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AEPHIX - SOUTHWESTERN BAY - LATE MORNING
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Gareth is back out at the bay again, idly striding along the flotsam that's been routinely washing up on the shoreline since Tarbin got shipwrecked. Though he's still not fully certain about building a place here, he finds himself occasionally pulling good pieces of wood out of the sand and away from the water and stacking them together where they can dry.
Sammi camped out by the waterfall normally, but that was just because the turbulence helped her sleep, but she was making little exploration missions out into the city, and this morning, was poking around the shore, swimming about under the water. She's seen Gareth, and now need to approach in a non-spooky way, which is hard. Being all menacing and spooky is the easy bit, so...nice..nice.Ah! She shall come bearing gifts.
Sammi After a bit of searching the seabed, she emerges out, popping out of the water, waving with one hand, and a small box, something similar to a jeweler box held up with a couple of tentacles "Hey there! I come with presents!"
Gareth perks his ears upon hearing a bit of a splash nearby. He looks around towards the sound, only to blink in confusion when he sees... somebody floating in the water nearby. "Uh... hi, there!" He can't help but chuckle a bit even as he waves, not yet taking in Sammi's details, out in the water as she is. "Presents? A peace offerin' or somethin'? Heh... I got no reason to be hostile... yet."
Sammi: "Oh! Give it a minute while I approach, and you see who I am, you'll either become hostile, or just start pretending that everything is totally okay! It's totally fine! I get it!" She swims forward, approaching the shoreline, before standing up and stretching out in the shallows "So, annyway..main thing to talk about! Present!" She's hoping that maybe if she leans into the reactions, it'll at the very least make it different.
Sammi: This was so much easier when she didn't try making friends.
Gareth waits patiently for Sammi to approach, a bit of a smile on his face, even if his posture is a bit wary. He glances around for a moment, just trying to see if anyone's trying to pull a fast one on him, but sees, smells and senses no one nearby. He looks back at Sammi, feeling a bit more confident he's not being set up, only to stare a bit in confusion upon seeing her properly. "I, uh... I appreciate the gift, no doubt, lass, but..." He furrows his brow and tilts his head, "I've met me fair share o' seafolk in the past, but I don't think I've seen yer type before."
Sammi: "Ah..well! That's much better! I'm Sammi, I'm..a me! Try not to worry about that too much" This is much better way of having a first meeting. Confusion she could deal with "So..what brings you out to the shoreline? You don't look like the sort that's able to breath underwater"
Gareth chuckles and nods, willing to let the topic of what Sammi is pass for now. "Yer right, lass. I only breathe air, but I've a love of the sea, and I've been missin' it lately. This bay's a nice spot." He dips his head, still smiling a bit, "And good to meet ye, Sammi. Me name's Gareth."
Sammi: "Nice to meet you too then Mr. Gareth" She settles down a bit, running her hand over her 'hair' "So, you're a landfolk, trying to get on sea, and I'm a seafolk, trying to get on land. Sorta like opposites.." She muses a moment "Okay! So, you were doing some wreck-diving..right? That's why I pulled up the box, since I wanted to find something interesting to bring up..hopefully it's interesting" She rattles the box "..I mean,
Sammi: these things usually are, right?"
Gareth blinks as the box rattles, then nods. "Yer right there, Sammi. Sunken treasure's always interestin', since ye never know what's in the box." He sighs a little, "As fer wreckdivin', mostly just gatherin' up the wood from this wreck... since I might build a house here, or somethin'."
Sammi: "Oh! Shoreside house, that does sound pretty nifty. I mostly just nap in the Deeps. Never actually had a house, or anything like that..wouldn't it make more sense.." She stops "Oh! This is one of these things where..it's not that you want to build a house, and are getting wood from it, it's how you want to be by the sea and collect stuff..and the house is just sorta the excuse!" Landdwellers are so intesesting!
