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ERIKA'S GARDEN - AFTERNOON
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Erika is picking at the roots, weeds and whatnot around the mini-jungle that is her garden. The currently-feral Okapi lets out the occasional frustrated snort or growl, clearly missing having hands for this whole process. She continues though, her level of stubborn in this instance eclipsing those of the town guard. Usable thumbs or no, her garden is taken care of if it kills her.
Cavro huffs as he trots back into the garden through his usual path, toting a pack that looks heavy and makes a lot of rattling when he drops it next to the blanket. He looks up from it as he takes a short breather, spotting Erika. He grins at her determination, though a wrinkle of worry taints the expression. "I I I'm back, I've brought a a a few things."
Erika looks up at the sound of noise. She has gotten better at suppressing the instinct to start running at the clattering sound in her turf, although annoying it is still there. She smiles, having also gotten better at that particular set of muscle movements: "What'd you bring?"
Cavro chuckles lightly, opening the pack and practically sticking his snout in to rummage around. "Let let let's see, some leather straps-" He produces some supple, soft leather straps and drops them on the picnic blanket "-some iron rings-" Cavro drops these on the straps "iron rods, and and and some light tool heads." He produces the rods, though the tools stay in the pack. His expression moves to giddy excitement as his mind is already formulating ideas.
Erika looks at the pile of pieces curiously, her mind not quite getting what she's seeing. The okapi tilts her head and neck in somewhat comical fashion: "...what do we do with these? Or what I do? Or you?"
Cavro giggles to himself, looking to the okapi. "You'll see! I I I think you'll like it, but I'm going to to to need you to model for me, never had to to to make tools an okapi could use before~"
Erika blinks, then stands aside a bit so as to have her side to Cavro: "Like this?"
Cavro chuckles, picking up one of the shorter straps and a piece of charcoal before stepping up to Erika. "Yes, sorry. It might get a a a little boring." He looks about the garden at the work she'd managed to attempt. "How did things go while I I I was out?"
Erika gives a small snort: "It's hard. Can't do as much, or as fast, or like... anything."
Cavro kneels next to Erika, stretching the strap out along her foreleg. He marks it for working with the charcoal, quickly taking up a second piece and doing the same. "I I I know... I want to help, that's what this is hopefully going to do..."
Erika looks at Cavro work, giggling at his touch: "I don't know what you're measuring, but it tickles!"
Cavro chuckles at Erika's laugh, then looks up at her warmly. "You'll see~" He leans back to pick up a few of the rings, setting them on the ground by her hoof. "Lift please~"
Erika lifts her hoof, now definitely curious at this contraption and how it's going to help her.
Cavro nods, sliding one of the rings up her leg, then swapping it out for another, slightly wider one. "Okay, I I I think I have an idea... This wont take too long, I think!" He smiles at Erika before sliding back to his pile of stuff. "So you you you met your cousin, right? What did you say she does, again?"
Erika looks at Cavro work, shifting as he needs her to. "She's a bounty hunter, I think she said. She's big too, like taller than me. Well, me normally. So a bit more. Uh. You get the idea."
Cavro busies his hands with quickly looping straps to rings, fastening them with heavy thread, as well as binding rods in place for support and leverage. It's a familiar feeling, really, to be working and listening to Erika. He glances up as she finishes her sentence, nodding. "Taller than you? Wait... Bounty hunter?" He tries to imagine Erika, slightly taller and toting a large sword. The image conjures a minor fit of giggling.
Erika giggles with Cavro before looking at him: "What's so funny?"
Cavro shakes his head to stop the laughter. "Sorry, thought of you in in in battle dress." He chuckles again, trying to calm down.
Erika giggles a bit more: "Battle dress?" She shakes her head: "Silly badger."
Cavro returns to the task at hand, still grinning. "Did she say when she was go go going to visit again? I'd like to meet more of your family~"
Erika gives Cavro's ear a playful lick: "She's actually been here a couple of times when you've been away. You should meet."
