The sun was high in the Hyrulian sky, and the hustle and bustle of the Town Square was as it usually was. People of all races pushed and shoved past one another. Many kiosks were set up, some selling fresh fruit, others offering quality armor and weapons. Many games were set up urging people to test their luck, and to put their money where their mouth was. The dull roar eventually became more of a background noise than a distraction. Among the kiosks however, there was one big poorly written poster that was plastered to a sign post near the east exit.

<CENTER>HELP WANTED</CENTER>
ADVENTERURS NEEDED FOR GOSSIP ISLE EXPEDISSION! GOLD AND RITCHES AWAIT THE WILLING. DANGER MINIMUL. JOIN AT YUR OWN RISK! GLORIE AND FAIM LAY AT THE END OF THE ROAD FOR THOES WILLING TO CHANTS THEYR LUCK!

Only one lonely soul sat under the sign. It looked to be a Zoran bum. He was garbed only in a pair of dirty looking pants and a pair of worn boots. He had a sword and a shield on his back, and two pairs of earrings in his head fins. He looked up at everyone who passed by, and hung his head when they paid him no heed. He desperately needed a crew for this expedition, but nobody seemed to be willing to join him. He sighed heavily at the thought of going it alone. He knew that the chances of running into someone who would be brave enough to join would be right here in North Castle. After all, this is where the most people collaborated. He turned his head up to the sky and prayed silently for just one person. Just one so that he didn't look like a fool sitting here by himself.

'I gotta get outta here.'

In the midst of the horde of people passing through the streets of North Castle, one could hardly find room to breathe, much less move towards the exit of the city. No matter how skilled or agile you were, it always boiled down to basically just bowlin' people over unless you wanted to get picked up and dragged away - which was not fun. ...Though, honestly, struggling like this wasn't much better. 'This here's why I always stick ta the rooftops . . . I really needta talk ta Noval about that there law . . .' For some reason, the King had issued a new decree in the past few weeks stating that jumping from roof to roof was now illegal. No doubt he just wanted to stop some rebellious teens, but it made things inta such a hassle . . .

And yet somehow, after what seemed like hours of trying to get through, but was really probably more like . . . um, actually, it probably was like hours . . . anyway! After a great deal of time spent trying to get through, he finally gave one last triumphant push and emerged -

- off to the side of the street.

Dang it. He'd thought he was close to the exit - how'd the heck was he still so far away?!

With a sigh, he dropped to the ground and let loose a long sigh. This day sure wasn't goin' like he'd expected it to. 'Just get out of the city. That's all I wanted ta do today! Is that there inclination really that hard ta allow?!'

As he rested, his eyes wandered off to the side, falling on each of the stalls set up all along the pathway. Each one tried to entice passersby with wares and goods that some could use, others couldn't, and most could probably be tricked into buying for no good reason whatsoever. Armor, fruit, weapons, crudely written signs requesting help for a dangerous journey that would probably end up being pretty darn awesome, vegetables . . .

. . . wait, what was that second one?

Fruit?! Sweet!

He hopped to his feet and scurried over, dodging around the back of the stalls so as to avoid the hindrance of the crowds, and grabbed a fresh apple from the baskets. Handing over a few rupees, he chomped down on the juicy snack, savoring its taste. Mmm . . . he'd needed this. With the little bit of energy this gave him, he could finally get back into the race for the gate!

'Or ya could go check out that crudely written sign ya were noticin' . . . yeah, how's 'bout we go with that 'un.'

With a skip and a jump, he found himself landing right in front of the poor-looking Zora that seemed to be responsible for the sign and its mission. "Ya need some Adventurers, ya say? Well, I ain't one a those 'official' Adventurers, but I 'elped out a few of 'em a coupla times, and I figure I'm purty good in a fight!" He patted the pair of Deku Swords sitting at his waist, smiling with a confidence that said 'Oh yeah, I know how to use these babies real well'.

With that, the Deku Scrub thrust out his hand, smiling as he said, "Name's Yukie! Go ahead an' sign me up fer this thing!"


