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OLDHAMMER SMITHY - LATE AFTERNOON
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Erika swings in from the door, smiling. "Hi Cavro!" The okapi does a quick glance and lets out a relieved sigh: "PHew, Dad's not here."
Cavro pokes his head up from behind the cold furnace, his snout knocking a pair of tongs off the edge that he manages to barely catch. "Hello Erika! I think he got got bored, the bellows aren't running."
Erika smiles and waves at her childhood friend: "Hey, you!" She walks over, grinning: "Or he finally listened to Mom."
Cavro snorts a laugh, setting his tools down and wiping his paws on his smock. "What are you up to today?"
Erika steps over to hug the badger, grinning: "Well, that for starters!"
Cavro hugs Erika back, careful to try and keep his greasy smock away from her. "Favorite time of day! No but really, the furnace isn't working, so neither am I today."
Erika glances at the furnace as she lets go of the hug: "Oh? It doesn't want to play?"
Cavro shakes his head, pulling a broken chain link out of his pocket. "Nope, guess not. I guess this chain's almost as old as me, though, so can't blame it."
Erika looks at the chain, then lets out a bit of a giggle: "Guess that explains, then."
Cavro tosses it into a scrap bin, turning to smile at Erika. "So I'm free! Let let let's go for a walk, it's been a while~"
Erika smiles brightly: "Sounds good to me!" She starts heading towards the door: "So how you've been doing while I was away, besides Dad getting on your case as usual?"
Cavro pulls his smock over his head, hanging it on a peg by the door before following after Erika. "I've been alright, a lot of of of new orders lately. Haven't been out of the shop much at at all. I did miss you, though!"
Erika smirks: "I certainly missed you too, even if I sorta-kinda love also being alone out there."
Cavro snorts, nodding. "Did you find any new specimens?"
Erika giggles, waving a hand: "Did a few. Also Sharp Peak warrants more explorin' once I can get there again, plenty of nooks there I haven't yet combed through."
Cavro: "Ah, up the mountain you went." He tries to imagine it and shudders a little. "You and your crazy ad adventures!"
Erika gives Cavro a look: "Life's no fun being cooped up here all the time. I don't know how you do it."
Cavro shrugs, looking at a sooty paw. "Iron tells me stories, and lets me tell my my own in turn." He grins at Erika, "Like the ones you used to tell me!"
Erika sticks her (long) tongue out: "Oh it's stories you want? I've got stories." She gives her friend a poke in the shoulder: "Your eyes just kinda glaze over when I start talkin' plants."
Cavro snorts a laugh, "Oh? Who who fell asleep while learning about the benefits of of twisting nails?"
Erika blushes a bit: "...I had a long day that day."
Cavro grins. "When's your next adventure starting?"
Erika shrugs as the two walk onward on the side street: "Dunno yet. You know how it goes. I'll stay for a bit, then the drive hits me and I go."
Cavro smiles a little softer. "I'm happy that you get to to go out like that, being stuck in some cramped job would probably drive you nuts."
Erika giggles, waving a hand: "It totally would! I wanna go out and... you know, find stuff!"
Cavro snorts before his stomach starts gurgling. "Oh, I haven't eaten anything yet! Do you you mind if we get some food?"
Erika looks at Cavro, grinning: "Oh I don't mind! Food is generally a very foody and good idea."
Cavro laughs harder. "A foody idea?"
Erika nods: "Yes. An idea that contains food. And having a lunch obviously contains food, or something is wrong with it."
Cavro grins, then looks about where they've wandered. "Oh, I haven't been this way in in in a while. Is that dela... delic... Little restaurant still open?"
Erika blinks, the nods: "Oh! The deli place, whatsitname? Sure, we can go there."
Cavro: "I don't think it had a name last time I was there, just that word I I I can't pronounce. It was around the corner there, I think?"
Erika nods, musing: "Yep, it is. Was. Can be? Possibly?"
