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Reize-o Incognito

Scene details

Setting: With the treasure acquired from the Drowned Undercity, and the globe-trotting mobility offered by the Romancing SaGa, our heroes hope to return to Verdios and donate some riches to assist in the rebuilding of the goblin village that Anna so loves. Though nothing can restore the lives lost in the devastating eidola attack, and no trail of that eidola has yet resurfaced, the party can still contribute even if Anna's nemesis remains at large.

There's just one catch: Reize, the party's otherwise fearless leader, is oddly nervous about returning to the nation of his birth. Ivo seeks to persuade the boy wonder that all he needs to avoid discovery (from whom, it is unclear) is a good disguise. So the Star Chasers head for Zerhem's vivacious markets in search of clothes that will transform Reize beyond recognition. This is very much a team effort. Ivo is soliciting any and all suggestions for Reize's alternate outfit.

For better or worse.

Log

With their adventures to acquire the third fragment of the Crux of Creation concluded, the valorous party may now confront more serious matters.

"How about this?"

Ivo, shaded from the warm sun by a market stall's awning, lifts a glittering turban into view. The peacock feather that festoons it is oddly angled, resembling a certain boy's conspicuous cowlick.

"An excellent choice, sir," the clothier supplies enthusiastically, smiling ear to ear. "That is part of our popular 'Harem Master' collection."

The Cosmopolitan nods sagely.

"Splendid," he cheerfully remarks. "No one in Verdios could possibly recognize Reize in such garb. I think our work here is done. Excellent shopping trip, everyone."

The young man pauses, his blue cloak rippling from the bustle of shoppers visiting the popular marketplace who pass through the alley between stalls where they stand.

"Have I ever explained what a harem is to you, Reize?" Ivo ponders. "Somehow, I feel like I have."

Ruidosa La Crima rolls 1d20.

Comment: JEALOUSY CHECK

Roll(s): 3. Total result is 3.

Normally, the young explorer is usually filled with exuberant energy about many things, particularly on the subject of adventures. Today is one of the days that you have another side of him; apphensive, wooden, wary. The topic of Verdios came up and the boy clammed up tight to where one could practically see a chain of locks all over him.

The original return left Reize on extreme edge, going back there is increasing the risk that the boy had not been forthcoming with. However, any attempts to convince Reize would be filled with begrudging resigned compliance, if wary.

In this case, the boy is staring at the glittering turban with a peacock feather at the top. The boy is furrowing his eyebrows at the entire garb. The youth remains quite tense, eyeing the outfit.

Ruidosa La Crima is pleased that they have the third piece and has written at length about it in her book, has taken rubbings and or sketches of some writings or symbols or just plain interesting art saw in the strange ruins and is happy with her adventure.

Ruidosa knows what shopping is, but has never ever got to explore a large market place. Her eyes dazzle and dresses and skirts and blouses and all those other things. She makes a little shopping list in her book.

"Yes! I'm sure no one will recognize Reize in... uh.."

Did someone say Harem? It was Ivo. Ivo said Harem.

She suddenly ''latches'' onto Reize's arm and clings in possessiveness. "I..I will not be a part of some harem! Do I look like a woman of ill repute!?" Ivo, don't answer that. Just walk away for he moment. ANY ANSWER YOU GIVE IS WRONG OKAY!?

You roll 1d20.

Comment: Trying to keep his mouth shut

Roll(s): 13. Total result is 13.

Ivo's mouth opens, his eyebrows raising slightly, as Ruidosa clings to Reize and glowers. He's being asked a question. As a man of science, surely any line of inquiry should be pursued in good faith, yes?

"*This* is intriguing garb."

Just barely, the trouble-seeking young man forces himself to turn away and back toward the racks bulging with unusual clothes and costumes. There are, fortunately, less dangerous ways for him to indulge his cat-like curiosity here.

"It appears to be... made entirely of belts?"

The shopkeeper, who appears to have picked out a sparkly little two-piece number complete with veil that looks to be right around Ruidosa's size, deftly hides it behind his back.

"Ah, yes! That would be our 'Lord of Edges' outfit."

Ivo purses his lips, nodding with interest as he glances back to Reize. He's well aware that Reize is uncomfortable, but is trying to keep up his cheerfulness until it becomes contagious. This is easy for him, since he finds this whole situation extremely funny.

