Posts from ☀️ Arselia and Akonia Auto-translated

Many would.

Many would.

Many already* in the good old days...

Added 1 minute ago
Aaaah, so that's why Revan would prefer to be an NPC in the expansion...

Comes.

"Nothing new, but that's not surprising," the potential buyer noted to herself, looking around, "in fact, maybe I came to the right place. Calcite and Niccia are located on the same continent."
— Good evening, — the girl said, entering, first greeting Belyana, — if it's not too much trouble, I would like to know if it is possible to order books on a particular topic and approximately how much it will cost. I am interested in a book dedicated to the history and culture of Niccia, the land of the Amazons. First of all, I want to know how the country originated and how exactly these customs, and not others, were formed in their way of life. I recently wondered about this, but realized that I could not find out anywhere except in your establishment. Mostly, only tales and common rumors reach my ears, but no specifics.

- See, everyone is telling you – it's better to have one good thing than many meaningless ones. It's up to you, while you're still young and beautiful, but that won't last forever... Sooner or later, everyone calms down. And maybe you're spending too much energy, have you thought about that? You eat a lot of sweets and don't gain weight, you think it's your metabolism, but in reality, it's constant, marathon-like exertion. Hmm, Lady Linette, how often do you have to travel for work? I myself had to do a lot of traveling in my life, but some friends and acquaintances only appeared after I settled down in Margel.

- Good evening," the girl said, entering, and first greeted Beliana, "if it's not too much trouble, I would like to know if it is possible to order books on a particular topic and approximately how much it would cost. I am interested in a book dedicated to the history and culture of Nicchia, the land of the Amazons. First of all, how did the country originate and how did its customs develop in this particular way, and not in any other? I recently wondered about this, but realized that I could not find out anywhere except in your establishment. Mostly, only tales and rumors reach my ears, but no specifics.

- Good evening," Beliana replied, sitting inside, "you want a book to be written for you on a chosen topic? This is a very large undertaking; don't expect the price to be less than two thousand.

Added 5 minutes later

- See, everyone tells you - it's better to have one good thing than many meaningless ones. It's up to you, while you are still young and beautiful, but that won't last forever... Sooner or later, everyone calms down. And maybe you are spending too much energy; have you thought about that? You eat a lot of sweets and don't gain weight, you think it's your metabolism, but in reality, it's constant marathon-like exertion.

- It's much better than nothing, and without such exertion, you will soon not fit into any of your dresses, have you thought about that?

Hmm, Linetta-donor, do you often have to travel for work? I myself have had to do this quite a lot in my life, but I only made some friends and acquaintances after settling in Margel.

- I have to be on the road more often than at home, so yes, often. Perhaps even more often than I would like, but there is nothing I can do about it. Regarding friends, I can agree with your experience, especially now that my companions are no longer with me.

The last seat in the first compartment is occupied by an unfamiliar passenger. Since it was warmer on the train than outside, she climbed onto the upper bunk, took off some of her clothes, and prepared for departure.

- No, look at her, and she's still asking questions. With all due respect to Kilika, she's a professional fighter and evaluates you from that perspective. For advanced followers of the School of Serenity, your performance might not seem very impressive. But how many of them will be in the audience? I don't think there will be many. And as an artist and a person of art, I believe that improvisation is a great thing. And with my requirements for safety and harmlessness, your performance looks very good as it is. Perhaps even better than if it resembled a real fight. So, I'm including you in the program.

Erephir carefully watched Beata's reaction: was she flattering him? To impose his initiative, fail to do it properly, and ultimately ruin the subordinate's initiative – that would be a disgrace for a knight. But no, it seemed that Beata was sincere.

-- Well... But we'll still take some comments into account. I suggest this: we've practiced non-contact moves, and for added spice, we'll add some contact moves as well. It's convenient with me as a partner, because even hitting me for real isn't scary; everything will heal immediately, but this will diversify our movements, add more blocks, dodges, and so on... Well, it's better not to hit each other directly; it will look like some kind of unprofessionalism. Try also to periodically retreat into the shadows, and I'll add a double move so that no one in the audience gets bored. We'll jump around, and then we'll mix up the approaches. Sorry for rushing you, but since you've entrusted yourself to me, I'll have to go all the way; I'm counting on you!

