Well, ghosts are still people, after all.

I guess that about wraps things up. Give the message to Swing, ask if he wants the lantern back, maybe make small talk about how he feels about all this and what they're going to do now.

What do you want to do after that? Go on another quest? Or maybe take a little time off to do something fun?

That was nice and dramatic. Swing has got to be pretty impressed by now. Stay around and chat, see if you can get some free food or if there is anything else going on in the area. Remember to give them the message from the dead miner you found. That's also a good story. Try to let them know that you handle most adventures and moderately daring undertakings, not just ones involving ghosts and dead people (although you've got a few tricks for that).

If you get bored you can try to convince Brian that there's a ghost hiding somewhere on his body. Then tell him has to take off all his clothes and expose himself completely to sunlight in an open area to get rid of it before the ghost crawls into his eyes and turns him blind.

>>475641
>time off to do something fun
Well we could go see about that "house-sized" beast.

>>475679
Yes, I think we deserve a break from all this slime and dark tunnels.
It's time for some fresh, open-air encounters.

>>475704

So is that a euphemism for "Get drunk"?

I think that all depends on how much ghostbusting a mine will pay. Especially if you want to travel to see the all knowing litch that's not gonna be super cheap. The house sized snouter might be an option but I'm not sure how you would fight the aforementioned giant house sized magical snouter while unarmed. Unless you happen to know some hokuto shinken that might be a bit of an impossible fight.

>>475705
i approve of drinking a bit

Well. All in all, this went pretty good. You didn't get killed or maimed, and you got Baby gem and some stories to tell out of it. Time to have a bit of celebration.

>>475726
But rent a room at the inn first, so there's someplace with a nice bed to crash when the booze gets to be too much.

Think you'll take on that giant snouter next, or the bandits. Maybe ask Mr. Swing if he knows of any adventuring gigs around as well.

Go rent a room at an inn, then go have some drinks to celebrate your first completed quest.

salf 2012/12/01(Sat)23:46 No. 476042 ID: f50094
File 135443438156.jpg - (190.82KB , 1601x1150 , That was a bit camp wasn\'t it.jpg )

>>475624
>>474680
>Mr Swing, I found something in the cave which I think might belong to you.

I pull out the broken pick from my bag and hand it to him.

>One of the ghosts was a man named Bag Hammings. He told me that this pick wasn't his, he was borrowing it from Bazzy Swing who I'm guessing is a relation of yours.

>Are you telling me you found my old man's pick? Oh you wonderful girl you! My brother and I have been looking for this for years. Thank you so much Ring, I just have to go and tell him right now, oh I am such a gossip. Here, take this for helping with the mine and finding this, no don't say anything you've earned it.

Whoa, he just pressed a hefty bag of coins into my hands and then ran off.

>>475651
I did kinda want to talk to him a bit more, shame. I'm not going to tell Brian there's a ghost inside of him, that's mean. Plus, y'know, he'd probably have a heart attack or something.

>>475778
Yeah I'm done for today, I'll rent a room and have something nice for tea.

DOSH.

This mission was a great success. So you like tea? What kind?

Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Now you won't have to sell off Baby Gem (for awhile.) Give Brian a little wave goodbye, check that your skirt isn't about to fall off, and head into town.

Speaking of Baby Gem, swing by that nice jeweler guy and get it appraised. Then the bakery to see if they have the kind of biscuits you like with tea.

So what're you going to do after tea? Hang in the pub and chat? Or are you going to your room at the inn to rest and maybe talk with Woody?

Why would we get tea when we could have a good time and get drunk! We need to celebrate our first successful mission and loosen up before we set out on our next.

I agree with checking on what the price of Baby gem would be, but don't sell it till we are out of gold.

