Tournament Signups: Last Minute

It is a lovely (#-1 ARGUMENT MUST BE NUMBER°C) morning, and the sky is -1 JSON ERROR°F. The trees gently sway in the breeze on the NWA Headquarters, a large mansion that has been refurbished to serve the purpose of a central location for all NWA activities.

Today, the Coolest Cat in ETO, Nyanta, has set up a folding table and two chairs in the dining chamber. The presence of the flimsy, grey furniture next to the traditional, low-sitting tables with pillow seating seems to draw the eye to the Dandy Cat, and this aesthetic choice is most likely purposeful with that in mind.

Nyanta is currently sipping at a tea cup; there is another cup, as well as a tea pot, on the folding table, calling out to any who may walk by, inviting them to have a seat. Also on the folding table is a pen and a clipboard. Attached to it is a sign-up sheet of some kind.... What is it a sign up sheet FOR one might ask? Might YOU ask?

    A morning that was almost too lovely, the kind that just sprinkled an air of pleasant tiredness on the comings and goings to the headquarters. It was no different for the Cait Sithe as she, flanked by her rather lovely and excitable little fox, strolled towards the building with a look of something awfully close to nostalgia. Awfully close, but just ever so subtly different. Whatever it was, she wiped it from her eyes as she rubbed the sleep out of them and began to properly head within. Not with a mission, at least not with any that were so worthy that she wouldn't be distracted from it by a good cup of tea.

    Lunaris' eyes brightened as she picked up on the scent, honing in on the caffeine she obviously needed to get a good start this morning, and soon spotting the rather dandy adventurer who was camped there, near her favorite seat even! The cheek. Not that she was going to raise that, it'd be improper. Instead she flopped down nearby, taking note of the clipboard with a wry grin and nodding towards it, "Taking sign-ups, or just train-watching? This place never quite seems to rest. Good to see!"

Nyanta flashes a charming side smile, exposing a fang which catches the light just so in order to produce a glint, "Ah, the Crownless Cup is steadily appurroaching, nya. This is the last day to sign up fur the event, so I felt it was impurrtent to hold one last sign-up in a place where many purrtential applicants might pass by, nya."

The Dandy Cat gives Lunaris a look up and down, as if sizing her up in every possible metric, "Myaight you be interested in joining the fray, nya? The tournameownt is a one versus one elimeownation style, nya. There are purrizes just for purrticipating, nya."

    Lunaris ever so subtly eyes up the free cup, not planning to take it from an unprepared adventurer, but heavily debating whether the additional caffeine was worth it. That would make the day utter purrfection after all, and that seemed like a great aim to her. Though the information made her ear twitch as she was pulled back into the moment with a thoughful hum. "Crownless Cup? Tasteful name. And it's just trying to beat other people senseless? And get prizes for it?" She flashes a grin at that, all the while petting her lap for the little fox to hop up, spin around in a circle, then a third, as he settles down.

    She did give a pause to actually let Nyanta tell her about the prizes as she leaned back into the seat, letting herself finally relax for what had seemed like almost months at this point, then gives her hand a wave, "How good are the fighters? I'm more a monster tamer than a fighter y'see? Anyway, never introduced myself, I'm Luna! Or Lunaris, as the mood prefers."

Nyanta gives a polite bow, bringing his hand to his chest, "I am known as Nyanta. It is most assuredly a purrleasure to make your acquainance, Miss Lunya. I have nyaver tried my hand at meownster taming, but if you need assistance in food prepurration and service, well, I consider that to be somewhat my forte, nya."

He pours some tea into the empty tea cup on the table, and then he refills his own, with practiced motion, demonstrating that he has been professionally trained, "After long deliberation, the name, 'Crownless Cup,' was coined in celebration of those who have been freed from the subjugation of the crowns over in the Palace Lands, nya. And yes, I ih-meow-jin the dueling will be quite violent, as is the nature of dueling, nya. As for the purrizes, I have not yet been made purrivy to what they might be, but I have been assured by NWA officials that they will be worth the effort, nya."