"I think we should take this opportunity to aim for a completely different aesthetic for Reize," he proclaims. "He has so many distinctive features for us to hide, after all."

As Ruidosa reaches over to grab Reize's arm, he instinctively tenses up. It is admittedly not because of her, however, the thought of Verdios hangs over his head like a dark cloud. He wants to be able to help Anna with her wishes, but there is a huge risk.

"... Do you all really need me to go with you?"

Reize furrows his eyebrow at Ivo. "...Look, I appreciate your efforts to keep me hidden." He runs a hand over towards his arm, there is a sad smile on his face. "... However, at this time... returning to Verdios could spell the end of my exploration." In the back of his mind, he can definitely see the dismayed, angry look burning in the back of his mind. It elicts a wince from the young boy.

Ruidosa eyes Ivo, who chooses to close his mouth and this relaxes Ruidosa some, as she loosens her grip on Reize's arm just a little. It's good the shop keep hides the harem outfit. She'd probably wear it as a disguise, but right now isn't the time. She gently raises her head as she frowns.

"Why are you afraid of your father anyways?..." she asks curiously.... but then Reize spells it out as she frowns. "Ahhh... I see."

"Could you explain to your father you don't wanna cooped up anymore?" she asks curiously. "That's what I did with mom for a good few years..." she says a little softly as she looks back to Ivo.

"Um..."

"A hat to hide his hair for one for sure, and..."

"Might need another weapon set?" she asks.

Ivo hesitates. He's never seen Reize quite so unenthusiastic about exploration. Of course, the older youth has surmised that their fearless leader has some connection to the country. And it's not hard to guess that the boy wasn't exactly supposed to do wandering across the world to Cosmopolis. Maybe he ought to just lay off.

"You know, Verdios is a big place."

Smiling, Ivo looks back to the rack of clothes.

"With the assistance of a princess of Suryle, we could get special permission to visit all sorts of restricted areas. I hear that if one approaches the Twilight Canyon from the east, the Verdios side, it's possible to descend into its depths and see the earth as it was before the sundering. But only experienced hunters and adventurers would dare to traverse the wilderness and attempt such a journey."

With a careful hand, he takes up a striking red hood patterned with white, reminiscent of Kernunnos's sacred colors, its top pointed and front obscured by an attached mask.

"And what better way to gain such experience than to go in person?" He glances at the shopkeeper. "What is this? I've never seen such a style."

"Ah," the shopkeeper replies, looking between Ivo and Ruidosa, "that is done in the style of a people of southern Oradia. They wear patterned tunics and wield distinctive throwing weapons called 'valari.'"

Ivo perks up.

"Throwing weapons, huh?"

But the clothier seems less interested in discussing that.

"Regarding our Harem Master collection," he murmurs, leaning in toward Ivo, "perhaps I could show you our 'Grand Vizier' outfit..."

"Oh?"

"...and we have quite a few variations on the Harem Girl..."

"Oh????"

Ruidosa La Crima rolls 1d20>=10.

Comment: Resisting the Urge to Slap Ivo

Roll(s): 14. Total result is 14. This is a success (by 4).

There is a frown as Ruidosa explicitly mentions his father. It takes a deep breath for what will come next.

"...Technically, I ran away from home," Reize admits. "The last time time I saw him was when we had an argument." His eyes close, the reflection of his youthful form, hunched over as his father had a very rare, crossed look on his face. That was the last time he remembered his interaction with his father. "Had the option to return home, but..." There is a thought that comes to his mind. ...Someone else that he never mentioned about.

Kajira. An old childhood friend.

That also brings a sad smile, realizing who else will be hurt from his missing whereabouts.

However, Ivo does bring up a good point, "... Yeah, Verdios is a big place. With any luck, we won't come across any familiar faces." The special permission to visit restricted places does alleviate some concerns. However, that alleviation can end very quickly if caught. That hangs to the back of his mind.

He tries to put those thoughts to the back of his mind, "Well, let's just take whatever keeps me from being recognized..." He rubs the back of his neck. He does glance over towards the red hood patterned with white. He decides to take the clothing.

Ruidosa huffs. "Everywhere is big to me!" she says. "I've been mostly in a manor and swamp my whole life." she says. "Er. As far as I can remember. I don't remember...." she pauses. "that isn't important. I'm sure it'll be easy to hide...yeah that red hood will do the trick...probably!" she says.

