his, so he doesn't notice the... altercation that seems to be about to take place. He DOES hear Elsa scream as he's in the middle of changing. He quickly begins dressing so he can see what's going on, though he does call out "Elsa? What happened?"
<Hero-IC> Mega Man says, "Robotnik and Wily... could this be the same plan?"
Red Mage is currently in the middle of moving the springs indoors.
<Hero-IC> Captain N says, "I doubt it. Two egos that size? Working together?"
<Hero-IC> Mega Man doesn't say anything, but Guts Man, Ice, Fire, Elec, Bomb, Cut and Protoman's radios sound off as they listen in on the conversation.
<Hero-IC> Mega Man says, "They may have big egos, but Robotnik and Wily are also good friends. I wouldn't put a joint effort past them."
<Hero-IC> Captain N says, "True enough."
<Hero-IC> Captain N sighs. "I don't like it. At all."
Black Belt leaves the room rather quickly through a huge new hole in the ceiling and the roof of the inn, and comes crashing down into the springs outside. Unfortunately, they are currently empty. So... *CRASH* There's now a Black Belt-shaped hole in the ground in where the now-empty springs are. "She's really good at kicking. Oh, and owwwwww..."
The door slams shut to Elsa's room, though her muffled curses are quite loud as she stomps about, dressing with a vengeance.
Grom Hellscream shakes his head as he hears the scream before turning towards the springs as he hears the splash, "Oh yeah and as usual your not too bright. Can't you ever think before entering a room or crashing into it."
<Hero-IC> Jair coughs. And that's it.
And then RM and the springs dissapear.
Ashton Anchors leaves his room fully dressed. Whew, good to be dry again. And he heads towards Elsa's room, thankfully Ashton DOES have the sense to KNOCK first. "Umm, hey Elsa? If you have some time, I'd like to show you something..."
<Hero-IC> Mega Man says, "Cube, ROB, any luck yet?"
<InterZone Chatter> Brahms says, "I hope you're all as happy as I am this eve..."
Elsa von Spielburg stops stomping for a moment, then opens the door a crack to peek out. From what little Ashton can see, she's still extremely red in the face. "Just a moment..." She closes the door a bit more gently and sounds of more pacing can be heard within. Then finally she opens the door fully. "Thanks for waiting, um..." she tugs at the overly long sleeve of her tunic to pull it to her wrist. "S-so what can I do for you?"
<InterZone Chatter> Doctor Robotnik says, "Actually things could be better. While ignore the recording from earlier."
<Hero-IC> Tails yawns. And that's all.
<Hero-IC> Dispatcher Cube says, "Nope, nothing from Wily yet."
<InterZone Chatter> Sol Badguy says, "Give me a few hours and I will be. I'm not drunk yet."
<Hero-IC> Tails says, "Mm? Something goin' on?"
<Hero-IC> ROB, Not That Idiot Captain N says, "Negative, sir. The Captain was right. Not enough to locate."
<Hero-IC> Captain N says, "Tails! We got Buttnik problems."
<Hero-IC> Tails says, "You can't have Buttnik without having problems. What's up?"
Ashton Anchors coughs, a bit... nervous. "Just, come with me for now. There's something I wanted to show you on my homeworld." He reaches inside his cloak and somehow pulls out a GIANT barrel that he couldn't have possibly have fit in there, but oh well. He sticks in foot in, and looks to Elsa "Um, I know this method might look a little strange, but it'll work."
<Hero-IC> Captain N says, "That's just it. We don't know. Heh."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "All right...wait, one sec..." She darts back into her room to grab her sword, then returns whilst buckling it on. "All right...I'll come."
<Hero-IC> Tails says, "How can you have a Buttnik problem without knowing what the problem is? Erm..what's got the alarm going?"
<Hero-IC> Jair says, "I'd just like to say..."