    The Cait Sith wasn't quite as proper as Nyanta, and decided that a bob of her head would suffice as a greeting, alongside a whole-hearted smile at the greeting. "It's nice to meet you too, Nya--Nyan.. Nyanta! Ah, Monster Taming is pretty dangerous, though you get to hug all the cutest things! Or at the very least, die trying. It's probably not the most advisable to do the latter, but pretty much every tamer seems to agree. Maybe we're just weird," She gives a half shrug to that, all too cheery about that particular opinion. Mostly. There's a tiny bit of almost acidic sarcasm there, for anyone that looked a little too closely, but she passed it over fast enough.

    The tea was certainly enough to subdue whatever that was, and she gave a very glad nod of her head, and swish of tail, "Food preparation is very important anyways. See, I always wanted to open up a bit of a monster farm, get around the dangers and all of that, but.. Well, that plan went on ice for a bit. And yes, a worthy thing to celebrate, was very glad to hear about the whole thing!" Brightness incarnate in that moment, pure joy, "I'd be more than glad to offer my fighting for that cause, in memory at least. Just can't promise on my own skills!"

Nyanta gives a soft chuckle, "You need not worry about your fighting purr-owesse, nya. I do believe you will, at least, put up a fight, nya. And that's all this event is really for: to demonstrate solidarity by show of arms, nya."

He tilts his head to the side, taking a sip of his tea before continuing, "Now, you said something about Meownster Farming, nya. I would be very interested in such endeavors, as one versed in the culinary arts, nya. What would be your current difficulty purrventing you from meowving forward with your dream, nya?" The Dandy Cat ever so subtly moves the clip board closer with his tail toward Lunaris. The tail movement does not show in the rest of his body at all.

    Luna gives a cheery nod at the confirmation, glad her lack of fighting prowess wouldn't really be a hold up in that regard and took the time to sip at her tea, taking the clip board as it was passed to her. "That's good to hear, then I can definitely manage that one. Besides, I have a couple of things I'd love to show off. So to speak. I mean some people from here did help me design it, so.. Well, it'll be a great time anyway," She says with a happy sigh, fumbling with the pouch to her side until she pulls out what seems to be a card, embossed with imagery of feathers as her eyes run over it, "Yes.. Looks like a great idea indeed!"

    As the card slides back into it's holder she perks up at the topic, starting to fill out the form though seeming to be regretting not having her full focus to talk about what seems to be a passion project for her, "Well! The main problem was me leaving for a good few months! Okay, no not quite. The real issue is the security. Pacifying so many monsters is possible, in theory. I've been trying to find ways to do so safely. After all, the risk here is a monster outbreak." She pauses there, a bit more serious now, before continuing, "Of course, I plan for it to be far enough away from cities, but there's still risk. Plus with so many monsters together, who knows exactly what phenomena that might cause?"

Nyanta strokes his chin pensively, "Hmm. That is quite the dilemna, nya. Have you considered finding an island and setting up shop there, nya?" From, seemingly, out of nowhere, a tray of cheese and crackers appears in Nyanta's hand. There are even tiny meat slices. Fancy.

"If I get buy in from NWA, maybe! But otherwise, me and Pecan can hardly be moving monsters across the sea, I don't even have a boat," Luna replies with a chiming laugh as she takes another sip of tea, handing back the now filled form as she focuses once again. With that she scratches her cheek, enjoying the rather easy start to the morning, "Anyway, being here, I assume you help out with NWA too? Not that I've had much involvement myself lately."

Nyanta nods to the assumption of his involvement with the Alliance, "I have been taking sort of a cat nap in adventuring, but I have rejoined the efforts to make this new world of ours a pleasant place to live, nya. I have been doing some thinking on my purrpose here in ETO, and I think I will open a Sushi Cafe, nya."

"Still, if you were to bring your idea up in the Alliance Chimlink, I think many others would be interested in assisting you in your purroject. There is a lot to be gained from having a Meownster Farm accessible to the Alliance, after all, nya."

