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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - AFTERNOON
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Erika bounds into the bar, grinning ear-to-ear as only an overexcited okapi can: "Woo! So great to be here again!" She waves at the Barkeep even though she knows she's not going to get any reaction, and steps over to lean on the bar: "Get me the thing. Yes, that thing, you know it. Thank you." She starts sipping on the totes-not-spiked lemonade, looking about the bar with a grin.
Dorri was definitely not passed out at a booth in the corner and the loud talking definitely didn't just wake her up. She looks around groggily. "Huh? What's so dang exciting?"
Erika blinks and looks around until she notices the bleary-looking goat in the corner: "Oh! Hi Dory! Sorry, was just excited to be back here again, you know it goes! Or maybe you don't because you don't seem excited, but honestly you really should be."
Dorri drains the dregs of her mug of ale before standing up and walking over. "Erika? I guess it would have to be you..." She trundles over to the bar and climbs up a stool, fetching herself a strong cup of coffee from the barkeep. "Haven't seen you in a year almost..."
Erika steps over and grins: "Yea, true! We should see more often, but you never come down from that mountain of yours." She then hugs her friend briefly.
Dorri is totally unprepared for the hug, but eventually hugs back a bit. "Yeah, well I'm stuck down here for a bit since my tower got blown over."
Erika gives a small frown: "Aww crap, that sounds no good at all." She brightens up: "You could stay with me!"
Dorri shakes her head but smiles. "No thanks. Got a room here. Heading out with the next caravan to get some new timbers."
Erika nods, not offended in the least: "Oh, okay! Just figured I'd offer since I'm gonna be around again for the next, uh... whatever time. What month is it, anyway?" She looks puzzled for a moment, then shrugs: "Anyway, I'd offer to help but I'm pretty useless with that stuff."
Dorri shakes her head. "Nah. It's fine. Just need to get the timbers to the base of the mountain and I'm good. Can haul them up the quick way myself." She laughs a bit. "Most folks don't know what they're missing taking those slow routes up." She takes a long swig of black coffee and smiles a bit.
Erika nods with a knowing smile: "Oh, I know, right? I'm not sure why folks prefer to use roads, when all the fun stuff is off the traveled paths."
Dorri nods. "All it takes is some gumption. Just gotta believe that you can climb that rock face and you can. It's not even that hard."
Erika shrugs, leaning on the bar: "Admittedly that's more your turf. Not much for me up there."
Dorri sips her coffee again. "Sure... I mean, I can barely keep my little garden growing up there, but it's enough for an old goat like me."
Erika giggles a bit: "Wouldn't be enough for me, but I guess I'm a special case."
Dorri snorts. "Yeah, but I'm not picky. As long as it keeps me warm up on my mountain, I'm good."
Erika sticks her tongue out: "I still say you could use more variance in your diet - a lot of things can grow up there - but you keep refusing me."
Dorri snorts. "I don't want anything that needs me to fuss over it. Keeps me away from my telescope and star charts and log books."
Erika leans on the bar as she rolls her tongue back into her mouth: "Meh, fair enough. I know I'd get all cranky if you tried to keep me away from my garden."
Dorri nods. "As long as it's green and not too bitter and grows on its own, I'll take it." She yawns and rests her head on the bar. "It's always so hard adjusting to being awake during the day. I don't know how you all do it. The warm sun just makes me want to curl up and sleep."
Erika looks at her friend a bit oddly: "Sun is the reason to be out and about. Can't see the things I wanna find in the night, anyway."
Dorri shakes their head. "And I can't see the stars when that ball of heat is just overwhelming the sky."
Erika shrugs: "Eh, mayhap. I mean, I can't reaaaally fault you for having an interest others tend to say is 'pointless', now can I? Something about pots and kettles and silverware or however that went."
Dorri snickers. "Fair enough." They drain their coffee and look around the bar. "So anything new going on in town? I guess I should hear the news if I'm here for a spell."
Erika takes a sip of her lemonade: "Not much. Some new folks about I hear though haven't really met any. Figured I might come across some here though."
Dorri refills her coffee and takes another sip. "Anyone of note?"
Erika smiles as she thinks: "I did see a new guard, a big elephant type. And I think we have a new Doc in town to do the thing since ol' Hooktail vanished... well, wherever he did vanish to."