Do we get to keep the mining gear we have with us? I don't think anyone would notice if you took it.

salf 2012/12/03(Mon)20:39 No. 476404 ID: f50094
File 135459595279.jpg - (118.18KB , 980x745 , Late out.jpg )

>>476043
Not some tea, tea the meal of the day. It's when you've had a late lunch so you can't have dinner, so you have tea which is like late lunch mixed with light dinner. Unless you're having supper later in which case tea is generally a cold snack to tide you over until then. Sometimes tea is interchangeable with lunch but only when lunch is cold and also contains tea the drink.

Sorry, I grew up in high society, I like fruit and peppermint teas.

>>476045
>>476356
My skirt is fine, stop worrying about it.

I waved at Brian and he sort of wiggled his fingers at me before scurrying back into the mine. Poor guy. I bet he could never use this lantern again for the fear that ghosts might pop out of it and bite his head off. I will have to take the lantern purely for his benefit. I will, however, just check that no one is looking before I stuff it in my bag. There's not much of a difference between your bag and your pockets is there? If so it's very unfair to female adventures as don't tend to have pockets.

I'll go get Baby appraised. I wonder if the jewellers is still open? There was hardly anyone left at the mine and I swear it's darker earlier than usual. Maybe they close early around here, it's a small town.

Afterwards I am going to the pub to drink, only a little bit though, I like getting up early.

My guess? Time was also slightly messed up when you got those ghosts into the lantern. Anyway yes, go eat. It might actually be dinner time though.

>>476409
Actually, it may be a lot later than you might think. All that spatial magic might have messed with time too, and you could have come out days after you went in. Better ask the jeweler or barkeep what the date is.

Hmm yeah maybe time got a bit mixed up. You should ask the jeweler how long you were gone, that should give you a good indication.

salf 2012/12/05(Wed)00:51 No. 476628 ID: f50094
File 135469747684.jpg - (128.53KB , 1064x694 , Hope he dosen\'t think I\'m following hi.jpg )

>>476409
>>476429
>>476431
It was magic whatever the reason, I'll get Woody to clarify the specifics later. I doubt the cave's lost me more than a couple of hours. Someone definitely would had mentioned if I'd have been gone for more than a day.

Oh look, Mr Swing's at the Jewellers.

it's fine, if he asks where you got it just explain it was in the magic tunnel, you aren't stealing out of his mine.

Find out what swing is doing there before flaunting your loot.

>>476630

That's likely his brother/father familial relation, wait patiently than move on in.

Looks like Mr. Swing is recounting to his brother what happened. Close the door and step up to the counter but don't butt into the conversation. Wait until either one of them brings you into it. The jeweler Mr. Swing probably will want to chat with you about that.

Once the conversation dies down, bring out Baby ruby and ask the jeweler brother to appraise it. With that done, perhaps you could ask if either of them would care to walk with you to the pub.

>>476633
Yeah no sense bursting in and being all hoity about your giant ruby but don't worry about intruding. People only get weirded out by someone lurking around trying to not socialize with anyone.

Use your Woman's Intuition: Is it better to use your femininity to influence them into giving you a good price, or should should you shake them up with more talk of ghosts like you did at the mine? Mr Swing should be easily shaken up and could back up your story, but the first option is more fun and probably more effective depending on how good of a seducer you are.

>>476636
Agreed, if things go well bring one of them to the pub.

salf 2012/12/06(Thu)05:21 No. 476806 ID: f50094
File 135480006763.jpg - (84.73KB , 817x482 , Brothers.jpg )

>>476636
A bell jingles when I close the door and alerts both of them to my presence.

>Oh, Hello again Ring! I was just talking to my brother about you. I'd introduce you but he tells me you've already met. Are you doing a bit of shopping or did you find something shiny in the tunnels? It's, uh, not a chunk of that big magic gem is it?

>>476630
>>476633
So that's his brother, he did say he was going to tell him about finding the missing pick. Did either of them tell me their names at any point? I can't call both of them Mr Swing and I'd feel too awkward to ask, hopefully they'll mention each other by name soonish.

>>476431
>>476629
Anyway.

>No it's just a a normal ruby. I found it behind an underground lake in the tunnel. Speaking of the tunnel, how long was I in there for exactly?