OOC: OHMIGOSH IT HAS BEEN SOOOOOOOOOOOOO LONG SINCE I RPED AS YUKIE.

I IS EXCITEDZ.

OOC: I'm not sure I've met Yukie actually. Neither has my Zora, so we'll see what happens!

IC:

Taint snapped to attention at the voice in front of him. He listened as the man went on about his skills and his lips were slowly rising at the sides. "Really? You mean it?!" He asked in disbelief. He instantly regretted asking, not wanting to give his new crew member time to rethink his decision. "Well welcome aboard! My name is..." He stopped and thought it over for a moment. He'd never met this one. Now was his chance for a new alias. Something new to go by.

For some reason, whenever the nomad mentioned that his name was Taint, he got snickers, chuckles, and funny looks. He didn't want anything like that to happen with someone he'd be spending time on a boat with. "You can all me Captain!" He finally spoke extending a hand. "And I've spent nearly all my savings preparing for this trip, so I'm glad I'll actually have someone to help me out." He then eyed the delicious looking apple in his new crew mate's hand. He looked to the fruit cart and then to the fruit vendor.

"Whoa, is that Lance Van Zant the Captain of the Nightwatch?!" He called out pointing down the road. The man at the stand turned completely around. "Where? I can't see em!" Taint hung his arms at his side. "Oh, my mishtake, it wush jusht a vegetable cart..." He stated, his cheeks full for no apparent reason. He turned back to his new friend with a smile. "Whatsh yer name!" He asked chewing happily.

At the Zora's proclamation of his chosen title, Yukie swiftly snapped to attention, making sure to make the motion as exaggerated as possible. "Aye aye, Cap'n!" he squeaked victoriously. Oh, now this was gonna be fun, he could already tell that. A shame that thus far, it looked like he was the only person present for an adventure like this . . .

He spun 'round and began scanning the crowd, searchin' for any Adventurers that he might recognize; sure, he hadn't been around for too many of their little missions and whatnot, but still! A few people oughta remember his face. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . ah, but no, he didn't spot anyone. Oh well, too bad, their loss.

The Deku looked back towards Captain's direction just in time to see him beginnin' to speak humorously. Whatever he was, this Zora was not much of a thief -- if the stall owner couldn't tell that he'd just been robbed then he deserved the loss. Might make him grow a few of 'em brain cells when he finally noticed the vanished food. Until then, he had a question to ans - wait, wha? What kinda question was that?

"Whatsh yer name!"

'"What's my name?" I just told 'im that!' Crossing his arms, the Deku glared up at Captain. "I already toldja, name's Yukie! C'mon, Cap'n, don't ya be tellin' me ya can't remember things from five secon's ago!"

If not for the wide and teasing smile plastered on his face, someone might have thought he was mad.

"Oh, shorry." He added with a massive gulp that could be seen going down his neck. "I'm just waking up, you see. I've been sittin' out here for about two hours. Must have nodded off." He folded his arms and leaned back against the wall with an exasperated sigh. "I could be out here a lot longer too, considering it took me two hours just to get one person on board. You think I need some kind of gimmick?" He asked clearly out of ideas. "Adventurers just don't respond anymore. You don't seem em like you used to, you know? I used to know some great people... They've all vanished though. I can't remember the last time I saw some of the people I used fight along side." He looked up at the sky with near no hope in him.

"I yearn for a time long gone by..."

A solemn attitude had overtaken the Zora lad, and despite his efforts to avoid it Yukie could feel it slowly settling onto his own shoulders as well. His jovial expression faded as he turned back to the crowds who, for the most part, remained unaware of the sudden change in attitudes for the pair. Even if any true Adventurers were present in the horde, they likely would not feel the change in the air and notice the two gathering volunteers. "I s'pose that be true . . . been a while since I've spotted all them familiar faces. Gotta remember, they got their own lives ta lead; not all o' 'em exist solely fer helping out others. Some just did it cause they was already here; if they left 'n went somewhere else, I imagine they'd be helpin' people there now." He thought especially of Alpha as he said this; the young Sheikah seemed to embody such attributes.

