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OUTSIDE THE SOUTH GATE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Erika is sitting on a blanket at a rock outcropping just in sight of the town's gates, enjoying the sun as she's leaning on the badger she loves.
Cavro leans against Erika, purring quietly and basking in the warmth of both the sun and her presence, the combination of both an excellent substitute for the heat of the smithy. He reaches into the basket in front of them, trying his best to not move more than his arm in search of another small apple.
Erika giggles a bit as Cavro moves, shifting to support his effort without being (too) obvious about it. She sighs happily.
Cavro retrieves two of the small, flavorful apples and holds one up for Erika, grinning. "You you you were right, this is nice." He crunches into the apple in his other hand, looking out toward the distant Southern horizon.
Erika picks up the apple and smiles: "I can occasionally be." She giggles and leans to give Cavro a kiss on the cheek.
Cavro blushes at the kiss, looking up at her with a gentle smile. "You usually are, I I I should listen to you more." He gives her a tight one-armed hug around the waist.
Erika laughs a bit, but then her laugh dies somewhat. "Cavro? I'm..." She hesitates, looking at the horizon as she considers her words.
Cavro tilts his head at her pause, giving her another, lighter squeeze. "Hmm?"
Erika gives a weak smile: "I feel that urge again." She lifts a hand towards the horizon: "I wanna head out. Find what's out there."
Cavro feels his smile falter slightly, his gaze following her gesture towards the South. "Ah... Of of of course! That's not surprising, honestly but..." A shadow of unease falls over his face. "Do you you you actually mean going South?"
Erika shrugs, turning to look at Cavro: "I... I don't know yet. Plenty of unknown space in most directions." She sighs: "...but p-part of me don't want to leave you behind."
Cavro sighs lightly, nuzzling against her side. He remains quiet for a moment, before speaking softly. "Erika, I I I love you, and I don't want you to do anything different than you have. Just... It's been almost half a a a year... Every time you've left the the the gates since then, I I I've been so worried."
Erika sighs, looking down: "I... I think I knew that. B-but... I don't want to make you worry."
Cavro shakes his head, smiling at her despite a glassiness in his eyes. "I always worried. I I I worry about everything. Like I said, just just just because we're... Closer than before..." He blushes slightly, "Go on your adventure, I'll be waiting here for for for you!"
Erika feels her heart jump to her throat as she's not sure she's ever felt her heart this torn in two before: "I... g-guess I will." She leans onto hug Cavro tightly, tearing up.
Cavro hugs just as tightly back, laughing slightly and trying to fix the mood he'd brought down. "If you you didn't go on your adventures, I I I'd probably worry that you'd start sleep-adventuring!"
Erika giggles despite her tears: "M-maybe I would!" She kisses Cavro on the neck, whispering: "Thank you thank you thank you."
Cavro blushes, purring quietly into the embrace. The purr fades quickly as his concern creeps back in. "Just be as as as careful as possible, okay?"
Erika nuzzles Cavro's neck: "I will be extra careful for you."
Cavro sighs, relaxing somewhat from the sudden rush of emotions they had just been through, pulling back away from Erika, turning to kiss her cheek. "That's all I I I want, my love. Enjoy your time out there, I promise to to to not worry myself grey."
Erika giggles, blushing: "More gray." She holds Cavro's hand tightly, not feeling like letting go anytime soon.
Cavro chuckles, glancing down at the peppered fur on his arm. "Fair enough." He blushes a moment later as he realizes he's no longer looking at his arm, but at the okapi's legs past it, looking aside with a nervous grin as he squeezes her hand.
Erika squeezes Cavro's hand some more, smiling as she looks at the horizon: "I just feel there's something out there for me to find. I... I-I'll come back I promise, in one piece."
Cavro follows Erika's gaze back to the horizon, then looking back to her. "Whatever it it it is, I know it will make you happy."
Erika smirks as she turns to look at Cavro: "Fair enough." She sighs, thinking for a quiet moment before speaking again: "First time I've felt this torn. Don't wanna leave you, even though you've always been there for me. How is it any different now?"