Tall Mr Swing strums his fingers in thought for a bit before answering. Average-height Mr Swing smiles at me whilst continuing to polish whatever it is he's polishing. Was it Bazzy Swing? No that was his father or something, crap.

>I'd just finished recording the haul for mine five so... three hours maybe. Three and a half at most. Why'd you ask?

>Well when I came out it was getting dark but I'd only been in the tunnel for an hour so it should have still been light out.

>Are you telling me that magic can even change the time of day? Ha, no wonder wizards can never get anything done. Imagine going to bed after a days worth of tinkering and then waking up two months later. Honestly, magic, is there a stranger thing?

>>476806
Ask their names now, before it gets any more awkward.

salf 2012/12/06(Thu)08:11 No. 476814 ID: f50094
File 135481029589.jpg - (154.33KB , 762x595 , Tall Swing and slightly shorter than average Swing.jpg )

>>476809
...

>>476797
I don't think I have woman's intuition; my mother was fond of telling me that I was oblivious. I don't think I could act particularly seductive either. I can only do the whole, whoops, I bent over too far and now I'm accidentally showing you my cleavage, clumsy me, kind of thing. I am not comfortable doing that in front of two people. I could try shaking them up but I think the real reason Mr Swing, Tall Mr Swing, was a little shaken was because I told him I was holding a lantern full of ghosts in my hands at the time.

I hand over Baby for Average-height Mr Swing to appraise. He handles him far too roughly for my liking. What if he gives him little scratches with his pointy fingers?

>>476809
So, um, I didn't catch your name.

>Pardon Madam?

>Ring, James. Call her Ring not Madam. You don't have to be so formal all the time y'know.

>Oh sorry, um, Ring.

Yes! James Swing. Now I can ask him by name and just say 'your brother' to circumvent asking Tall Mr Swing's name. No more awkward conversation for me.

James gives me a delightfully high estimate for Baby and says he is an exquisite object, which is true. After I put Baby back in my bag I ask if either of them would care to walk with me to the pub. James begins to stammer something but Tall Mr Swing smartly pulls him out from behind the counter and pushes him towards me. James looks a bit embarrassed but says that he would love to escort me to the pub seeing as I am new in town and all.

Nice. Time to get wasted in order to forget your slimy eel induced trauma, but make sure Baby is in a safe and secure place first. Don't want to lose that jewel.

>>476814
Hah, he's cute in a shy sort of way. I doubt he'd be any good for you in bed though considering your preferences and how meek he is, so try not to lead him on too much. Unless you have experience in getting less-assertive men to do what you like them to do?

>>476833
And if anyone has a safe and secure place for a jewel, it's probably Mr. Jeweler here, actually.

>>476843
Oh, c'mon. Ring is not going to the pub with the intention to bed one of these guys. It's just nice to have company to talk to as a stranger in town, that's all. She can tell them more about what happened down there, and how she came here. Maybe she can find out who in town left that strange talking mask at the doe statue (which she didn't pickup, no siree.)

>>476853
Yes, ask James if he could keep Baby in the shop safe for you until you leave town. Just make sure he writes down that its yours in his records, and gives you a signed receipt.

>>476853
No self respecting adventurer leaves their precious loot with shopkeepers unless they are selling it. The safest place for a ruby is on your body.

Yeah I dunno about using the jeweler's store as a bank. It's not a bank. If there's a bank in town we can use that.

salf 2012/12/07(Fri)07:22 No. 476948 ID: f50094
File 135489373207.jpg - (183.04KB , 980x707 , Drinking and chatting.jpg )

>>476843
What? I wasn't going to sleep with him, I genuinely don't know where the pub is. I don't want to go around sleeping with people, jeeze. And what do you mean preferences? I don't have preferences, you are clearly talking nonsense. You should stop.

>>476940
I don't want to leave Baby cold and alone in an empty shop. I want to keep him with me until our eventual tearful farewell when both my purse and stomach are empty.

