----------------------------------------------
WEST GATE - DAWN
----------------------------------------------
Froge finds himself approaching the West Gate as mountaintops are kissed by early light. Today he's dressed in his best leather jerkin, which happens to be his only one, with his familiar satchel slung on his back, but is also dragging behind him a rattling sled, constructed of rough chunks of coarse wood and rubbery vines. The contents of the sled are hidden by a blanket of wool blue, rather nicely made and in stark contrast to the ramshackle transport it shrouds. The familiar wall brings him a tinge of both anxiety and excitement, quickening his pace as he drags the noisy sled as fast as he can toward the terrifying embrace of Respite Falls.
Brunilda is standing at the gate, although 'standing' might be with a modicum of 'leaning on her halberd' as the elephant is a touch tired. If she spent any time in the night reading about anything that may or may not be relevant to the 'tradition' she's currently (sort of) upholding, we shall not mention more about that. Point is, she's there. And standing.
Froge stumbles a bit as he approaches the gate, trying to slow down with the load behind him as he spots a familiar silhouette in the opening. His face lights up in a wide smile as he croaks out a cheerful "Hello there miss guard!". The sled stops as soon as he does, spitting out a glassy clattering for the sudden brake. He stares up at Brunilda with a bit of awe, her frame silhouetted from his view against the orange sky as the dreadful sun threatens to peek from the East.
Brunilda blinks awak- er, alert. She looks about for a second for the source of the sound before noticing the frog: "Oh. Hello, you. Coming back to trade?"
Froge nods vigorously, the concept of being a trader clearly exciting as all heck for the amphibian. "Yes! I brought a lot to sell, only got to show my goods to the doctor and the genius last time!" He's practically bouncing in place, smiling that dumb smile.
Brunilda raises a curious eyebrow as she stops leaning on her halberd, at least attempting a modicum of 'the guard look'. "...genius? Who?"
Froge stops bouncing, thinking about the kobold. "Oh! It's been so many days, I've forgotten everyone's names! Ah... he kept saying it though, and he made the most wonderful fireball without any firegas!"
Brunilda looks at the amphibian curiously, but then just nods: "...doesn't ring a bell, but I still don't know everyo- hold up. Fireball?"
Froge nods again, chuckling a chorus of happy croaks. "Yes yes! Half a moon ago, maybe? In an alley of all places! I have a gift for him that I'm sure will help make an even better one~" He hums and pats the blue cloth, smiling at Brunilda.
Brunilda lifts a hand on her forehead, groaning: "...Strix. Of course." She sighs and looks back at the frog: "...and you have more stuff for explosions there?"
Froge nods, but tilts his head as he thinks a moment. "Yes and no? It can all be used for explosions, but most use it more for heat, I guess." He shrugs, smiling at her. "I guess they can use firegas for whatever they like, after they buy it from me!"
Brunilda considers for a moment: "...well, I am under instruction to stop anything dangerous from entering, but you DO bring that stuff to Doc too, so... go ahead." She sighs a bit: "Just don't make me regret it. If Strix blows up half the town I'm holding you responsible."
Froge croaks gleefully, his excitement bubbling over as he hops on the spot. "Thank you miss guard! I promise to not cause any trouble this time!" Froge takes up the vine of his sled again and groans against the weight, the sand-smoothed bottom inching forward painfully before the heavy contraption starts moving again, sliding noisily over the street surface as he begins heading in the direction of the market.
Brunilda raises an eyebrow as Froge goes past: "...'this time'?"
Froge moves a little slower, not keen on stopping the difficult sled now that he's got it going. "Well yes, I can't upset any more little foxes! And... Should probably try not to burn the clinic again..."
Brunilda looks at Froge with decidedly more suspicion: "...try to burn the clinic? What have you been up to?"
Froge croaks out a a protest. "Nothing! It was an accident, and the doctor wasn't too upset! I made amends with gifts!"
Brunilda frowns as she stares at the amphibian: "You're really testing my leniency here... I better not hear of any more 'accidents' involving you."
Froge lets out a low, nervous croak, turning his head to speak over his shoulder; "I already promised, no m-ACK!" the edge of his sled catches on a miscreant cobblestone, causing him to catch on the vine, then stumble back against his cargo, which rattles and clinks violently against the quiet morning air. He pauses for a moment before glancing up at Brunilda. "...No more accidents..."
Brunilda frowns and sighs, holding a hand against her forehead as she waves dismissively at Froge with the other: "...just go..."
Froge giggles a nervous croak, taking up the vine once more and trying to tug the sled around the errant stone, eventually getting it moving along to the market. "Have a good day, miss guard, sorry for being a bother!"
----------------------------------------------
NESSETH'S HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Nesseth rests on his couch, stretched out a bit with his head propped up on one arm as he reads a book. Though, 'reading' is probably a slight overstatement of his current skimming of the pages, due to the exhaustion from the all-day patrol he'd volunteered to go on early that morning. After the talk he'd had with Plume the previous night, he needed some time to think, though it really didn't get him anywhere. He sighs as he lifts his head a bit and idly turns the page before resuming his previous position.