"That seems like a good goal to me! It was my plan, though the whole crown thing was a.. Uh, tipping point. So, now I'm back and planning to actually help build something of this place," Lunaris agrees with a wry smile, a moment of reflection, before she perked back up again, tail flicking around behind her. "A sushi cafe does sound really good! Can't remember the last time I even had any. Let me know if I can give a hand.. Fish you up a dire tuna. Who knows what's out there? That's half the fun." She was all but humming at that point, excitement tinging her features, "And sure! I'll be trying again, I think I have better leads now than I did back then, less of a theory and more of a plan nowadays. Though I hadn't previously been thinking of incorporating fish. Uh, Sushi doesn't use milk, right?"

Nyanta strokes his chin, "Hmm... There are somethings in some sushi that use milk: Sauces and such, nya. And as a gentleman of the Feline purrsuasion, I can understand the siren call of milk... And better still, cats do not have lactose intolerance in ETO, nya.

Lunaris barely manages to stifle a giggle at that confirmation, her hand pressed against the curving of her lips to try and at least disguise the face. To be proper and such. "Then! Once I get it set up, I can certainly help with that. Probably. I assume monster milk is safe for consumption. But this remains to be tested, to the best of my knowledge. And.. I feel sorry for anyone with lactose intolerance," she lets out a sympathetic sigh and shakes her head with a playful grimace, then pulling herself back to her feet with a little wobble as she unbalances the lap-fox. "Sadly I best be away! Many things to sort, it was lovely meeting you Nyanta!"

Nyanta stands slowly as well, and with a few quick motions, snatches up the tea pot, two cups, and clipboard, all while folding the table and chairs, leaning them against the wall delicately. "The pleasure was all mine, Miss Lunya. I look forward to seeing you at the tournament." He turns the piece of paper on the clipboard around, setting it on top of the folded table: 'Out to Lunch' The return time is set to 2 hours from now.

Nyanta returns, effortlessly setting his table and chairs back up. He flips the paper attached to the clipboard back over, revealing a new sign-in sheet, and sets it on the folding table. He also sets down a freshly brewed pot of tea and two tea cups, both washed. Finally, he sits back down, and he waits....

...and he waits still. He is not waiting for anyone in particular, though he had told his one-time student Goldenblade where he would be all day if she wanted to stop by for a cup of tea. He does not seem particularly impatient either; he seems to be enjoying his time, sipping on tea, reading a book on Fishing, and snacking on cheese and crackers. It actually seems like he is quite enjoying the time just relaxing, something that Goldenblade would know that he never actually does. Except for right now, apparently. Still, even though he is relaxing, his demeanor is ever the example of poise and grace as he sips from his tea.

Goldenblade arrives, fashionably late. Or just running behind, thuogh she knows it and arrives at a jog. "Hey, Chief," she calls out, looking for her old mentor. "Sorry I'm late, I got hung up helping someone and came as soon as I could get loose." He recalls that she never stops, either, an old-people attitude that she's found a new lease on, with the body of a 25-year-old. She'll have plenty of time to rest when she's dead, she's told people.

    June... is June. The small woman comes wandering up drinking beer from a mug. The librarian auntie Red Sonja cossplayer it seems is either intending to sign up... after some cheese, maybe both. Maybe she's just drunk and wandering around.

Nyanta sets his tea cup down before filling up the two other tea cups that were on the table... Wait, where did the third one come from? He gives Goldenblade a smile which he reserves for his old friends and pulls out the chair next to him... Wait, when did a third chair appear? "We did not necessarily have an appointment, but I am glad you came nonetheless, nya. Have a seat: and some cheese, nya."

He notes June's approach, "And of course, the invitation is open to you was well, miss: Tea and crackers are an excellent complement to cheese, nya."

Goldenblade takes the seat Nyanta offers, and the cheese. "This is good stuff," she says, mouth full. She knows the cat is an excellent cook. She smiles to June, and offers a greeting, "Hey, June." She's not quite sure what to make of the barbarian librarian, it confuses her, probably as much as she confuses others.