Black Belt is now just in a hole in the ground. He then climbs out of it, and looks around. He looks at the roof of the in, and hmms. "Maybe I should go and fix that." He then grins happily. "It won't be a problem, thanks to my new hammer-chucks!" He then grabs some materials for building that just happened to be nearby, then leaps high into the air, and lands on the roof. He then moves over to the hole, and looks down into it. "Oh, hey, Elsa! I'm just here to fix this big hole in the roof." He then pulls out his hammer-chucks, and begins spinning them around his arms and shoulders. "Hwah! Hah! Hiiiiyah!" However, he isn't used to the extra weight on his nunchucks, and he hits himself in the head with them. *WHAM* Aaaand tumbles off the roof. "Woaah." *THUD* "Wow, my hammer-chucks hit really hard! These'll work great in combat!"
<Hero-IC> Jair says, "That this Chaos Emerald is the neatest thing ever."
<Hero-IC> Captain N sighs. "We think he and Dr. Wily may be up to something. There have been several... signs... in the past few minutes."
<Hero-IC> Tails says, "Yeah, Jair. They're cool. Don't tell me you're drooling over it. And me in the middle of a project. Can't they just...hold off for a few hours? Stupid Eggman..."
<Hero-IC> Jair says, "What sort of signs?"
Ashton Anchors nods "I don't think you'll NEED your sword.... but you never know I guess, some random aggressive monsters have been lurking about on occasion." He gently takes Elsa's hand, and the two dissappear, along with the barrel, with a gentle blip.
<Hero-IC> Grom Hellscream says, "He and some other guy tested it earlier and almost blew up the research lab."
<<Warp>>
Expel
The world of Expel is divided up into three main continents: Cross, Lacour and El. And two smaller land masses, Hoffman Island which is just north of the continent of Lacour, and an unnamed deserted island where the Cave of Trials exist, which is southwest of the continent of Cross.
The continent of Cross is in fact, shaped like a cross. Cross Kingdom exists in the very centre along with Cross Cave, in the southern part exist the mining town of Salva, and the small village of Arlia. The Northern part is home to the newly rebuilt port town of Click, and the Mountain Palace. The Western land of Cross has the village of Mars, and the port town of Herlie. And the Eastern area of Cross holds the Lasgus Mountains, home of the King of the Monster Race, Xine, and an entrance to a peninsula of desert.
The continent of Lacour has the port town of Hilton on it's western seaboard. The city of Lacour is in the centre of the continent as well. In the southern region is the town of Linga, and the Linga Sanctuary. In the northern area is the now abandoned Frontline Fort, which was a bastion of defence against the encroaching demons from the Sorcery Globe.
And the slowly recovering continent of El. This was where the Sorcery Globe landed, and the spawning demons ravaged the land. The city of Eluria was destroyed as it was inhabited by the Gods Ten Wise Men. Just west of the old city, was the old refuge of the survivors, and is slowly being rebuilt to become New Eluria. South of there is the crater where the Sorcery Globe landed, and now a mysterious portal is in it's place, which leads to the rest of Videoland.
Elsa von Spielburg has arrived.
The Warp Barrel appears somewhere on the Cross Continent, a bit east of Cross Kingdom. Ashton steps out, and helps Elsa do so as well, and then places the barrel back in his cloak... somehow. "Hang on a sec... watch this..." He places two fingers in his mouth and whistles. There's nothing for a moment, but soon you can feel the presense of something BIG above you. It's a Synard, a tame, insect-like Dragon. Ashton quickly hops on, and extends a hand for Elsa to do the same.
Elsa von Spielburg hesitates for a moment, eyeing the Synard. Then her eyes drift back to Ashton's outstretched hand and the smile on his face. She relaxes a little and takes what's offered, pulling herself up behind him.
When Elsa takes her seat, the Synard quickly goes skyborne. It's late dusk right now on the Cross Continent, as they asend above the clouds. Oddly, it's not at all cold up this high, must be them RPG Physics. "I always used to do this, before I found my way to Videoland. The keeper of this Synard, a good friend of mine, Noel, let me ride her whenever I wished. I always liked looking at the sky from above... it sorta calmed me. Of course... I hear that flying around, either in ships or other creatures, is entirely too common in many other parts of Videoland, but here on Expel, the Synard is the only means of air transportation. Do you have anything like it in the Valley of Spielburg?"
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Actually, no!" Though her grip around Ashton is tight, there is no tremor of fear in her voice. She tilts to the side, angling for a better look at the clouds below. "This is amazing!" she laughs. "Just...absolutely amazing!"