Cavro rounds the corner, spotting a familiar sign that does just read 'Delicatessen' in plain script. Thee are two wrought-iron tables with two matching chairs each outside the front, with a large open-air window facing them. Cavro trots up to a table and pulls the chair out for Erika.
Erika gives Cavro a small grin as she sits down: "My, what a gentleman."
Cavro blushes a bit and wanders around to the other chair, admiring the work of it for a moment before taking a seat. "You know, I'm pretty sure your father made these..."
Erika glances at the tables and chairs: "...iiiiit's entirely possible... he's made a lot of stuff around this town."
Cavro is slightly distracted, tracing a finger along the lines around the edge of the table. He's startled when a reptilian waiter appears beside the table, waiting for their order, nearly falling out of his seat.
Erika almost manages to stifle her giggle, before turning to the waiter and just asking for a salad and juice.
Cavro blushes again, righting himself and ordering a simple meat stew. The waiter nods and heads back inside. "It's so chilly out here."
Erika looks at Cavro curiously: "Chilly?"
Cavro: "Well, compared to the forge."
Erika sticks her tongue out again: "You spend too much time there then."
Cavro snorts a laugh. "I've been hearing that a a a lot! So tell tell me about your visit to Sharp Peak~ Just, uh, leave out the heights maybe?"
Erika nods: "Will do. Won't mention anything mountainous about the mountain, check." She gives her friend a wink before starting on her story: "So, as I was coming back from Bairnell's, I thought 'hey, I haven't gone that way in a few years' and just started wandering..." The two spend the meal talking about Erika's journey and whatever else that comes up.
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NESSETH'S HOSUE - EARLY EVENING
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Vix takes a moment to straighten her clothes before knocking on Nesseth's front door. "Helloo?"
Nesseth answers a short while later, scratching one of his head frills. He's currently got an apron over the front of his regular outer wear, clearly having been in the middle of cooking. "Yes?" He blinks after a moment, then looks down upon seeing the top of Vix's head at the edge of his vision, "Oh, evening, Vix. This is a surprise."
Vix fidgets a little. "Well, you did say I could come over anytime..."
Nesseth chuckles as he steps back and gestures for Vix to come in. "Well, I mean, this is a surprise in that you're actually knocking on the door. The last several times, you were already lounging about before I even get home."
Vix pouts. "Want me to enter through the window instead?"
Nesseth shakes his head with an amused smile. "Nah, come on in, Vix. Make yourself comfortable; I was just cooking some dinner."
Vix smiles and makes her way through the door, closing it behind her. "I thought I smelled something good~! Don't mind if I help myself~"
Nesseth takes a moment to adjust his apron as he wanders back towards the kitchen. "Well, you'll have to wait, I'm afraid. The food's only about halfway done, so far." He smiles, "You're welcome to wait, if you want."
Vix hums and leans against the back of the couch. "So um...about the other day...I feel like I learned a lot!"
Nesseth tilts his head a bit as he looks at Vix from over by the stove. "You learned a lot?"
Vix blushes and nods. "Y-yeah! I think that's the best way to put it, right?"
Nesseth shrugs a bit as he gives the pan he's tending to a bit of a shake to keep the meat from sticking. "I guess? I mean... what might have you learned, then?"
Vix fidgets a bit as she glances at Nesseth's cooking progress. "Er...for one, the real thing feels really really good~"
Nesseth smiles as he looks back over at Vix after checking the food and giving it a bit of a mix. "There's definitely a certain extra something that way, isn't there?"
Vix blushes. "Also, you're like...REALLY smooth!"
Nesseth blinks and tilts his head again. "Smooth? How do you mean?"
Vix: Your uh....your scales...and your charisma I guess?
Nesseth takes a moment to examine the scales on his arm, then chuckles. "I suppose my scales are pretty smooth, yeah, but I never thought I was all that charismatic."
Vix hums. "I'm sure charisma plays into being a good kisser, yeah~?"
