A Budding Blossom

Missions Being Attempted: 3x E-Rank, 2x C-Rank, 1 B-Rank
[C-Rank] Don't Play with Nature
[E-Rank] Eldest
[E-Rank] Lord of the Flies
[C-Rank] Never Fear! I am here!
[B-Rank] Ransoms and Rescues
[E-Rank] The Black Cauldron
Stat Page: Marabelle's Stat Page

Marabelle's Stat Page:

---

The Lord of the Flies:

Marabelle's time venturing the country side allowed her to settle into a small role of a village medic around the edge of the Land of Forests. Ever growing, ever vigilant, she remains a vital and strong presence allowing more and more people to be able to handle problems that they face in their individual lives, let alone around the village. Her favorite restaurant that she had taken a liking to slowly over time started to have more and more health concerns with flies invading the small bakery cafe where some of her free time was spent. Overhearing that they were seeking a small level of investigation into the matters, Marabelle was heavily inclined to provide her assistance in the conundrum of the flies.

From the understanding that she had, a nearby business went into disarray due to the passing of the owner over a year ago. The children of said owner were supposed to take over and either sell the business or revamp it to be standing proud in memorium of its previous tenant. This seemed very quickly to not be the scenario that played out, much to the cafe's staff's dismay as the once bustling bathhouse creaked in the wind and stirred upon the dark of night. One of the staff swore they witnessed an individual entering and leaving the rundown structure on more than one occasion as they went to start preparing for the day before the sun crested the horizon. Not concerned if a hermit, wanderer, or otherwise had taken refuge in the building, Marabelle eased the worries of the business by saying that she would investigate and give them an update on what has transpired within the walls of their neighboring building.

The world had shifted over the past couple of months for the young bud who was starting to show her petals. Growing was an ever-burdening process and as such, Marabelle aimed to never be idle if they can help it. Approaching the business at the crest of noon, the woman attempted to open the door and to her surprise, the door did not budge. She inspected the frame and lock and saw that whatever was stopping her progress was not a lock or a shift in the frame but some other force. Walking around to the side of the building, a broken window was the new point of entry for the investigation. She grabbed a plank nearby to break more of the glass in the frame to allow for an easier time getting in and out to report on what she discovered. Trying to avoid cutting herself would be important if any bacteria or 'bad times' lingered within.

Once entered, she explored the whole bathhouse structure finding a plethora of old and new remains of activity. From dusty, cobweb-filled buckets, to wrappers and disturbed towels, Marabelle made note of whatever she discovered as it appeared to her, someone started using the business as a hideout of some kind to shelter from the outside world. A chair, rickety at that, was propped against the door which confirmed her suspicion of what was transpiring here. She heaved a small ransack out from her satchel to pick up some of the debris and trash to help cut down on the environmental impact that a nesting bed of insects and who knows what else remained behind. Tidying up the building, a strong nod affirmed a much cleaner location now, maybe an incentive for whoever may return to keep it in better shape, or else she may just seek to purchase the structure and start a business in the remnants of what remained.

Returning to the cafe, Marabelle reported to the very thankful staff about the news and knowledge that it wasn't some desecrated corpse left to rot under the sun, weather, and pains of the world around them. They offered her some tea on the house for the speedy investigation and clean-up that was not part of the initial request or task given. Sitting inside the cafe enjoying her fresh tea, Marabelle would look out the window she sat next to and let some of the pent of tension within her body to subside, relaxing in her seat, staring outward, enjoying the scenery and beauty of the world outside and within.

WC: 713/500, TWC: 713

---

Eldest:

Finding odd jobs within the small community that Marabelle found herself fond of resulted in quite a predicament this time around. The task at hand was simple in concept, nature, and reality but the real circumstances proved that reality maybe is not accurate to the concept. A simple request was to take an elderly pet of a well-respected community member on a walk as they were getting older. No not the individual, their pet was getting older. The requester's age wasn't that of an ancient timely adventurer as the issue that plagued the family was that he was gravely injured on his last mission out in the world, leaving him unable to walk regularly as the missing leg and a half poses some difficulty even with prosthetics to aid.

Marabelle arrived precisely at the designated time of 8:00 AM that morning, walking sandals and socks on, a more dull, less expensive kimono to allow her actions the motion that she needs for them for such a task. With knocking on the home for this pet titled simple, 'Eldest', Marabelle was unsure on the anticipation of what was going to be coming out with her on a small adventure into the world beyond the safety of its home. An older man, not elderly, answered the door with a leash in hand leading to a... reptile of some assortment. The creature stood on all fours and roughly 4 feet long with an arcing head towards Marabelle that reached roughly 2 feet in height. It blinked at her and she simply blinked back maintaining eye contact with the 'Eldest' before her attention diverted to the man offering the leash, "Be back before 10 AM if possible!"