Ashton Anchors chuckles slightly "Yeah, that's why I love it so much. But also... I think riding around on this makes me remember when I was with my old comrades... But now, I think I'm ready to look past them. People from the Palace are my comrades now, and who knows? Maybe my old friends will want to help in the war against Mother Brain some day too. So, I'm not so lonely... I always have Gyoro and Ururun with me. And as long as I feel like I'm doing something good for the world, I'm happy."
Elsa von Spielburg smiles at Ashton's back, glancing up to see if the two dragons are watching her and possibly reporting. "You're a really nice guy, Ashton. I'm so glad we met." Somewhere inside of her, the confusion and loneliness loosesn its grip a little as she surrenders to the roar of the wind in her hair, and the feeling of being absolutely and completely FREE.
Gyoro and Ururun aren't watching her at all, actually. Which is probably a relief. Though, looking at the dragons, you'd see that they are looking at /something/, it's caught Ashton's attention too. Quite a distance away, there's another entity flying the skies. It appears to be a massive eagle, or some other type of grand bird. "Hey... take a look. That's Xine, king of the evil ones." He pauses, and quickly adds "Umm... they're called that in name only, they're not really evil. They're a type of being, much more evolved than a typical monster. Gyoro and Ururun are from the same race as well. The name was just given to them ages ago by people who were terrified for them, for no reason." He sighs. Lonliness is something he knows all too well, that is even part of the reason Gyoro and Ururun did what they did. "Xine's a bit of a recluse, but he always flies the skies at night. Much more so now than he used to. I think with the introduction of Videoland, the people aren't as quite afraid of him as they used to be... and also, I think he likes to keep an eye out in case some other villains from Videoland might come here and cause trouble..." The sight of Xine soaring through the clouds, is quite magnificant.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "He's really beautiful, isn't he?" Elsa murmurs, admiring the enormous eagle's proud form. "I'm almost envious...what I wouldn't give to be able to fly like that, whenever I wanted." She laughs a little. "I remember, those were my favorite dreams when I was a little girl...the ones where I could fly."
Ashton Anchors smiles "Flying is something else... I nearly fell off the Synard when we first flew on her. I'll take you on her anytime you want." He offers. Xine's form stays in sight for awhile more, before it descends below the clouds, and flies off elsewhere. The Synard as well, slowly makes it's way back towards the Cross Kingdom.
Elsa von Spielburg smiles. "That would be lovely, Ashton. Thank you." She turns her head to gaze out over the beauty of the landscape. There's something intrinsically beautiful there, reminding her of home. "So where's your house at?"
Ashton Anchors umms "I don't really have one. Like I said, I never really had a place to live even when I was on Expel. I always just travelled around." As they fly over Cross City, he points down towards it "When I was young, I USED to live in Cross. But after my parents passed away when I was a boy, I pretty much was left to fend for myself. So, I just travelled around, doing whatever odd jobs, and occasional mercenary work I could take."
Elsa von Spielburg doesn't remark on the sadness that enters her heart. It always hurts to hear that someone grew up an orphan, but she doesn't want to patronize him. "You learned well, at least. I've heard you're one of the more skilled fighters...which, I guess, would make sense if you're one of the heroes of your world..." . o O (Stupid...)
Ashton Anchors gently places one of his own hands on Elsa's. "Thanks. I'm not really the hero, I just helped them out. Claude and Rena were the heroes. It's the same here, it's Station, Captain N, Lana, and the rest that are the real heroes in this war, and I'm just helping out. But, that's ok. I'm happy to do so, as long as I'm doing right in the world, I'm happy. That was one thing my parents DID teach me, when they were still alive."
Elsa von Spielburg shyly moves her thumb over Ashton's, laying her cheek on his back. He really is a nice guy, after all...how rare is that these days? "I think...I'd like to join their side, then. I think it's time that I started fighting for real again...all of Spielburg would stand behind me if I could just convince my brother..." She sighs, remembering his last venomous comments before she left for good...at least, that had been what she'd thought anyhow. "I want to help somehow."