Doc Plume has been standing at the door for over a minute, trying to get up the courage to actually knock and face Nesseth again after what happened last night. Their tail droops a bit listlessly behind them as they finally gather their moxie and reach up to rap on the door firmly but not aggressively.
Nesseth shoots a bit of a look at the door as it sounds off. He remains on the sofa for a few moments before he snaps the book shut and puts it down, then slides off of the cushions. His jaw works a little as he walks to the door, his exhaustion tinging his movements with annoyance. He takes a breath as he pauses in front of the door, then exhales and tries to put on a nicer expression for whoever is visiting as he opens it. "Yes?"
Doc Plume is standing at the door. They're dressed in their usual work attire, having clearly come over mostly directly from work. Only mostly because they're also carrying a small bouquet of flowers consisting of three yellow roses and a bit of decorative greenery. They give a half-embarassed smile to Nesseth, still not sure if they shoud even be there. "Um, Nesseth... hi. I came over to apologize... our talk last night, how I reacted... it was wrong. I'm sorry..." They hold out the bouquet tentatively, though their eyes move down to avoid meeting his.
Nesseth blinks upon seeing Plume standing in front of him. His eyes flick between the bouquet and their face, then back and forth again a couple of times, surprised and bemused in equal parts. He reaches a hand forward and carefully takes the bouquet, then steps back to give Plume a little space. "Uh... Hi, Plume, and... thank you for the flowers...? Do you want to come in...?"
Doc Plume seems a touch reluctant to let go of the bouquet, but moreso because they half expected it to be rejected. "No need to thank me, and sure... yes... we need to talk more." They look up at Nesseth, blushing a touch, though out of embarassment rather than the usual reason.
Nesseth makes a bit of a welcoming gesture as he waits for Plume to enter. "Well, come on in, then... You know you're always welcome." He sighs a little, however, "And... what do you want to talk about, this time?"
Doc Plume steps inside and sits down on the sofa, waiting for Nesseth to join them before speaking more. When he does, they let out a sigh before speaking slowly. "What I said last night was true, about how I feel, how I see you, how I see myself..." They shake their head. "I have problems, Ness. Because of how I am and how I've gotten here, I'm pretty disordered. I know it's not healthy for me to have latched onto you the way I have. I really care for you and love being with you, but it's not healthy for me to see you as some sort of lifeline that I'm going to drown without. Saying that, let alone thinking it, it's not right and it's not fair to you..."
Nesseth takes a moment to wander into the kitchen, before returning with the bouquet in a little vase. He sets the ensemble on the table in front of the sofa and examines it for a moment before he sits down next to Plume. Instead of leaning in immediately to hug Plume, however, he leans forward and rests an arm against his knee, to better look at them as they talk. He sighs softly and shakes his head as Plume finishes talking. "Plume... I know you view me as something of a lifeline, because of how I accepted you as you are. I don't regret doing that one bit, and while it might not be healthy, I'd rather you use that lifeline to help stabilize yourself so you can do the good I know you can do in the world, than spend your life confused and uncertain. I can't begin to say I even remotely understand everything you've had to deal with, because I don't, but I don't need to know that to figure out that what you need is stability, someone that always comes back no matter what."
Doc Plume smiles just a bit as their eyes meet Nesseth's for a moment before they look over at the bouquet in the vase. "I like stability, but I can't ask you to hold me up if I'm pushing you down because of it. If we can go on like we were before, then it has to be because we're both benefiting from it. I want to be there for you as much as you're there for me... and I'm afraid that I'm just going to snap at you again the next time you want to do something different..."
Nesseth averts his gaze as Plume looks over at the vase, then shrugs softly. "Couples have arguments, that's just a fact of life. As for wanting... I don't want much, honestly. Even that thing I asked you that led to that whole talk wasn't quite a 'want' so much as..." He pauses, then shakes his head with a sound of discontent, "Ugh... I don't even know how to describe it... But that aside, I don't want much at all, because when it comes to generalities,I tend to feel like taking even a little bit is too much."
Doc Plume reaches out a hand and rests it tentatively on Nesseth's hand. "You're allowed to want things. I want you to want things because otherwise I'm just going to keep taking and taking from you until you've got nothing left to give and you're just... bitter at me or something..." They shake their head. "I don't have all the answers, or any answers, but I think it's worth working on... this thing we have."
Nesseth looks at Plume's hand as it rests upon his, but he doesn't move it yet. "So... what would you recommend, then, if you want me to want things as well? I think this thing we have is worth working on as well, but I'm kind of at a loss in what to think at the moment."
Doc Plume shakes their head, laughing just a bit. "That's not how it works. I can't tell you what you want." They meet his eyes with theirs and gives a soft smile, most of their worry having slowly evaporated over the conversation. "But to start, I guess you could convince me that you want to be with me. That it's not something you're going along with just because..."
