#thewoodshungers: ylfa

[thewoodshungers-if]

Update 08 Jun 2034

Tell me why I have more progress in the middle parts of the chapter 🤡, and also parts where The Cook shows up 🤡. He's so fun to write lol, the most fun along with Nora out of all the ROs actually.

Maybe I can just release Chapter 3 in two parts? Or do you guys prefer getting them all at once?

[thewoodshungers-if]

RO Outfits - Ylfa

Ylfa tries so hard to come across as human that she went too far: Her clothes scream, "Ah yes, I am a bard and I am totally human"- It's human clothes alright, but centuries out of fashion.

She likes to wear clothes with vivid colors, greens, purples, or blues made of silk, sleeves rolled up to her elbows to make sure her hands were free. Her clothes are 80% silks and she loves to wear shiny, shiny jewelry swiped from the guy who lost against her on a bet.

[thewoodshungers-if]

Ylfa - The Market of Bodyparts

500 Followers Special - Ylfa menacing MC for the Suspension Bridge Effect feels

Warnings: Mentions of cannibalism and meat

The market is dark and cramped, you shuffled closer to Ylfa as she led you through the crowds, weaving in and out, squeezing between bodies and hard bony shoulders. 

Her hands found yours, cold and dry beneath the rush of people. 

“Stay close”, she basically yelled the words into the sky, the space too rowdy for you to even hear her clearly. 

“Where are we going?” you screamed back, feeling like a lost lamb led around the nose barreling into a plunging ravine. 

She looked over her shoulders to beam at you, sharp teeth and unnaturally glimmering eyes almost visible in the moonlight for a split second, “Just trust me, you’ll love it!” 

The two of you stumbled through a flurry of bodies, hand in hand as you let her pull you towards an alley. You couldn’t see anything as you barrel along the alleys to follow her, steps echoing throughout the empty stone alleys. 

And then she skidded to a halt, turning a sharp left into a dilapidated building that plunged down underground. 

“Are we going in there?” 

“Yep!”

Just like that, she dragged you into the plunging depths, her long fingers clasped around your hand, firm and resolute. 

Ylfa led you down through the creaky staircase, dimly lit with oil lanterns. The stairway groans under both of your weight, but she didn’t flinch as she tromped down the last steps, barely pausing to pull you into a shop chock full of shelves.

“Ylfa! Welcome, welcome!” an old man rushed to greet you from behind the , counter, skidding to a halt in front of Ylfa, He’s short, barely reaching her shoulders. “Always a good day to see my regular!”

Regular? 

You shot a quick glance to scan the shelves next to you. Wooden, filled to the brim with rows and rows of jars full of liquid. One teetered dangerously close to the edge. 

It sloshed. 

Was that an.. an eyeball?

“What is this place?”

“Oh!” the old man turned his attention on you. He’s slightly cross-eyed, and you realized his lips were stained with magic, darkened from years of.. consuming something. “This shop is my pride and joy! Anything you need for your magic, I’ll have it! I call it, The Market of Bodyparts!”

For magic, he says. Market of Bodyparts, he says. 

You eyes can’t help but drift off to another jar next to the old man, rats submerged inside what seems to be a preservative solution. “I didn’t know you did magic, Ylfa”

“Oh, I don’t”, she shrugged, “I came here for a meal”

“You can’t be serious”

“She’s my regular for years now”, the old man turned to turn a jar around, giving any customer a better view of the contents. It’s full of teeth, not sure if it was human judging from the canines, at the least. “This is my first time seeing her bring someone to this place, though!” 

Ylfa coughed. “Right! I’ll have the usual please!” she turned to you, “And what would you like to have?”

You’re not sure why you even asked, but you blurted out, “And what do you have?”

The old man barked out a laugh, “Ah! An explorer! I can see why you brought them here, Ylfa!”

She choked on nothing, leaning over to the old man and hissed very, very loudly that you could hear her, “That’s enough of teasing me, Emilio. Enough. Just give us the special”

“Well then, I’ll be preparing your He had the audacity to give her a side-eye before sauntering off to prepare whatever mystery meal you’ll have for the day. You’re not sure if you should be glad or horrified that your stomach’s empty right now. This could just be your last meal. 

Ylfa’s hand squeezed yours, gently tugging you deeper into the shop, “Let’s go sit at the counter, it should be ready soon”

“What are we... What are we..  eating?”