Ashton Anchors idly wonders what Elsa meant with her brother remark, but decides not to comment about it. She seemed really nervous last time he brought up her family. Slowly, the Synard lands, pretty much in the same place they took off. Ashton jumps down first, almost trips doing so, but just BARELY keeps his footing, then turns around and helps Elsa down.
Elsa von Spielburg lights easily to the ground with Ashton's help. "Ashton...can I tell you a secret, if you swear not to tell anyone else?"
Ashton Anchors blinks, a bit surprised. "Uh, sure, go ahead." He idly taps the Synard on the back of the neck, telling it to go back home. "Take care now." He quickly says to it.
Elsa von Spielburg tugs self-consciously at the edge of her sleeve again. "I'm not ... JUST Elsa. I'm Elsa von Spielburg." She pauses for a moment, looking at Ashton guardedly. "The OTHER Hero of Spielburg," she mutters, as though embarrassed by the title.
Ashton Anchors blinks, looking a bit surprised. "Uh... ok. Why is that such a big deal? That sounds neat to me." He stats, obviously not quite understanding what it probably means to her.
Elsa von Spielburg shifts her weight to the other foot, clasping her elbows as she bites her lip. Then she smiles and shakes her head. "It's got its ups and downs. Never mind, I guess it's really not important," she shakes her head. "Want to show me around?"
Ashton Anchors hmms, looking at the slowing encroaching night sky "Sure, I suppose. I could show you the sights of Cross." He smiles warmly, then turns to the gates of the city, just nearby where they landed. "There are some nice shops in Cross, though Clik has a larger variety, so I've been told." He motions with his hand, and starts to lead Elsa through the city.
Elsa von Spielburg steps up her pace to walk beside him. They enter the gates, and Elsa takes a good long look at the plaza, and the people surrounding it. "It's really peaceful here, isn't it?"
Ashton Anchors nods. The natural lighting around is dim, and the central circular plaza is softly illuminated by the light pouring out from the inside of people's homes through their windows. "Yeah, it is... umm... this way is the marketplace. Residentials are in the opposite direction, and straight ahead is Cross Castle. My friend Celine lives there, she's engaged to the Prince actually..." He chuckles, almost like it were some inside joke that only Ashton and his friends would know.
Elsa von Spielburg grins, lifting her chin faintly to catch a glimpse of the towering spires of the castle far up ahead. "Sounds like that's a story in and of itself," she jabs Ashton with her elbow.
Ashton Anchors smirks, and rubs the back of his head "I'll be sure to tell you about her sometime if you want. I'd say you two would get along well also, though she's a tad... eccentric." He cringes slightly after saying that, as if expecting some horrible malady to come flying out of nowhere to pummel him, but thankfully, Celine is nowhere in earshot. "So, um, is there anything in particular you wanted to see?"
Elsa von Spielburg considers asking to see his favorite barrel, buuuut he might see that as a mean joke. So, she doesn't. "Whatever interests you the most," she shrugs. "Where did you play when you were little?"
Ashton Anchors hmmms, scratching the side of his cheek, then he suddenly grabs Elsa's hand "This way..." He says, leading her down towards the residential area, and then suddenly up a rather dark alley. Grabbing a girl's hand and leading her up a dark alley? No, can't be what it seems, he's certainly not the sort of guy who'd do that.
Elsa von Spielburg just grins, enjoying the adventure of it all. Besides, her claymore is close at hand, what need does she have to fear? So she holds his hand tightly, laughing just under her breath, and runs with it.
The alley ends, and Ashton leads Elsa into a slightly more brightly lit area, though still a bit enclosed in it's own right. The path led behind the inn, and there was only a slightly narrow, fenced path to walk in before running into a dead end. The water from the castle moat flowed freely underneath, and Cross Castle towers above this tiny enclove in all it's majesty. Across from the little path is the castle gardens, a beautiful display of deep green under the night sky. And at the end of the path, as if off on it's own, is a rather old, and large barrel. Ashton walks over to it, then sits upon it, looking at the castle. "I came here a lot when I was a kid, it was my own personal hang-out spot. Twice a week at noon, a boat would sail up the moat towards the castle, carting on the back dozens of barrels of food and supplies, I'd watch it go by every time..." He says, trailing off.
