Between Events

The Calamity had been adverted, but that didn't mean there wasn't things to be done. Vertina was actually taking care of a bit of Scale Emblem business of a sort while she was here for other things. It basically boiled down to using some of the coffers the guild had put together towards establishing some training facilities to buy some of the old weapons and gear the Arena was getting rid of. Stuff that could be bought and repaired for less than fresh new items, and put to use as practice weapons. Which would also allow higher quality gear to be saved for actual raids and such.

It was making her way back from the Arena that Vertina was making her way along the streets of Breg Epona. She probably wasn't going back to Alne soon because of the Tournament that was going to happen soon, so she's got to find someplace to pack the gear up and send it back to the Alliance HQ on one of the ships.

    Merek of course would be in the city after finishing up with the Wave of Calamity. Purchasing different goods, he stocks up while he places those into the inventory, then he adjusts the hood of his attire, beltcape sweeping in the wind while he walks along. There's a look to the place, then he comes upon Vertina, nodding a bit at recognition of that woman.

Vertina notices the ninja alchemist when he comes into view and raises a hand to wave. "Hey there!" And picks up her own pace a bit to catch up. Not that it's hard with the stride she has. "Can't say I was expecting you to turn up at the event but its good we had as many people as we did." Merek did save a few people's butts at his own expense after all.

    Merek lifts up a hand to begin sliding the channel of his to off, looking like he is trying to quiet it for a little while. The man then takes a moment to nod along to Vertina, "Thank you. It's my duty as a member of the New World Alliance to protect people along with Landers. Merek," he offers another introduction while he thinks about it, "What brings you to Breg Epona?"

Vertina nods. "I came to see what kind of thrilling challenge these 'Waves of Calamity' provide, and I definately was not disappointed!" It's a brief moment of ethusiasm before she calms back down, rocking idly on her heels. "Vertina, if you don't recall," she replies. "Just taking care of some Alliance business before the Tournament starts up."

    "Pleasure, good to see you again," Merek offers, while he seems to think about it. "I am planning to join in with that Tournament, I am wondering what it will be like," he mentions. The man then nods along to the place in thought, "I am with the Westelande Empire, of course that means this is like a home to me, in a way."

"Same!... though that's probably expected." She was the one that was actually excited for the hike back to the Root City after the event, for whatever reason. So desert clearly doesn't bother her. "I haven't seen a Salamander that isn't set to the Empire, or an Outcast." Vertina shrugs. They're probably out there. But she hasn't met any yet.

    Merek nods a bit to Vertina, while he seems to think about it, "Well, I would probably admit a lot don't seem to change the home place," he mentions, then looks to the woman, "What do you think about being in this brave new world?"

There's a pause as Vertina tilts her head, pigtails swaying a little with the motion. Then it's followed by a short laugh. "Let me guess, you're expecting me to say it doesn't matter just because I'm a member of the Scale Emblem?" It might sound a little accusatory but she means it more in amusement at being asked. "But if that was true, why would I have been there? Sure, there's people that want to get out, but that's no reason to ignore everything else we have to possibly experience."

She pats a hand to her chest. "My interest in the Tower is in the challenge it presents... and the other challenges it's going to produce if these Calamities are going to be a thing that keeps occuring."

    Merek looks a little bit perplexed about that, "I was just a little bit curious about what you thought of the place, though that makes sense," he notes, with a nod along to Vertina in thought. "Anyway, what kind of fighting would you prefer for fighting in that Tournament?"

Vertina grins toothily as she waggles a claw tipped finger at the man. "This isn't some kind of scouting attempt for if you have a match against me is it?" But her style would be hard to pin down on its own, so it doesn't really matter. Instead she rocks back on a heel as she clenches her hands into 'bear paws' -- bent at the middle knuckle instead of the base so they look like the aformentioned paws -- instead of full fists. "I am a martial artist though. I'm sure you saw some of the moves I pulled on the sandworm... And that surprise fight with the kimono woman."

    Merek seems to think about it, "Well, I wouldn't know about all that," he muses. Then he nods to Vertina, "Anyway, I saw you fighting. I use a lot of different styles," the man looks to those hands, "Either way, I'm mostly waiting until I can afford to find my own place and kind of work on settling in. I think maybe winning in a tournament might be useful."

"The only way you're going to know is to try!... Just competing might get some extra notice." Vertina bobs her head in an eager nod as she settles back into a more casual stance. "I've got skills besides fighting... But I need to find the appropriate places to be able to use them."

    "What are those?" Merek asks, of the talk about skills. The man looks to the city while he watches people come and go in thought, adjusting that hood a little bit while he takes a moment to pull the shemagh scarf which he wears about his features.

"Brewing and alchemy," Vertina replies. Then after a moment adds as it might be important, "And I worked in a tavern and brewery for a bit in reality too." She holds out her arms in a partial shrug. "But that's also using facilities that don't really exist yet here, so I'm kind of back to scratch on that too." She pauses to pull an old shortsword, one of the disposed weapons she bought for the training facility, out of her inventory. "Also have some weapon forging skill as a class feature, but that," she grips her other hand around the edge of the blade, causing it to start to glow as she channels some Fire wave artes through her grip, "I at least have a grasp on what I can do.... even if it's just heat blades and beat them back into shape."

    "Ah, well I'm an alchemist as well as you know," Merek notes, with a nod a bit. "I didn't work anything fancy like that. I was a programmer working in the Beta Testing with the game."

Vertina lets out a whistle. "Wow, this must really be something then, caught up in the very thing you were helping prepare." Pause. Then rubs her head a bit. "Or insulting, because it might just be one big bug and that's what beta testers look for isn't it..."

    "I don't think that it's a bug, I'm not sure what to make of that," Merek admits, while he nods a bit to Vertina, then he sighs while crossing both of his arms a bit in thought. "I don't even know if the people still back in the world would actually know anything."

"Pretty sure it would be hard not to notice when people start complaining that their children and family members are.... stuck however we are on the other side." They don't really know what state their flesh and bone is in, so all Vertina can do is shrug haplessly. "But... you think there's a chance that whatever has us stuck here is also locking them out? Maybe that's why no one has come to 'help' yet..."

    "I don't know, I'd imagine that it's being kept quiet, at least in a way," Merek admits, while he nods a bit to Vertina. The man seems to think about it, "Anyway. I should probably be back to what I was doing, before the Tournament sign-up."

Vertina takes her hand off the sword and turns it over. "Yeah, same here." She takes whetstone out with the other hand, and starts using it on the edge of the blade. She doesn't want it sharp if it's going to be used for practice, but it needs to at least have the dents and rough knicks from being used smoothed back out, or it could arguably cause worse problems with a trainee than a sharp one. "See you later then, Merek! Or maybe on the field itself."

    Merek nods a bit while he makes a way from the place with a wave.