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MAY'S HOUSE - MORNING
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Vix pads quietly up to May's front door and adjusts her pack. There's a clinking sound as some metal bits jumble against each other.
Vix sets her pack down and starts to place the contents off to the side of May's doorstep, one piece at a time.
Maybelline yawns slightly as she finished adjusting her outfit, a little pair of overalls with short skirt attached, she almost looks cute, not yet covered in magitech coolant and oils in her work overalls. She opens the door, about to head to the bar to get herself some breakfast and coffee, and spots Vix. "Bwah?"
Vix freezes and looks up at May wide-eyed. "Oh! Um...Good morning!"
Maybelline glances down at the parts, tilting her head, "Oh! ...Vix, right? You actually found more stuff! That's amazing! You should've knocked!"
Vix scratches her head with a wobbly spring. "R-right! Yeah, since you said you needed a lot of parts, I thought I should...give you some freebies!"
Maybelline bites her lip, looking down at the parts. She reaches down and picks up one of the parts, which is definitely dirty but in fairly good shape. She almost looks like she's going to cry. "This is amazing... you're amazing! Do you want to come in? I... I don't even know how I can thank you!"
Vix fidgets a bit. "Oh, uh...I guess I could? If you're not busy..."
Maybelline shakes her head, "Oh, no no, not busy. I was just gonna grab breakfast at the Minnow, nothing important..." She looks down at her overalls and skirt, clearly having had something in mind, "Uh... nothing. No, come on in, I can make coffee or some breakfast, I've got some oatmeal."
Vix hesitates for a second, then scoops up the parts she was setting out. "Alright, alright. You know if you feed a street cat, they'll keep coming back, right~?"
Maybelline shrugs, taking the part she'd picked up and leading Vix inside. "For all of this? I owe you a few meals. Besides, I wouldn't turn away a friend."
Vix makes her way inside and sets her pack by the table. She already seems familiar with the place. "Awww, it's nothin', really..."
Maybelline sets down the part on a small table, her house is likely the same as when Vix last saw it, albiet slightly cleaner, a few new unpacked boxes in the corner. She opens the relatively empty cupboard and pulls out some oats and coffee beans and sets to work on making her usual meager breakfast. "Well, I appreciate it, that's for sure. There's just something about this town and the folks here."
Vix nods. "You seem a lot happier lately. I remember you were super grumpy when you arrived."
Maybelline laughs a little hesitantly, "W-well... this isn't where I wanted to be, you know? A month's trip away from home, doing what seems like a dead end job? I still wish I could have done something more to make a big name for myself, but I guess as I've met the people here, I feel like maybe it's not as bad as I thought it would be?"
Vix fidgets with a loose gear, spinning it on the table. "Hey um...May? I gotta tell you something..."
Maybelline climbs up on a stool to reach the stove, stirring the oatmeal as it simmers. "Hmm? Sure, what's up?"
Vix: Most of these parts um...came from here...
Maybelline turns and looks at Vix, tilting her head, "Oh? Well, I guess that makes sense... I have no idea what the last engineer here was doing... maybe they had to sell off the spare parts for... something?"
Vix shakes her head. "No, I um...took them. After the engineer left..."
Maybelline doesn't appear to understand, hesitating before she responds. "You... took them? What... do you mean, Vix?"
Vix waves her paws. "The house was empty! I didn't think anyone would need them!"
Maybelline blinks, then puts her hand on the counter, easing herself down to sit on the stool. "Oh..."
Vix sets a few more of the parts on the table. "So um...here. I'm giving these back. I even tried reclaiming some of the ones I sold!"
Maybelline raises an eyebrow, a cold tone returning to her voice. "Why, so you can upcharge me on them? Why, Vix? I mean... ugh, why am I asking. I know. I've got plenty of family who pulled all the same shit. Guess it's a good lesson for me, thinking things here would be any different."
Vix 's ears drop as May scolds her. "N-no, I...it's...so we can really be friends..."
Maybelline glares at Vix, lifting up her hands to her head and sighing, "And I'm guessing this hasn't been the only place you've helped yourself to. I'm not stupid, Vix. And... and I don't want to be friends with a thief. And I don't just mean someone who doesn't steal from me just because we're friends." She points to the parts, "Is... that what this is?"
Vix shakes her head. "I didn't steal these! I don't steal anything! Nobody owns the things I sell!"
Maybelline sighs. "I... I like you Vix. Or, I thought I liked you. I don't know. You don't seem like a bad cat. And... you're trying to correct a mistake. Maybe I am stupid but... I'd still like to be your friend." She stands up off the stool and leans her head down to stare at the floor, clasping her hands over her head as her ears fold back, "But... damnit. Argh! This is my uncle all over again!"
Vix sighs and counts out some coins from her bag, then sets them on the table next to the parts. "I know you won't believe me, but...Here. Twenty-two gold..."
Maybelline lifts her head, then walks back to the table, climbing up on her chair to look at the gold skeptically, crossing her arms as she stands on the chair. "Wait... really?"