The 'Eldest' began walking without the leash even being grabbed by Marabelle. Quickly accepting the leash, she was unsure what the resulting travel would entail as the client removed himself by closing the door behind him. Dragged minimally by the strength of the creature, Marabelle was able to eventually find her footing prior to getting road rash by just being pulled by it. The pace kept was that of a steady, healthy, active creature. This confused Marabelle greatly to the request and thought maybe this 'pet' was not some elderly pet that couldn't walk itself, it seemed to be perfectly happy and healthy. Perhaps the situation was more that the older man was alone and couldn't keep up with such a sturdy paced beast.

The walk itself was brisk and fast though the hours dragged between Marabelle getting some walking pace rest when 'Eldest' found a tree to sit under or a small pond to drink out of. It was exhausting work to keep up with such a monstrous pet but she kept true to the task at hand. It would not be long before the time would ring and the creature would likely take her back home. To her surprise, the creature dragged and brought Marabelle back to the house at 9:59 AM and was at the door right when the owner opened the door, accepted the leash, and closed it behind him. Blinking like the last two hours were just a fever dream, Marabelle shook her head and proceeded with her day, knowing her payment may just come in the mail and that was sufficient knowledge for what just occurred to her.

WC: 559/500, TWC: 1,272

---

The Black Cauldron:

The smell of burnt wood and grass lingered as the Blossoming Bud approached the scorched farmhouse. The structure was a massive building prior to whatever caused the unfortunate circumstance that lead to the destruction of such a well-built, well-loved, and well-taken-care-of-family home. The view itself brought some melancholy to Marabelle with her own family still heavy in her own mind. The time away from home has been steeling her mind against such thoughts, however, the burnt-down home resurfaced those memories and emotions with her family. She let out a large sigh as the approach to this was definitely not the greatest method but it would be the most direct. Start moving items.

From growing more resilient to the woes of the average, everyday individual task has become easier for the medical ninja who learned many tools and tricks to the trade. This situation however did not call for any of these tools. Sifting through beams and learning slowly that this once solid structure was not just a single-story but a two-story building. To think that she was item hunting in a burned-down farmhouse, there was still a cauldron to wash after the whole affair of scavenging the remnants of a once-standing home. It was taking hours to get anywhere on this task. Pilling burned lumber that was resilient enough to withstand the fire that engulfed the land, Marabelle felt the land's pain as the farmhouse's fields behind the structure were also burned and suffered from the blaze.

As the day was wrapping up, most of the rubble was cleared and organized by Marabelle but no cauldron had been spotted yet and the night was slowly approaching before through the darkness that was creeping into the corners when a shape began to stick out in her vision. Finding the cauldron covered in soot, layers caked on from use from what she could tell and identifying in contrast to her own family's, Marabelle was able to pry the damn thing out from the minuscule pile that covered it and emptied its contents. Thankfully only minor amounts of debris had found its way into the cauldron making it a quick empty out and begin the cleaning process on this once, possibly never been cleaned, cherished family cauldron.

The process was taken better at her place of residence. The timeframe for this task was nothing short of, 'Do it when possible! No rush!' Marabelle would heave, shift, and rotate the cauldron as she scrubbed it heavily for hours at end. The black tar that laced and coated the whole cauldron was caked upon the metal bowl in layers that went beyond the fire's damage to it. Shaking her head she waited till morning to report to the family who had relocated shortly after the fire. Being greeted at the door, the family seemed confused as this small woman handed off this massive black cauldron to the man who answered the door. Just as the lizard walked itself in, Marabelle walked herself away from this encounter.

WC: 501/500, TWC: 1,773

---

Don't Play with Nature:

The woods near where Marabelle stationed herself seemed to have rapidly taken a slight turn to overgrowth from when she first arrived. Being someone who is attuned to nature and its development, this change was noted but figured the Land of Forests had its own unique flora that may have differences from what she was used to. This thought lingered in her mind till a mission came up in regard to someone's kid potentially having done some small, likely not seeing the growth, science experiments in their backyard that trickled into the nearby foliage and eventually into the root system of the rather expansive forest. Knowing her knack for handling kids and figuring out what can be done, Marabelle set her sights on the task ahead as she was certain these science experiments were not going to end overnight or be fixed by getting after a child.

With thoughts of approaches in mind, the bud that was beginning to fully bloom into the world would consider options beforehand. The desire to work out a solution is only met and matched if the parties involved were willing and agreed upon the terms. Working as a child with children was easier than now though her stature probably gave her an advantage depending on the age of the child who was causing problems with the local wildlife and flora. Determining that just investigating the flora first would prove to be vital in understanding the impacts of the child's actions before confronting the young scientist. Finding her way to the forest she made her initial observations and wrote notes of the changes. If anything this would help prove and bridge trust with the kid if nothing else, a good record for her own awareness and studies.