>>475778
I paid the Innkeeper for three days worth of rent in advance because then I get free breakfast. Breakfast is a meal I feel I miss far too often so I'm quite chuffed about this. Hopefully it isn't one of those terribly greasy fry-ups and the chief can cook something other than sausages. If worst comes to worst I suppose I can mop up the excess grease with a napkin.

I also order some food, but they don't have any watercress sandwiches so I guess I'm having dinner instead of tea. Not that I'd classify watercress sandwiches as food, but they tend to be next to food on menus a lot of the time so I suppose other people might think of them as not just chewable texture to have in between sips of tea. Eventually I get a plate of pork chops and cauliflower to eat. James keeps me entertained with stories of how his great great grandfather founded the town and the small number of interesting encounters he's had with other treasure hunters. He says he even met one of the king's knights. Apparently he came in asking if he could get a jewel for the pommel of his sword.

We also both drink a bit.

Try not to make eye contact with the barkeep guy, i think he's staring at you.

King's knights aren't usually out here, are they? Ask if he knows what the knight was doing out here, other than getting a gem for his sword.

Just to satisfy your curiosity, ask James how he's related to Bazzy Swing. Was he his father? Grandfather?

You have any stories of your own that you could share with James so this conversation isn't so one-sided?

>>476953
Not like there's anyone more interesting to look at around here right now. The place is oddly dead for right after-shift in a mining town. Maybe ask James where everyone is this evening.

that's pretty cool, now ask him of there's anything else an adventurer can do around here.

>>476964
I think we already asked around about that? There are three jobs and we did one today.

>>476948
Yeah I know you weren't gonna sleep with him, I was just saying it might look like you're taking him out on a date so he might expect something. So, like, don't lead him on.

salf 2012/12/07(Fri)23:07 No. 477149 ID: f50094
File 135495046153.jpg - (183.54KB , 983x728 , Drink more.jpg )

>>477106
Oh, sorry. This does look a bit like a date, yeah. Doesn't help that I massively flashed him my cleavage earlier today either. I still don't understand what you mean about preferences though. I obviously don't have any. You must have pulled your assumptions from thin air. Very thin air.

>>476953
Sometimes people stare at me, they've never seen one of me before. I am, like, blue and everything. I know I've stared at those white furred niddles before. Ok it is getting really hard not to glance at the bar and check if he's still looking at me.

>>476961
The knights patrol all along the king's road all the time. It's what keeps it so safe. You don't want to risk getting run down by the knights for any reason. They are pretty much honour bound to hunt down anyone who commits a crime on the king's road so they will not stop chasing you for any reason. They ride in big patrols along the road so occasionally they trot into a town and rent rooms instead of setting up camp again. I guess they must also need to buy food and stuff.

>I think he was looking for a travelling merchant who gave a lady the wrong amount of change. Technically that's a crime and it was on the king's road so he has to do something about it. Believe me he was not very happy, scowling six ways from Sunday and no mistake. Imagine the fright on that merchant's face when the knight finally caught up to him. Poor man, he'd probably collapse on the spot.

>Bazzy Swing? He was Larry and I's father. The pick you found was a family heirloom, it's the pick my great great grandfather struck gold with. Without it there wouldn't be a town here. The gold's all gone but the gold rush it caused near enough built everything around you.

Aha! Larry and James Swing, excellent. I tell some stories about my previous adventures, but I make some minor changes to keep them interesting. Honestly today was my most exciting adventure by far but I don't feel like telling James about being nude whilst covered in slime. After the story I ask why the pub is empty.

>There's a theatre group performing near the forest, they arrived recently. My brother let the miners go an hour early so they could eat something before going to see it. Everyone's been talking about it for the last two days so the whole town has probably turned up to watch. I'm not the greatest fan of theatre so I don't mind missing it.

