[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"Oh, yes, ma'am, we can make a contract. I'll keep this book overnight and try to imagine what a place full of old dusty books would smell like." He puts it under the table for now. Then he grabs a piece of paper, fills it out, passes it to you, gets you to sign, and holds out his long fingers for your money.

"I did a little research on what a Secret Library is. It's supposed to be guarded by a few stone puzzles and things, so I hope you will spend the next two days seeking more hints about that. The research is very vague. If you can find me a shard of the stone the Secret Library is made of, we will get there much faster. If the Secret Library turns out not to smell like old books, you'll get your money back, minus expenses, because I won't be able to find it in that case."

Eeeeekkk! There goes Shiva's hope to bring the book back to the Department Store's second-hand bookstore swiftly after the visit of the Violet Tent, her Trainer's Card will stay there are well until tomorrow afternoon. But...phew, at least she still had her Breeder's Lisence to prove her identity, which eased that worry!

Just when she has leaned over the given paper to carefully sign it with her full name in a fancy-looking snappy writing, she looks up only to find Mr. Finder already asking for half of the payment.... Shiva needed a moment to gather herself, while she simply looked at him with the pen still in her hand and Kyuu curiously blinking before he made a growling sound as if responding for his Master. "O....Oh... Right, payment! Uhm, I can hand you 2000$ of the agreed prize right now... 1000$ from me, 1000$ from another member of the group. The rest you'll receive from the others upon departure. Is that okay? Here you are." She slides the cash over to him somewhat meaningful.

How Mr Finder himself did a bit of research on the library came as quite the suprise for her, but it was a pleasant suprise and she eagerly listened. That is, until he directly asked her to search for more hints of the....place.... That was when all the literal excitement that she felt when coming to Mr. Finder a few minutes ago bid a suprising farewell to her as if a Drifloon took it by the hand to carry it Reshiram knows where. Upon feeling the instinctive worry that replaced that, Lilith and Braixen gave Shiva a wondering glance from the side. "W...Why d'you tell meh that? Σ(°△°|||) Mr. Finder, how the heck am I supposed to have a stone, most likely a RELIC STONE serving as the key or the guard to the Secret Library's when I've never been there and don't even know for sure where it's located....? I, well, I have a Dawn Stone I found inside Mount Sentry... A runestone I got from the Fortune Hunter.... Oh, and this half piece of a hexagonal red gemstone much likely being connected to Mesprit." Upon naming these items, Shiva draws them all to show them to him while keeping them in her own cupped hands. "These h"Tse having something to do with the Library is something I'm not sure. But, I... I do want to and I will keep my eyes open for hints! I've bet you've already spoken with a Ruin Maniac or such from this tent for your own research? I could see what Stair City's library belonging to Telperion University's Extension will reveal when I look into it... YES! I'll do that, if needed to increase the chance of success..." Somewhat eager, yet pretty unsure whether that'll help she clenches her fists impercibly. "I'll also keep an eye open alongside our trip down Mount Sentry. The chance that we'll...find a suitable piece of stone along the way sounds low, but..."