Crossover Chronicles Classic - The Base (1)

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--Base Details--

Appearance: A huge, weathered stone fortress/castle. Could still use a few repairs.

Environment: Forest clearing, cool average temperature, somewhat rocky terrain. Forest consists mostly of conifers, with some hardy leafy trees among them.

Group Members:

• Robin
  
• Lucina
  
• Cookie
  
• Byleth
  
• Mandy
  
• Lucas
  
• Alm
  
• Celica
  
• Pit
  
• Marie
  

-Nearby Destinations-

- Frostbarr (a village to the west, rather short distance via "Lonely Cone Way")

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When the time comes for questing, and your characters leave the base, head over to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

(K I've been taking way way WAY too long to get this going, so I'm just going to stop overthinking everything and make some chill posts to try getting back into the zone

Anyone who wants to join in is welcome to jump in. New characters knocking at the castle door (or however else they end up arriving) are very welcome too <3

And of course, absolutely no pressure to write like the most groundbreaking novel in history here; having fun is indeed the core of this entire RP. I hope we can bring this thing not just back to glory, but beyond what it ever was before. AMBITION~ )

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Cookie was strolling about, just taking a moment to admire the interior of her and her traveling companions' new base. She still wasn't quite sure if it was free of monsters lurking in the most obscure corners, but the thought was only a passing one in the back of her mind, causing her no worry. The walls were all built from rugged-looking blocks of gray stone, and as she paused and placed her hand against the wall, she found that they were cool to the touch. I wonder if it's gonna be warm enough in here when it's cold out? she idly pondered to herself as her gaze scanned up towards the ceiling.

Byleth, too, found herself simply walking along, observing the group's newly settled-in base. However, the thought of potential threats still lurking in the shadows was a bit more present in her thoughts.
Even so, as their situation seemed under control for the moment, this wasn't the only thing on her mind--having just joined up with these new allies recently, she still didn't know any of them particularly well. When she noticed Cookie wandering around in the distance, she got an idea and calmly walked towards the younger girl. "Hello, Cookie," she greeted with a subtle dip of her head. "What are you up to right now?"

"Oh...! Byleth! Hi!" Cookie turned around and returned an enthusiastic greeting of her own, carrying a bright and sunny expression on her face. "Nothing much. Just getting to know the castle," she responded to the question. "It's so... castle-y. So completely castle-y... I love it! So cool!" she beamed.

Byleth met Cookie's gaze with a hint of calm amusement. "We're certainly lucky to have come across it," she commented thoughtfully. "... Would you like to continue this conversation over some tea?" she suddenly proceeded to ask.

"Huh, tea?"Cookie was a bit surprised by the sudden invitation to tea, which seemed to come out of nowhere. Then again, by now, she had come to expect these sorts of socially awkward mannerisms from Byleth. "I mean, uhm... Sure! ... I think...!" As tea was not something she was familiar with taste-wise, she was feeling rather nervous about accepting the offer. What if she didn't like the taste? Would Byleth be disappointed?

Byleth examined Cookie's look of slight surprise at her suggestion, then stayed silent for an additional moment after hearing her rather unsure-sounding reply. "You think...?" she echoed back, her head leaning ever-so-slightly to one side with a subtle uncertainty of her own. "I see... Though if you're not in the mood, I understand. We can wrap this up now if you have nothing more to say." she stated, still in a completely calm tone.

"N-no, I do like the idea! It's cool!" Cookie stammered hastily. "I just... don't know if I like tea or not. I don't really have experience with it," she admitted sheepishly. "... Is it OK if I try it and end up not liking it?"

"Of course," Byleth responded with a reassuring nod, now having a better understanding of Cookie's hesitance. "There are many kinds, so if you don't enjoy one, perhaps another will be to your liking. But no worries if not. You could just eat some snacks, if you'd prefer."

Cookie was greatly relieved by Byleth's response, visibly relaxing and perking up. "Welp, in that case, I'd love to!" she remarked chipperly.