Who knew where the others had gotten off to? He still couldn't shake the feeling that if they waited just a short while longer, one of their number would stumble upon them and join this quest of theirs . . .

OOC: To anyone reading this . . . HINT-FREAKIN-HINT.

A tall, muscle-bound man with a sleeveless shirt , a pair of sunglasses, and a bunch of heavy gold chains approached the sign, apparently interested in what it had to say. He stared at it for a minute, then shook his head. "Dammit! I thought that was a 'B'!" He turned around and stormed off.

-----------------------------------------------------

It was unusual for Raven to be seen without her brother, Raptor, but he had really pissed her off. That in itself wasn't out of the ordinary; his bull-headedness always irked her, but he did something a short time ago that made her angry enough to not want to be around him for a couple of days. During their visit to Ruto Town she had one simple task in mind: steal a bottle of liquor from the Red Roc Tavern. Their mission was a success, sort of. There were a couple of angry drunks bickering there. Just she was walking out the door, Raptor threw a glass bottle at them, and that sparked a huge fight. She didn't really care that some of the patrons got hurt, or even killed, what angered her was that Raptor put their own lives at risk just because he thought it would be fun to watch a bar-room brawl.


She had planned on going south to kill some monsters, but she couldn't do that on her own. Help Wanted, she read as she approached the sign. She couldn't figure out what the rest of it said. There was nothing much to do, so she approached the Zora and the Deku who where standing near the sign and decided she'd say 'hello,' except 'hello' came out as "Who the hell are you?"

You'd think that someone with a sword would have more rewarding things to do than haul a cart around a bustling courtyard. Then again, you'd also think such a person would have the rippling biceps of a dedicated shotputter. Unfortunately, Sabertache didn't fit either description, and thus had he been stuck with the task of pulling a cart of tomatoes from one nondescript location to another for meager pay. His employer's reasoning?

"People are more willing to buy fruit in motion."

The nomad was no philosopher, but he damn well knew that such a chain of logic was faulty. But what choice did he have? Starve, really.

The hefty wooden cart slammed its wooden pegs to the ground as Saber's shoulders dropped. Nothing but pain flooded through his back, anatomy depriving him of the relief he had been expecting.

What I wouldn't give to have my life on the line again.

He dragged the back of his hand across a sweaty brow, wishing he could enjoy his momentary reprieve before the cart was scheduled to take off again. Hopefully, the customers who had been looking at the crops when he was ordered to move the last time would pursue the runaway fruits and/or vegetables. At worst, they would assume he was commiting grand larceny and alert the guard.

"Hmm?"

His eyes caught a sign, with a fairly long string of words written crudely on its surface. How delightfully useless to one of his education.

"Hmm!"

His eyes caught another crude object, this one a Zora. A few far-from-fond memories came flooding forth from the fairly frontal part of his mind, as it had been but a few months since he saw the nomad last.

"Taint!" He called out with a hint of accusation, stepping forward briskly. "What are you doing here?"

"I s'pose that be true . . . been a while since I've spotted all them familiar faces. Gotta remember, they got their own lives ta lead; not all o' 'em exist solely fer helping out others. Some just did it cause they was already here; if they left 'n went somewhere else, I imagine they'd be helpin' people there now."

Taint nodded slowly. "I suppose this side of the world isn't the only place that needs adventurers like the ones I knew... Heck, things have gotten kind of peaceful around here lately." He smiled a bit as he looked at the white puffy clouds. "It's nice to not have to worry about much though. Although I am one to stay on the safer side of things, I'm a glutton for danger for some reason..." He trailed off just before a rude remark caught his attention.

"Who the hell are you?"

The Zora didn't quite know how to answer this yet. He didn't know if she genuinely wanted to know, or if she was perhaps the owner of the property he was set up on.

"I... I... You... We..."

He closed his eyes tight and thought back on the therapy he'd gone through. Count back from ten... and then begin. He thought as he began the process. 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0. "I'm a nomad seeking treasure on a distant enigmatic island." He spoke clearly. He blinked a few times before smiling proudly. He'd done it only a few times now, but he was getting better at talking to women he didn't know. "If... if you'd like to join my crew, we'd be happy to have you along. The only... The only thing I ask..." He stopped and took a breath inward. "Can you hold your own in a fight?" He asked placing his hands on his hips. "It could be dangerous." He looked very serious when he said this. "You can call me Captain by the way." He added smiling.