Cavro blushes at the lick, his ear twitching as he chuckles. "Ah, hopefully we we we cross paths. I don't think I'll need to step away again after this this this last trip." He completes the basic framework he was going for, contemplating it for a moment before turning to Erika. "Lift again, please~"
Erika lifts her forehoof, allowing Cavro to do his work again: "I think you'll get along great! She's fun."
Cavro nods, slipping the rings around her leg, where the top one rests a little loosely at her knee, and the lower one sits on top of her hoof after pointing the hoof down to slip through. He considers the frame, nodding to himself as he picks up a couple longer leather strips. "I'm glad you you you two had a good introduction, all things considered." He leans lightly against her as he passes two straps over her back, one around her chest and the other just behind her forelegs.
Erika nods, giggling again as Cavro straps the contraption on her: "Tickles again. What is this thing, love?"
Cavro takes the moment to give Erika a hug around the neck from her side, smiling. "Hopefully, a handle, of of of sorts." He kneels next to her again, retrieving the ends of the two straps and quickly tying them into a basic chest harness. "The harness is is is tied loosely to the frame, mostly to keep it from slipping off when pulling back, and and and so you can drag something with your your your body, not just your leg." He ties it as described while talking about it.
Erika looks at the harness, impressed: "So I can... well, sort of do things better now?"
Cavro nods his excitement as it's coming together the way he'd hoped. He scratches the back of Erika's neck, chuckling. "I I I think so... Let's try a a a hoe, maybe?"
Erika leans a bit on the scratch for a moment before she blinks at Cavro: "O-oh. Sure!"
Cavro grins, fetching a modified hoe head from the pouch, the point it would normally attach to a handle having a pair of hooks mounted to an arched piece of iron. He slips the hooks over and under the lower ring on Erika's leg, and it sits firmly in place. He looks nervous as he stands, petting her neck again. "Al al alright... Try it out!"
Erika looks at the hoe mounted on her leg and tentatively moves it: "...huh." She does a bit of a dig at the ground and giggles at the (relative) efficiency of it.
Cavro gets a bright smile as he sighs his relief. His excitement begins the shine through as he beams at Erika. "How is it? Does it pinch? Is it easy? Do do do you like it?"
Erika lifts her leg and looks at the thing. She leans to nuzzle at an upper ring: "This one's tight."
Cavro nods, reaching up and loosening a few straps. He adjusts the ring a little lower to a narrower spot on her leg, bumping his forehead playfully against her side as he works. "I I I hope these help~ I made this, and a scoop, and a a a small saw too~"
Erika giggles at Cavro's touch, just slightly leaning to it: "You're amazing. You didn't need to."
Cavro blushes at the compliment, hugging her properly with his face buried against the side of her neck. "Maybe not, but I I I wanted to, gardening makes you happy, and all I ever wanted was for you to to to be happy, Erika."
Erika giggles again, leaning down to nuzzle Cavro's shoulder best she can: "Best~."
Cavro looks to Erika's face, still blushing with a goofy grin. "Yes, you are~."
Erika gives Cavro's nose a playful lick with her long tongue: "Silly badger~."
Cavro blushes brighter, chuckling. "Even through all of of of this, you're still as wonderful as ever, my love~."
Erika leans to nuzzle her lover again, blushing slightly: "I'm not. Just me."
Cavro hums at the nuzzle, hugging Erika and gently scratching along her neck and back. "Agree to disagree, I suppose~"
Erika giggles as she leans into the scratches: "G-guess that works~."
Cavro leans against Erika for a little while longer, the two enjoying eachothers presence before trying out Erika's new tools, making adjustments on the fly. He helps with any tasks she needs doing that still can't be done, including but not limited to more scritches.
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SOMEWHERE OUT OF TOWN
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Onira Victus flys down from the sky, bird-like feet touching down in an empty field. She stretched her wings, then folded them again and looking around. She wore only a pair of tan pants cut into shorts and a white undershirt. she also had a canvas satchel that had a few pieces of canvas sewn into the middle to divide it into multiple compartments. She looked around, wandering the field and plucking up specific plants
Strix didn't like going out of town that much, but occasionally he needed to get away from it all. In this case, he was testing a new 'shiny', and he didn't really want it anywhere near stuff it could effect, and so, in said field there was a small tent set up, with some knickknacks strewn about from it, and a sign just outside the perimeter 'Warning: Science happening'. Inside the perimeter, was a kobold, hunched over a workbench, and
Strix screwing something. Rather small, and red scaled, with the exception of one arm, which had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic.