So THAT explains the love for barrels, Elsa thinks to herself. She walks softly to stand beside him, reaching up to brush a straying lock of brown hair behind her ear. "It's so quiet...I bet very few people even know this little spot exists," she smiles, leaning against the barrel. "It must have been like your very own garden."
Ashton Anchors nods "I always loved watching the ceremonies take place. Knighting ceremonies, coming of age ceremonies for the royal family. Normally the entire town would flock around it, yet no one ever came here to watch, so it was like my own reserved seat. I think Celine plans on having her marrige ceremony to Prince Chris there, I'd almost like to watch it here, if I weren't invited." He chuckles "So... um, did you have any sort of place like this?"
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Mmmm...nothing really so private. Whenever I felt like being alone, I'd just go back to my room for a bit and play war with my dolls. You know, before the whole bandit fiasco. I rarely wanted to be alone, though," she shrugs, and kicks back slightly. "I used to torment the stableboys when I got bored, force them to play tag and stuff. It was a lot of fun, and they were remarkably patient with me."
Ashton Anchors nods, then blinks "You had stableboys? Wow, were you from a rich family? Is that what the von Spielburg thing is all about?" He asks, wondering, not really understanding what the meaning of the name meant when she told him before.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Yeah..." she admits with a sigh. "I guess you really don't know it all, huh? I guess I shouldn't have expected anyone to, though," Elsa lowers her head with a faint smile. "Yes, my father was the Baron von Spielburg. Currently my older brother Bernard is on the throne, though. It's...not really my bag, though, you know? I grew up with a bunch of forest bandits, so I'm a little more accustomed to the wilder side of life. If that makes sense."
Ashton Anchors is silent for a moment, then speaks "I can imagine so... I'd hate to be stuck in a life like that. Despite that I admire` Cross castle for how grand it is, I know that royalty wouldn't suit me. I think it's just a leftover of an old childish dream of being wealthy and secure..." He chuckles "And I know for a fact that a free spirit can't stand a sturng-up royal life, even though Celine may be Queen some day, I imagine they'd have a hard time keeping her locked up in a monarch's life..."
"Probably," she chuckles with a grin. "Yeah, I never really had any intentions of going for the throne. I'd much rather be a general of sorts, if I had to be in a castle at all. But I was just thinking that maybe I could appeal to my brother, and see if he might be able to help out Videoland any." She sighs, and scuffs the toe of her boot on the ground. "He'd probably stay neutral, though, he doesn't like to get involved in things that don't concern him. And so far, I don't think anyone from Videoland would pose a threat."
Ashton Anchors nods solmly "The more regions that ally with the Palace, the better off Videoland will be in the long run... but..." He glances down at the water "Perhaps announcing neutrality might be the best course of action for the Valley of Spielburg. At least, that way Mother Brain won't target it as an ally of the Palace, though that's not saying she won't for other reasons." He shakes his head "A war of this scale, it's a trickey thing to get caught up in. Expel is allied with the palace, for the first time in it's history the three nations got together, and all agreed to be united under Lana's guidance. Cross, Lacour, El, though they've all lived in peace, this is the first time they've ever all agreed on the same thing..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "I bet you had something to do with that, didn't you?" she grins at Ashton. "Am I right?"
Ashton Anchors almost blushes "Uh, eh heh... sorta. I almost got into a bit of trouble with that at first. When I came back to Expel, no one'd believe me, it took quite a bit of proof to get the King of Cross to even consider it. It also didn't help that Xine interupted the treaty signing, since he was totally against allying with the palace at first. Though I think Gyoro and Ururun managed to talk him into it, I don't really know how, since I never remember anything that happens when they possess me..." He shakes his head "But, suffice to say, it all worked out for the best."
Elsa von Spielburg smiles. "I'm glad about that. If I ever DO return to Spielburg to discuss alliances...would you come with me? It would be nice to have someone experienced at negotiations."
Ashton Anchors blinks "Well, I'm not all that great at negotiating. Gyoro and Ururu nwere able to talk to Xine, but that's because they're all the same race.... but if you want me to go, I'd be happy to." He smiles.