The flora within the area saw increased growth at a rapid rate with some growth being visible to a passerby or even an idle observer. Whatever may have been mixed into either the soil, water or even aerosolized into the area likely found its way quickly into the plants' cells causing rapid growth of cells or rapid production of cells, though this is uncertain without further investigation of the internal workings of the flora. Some plants seemed to have died off though, in comparison, possible root intermingles or even perhaps the other plants sapped some of the life out of the others to grow. Vampiric cannibalistic plants seem to be an odd occurrence for sure for the young botanist was more than willing to humor the idea considering science was involved in the reality of the problems that may be at hand.

Once notes were taken, Marabelle sought after the family. They lived in a farmhouse that overlooked a massive field and grew crops adjacent to a river. 'Easy access to water makes crop growing fairly easy. I wonder if that's how these trees and other plants got impacted?' She thought moving closer towards the river at first to check the stream's quality prior to the land the farmhouse occupied. The fish seemed fine and adequate to the best knowledge that the blooming bud within the Land of Forests could understand. No observation indicated a change in sediment or water quality at this part of the stream. With that in mind, Marabelle figured it would be best once she arrived to assess the crops for any damage or alterations that should be recorded alongside the river at all parts that the farmhouse and crops covered to make sure no dumping was occurring there.

With the initial assessment of the front of the house taken care of, Marabelle went to knock on the door. A well-aged and mannered man answered the door asking what someone looking so prim and proper would be doing here. Marabelle gave a small courtesy to the man for his elegant compliment but responded that she was the individual who had accepted the task of speaking and assessing the damages that his son was causing within the surrounding environment. It was not a pleasant introduction to say at minimum from there due to the point of 'damages' being a pain within the man's heart. Visible was the anguish on his face as he called out to his wife to discuss some matters outside the structure prior to her questioning of the child. The wife was pleasantly surprised and excited to see a young woman taking charge and accepting, she seemed inclined for Marabelle to even stay for dinner if it might help persuade the son to stop taking wild actions in the name of science.

Getting a better understanding of the situation, Marabelle learned quite a numerous amount of details about the child, including the fact that this child was actually not theirs. He was the man's brother's son that had been sent to the farmhouse to get a better understanding of repercussions and not to continue to cause problems with their curious nature. It appeared the change in scenery was the crux of the current problem. Like his father, the child had a knack for understanding and growing as an individual on a mental or intellectual level but not so much socially or in general as a person. The issue has caused a weird surge in trying to create something that grew with him and survived as he did without a person speaking or mouthing off due to his current age development. Marabelle getting a general gist of the situation at hand figured the notes she took would work well in her favor but from a resolving perspective, just talking or showing the notes was not nearly enough to sway the child's mind away from working on some scientific theory that he had concocted to create a better life for himself.

From there, Marabelle thanked the parents and request to survey the surrounding area to assess what had transpired within the crops at a minimum. Finding the crops to be in good shape, Marabelle was pleased to be able to report this to the family and glad at that. With the initial observation, the crops were untouched and still good for the season as she was aware harvest was coming up. The young scientist however seemed to at least respect that this land and his extended family still needed to be kept well for the continued success of this side of the family. From the crops down the slop to the river would be Marabelle's path as the pink flow of her kimono whisked through the field behind the farmhouse. It was a pleasant day to be studying the outdoors and thankfully for what was happening, the task at hand seemed to be fruitful for the botanist within her through the understanding of the chemicals on the local flora.

Upon reaching the bank of the river, the mind started to inspect what was visible below the surface of the running water. Many fish were present and accounted for here as compared to the river up ahead as well. On the observational level that Marabelle possessed of the region and its fauna led her to the general conclusion that at minimum the young man was not deliberating about impacting the surrounding area, but choose to go elsewhere for his experiments and trials. This should prove good to relay the dangers of the actions he has taken thus far. Though Marabelle's hope would be more geared towards something going awry closer to home to convince the child theorist from conducting more on his hypotheses. Gearing up for the actual conversation, the Everbloom was worried about this course that she had chosen.

Approaching the farmhouse, a feeling of dread started to encompass the landscape upon the approach of the pink one. As if almost foretelling of a battle to witness, dark clouds began to loom over the once decent weather of a day. Making it to the back door of the farmhouse and knocking, Marabelle was welcomed in as a thundercrack occurred behind her, a signal of an incoming storm. It appears that staying for dinner was now not just an option, but a likely recommendation for the traveler to stay warm and dry upon a stormy evening. To Marabelle this was a fine charge of pace as the rain would likely either feed the experiments or wash away some of the chemical compounds utilized by the young prodigy of science out of the woods. That was when Marabelle bore witness to the appearance of her foe this day.

A young man, no older than 8 stood atop a stairwell peering down below the banister wondering who the guest was. It seemed obvious to her that he had been watching from the second floor of the large farmhouse, though Marabelle did not make any motion to indicate she had observed the young man's prying curiosity. After speaking with the aunt and uncle of the boy, she reassured them that the boy's antics were not endangering them or their livelihood as nothing out of the ordinary was occurring within the homestead or the surrounding area. The report she gave them indicated that the stream itself was clear from its original direction and post their crops indicating it was safe through the zone that ran past their home and farm. Moving on from this, the Everbloom decided to approach the young man as it was about time to share her understanding and discoveries from his trials.