Nesseth arches an eyebrow as he furrows his brow. "Eh... I don't really know about that, actually. Maybe? I just... do what gets a good reaction, I guess. Plus... Plume loves kisses, so I guess I need to be creative with their beak."
Vix chuckles. "I think it's up to your partner to judge, though~"
Nesseth hums and smiles a bit. "I suppose that's true, yeah."
Vix scratches her head. "Anyways...I guess I also figure I'm not that good on top. I almost fell off!"
Nesseth laughs a little, smirking jokingly. "So you're saying that you prefer being the one resting while your partner does all the work?"
Vix smirks. "Doesn't seem hard to talk you into it~"
Nesseth shrugs with a sheepish little smile. "It just felt right. Plus, I mean... I don't exactly tire too easily because of my job."
Vix: I should have more stamina, too! Maybe there's some way to conserve it as we go...
Nesseth gives the pan another vigorous shake, then moves to empty the contents of the dish into a small bowl. It looks like a savory meat stew of some sort. "Maybe. I think we just got too vigorous, that time." He pauses for a moment, then chuckles again, "Rather, maybe you just got too excited. Remember how tense you were?"
Vix peeks at the dish as Nesseth serves it up. "Phew! Yeah, I was so nervous! I didn't want you to think I was bad at it!"
Nesseth picks the bowl up and sets it on the dining table. It seems to be a bit too large for one person to eat, so it might be multiple portions. He goes back and tends to another pot, which has been slowly bubbling this whole time. "Don't worry, Vix. I was pretty nervous when Plume and I first jumped into bed. I know the feeling, which is why I said to relax."
Vix trails Nesseth as he finishes serving dinner. "I'll be more relaxed next time, I promise!"
Nesseth walks the pot over to the table and sets it on a pot holder, so it doesn't burn the wood. He smiles and playfully pats Vix on the head with a gloved hand. "Alright, then. As usual, just let me know when." He pulls the gloves off and motions at the food as he grabs a couple of plates and various utensils out of a nearby cabinet, "And here we are. Eat up, I made enough for a few folks, I think."
Vix takes a big sniff of the stew's aroma. "Ahhh~...smells delicious! Probably best not to do anything TOO active directly after dinner, though..."
Nesseth shakes his head. "Not unless you want to upset your stomach, no. Better to rest up a bit, and then go from there."
Vix sticks out her tongue as she helps herself to a bowl of stew. "To be honest, I might just end up falling right asleep~"
Nesseth chuckles as he takes his seat and starts helping himself to some food as well. "That's perfectly fine, too. You're already welcome to spend the night here."
Vix sits across from Nesseth and gratefully digs into the delicious food~
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EVENING
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Doc Plume sits at the bar eating a simple dinner of stew and bread. They look completely zoned out and exhausted, seemingly holding themself upright through sheer force of will.
Damina is at the counter, eating some biscuits while also reading up on stuff. The book she's looking at seems to be about local wildlife...
Brunilda enters the bar, looking more focused than she has in a bit. She's carrying a small satchel with couple of books sticking out of it. She nods at the other occupants of the bar before heading to get herself a drink. If she's gonna do this, she has some serious reading to do...
Doc Plume pushes back their empty stew bowl and looks around for probably the first time in many minutes. "Oh, evening folks..."
Damina is almost too focused on reading, but she does look up and respond. "Ah, hey there."
Brunilda nods to Plume and Damina again once she has acquired her pint: "Hello, you two. Calm evening, so far."
Doc Plume drinks down a mug of cold tea and nods to Barkeep for a replacement. "Suppose so. Was a hell of a day at the clinic. Seems there was an outbreak of leeches in the creek..."
Damina nearly chokes on a biscuit when she hears the word "leeches."
Brunilda winces: "Ugh. Lovely." She sets one of her books on the bar, giving it a glance.
Doc Plume nods. "I went out and put up a sign, but stay away from the shallow pool out near the west gate." They shake their heads. "It's easy enough to get a leech off, but doing it hundreds of times... and then for the few that pulled them up and made them spew up their guts into the wound... that's way worse."