Elsa von Spielburg impulsively hugs Ashton's arm. "Thank you. I hate to be so dependent on others right now, but once I start getting the hang of this..."
Ashton Anchors is a bit surprised by the sudden arm-hug, but doesn't jerk away. "It's alright. Though, if you are going to get involved in this war, now's the time to decide. Especially if you happen to catch Mother Brain's attention, she's pretty vindictive, and even if you un-ally with the Palace, she'd never forget the past." He cautions. "But... you wouldn't be alone either. We all work together, we're all good people... well, to some extent. Some people have me wondering, but they all seem to share a common goal."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Eh, I doubt anyone on that side even knows I exist." She considers this for a moment. "Except for Waluigi, that guy with the patch, and perhaps Bowser. But they don't really seem to carry any sort of grudge as far as I know."
Ashton Anchors shrugs slightly "Waluigi doesn't hold much sway as far as the villains go, but he IS a pervert. And persistent, from what I've heard." He shudders slightly at the thought of what that jerk might do "Be careful around him, and don't be afraid to knock him around a bit, I don't think he'd be much of a match for you. But he IS trickey, and loves to cheat." He shakes his head "There was this one time he fed this magic cake to Lana and Zelda, the cake cursed them and they fattened up to about 500 pounds, they were like it for a week before it wore off." He sighs, and looks out at the water again "There is some bizzare things in Videoland..."
Elsa von Spielburg leans over to brush at the knees of her leggings. "Sure sounds like it...how odd. Right, so if he offers me cake, I punch him in the face. Sounds good to me!" she beams.
Ashton Anchors nods "Good, I'd hate to see something happen." He blushes a bit, and quickly adds "I mean, you know, you're really nice, and... there are a /lot/ of bad things that can happen in Videoland."
Elsa von Spielburg looks at Ashton curiously, wondering at the sudden blush. She smiles and pats his arm. "You don't need to worry about me, darlin'. I know how to handle a sword, trust me!"
Ashton Anchors smiles a bit at Elsa "Really? That's reassuring." Part of his cloak falls back, and his twin swords can be seen, they're both rather short, with a pointed blade "Swordswomen aren't very common on Expel, though they're not unheard of. I've been honing my own sword skills most of my life, taking up the unique twin-blade art. Though I'm still not a master, in fact, I'm hardly recognized for it. Dias is still considered the most skilled swordsman on Expel." He pauses, then adds "Er, Dias was one of our companions when we fought the Wise Men, really aloof and quiet guy."
Elsa von Spielburg shrugs. "Most of the really good warriors are like that. It's that whole 'tough guy' image thing that they like to have going for them. Not really my type...they only want to beat you into the ground," she smiles as she folds her arms, and glances at Ashton out of the corner of her eye. "Only kind of critique they'll give you is, 'You're too weak. Come back when you're stronger.' Aggravating!"
Ashton Anchors actually chuckles suddenly "I think Dias said that once or twice to Claude. Funny thing is, Claude would up surpassing him, I think he's STILL aggravated by that." He sighs "He's an alright guy though. He had a tough past is all. Seeing their family slaughtered before their eyes would turn anyone into a recluse obsessed with their strength." He taps his fingers on the side of the barrel he's sitting on, as the stars finally start to appear in the sky.
Elsa von Spielburg feels a pang of guilt. "Yes...yes, I imagine it would be a terrible thing to happen to a man," she says quietly with a faint sigh.
Ashton Anchors almost senses the guilt, and smiles "Don't worry about him though. I think all that time with us helped him heal a bit, Rena especially helped there. He still keeps to himself, but he's better than he was." He's silent for another bit "Stories like this, they're all over Videoland. It's astounding how many worlds are out there. Hopes and dangers lie in all of them..."
Elsa von Spielburg nods silently, and turns her face up towards the evening sky to admire the stars. "Your world is really beautiful, Ashton. Thank you for sharing it with me."
Ashton Anchors nods "I'd like to see yours someday." He says, falling silent again for a few moments "And, you know... if you ever need any help... I can..." Seems cat got his tongue again, as a bead of sweat rolls down his cheek "I can help you out, if you need it..."