Dorri blinks. "Hooktail is gone? Shame. I liked the old ape... and I met the elephant yesterday. Don't think she'll last."
Erika nods: "We do get a lot of folks that just kind of pass by. Weird if you ask me."
Dorri shakes her head. "Nah... makes sense for where the town is. Still a bit annoying to have to get to know new folks every year..."
Erika gives her friend a small poke on the shoulder: "Maybe you should come around more often, then?"
Dorri sticks out her tongue. "Not for me. Too much politics and petty squabbles. I prefer my stars and my telescope. They don't argue with me."
Erika winks: "Fair enough I guess. You could still socialize more, it's not good for you to stay cooped up alone all the time."
Dorri: Cooped up? I have the whole mountaintop to myself. I know every star and nearby peak by name. On clear days, I can even see the ships coming from Policaster.
Erika gives a wry chuckle: "Yeah, but having only stars to talk to makes you a bit coo-coo in the head..." The two continue cheekily having the same argument they've clearly had dozens of times before, more out of tradition than any intent of changing the other's opinion.
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EARLY EVENING
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Dorri sits at a table with some of her notebooks and star charts spread out on it. The stout goat traces lines with her fingertips on the charts and consults her logbooks as she does so. "Yes, right... so that means the next transit will be..." She flips to another section of the log and traces out an intersecting line with another finger. "...hmm. Interesting."
Kyprin Kane strokes his hand under Phosyx's chin, the dragon glistened over every inch of his body, freshly oiled and looking a little less savage. Perching on Kyprin's hip, his red eyes watched everything around them. "We are gonna try this, but you need to behave!" he hisses at the small dragon in a stern tone, though his affectionate hand nevver stops its loving motion. He gets a hiss in return and hoping that was an agreement, he pushes open the door to the Bar. He was clad in a blue-black leather set of breeches and a fine cambric top in yellow trimmed black today, the little dragon almost invisible. Together, they enter, a hand already on the dragon's muzzle but not holding it shut. yet.
Dorri is still sitting at her table, mulling over her charts in between sips of ale and bites of a ridiculous looking sandwich. The markhor would stand just shy of 5 feet tall to the top of her head, but her tightly spiraled horns add almost another foot to that. Her frame is broad and thick with muscle underneath a generous layer of fat. Said frame is contained in a reddish gray wool robe that looks like it might have been woven out of the caprine's own winter coat some years back. She reaches a hand up and runs it through the frizzy mess of red hair atop her head before it moves down to stroke at her short black beard. "Hmm..." she mutters to herself as she chews her dinner, clearly mulling over some problem of cosmic import.
Kyprin Kane lets the door ease to closed behind him, and gradually removes his hand from the cantankerous beasts mouth as Phosyx decides to behave. Kyp had a toothy smile showing, and he noticed only one patron right away, eyeridges lifting in curiosity. They certainly had all kinds here, didn't they? He starts crossing the bar, but Phosyx shifting distracts him and he slams his foot into a chair, producing a yelp and the little dragons' upset squeak as he is jostled. "Ow!" he grabs a chair and sits down to rub his sore ankle grimacing, stuffing Phosyx on his lap rather than sitting on him.
Dorri looks up at the sudden thump and complaint. She blinks at the reptilian and chuckles quietly to herself. She then realizes that her mug is empty when she goes to take a drink and so hops down off her stool and walks her square little self over to the bar for a refill. "Watch out for those chairs. They're sneaky." She muses to Kyp as she waits for Barkeep to refill her mug with more of the delicious local brown ale.
Kyprin Kane gives an amused chuckle, hearing the other person address him, and lifting his voice a little he says, "Devilishly crafty things, always jumping up and biting folks in their petunias!" he gave his leg one more rub, and shifting Phosyx onto his hip again, he stands, not quite sure what to do with himself. "Do you happen to know if they serve food at specific times, here?"
Dorri takes her mug of ale and clambers nimbly down off the stool with it. "I think they just make it whenever. I got a sandwich just a bit ago, so..." They look curiously at both Kyp and his 'pet'. "Hmm, don't think I've seen one like that little one around before. At least not in the mountains or foothills..."