Onira Victus finished gathering what she wanted, though with sharp vision she saw the sigh and took a few lunging steps, getting airborne and flying towards it. She came down to the ground not long after, approaching the kobold and his workbench, though staying a bit away from it "Hello mister." she spoke up, waving a wing and slowly approaching him "What are you working on?"
Strix looks up, looks over to the sign, and back to Oni "..Strix really should have expected this. Strix working on lightning drain. Work out here because lightning powers in city needed. Don't want accident" He motions vaguely over towards the town "Strix also keep people away, because maybe dangerous, but also make safe, because Strix know everyone ignore warning signs. Also other signs...Strix not thing people very good at keeping selves safe"
Onira Victus looks over what he was working on as he spoke and nods "Oh I see. I'm a scientist myself. well, more of a researcher." she spoke and walked around some, bending over occasionally to get better looks at what was under and on the bottom half of his work "So you're name is Strix? I'm Onira, Oni for short."
Strix: "Hello Oni. Strix not know how everyone know's Strix's name..maybe Strix famous?" He shrugs, it will be a mystery forever, he reckons "Oni scientist? Strix shinycrafter, but happy to do bits of science to help craft better shinies" Strix picks up his 'shiny', which appeared to be some sort of metallic rod, wrapped in wire at the top, and he flicks it on..and all the wire around it crumbles. He sighs "Strix need to try more. Strix know it drains lightning..but..it just fall apart..." He ponders "Oni know why? Strix have thought..is lightning inside metal? To make metal stick together?"
Strix: "Not magnet.." He clarifies "Wire metal together.."
Onira Victus watched his work, then looked to him with a small smile "You say your own name." she then looked back to his work "Oh, I don't work with that sort of science. I work with elixirs and transformatives. See? This is the result of self-experimentation." she offered, pulling her under shirt up a bit to reveal a bare fleshy stomach as she looked to him "hm...perhaps try other metals?"
Strix: "Strix say own name?" He seems skeptical "If Oni says so.." He considers the option presented to him "Maybe other metal would work..other metals expensive, copper very cheap. Strix will need to sell more shinies in market" His tone conveys how very little he wants to do that "What sort of transformatives does Oni do? Strix always interested in other's works"
Onira Victus smiled to the taller kobold, then gave a shrug "Well copper is very conductive, try thicker wire." she offered and looked to him as he asked of her work "Oh yes, my work. Well I work on elixirs to change how a person looks. I used to be covered in feathers, but now look." she offered, once more lifting her shirt to reveal featherless stomach
Strix tilts his head "Strix curious. Why do Oni not want feathers? Strix think it interesting that plucking potion made, but not sure why"
Onira Victus: "Oh, it's not just for feathers, but fur and scales too. It's not that I didn't want feathers, I just wanted to see if it worked." she said with a smile given to him
Strix: "Ah! Self testing! Strix understand that. Strix suggest always learning how to cure test before making test on self" He taps his metal arm "Strix learn hard to cure problem after"
Onira Victus nodded and smiled "I see. Well my elixirs aren't really meant to be cured. Though I must say not having as many feathers is quite nice." she offered and looked to him "so what things have you made so far?"
Strix: "Strix make lightning maker, also make light maker, and lighten-ing maker" He ponders "Also Ham Cooker. Strix most proud of ham cooker"
Onira Victus nodded and smiled some "oooh, I see. Hm, maybe we could stop by your lab to see them?" she asked, offering with an inviting smile
Strix: "Strix not have lab. Strix have alleyway. Can visit there, Strix can't stop anyone going into alleyway anyway. Don't have lightning maker right now. Gave to Louma to hunt bear"
Onira Victus nodded and smiled "oh, alright then. I have a lab, though it's kinda far away. But yes, we can go look in your alleyway if you'd like. I'm interested in some of the things you've made."