Elsa von Spielburg reaches up with her handkerchief to wipe the sweatdrop away with a tiny smile poised on her lips. "Thank you. I'm not quite sure if the Valley's safe for visitors. But I'll be sure to scope it out, and if it looks good, I'd be honored to show you around the place."
Ashton Anchors whews "Thanks, I'd love to see it." He gazes at the night scenery one more time, before saying "So... um, what do you want do do now? I'd say the shops are closing..."
Elsa von Spielburg thinks it over for a moment...and snickers at something she doesn't voice. Then she clears her throat, shifting her weight to the other foot. "To be honest, I'm not really particular. It's nice just to talk with someone like this. I hope you don't mind...I'm usually not such a gabby person! It's just...you make me feel at ease for some reason. I don't know why."
Ashton Anchors blinks, a bit surprised by the snicker. Though he doesn't put much consideration about it "I'm normally not either, I kinda feel the same way. ...funny huh?" He seems a bit anxious, though he doesn't quite know why. Also, nearly forgotten, there have been two eavesdroppers on this conversation. Gyoro and Ururun, virtually ignored, watch the goings on with some slight amusement. The two dragons whisper to each other <Gyoro:Heh, nice mood...> <Ururun:It reminds me when Ashton had that crush on Precis, except Elsa seems to actually be interested.>
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Funny...yeah, I guess so. I mean, we don't really seem all that much alike, do we?" she smiles up at him. "And yet..." She finds that she can't really put her finger on it, so she stops trying. Somewhat embarrassed all of a sudden, she smiles and rubs at the back of her neck. "Ah well. Whatever it is, it's nice."
Ashton Anchors nods "Yeah, sure is." Ashton never noticed the ramblings of Gyoro and Ururun, so no notice is sent their way. Though for a moment, he seems at a bit of a loss for words, or ideas.
Elsa von Spielburg stays quiet as well, though she manages to steal a glance up at Ashton out of the corner of her eye. ~Why am I being so secretive...? This is odd! Ah well...~ Idly she reaches up to stroke the neck of the nearest dragon, Gyoro. Sometimes it's nice just to have nothing to say, and she merely enjoys Ashton's company.
Gyoro accepts the stroking gratefully. <Gyoro:I guess it's a good thing that Ashton is finally starting to get somewhere with an actual relationship.> <Ururun:Should we possess him if it looks like he's going to blow it?> <Gyoro:...nah. Let him do this on his own. I think he might actually do this right...>
Elsa's hand soon falls to rest on Ashton's shoulder, seemingly as though she doesn't notice that it's there, and she looks up at the stars. "So...do you have any constellations up there?" she asks quietly, almost at a whisper, as though afraid of disturbing the melody of crickets.
Ashton Anchors blinks "Constellations? I'm not entirely sure. I never learned much about Astrology, the crest sorcerers of the village of Mars are the specialists there. Celine would probably know..." He gazes up at the sky "I'm pretty sure though... that there is a constellation for Xine... I can't remember where or what it looks like though..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Oh really?" She looks up at the sky for awhile, trying to find something familiar. But of course, nothing matches the skies of Spielburg. All of a sudden, Elsa feels incredibly small, just thinking about all of the worlds and universes out there, all the lives that must abound on each of them... "It's disorienting sometimes, isn't it? Thinking about all those places that exist out there..."
Ashton Anchors nods "Sure is. But I try not to let it get to me. With the warp zones and stuff, you can go almost anywhere immediatly. Videoland is the focalpoint for all the worlds out there."
Elsa von Spielburg turns her head to look at the profile of Ashton's face silently. Idly she almost wishes... Then she smiles and turns away to look up at the stars again. "What's your favorite place?"
Ashton Anchors blinks, and hmmms "Well... that's a tough one. I've been to a few areas...." It's a good thing Ashton has yet to visit the Kong world, all those barrels.... "Corneria seems to be a nice, peaceful place. I guess because it really reminds me of here..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Mmm...yes, it is nice...I haven't really explored it much except for the inn itself. But Red Mage is nice enough, isn't he?"
Ashton Anchors nods again "Yeah, he seems like a nice guy. He's been around for awhile, probably before I came around Videoland. He's had some... checkered events surrounding him before, from what I've heard. But for the most part, he looks like a good guy." Despite random bouts of insanity, and loads cheating, but still a good guy.