Brunilda takes a sip of her pint: "I can only imagine. Though I would prefer not to."
Damina calmly closes her book and orders something to drink.
Doc Plume shakes their head as they spoon sugar into their new cup of tea and add a squirt of lemon. "Best if you don't." They stare ahead blankly again, too tired to really focus on more than talking.
Brunilda nods idly: "Guess it balances out. I had all day to think about nothing at all... and everything." She taps on the book in front of her. "Hmmh."
Damina sighs. "Everything just feels like a mess lately. I'm thinking of doing some guard duty later, if only to just... help get this stress out."
Doc Plume sips at their tea. "Stress?"
Brunilda gives a soft chuckle: "Guard duty is... well, not always conducive to calming your mind. All that time to think and nothing to do."
Damina shrugs. "Well, if anything, it'll help get me away from some certain people. That'll help, a lot."
Brunilda raises a curious eyebrow: "'Certain people'?"
Damina wobbles her head as an indicator that she won't say anything about it at the moment.
Brunilda huh's quietly, but nods. She turns to Doc: "In some way, I am a bit jealous to you. The amount of action you see in a day is more... consistent."
Doc Plume shakes their head. "Not really. There are plenty of days where I hardly have any patients, but I use those days to catch up on recent developments and do administrative work from the busier days."
Brunilda shrugs slightly, then cracks her neck a bit: "Fair enough. Still having things to DO on downtime is something. I stand at the gate on the off-chance someone or something comes about."
Damina coughs a bit. "Well, anyway, I suppose that means we'll be seeing each other at the wall?"
Doc Plume ponders this. "And I'm in the clinic because I know that something will come around."
Brunilda looks at Damina, nodding: "Probably. Although I leave the walltop patrol to others, mostly."
Damina nods. "Still, you might appreciate the company. It does good, I think."
Brunilda smiles slightly: "It's better than being alone, yes."
Bracvar hears a few familiar voices from in his room, making his way down the stairs as carefully as he can manage, though he bumps the railing a few times with his legs, stumbling slightly. His right eye is covered by the makeshift patch, rather than his left. He makes it to the bottom without falling this time, looking about and spotting two familiar silhouettes at the bar. Brac waves in their general direction, slowly making his way wobbily toward them.
Doc Plume finishes their second cup of tea and seems to come a bit more to life. The look up at the noise and nod to Bracvar. "Evening, Brac."
Brunilda nods at Bracvar as he enters: "Hey there."
Damina looks at the newcomer, not having met him before. "Well then..."
Bracvar nods to each in turn, bumping and apologizing to an empty chair before reaching them. "Yes, a good evening to you as well! Just who I wanted to see, so to speak, actually." He turns toward Brunilda, "About my eye..."
Brunilda looks at Bracvar in mild confusion: "About your eye?"
Bracvar: "Aye."
Damina suppresses a childish giggle.
Brunilda considers the crab: "...what?"
Doc Plume looks at Bracvar. "The patch should be on your other eye, shouldn't it?"
Bracvar turns towards Plume, fixing her with a somewhat milky stare. "Hm, should it? Oh..." He reaches up, touching the patch. "I suppose it should."
Doc Plume frowns a bit. "How is the eye anyway? Working well enough to not notice the difference at least?"
Brunilda looks at Bracvar bemusedly: "...that would explain, certainly."
Bracvar messes with the patch, which is snagging on his eyebrow ridges as he tries to adjust it. "If saying yes means I can go home, then yes."
Doc Plume cocks their head. "If you can manage passably with only that eye, then you should be fine."
Brunilda considers this: "I suppose it's not the worst, then, if it's down to 'annoying'."
Bracvar finally manages to swing the patch over his left eye, blinking a bit at how much brighter the bar is when he can actually see it, though he turns away from Plume to hopefully cover up the reaction. "Oh yes, clear as day. You work wonders, honestly doctor!"