The young scientist sat in his room which had scattered notes across all surfaces that could safely have them. Vials and beakers were upon a desk with various liquids and solids intermixed with clippings of plants and other items from the woods. Marabelle crouched down to look at some of the notes that were present closer to the floor before organizing and picking them up to hand to the child giving a warm smile. The boy began to ramble extensively about the methods he used and the results that he had discovered. Marabelle simply listened and nodded along, adding her own observations where they held merit. The whole time, the storm outside brewed and spat upon the land its woes.

Hours had passed before the child began to doze off. He had spoken for quite some time and Marabelle simply listened and let him express his interests with a large volume of scientific understanding. Once the prodigy fell asleep, Marabelle stealthily removed herself from his room and returned to speak with the adults who had been occupied with other tasks around as the storm shifted what they were capable of. Relaying the content in a much simpler method than the kid, she expressed the vast interest that had consumed him and that she would broach a possible way to keep the boy's antics out of the world but still accessible. Proposing a greenhouse to be made on the property, there would be an option to keep the experiments contained while also making it less likely to cause problems to others.

Marabelle opted to take their hospitality and remained the night though she excused herself from the morning to let them take care of their affairs for the daily routines. Certain the idea would be a huge hit to the mayhem maker, the Everbloom returned by early afternoon to speak once more to the boy to find out more of what he had discovered. Once he rambled for more time, Marabelle listened intently and helped organized his thoughts and concepts before revealing the news and idea on what she proposed to his relatives. The eyes of the kid went wide as she brought up the stipulations that came with it. To her, the biggest objective here was not to stop his growth of him but redirect it to be more constructive and less destructive. With the plan in motion, Marabelle knew that the work was going to be a bit more than planned but stayed, either way, to see it to fruition.

Building a greenhouse takes time and planning but was simple enough. With the resources laying around, the construction, with Marabelle's help of course, took the boy a few days to start with a small space, no bigger than 2 meters by 2 meters. Marabelle made it clear that the development of his work needed to take proactive steps to not be squandered by those who did not see the merit of what he was seeking to learn. Others could not benefit from his mind if he created problems with his exploration rather than providing clean and safe options to learn about the things he discovered. The completion of the greenhouse was the signal that Marabelle completed the mission at hand and departed as swiftly as she arrived, leaving the family to enjoy their nephew's gift in a better way than worrying about wandering into forests and the sort.

WC: 2,136, TWC: 3,909

---

Never fear, I am here!:

On the list of things to do and handle out in the world, the sheer volume of problems that kids caused still plagued the daily affairs of the Everbloom. Her preparations for the day this time around were to handle a superhero who had begun to cause more problems than he solved and the last time the denizens of those who were 'saved' brought this to his attention, he skipped town. Marabelle could only imagine what kind of superhero would not listen to those who he wished to save and help. The development of the situation at hand devolved into looking to even appease the man-child whose exposed preferences dictated some of the information that was given in the mission scroll over details that were more pertinent such as locations of issues, problems caused, etcetera. Gearing up for what seemed like a long foreboding challenge, Marabelle stepped out of her residence to seek out this individual who had taken the cape and mantle of 'Deck-Yu'.

The first task was to fully identify the family of the would-be vigilante who caused enough problems to cause a mission of this magnitude to be issued out for vagabonds and shinobi alike to take. Growing concerned, the family was the ones who anticipated the need for shinobi, the people who solve problems that normal citizens could not, to handle the mess their son was creating out in the expansive world. Learning that he was about the age of most beginning shinobi, the odds ever grew on the chances that he had developed skills or been taught by someone wanting to see a good deed become a prank upon others. Wishing all the best to the family, Marabelle assured that she would be able to handle this and that she was equipped if things went sour in this affair of events to follow.

Two options were presented to her in the escapades of a superhero story; she needed to become the story's villain or possibly seek to become the sidekick. Neither of these pleased the thinking process of how Marabelle handled her own siblings when they started causing problems unintentionally. The pondering thoughts of the Everbloom plagued her for a different approach when the idea came to her, journalism. Approaching the problem with a simple solution, she could seek to intervene in the thought process by asking prodding questions to help conflict concepts with reality. This was not necessarily the easiest task that she had decided to undertake but that was the approach that to her felt the most humane and more aligned with the end result she wished to have upon such an impressionable individual who wished to accomplish more and beyond what was given to them. She could empathize heavily with that conceptually and through her own reality of doing more and helping more. She understood now more than before how difficult it can be to breach the idea of doing something else that may be harder is the right path.

