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OLDHAMMER SMITTY - MID-MORNING
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Erika peeks in from the door, a big grin on her face: "Caaavro! I got news!" Needless to say, the okapi is a touch excited this morning about something, just short of her whole being vibrating.
Cavro perks his little ears up, peeking out from behind the workbench. "Ah, come in, Erika! I'm I'm I'm back here." The smithy is lit by a number of old lanterns hanging from the walls, revealing a mess of clay chunks and dust all over the floor. A pile of freshly unveiled parts takes up his entire workbench.
Erika grins brightly as she steps in, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust. As she looks about, her expression turns into one of amazement: "...wow. You've been busy!"
Cavro chuckles quietly, though the sound of breaking wood covers it as he open the last mold's frame. "Yes... A a a little bit too busy, maybe... Just need a moment." He pops the other half of the frame free, then uses a hammer to thump the clay until it starts cracking away. "How- are- you- doing- today?"
Erika steps as close to Cavro as she dares as he's working, grinning almost ear to ear: "I'm having family!"
Cavro looses his grip on the hammer, which escapes him and skitters across the floor ahead of him as he turns to Erika. "Wha wha wha wha wha..."
Erika looks at the hammer go: "Whoa!" She turns back to Cavro: "I mean, I'm having family come over! Family I've never met!"
Cavro sighs a big huff, calming down but starting to blush. "Oh that that that makes more sense..." He wipes his brow, which leaves a streak of clay dust on his fur. He turns back to the mold, using his hands to break it up through the large cracks. "So who is is is coming to visit?"
Erika grins, seemingly unaware of the scare she just gave: "My cousin!" She waves a letter in her hand, way too quickly for Cavro to actually see anything in it: "She's coming all the way from Glacier Bay, if you can imagine it! Eee!"
Cavro grins at Erika's excitement, feeling it in himself as well. "That's fantastic! I I I didn't know you had any family... Wait, where is Glacier Bay?"
Erika blinks: "Oh, it's like... up in Vamas? Way up? And actually that's just where the letter came from, she's a bit of a travelling type I think. Or at least her letters have come from few different places at times." She then shrugs: "Whatever. She's coming to Respite! Eee!"
Cavro giggles, looking up at Erika as he works. "Wow, you're really exc exc excited about this, hmm? I I I can't wait to meet her!" There's a crunching noise as the last large chunk of clay comes free, revealing half of a large metal dish, the whole thing big enough for Cavro to lay down in.
Erika nodnods, grinning: "Yep! We've been exchanging letters for like forever and two days, and now we finally get to meet face to face!" She looks over to Cavro's crafting: "Wow. That's a big one."
Cavro wipes his brow again, nodding. "Mhmm, it's the bottom for for for May's temporary generator." He unstraddles the mold, stepping next to Erika and giving her a slightly dusty hug.
Erika hugs Cavro tightly and excitedly: "You do awesome work. Can't wait to show this to my cousin too!"
Cavro chuckles, looking around at everything. He pauses, remaining quiet as he looks toward the forge where the melted iron reminder still remains hanging from the mantle. "Yes... I I I may have worked too hard in fact... Um."
Erika looks down at the badger, curious: "Umm?"
Cavro releases the hug, stepping back and looking up at Erika, a worried look on his face. "I... Might have... Worked really late a a a couple nights ago..." He scratches behind his ear, blushing. "Like until morning."
Erika looks at Cavro, then takes his hand into hers: "...you know you shouldn't."
Cavro squeezes her hand, smiling sadly. "I know, it it it wasn't intentional. I just kept going, until..." He glances at the broken crucible again. "There there there was an accident, but I I I didn't get hurt!"
Erika looks at Cavro, concern clear on her face now: "...an accident? Cavroooo..." Her tone is a touch hurt.
Cavro shakes his head, trying to smile at her. "It's okay, I was safe. I uh... Also didn't make it home. I I I fell asleep by the door." He chuckles quietly, though out of nervousness. "I'm sorry."
Erika sighs a bit, but then just hugs Cavro tightly, not saying anything.
Cavro hugs Erika back, purring slightly. "You're not mad at at at me, are you?"
Erika smiles, holding Cavro tightly: "No. Just worried." She nuzzles Cavro's head: "Silly thing."