“What are we eating, you ask”, she giggled, plopping you down onto a stool before following to sit down next to you, “I think you meant who”

Oh gods. 

Your stomach churned sickeningly.

“Are you insane? I’m not eating a- I’m not eating a human!”

“It’s gourmet-”

“It’s cannibalism!”

“I’m a fae. Humans are our gourmet meal”

You look at her incredulously, “I’m a human! Are you going to eat me?”

She snorted, glimmering eyes turning feral, “Ha! Is that an offer? I would-”

THUD

“Food’s ready”, the old man’s back at the counter, setting down two trays of food covered with a dish cover. The silver utensils and tableware a comical contrast to the dilapidated wooden furniture. “Mind your manners, Ylfa”

Ylfa narrowed her eyes at the old man, but Old Man Emilio ignored her like a seasoned no non-sense general. A tall order, considering he looks insane himself. He kept talking, “Your dinner for tonight”

He place both of his hands on the metal covers of the food, “Enjoy-”

And lifted them, steam and smoke rushing out from under the metal cover, the familiar smell of spice and meat fills the air. You don’t want to say it smells good, you don’t-

“Ah, who are we eating tonight, Emilio? I couldn’t wait to chew on-”

God, you wish she’ll just shut up-

“Beef steak with rosemary and a side of vegetables with sour cream”

Huh?

Old man Emilio shushed at Ylfa, “I swear you didn’t change at all. What’s the point of scaring your date for the night, you fool of a fae?”

“What?” you’re too stupid for this.

 You stared at the steak in front of you. It’s.. beef, right?”

“It’s beef”, Emilio sighed, “I also ran a meat shop on the first floor of this shop. I, a human, do not sell other humans for food”

It’s beef? 

You stared down at the smoking meat, the familiar smell wafting through.

It’s beef. 

You turned to Ylfa, who at least had the sense to look guilty. She shifted her eyes away from you, but you’re unforgiving, “What the hell! Why!? Why the hell would you say that?”

“I panicked, okay!? The old man kept teasing me of my date and I thought I should lessen the tension or- or something like that!”

The old man sighed and walked away to return to the backrooms.

“How does scaring the shit out of me would lessen the tension!?”

“At least it doesn’t turn all sappy and romantic!” Ylfa shot up to her feet, “Okay!? I’m worried, that you’ll bolt if you realized I took you out on a- On a.. “

She stopped to take a deep breath, pushing the next three words through gritted teeth, “On. A. Date” 

Her cheeks darkened. 

“You’re an idiot”

“I am!” she leaned closer to you, as if challenging you. You stared back at her, eyes meeting hers, and you swore her cheeks darkened even further before she pulled away. She sighed, “I’m sorry”

“You know you could’ve just told me from the start, right?” you held out a hand, and she obediently took them before sitting back down. “So what’s all this then?”

“The old man sell his meat as dishes as well. He’s one hell of a cook. A retired one from a big restaurant, actually. Not sure what happened, but he sells lots of things now”, she shrugged, pulling your tray of dinner closer to her. She started cutting your steak for you, “Magic don’t send well these days, apparently”

She held the first bite to your mouth, and you bit into them, “No, I meant.. Why are we eating at the old man’s basement?”

Ylfa turned to you, offended, “For privacy! I told you, this is a date! Get on with the agenda here!”

“Oh, you fucking idiot.. ”

[thewoodshungers-if]

What is an outline. There is only The Cook.

[thewoodshungers-if]

Ylfa: Banshee, part-time bard, full-time troublemaker

A banshee wails and hails the death of humans, but she’s tired of it. She just wants to sing about nature, gamble in the taverns, and rob people of their clothes. She’s tagging along, and who are you to say no to her?

About

Chaotic and reckless, she just wants to live the life of a carefree bard, screw being a banshee, her previous job was plain depressing. She’s optimistic despite the many shuns and insults she’s received for being a banshee, even though she’s just a messenger and not the executor. It is what it is, and it’s fine for her! Nevertheless, time to drown herself in her vices..

It was the start of a new chapter in her life, she’s retired from wailing and has disguised herself as human to gamble and drink and gossip with the people. The appearance of two shady knights in the little village could just be the stories she could sing about. 

Appearance

2 years younger than you.. in human years, that is. Average height, with dark grey skin, blood red eyes, and kinky brown hair, let loose and decorated with small wildflowers. In her human form, her skin is warm brown and her eyes chocolate-- although there is something still eerie about her prominent fangs that flashes whenever she smiles..