"Fired! You can't fire me..... your fired! My names first in the name of our party, pack your shit Trap and get out of my house"

"That's not how this works dickhead!" Zan screamed, the ruffles of his admittedly cute skirt swaying as he stood.

"No I'm pretty sure that's how pecking orders work." Alafax replied digging into his ear with one hand

A glass shattered behind his head. Zimia was fuming

"You prick! How the hell do you fail a test that you fucking wrote!" She was the team's healer, her naturally crass attitude contrasted greatly with her appearance in ball gown and very expensive makeup

At this alafax realized that everyone was actually wearing attire befitting a gala event of some sort, accept for Zan and himself.

"Oi, what's with the get ups?"

Zan stood by in utter shock. Before he could manage a single word the man in white and blue robes stepped forward.

"Zimia and Count Otto's engagement is being announced today, where have you been, hmmmm? Whoring it up by the state of you" the priest quipped angrily. Sa'lood was a very prim and proper man, even by priest standards.

At this statement several pairs of already angry eyes gained a new level of menace, Zimia being the moat angryone. Zimia had gone from the crazy country girl to a proper lady in the few years she had been with the party. At 25 she was nearing the end of her "sale by date" and the lucky chance encounter while working escort duty for Count Otto visiting the front lines had blossomed into a romance that had been fairly scandalous, but ultimately accepted by the nobility of Carrasus.

"Wait, how did you find out about the test?"

In almost perfect unison 5 voices screamed back "the same way everyone else did jack ass, you litterly screamed about it and made a show in the guild hall! Then you apparently dragged one of the Guild girls, a fan of yours to boot, out into the alley way to berate her even more, and do God's know what else to her as well!"

The women all glowered at this, muttering variances of "pervert" and enemy to all women under their breaths.

Raising his arms in a defensive manner before the small army of angry women, all armed with fairly expensive cutlery from the tables before them Alafax retorted "Look! I'm a peice of shit, but do you really think I'd drag a girl behind a dumpster?"

At that everyone began to calm down. While he was definitely a lazy, horny piece of shit, forcing one's self upon a woman was something that everyone knew he didn't tolerate, even slave girls with a punitive crest becoming victims was something that had caused him to start swinging, regardless of the circumstance.

"Besides, my antics usually benefit us in the end, right Zimia?"

"Yes, and I'm grateful that the out of control bar brawl you started 4 years ago lead to my engagement announcement, but you have to understand Alafax, this looks horrible on Count Otto, not to mention that the rest of us are screwed now"

A small voice in the back now spoke up, she was a Halfling girl, nicknamed Shortstack because of her... body proportions. She served as the scout in dungeons and offered technical expertise.

Alafax, you realise that you being dropped to E Rank means we can't take any requests Ranked higher than C even though everyone in the party is ranked S or higher. We all have some pretty extreme expenses now. Do you have any idea how much it costs to maintain your equipment alone? We need to make at least 2000 gold a year just to maintain the household and equipment and that doesn't even include the mounts and household staff"

He looked away and noticed that the houses staff, several maids, butlers and a cooks crew watched from the side lines.

That was it, where as he had no problem being a burden to his friends purely for the fun if it, he knew that he could not bare the shame of costing 45 families their source of living. Most of those here were relatives or old friends who had died over the years or former adventurers who couldn't shake it.

"Can you at least explain whats going on? Your a fuck up and a bit of a rogue but not passing a test isn't you Alafax! Even ignoring that you most likely proctored the tests for a while"

That was Qwix, the Wolfling, she was your standard big tidied wolf girl. He had actually almost had a romantic relationship but screwed that up when he drunkenly asked her if she had had 6 nipples on two breasts or 6 breasts at a party once.

At that he began to explain everything, making sure to go into excruciating details about what happened behind the guild hall with big tidied blonde girl.

...

Alafax began to pack his things. He knew that even though his party had found a way to keep him living there, and all the staff didn't want him to leave, he just couldn't take it.

Zan had changed in to the most shocking attire he had ever seen him in to say good by, actual men's clothing. It pissed Alafax off a bit to see that he could actually throw on mens clothing and turn every rooms floor thay he entered into a slipping hazard, and Zan knew this.

"You sure about this Al? I mean we could always keep you here as a preffered in house contractor. You wouldn't need to go back to the Rangers barracks and we could still pay you a proper fee!"

"It's fine my old friend. Thanks for at least letting me keep my gear" Alafax grumbled.

"No one here could use your equipment anyways" Shortstack said looking down. "Its obscene that your bows draw weight has an almost 1 kilo draw weight. She looked resplendent in her little dress. It had taken him and Zan ages to convince her that covering her cleavage would look better on her. Side boob was for ladies who wanted to look appealing, but with her tits, a bodice just looked vulgar. They still couldn't get her to wear shoes though, which was a putty, but the Short ones (a class that included Drawfs, Halflings, Pixies etc etc" refused to wear foot covering unless there was a health need)

Some of his thoughts must have leaked since she covered the sides of her chest with a pout. She was the only member of the team that was married, and a mother of two to boot. Her husband was another Halfling that was an excellent detailer for complex armor systems, and a man who could fix anything, often entertaining himself witch complex puzzles now that he had an administrative job at his company. She was also the only women there that he had never considered taking out back due to there deep real friend ship

Zimia had already stopped out, being the litteral center of attention and being late was bad form after all. Qwix had also put on a more refined version of her people's preffered female attire. A Blue underdress with a green apron and turtle shell brooches holding back a green and red capelet.

"Please stay Al, you know how much you mean to all of us"

Zan threw up his hands as he walked out to Al's shaking head

All the women had gathered in his room. The remaining members of his party and the house staff as well.

"I just have one last thing I want to say to all of you" the women all began to lean closer a bit" Alafax looked around to make sure no one else could hear him but the women "Zan has a secret harem fantasy so I would not trust any open drinks I receive from him"

And with that Alafax tossed a travelers travelers sea bad onto his back, grabbed up his spare and special purpose weapons and then began hoping from roof top to roof top with lightening speed to the Rangers barracks just outside the city of Rit.