Kyprin Kane looked down at Phosyx when he is mentioned, and he steps a little closer to Dorri, his voice lowering the appropriate amount for the change in distance. "That's good. We are both hungry" his hand rested gently on top of the dragons head and muzzle, those piercing red eyes staring over the scaled hand keeping him quelled. "Oh him? This is Phosyx. He's not from around here... and He eats books." He removed his hand to show the scaled head and grinned, his smile extra-toothy. "And me" he had some bandages, clean and well cared for, on his primary arm, the one on the dragons muzzle.
Dorri cocks her head a bit, the long horns exaggerating the motion. "Books?" She frowns and addresses Phosyx directly. "Well, you stay away from my star charts, little one. If you know what's good for you anyway. Would be very rude to eat up an old goat's life's work for a snack." She looks up at Kyprin again as she takes a sip of ale. "I'm Dorri. Don't come down here often, but the storm the other night blew down my observatory up in the mountains."
Kyprin Kane chuckles softly as she addresses Phosyx who offers her a "kreet!" sort of noise, his eyes watching her horns with intense curiosity. They seemed to fascinate the little devil. "That's why i warn everybody. I used to think 'oh it'll be alright' then he was trying to eat someone's religious book! we barely made it out of town. i think they must feel good in his little teeth, because he doesn't usually swallow what he messes" His grin was infectious, saying, "Kyp. I'm just passing through myself, but we needed supplies and a long rest, so it made sense to choose somewhere civilised. That's a damned unfortunate thing, I hope you and yours made it out without great loss!"
Dorri shakes her head. "Nah. But the timbers are wearing out, so it's time to rebuild. I figured I had better get on replacing them before I wake up with a fallen rock where my head's supposed to be." She trots back over to her table and looks to Kyp. "Come join me. Just give me a minute to tuck this all away." She closes up all her books and charts and tucks them back in a satchel that's hanging on her hip.
Kyprin Kane smiles at the invitation and dips a brief bow, "We'd be honored!" and he waited until everything was packed away to follow after her, scooping Phosyx off his hip and plopping him on his lap as he folds himself into a chair, wriggling thus and that way to get his fin sitting right. "Do you need help rebuilding? I'm a fair hand at most anything, given time and the patience to learn!" Phosyx was so entranced by Dorri's horns he is sitting up on his back legs, to his full 16 inch height, front paws bracing on the table so he could stare.
Dorri blinks at Phosyx and dips her head down, bringing her horns low to the table to gauge the little dragon's reaction. She speaks while doing so. "Thanks, but I think you'd only hinder me, unless you're able to climb cliff faces easily while hauling heavy timbers."
Kyprin Kane glances down at Phosyx, watching him carefully. The dragon gives a short "mareet!" with a hiss and lifts himself onto all fours on the table, taking a few steps foreward and rocking onto all fours again, one forelimb reached out in a pawing motion. Kyp's eyeridges shoot up into his head scales, "he's never done -that- before" he says quite cheerfully, his hands piling on either side of the creature to ensure he wasn't going to escape control. "I fear I'm not much of a climber, that's true!" a grin. "But I can move stone, or earth, tamp ground, drive holes..." He shrugs softly. "If you think of something, my camp is at the edge of town", he pointed, "you can't miss us, I'm the one with the dragon."
Dorri laughs. "Don't worry. He can't really hurt the horns. They don't have nerves, so as long as they don't get cracked, it's fine." She raises her head back up and looks to Kyp again. "I might take you up on that. It really depends on how much rebuilding is needed. I hadn't really thought of changing the design, but if I'm rebuilding the tower anyway... hmm..."
Kyprin Kane never takes his eyes off the small reptilian mite as he rocks back and forth on his back legs, before taking a few steps closer, stretching his entire body out to sniff at Dorri, specifically at those horns. "They tell us they are no more intelligent than cows... Looking at this one I believe it. He usually has three thoughts, food, bite, sleep. It's fun when he realises there is a world around him." he nods to her, "I'm more than happy to help -- and there's no compensation needed. It just gives me something to fill the time until we must depart again. I'm happy to help just for the sake of helping." His stomach grumbles and he looks abashed, "Oh I'm sorry! how rude."