Cavro nuzzles against Erika again, letting out a low sigh as he closes his eyes and smiles. "Whatever it it it is, it's wonderful and I I I don't want to let it go any time soon. Out of of of curiosity, where do you wanna explore next?"
Erika hums a bit: "I was thinking of going past Mean Peak-" she points to a particularly sharp-looking mountain in northwest: "And the coastline there."
Cavro sighs a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Not South, then. I I I guess I don't have much to to to worry about. It's only a a a scary mountain and the beach." He chuckles to himself, finishing the rest of his apple.
Erika looks at Cavro and sighs a bit: "I don't wanna worry you. But I think I'm gonna go nuts if I don't find out what's out there."
Cavro nods. "Not worried at at at all, Erika." He glances around them, even though they're not very far out of town. He then looks up into her eyes, chuckling nervously. "I I I mean, this is far enough from the wall for me, right now, but I understand."
Erika nuzzles Cavro's neck again, smiling: "You're there for me." She then just leans on him quietly.
Cavro purrs, leaning against Erika in the quiet as well, letting her presence and the sun be enough to warm him again. Bliss for the time being.
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GENERATOR BUILDING - AFTERNOON
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Maybelline is sitting at her workbench, back in her usual blue work overalls, goggles sitting atop her head as she builds one of the smaller components to the generator, carefully piecing it together.
Doc Plume walks up to the large doors to the generator and knocks, waiting for an answer despite the door being ajar to let in some fresh air.
Maybelline sets her work down at the noise, glancing towards the door. "Oh! Plume! Come on in!" She glances towards the mess of parts off to one side. "Just watch your step over there. You should be fine to walk in though."
Doc Plume walks in, dressed in their work attire but carrying a picnic basket in the crook of one arm. "Ah, good to see you back to work. I came by to do the weekly follow up, but also to chat a bit." They open the picnic basket to reveal a copper carafe of May's favourite tea from among Plume's selection as well as a box of pastries from the bakery.
Maybelline gives the basket a curious look, eyes widening a little at the pastries. "Aw... you didn't need to do that..." She carefully climbs down from her stool so as not to agitate her leg and limps over. "Been getting better mobility. Still using the crutches for long walks, but the excercises are helping."
Doc Plume smiles. "That's good." They look around for somewhere to set up the impromptu afternoon tea. "Any issues with the wounds healing? Anything you want me to check out?"
Maybelline motions towards the hallway connecting to her quarters. "We can setup in there if you want." She leads that way, the limp rather pronounced, but she doesn't appear to be in too much discomfort. "There's still some residual magic scoring along my side... don't know if that'll ever go away though. Just a big purple sploch under the fur. Might be worth looking at? But I think that's pretty typical, considering my level of exposure."
Doc Plume nods. "Given the location, you should probably come by for checkup." They follow May toward her living area. "Some discoloration is normal, but it's important to make sure that it's a side effect of the ICEE and not an internal bleed."
Maybelline leads to the table she has set-up for dining, the room having been built with a larger occupant in mind, it's all furniture designed for folks Plume's size. "...probably smart. Yeah. Been working on the new generator, and it's not been causing pain, so I haven't thought about it. You need any cups for the tea?"
Doc Plume nods. "I figured you would have some. Didn't want to risk any of mine since it takes forever to get any new porcelain here..." They set the basket down on the table and open the pastry box to reveal an assortment of cookies, scones, muffins, and other tea-time treats.
Maybelline opens up one of the bottom cupboards, all her dishes stored at the lower level, and removes two cups. She chuckles, bringing the two mugs to the table before climbing into her seat. "Heh. Porcelain, eh? These are just cheap ceramics, but they do the job."
Doc Plume shakes their head and blushes a bit. "Blame it on my upbringing, I guess. It just doesn't taste quite right out of anything else." Nevertheless, they pour the tea into the cups and sit down, taking a small gateau and nibbling at it between sips.
Maybelline shrugs, "Or blame mine. My lips have never touched porcelain, so maybe I'm missing out?" She does reach for a sugar cookie, quickly eating it before even tasting the tea, giving a satisfied hum.