First step of the plan was to identify the issues that occurred within the region due to Deck-Yu's antics. Reporting around to some of the smaller communities to begin getting the latest scoop, Marabelle's plan started with a simple gathering of information, just like with the kid scientist, but this one was going to be harder to appease or pin down on what was going on. There could be a plethora of issues that encroached on the mind of the individual who sought to do good but failed so much that the ramifications resulted in this course of action needing to be taken to remedy them. It saddened Marabelle knowing this was the outcome that was the result of good intentions but bad execution. She would not lie to herself knowing that this could have been just as likely been her if she did not find her own way, her own path, her own method of handling these kinds of conundrums.

After getting a full report of what she could receive from those who either praised or admonished the man, the Everbloom grew worried about the actual fated encounter of the individual who picked such an atrocious name. The family did not care to refer to him by another unfortunately so it was the only identifying name she had the ability to utilize in this scenario. The words of even her presence spread in the region like wildfire, a pink-clad investigator of sorts seeking out the famous, or infamous depending on how your difficult situation was resolved, Deck-Yu. Thankfully it was not long before the man even actually approached Marabelle wondering what would a civilian be doing looking into the history of one such as himself in this turbulent and unforgiving world.

Knowing her actions were going to be seen with either a hypersensitive lens or a glossy one, Marabelle tried to refrain from making outward motions or remarks without first considering the impact of her own actions on this situation. To start she began with just questioning his origins, his beginnings, how he started, and working her way towards more of how he is doing, how was his family, and other more personal topics. She never probed too far or pressed for answers when he responded with 'superhero' responses such as, "I cannot discuss my family for their safety is top priority!" With the initial 'interview' done and completed, he whisked himself away from her and left the newly designated reporter of the trials and tribulations of Deck-Yu flabbergasted at such a task to overcome.

Marabelle's initial assessment of problems stemmed from delusion or straight to mental denial of woes. Traversing the field with such an opponent would prove to be difficult if the pieces moved too quickly but the impact would not be felt if they were not executed correctly. The challenge now was to find after a problem was solved, hopefully, figure out if it was a success or failure, and then press from there. The biggest challenge thus far was sticking him to a location. The direction he came from was neither towards the family that called in the whole affair nor the one that lived next door, which was presumed to be where he was staying. When she inspected the property there were not any signs of return from the child and no outside structure nearby to hide amongst to be nearby but still have the safety of loved ones.

It would be another day before she was able to encounter him again. This time Deck-Yu was actively working to solve a problem, a cart had spilled over due to some spooked horses which were now in much more danger as one was on top of the other. Marabelle knowing how much of a dangerous mess an overturned cart was, waited and watched the man at work this go around. From untangling the reigns to trying to release the horses, the head that rested on the shoulders of the would-be superhero seemed to appropriately handle the first problem but then came the spilled items of the cart. From what she could tell they were packed and organized in a specific way and without missing a beat, what she was afraid of occurred: he just started to put stuff into barrels without asking or thinking. If the barrels were specific orders or items that should not be mixed, this was a problem waiting to happen. Marabelle knew she needed to step in and likely step on his toes if this started to become a bigger problem.

Thankfully the hero worked diligently and quickly although a bit sloppy which resulted in the cart not being overturned for long with its contents spilled upon the road. As quickly as the hero showed up, he disappeared leaving the cart driver perplexed and puzzled. With the individual wearing an attire that provoked much attention, Marabelle assumed that his departure was likely to remove such an outfit to avoid suspicions and confrontations. Once Deck-Yu was out of sight, the Everbloom flagged down the driver to get a word with him about the contents of his cart. Many observers were still lingering as she approached. Asking questions as she ever did, many murmurs started to circulate around the people who were witnesses to not only the accident but also the rescue.

Asking direct questions this time the cart driver who was still flustered from that occurring would curse and cause a scene as he dismounted his cart to inspect the contents of his barrels. Believing it or not to those who remained behind or freshly came out to her another ruckus, the driver, now furious, started to lose his lid. Marabelle saw that the good recovery speed of Deck-Yu had damaged a few goods that needed to remain safe between the transport and delivery. In hopes this stirred the mind of whoever Deck-Yu really was, the Everbloom kept an eye on the observers now as sneakily as she could muster her movements. There were a few who gave up on listening to the situation or did not care to watch a merchant gripe about the issue of orders being mixed between the barrels.

One individual caught Marabelle's attention as she quickly went to intercept the younger-looking man who had started to cry. This was the opportunity she was hoping for but was dreading the reality-shattering event this likely was going to be. Storming off to a clearing a bit away from the road, the teenager roared in anger towards Marabelle, blaming her for ruining his only joy in life, the now unmasked Deck-Yu was present before her. Easing into the conversation, she brought out some lobster bisque for the teen to consume if he desired. Thankfully the extra details that had been given worked out in her directed approach to the unique situation. As the boy turned quiet with the food presented, Marabelle began to regale her own journey thus far.