She eyes Ivo and...makes a disapproving face at him. She considers slapping him for apparent womanizing ways but decides against it, but you can see her hand clench a little as she considers the motions of doing so.

"Ugh!" is all she can announce in the end, as she eyes back to Reize and then...

Gives Reize a hug. "S..sorry if it's bad feelings and all... but we really do need to help Anna with her things... right?" she asks.

Ivo is in the middle of glancing between a scandalous harem girl outfit and an even more scandalous harem girl outfit when he hears Reize speak up. Whatever the boy might have confided in Ruidosa, Ivo has enough discretion to pretend that he won't overhear. But when Reize begins to explain himself openly, his Cosmopolitan friend turns around.

"Hm."

Unusually, Ivo is not quick to speak. His eyes are sympathetic, but he gives the two time, figuring that Ruidosa is better able to comfort Reize, and needing some moments to marshall his own thoughts in any case.

"I never had the opportunity to reconcile with my own father while he lived," he says quietly. "I don't know if it would have been possible. But when you and Lily found his brooch on that godsforsaken battlefield, I'd never felt so grateful to anyone. I decided I'd put my friends first, and find my own place to belong."

He didn't think of it quite like that at first, and he still feels, and looks, a little awkward at speaking so sincerely. Ivo averts his eyes for a moment before looking back to Reize and Ruidosa.

"Only you can know when you're ready to face your dad again," he continues. "But you're not just roaming around. We're here to save Lily, and we're going to Verdios to help Anna. We're putting our friends first."

Ivo's smile isn't cheerful anymore. If anything, it looks a little pained. But it is firm in a way it usually is not.

"I don't think anyone has the right to judge you for that."

A moment of silence follows.

"You're in luck, sir," the shopkeeper pipes up. "We do indeed have the forest green harem girl outfit in stock, and with just a little adjustment, I am sure even a dragonkin tail could be accommodated--"

"Later, please."

Upon the hug, Reize offers a smile towards Ruidosa, "...Thanks." He starts to come to terms with the risk, offering her a smile. When Ivo finally speaks up about never being able to reconcile with his father. That strikes him. ...Does he really want to leave things unreconciled with the person that he long since looked up to? His hand rests over to his shoulder, looking a bit ashamed of himself.

He would eventually have to come face-to-face with both his childhood friend and his father. The young explorer would even willing to bet that they are looking for him right now.

He looks up at Ivo, offering a smile to his friend, "...Thank you.." He looks at both Ivo and Ruidosa. "Thank you both. Yeah, we're here to help Anna."

He looks over to the red and white hood and the mask. "...Let's go with this."

Ruidosa sighhhhs at Ivo. Because Ivo is being Ivo. "You know, my mom might wear that for you if you ask right....." she trails off. "If she's still willing to talk to you." she says bluntly. "After reading my notes." she says.

She looks back to Reize and smiles. "Good! We're agreed then! Disguise and we shall go!" she says. She then blinks a little, looks left, and right and approaches the shop keep. "Do you have that in a more...modest fashion?" she asks curiously.

"For uh."

"Later."

Ivo's eyebrows shoot up, regarding Ruidosa carefully.

"I shall be, henceforth," he pronounces, "on my best behavior."

So earnest is he that, when he overhears the vampire girl's query to the shopkeep, Ivo gives her a little assist, placing his hand on Reize's shoulder and pointing the boy in the other direction. Leaving the enthusiastic proprietor to showcase his full range of diaphanous garments (from "suggestive" to "Empress's New Clothes") so that Ruidosa may select the version most to her taste, the young man speaks a little loudly to drown out the conversation.

"It's quite striking how its colors resemble the favored hues of the druids of Vaeltrandia," Ivo remarks. "Kernunnos, did your people ever wear a hood like this?"

"No," speaks the eidola from the pendant. "These colors are associated with the worship of Faleh, however. What is a harem?"

"I-I see. Uh, we should find you a complementary cloak, Reize," Ivo continues, eyes darting about. "This one is in a similar style and pattern, but forest green -- it should blend in better, and it's roomy enough to hide your weapons. Still, let's stop by the metalworks importer. I want to see what these so-called valari are like."

The shopkeep briefly stares at Reize's pendant with a puzzled expression before turning back to his young customer, trying to sell her on an off-the-shoulder cropped blouse with slightly more coverage than the garb that had attracted Ivo's interest.

Slightly.