Nesseth raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms, giving Plume a bit of an odd look. "Convince you? I'm... not sure how I could convince you further, considering all the stuff we've been doing, Plume... All the things we've been doing, I've gone along with because it's all things I've found fun as well."
Doc Plume folds their hands in their lap, pondering the answer. "Sure, but if I didn't suggest most of it, would you have? I mean, other than you coming over to the clinic after I'm done work, I think most everything else has been my idea?"
Nesseth shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe eventually, yes. At least, except for the dinner, since I'm not a doctor and thus wouldn't have been in a position to get the invitation you lucked into." He quirks a little smile at that, clearly kind of joking.
Doc Plume nods. "Sure, so a challenge for you, then. Our next date will be one you plan, doing something you want us to do, and not just because you know or think that it's something I'll enjoy." Their eyes sparkle a little.
Nesseth laughs a little. "Sure... I can come up with something, with a bit of thought."
Doc Plume smiles. "That's all I'm asking." They subtle scoot a little closer to Nesseth on the couch. "Also, I think we shouldn't spend every night together like we have until now. I think we've had what, like three nights apart and the other two were when you had night patrols?"
Nesseth nods as his expression shifts back to something a bit thoughtful. "Something of the sort, yeah. A little extra freedom in our schedules wouldn't be a bad thing..."
Doc Plume nods. "We have our own lives and it's bad to just... I dunno... plus it makes the time we spend together more special." They scoot over a bit closer to Ness again and lean just enough that their shoulders lightly touch.
Nesseth nods and lightly leans against Plume's shoulder in turn. "It's bad to overwrite our individual lives completely, yes." He turns to look at Plume a bit, "So... are you feeling better, now?"
Doc Plume stretches there wing out and softly drapes it behind Ness's back. "Mostly. You? I still feel bad for dumping on you last night..." They hang their head and sigh. "I guess this thing couldn't stay simple and just fun forever."
Nesseth hums a bit, adjusting himself so Plume's wing can slip around behind him. "If only that were the case, things would be a lot easier." He gives his neck a bit of a stretch, and the creak of his bones is almost audible as he loosens up, "As for me... I've still got a couple of questions... maybe more, depending on my brain."
Doc Plume leans against Nesseth more and rest their head on his shoulder as their hand seeks out his and squeezes softly. "Ask whatever you want, please..."
Nesseth sighs again as Plume rests against him. "Well... first, I guess... what are we planning to do if either of us need to ask a question that... well, involves cultural stuff that the other might not necessarily agree with?"
Doc Plume shakes their head. "We're not going to overreact like I did. I feel so stupid about doing that. We're both adults, we're both intelligent, we can discuss things like intellegent adults, right? At least I want us to be able to." They close their eyes for the moment. "And you can remind me about this before we have any such talk."
Nesseth nods at the request. "I'll try, but I imagine it'll get easier the longer we've known each other. At least... I hope it gets easier, because you have to admit that we're from pretty disparate cultures." He hums as he lightly leans against Plume a little more, "Then, I guess the second question is... What's your verdict on that thing Vix asked? I don't remember if you answered that or not last night during the, uh... tirade..."
to do, like actually want, then I think you should. I just don't need to hear about it if you do, OK?"
Nesseth nods a little and reaches his free hand around to lightly boop Plume on the beak. "Well, regardless of if I do or not, never worry your soft feathers or fur about me leaving you for something like that, okay? I'm not that shallow..." He smiles a bit as he holds his finger in place, "In fact... want to know a little something extra about my culture?"
Doc Plume nips their beak playfully at Ness's finger as they sit up and run their hand over his side. "What's that?"
Nesseth lets Plume catch his finger by the nail, then smiles a little more brightly as he jiggles their beak up and down a touch. "All the other stuff we've been doing? The dating, snuggles, kisses and such? All of those things hold far more importance to my kind than sex. I wouldn't have agreed to all those things if I didn't like you as much as I do."
Doc Plume nods. "You said that last night, or at least I think you did... but maybe I read it in a book or something..." They hug Nesseth warmly and smiles. "And I guess that's why I did the sex stuff, because... well... in my culture..." They shrug a little and just cuddle up close with Nesseth. "But I get it, we care about each other. I'm sorry that I doubted you..."
Nesseth slips an arm around Plume's waist and hugs them close against his side with a little smile. "We do care about each other a lot. I think just about everyone can see it..." He leans his head over a bit and pecks Plume on the tip of their beak, "It's okay, Plume. Like I said, couples argue as a matter of course. What makes them last, from what I know, is being able to work through those moments together in the end."
Doc Plume giggles a bit to themself as the open their beak a bit and return the quick kiss. "It's... I don't know... I never really expected to be part of a couple..."
Nesseth chuckles. "Life is full of surprises. Those surprises are one reason I became an Explorer."
Doc Plume pulls Nesseth down so that they're lying together on the couch. "Well, why don't you explore me and show me some of those skills of yours?"
Nesseth leans down for a quick little kiss, then grins in amusement at Plume's comment. "With pleasure, Plume."