Vix nods and gets up. "I don't really know how much this stuff is worth, but...it's priceless to you. I'll get going now..."
Maybelline frowns, looking over the parts and gold on the table, then slumps down into the chair. "I... yeah... okay. I probably need to... work anyways."
Vix slowly makes her way to the door. "I'll um...bring you any other parts or tools I find. I hope we can still be friends..."
Maybelline raises a hand, then drops it. "Vix. I hope so too. Take... take care, okay?"
Vix waves weakly as she leaves the house. "See you around..."
Maybelline nods, managing to give a faint smile, "See you around..."
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PLUME'S OFFICE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Nesseth knocks on the door leading into the office for a moment before entering, having just finished making sure Annika was settled comfortably back at her room in the Minnow. "Plume? I'm back. Annika's settled in, now."
Doc Plume looks up from the desk where they were finishing up their report for the guard on the situation. "Good... and someone's posted to keep watch?"
Nesseth nods as he strides over to the desk. "Yeah, one of the guards is stationed just outside of her room, now. They'll also accompany her down to the main floor of the bar if she needs to get something to eat or drink, just in case."
Doc Plume nods. "But she won't be allowed to go back until the investigation is done?"
Nesseth hums. "Not until the guards, or whoever the guards send in their place, can determine what all was going on. If it was a simple argument gone wrong, then there might be a fine and maybe a light punishment for whoever caused the injuries. If it's something worse, well... that might take a bit longer."
Doc Plume signs off on their report and leaves it to dry on the desk as they stand up and promptly lean against Nesseth heavily. "I guess I can close up. It's been a long couple of days.."
Nesseth slips an arm around Plume as they lean against him, and he hugs them against his side. "You could use a bit of a break, yeah. You've been fretting over Annika ever since she first came in..."
Doc Plume drapes a wing around Nesseth's far shoulder as they move to the door to lock up. "Sure... though I could probably use your help... just to make sure no one comes after me or anything." They give a saucy, if tired, wink to Nesseth.
Nesseth chuckles at the wink as he walks with Plume to the door. "If you're worried about it, I'll have to make sure I guard you very closely." He playfully nuzzles the tip of his muzzle into Plume's soft feathers, smiling as he does so, "Very closely."
Doc Plume blushes just a touch and giggles. "All right you. Give me a minute to lock up." They move over to the door and lock it as well as switching on the emergency bell. They then slowly walk over to the stairs up to their apartment and look over at Nesseth with a curious look on their face. "What would you do if someone tried to hurt me?"
Nesseth follows Plume towards the staircase and tilts his head at the question. "Well, the obvious, of course. Subdue whoever it was, make sure they can't cause trouble, then haul them to the guards for imprisonment."
Doc Plume heads up the stairs slowly as they consider the answer. "And is that what you'd do if they tried to hurt anyone else?"
Nesseth nods, wondering where the question might be leading. "Yeah. I don't hurt anyone if I can help it. I think making Bracvar stop chasing Strix around that evening where his eye got hurt was the closest I've ever gotten to actually having to seriously hurt a person before."
Doc Plume reaches the top of the stairs and waits there for Nesseth. "I suppose..." They let out a yawn. "Just a silly question, nevermind."
Nesseth climbs up the staircase after Plume, shutting the door to the office behind him. As he reaches the top, he leans forward and gives Plume a soft kiss on the beak. "Well, it must have been on your mind for a little while to ask, right?"
Doc Plume shrugs. "Just thinking is all." They sigh as they move over to their sofa and flop down. "Never really had anyone looking out for me the way you do, you know?"
Nesseth nods and moves over to the sofa with Plume and takes a seat on the next cushion over. "Mmh, yeah... Well, don't worry, Plume. I've got a pretty good feeling for where 'too far' is when it comes to handling others if they're being... well, hostile."
Doc Plume looks over at Nesseth, thinking too many things to put all of them into words.
Nesseth smiles softly but tilts his head as he gazes at Plume, inviting them to try and articulate whatever might be on their mind at the moment.
Doc Plume leans their head back and sighs. "Gah... Too much in my head right now... sorry."
Nesseth chuckles and scoots over, smiling as he simply wraps Plume in a soft hug. "Sounds like you might just need to take a bit of a break and... not think for a little while."
Doc Plume hugs back and nuzzles their beak in against Nesseth's neck. "But it's mostly about you, and I like thinking about you." They fluff their wings up around the lizard to emphasize the point. "I love spending time with you like this..."
Nesseth hugs Plume close as he settles into the warmth of their wings. "It's really nice, yeah... Just whiling away the time without a care, snuggled with you."
Doc Plume closes their eyes as they cuddle in closer against Nesseth. "Mmmhm. So nice..." They stretch out a bit and rest their beak on his shoulder before mumbling something incoherent.
Nesseth hums in amusement as Plume starts to doze against him. He quietly just hugs them close, letting them settle over him however they want as he tries his best to function as a pillow for Plume to rest on.
Doc Plume drifts off into a light sleep for a while, slumbering pleasantly for the moment.