Cavro nuzzles against Erika, purring a little louder. "Okay, thank you." He looks up at her with a warm smile. "I I I promise to be more careful, love."
Erika looks down, smiling: "That's all I need. My strong if stubborn badger~."
Cavro chuckles after a few moments. "Maybe a habit I shouldn't pick up from Master Smitty, hmm?"
Erika lets go of the hug and pokes Cavro's side, sticking her tongue out: "Agreed."
Cavro grins, stepping back. His eyes drop down Erika's body for a moment, and he blushes. "Oh my... I've gotten you all dusty!" He looks down at his smock, an imprint of Erika on it where the clay decided to cling to her instead of the smooth leather.
Erika giggles at the badger: "You never cared about that before. And I get dusty all the time, silly."
Cavro chuckles, blushing. "I I I guess that's true, I just didn't know how how how much clay I had stuck to me." He wipes his cheek, the fur notably more grey. "I'm used to soot, it it it matches my fur at least."
Erika giggles again, looking down at herself, gray soot on mostly black fur: "...yeah, can't tell too much of a difference either."
Cavro grins, sitting on the edge of the mold. "So what are are are you and your cousin going to to to do first when she arrives?"
Erika spreads her hands: "I don't know! I could show her like... everything!"
Cavro chuckles, blushing at the words that come to mind that he can't bring himself to say out loud, which just makes him clam up and giggle to himself.
Erika blinks, looking at the badger: "...what?"
Cavro shakes his head, "Nothing, it it it's probably rude. Do you you you want to get some lunch?"
Erika looks at Cavro for a brief second more, but then just shrugs with a smile: "Lunch sounds good."
Cavro nods, standing and pulling the smock off, tossing it aside. The outline of clay on his cotton shirt is obvious now, but he ignores it and heads for the door.
Erika follows Cavro out, smiling brightly, just happy to be spending time with her lover and friend.
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ELIZABETH'S 'MANOR' - AFTERNOON
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Elizabeth is walking down the street towards her house. As she rounds the corner to see the lonely almost-not-a-shack she's been trying to make livable and still calls her 'manor' if just out of spite to herself, she takes a deep breath. "And this... this is the place I now have, Xochi."
Xochi slithers alongside Elizabeth, her hands folded in front of her. She glances at the home and smiles, "Ah, not much different from my own. Though, it is as you have said. The condition is difficult."
Elizabeth sighs as they near the building: "It is... it has been difficult to accept how much I paid for this. You think you are old enough to not get fooled..."
Xochi frowns, "Oh, I see. I had the understanding of exactly what I had acquired for the cost of coming here. I didn't realize it was not so for you."
Elizabeth shakes her head as she reaches for the door, her hand wavering a bit as she thinks back: "No, I... I was in a desperate hurry to leave somewere, as far as I could get from Sarn and big cities. I trusted the wrong person in my haste." She grabs the door handle and reaches for her keys: "This is what I got for my trouble."
Xochi dips her head in condolensce. "My apologies. This is why I'm here to help, if I am able."
Elizabeth nods, though finds a small smile as the two enter: "I... I appreciate that. It is perhaps a bit unexpected, but not unwelcome." She sighs and gestures about the relatively small house as they enter the main room: "This is now my grand abode, for better or for worse."
Narrator: The more-or-less intact house is now in a better condition that it was upon Elizabeth arriving, but only somewhat. The walls have been repaired so that wind doesn't come in from every possible angle at least, and the destroyed furniture has been done away with. The few rooms and the kitchen are all relatively empty, only one of the rooms having a thick mattress and what little Elizabeth brought with her, in it, still pretty much unpacked because where would she unpack them to? The kitchen table is still threatening to fall apart from Elizabeth's encounter with Enxame, but is otherwise mostly clean, if empty. In short, the house is largely intact, but a far cry from a proper home yet.
Xochi glances around with a curious look, "Very similar, yes. Though it seems you have been quite hard at work, from how you had described this home to me before."
Elizabeth nods, glancing about: "I've had to spend what little I had left, to even get this far, to even be able to sleep and eat in here. It's.. degrading."
Xochi considers, "I suppose I could see it. 'Degrading' remains a curious thought to me. What degrades one may raise another. I am likely unusual, though. This dwelling would yet be an upgrade upon my past, in many ways."