They mix things up a bit like this:

- In a spiritual sense, your care helps me more than anything else, - the woman kisses the dead man on his cold cheek, - but thank you anyway.
- Could you do that somewhere else? - Alice asks, taking the money and handing over the purchase. - Such scenes do not contribute to the workflow.

Klin mentally thanked fate that he didn't turn into a rotting zombie or skeleton.
-...Scenes of buying goods? - the soulless dead man didn't understand, but out of politeness, he decided not to clarify. - Sorry, thank you, and have a nice day!

- It suits you very well, - the already equipped knight noted as they were leaving. - Well, let's go find somewhere to eat?

Looking at the clock, Beata realizes it's time to wind things down. She gathers all the performers, including Erephir, Garret, and Alaria, who should have returned by now.

- Right, we've done great work today! Everyone did a wonderful job, I'm proud of you all! Let's run through the whole program one more time exactly as it will be during the actual performance! The time has come... - Beata winked at Margina to ensure a drumroll, - for the dress rehearsal! - the circus performer howled in a grave voice and laughed demonically, before breaking into her usual giggle.

- Boss, Garret, you'll be first to warm up the crowd. We usually put something simple at the start; your sparring will be perfect. Also, importantly, you'll be free after the sparring and can help with security. Guiyosha, Alaria, security during the first act will be up to us alone, so keep your eyes peeled.

- Rapi and I will go second. Our act turned out to be quite long with a lot of stuff, so I suggest splitting it into two parts. This is the first block, featuring juggling and simpler tricks.

- Then it's Laikos! You're doing well; keep that same spirit on stage—perform your act calmly and carefully, focus on what you're doing.

- Then it's me and Zostmer. Zostmer, your pantomimes lacked enthusiasm, so we're cutting them; instead, I suggest expanding the knife-throwing act. I see you enjoyed throwing at me; I barely dodged a couple 😅 I suggest adding targets that you can and should hit! Boss, we need wooden targets—super small, so we can throw at them from a distance—and something like throwing plates to knock them out of the air! Can you get those sorted between your act and ours? Zostmer, you must hit the wooden targets, and you must not hit me, make sure you don't mix them up 😆 Margela has had enough shocks lately!

- After us will be Arnissa and Soulreaver! Guys, you're doing wonderful!

- Next is the second part of Rapi's and my performance! This time, parallel bars and more complex acrobatic elements.

- Then Alaria will go and add some fire! Everything is fine with your act too.

- The most interesting part is usually placed at the end. And what could be more interesting than an illusionist mage in a place not spoiled by magic? The highlight of the program will be our Beautiful Queen! First, that skit with me that we discussed and practiced a bit, and at the end—a solo magic performance! So that the audience is left with the brightest, most amazing, and pleasant impressions. Just in case, I'll remind you: I'm delighted with your outfit today, but we must consider that the guards will be paying extra attention tomorrow, and I wouldn't want any unnecessary questions 😅 Well, since they usually don't have any unnecessary questions, I think you have everything covered in that regard! 😉

- Margina, Vilma, have all your requests regarding the music been voiced? Now you'll play everything in order, one act after another, to see how the music fits. You've formed a very harmonious and interesting duo, and each of you sounds great solo, so that's settled, but we might need to tweak the music a bit for the acts to enhance the effect of certain elements; we'll see everything now.

- Guiyosha, Alaria, just like with the boss and Garret, while your acts aren't on, security is on you. Guiyosh, you are separately responsible for the health and safety of the artists; keep a close eye to make sure everyone is in top form and be on standby if something goes wrong. I'll be very busy with the stage—I have several joint acts and I'm a part-time emcee—so this is all on you; I'll only be able to keep a glancing eye on things, and not during my acts, of course.

