[Fred] Chapter 4: The Dark Ravens of Miyang

[Linwelin]

"U-unfair? T-that is... I m-mean..."

"Sister isn't even respectful! Master always said I'd make a better wife!" She finally said. Lai Ju looked away, trying not to make eye contact.

"A wife? For who?" Lai Fen asked teasingly.

Lai Ju just blushed more.

"'Wife'?" Fred searched his memory for the word, before being stuck with his mouth open on the recognition of the word. "Wife, as in a mate!? I mean, sure, you're beautiful and capable from what I can tell, but I take that kind of choice pretty seriously. Let's just go with being friends, for now, huh?" At this point, Fred was kind of stammering, himself. It's hardly been an hour, are human relationships always this fast? Maybe it's this place's culture?

He then coughed, then gave her a stern look, "But if we're gonna be friends, then stop it with the "hero" stuff! I'm Fred. Plain and simple." He then gently smiled at his 'demand', hoping to show that he was legitimately offering friendship. That topic also made him realize he didn't know their preferences. "Speaking of, how would you two like me to refer to you?"

[Throndir]

"Just... friends..." Lai Ju said softly, sadness in her eyes. "You are a hero, Fred. It's just... my personal... conviction to give you that respect of your title, even if sister won't."

"I'm sorry hero Fred. There aren't a lot of men that I deal with..." Lai Ju proceeded to bow her head deeply down, her back straight, and arms rigid to her side did she bow her head and body. It wasn't a gesture that you saw, if at all, back in your own world.

"Please forgive me for getting carried away!" She said, closing her eyes.

[Linwelin]

Fred gave a slight exhale, walking forward to the oddly bowing woman, "There's nothing to forgive! Who said you got 'carried away'? I'm not familiar with that term, but it sounds like it means thinking of the future too quickly?" Fred looks around for confirmation before continuing. "Lai Ju, I appreciate those thoughts of respect, and seemingly adoration. But remember, I'm not even used to being human yet. I want to take things slow until I get my bearings. And I want to get to know you better before making such a decision. Thus, friends! Don't act like it's such a sad thing. I never denied the idea, did I? Friends is what can lead to all that stuff, right? That's how it worked in my old world."

He steps closer and puts a finger below her chin to lift her face, then plants a light kiss on her forehead and smiles sincerely.

Spoiler

[close]

I think that's how it's done right? Every time I ever saw this done, the one being 'kissed' on the forehead felt more at ease and reassured. I REALLY hope it means the same thing here... Fred thinks to himself, obviously out of his element.

Fred steps back and addresses the whole group, "Now really, do I keep calling you both 'Lai Ju' and 'Lai Fen'? What do you feel more comfortable with, as far as names?" Fred then hones in on the kid, "And come to think of it, I don't even know your name, little one! What would you like me to call you?"

[Throndir]

The moment your lips left her forehead, Lai Ju was completely stunned and in shock. Red from embarrassment, she had trouble forming coherent thoughts into words.

"H-hero F-Fred..." Lai Ju started, her face completely mortified. "I-I... aauuuu..." Lai Ju made an inaudible sound. Lai Fen, who was standing at the side only laughed.

"Now you've done it Fred." Lai Fen said. "That was probably the first time someone's ever kissed her."

Lai Ju would have retorted, but her eyes will still in a haze. When you finally pulled back and asked what you should call them, Lai Ju was still in that same daze.

"It doesn't really matter to me. The rest of the Dark Ravens call me from 'leader' all the way to Lai Fen. Some of the older ones even call me Nanfeng, even though they know better. Whatever works for you?"

"Ju... You can call me Ju." Lai Ju responded, pulling herself out of the daze.

"Given names already! See, you've totally done it, Fred." Lai Fen said in mirth. She waved her hand dismissively. "Just don't make me into an aunt too quickly."

When you asked the kid what her name was, the little girl only closed her eyes and shook her head.

[Linwelin]

Seeing Lai Ju's reaction, Fred got a rather anxious feeling. Uh oh...looks like that ISN'T the same as where I'm from. All he could do was laugh nervously at what he'd done. Well, I can't take it back. Otherwise she'll just be sad again.

He quickly looked to Lai Fen, "But it was just a kiss to the forehead! Where I'm from, this is an endearing gesture, but nothing especially intimate. It's not like I kissed her lips or anything. I've seen the difference. Does what I did mean something else here? Also, what's the significance behind a 'given name'? You said it like it means something that I just call her 'Ju'."

Toward the kid, all he could do was sigh, "Well until you want to tell me, I'll just be calling you 'kid'. Unless you want me to make up a random name for you!"

[Throndir]

"I'm not sure how it's like back in your world, Fred. But affection, especially a kiss, even on the forehead is something shared only between couples... What you just did is pretty... significant actually. It's the same with names, only those who are close can choose to call someone by their given name. Though, of course, that isn't always the case, it's more like... tradition. I know foreigners treat it differently."

Let me know when you are ready for changing to the next scene.

