Hyphen Oono Peaches didn't believe that he was of this world. He came from elsewhere, some other 'parallel' Fiore, as he believed to understand it, where things were slightly different.

So he had a hypothesis.

If he had been isekai'd here, perhaps other people from his home dimension had also been sent here as well? It certainly was a more attractive possibility than brooding over if he was just a native of this dimension all along and he had just gone mad.


Clad in a formal getup and a helmet, trying to mimic his supposedly old self's style of attire, he marched through the market with a giant sign held up by a pole, and resting on his shoulder saying: "LOOKING FOR INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVELLERS".

A few curious children came along to ask what it was all about, to the which Hyphen admitted that he was just looking for people from 'other Fiores'. But the grownups gave him amused, or concerned looks - he had to be mad, right? But Hyphen didn't care, and just kept walking through the bustling market, making some small talk here and there with vendors, and buying snacks for himself as he just waited to hopefully fish someone promising for this quest of his.

Lumikki was walking through out the market after finishing up a quest near by. Looking through the stalls for new accessories and snacks before making her way down to her favorite hole in the wall bar. As she was passing through, she would see a lad clad in full armor and getup. Reminding her of her guild mate Tamas. She didn't even bother to read the sign until she got much closer. When she did it only made her chuckle.

She decided to go out of her way to walk over, hoping she could find a way to tease him some. Maybe they could be just as fun as her favorite deadpan knight.

She cupped her hand to pool her darkness before blowing it out all over his sign as he turned away to order some food from the nearby stall. Softly walking up to him and tapping his shoulder hard enough he would notice. I'm curious as to why ye carry a sign with nothin on it but black. Is there a cause I am unaware of?"

"Huh?" he rose a blonde eyebrow before inspecting his sign. It was all black now, apparently. Well, that wasn't good. Or... was it?

"That's probably illegal or something." he muttered, and thought about how low on cash he was. He didn't get isekai'd here with any of his old money, he was totally broke. And this mishap could be a huge chance for him, if he played his cards right.

"Tsk, tsk. Gorgeous, you owe me a sign now. That'll be like... 20 thousand Jewels. Yeah." he demanded. "Or else I'm going to have to report you for terrorism against freedom of speech - but let's not get there, shall we? Just give me the dosh and I'll be on my merry way, and all is forgiven."

He held out a hand with its palm up to recieve the money and looked at her with an inviting, toothy smile.

Lumi could not hold a straight face as she broke out into a laugh. The character of this man was astounding. Nothing like the metal golem she knows back home. No this metal golem had a sense of humor, enough to try and extort her. She had to think this over. Shifting to a facial expression of fear and panic.

"What cha mean lad?! I just got here. I don't have the money to spare!" She pointed at her thin and short dress as if to show she couldn't afford a proper outfit. Really it was because she doesn't get cold and doesn't like being bothered as she moved. Though she happened to wear something thin and bare, boring and lacking any indication to the jewels she happened to really store away. It was pretty much an over sized shirt paired with worn in boots. It's been a while but she was staring to muster up tears do aid in her plead. "Oh please, ye must spare me, Tin golem. I was just out to get food for me starving brother." She was sure to make a big scene, drawing a lot of attention to the matter. The crowd that already was eyeing him inquisitively were confused and curious to see what the matter was.

Lumi only cried harder, loosening the hold on her dark over the sign. It started to slip away revealing the untouched sign underneath. For a moment she took a break from crying her tears to exasperatingly point back to his sign, trying to bring over everyone's attention all at once. "Wait?! Was that dust, is it fading? Were ye tryin to steal from me?!" She looked around to the crowd to win her sympathy. Her small frame and sweet features made her compelling to defend and the crowd were now whispering among themselves. She let the dark fall fully, making it appear as if the black was crumbling and revealing his absurd sign once more.

The crowd watched as it peeled away. Only feeding to their speculations further especially with how absurd the sign sounded. Lumikki then made her own darkness swirl around her as she shifted to a raven as soon as she was hidden away. Letting it blow away to reveal her form to the crowd. "Is this a curse sir?! Must I pay a ransomed to be freed!" She flailed as if to try and fly for the first time. The crowd stirred around them. She then sloppily began to fly, perching quickly on his shoulder.