>>476964
>I already told you about the Snouter and the Trolls didn't I? I suppose you could go explore the three islands, it's not a quest or anything but it is certainly adventurous. There are some odd things on those islands I'll tell you. You hear strange stories about them. Oh, fairly recently, I remember a rumour going around about a talking skull. It chattered all the time, trying to turn people insane. The man who found it gave it to the doe to be rid of it. Not that I believe all of the things people natter about but, well, the tunnels were really singing weren't they?

I nod. We both drink some more.

>>477149
Oooh, the theater? Let's go see if we can catch part of it.

>>477154
Yeah, the both of you can go try and catch the theater troupe's show before it ends. That sounds like a nice cap off to this day. Maybe you can somehow bring Woody along so he can watch, or listen, as well.

salf 2012/12/10(Mon)01:26 No. 477594 ID: f50094
File 135513156655.jpg - (136.14KB , 835x687 , watching.jpg )

>>477154
>>477160
Why not? I mention to James that it might be nice to watch the end of the performance. He mumbles something about actually quite liking the theatre while we finish our drinks.

We walk west for a short while until we see the forest. Cheerful laughter and snippets of dialogue float towards us on the breeze... Ugh, that was some flowery tosh, must be the drink. The troupe has set up a quaint little camp and unfolded a stage from a big caravan. Quite impressive really.

>I don't know Gwendolin, there is something so horribly fascinating about that woman.

>Yes Howard, two things in fact, and they are both on full display and ready to make your acquaintance.

I think I drank enough to make the actors just a little more entertaining than they would have been.

salf 2012/12/10(Mon)01:27 No. 477595 ID: f50094
File 135513162702.jpg - (136.95KB , 927x531 , knights.jpg )

I think we missed the first half or so but it's still entertaining. I think the king's gay but doesn't want to tell anyone because he's the last of his line. If he doesn't produce an heir the kingdom's buggered and so he has to keep coming up with increasingly convoluted reasons not to sleep with very eligible and attractive nobles. I like the knight, the king clearly has a thing for him. Maybe he should order him to give him a kiss, with tongue. I'd like that.

>Hey, what's that?

I wonder if the real king is allowed to order his knights to make out with him.

>Who's talking?
>Keep it down would you, some people are trying to watch the play.
>What's what?
>Wait, what's that in the trees?

salf 2012/12/10(Mon)01:28 No. 477596 ID: f50094
File 135513168370.jpg - (143.48KB , 927x531 , WELL HOT SHIT IT\'S HUGE.jpg )

>It's the Snouter!
>What? Are we safe?
>What happened, why is everyone suddenly talking?
>It ran away, it was that giant Snouter that's been jumping people.
>It was watching us, it just ran away.
>God it was enormous.
>How'd it get so big?
>Where was it? Ring, Did you see it?
>YES

salf 2012/12/10(Mon)01:29 No. 477597 ID: f50094
File 135513179822.jpg - (308.85KB , 1414x1153 , Next time.jpg )

>>475679
>What was it doing? Watching us?
>Didn't anyone tell the troupe that they were setting up next to a monster?
>It's so scary. Is anyone going to do something about it?

I know what I am doing tomorrow.

End of chapter one

Chapter two will begin in a few days.

>>477597
Yep, you're doing the Snouter. Or maybe it's doing you. Who can say?

>>477597
As a wizard, who is also a scientist, I must stringently recommend an alternate course of action. There are limits to your personal elasticity and a lengthy hospital sestay is beyond your current funds. Either take a different course of action of apply the crystal to it first. Unless you really are that stretchy or regenerate like Wolverine, in which case, go ahead.

>>477642

Nonsense! What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!

Besides, it was barely bigger than that tree. What are you so worried about?

We have nothing to worry about. As we've learned, it doesn't kill, it only has a taste for women. Which Ring happens to be, making us the perfect bait to bring it right to us.

We don't have to kill it either, since we only need to get it to stop bothering the town, so we defiantly don't have anything to fear from its probing, not at all. Take the gem with you and maybe we can find a way to undo the spell on it.