[Linwelin]

"Ah...oh dear..." Fred sighs, realizing the trouble he's caused. "So that explains the resistance of just calling me 'Fred' a little more. Someone who's more traditional would find that difficult." He turns to Lai Ju and bows like she did, "Lai Ju, I apologise for making you so uncomfortable. I'll likewise only call you by your given name once you tell me I can do so. Call me whatever is comfortable for you in the mean time." He looks up slightly and smiles a little "Fred is still my preference, but if that's difficult for you, then 'Hero' is fine. There's also my last name, but I figured you both may have trouble pronouncing it due to the difference in language. My full name is Frederic Pragtige. Fred is just my nickname."

Ready when you are.

[Throndir]

"N-no, please don't bow to me." Lai Ju said. "You're the hero, everyone else should be bowing to you. The person who will save us..."

"A-and you can call me Ju. I've decided." She continued, staring at you intently. "I-in return... if I can call you Fred...? Maybe when it's just us and sister?" Lai Ju asked fidgeting around with her words.

Lai Fen laughed, then placed a warm arm on her sister's shoulder.

"Fred." Lai Fen said, pointing a finger at you, though she didn't look at you, and only kept her eyes on her sister. "His name is Fred. Sister, don't take this the wrong way, but we've known each other since we were young, I don't understand why you've always been so held up with honorifics and titles, more so than most I know. Even our master wasn't like that, and he was the one who raised us."

"I know... I'm not even from this country, but I grew up here, and these formalities... I feel like they are there for a purpose." Lai Ju turned back towards you.

"Fred..erick Prag... tige." Lai Ju pronounced the foreign name. "Please call me Ju, and let me..."

"Let me call you Fred."

[Linwelin]

Fred gives her a big grin after standing normally again, a very slight blush on his cheeks in happiness, which is hardly noticeable with his dark skin. "You've a deal, Ju." His expression returned to a smirk, "And good effort on the name. I've actually never heard anyone else pronounce it to me, it was pleasant to hear. I look forward to our friendship."

Fred gave a sidelong glance to Lai Fen, "And since you're already calling me Fred, I imagine you won't be flustered if I call you similarly, Fen?"

[Throndir]

"Our friendship..." Lai Ju nodded and smiled.

"Call me whatever you like, Fred. I could be called the Daughter of the Sun and Moon, Great Leader of the Dark Ravens of Ten Thousand Years for all I care!" She laughed.

"After you get abused by people who call you those kinds of titles, you kinda stop caring about such things." Lai Fen replied offhandedly.

"Anyways... Looks like we're here." Lai Fen, pointing at another hatch on the floor, she opened it, and it revealed a set of stairs. Lai Fen beckoned the group to come with her, and soon enough she disappeared down the hatch.

"Welcome to one of our outposts." Lai Fen announced the moment you hopped in. The place seemed to be furnished well-enough, with furniture strewn throughout. For an underground room, it was actually rather spacious. There were some supplies and food stuffs, along with barrels, though it looked meager to your eyes.

"We have a lot of such outposts... Some are connected through the sewers, and some others are more standalone. My master, the previous head of the Dark Ravens, mapped all of these. I'm sure perhaps the royalty knew about them generations ago, but these days they're abandoned, at least until we had begun to set up camp in them. There's actually further catacombs and tunnels that lead underground, but my master never fully explored the depths of the area. Where we're at right now is actually one of the more shallow areas. According to some old maps, there are rooms over 15 or 20 levels deep at some areas of the city."

"Bosses! That's the hero?" One of the Dark Ravens who were in there said. There were a lot of them gathered here already. A couple of the faces were ones you remember seeing, but there were new ones as well. You realized that most of them were girls however, though, there were some men as well. Mostly everyone looked young, though, there was a small handful of a few who looked older, perhaps in their late 20s or 30s. There were some in he back who were being tended to with their wounds as well, but most of them were in good condition.

"Doesn't look like everyone's here yet... Let's give it another 30 more minutes." Lai Fen said. "And yes, this is the hero, Fred."

With that, most of the Dark Ravens began kneeling.

[Linwelin]

"Hmm..." Fred though for a moment, his hand stroking his chin, before his eyes brighten and he points in the air in an "ah HA" motion. "Fen Fen, then!"

Fred took his time analyzing the new room, impressed that their 'nest' was so well off. "Mhmm! This is a nice neat. Fred's bright expression faltered a bit when everyone knelt on the ground. "Ugh, again with the kneeling...well, from what you said, there's no point in fighting this action.

While they're kneeling, Fred takes a moment to scan over their names and titles, getting a grasp for the people around him. Huh, almost all women...and young, too. Odd. Do only the young people have the desire to stand up against that mean emperor? Fred mused to himself before finally speaking.

"Hello, everyone. As you heard, my name is Fred. I'm, uh, honestly not sure how to address all of you. But let's work together to get that crazy place above us back to a peaceful state! That IS why you're fighting, right?"

You don't have to list all their names and titles if you don't want/have the info. Just the ones that have odd achievements/positions in the Ravens.