- Did you all pick up your costumes, as I mentioned? I took my tights, Alaria took her fire-performer costume, another pair of women's tights for Arnissa, and two men's pairs for Rapi and Laikos. See how they fit you; they are well-sewn, the material stretches to any figure, so they should fit everyone without problem. You can take them with you or leave them here in the tent so you don't have to carry them back and forth. By the way, regarding the tent—after the dress rehearsal, let's pack our props so everything can be taken out quickly and neatly.

- And then... - Beata looks questioningly at Alaria and Erephir, - shall we feed the guys?

- Right, everyone remember the order? Those not participating, sit in the hall and pretend to be the audience, to get as close as possible to tomorrow's performance. Alaria, this doesn't apply to you; you still have to cook. Sorry to load you down, but even your simple dishes turn out super tasty, so we don't need any oysters in Villian sauce, something uncomplicated will do. Everyone else—on stage in order, and perform as if it's already tomorrow. Let's go.

Beata clapped her hands, announcing the start of the dress rehearsal. However, a few more questions could still be asked of her.

- Chief, Garret, you'll be the first, you'll warm up the audience.

👍
-- As I understand it, all the performers today will be accompanied by wonderful guest musicians who are here, -- a deep bow in their direction. -- Do you need any clarification regarding the music for our not-so-difficult performance? I think any rhythmic improvisation in the style of your previous work will do, but if you need something more specific...

Can you come up with something in the time between your performance and ours?

-- You underestimate my power and the power of modern machines!

While Beata was finishing up, the audience was thinking about questions, and the musicians were tuning their instruments; everything was ready:


-- Here, take this. It should work well aerodynamically.

- And then... - Beata looks questioningly at Alaria and Erefir, - shall we feed the guys?

-- Yes. I'll help set the table.

- Wow, boss, that's some speed! Sometimes I think that if you keep this up, you'll be able to run around the entire Anush in a couple of seconds! Imagine, your opponent is waiting for you, and you turn your back to him, run away, he relaxes, and then you BAM him from behind!!! (the main point is around the 50-second mark)

"No, that won't work; even a dragon only moved 200 meters per second, although reaching at least the speed of sound would be pretty cool," thought Erefir, modestly lowering her gaze. "By the way, the ending of this story is funny; it's pretty much how my battles with villains usually end."

- Much better than zero, and you'll soon be unable to fit into any of your dresses without such exercise, haven't you thought about that?

- I'll fit, I'll fit. It's enough to watch my diet, and exercise isn't necessary. So, I'm also saving money – it's a win-win 🤑

- I'm more often on the road than at home, so yes, often. Perhaps even more often than I'd like, but there's nothing I can do about it. Regarding friends, I can agree with your experience, especially now that my companions are no longer with me.

- ...to be honest, it didn't even occur to me that these were such companions. All my "companions" in the past were always temporary due to the nature of the work. I thought you were talking about some newly acquired local colleagues... In that case, I'll just say that you are a strong person. Any other words here would be inappropriate," she said, bowing her head and giving them a few moments of silence.
- We found common ground in our loneliness in a foreign land. Although one of us is even happy about it," she says, glancing at Bazhena and her legs. "At least you're not wearing stockings," she says, looking at the stocking wearers. "No offense, it's just that I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable that everyone else is wearing them."

Guyon discreetly pulls Alaria aside and lowers his voice so they won't be overheard. "One of the performers has stomach problems... I would be grateful if you could prepare something that is not only easy to make, as Beata said, but also dietary, so she can eat without any negative consequences." He gives appropriate dietary recommendations based on his studies, [here is a link from Google, I'm too lazy to Google it]. He didn't point fingers to avoid violating medical confidentiality, but he revealed the gender of the performer because all the men had already eaten non-dietary food and were fine, so it's not a secret that it's one of the women.

- Hello, - Belyana replied from inside, - do you want a book written for you on a chosen topic? This is a very extensive piece of work; don't count on a price lower than 2000.