"Taint!"

He grimaced inside. So much for a new alias. He waited for the laughter to ensue, but he couldn't help but wonder who knew his name. Hope rose up inside of him as he turned to the source of the call. Saber! It was Saber! One of the adventurers he'd grown to like!

"What are you doing here?"

The Zora smiled widely as he pat the man on the shoulder. "Din almighty, if it ain't Saber." He said happily as he pointed to the sign. "I'm recruiting for my voyage to a mysterious island. There's treasure there, I'm sure of it." He nodded to the man. "I'd be honored if you joined. I don't know about the woman or the Deku, but I know for sure you're a reliable ally in the thick of battle. Good head on your shoulders too!" He added. "And honestly I trust you. If what I'm seeking is there, we'll all split the treasure evenly. I'm a fair captain, so trust me when I say you'll get your share! I'm gonna wait for a little longer for a more sizable crew. But if nobody shows up, I'll have to make due with what I have. You see the island has a strange property. It... Well, I'll get into the details when I'm sure my crew is ready." He looked back at the woman expectantly. "Well... How do you... You know, how... Can you fight well?"

OOC: Thanks for joining guys. This is gonna be a good one.

Yukie could've laughed out loud at the providence of the goddesses; truly it must have been they who'd blessed this here expedition with the arrival of another pair of adventurous helpers, and one of whom was an official Adventurer no less! Yukie had never met young Sabertache in person, but his name was well known - he'd held his own against Alpha in the Grand Tournament for a great many minutes longer than anyone had any right to do. The goddesses had shown much favor towards the boy that day; they could no doubt do with such blessing on this outing!

As for who the little lady was . . . well, that right there was another matter entirely. He'd never seen the girl before, 'n she didn't match any Adventurers' descriptions. Least, not as far as he knew. Whether or not the little misses was up for the task remained to be seen, though judging by the attitude her greeting had displayed, she at least had a hearty bit o' confidence.

And Cap'n - or Taint, as apparently the Zora was called - was showin' some fine leadership skills, what with being able ta stifle whatever negative reaction he'd had towards the girl's first words. It remained to be seen if he could keep a cool head in the face of danger, but at first glance at least he seemed up fer meeting a challenge head on. Good to know.

But enough of this; let Cap'n worry about the new members o' the expedition. With a hop, Yukie started jumping up and down, scanning the crowd for anyone else who looked interested . . . or at least, interesting. If what he'd heard was right, they needed all the help they could get, and maybe a hundred-plus-year-old Deku jumping up and down would be enough to get that help's attention.

OoC: My main college app is over, so I've got a (temporary) reprieve until the next batch.

IC: "Yes, thank you and come again!" Rhyss said merrily to a departing customer. The wide smile on his face faded into irritation once he turned back to the stall. "What a fool... how dare he question me on the properties of asphodel... Seth! Didn't I tell you to write down every sale in the ledger?"

The green-haired teenager grumbled and hopped off the stool he was perching on.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself," Rhyss said, scribbling hastily in the book. "And Arrika- Look a little more... enticing, will you? Business is a bit slow."

"This isn't a bar, Rhyss. You're selling herbs, not- me!" The female thief protests. Under Rhyss' instruction, she's dressed in a tightly laced corset, form-fitting leggings, and knee-high boots, with one hand on the stall and the other on her hips.

"Been there, done that," Seth says under his breath. "And you didn't bring in much."

She draws the cloak she insisted on wearing across her body. She hated this, she always has, the way they used her in one scheme or another.

"Take the cloak off," Rhyss ordered.

"No."

"Then smile, at least!" he said exasperatedly. "Welcome to Rhyss' Humble Apothecaric Emporium," he said, a welcoming grin suddenly spreading across his face as a middle-aged man spotted Arrika and made a beeline for their stall.