"Great." After giving Cookie a subtle smile, Byleth motioned to a small, round wooden table--accompanied by two basic wooden chairs--nearby, which was positioned neatly next to a window. "That spot looks comfortable enough. What do you think?"

Cookie turned her head to look at the spot that Byleth was referring to. "Oh wow. I think it's perfect and cozy!" she responded, bringing the palms of her hands together in delight.

"Then we'll bring everything there once it's prepared," Byleth concluded. "Let's head to the kitchen for now," she added, turning around and calmly strolling away.

Cookie gave a single perky nod of acknowledgement, then trotted after Byleth. "Wait, do we have enough supplies for a teatime?" she questioned while following along. From what she could recall, nobody had gone to the market for supplies in a while, so she wasn't sure what they had left. "I don't even know if I remember anyone even BUYING tea..."

"Our treat supply may be lacking..." Byleth began in response, carefully setting foot on the first step leading to their lower-level kitchen. "However, I was carrying some tea of my own when I arrived in this realm. A fair amount of it, actually."

"Oh wow, nice!" Cookie chirped in amazement, practically hopping down each step. "That's pretty lucky! Or do you always carry tea with you wherever you go?" she asked with a bit of a giggle.

"That, I do," Byleth confirmed, continuing down the stairs at a steady pace. "I find talking with others over tea a good way of getting to know them better," she explained.

"Ohhh... That's actually really cool," Cookie remarked. She found the implication that Byleth was so interested in understanding and getting to know other people amazing. "And this is perfect for the both of us, then, 'cause I've really been looking forward to getting to know you better, too!" she added perkily. "... There hasn't really been a lot of chances to do that yet. Feels like we've mostly just been walking and fighting 'til now."

"Indeed," Byleth agreed with Cookie's observation. "Having a fort to return to has been a nice change of pace," she continued, reaching the end of the staircase. As the lighting was a bit dimmer on this level, she moved forward with extra caution.

Cookie held her flail at the ready once she had reached the bottom of the stairs and continued strolling along. "Kinda spooky down here, huh?" she commented as her gaze drifted around, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness. She didn't seem frightened, but she was definitely wondering if there was anything hiding nearby.

"Mhm... It could certainly use some extra maintenance," Byleth remarked in reply, scanning the area with a focused look. "Careful not to trip over anything."

With impeccable timing, Cookie immediately proceeded to trip over a random little chunk of crumbled stone on the floor and belly-flop forward, uttering a small yelp of surprise. She then quickly pushed herself up, dusted herself off, and got back to walking as if literally nothing happened at all. "Got it!" she chirped... as she paid absolutely no attention to a second small chunk of stone in her path coming up just ahead.

"Gah!" Byleth gasped audibly in surprise when Cookie--just a mere moment after she was advised to be careful--proceeded to flop over. When the latter then casually rose back to her feet in one swift motion, seeming completely unconcerned with what had happened, Byleth regained a more neutral expression--or perhaps this time, it could be described as a little numb instead. Before she could say anything in response to this, however, her attention was brought to the present: Cookie was likely on her way to falling over yet another stray stone, and she appeared entirely unaware. "Cookie, watch your path...!" she called, sounding a bit flustered, this time.

Byleth's alarmed tone caught Cookie's attention, and she looked straight ahead to see the rock sitting in her path. "Oh, whoop!!" she uttered as she hopped over it just in time... only for her foot to land directly on some gravel beyond the stone. The gravel shifted underfoot, causing her to lose her balance and stumble sideways until she had bumped into the wall, at which point she finally regained her footing. "Phew... ... Thanks for the heads up!" she perkily called to Byleth with genuine gratitude, as if her attempt to avoid the stone had gone perfectly.

Byleth's eyes remained wide upon witnessing Cookie's next move until she slowly blinked them, and she then proceeded to quicken her pace so that she was walking right beside her enthusiastic friend. "It's no problem," she began before gaining a more concerned expression. "But, please... Try to stay mindful of your surroundings. We haven't had a chance to clean this place more thoroughly, yet."