[Throndir]

Deng Lin《The Bloodied》	Zhan Jian《Dark Raven》	Oliana Hudson《Knife Juggler》
Jia Zhenya《Dark Raven》	Cai Yuhan《Mass Killer》	Qian Heng 《Dark Raven》
Han Tu《Covert Ops》	Zhong Xinyue《Dark Raven》	Bethany Claw 《Dark Raven》
Duan Jun《Dark Raven》	Wen Chaoxiang《The Silent One》	Abrielle Moreau《Cold-Blooded》
Jed《Exhibitionist》	Filiane Darkspinner《Dark Raven》	Edyth Razorfang《One Slash, Four Kills》
Fan Yang《Dark Raven》	Cora Bouvier《Dark Raven》	Gu Bai《Dark Raven》
Moliane Hudson《Dark Raven》	Tiffany Ninetail《Dark Raven》	Lu Zhihao《Sadist》
Kong Zhi《Dark Raven》	Tharielle Swiftrunner《Marksman》	Mo Ruogang《Red Hand》
Duan Cai《Dark Raven》

One of the few men, simply named 'Jed' spoke. The man himself was well-built, with rippling muscles under his skin-tight clothing. The man looked like some sort of body-builder with the ridiculous fact that muscles seemed to be everywhere. With how large his bulge was, it was as if that too, was packed with muscles.

"Oh honey, it is." The man said, almost seductively, to no one in particular.

"All we have to do is show everyone up there some love! ☆ It's sure to bring the peace we all want. Our leader gets things done, true... But surely you're the one who will give just a bit more love to the world? Some... Oomph." He winked at you.

[Linwelin]

Browsing over the crowd, Fred picked out a few notable people and traits. Cai Yuhan, Mass killer...scary. And Edyth Razorfang, One slash, four kills... But the one that truly seemed out of place was one of the few men.

A very tall, man. Towering above the rest. Like a human fortress. And a title that had a word he didn't understand. Exhibitionist? What does that mean? I'll need to ask later, Maybe Ju or Fen Fen know.

It was then that the man spoke. Fred didn't know why, but the way he said things was...unnerving. Fred couldn't help turning to give Fen Fen and Ju a look, trying to say with his eyes "Is this normal?"

"...Good. Glad to hear it?" Fred couldn't help giving a hesitant answer. "Could someone answer a question, though? Why are you called the Dark Ravens? As far as I can tell, there are humans, cats, and foxes. But no avians? Why not Dark Lions, or something?" He tilted his head. "Don't get me wrong, I like the name. I relate to it, actually. But I'm just curious. Did the founder of the group just like ravens?"

[Throndir]

It was Abrielle Moreau《Cold-Blooded》who spoke next. She was well-dressed and even wore a dark dress. You noticed that it clashed with the perception of a rough group.

"Bird-type demihumans? My! Those are rare..." The words she spoke sounded the same as Lai Fen's and Lai Ju's, but you noticed that the way she pronounced things, sounded differently than the former two. As if she had an accent. Jed had one as well, though, not as pronounced.

The moment she finished, another one of the members spoke.

"Hmph! Show's what little you know. Already showing off your stupidity to the hero! There's actually a lot where I'm from." The girl who spoke was Tiffany Ninetail《Dark Raven》, she had golden hair, and two fox-like ears on top. But this one actually had nine tails that spread behind her.

"A lady such as I will not stoop to your level, wench!" Both of them glared at each other. Until another interrupted.

"Wench! At least I'm not some rampaging killer!"

"P-please stop fighting..." Gu Bai《Dark Raven》 said, and at the same time, Wen Chaoxiang《The Silent One》, slammed one of his fists on the wooden floor, the sound was louder than expected, and the two girls quieted.

Next one of the human girls spoke, Cora Bouvier《Dark Raven》. She had a sword resting easily on her lap, and you noticed that she continued to hold on to the weapon.

"To answer your question about bird-type demihumans, its more that demihumans themselves is a rarity in our country. Our world didn't originally have them as I was told. The ones you see here with us.... most of us actually, were either slaves or attempted to survive off in the streets until the Dark Ravens took us in. Demihumans... are usually treated worse by their owners than human slaves."

"You must excuse my honeys. Oh handsome hero. ☆" Jed said.

"I'm not actually sure why he called his group the Dark Ravens... But our old leader was quite the dramatic at times! Oh... he was my first love!" Jed faked a swoon as he leaned on a nearby wall, as if to accentuate his point.

"Maybe... Fen dear, why did he call us the Dark Ravens?"

Lai Fen shrugged, having no clue herself.

[Linwelin]

Fred had to avoid laughing at the friendly, yet spiteful bickering of the group at his simple question. It was heartwarming to see the camaraderie of the group he'd chosen to involve himself with.

However, Fred wore a disappointed expression upon hearing why there were so few of these 'demihumans', "It's sad to hear that even in this world, people who look different are treated differently. But this also means I chose the right side!" He makes a point to gesture at himself, noting his darker skin. It had become apparent that his skin color was not the norm in this world, or at the very least this region. But knowing he at least didn't have to worry about that among these people was comforting.

"Dramatic, is it?" Fred was surprised by the word choice. "Interesting. Well, I'm sure I'll get to hear the stories later. Maybe over a meal? I heard there was food!" He showed the group a grin filled with delight, with his hands motioning to his belly.