Dorri wiggles her horns back and forth as her puffy red hair hangs down over her face. "Where are you headed?"
Kyprin Kane breaks into a grin as the little dragon hops forward, planting his paws on her horns and then jumps back, tail lashing. "hah! He spooked himself" He debated avoiding the question again, but instead replied, "We are looking for a person, one whom.. understands his kind, I'm lead to believe. We are ... bonded.. I'd have no life worth living without him in it. I have to understand that more. Okay thats enough" he tells Phosyx and scoops him off the table, plopping him onto the shoulder pad with a firm "stay!". Phosyx slithers into Kyp's lap to watch those horns from there, but there he stays. "He's usually such an awful little wretch, we will have to come visit you again soon, I've never seen him respond to soembody so positively!"
Dorri smiles. "Well, if he's always so charming, I don't mind his company." She looks the little one over and frowns. "When you say 'his kind', what do you mean?"
Kyprin Kane rubs his neck fit with his uninjured arm, the other gently stroking over the scaled body, checking for dry spots while he pet Phosyx, who was behaving perfectly, watching her with a single paw resting on the table for balance. His expression was one of trepidation, "He's a baby dragon". There was always a test on how they'd respond.
Dorri cocks her head from side to side. "Oh yeah, makes sense... I've had to run off a few juveniles who think the observatory would be a good cave, but never seen one quite so little before."
Kyprin Kane releases a breath he didn't know he was holding and grins softly. "Yeah, he is a newborn, or just about. His egg came into my path and well." His gaze when he looked at Phosyx was nothing less than parental love, for all he wore bandages that covered the entire length of his forearm. "I don't envy you meeting anything bigger than him. They are terriyfing, a predator at their core. Never run from a dragon..they'll just think you are worth hunting!" That sounds like the voice of experience!
Dorri laughs. "They tend to leave me alone once I kick them off my mountaintop. You should see the look on their faces when I knock them almost to the next peak over."
Bracvar is finally calling it quits after a full day at his market stall, having unloaded almost every fish he had brought along this time. Granted, he had mostly kept to large specimens, so the volume was impressive, but the numbers were manageable. He tosses the tray of ice flakes out under his cart, dropping the tray off and heading towards the Minnow, humming happily and hauling the last three huge fish along. The crustacean enters the tavern, awkwardly scuttling to try and get his four legs through the doorway without scuffing the frame, and heading straight to the bar. His mostly-frozen catch thuds loudly as he presents the fish to the barkeep as a gift. "Good evening keeper! Three morsels for four ales tonight, sound good?" The barkeep looks over the fish, shrugs, and pours Bracvar his first pint.
Dorri looks as she notices the crab. "Ah, good evening Brac."
Bracvar takes up his pint and turns toward the familiar voice, raising the tankard in greeting. "Good evening Dorry!" He scuttles his way closer to avoid shouting across the room to her, taking note of her interesting company. "How are you tonight?"
Kyprin Kane jumps a bit, his hand moving to cover the small dragon's head protectively when somebody opened the bar door, the reptilian's eyeridges lifting when a large four legged, man walked in and he smiles- when he walks over. in a muted motion, Kyp gently slides back a quarter inch so he could wrap his hand around that muzzle, turning the dragon into a quiet dark patch on his lap. He himself was not particularly exciting, a reptilian with a fin that cascaded down the back of his head and into his clothes, which were leather and thick cambric cloth. Oddly, he had one shoulder heavily padded, but not the other. Today he wore black, though the handsome yellow trim that suited his top was the perfect shade to pair with his fin. His eyes were the same shade of yellow. "Salutations" he said quite companionably.
Dorri sips at her ale and shrugs. "Less exhausted than last night, and this fellow and his funny pet are good company." She smiles at Kyp and wiggles her horns a bit where Phosyx can see them.
Bracvar chuckles, glad to see Dorri seems to be in good spirits. "Excellent!" He turns toward the stranger, giving him a smile hidden by his beard, showing only in the corners of his eyes as he offered a handshake in greeting. "Good evening to you as well, friend! I am Bracvar of the sea, who might you be?"
