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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EARLY EVENING
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Fiora sits at the bar, yawning slightly after another day of probably overworking herself, just trying to keep herself occupied while Erika works on whatever she's working on. Now, she's just sitting in her workout clothes, drinking a beer.
Brunilda walks into the bar, having taken a bit of a walk to try and clear her head... relatively unsuccessfully. She's still feeling a bit lightheaded from the drinks she had earlier, trying to sort her emotions towards - she pauses in her step as she catches view of exactly who she has been trying to avoid thinking about all day.
Fiora glances back towards the door, "Eyyy. Brunilda. What's up?"
Brunilda blushes a bit, then coughs and walks next to the giraffe: "Hey, Fiora." She hesitates for a second: "M-mind if I join you?"
Fiora motions vaugely to the seat next to her, "Sure! Misery loves company! I mean, that's the saying. I'm not really miserable, just. I dunno. Something. A little drunk. Heh." She takes another drink of beer.
Brunilda chuckles a bit despite her conflicting emotions: "A little drunk sounds about good right now." She sits down next to Fiora, pausing for a moment before continuing: "I've uh... actually been looking f-for you."
Fiora laughs, "I'd say I'm not that hard to find, but I guess I was today?" She makes a motion with one hand, stretching out two fingers to imply a figure running, "Was doing laps around town to keep myself busy."
Brunilda lets her gaze wander down at Fiora's figure for a second before blinking and nodding back up: "I can see that." She lifts a hand to her neck: "I uh... heck, how does one even say these things?" She takes a breath before continuing: "I was... well, actually I had a reason to find you."
Fiora tilts her head to glance over at Brun, "Eh? You need me to find someone? Blow something up?"
Brunilda chuckles nervously: "Eh, not quite... I um." She taps her fingers together: "I like you. A lot."
Fiora laughs, "Ha! Well, I am pretty cool, so that makes sense. Like you too, Brun, thanks!" She grins, the point having completely flown over her head, despite how tall she is.
Brunilda smiles a bit: "You're fun to talk with, and fight with. And..." She hesitates for the briefest of seconds, then stands up, grabbing the giraffe into a nervous, if passionate kiss.
Fiora grins, preparing to return what she assumes is just a friendly hug, only to pause as Brun pulls her close to kiss. She doesn't much reciprocate, mostly surprised and shocked, but after letting it linger for just a moment she pulls away, lifting a hand up to... "W-what? What was... that?"
Brunilda blushes and winces slightly: "...like you. A lot."
Fiora stares at the back of her hand, lowering it back down with a sigh. "Okay, so like... 'like' like and not just like... Gotcha..." She stands up from the barstool and lowers her head to put her hands against her forehead, pacing.
Brunilda looks at Fiora nervously, not sure what to say or do. She swallows: "Well... uh, yeah."
Fiora groans in frustration, "Right! Yes, of course! I mean, I'm awesome! You're awesome! So, right, sure!" She turns fast and punches the wall. Hard. After a moment she untenses, hands slowly relaxing. "It's another damned trap..."
Brunilda winces as Fiora punches the wall, as though she was hitting her instead: "...t-trap?"
Fiora sighs, lowering her head. "Not you. Just... This town... I keep running from this feeling like it's inevitable that I'm just going to be trapped here for the rest of my damned life."
Brunilda opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before she finds her words: "I-I wouldn't trap you! That's not what I..." She blinks, realization hitting: "Gods damn me, I'm an idiot."
Fiora spins on Brunilda, tensing again, but containing herself. "No... you're not. You definitely have shit timing though..." She sighs. "Okay. So, you think you've got feelings for me or something. Right. Fine. That all makes sense. I mean, you're the first, but whatever. No, that all's fine. Fine... okay?"
Brunilda winces again at Fiora's words, feeling her heart drop a bit: "Y-you're never had anyone tell you you're beautiful." Statement perhaps more than a question.
Fiora blushes, but her face contorts into something between surprise and rage. "What!? I... what!?" She shakes her head, "No? I mean... that's not the point here!"
Brunilda blinks in surprise, taken aback: "S-sorry! Just came to me, I don't know what I'm... doing. Well I do, but don't. Augh."
Fiora slumps, "You and me both." She sighs, crossing her arms. "Freakin' hell... Okay, listen, It's not like... I'm not not interested or anything. It's just... timing right? Like I said. Utterly... just... the worst timing. Ruinously awful. I'm still... dealing. With just, so much shit, Brun. I told you a lot of it, cause you are fun to talk with, and I felt like I could trust you. I still do? So... that's something?"
Brunilda sighs, nodding: "...s-sorry. I can... just go? F-forget I said or did a-anything?" She doesn't sound exactly convinced of this, nor is she making any actual move to go.
Fiora shakes her head, looking away. "I don't want you to do that. It's done... I just... shit. I'm not ready. Not ready for... anything. Not right now, Brun. I got too much in my head, and adding this on top of it just makes me feel awful, especially for making you feel awful, because I know that's not what you intended."
Brunilda winces again, feeling her heart sink like a marble in a vat of honey as she puts Fiora's sentiment together in her head: "S-so... um... sorry. I just... w-well..." She sighs, shaking her head slightly as words just fail her.
Fiora walks up to Brun and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't, okay? Don't apologize. It's just... your feelings are pretty misplaced. I'm a bounty hunter. I've got plenty of blood on my hands, and I wouldn't want to stain you with all of that." She pauses and then slowly withdraws her hand. "I don't know if I can be much more use to Erika anyways. Probably best for everyone if I just move on and forget about this town. I shouldn't have even come here."