"Ha, nice try lad. Gotta take care who ye try ta cross. If you can follow me I could tell ye of a mage with magic like that. Maybe even help ye fill ya pouch a tad. But good luck in finding me. She whispered in his ear as she perched before sloppily flying off toward a gap in between two stalls. "That's where I live" She cried out, her voice cracking into croaks."I'll pay ye back promise!" She broke into a run until she was out of sight. Laughing non stop when she stopped.

She would be found again eating outside a restaurant and sitting in a table for two as she waited to see if he could actually find her.

237

"Magic like that? Like..." he replied "...dimensional magic, you mean? Wow, that could be really useful, yeah."

He then watched her zoom off, and was about to go after the horned chick when a redhead stunner suddenly made an appearance. Was she a cop? Had they finally come after him? Thankfully not.

"Dark invaders? I'm afraid that I have no idea what you're talking about." he replied, shrugging with a titter. He'd then attempt to hold her chin and study her face. "Wow, this Fiore really has some beautiful women, doesn't it?"

He'd then pat her cheek twice and march off. "Anyways, nice meeting you good-looking, but I've got someone to catch!"

It was down... this alley, wasn't it? He fast-walked off into the direction that he assumed she might've gone off to and pulled off his helmet and put down his sign to keep it less visible and seem more approachable. Then, he just casually asked the vendors and other people around there if they had seen a dark-skinned woman with ornate horns; with a pretend attitude like if he had known her for years. It wasn't too difficult to get answers from the folk around since someone like that wasn't something that you just saw every day - she stood out among the fairly bland peasants of this place.

Eventually, after his chain of asking random people, he managed to find her at a restaurant, and he dropped himself into the seat in front of her.

"Found you." he chuckled.

Lumikki was mid bite of her food when her company finally showed up. Sitting in the seat before her. "Took ye long enough," she said as she leaned forward grinning. Pointing at the full plate of food set before him. "Ye desperate for jewels right, eat up. Ye far entertained me enough to get a meal out of me." She returned to eating her meal as well, letting the man get at least half way into his meal before talking again.

"Names Lumikki from Paradise Dawn, a guild just a bit over. My Uncle and Guild Master just so happen to be friends with a mage of here or there magic." She paused for a moment after she said that as if she was thinking something over. "Of dimensional magic," she finally finished.

Taking her time again to finish her food. She wouldn't speak again until she was done. Lumikki would then get up as she getting ready to head back home. "The meals already been paid for lad. As for the name of the mage and where to find 'em, you'd have to entertain me more for that." Before she got to walking, she stopped again mid step. "Oh and if ye have a need a jewels, I have an errand I could use help in. If ye interested. It was 20,000 jewels, aye? I could pass ye 50,000 ta start ye off." She would begin to start walking again.

If not stopped from leaving, she would simply turn back to a raven and fly (properly) and quickly back home to the guild. You could then head over and ask for her to start up quest.

Walking up, only now did Jikan see that the man was already in an interaction with someone. A pleasant conversation at that as it appeared. Taking a quick glance Jikan took note of the physical appearance of the woman; a person she did not recognize one bit. Horns though, a demi human perhaps And? And an energetic one at that, the female practically zoomed and bounced away with a thunder.

The man's response though was pure disbelief and curiosity. He did not know of the dark invaders? How could he not? They had devastated the world only a few months ago bringing many countries beyond Fiore to their knees. Crumbling many places in Fiore as well. The death toll alone; either he was lying or had been living under a rock.

That was one thing, but when the man so casually attempted to hold her face. Well, she quickly batted his hand away before taking a step back and narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. “You forget yourself stranger”. She said in a cold emptiness hearing the man’s comment but not responding. The nerve of the man simply because of a woman’s beauty. The other woman of Fiore would have to be careful of the man’s slight gaull.

Keeping it at that, she would eye the man as he left. Keeping her observation of the being and the woman that left before leaving herself in a little huff.

238

[exit]