Kyprin Kane chuckles softly, though he corrects dorri, "he's actually my companion. he owns me, not the other way around." And.. hoping he was doing the right thing, his hand moves off the dragons head, reaching out to take Bracvar's with a solid shake. "I'm Kyp. The little demon is Phosyx." it sounded like Faw-six. The 'little demon' was, as soon as his mouth was free, back with one paw on the edge of the table, standing on his back legs. . . . Phosyx looks like most quadrupeds, four legs that came to hips and went down to the ground, ending in 5 toed feet with vicious gleaming black claws more like birds talons than nails. His skin was glistening, the dragon himself a dark hue of blue. However, Phosyx has absolutely no interest in meeting the new person, as those horns still existed on Dorri's head. . . . "It's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of another in this fine town!
Dorri leans over and pokes a horn toward Phosyx's curious paw, giggling a bit. "He likes my horns, I think. Can't really blame him, they're pretty fabulous."
Bracvar appreciates the reptilian's strong handshake, but eyes Phosyx curiously. He grins at how the little beast seems so interested with Dorri's horns, figuring if she's so comfortable with it, then there can't be any problem. "Glad to meet you, as well! There really is no end to the number of new faces around here this time, hm?" Bracvar takes a swig from his tankard, glancing around for his 'chair'. "Would you two mind if I have a seat here with you?"
Dorri sits up for a swig of her own ale and smiles. "Please do." She then goes back to playing with Phosyx.
Kyprin Kane watches Phosyx for another few seconds, but seeing Dorri could handle her own, and the little lizard in a much better mood, he took his other hand, one wrapped heavily in bandages around the entire forearm, off the dragon. Phosyx jumps onto the table, sitting up on his backlegs entirely , leaning on his tail for balance, to plant both paws on her horns and lick at first one then the other, sniffing and pawing at them a little. He was utterly fascinated, every ounce of attention the dragon possessed investing in that moment. "I don't mind at all, more company the better! I'd like to get to know folks around here, maybe somebody has work for me, while I'm here." He was having the hardest time not watching Phosyx and his explorative encounter.
Dorri bursts out laughing at the little dragon's antics. She wriggles her horns back and forth, teasing the beast with them.
Bracvar nods and sets his tankard down at their table, turning and scuttling away with the chair he had been standing behind and returning with a stripped down log in it's place. Before taking his seat, Bracvar opts to head back to the bar and request his other [Bracvar sized] ales. Upon returning once more to the table, he sets them down, one next to his own tankard, and offering one to each Dorri and Kyp.
Phosyx' little claws scrabbled for purchase as she moved back and forth, dragging the front end of the dragon left to right just a little, as he emitted a cheerful little 'mareet!' again and tried to bite the horns, but found his mouth couldn't open anywhere near far enough.
Kyprin Kane watches Bracvar return and the sight of the tankard was a welcome one and he said, "Oh by the sands themselves, yes please." injured hand goes out, grasps the tankard with both of his hands, impressed by its size. He is almost dwarfed by the impressive drink, if he wasn't such a stocky big boned thing he'd look comical holding it. His face buries into the foam, and doesn't come up until it's half gone, and his eye-ridges and muzzle both are fuzzy white with the head of the ale. "Oh god that's the best thing I've ever tasted" he moans in delight.
Dorri pauses her play with Phosyx to finish up her own mug of ale before nodding gratefully to the one presented by Bracvar. "The brown here is so good..." She takes a long sip of the big mug, hefting it up in a single hand as if it were nothing. She flicks her ears in delight and lets out a pleased little bleat.
Bracvar grins, glad the two are happy with the drinks. Honestly, he was only planning on having two anyways. He hovered his hips over the log, settling down on it gently and sighing. His leg tips slid across the floor as the long appendages relaxed. "It has been the longest day. I hope the heat breaks before our caravans depart." He took another deep drink of the first tankard, setting the empty cup down and eyeing Phosyx again.
Phosyx emits a sound almost identical to his name when she finally pulled away, his neck stretched out, front paws stamping on the table it was clearly a sign of distress.
