LF 1x1 RP ★ OC Based / Ships! SFW and NSFW

☆☆ Seeing Tyra's more low-key choice of disguise, Penny decided to forgo it completely. She'd gotten her day of revelry with Tyra, any more was a nice bonus. Besides, the only people she was hiding from were her party members, who had the means to find her easily if they really put their minds to it. And as soon as Grandma walked into the room, the disguise would be pointless anyway as her cloak of true-seeing pierced right through any illusions.

So she followed Tyra down to the common room, taking a seat next to her. The moment Tyra finished her thought on the future, Penny leaned on the table, putting her hand under her chin and giving the now fire-haired woman a flat stare as she deadpanned, "Oh, you haven't heard about my plan to go out in a blaze of glory at 35? I figure when I get tired of that nonsense I'll just let a dragon eat me and be done with it." Food was placed in front of her at that moment, as she picked at it, she considered Tyra's questions, and far more seriously answered, "I'd actually be lying if I said I'd thought about it."

She shrugged, then sighed as she found bits of steak in her eggs. She'd specifically asked for not that. She picked out the pieces one-by-one as she continued to speak, dumping them onto Tyra's plate, completely assuming the other woman wouldn't mind in the slightest. "I've been so focused on surviving the short-term that I haven't really taken the time to consider the long-term."

Now that she was though, all the possibilities she could think of even in a few short seconds were almost overwhelming, spiking her latent anxiety. She wrinkled her nose as she pushed those thoughts away, instead of focusing on what she knew. "I'm not going to go back to Golarion though." She spoke with confident finality. It was a choice she had made some time ago. "I made a life here for myself and I don't plan on throwing all of that away. I'll have the means to go visit if I feel the need soon enough." It wouldn't be very Penelope of her to take anything seriously, however, so she quickly added, "Unless Faerun gets taken over by Tiamat. Then I might bail." She noted it as odd that, despite her world and this one having completely different Gods, Tiamat seemed to be a universal constant. Comforting.

"Honestly, I don't think I can know what I want to do until...this," She gestured vaguely at nothing, unable to find the right words to convey what she meant and simply hoping Tyra would understand her, "is over. Things change so much, you know?" Most of her thoughts spoken, she bumped her shoulder into Tyra affectionately, tacking on her final thought of, "I do know I want to spend it with you though."

Penny hadn't known Tyra for very long, she would be the first one to admit that, but she'd never felt a spark like she did with Tyra before. Being around her was both comfortable and exciting in a way she'd never felt with anyone else. Doubts had plagued her in their separation, and she was certain they always would, to some degree. That's just how she was. But being back together again, she remembered how right it felt to be with her, and Penny made it point to revel in the feeling, to remember it, so when they inevitably had to part again she could draw on the memory to dull the fear of being unceremoniously dumped, as seemed to be her usual when it came to relationships.

★★  Tyall had fallen into a vicious cycle. It was one of nodding his head attentively, occasionally smiling or laughing as he felt was appropriate as some noble brought up another topic that was painfully boring and he didn't understand. He had a hard time remembering a conversation he enjoyed any less than this one. It was fine, because he liked the attention, but it also wasn't fine, because he was bored and dying a little on the inside as he laughed at another comment, replying, "Aha! Yes, poor people," (as if he wasn't almost certainly the poorest man in this room) and glancing around for a way out before he jumped off of a balcony to escape. Death was better than this, surely. Fortunately, escape was delivered to him in the form of a stiff-looking elf. He beamed at her as she offered him a drink, even if she spoke as if she were trying a bit too hard to sound a way she usually didn't, all-too eagerly replying, "Yes! Please do! In fact, let me walk with you!" He stepped out of the crowd, taking the space at her side as he waved back at the nobles he was leaving, smiling as if he regretting having to go as he sighed, "So sorry, I'll make sure to come by again and rejoin the conversation later!"  He looped his arm through hers, even if her pose wasn't at all suggesting he should, and began to drag her away until they were out of earshot of the group. He turned to her then, a wolfish smile on his lips and laughter in his tone as he said, "I'm definitely not going to rejoin that conversation. Thank you, for giving me an excuse to get out of it. Sorry to do that to you," He removed his arm from hers, realizing he hadn't really given her a moment to get a word in edge-wise. Soon. "Were you serious about the drink though? Because I'd still like one."

☆☆ While Seata wasn't completely inexperienced in combat, it was rare she was in a true life-or-death struggle, and perhaps none as serious as this. As the grotesque, demon-twisted hyenas lunged at her, grabbing her thick bear hide in their teeth, she quickly realized she might be out of her depth. She managed to shake them loose, swiping at them with her massive paws and the might of the bear behind it, throwing two hyenas into the trees behind her. Her heart ached as she heard the sickening snaps of bones as the former animals collided with solid wood. They didn't deserve this. They had been innocent. She snarled at the last hyena, rising to her hind legs, hoping she could appeal to any animal instincts it might retain. Its pack was dead, she was clearly larger and stronger. Any normal beast would back off, knowing it was outmatched. But this wasn't a normal beast, and the hyena let out a deep, guttural cackle, and lunged again. It snapped for her throat, and leaving herself open, it found it easily. She toppled backward, gasping desperately as the demon-twisted beast cut off her air. She was certain she was dying as, for a long moment, she felt like she was simply watching herself from afar. And as she watched, knowing if something didn't change she would die here, and Raz would too, something told her to let go.If she just let go, let the beast take over, this struggle could be won.You don't know how to fight, but I do. And she saw no other choice, so she did.

Surprising the hyena, sure of its victory, the great bear rolled over with a burst of strength, catching the demon with its teeth and throwing it to the ground. While it struggled in the dirt, the bear stood upright again, letting out an echoing, feral roar. Then it brought its paws under itself, letting itself fall with all its weight into the hyena. It didn't have time to revel in its victory. The arrow that whizzed past Raz's head had barely registered in its mind when it was struck in turn, two arrows burying themselves into its shoulder. The bear went mad with rage. It charged into the trees after the archers, goring one with the proud rack of antlers that still hung with decorations, ringing together like a pleasant wind chime. With a grunt of exertion, the bear spun on its hind feet, throwing the limp, bloody body of one gnoll hanging from its antlers into another, knocking it to the ground. The bear took the opportunity, seizing the beast by the throat and biting down. It gurgled pitifully, then went limp. Raz all but forgotten, the bear continued its feral rampage, tearing, throwing, goring, and biting its way through every gnoll it could find, occasionally leaving a wheezing, broken body barely clinging to life for Raz to finish off. Every arrow that buried itself into its hide went ignored, the beating of clubs barely seemed to phase it, and spears stuck out its back like a grisly imitation of a porcupine, but it didn't slow until every gnoll was dead or gone. The dead Raz left were ignored, and if he helped, the bear took no notice.

Panting heavily, a red froth at the mouth, the bear surveyed the bloody arena, dark eyes finally falling on Raz. Perhaps some piece of Saeta that hadn't given in to the rage of the bear told it that he wasn't a threat and shouldn't kill him outright, but it still stared him down, spurred by bestial rage, a snarl rumbling from its chest as it slowly walked toward him, teeth bared and antlers lowered. He was a stranger in the forest, as much as these gnolls were, the bear was sure of that.