The man leered at Arrika, who recoiled inwardly but kept her pose and smile frozen on her face.

"Aphrodasiac? These herbs are far better than any seafood..." Rhyss lapses into a successful sales pitch, and when he's through he's got the man's money.

"You charged him way more than you usually do," Seth commented drily, writing in the ledger.

"Naturally. See, Arrika, that's all I want from you-" the mage stared to say.

"Screw you," she replied, throwing up a rude hand gesture as she stomped away. She obeyed Rhyss through habit, and also because she was unwilling to leave Seth to the mage's mercy. Rhyss was the one that held her leash on her now; she was still in chains, even after Kobas was dead.

Though afraid for Seth, she was fed up with Rhyss, and tired of always being used in one scheme or another. Her anger propelled her farther and farther away from the stall, and into the crowd. Her bright crimson cloak made her easy to spot, but Rhyss did not pursue her.

"Want me to go get her?" Seth asked.

"She'll come back on her own," Rhyss said flippantly, and Seth Saw that he was right.

Arrika noticed the horribly mispelled sign first, then the homeless-looking Zora beside it.

"Saber?" she called impulsively, having recognized the nomad. She then realized what she was still wearing, and what she must look like. But it was too late to go back now, she had already announced herself. She drew her cloak around herself; she could deal with the extra heat.

"Gossip Isle Expedition... gold and riches..." she murmured, reading the sign. "And he's our 'Captain'?" She wasn't in any mood to return to Rhyss' cottage that night, and she was willing to take the risk of disappearing for a few days. She had a bad habit of becoming reckless when she was in a bad mood, and as Seth had prophesied, it would someday be her undoing. But a little adventure would do her good and take her mind off things, she reasoned.

"Fame and glory, gold and riches... sounds like my kind of gig," she said, slinking up beside Taint. "I'm a decent enough fighter, I can take care of myself, and maybe a few of you," she added, glancing at the tiny Deku Yukie and winking. She wasn't prejudiced at other races, being a minority herself, but there was just something about Dekus... She attributed it to unpleasant past experiences.

It's not much different, huh? Kuro thought to himself as he walked through the familiar streets of North Castle. It seemed like ages since he had stepped foot here, and in fact, it had been months since he had been in any sort of contact with the civilized world. He had spent all his time in the Deku Woods to the east, the Tantari Desert to the north, and everywhere else in North Hyrule that wasn't civilized. It was all part of an intense training where he would run for a few hours, do push-ups, pull-ups, and whatever else he could think of until he couldn't anymore.

When he wasn't doing that, he was searching for whatever creatures he could find to fight: wolfos, keese, those scary giant spider things that for the life of him he couldn't recall the name of (nor did he want to), and occasionally running into bandits, highwaymen, and other less than desirable people.

All in all, it had made for an interesting experience, that is, to say the least. He had come back from it stronger, braver, and less social. Oh, yeah. He also had a beard. It didn't suit him as well as he would have liked, and he had made certain that it was short until he was able to find someone that could shave it off. He had also returned with a stench, that he quickly got rid of with the help of a skilled mage. He didn't smell like a rose, but it could be a lot worse.

Another unfortunate side-effect was that he was yearning for civilized food, such as the delicious fruits that were sold at the stalls. He scanned the area and quickly spotted a cart filled with apples. He approached it and grabbed the best looking apple. He bit off a large chunk and chewed it slowly, savoring it's taste. He had never tasted such a delicious apple, but maybe that had something to do with his little adventure. Kuro didn't really care; he was in heaven.

"Sir?" the merchant said, taking the Hylian's happiness and ripping into pieces, stepping on it, and riding over it with a horse.

"What?!" Kuro said, perhaps too harshly.

The merchant was slightly shocked by Kuro's reaction. "Um, well, you forgot to pay, sir."

Kuro stared at the man for a moment, analyzing his options. He had an urge to throw the apple at him, but that would attract unwanted attention, and be a waste of a perfectly good apple. Instead, the young Hylian pulled out a rupee and flung it at the merchant's face and walked away.

"This isn't enough," the merchant said, "I need two rupees, and you gave me one."