Kyprin Kane chuckles, "Oh you big baby, stop, she's coming right back" but when he goes to pat the dragon on the head, he gets teeth in his fingers for his trouble. He twitches a little but doesn't show any other sign of the little needle points in his hand, though he gently pries his finger back. "So help me if you bite anybody else you are getting muzzled!" he says with an annoyed look, stuffing the finger in his mouth, sucking on it to clean the blood off before the dragon showed his true colors. he returns to the tankard, taking another long drought from it with another satisfied sigh. "I do not suggest petting him right now" he tells Bracvar in a wise tone. "He's decided he likes her and we should be so grateful to be in his presence."
Dorri glares at Phosyx's rude behavior. "Now now young lad. That's no way to carry on with your friend." She sighs and cocks her head to side. "I'm of the mind to maybe stop letting you poke at my horns if you're going to act that way."
Bracvar chuckles as he holds up his hand, tapping the brown, nearly chitinous flesh that covered from his fingertips to his elbow. "Even if I were inclined to try, I don't think your little friend would care much for the result. So what brings you to Respite Falls, Kyp?"
Phosyx didn't really speak their language but he knew a scolding tone when he heard it and he rolls onto his side, curling his front forelegs up to his muzzle, pawing at it while his tail curls up over his head. It was really an unbearably cute display.
Kyprin Kane: "Little shit" was all Kyp said, chuckling into his ale. When he finished it, he pushed the tankard away, no longer hungry and looking a bit more himself. "Ah! Well, you see, we were nearby and Phosyx got lost.. I met the lovely Doctor in my pursuit. We needed supplies and Phosyx was sick recently, so we've stopped for a rest. I'd planned just a day or two, but." A glance to his bandaged forearm. "I think we'd best stay until both of us have our health back." His eyeridges thrust up at the tough skin of the other man and grinned, "That would be VERY handy dealing with him! I told Dorri here, he eats books and me. Mostly me."
Dorri taps her own hooflike fingertips on the table. "He'd break a tooth trying to get through these, I think." She reaches out and gently rubs the back of Phosyx's head while leaning down to put one of her horns into his reach again.
Bracvar nods as Kyp explains himself, while also watching Phosyx's display, chuckling when he finishes. "It sounds like you two are having an excellent adventure, though!"
Phosyx, enamored with her, cries happily and rubs his head back on her, though the horn was much to much distraction, for he was back on all fours, reaching up with one paw, the other waving in front of his chest trying to balance, his little tail whipping side to side.
Kyprin Kane: "I reckon he would, but i don't think he's going to ever try. He likes you -- and he doesn't like ME that much!" His finger gave a throb and he sucked on it again, hoping he'd pried it away quick enough, or that he'd build an immunity to the little bites. He nods to Bracvar "Indeed! A world to discover, and with him by my side I am -never- bored. Often exhausted and wishing I'd been bitten by a water nymph or something with a little savagry in his soul...but I'd be lost without him. You should see him asleep, he looks almost harmless." That harmless creature had gotten a paw onto her horns again and was trying to pull himself closer, claws scrambling for purchase as he licked her horn again and again.
Dorri quickly dips her head down to boop Phosyx on the tip of the muzzle with her horn. She laughs as she plays with the little dragon, interspersing sips of ale with horn manoeuvres around the tiny predator.
Bracvar grins at the display of the little lizard playfully assaulting Dorri's horns. "Adorable! The 'gruff old goat' from last night is a doting dragon mother just a day later!" He laughs, taking a long swig from his second tankard, growing uncharacteristically quiet while the two play.
Dorri smirks. "The little beast is charming, and has excellent taste. What can I say?" She goes back to playing with Phosyx, her ale all but forgotten for the moment.
Kyprin Kane gives a bit of a hiccup, his eyes crossing a little as he watches Dorri and Phosyx, enamoured that the little hellion had made such a quick friend. Their antics actually lulled the young reptilian, who had drank more in that moment than his entire life, to rest his chin on his hand and... fall asleep. He didn't snore but his breath grated in and out through slit nostrils.
Narrator When Dorri finished playing with Phosyx, he'd join Kyprin, exhausted as well.
Dorri watches Kyp fall asleep and slowly winds down the play as the dragon tires out as well. She coaxes Phosyx toward her and takes the little lad into her lap and cradles him gently as he sleeps, being very careful with her movements as she drinks her ale slowly. She smiles at Brac and whispers quietly to him, the two continuing their conversation from the previous night in hushed tones.