Her story encompassed many turns and changes and it all started in wanting to be a better person to the world at large. That the desire to help others as she did her family was the whole reason she was where she was now, alone, trying her best, and helping when and where she could. She traveled alone as a young woman in a land that she was not familiar with. From her travel with a caravan to a village that did not work out, to the journey that had brought her closer to the Land of Birds. This was a vast experience to take in as she accounted for all the small tasks she had accomplished as well. From walking a giant lizard to doing clean up of an old forgotten business and finding an old family heirloom, Marabele left no detail down to the point of where she sat now. Vocalizing how much she felt in common with the young boy, she indicated the sadness she felt when she heard a kindred soul who wanted nothing more than to help was ending up causing problems. She ended her story on the note of missing her own family, who at this point was almost 3 countries away from where she ended up now.

Leaving the boy to his own thoughts at that point, the Everbloom walked up and began walking forward away from the road. Confused and calling out, the boy got up from his wallow and tried to continue to follow her but he stopped. She knew her words left a profound impact on the young man and would check back with the family the next day. They were not too far from the household of his family but a journey was still needing to be completed before returning home for him. The young boy consumed the food that she had left behind for him as the container was neatly cleaned and left behind in the clearing that she had left the boy in. Knowing her job was done, all that there was left to do was check-in.

Returning to the family, the young vagabond was delighted to hear the son had returned home and vocalized pursuing a new path in life, although the parents were not sure how much of a change it would result in. They offered their thanks for the young Everbloom before stating they needed to assist their son with their creative outlet plan that involved becoming a vagabond shinobi. Scratching the back of her head, Marabelle smiled weakly at the comment before seeing herself out. It sounded to her that the change should be a positive one but only time would tell with this one.

WC: 2,110, TWC: 6,019

---

Ransom and Rescues:

As the accomplishments grew for the young shinobi, Marabelle's name slowly became known more closely towards that of helping aid and others for little to no expense than the best quality of service offered. As a vagabond shinobi, her reputation was a huge boon to allow her to work and operate in the area. As such more requests began to fly in to receive her kind touch on the matter. From helping with groceries, helping to organize, and even helping authors formulate forewords, Marabelle seemed to have taken on a lot of responsibilities for the region she settled in for now. It was only truly a matter of time before she found herself being requested to help and administer aid with a level of urgency never before seen with the tasks at hand thus far. The need and demand for immediate assistance could only mean someone was actively in trouble and that there were very few options available. With the call being relayed by a messenger, the Everbloom quickly geared up and was out the door, knowing full well what was likely to come.

Making progress towards the contact as quickly as she could, Marabelle prepped mentally for what the options of what was happening. Being a shinobi, she was thankfully faster than some messengers, and this was one. Having to be on the draw for this, she was positive about the situation that was being dropped upon her doorstep. The travel path was direct but not the easiest to navigate back as the journey to the destination was quite far from where she was stationed. Calling over to the messenger who brought her attention to this task, he had little to disseminate to her as his objective was to reach out to the Everbloom and attend her travel to the designated locale. Shaking her head, she understood this was to be kept under the rug as best as that could be done. There was nothing good coming from this.

The world was a cruel place and she knew that from the journeys she had taken thus far in the world. Once she arrived it was obvious why at the dark of night she was being requested as she entered the back meeting house of a small village's chiefs' house. Nothing good about this situation and Marabelle was to be an integral key piece to be playing in tonight's affairs. The degree of issue rose quickly from a simple go to a place to get a task to being debriefed by the chief's right hand while the stoic posture of the man who was seated opposite of the woman was silent. It was not long before the details were given and the challenge was presented most simply with so few details that were vital in the process of resolving this.

"The chief's daughter went out around the village today and disappeared. Normally we assume she just wandered off and started to help around on a farm or something but tonight was different. She never returned home. We did however receive this letter." The chief's right hand passed along the envelope that contained jagged handwriting indicating that they sought after the cream of the crop of the village, be it their reserves of food or the chief's daughter. An exchange was to take place within a couple of days and if the resources were relinquished at that time, then the daughter would be considered forfeit from the village. The situation was not great but they had a few days to identify more information or the decision to give up half of the resources was likely the decision to make. With summer in full force, giving up the batch that would keep them until the last harvest would be difficult and detrimental to the overall well-being of the village. Marabelle knew that there was a possibility to help improve the growth if they needed to try to get an extra yield but the skills had not been achieved by her at this time.

Growing pains were to be expected but the objective was simple, find the group responsible if possible, and rescue the daughter. If worst comes to worst, the objective would be to secure the daughter during the exchange and hope to avoid bloodshed without risking more lives involved. Given the letter to get more information if possible from it, the task of handling the ransom was handed off to the village's militia as they sorted their reserve of resources to give the worst of the batch at minimum. It would take the group of men tasked with this objective the days they had which is where Marabelle came into the picture. Aware of the need to eat themselves plus feed the daughter, it was likely they were in the area and either stealing, growing their own crops, or finding some other means of survival without the issues that plague a village.