Strix: "Strix would need to tidy first! Strix's alley not really designed for guests, but Oni welcome when interested. Can make sure shinies work" He seems just the tiniest bit flustered at someone showing interest without any of the underlying derision or expecatation that he'll explode or the like
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RESPITE FALLS GENERATOR - NOONISH
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Brunilda is sitting in her usual spot in the shadow of the generator building, slowly picking at her lunch salad. The elephant has been relatively quiet and noncommitting all day, and is once again just sort of staring into nothingness instead of much in terms of coherent thought passing through her head.
Maybelline steps out of the side door with a sandwich. She up at glances at Brun for a moment without saying anything, then sits down next to the elephant. "Heya, Brun... been kinda quiet today. Been kinda quiet for awhile now actually. You doing alright?"
Brunilda sighs, looking down: "I guess... well, not." She glances at the stoat: "You know the expedition they're doing, right?"
Maybelline frowns, "Yeah... heard about it from Louma. Been trying not to think too hard about it, but deep down I'm worried sick."
Brunilda looks at Maybelline, then nods slowly: "...I c-can see that. A-anyway." She takes a deep breath: "I-I'm not going."
Maybelline blinks, then glances at Brun. "Wait, you're not going? Meaning you were going to go?"
Brunilda nods: "I wanted to. Still do."
Maybelline sighs, "I guess that's one less person for me to worry about at least." She takes a bit of her sandwich, thinking a moment. "Why did you want to?"
Brunilda looks down, shrugging slightly: "I wanted to help. Make a meaningful difference."
Maybelline takes a deep breath, lowering her hand. "Guess I can't fault that. You're fully healed up?" She pats her side, "I've still got scarring here. Doc says it'll never fully go away."
Brunilda leans back, looking at her legs, sighing: "No. I'm... I'm not. I'd be a potential liability. Had both Doc and Louma talk... sense to me, I suppose." She looks aside, clearly conflicted about what was in the end her own decision.
Maybelline frowns, "Oh... guess that sorta explains why you're down about it... still, I doubt they're blaming you for getting injured." She chuckles softly, "I mean, you already made a huge difference as a result of that."
Brunilda blinks, then gives a small smile at her friend: "...I suppose I have. Wouldn't have had the courage to... change, if not for the explosion."
Maybelline nods, "Well, I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't braved the explosion either, remember." She smiles back at her friend. "I owe you a ton. I didn't even know Erika was sick, to be honest, but I can understand why you'd want to help her too."
Brunilda taps the side of her head: "I suppose it's just so ingrained up here. If I can help, I should."
Maybelline chuckles, "For tradition? Gotta be rushing off to rescue folks in need? Well, I'm grateful for it... but something you learn when you're my size is that you just can't always do everything."
Brunilda sighs, nodding: "Yeah... learning that, I guess. Feel bad for not helping, though."
Maybelline: "Well... there's other ways to help besides just charging into danger. Just... being the support. Keeping things safe back here so they don't have to worry. Lots of ways to help, and I'm not just saying that cause I need my apprentice." She grins.
Brunilda looks at Maybelline and smiles. The smile then wanes and she looks aside: "Yeah... now I just feel worse about my... other reason, I guess."
Maybelline tilts her head, "Eh? Other reason?"
Brunilda closes her eyes as she rests her hands on her knees: "Distraction."
Maybelline blinks. "Distraction? What do you mean? From... the generator?"
Brunilda shakes her head slightly: "No. Just..." Her throat tightens up a bit as her voice lowers: "E-everyone around me... is happy with someone."
Maybelline stops, then turns to look at Brun, "O-oh. Distraction from..." She sighs, "Well, I guess I've been pretty focused on myself and Louma, haven't I?"
Brunilda nods, but then glances at Maybelline: "Y-yeah, but... I g-guess I would be too, in your stead." She manages a small smile, but it's obvious her heart isn't in it.