— To be honest, I was thinking more about ordering books from elsewhere that simply bore your professional stamp of approval. Provided, of course, that such a service is offered. If not, — the inquisitor paused, weighing various factors in her mind, from the rarity of the material to the price mentioned by Belyana, — perhaps commissioning a book could be a worthy alternative. And such a price would be quite fair, considering the entire complexity of the research, the gathering of information, and the time commitment of such an undertaking. On the other hand, with such an approach, the information would be the freshest and most current, devoid of various already debunked myths. But alas, I do not have the free finances for something like that right now. Though it still makes sense to keep this option in mind for the future.
Perhaps a while ago Alaria would have been taken aback by such a price, but not after recent events. She had spent roughly that much of her own money on buying imperial biographies, even if such expenditures had a goal beyond idle curiosity. But the gathering of information about Nikkia, if one thinks about it, also went beyond banal whim. It would be, in a way, an investment in a compilation of research on overseas culture. It held a certain educational value. Especially if one paid extra to order a printed copy for the restoration of the imperial archive.

- Alright, we've worked great today! Everyone did well, I'm proud of you all! Let's run through the whole program one more time, exactly as it will be during the performance! The time has come... - Beata winked at Margina to ensure a drumroll, - for the dress rehearsal! - the circus performer howled in a grave voice and laughed demonically, before breaking into her usual giggle.

"Still, the talent and creative vein are visible, no matter what anyone says. Beata is such a star."
Already dressed in her performance costume, the Tanarsian listened intently to the speech of their own Carneolian ringleader. Trying not to miss a single detail and remembering everything down to the smallest point, she nodded affirmatively when the speech ended.

Costume (alas, nothing better was generated)

- Then Alaria will go and add some fire! Everything is fine with you too.

"It shouldn't just be 'fine,' it should be wonderful and breathtaking!" — the girl thought jokingly, nodding gratefully at the praise. After that, she thought for a while about a musical composition that would suit her performance. Although nothing came to mind immediately.
(need to think)

- Guilloche, Alaria, just like with the boss and Garret, since your acts aren't on yet, you're on security.

"I hope the demonstration of my skills during the performance will be an additional factor that might make potential troublemakers rethink and sit still."

- And then... - Beata looks questioningly at Alaria and Erephir, - shall we feed the guys?

— Of course we shall. After all the effort put in, it would only be right to show Carneolian hospitality!

Alaria, this doesn't concern you, you still have to cook. Sorry to overload you, but even your simple dishes turn out super tasty, so we don't need any oysters in Villian sauce, something uncomplicated will do.

— Oh, please, I volunteered to help you myself, even though my own duties don't go anywhere because of it, — she smiles broadly, — I'll manage. It's not my first time!

Guiyon casually pulls Alaria aside and lowers his voice so they aren't overheard.
- One of the performers has stomach problems... I would be glad if you prepared something that is not only simple to make, as Beata said, but also dietary, so that she can eat without consequences.
He gives appropriate dietary recommendations from his studies, [link from google here, I'm too lazy to google].
He didn't point a finger to avoid violating medical confidentiality, but revealed the performer's gender, because all the men had already eaten the non-dietary cooking and were fine, so it was one of the women, no secret there.

— You were right to warn me, actually. It's good to know such information in advance so that no awkwardness occurs. I would have asked myself, — a harmless smirk, — but I see that you take your duties responsibly. You saved me time. Thank you.

— Of course, we'll feed you. After all the effort you've put in, it would only be right to show some Carneol hospitality!

👍

— There's no need to worry, I volunteered to help you, and my other duties won't disappear because of it," she says with a wide smile. "I'll manage. I've done it before!

- Thank you, I'm glad to hear that! We'll call you when it's your turn if needed.

— You're right, you did warn me. It's good to know this information in advance so that there are no awkward situations. I would have asked myself," she says with a gentle smile, "but I see that you take your responsibilities seriously. You saved me time. Thank you.

"I was just making conversation, not trying to be super responsible... 😅 On the other hand, I didn't hide anything." - I'm glad I could help," he smiled.