Handling the conundrum of identifying the bandits was an easier task discussed than accomplishing. Working out the details provided alongside the inspection of the letter to ascertain any additional tidbits it may provide. Curses under the breath of the Everbloom could be heard if nearby as she took up some residence to review items in the local tea shop. The Land of Forests did enjoy its tea tendencies amongst other cultural traditions from the journeys she had experienced so far. Skillsets be damned on what she wished she had at this time, as the likelihood these men had some sort of technique was incredibly high considering the scenario being presented. Although unspoken, the worry and concern that this exchange was simply a ploy to penalize or punish the village were at the forefront of Marabelle's and the chief's minds. Risks and tension were exceptionally more than what was described initially.

Over the next couple of days, the investigation skills of Marabelle were tested and stressed to their limits without concern for rest. The information provided compared to the information found was nominal. More likely a slip-up of the men who orchestrated this whole scenario was unlikely to occur within the bounds of scope currently. Stealth was a tool in the Everbloom's arsenal, but dangers lurking about were innumerable currently due to limited understanding. Thoughts were to process at some degree how to get more information without causing problems for the population that lay in the middle, in the crossfire of worldly troubles. Knowing the layout of the meeting spot would prove vital to accommodating the demands of the banditry who had taken not only the daughter of the chieftain hostage but the village itself.

Maneuvering to the exchange location on the first day let her acutely aware of the dangers that were already being imposed upon the village. Defensive for those with the hostage, better vantage spots, and significantly better entry points too. Stationing herself the night prior would need to be the priority if she were to get the best option to identify which way they were inclined to arrive from. Widening her search circle of the area she did find a cabin not too far, roughly a kilometer or two away from the meeting place. The chances were that was the location that needed to be protected by the individuals for the continued hostage situation that was being kept up by this group of bandits. With the new knowledge acquired, Marabelle knew her skillset was going to be tested to great lengths to accommodate for any skilled options that were to become available. The next step for the ever-changing plan was to meet with the militia force to figure out more of the geography located within the location she had identified.

Meeting the right hand once more of the village, discussions were plentiful of some of the botany that was present alongside how the tectonic shifts within the region were partially due to techniques of some veterans who settled within the area. None within this village was of the collection of those who had retired within this region of the world. Working through understanding the geopolitics at the edge of the Land of Forests, the Everbloom took great note of these to understand that Earth-natured techniques were likely part to blame for the capture of the daughter. With the information now being accounted for in the plans, Marabelle was acutely aware of the conundrum that was now being posed towards the initial investigation. Stealth would need to be heavily considered in how to go about this now with the new knowledge of others whose capabilities were present in the equation.

Now that the picture was being painted in significant detail as compared to the initial reveal of the artwork that was being created in the setting, Marabelle sought to relax once more in the tea shop listening and thinking and processing what had been presented to the best of her ability. The magnitude of what has transpired indicates to her that her skillset and understanding of combat would need to be strained heavily due to an insignificant amount of options. Growing ever weary of the likelihood of confrontation in this complicated situation, there was not much more to be accomplished today without staking out the cabin in the woods. To the best of the knowledge presented, the Everbloom was aware that once this mission was completed, there would be a need to change their residence post-completion.

Their name was ever-growing within the region for her accomplishments, and the knowledge of their involvement was sure to not go unnoticed and likely to attract those within the neighboring lands and countries to her presence. Letting out a sigh as a new cup of tea was placed in the interim shifts as the time of day waned into the night. The challenge was evolving with every new piece of information acquired and adjusted for, but nothing was really going to compare to what was to come in the next couple of days. This was a huge change that was bound to come eventually, however, Marabelle was not anticipating or expecting such an event to have occurred this soon to her departure from the gates of Sakuragakure. With the pressure ever incrementally stepping up at every turn, the Everbloom prepared for the worst outcomes while praying for the best results.

The second day rose with restless sleep and dreams. Many within this isolated village were slowly starting to discuss what was ongoing and eyes were judging and prying, attempting to find more. Marabelle in particular being new within the village had her own scrutiny placed upon her though many fears were abated by the presence of the Right-Hand and other militia individuals working with the young woman. Preparations and organization efforts were in full force upon the earliest light to begin getting ready for the trade-off and exchange between some crops and the chief's daughter. The event would occur tomorrow around midday though to get the quantity requested for the ransom, it would take most of the day prior to collect and prep for travel. The Everbloom remained vigilant over the proceedings of such a task, knowing it might lead to more information potentially collected for her evaluation of the situation.

There were a couple of individuals who were not actively assisting in the procurement of the crops who lingered behind to watch or chat amongst themselves. These were the ones that Marabelle sought to find more evidence of ongoing issues within the village that may indicate why the chief's daughter, or better yet how, was kidnapped. The number of children inside the confines of the village's perimeter seemed inconsequential compared to the numerous adults. With a farming setup, she would have imagined the children population would have been equal or about the same as their older counterparts. That led to the shift in questioning towards the kids, they were likely more knowledgeable about some of the lower-to-the-ground things that occurred from day to day compared to the adults who seemed to let them go about their own day. In hopes this would not lead to a dead end, haste was the name of the game as the sun slowly inched its way across the vibrant sky.