Maybelline laughs awkwardly, then pats Brun's leg, "Well... I'm pretty sure I'm older then you, right Brun? I'd tell you what everyone told me, but it's always a bit hollow."
Brunilda shrugs: "D-doesn't really matter. No one wants an elephant except another elephant." She sniffs slightly, clearly having thought about this way too much lately.
Maybelline shakes her head, "And no one wants a stoat except another stoat, trust me." She frowns, "Or they're just not into ladies... that one hurt too. But I think the folks who said no because of my species were worse. A few just wanted to hurt me, but that was early in school. Literally the reason I started drinking..."
Brunilda looks at Maybelline, unable to hide her surprise. "But..." She trails off, not sure how to continue.
Maybelline nods, "Sarn wasn't quite so 'open' as Respite as, believe it or not. The ones who actually felt bad all said the same thing though... 'You'll find someone.' That was just salt in the wound, every time." She sighs, "Every time. And I know it sounds crazy, but then, with Louma, like, out of nowhere, I did." You can't write yourself out, is all I want to say, Brun. If you want it badly enough, just... keep trying. I tried for years and years before anything stuck."
Brunilda sighs a bit: "You're right. That phrase does not help." She looks aside, her voice growing bitter: "I'm just too big and dumb in people's eyes."
Maybelline sighs as well when she looks away. "Told you it would sound hollow." She snorts, "Too big and dumb, eh? Well, size is just a matter of taste." She frowns, "But never call yourself dumb. Tell me, how many people in this town could describe how an ICEE generator works on even the most basic level?"
Brunilda glances back: "Perhaps not that many..."
Maybelline nods, "And how many of them could name the wiring layouts? Tell me, Brun, if I wanted to bypass the main switch on our set-up, which wire do I need to cut first?"
Brunilda blinks, answering without thinking: "The uppermost green one."
Maybelline nods, "And what happens if I cut the yellow one instead?"
Brunilda winces as her only reply. "Ouch."
Maybelline chuckles, "And you learned that without even shocking yourself! You have no idea how many first year Magitech students learn it the hard way." She taps her chest, "Myself included."
Brunilda raises an eyebrow, surprised: "You? But you're way smarter than th- oh."
Maybelline laughs. "Not way smarter. Just uh... more experienced? Not even that much more. But the student's motto at Sarn was you can't learn how to cook without burning every finger." She waves her hand. "Truth be told, that wasn't even my first ICEE burn."
Brunilda finds a small smile, a bit more genuine this time: "Guess... you have a point." She waves a hand: "Still big and thus unapproachable to most, though."
Maybelline shrugs. "Well, most people don't even bother with me either. Too small to even notice."
Brunilda looks at Maybelline: "Their mistake. You're a great friend." She pauses, lowering her voice: "...and I don't want my jealousy to drive that away."
Maybelline shakes her head, "I don't want that either. You're a great friend too. I want you to stay as my apprentice too, but... the friendship is more important to me."
Brunilda smiles a bit: "Yeah... I'm sorry. I'll try to deal with my issues better."
Maybelline shakes her head, "Don't apologize. I'd... rather we talked about this sorta thing instead of letting all boil and blow up on us. I'm too good at just bottling crap up."
Brunilda blinks, then nods: "... fair. Still, I shouldn't be... well." She lets out a bit of a sigh.
Maybelline pats Brun's leg again, then lifts her hand off of her friend. "I don't know. Never had many friends, Brun. But I've had good family. So... I think I just want to treat my good friends like my family. So, I also think that means it's okay to fight and be mad and be jealous of each other."
Brunilda looks down at her friend, finding her smile again: "As long as we're talking about your family and not mine, I reckon you're right."
Maybelline laughs, "Sounds like that, yeah. Yours, or Louma's. Nah, my parents are pretty accepting. I wager they'd like you a lot."
Brunilda smiles, shifting her sitting position as her legs start to feel stiff: "That's pretty great to hear."
Maybelline nods, "They're pretty great, yeah..."
Brunilda looks at Maybelline with understanding: "...still, miss 'em."
Maybelline sighs, "Yeah... same." She smiles up at Brun. "Gotta make new family here, with you and Louma and Doc."