Doc Plume frowns a bit. "You should be fine to go, just keep the eye covered..."
Brunilda looks at Bracvar a moment, then shrugs and turns to take a sip of her drink. Not really her issue.
Bracvar grins at Plume, if only to be able to squint and not raise suspicion. "Of course, and I haven't forgotten my promised gift for you, either!" He turns to the bar, looking between Brunilda and a new face. "Well? How about a round of drinks on me to celebrate the occasion?"
Brunilda shrugs, lifting her half-drunk pint: "Sure, if you want to. I can have a couple tonight."
Doc Plume looks to Bracvar. "Anything non-alcoholic for me, sure."
Damina glances around. "Who, me?"
Bracvar nods, grinning. "Of course! Barkeep, three ales and a refill for the good doctor!" He rummages in the pocket of his apron, pulling a meager handful of coins out, setting most on the bar and dropping the last two back into the pocket, where they only -tink- against eachother.
Brunilda takes a swig of her already-progressing drink, then smiles at Bracvar: "Missing home a lot, then?"
Doc Plume sips at the large mug of cherry seltzer that barkeep delivers to them. "Thank you, Brac."
Damina observes her drink, before just twitching her ears and drinking up. Hey, might as well enjoy herself.
Bracvar receives the order; three ales sized appropriately for people as imposing as Brunilda or himself, chuckling as he watches Damina tackle the beast. "About as much as you'd believe, miss guard. This tribulation has been the fourth longest stay on dry land in my 4 decades."
Brunilda nods, smiling wryly: "I can only imagine what that feels like."
Doc Plume sips at their seltzer and nods. "I think it's important for you to get back to the sea soon, so we have to balance that with the health of your eye."
Bracvar knocks out half his own tankard in one go, leaning against the bar after setting it down. "Absolutely! And there's a certain gruff markhor waiting to depart. Speaking of, have you decided on whether you're taking a short adventure with us to Bairnell's Foothold, Brunilda?"
Brunilda blinks, then muses: "...actually, I haven't given it a thought one way or another. But I could definitely use the distraction."
Doc Plume drinks more of their seltzer and yawns. "I should probably get to bed..."
Bracvar drops his grin in favor of a softer smile. "I don't mean to impose, of course. Though I'm sure Dorri would appreciate a familiar face along on her return trip." He turns to Plume, nodding. "Oh? Well goodnight then, doctor."
Doc Plume finishes half of their seltzer before standing up. "Nesseth says I don't get enough sleep, and he's right of course. Good night all..." They give a general wave and head out for the night.
Brunilda gives an absent wave at the Doc leaving, before turning to Bracvar: "Yeah, I figure I can do it. I'll see if we have any takers for it yet."
Bracvar nods, finishing off his tankard with a subconscious grunt of protest. "I'd really appreciate it, thank you. I've actually got two reasons for sending you on this little quest. One of which is I figured the adventure might be a nice change of pace for you after our first conversation."
Brunilda starts to pick up her second pint, but pauses: "...and the second reason?"
Bracvar: "Dorri can use my large wagon to bring her lumber back, and I have few doubts about he strength, but that's a lot to move alone." He scratches the back of his head, sighing. "And after all that happened in such a short time, I don't plan on returning with the next couple caravans."
Brunilda ponders on this, then nods: "Fair enough. I don't mind helping there."
Bracvar gives her a small bow, which causes him to teeter slightly, then chuckles a bit. "Although, with my track record, probably would have missed them anyways."
Brunilda smiles: "I'll do what I can. Will be a change of pace if nothing else." She takes a gulp of her beer, barely stifles a yawn, then sets it back down: "...be that as it may, I think I best head home."
Bracvar taps the side of his empty tankard, sighing. "You're probably right on that, long day today. Goodnight Brunilda." He stumble-scuttles toward the stairs after giving her another small bow.
Brunilda nods at the crab, then starts heading out, pondering about this caravan escort thing she had completely forgotten about...