Elizabeth looks at Xochi, slightly surprised: "Oh? You do not seem like you would come from a background this lowly."
Xochi chuckles, "You misunderstand. Not an upgrade in riches, certainly. I am quite degraded myself in this fashion." She moves closer to the wall, idly brushing away an insect before settling down upon her coils. "It is hard to explain what I feel I have gained in coming here that I lacked before."
Elizabeth frowns at the insect - another sign of just far she has fallen - then looks back to Xochi: "Well, I am not sure have gained anything. Surviving, I suppose."
Xochi nods, bowing her head again. "We are similar, but have come to Respite for quite different purpose, I feel." She folds her arms to think, but shrugs, "The past is the past. We both desire it to stay there, I am certain."
Elizabeth leans slightly on the wall with her right hand, looking at a ring on her finger: "...well, there are things I would have rather... still have." She lets out a deep sigh, her expression briefly mournful.
Xochi tilts her head, then sighs. "There are... some things I miss as well." She reaches a hand up to her neck. Those were treated me well despite... everything. I... I have not given myself time to grieve for what I left behind."
Elizabeth shakes her head, wiping the corner of her eye: "Me neither. But... I can not just leave my past behind me. Not entirely. I had... most everything a lady could desire for, and... then I didn't." She sighs, shaking her head: "You did not come here to hear about my grievances."
Xochi watches curiously, then shrugs. "I came to aid you, because I wish to be friends."
Elizabeth nods, then blinks: "You did? I mean, yes... you did." She attempts to gather herself, and finding her smile at least a bit: "I appreciate it. I really do. Just new to me, having folks actually wanting to help without any schemes behind it."
Xochi smiles, laughing. "It is something I have never had. Friends who wish to be my friend. Another upgrade of being in Respite."
Elizabeth nods slowly, musing on the thought: "It is... different. Good, even." She hesitates a moment, then offers her hand to Xochi: "...f-friends?"
Xochi looks at Elizabeth's hand curiously, the grasps it and grins. "Friends."
Elizabeth smiles, probably the first genuine one she's had in a while: "Friends." She opens her mouth a couple of times, as though tasting the word in her mouth: "...it's so strange, yet... I feel I can trust you, Xochi."
Xochi smirks, "Well, I'm no Doctor, and no sayings about trusting snakes comes to mind, but surely there are some."
Elizabeth shrugs: "Some folks have it in them to think that skunks are untrustworthy because we're able to make a stink." She chuckles, shaking her head slightly.
Xochi flicks her tongue out several times in succession. "So you say. But I don't smell like most." She chuckles again.
Elizabeth waves her hand: "I haven't had to spray anyone in years. And no one that didn't deserve it something fierce."
Xochi opens her mouth in what looks like a yawn, two great fangs stretching out, and then slipping back into her mouth, practically invisible as she smiles, "Nor have I ever bitten anyone."
Elizabeth looks at the fangs, impressed: "Probably not the best idea, socially, that either." She chuckles softly, shaking her head: "Anyway, now you've seen what I... well, what I have to work with. Any thoughts?"
Xochi settles back, glancing around the home. "You have repaired. It perhaps needs a bit of cleaning? And to arrange your belongings, too, of course."
Elizabeth nods, giving a wry smile: "Indeed. I have yet to get together any semblance of furniture, really." She sighs: "Doesn't feel right either to have all my dresses still packed up, but not much I can do yet."
Xochi taps a finger "I have never much appreciated furniture. Not for sitting, at least. And... I am interested in your dresses." She looks down at the very basic clothes she is wearing, "I... left my dresses behind."
Elizabeth blinks, brightening up: "Well... I can certainly show you, can't I?" She steps over to one of her big suitcases and opens it, showing it chock-full of expensive-looking fabric: "My one pride and joy that I was able to bring with me. Well, besides my magic."
Xochi follows Elizabeth, looking down into the case full of dresses, her eyes widening in awe, "Ah! So pretty! I can see why they bring both pride, and joy, yes!"
Elizabeth smiles, genuinely happy to be showing off a bit. The ladies spend a good long while discussing their experiences with fancy clothing as they look over and try Elizabeth's dresses.