Doc Plume laughs. "Well, you're welcome to try next time you're over. I use metal with patients because it's easier to sterilize..." They sip more tea as they just take tiny nibbles of the dessert, barely half of it gone despite frequent bites. "So... how are things with you and Louma?"
Maybelline blushes slightly as she takes a sip of the tea. "We're... good. Good, I think. I mean, we've only had the one date, but it seemed to go well. Best first date I've ever had." She laughs awkwardly.
Doc Plume giggles a bit. "Sure. It's nice to see you so happy, though. I mean, I'm no relationship expert, but it definitely does good things for the body..."
Maybelline nods, taking another cookie. "I'm definitely no expert either... I've... never been in a relationship before. I've tried, ugh... so many times, I've tried. Louma... approached me. That's never happened before. Not for real, anyways."
Doc Plume nods. "Fair enough. Any time anyone tried anything with me, I just brushed them off because they didn't know who I really was, or even if they did, they probably just wanted me for my family connections. Once I got here, though, it was different... and me and Nesseth, it just happened..."
Maybelline smiles, "Maybe... same for me I guess... though, I tried with Annika, and with Vix, but, they weren't really interested. But still, clean slate and all. It's crazy to think about it all even happening, and I'm not gonna say I'm in love or anything yet... but I really hope this works out."
Doc Plume finishes the gateau, finally, before taking the final sip of tea. They pour a refill as they think for a moment. "It took a while for either me or Nesseth to say that we loved each other. I don't think you should rush into. Just spend time with her and enjoy it and let the rest take care of itself."
Maybelline nods, "That's wise, I think. Like I said... I don't want to settle for someone. I want to be sure we'll work out. And even just with our sizes there's a challenge there. I don't know anything about Louma's background yet either..."
Doc Plume ponders. "Yeah, I hadn't thought about the size issue, but you're good at climbing, so that's something?" They giggle a bit. "As for her background, I have no idea. Nesseth would be a better one to ask about that." They take up a lemon muffin and eat it in more sizable bites as they settle into their second cup of tea.
Maybelline glances into the box, reaching in to take a muffin, though she blushes a bit as Doc mentions climbing, and can't help but giggle along. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind me climbing her either, from what I can tell." She grins, taking a big (relatively) bite of the muffin.
Doc Plume blushes and laughs. "I guess I'm lucky that me and Nesseth are about the same size. It makes things pretty normal-feeling. And not that I care about what my family thinks, but they'd be even more scandalized if he was really big or small..."
Maybelline thinks a moment. "I... my family wouldn't really care, I think. So long as I'm happy. Mom and Dad were both stoats, but they accepted everything else about me." She chuckles, "What's one more thing on top of it all? Granted, I don't think Louma would fit in their house."
Doc Plume giggles at that mental image. "Yeah. I did have one housecall that was a bit awkward. I managed to squeeze into the rathole, but we ended up just bringing the patient back to the clinic because I could barely move in there."
Maybelline laughs, emptying her tea cup. "I said as much to Louma. I don't know how folks ever manage to get things done being so big."
Doc Plume shrugs. "It's all a matter of scale. I mean, we're all like that to Brun, I imagine." They refill May's cup as they ponder something. "I know this is a sensitive topic, but you should try to not exert yourself too much if you and Louma get up to... adult activities."
Maybelline 's face reddens swiftly, "W-well uh... that's not on the table um, yet anyways."
Doc Plume nods. "Sure, but when it happens, keep in mind that you're still recovering, all right?" They grin at May before taking a long sip of tea.
Maybelline takes a moment to recover herself, but nods, "Well, yeah, that... of course. But I don't know if we're going to rush into any of that, but, I promise to take it easy if we do." She lifts her teacup back up to take a sip, taking a long moment to think on that.
Doc Plume lets May have her think before the pair move on to discussing less intimate matters. The pair spend most of an hour in each other's company, talking away until all of the tea and treats are gone, with Plume only eating a scant few of the latter.