As they had finished another job for doctor Stephan Mabuz yesterday, Yu had asked Alice to send the Jewels to the Golden Inn. So when Alice returned to the doctor she got the Jewels for both of them. The doctor asked if she would want to go on another job for him the next day, it was already evening so right now wasn't a good option. He needed the herb that they found on top of a mountain also. He was running out of it again. She could remember picking it up with Yami and thus agreed. She would invite Yu along. So she left the money for her with a note that there was another job in case she felt like tagging along.

As it was now quite early in the morning, Alice tossed and turned in bed. She didn't want to get up yet for it was simply too early but sleep wasn't coming back to her. The best decision was to get out of bed and start her day. Since she hadn't said a time to Yu, she had no idea if the girl would come or not. Maybe Venom would visit with another letter or maybe she should simply go alone around noon. She grabbed clean clothes and headed towards the bathroom where she took a shower. She finally felt as if she was waking up properly because of that. Since her hair reached around her waist it took quite some time to try, at first she simply wrapped a towel around it and dried the rest of her body off to get properly dressed. With that done she headed back to her room and focused on her long hair there.

When she finishes with drying her hair she went to eat breakfast. Which was nothing special since it was just cornflakes. When she was done she looked at the clock in the hall to see the time. Still early but it was past ten o'clock in the morning so she should be fine. She put on her trenchcoat and grabbed a book that she put in her bag and headed out to the meeting point she had written down in the letter. It was on the edge of town and she would find a rock to sit on and read either her book or her dairy or maybe even both of it took so long. Quite a good thing to remember next time to put a time on the letter. The only reason she didn't say anything was because she didn't know if Yu was a morning person or not.

Wordcount: 422/1000

Yumi sat inside her room at the golden inn, at a table eating an apple. Yumi loved her sweets but she couldn't just eat candy all the time, she had to eat healthy so not to corrupt her health, why she was eating the apple this morning for breakfast. Yumi took another bite crunching the sweet fruit with her teeth before swallowing, it took her eight more bites, ten in total to finish off the apple bringing it down to its core. She then got up headed over to a bin and dropped it in before heading to her door where she noticed a letter with jewels under her door. She picked it up and counted the jewels, exactly twenty-five thousand the amount she was owed for her last quest for Doctor Mabuz.

Yumi began to read the note, it was from Alice and it asking the gothic lolita to accompany her on another quest for the doctor to gather a herb for him. The herb they were looking for is an extremely dark green leafy fern that grows at the top of a steep hill on the outside of Oak. Yumi folded the note up and placed it and the jewels on the kitchen counter and left her room shutting the door behind her in order to meet up with Alice, it was already five minutes past ten.

Yumi left the place she was renting at headed on out the front door making her way through the streets of Oak. Flying out from the shadows was her familiar Venom who followed after her loyally like he always did. Yumi pulled out a small candy caramel treat from her pocket and tossed it to him. The familiar grabbed it and began happily sucking on the caramel. Yumi continued walking making her way through the crowds releasing a small amount of magic, frightening the citizens in order to part like an ocean in order for Yumi to pass through with ease.

Yumi headed to the entrance of Oak coming to a halt. The gothic lolita looked about before leaving making her way to the edge of town where the note said to meet her there. Yumi walked for ten minutes, arriving at the edge of town twenty minutes past ten where she finally ran into Alice waiting patiently for her. Yumi looked at up towards the red-headed girl, Venom floating beside her, "I'm here. Shall we?"

WC: 409 | 1000

Alice started reading a book about legends about cursed towns. It was really interesting, but she didn't have much time as she was disturbed by a voice. It was about twenty past ten or that's what she guessed because she wasn't sitting that long there. She was still aware of the cold weather. Which always took a while before she was sort of immune. She shut the book and placed it back in her backpack. She stood up and smiled at Yu, going straight to the point as usual, "Hello Yu." she looked at Venom too who seemed to be eating something. She was still a bit surprised by the looks of the companion but it no longer scared her as it did it the beginning. "Yes let's go." she dusted off her behind because mainly the cold and left to go into the forest together with Yu.

The road just like last time started off with no problem and since Yami wasn't here, Alice could walk on her own pace. No big strides needed. She walked in silence because she had no idea what to ask Yu except for the rude age question that she tried to avoid whatever it costs. It was good that yesterday she hadn't asked about it. After a while walking the road became steep and a little but of effort was needed. It wouldn't take that long for the two of them to head to the hill but it was definitely not a pleasant walk the more the road started to heel over. Her calves were not aching yet but she could feel the power going through them. "I doubt I am going to fast or so but if I do or you want to rest please say so." because with Yami she hadn't complained but she didn't want Yu to feel the need to ignore anything her body said. Although she definitely doubt it was necessary and she hoped that Yu got that too because she didn't want to offend her for obvious reasons.