Brunilda nods, smiling: "Yeah... reckon that's what we need to do now."
Maybelline hums. "I'm... sorry if it seems like I've been spending all my time with either Louma, or drafting up the generator plans. I'm nearly done with the latter, at least, though I'm guessing Cavro won't be able to help us until Erika is better."
Brunilda sighs, leaning on her hands: "It's fine. Or rather... I s-should be more fine with it. Find my own distractions."
Maybelline sighs. "Sorry... there's not much I can say that'll make that feeling any better... I know that from experience. But... I am here for you if you need to talk."
Brunilda nods, glancing at her friend: "I'm glad that you are. I don't feel great... but I feel a bit better, if that makes sense."
Maybelline nods, "It does... sorta, yeah." She punches Brun's leg lightly, "I won't hold any of it against you, though. I'm just happy you're here."
Brunilda takes a deep breath, cracking her neck a bit: "Me too. And... I reckon I will stay around too."
Maybelline chuckles, "You know, I'd hug you if..." She hestitates a moment, then shrugs, "Ah, the hell with it." She leans over and hugs Brun's leg.
Brunilda smiles a bit, then gets a bit more mischievous grin. She easily picks up the much smaller stoat and gives her a proper hug against her chest.
Maybelline eeps, but can't really complain, "Always with the picking me! Heh..." She hugs back.
Brunilda lets go of the hug: "Only as long as you're fine with it, of course. But I think you are."
Maybelline nods, "Well, not from everyone. But you're fine. You're on the list."
Brunilda lets out a soft laugh: "The list?"
Maybelline: "The list of people who can pick me up without me yelling like a... well, like an angry stoat."
Brunilda laughs, shaking her head slightly: "Fair enough. Wouldn't pick you up for just any reason, anyway."
Maybelline smirks, "That's why you're on the list. I can trust you to only do it when necessary!"
Brunilda smirks back: "Or when you ask me for it, building a generator bigger than me."
Maybelline nods, "Sometimes, you just gotta accept the limitations that come with your size." She looks up at Brun, "And the advantages too, though."
Brunilda nods and really tries not to sigh: "Yeah, reckon that's the case. I can't deny it's not sometimes really useful being this big."
Maybelline shrugs, "It is what it is." She pauses. "Bigger folk do give better hugs though. So... you can keep note of that."
Brunilda gives a soft chuckle: "I'll have to, then."
Maybelline holds up her hands, "Hey, you know me, Brun. It's just science and fact, that's all I know."
Brunilda laughs a bit: "Fair. Me, I don't know what I know, but... well, something, certainly."
Maybelline grins, "Well, you know more then most, and the rest... you got plenty of time to learn."
Brunilda smiles, offering her hand: "Guess I do, now. Thankfully also someone brilliant to learn from."
Maybelline looks away, slightly embarrassed, "I uh, do my best, Brun. ...do you want to go review the plans with me? I think I'm about ready for a final draft, and I just want a fresh set of eyes on them to ask any questions that pop to mind."
Brunilda smiles: "If I'm being honest, I've waited for the chance. I want to see what you've come up with."
Maybelline chuckles, "Didn't mean to be so secretive? But there's a few points that are a bit experimental, and I want you to say if anything seems weird or out of place. I'm trying some stuff that... might be a bit crazy..."
Brunilda chuckles softly as she finally gets up from her sitting position: "Crazy is very relative. You're talking to someone who dove into a generator room about to go boom."
Maybelline laughs, "And good thing you did! But this is a little less of that kind of crazy..." She blinks, "I uh, hope."
Brunilda laughs, looking at her friend: "Let's hope so. Either of our sides can only take so much."
Maybelline snorts, "Well, if there's a next time, you can assume it's my fault anyways and just leave me there."
Brunilda winks: "Like I ever would."
Maybelline gives Brun a thumbs up, "Don't I know it." She hops up and heads back into the main room, no real doubt in her mind that Brun will follow after.
Brunilda steps back in after Maybelline, eager to learn and feeling a whole lot better about everything.