Elsa von Spielburg starts to blush a little as she remembers her encounter with Red Mage in the medbay and curing the concussion she gave him. "Warm night..." she says in an effort to cover it up, and sits down on the grass next to the old barrel.
Ashton Anchors doesn't notice the blush, but does offer helpfully "We can go somewhere else now if you want. Or maybe, just go back to the Inn? Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you for so long..." And it just started with him wanting to show her the Synard...
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Oh, no, I'm not uncomfortable," she quickly shakes her head with a smile. "Can we stay here, please? Just a little longer."
Ashton Anchors taps the side of the barrel nervously. oO(What if I... no, I couldn't do that... could I? I mean... oh geez...) The dragons can sense Ashton's hesitation, so the red head speaks <Gyoro:Ashton...> His gaze turns up, though Ashton doesn't vocally reply <Gyoro:Despite how shy and bumbling you are, even YOU must be able to tell when a mood is forming. Ururun and I are able to sense it, you should try something...> Ashton just blushes, and mutters "..but..." <Ururun:Perhaps, a little nudge in the right direction wouldn't hurt?> Before Ashton can even respond this time, Gyoro possess him, simple enough to tell by the slight red glow in his eyes. "Elsa..." Ashton gets up off the barrel, and kneels in the ground in front of her.
Elsa von Spielburg smiles, sitting up a little. "Yeah?"
There isn't much hesitation, Elsa would only get a few moments to notice the change in Ashton's eye color, and she probably doesn't even know what it would mean yet. Before Elsa could react any further, 'Ashton' grabs Elsa by the shoulders and kisses her. Gyoro only holds onto the possession for a moment after he starts to kiss, then releases it. Suffice to say, Ashton is shocked, and his face turns tomato red.
He isn't the only one suffering from shock as Elsa remains completely motionless, frozen with surprise. A heady rush of emotions runs rampant through her blood, and for a few seconds she seems unable to respond. Then slowly...and ever so slightly...she begins to relax. Gently she raises her hand to touch his cheek and return the affection, and the kiss.
It doesn't take Ashton long to realize what must have happened. He'd probably recoil with anger against his dragonly companions, but is shocked even further when Elsa returns the kiss. He's stunned, but no fool, and he too keeps it up. The red dragon head merely snickers slightly <Gyoro:Told ya so...> <Ururun:I wonder if we'd be spoiling the mood... pity we can't exactly leave...>
Elsa von Spielburg smiles slightly against his mouth, and pulls back just faintly to rest her brow against his. "I was wondering how long it would take you..." she murmurs quietly, eyes still closed.
Ashton Anchors blinks in surprise "Um.. I'm sorry... er, I mean..." He stammers. He's not even sure if she should tell her that it was Gyoro who started the kiss. He clears his throat "I'm not good at stuff like this... I've... never even kissed anyone before..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "You could have fooled me," she chuckles, and leans back to look at him, admiring his blush. "I'll teach you one thing, though...never apologize," she winks, and reaches out to push aside his bangs to keep them out of his eyes. "Thank you, Ashton. It was just what I needed."
Ashton Anchors blinks again "A.. kiss?" He asks, not quite understanding what she meant by being just what she needed. He blushes a bit more as she clears the hair out of his eyes.
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Just affection, in general," she laughs, and moves up to her knees. "It's getting late...we should probably head back, I suppose."
Ashton Anchors hesitates, and nods "R-right... well, yeah. We should." Still a bit stunned over it all, but nevertheless able to stand, he gets to his feet, then extends his hand to help her to hers. Despite how solid he stands, he still feels a bit dizzy "Er, so... let's get back to the Inn then..."
Elsa von Spielburg says, "Yeah," she smiles, and doesn't let go of his hand. "Thanks so much for a lovely evening. Shall we do this again tomorrow?"
Ashton Anchors blinks again in surprise "Tomorrow? U-uh... sure thing. Yeah." The surprise is evident on his face, but he nevertheless feels somewhat content over the way things turned out. Perhaps next time he won't need such... forceful persuasion from his companions.
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