Wordcount: 782/1000

Yum followed after Alice making their way towards the herb they needed for the doctor. The road started off flat but as they walked it gradually began to rise heading towards a steep of a hill that would eventually lead them to the edge of the cliff where they would find the herb. Yumi had once found an identical herb for the doctor back when she was an old woman and the climb had been somewhat exhausting for her frail form, but not she was in a new youthful body full of energy. As the lolita walked alongside Alice, the requip mage from Phantom Lord seemed to consider Yumi's tiny frame, underestimating it by saying if Alice was going too fast or if Yumi needs rest, the Lolita should say.

"I will be fine, this body is a lot more durable then you realise, and will not exhaust so easily" spoke the gothic lolita in a somewhat cryptic tone as she walked on increasing her pace somewhat in order to stay three paces ahead of Alice, she would stay ahead unless the red haired youth increased her pace to keep up with the lolita. This level of pace was nothing for the old woman in her new youthful form, she was just full of boundless energy. Yumi kept on up the hill, Venom following after just floating along unaffected by the hills steepness, simply adjusting the angle of his height from the ground in order to keep one meter off the ground.

Yumi looked back now and then to make sure Alice was keeping up, if needed Yumi would slow her pace down to make it easier on Alice. As the gothic lolita reached the top of the hill after a long cliff she came to a halt. She was barely exhausted not even panting or sweating, this new body of hers, especially being a member of the demon race was surprisingly durable. Yumi tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear and began looking around the hill for the fern.

WC: 343
TWC:752 | 1000

As Alice had suspected Yu didn't need anything. Not slowing down as well as no need for a rest. Actually the answer Yu gave to her was rather funny but she tried not to giggle about it for she was sure that wouldn't be appreciated. "Actually I thought so. You look like this is the most easiest walk for you." she replied as Yu quickly walked a few steps in front of her as if to show off. She made sure the distant wouldn't grow bigger but also didn't return next to Yu her side.

Again they continued their journey in silence. The question of Yu her age was still on her lips but she had to remind herself not to ask such things. Yu her answer to the question of pace or break already said enough. Her body was capable of much more than people expected. She would pass the cliff onto the hill to find the fern. It wasn't so difficult since it was dark green compared to the rest of the fern. Including the fact that she had done this before. Her eyes were scanning the perimeter as she was catching her breath. A tiny bit jealous of Yu whom looked as if wasn't any trouble to come up here. "I see what you mean. Here I am almost asking for a break." she said with a smile on her lips. She walked to the fern and took it away from the hill. "Found it. We can go back again."

She would see if Yu was prepared to leave again and walked next to her. Going down was a lot easier. All they had to do was give the fern to the doctor, get the Jewels and Alice could go take a nap. But first things first. They headed down and went to the doctor his shop. Alice handed him the herb and waited to be paid. "May we meet again." she told Yu before she left.

Wordcount: 1060/1000

Yumi looked around the hill in relative silence looking for the fern lie herb for the doctor. She searched across the hill a few meters from Alice, her familiar floating around behind her also looking for the fern to aid his master. Yumi allowed herself to go deep in thought as she searched for the fern. How many more jobs would she need to take, surprisingly even with these mundane chores she felt herself slowly getting stronger, but she was no where near the next rank. If she was to assess herself she was ranked somewhere in the B grade of mages, sitting in the middle, while strong she was still mediocre especially when compared to her fellow Grimoire Mage Caius aka Black who was an A rank class mage and suppose to be much stronger than her.

Yumi was brought out of her thoughts when Alice spoke up saying she had found the herb they were after. Yumi approached in order to inspect the herb making sure it was what they were after. Upon careful inspection it was indeed the fern the Doctor was after. Yumi followed after Alice heading back down the hill again in silence, it seemed they did not need to communicate much with one another. The walk was long but when they arrived at Oak they made a straight beeline towards the Magic Shop belong to Doctor Stephan Mabuz.

Yumi wanted to hand the fern in as soon as possible and get the reward Jewels. She felt like a stiff drink, and not a milkshake but alcohol. Yumi walked into the shop the bell ringing alerting the doctor to their presence. Yumi walked alice hand over the herb before retrieving her money, once she did she said may they meet again. Once Alice left YUmi approached the doctor retrieving her pay before leaving with Venom heading back to the inn.

WC: 315
TWC: 1087

[EXIT]