Kuro was appalled. He was ready to drag the man by his feet into a moat and throw him in, but instead he calmly said, "beggars can't be choosers" and continued walking, ignoring the curse words that came out of the man's mouth.

Taking another less satisfying bite from his apple, Kuro noticed a crazy Deku jumping up and down off in the distance, several other stalls away. Oh, and look at that, there were people there gathered around a sign.

Kuro was struck by instantaneous joy.

He walked hurriedly to the people there, his two-handed Deku sword and other two one-handed swords starting to bounce around with his increasing momentum as he broke out into a run without realizing it. He slowed down as he got close, and scanned the people there. He looked over each of their faces before coming to a familiar one.

"Saber?"

Arrika wrote:"I'm a decent enough fighter, I can take care of myself, and maybe a few of you.

Taint glanced at her, and ten seconds later responded. "Really? Well then, welcome to the crew! I... We... I'd be happy to have you along for the trip! We need all the help we can get!" He looked around at the gathered crowd. They certainly had enough people by now. He decided that now would be a good time to explain the details of the quest.

[Music=The Captain Speaks]

"Hello everyone! Thanks for being here, I appreciate it a lot. I've had to spend most of my savings for this trip. I however, think of it as an investment. If all goes as I'm sure it will, we'll all walk away from this very wealthy." He placed a hand on his chest as he introduced himself. "You can call me Captain Taint!" He announced, his name already out in the open. "If you're really serious about joining me, you'll need to prove it to me." He added as he folded his arms. "Gather everything you think you'll need for a one week voyage, and meet me at the Parapa Docks just west of Parapa Village at this time tomorrow." He then flipped his sign over, and on the back it read: "Gosip Ill Ekspedision: Parappa Docks". Now if anyone was interested they'd know the meeting place.

"I'll expect to see you in Parapa tomorrow. Thanks, and goodnight." He added before dismissing everyone. "I'll remain here to answer questions for a bit longer, but I'll have to leave to make preparations for the trip soon."

OOC: Astounded at the turnout. I guess people have a little bit of RP left in them after all

Also, to add to the mood of the scenarios, I'll be posting the appropriate music for the scenes. It's basically just to open up in another tap and listen to while you read. It's a special thing I've decided to do for this little adventure. Hope you enjoy

Two more arrivals graced their presence before long, one of which appeared to have much to learn about Deku Scrubs. Yukie barked a laugh at her wink, and would've likely gotten into a lengthy discussion 'bout the strength of the floral race. But that was precisely when Cap'n appeared ta have gathered enough members ta git started, and the Scrub decided to forestall any defensive arguments in favor of hearin' out Taint's plan of action. In hindsight, it'd probably be better ta prove his value to the lady on their mission, rather than argue da point fer a wasted hour or two. For now, he stopped his hopping and turned ta listen.

When the brief and rather uninformative explanation was completed, though, Yukie only had one real question ta ask. "We need all da help we kin git, aye? Wouldja mind if I was ta grab a friend er two ta join us before tomorra?"

OOC: I'm sorely tempted bring Alpha in on this . . . part of me wants my favorite Sheikah to join, but part of me wants to focus entirely on Yukie. ^^; Any input on this would be appreciated (from anyone, not just ZV).

Alpha wrote:"We need all da help we kin git, aye? Wouldja mind if I was ta grab a friend er two ta join us before tomorra?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. I just ask that they're trustworthy folk. It'd also be preferable if they were tough enough to handle themselves. This isn't a trip for tourists." The Zora studied the Deku for a moment before something else came to his mind. "Also we're going to be around deep waters. If memory serves, Deku aren't the greatest swimmers... Not to insult you or anyone you know, it's just that I want everyone to come out of this in good shape."

A small fat man was walking by when Taint said this. He turned and eyed the Zora. "Is this going to be stat-based or RP?" Taint hadn't noticed the man around before, but decided to answer his question anyway. "It's RP sir." The man tipped his hat and left.

"Weird..." Taint muttered under his breath.

OOC: I'd be happy to have Alpha along. He might learn more about his Sheikan roots than he knew before.