    June smiles and takes a swallow of her beer. "Got any cheese good for beer?" she looks and takes cheese and crackers anyway. Nomph nomph nomph crunch crunch crunch.

Nyanta chuckles as he produces a brick of hard cheddar from one of his bags. "Have you had any more encounters with Rats since last we met, nya?" Nyanta raises a finger, as if remembering something forgotten, "Ah, yes, you must be here to sign up for the tournamyant, nya." He gently touches the clipboard. "The Crownless Cup, to celebrate the freeing of the adventurers from their servitude in the Palace Lands, nya. One versus one, Standard elimination, nya. Even just by purrticipating, there will be a reward, nya."

Goldenblade smirks as June makes the same choice she did, quaffing beer and crackers, as she tells Nyanta, "I was in the first tournament, two years ago. I am beyond horrible fighting other players. They've asked me to be an announcer for the tournament, so I'll be able to do that. As much as you taught me, I can't manage to fight other players effectuvely. Unless you have some more lessons?"

June waves to Golden "Hey hey, well I was actually just in the area... drinking. Then I saw cheese and well I haven't had any in a few years." she grins and shrugs and drinks more beer. "But sure I'll kick the snot out of some people." she says with a grin "We're gonna have to get some shit together and go on an adventure." she eats more cheese.

Nyanta raises an eyebrow at the A-word, "Ah, adventure is, arguably, why most of us are here, after all, nya. If you do indeed have any plans to explore new lands or dungeon delve, I will most definitely join you, nya. Of course, any long term excursions will have to wait until the Tournament is over." He provides June with a pen as he produces, from another bag, some summer sausage left over from the feast a night or so ago.

Goldenblade nods at June's suggestion of going on an adventure. "I've seen a few new quests at the Guild. Should be plenty to do." She finishes her beer, and the first cheese, and says, "but I actually need to get going. I promised some Landers I'd take care of their rat problem. What is it with rats?" She rises and will head out. "And I'll see you both at the Tournament. Take care." And with that, she rises and heads out.

    June signs up looks at it, looks at the pen "Eh whatever I'm sure it'll be fine." She settles in for sausage and cheese and beer because dang it, it's there and she's that kind of girl.

Nyanta nods, "The tournament is, I am assured, one hundred purrcent safe, nya. There is no chance of death, and of course, there are purrizes, nya. Still, they have yet to inform me of what those purrizes are: I suppose it is to be a surpurrize, nya?"

June smiles and drains her beer before producing another from her inventory. The small woman grins "Ooh I'm not all that worried about it, I raid after all." she chuckles "I'm a Sleeping Knight after all." she says with a laugh, she shrugs "And I'll always take a purrrize." she says teasing

Nyanta sips from his tea as they converse, "I have noticed that, as of late, the Sleeping Knights seem to be awakening a little, nya. In fact, it seems the entire world is stirring, nya. Do you happen to have any insight on that, Sage of Scriptures, nya?" Nyanta asks this question with a knowing, cat-like smile on his face. A slight twitch of the right ear. Is that a tell? Does Nyanta HAVE tells?

    June smiles "Ooh the Sleeping Knights are always awake, we're on the wonderland side of the mirror after all." she pops a slice of sausage into her mouth with her fingers and then licks her fingertip and thumbtip. Her eyebrows rising. I she flirting, was the sausage just tasty, does she have a nervous tick? Who knows... probably the Shadow, because he knows what lurks in the hearts of men.

Nyanta does not seem to be phased in the least as he sets his cup down to pour himself a refill, "And here we are with our own Jabberwock, metaphorically speaking, nya. The Crownless Cup... It is a celebration for the liberation of those... Uncrowned... But I have my suspicions... We may be making a move with our own Vorpal Blade, nya. It seems, purrhaps, this tournament is being held as propurrganda for the War effort, as it were, nya."

    June barks a laugh "You think?" she says "I mean it probably is propaganda." she shrugs and settles into a chair before kicking her feet up on the table because... she's June and she doesn't really think through things. "But well most of the tourneys are some kind of propaganda." she shrugs and sips her beer.