Children were the future of any society and their thoughts and hierarchies would help form the community for generations, especially in such a small and local area. From questioning and playing with the children, Marabelle found out quite a lot of tidbits, tricks, and the best places for naps. When pressing for rumors and the little secrets adults do not wish for them to speak about, she got giggles and snickers from the girls and boys of the land. The whispers on the wind were that under the watch of the many, children disappeared and the adults knew about it. Many proclaimed the mountains ate the other lost children and that the only reason why there was worry or concern going on now was that the latest victim was the chieftain's daughter. Explicitly whispering the last part, supposedly this was not an issue till the chief's right hand went missing one night and came back a month later.

The revelation of the possible right hand's involvement was truly a surprising prospect. The subterfuge of the man would have had to be a byproduct of an outside factor. In Marabelle's mind, the man was genuine and honest about his concerns with the village and doubted any motive that would be inside the realm of possibilities. Rising to chieftainship could be done through different avenues, revenge against the seated power also did not check out, and lastly, the directed issue of the village when they appeared to be treating him well seemed wrong. More to the picture needed to be revealed before judgments shall be cast but until then the Everbloom remained vigilant in their approach as the uncovering of this volatile situation could result in more lives lost than saved upon the morning.

Lurking through the village, the stealthy Marabelle Blossom sought to uncover the machinations of some unruly group that had infiltrated supposedly the upper echelon of this village's leadership. From below the windowsill, listening intently to the inside of the small respectable house, the Everbloom moved her plan into action. As the sun set, the murmurs and bustle of villagers died down for the night, leaving nothing in the path of this new investigation. With the need for protection of the ransom, the Right Hand remained behind to keep an eye over the crops. This shift and change allowed the infiltration of his home under his nose within the inner portion of the village. A humble abode with few belongings allowed a more thorough inspection of the soon-to-be hero of the village. Dust layered almost everything within minus the bed. Footsteps in and out could be seen in the grime on the floor, her own footsteps being etched into the canvas of the surroundings.

Digging through the untouched and unkept items, the discovery to realize that the man who was the village's right hand was almost a ghost. No actual belongings were present or utilized within the abode. No pictures, no memories, the house simply stood there as a structure to shield its inhabitant from the outside. Something felt strange and problematic about all of this now. The problems stood to reason that the chief needed to be alerted immediately. There was enough to go off on that the events that transpired with the Right Hand being the center focus that this whole situation smelled of herrings. From the cover of night, swiftly from one building to the next, Marabelle approached the chieftain's residence and quickly knocked on its entry. Given berth to check who was there, the chief opened the door and closed it behind her entrance.

Regaling her revelations to the man, the Everbloom spared no expense to relay what she had gathered over the past couple of moons. Conjuring a plan was vital in proceeding forward with the village's crop at stake. Someone who was likely an imposter reviewing and checking every grain to realistically be the best of the crop would be detrimental to the whole village's affairs. The chief heavily contemplated the information that was provided and let his eyes bore holes into Marabelle's. Assessing the weight of the words that were laid on the table, he let the tension residing within his body release in slow undulating breaths. "Do what must be done. Save my daughter." He spoke deep and sternly. The sounds that left his lips were the only words that pierced her ears from the chief, as not even a mute child could speak less than him.

With the task at hand now being pushed forth and rest was of the essence, Marabelle planned and processed all that had been said and done by this point. A peaceful resolution was what she sought, though the world was indeed more perilous than she could have imagined from her tiny home. Nothing was ever as it seemed it appeared to the young budding shinobi. The task at hand was to be swift and precise as the time at hand rose with the morning sun. The birds remained silent, the rooster did not coo, and the laughter of early morning children was silent on this day. Rested and prepared, the location was set, the time was placed and Marabelle's mission was wrapping up in a matter of a few hours she hoped. The location she looked towards was not the meeting place but the cabin.

Reaching it early in the morning, her hunches were correct on that was the location she was being stored. A young fair maiden in distress and disarray could be seen through the windows if you peeked just right. When the time began to boil closer to the point of steam, the bandits left two men to watch over the young daughter of the chief, one inside and one outside. Once the meeting had begun and negotiations were started, Marabelle sprung into action by removing the obstacles that were placed before her one at a time. Letting out a loud whistle, the chief's adjustments from their meeting proved true as by the time the Everbloom made her appearance with a young girl in tow, the bandits and the Right Hand were tied up, beaten up, and unconscious. With her job done and the girl safe, Marabelle bid them farewell and left as quickly as she arrived. Not wanting to stay longer, it was time for the kunoichi to depart from this land.

WC: 3,098, TWC: 9,117

---

Claims:

Mission Rewards:

Stats & AP:

Techniques/Skills:

Claims:

Mission Rewards:

Stats & AP:

Techniques/Skills:

Approved!