Brunilda looks at Fiora: "But... then I would have never met you." She looks back down: "...m-maybe you're right."
Fiora shifts awkwardly. "Yeah... yeah maybe. Erika doesn't need me here. Neither do you, Brun. You can do so much better then scum like me."
Brunilda glances at Fiora, giving the smallest of smiles despite her wildly conflicting feelings: "...wouldn't be so sure of that. And... I don't mind stains, Fiora."
Fiora snorts, but can't help but chuckle, shaking her head, her own feelings not much better. "Well... this is what bounty hunters do, Brun. We walk in, make one hell of a mess, then walk out. ...I'm just sorry you were part of that. If things were different..." She shakes her head.
Brunilda considers for moment: "W-well..." She sighs, mostly just under her breath: "...worth a try." She then shifts to start heading out: "Guess I'll see you around." She is trying to keep her eyes clear, but it's proving harder by the minute.
Fiora hesitates a moment at the departing Brunilda, but makes no move to stop her. "Y-yeah... take care, Brun..."
Brunilda glances at Fiora for a second, before quickly turning around and briskly walking out. She almost walks into the doorframe as her eyes blur, brushing her shoulder against it just a touch too forcibly. Unsuspecting training dummies are in for it tonight.
Fiora waits as Brunilda heads out the door, then turns and in a swift motion smashes a table with her fists. Balling her fists, she lets out what is practically a battle cry, then shakes her head and reaches into her pocket, tossing bar keep a few gold coins. "For the table. I'll be out of your hair anyways, so no hard feelings." Without waiting on a response, she spins and heads up to her room to start packing.
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OUTSIDE THE 'LIBRARY' - LATE EVENING
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Aurelius: "Could you please be careful" The avian chided the moving crew as they stumbled, while carrying in a large box into the so called 'Library'. In reality, nothing more than a few rough shelves in a run down building, it was in a relatively nice part of town, and had a certain charm to the place. Once meant to be much more than it turned out to be "Those books are worth as much as the building itself" The white feathered Kenku rubs a claw to his beak. The value was somewhat of an exaggeration, but one didn't get to his trade without a certain love of the medium. Seeing the box grow insteady again, he flicks his wings out, steadying it from the air, until it was good to go again, before returning back to the wagon still carrying the remainder of the less important items to be moved in. His personal affairs of clothing, his bed, curtains, and the like. He was dressed in the robes that would mark him as a 'Lorekeeper' back home, abet the significance was likely lost on the less..knowledgable folks out here. Still, they were thick canvass, and so were warm, and protective, particularly due to subtle runes stitched into the insides of the material. Even if nobody recognized them now, it was his duty to live up to what they meant.
Doc Plume is out for an evening stroll after a late house call, taking a longer route back to the clinic than normal. They blink a bit at the sight of a wagon and such commotion at such a late hour and slowly approach to investigate.
Aurelius was getting the last of the personal effects packed away when Plume approaches, watching the wagon pull away with a raspy sigh of relief, before turning to regard his new home, poking at the faded paint on the door, and giving a second sigh, lower this time, clearly not happy to see the state of disrepair. He snaps back to attention, standing up straighter, when Plume gets noticed "Ah! Well met! I've just arrived to this wonderful town. I am Aurelius Tenebrous Zagan, and I am to be the Lorekeeper of this town going forward. I do hope that I shall be able to provide the guidance when it is needed"
Doc Plume blinks again as the cart pulls away just as they approach, but the friendly greeting from the avian puts them a bit more at ease again. "Oh, just moving in? It's been a long time since I ran into a lorekeeper. Don't really see them much outside Southern Vamas." They pause for a moment, realizing that an introduction has been missed. The offer up a hand. "Excuse my manners. I'm Plume, the town doctor. Welcome to Respite."
Aurelius: "Thank you for the welcome, and indeed. That is our base, but one only learns what is already known by staying at home. Once we learned of a new frontier, it was paramount that it be recorded. Many towns like this have been lost to the history books after all" He clacks his beak thoughtfully "In truth, there are few of us that venture out far these days, but some of us must keep the traditions alive. I would invite you in for tea, but I fear that the place is a dreadful mess. The previous tenants had no love for books, to let it fall into such disrepair, I am disappointed"
Doc Plume gives a little nods. "Understood, perhaps when it's tidied up then, or you could come by the clinic. I always have the kettle ready." They look Aurelius over again. "Respite is definitely a curious place, though. In my few months here, I've run across a few things they never taught me in Westport, that's for sure."
Aurelius: "Curious is what I was hoping for. I did not come all this way for the mundane" He chuckle "I may take your offer, once I have tidied this building, and reopened it for the public" He doesn't give much look to Plume, keeping with 'steady eye contact', other than to glance at his own building, such as to tap on a cracked window "I may need some help, to find tradesfolk to get this place up to speed"
Doc Plume looks at the state of the building and frowns. "Ah, fair enough. I'd be happy to introduce you around, though in the morning when folks are awake, of course. Not everyone in town is as fond of darkness."
Aurelius: "I am not especially fond of it myself, but I wished to get everything inside before the morning..although, the weather is rather more refreshing in the evening. My robes are many things, but cool under the sun they are not"
Doc Plume smiles. "I'll leave you to it, then. Best of luck with getting settled, lorekeeper." They heft up their doctor's bag again and head off toward the clinic.
Aurelius bows his head respectfully "Of course, good evening to you"