Nyanta sips at his tea again, "Well, I suppose I do consider this to be a worthy claws at any rate, nya. There are many in the Palace Lands still crowned, nya. Would that we be doing something about that right meow, nya."

June nods her head "Yah real bitch that, glad no one round here had Iron Bands or Plantirs or anything. Be a real shit thing with evil artifacts. There's like some stuff but none of it is super evil, mostly evil boss mecha and stuff like that." she rubs her lower lip with a finger "Hmmm I mean I suppose that helping every one get uncrowned is a good thing, but like some of them don't even remember being players so what happens to them?" she shrugs, it's morality and she's bad at morality.

Nyanta adopts a serious look on his face, "We can only do what we can for them, nya. Purrhaps, one day, we will find a way to restore their memories. Purrhaps even our own memories as well: the ones we lose as a consequence of death, nya..."

June smiles switching which ankle is over which "Ahh but I have a fix." she says "I don't die." she looks smug and tries to look cool. Then in a volume obviously intende for herself and in Elvish (Quenya) she says "Junie, he's not gonna buy that you're that cool... besides he's drinking tea, you'll never get him drunk and falling into bed that way." As always the translations of this world does June dirty making it fully inteligible even without the cat being able to speak Elvish.

If Nyanta understood what June has just said (he probably did), he is pretending he didn't. He removes from his bag a short loaf of french bread, which he breaks in half, offering June one part with a smile, "Would that every adventurer be as capable and compurrtent as you, Miss June, Sage of the Scriptures, nya. Alas, not all are as capurrble of defending themselves as you or I, and we, of course, would wish to assist them even if we would nyaver share their dilemnya."

June shrugs "I suppose that's fair." she says "But in the end, we're here til we're free, and until then... I'm just going to be the best I can be. Best fighter, best writer, best drinker, best lover." she grins and takes a big bite of bread chewing happily. "I'll let the big brains figure out what to do till then." she takes a long swallow of beer.

Nyanta reaches within his pocket to produce a small flask, which he offers to June as well. "I said something similar back when I was a member of the DTP, nya. We had geniuses like Shiroe around, nya... Sometimes though, I look at Haru and must take another glance, nya..."

June leans over and takes the flask taking a swallow before holding it back out. She pops sausage in her mouth and takes another bite of bread. Happy June face. She's already forgotten everything serious that's been discussed hasn't she?

Nyanta refuses the bottle holding a hand up. "No, I insist, nya. Be sure to finish that, nya. It will help when you wake up tomorrow, nya." He gives a wink. Indeed, the fluid inside is one of Goldenblade's signature Oxygen Bottles! Nyanta has hit June with a Heal over Time effect?!? Inconcievable! Even better: if June ends up passed out in a puddle, she can still breathe!

June shrugs and drains the bottle and goes back to her beer, monching on sausage and bread. She smiles brightly "So Mr Nyanta, what are you gona get up to meow?" she grins sloppily

Nyanta tilts his head to the side raising one eyebrow, "Well, the sun is setting, and I do believe that signifies the last purrssible moment to sign up for the tournament, nya. I was planning to wrap things up and head back to my inn room, nya." He takes stock of June briefly, "Though such plans were not set in stone, if you require company, Miss June."

    June shrugs "I don't know the bars around here, show a girl around." she kicks her feet off the table and stands up stretching. The small woman becoming a fireplug of an iron plated cowgirl mid stretch. "Then I'll see what the moonset around here looks like." she grins, her bovine muzzle filled with pointed crushing teeth rather than flat grinding teeth.

Nyanta gives June a dashing smile; his fang catches the light in a glint, much like a toothpaste add, "Well, it is a gentleman's duty to accompany a lady when she is in need, nya. I shall show you a selection of the night spots around town, we shall see which tickles your fancy, nya." He finishes his tea as be begins to put his tea set away in it's carrying case. The box looks like it is of comparable price to the mansion they are currently in.