Gareth hums a bit, mulling the thought over and shrugging after a few seconds. "I s'pose it could be. Not even sure if I want to build anythin' yet, but bein' by the sea and, uh... collectin' things are activities I like doin'." He pauses, tilting his head again, "Ye've never had a house before?"
Sammi: "Nah! Not much of a thing down there" She points into the sea with a head-tentacle "and just..well, uh...I suppose, it's just a cultural thing? Hard to build anything that far down. Water pressure, and all that. Never really thought about it!" She pats her bag "All I need I can put in here"
Gareth nods. "Fair enough. Sounds like how us landfolk sail the seas on the regular. When we set sail, our homes come with us, in that it's whatever we can carry in bags or a chest."
Sammi: "Yeah! Something like that" She smiles, patting the bag again "Oh, that reminds me!" She presents the box out to Gareth "Your present!"
Gareth blinks, then chuckles as he reaches over and gently takes hold of the box. "Ah, right. Thank ye kindly, lass." He takes a moment to look the box over, noting the lock hasn't rusted yet, "So, I'm guessin' ye live somewhere around Respite?"
Sammi: "Uh! Sorta, I'm usually sleeping around the nifty little waterfall, but that's not really living there..eh..close enough I guess, but..I don't feel I've been here long enough to say that" She shrugs "But that's where I am most of the time, just call me out, and I should awaken, and rise from the depths"
Gareth pauses, then gives Sammi a curious look again. "Er... pardon, Sammi, but ye said ye usually stay near the waterfall?"
Sammi: "Yup!" She nods a few times "The splashy water is really comforting when you're below the surface! It's really kinda soothing"
Gareth nods as he decides to take a seat on low rock right nearby. "I could see somethin' of the sort, yup. The rumblin' could be soothin', I imagine." He looks Sammi up and down for a moment, "Was mostly just askin' because a friend of mine mentioned a denizen of the deep takin' up residence there recently. I'm guessin' that's ye, since ye fit the bill pretty nicely."
Sammi: "Oh..." She sighs "Well..it was fun while it lasted. Yes, I am, indeed, one of the Beings of the Deep, that which goes 'Squid' in the night, and other such things that folks on the shorelines tend to get torchy and pitchforky about. I didn't say anything because..well..." She motions to him, and all the thoughts she assumes are going on there.
Gareth hums and nods. "Well, if we'd been introduced as such to start, I probably would have panicked. Lots o' superstitions on the sea about that." He pauses, then smiles, "But... ye strike me as a really nice sort, Sammi, so if ye need me to stay quiet about it, I will."
Sammi: "Well..that's appreciated" She nods, still a little hurt, but it's not his fault, and she knows that "Well, I think people will work it out by themselves, so maybe it's..maybe it's better that you don't? I'm not ashamed of what I am, I think what I am is pretty cool, I just don't like it when people freak out about it"
Gareth nods again. "Understandable. I mean, I'm not exactly a native to Respite, anyway. Ye've more reason to stick around than me, so I'd rather not cause ye any trouble. I might have been a terror on the seas meself a while ago, but even I know it's not good gettin' judged before ye even do anythin'." He pauses, glancing towards the box for a moment, then decides to change the subject for Sammi, "Anyway... there's a lock on this thing. Want me to break it open so we can see what's inside together?"
Sammi: "Sure!" She's grateful for the change in subject herself "Sounds like a plan!"
Gareth smiles as he sets the box a little more firmly on the rock beside him. He stands up and takes a moment to rifle through the pockets of his coat, before he pulls out a set of lockpicks. "Ah, here they are... Right, let's get this thing open!" He kneels next to the rock, the lock now at eye level, then starts working on it with a certain familiarity and precision that shows this is nowhere near his first time doing this.
Sammi: The lock is very easy to pick, while the box is nice enough, the lock on it wasn't designed to stand up to a lockpick (This is actually pretty common, a thief who can't pick a lock like this will just break the box). Inside was a bracelet, made from little bits of copper wire, twisted around each other, and polished to a shine, hanging from various little parts of it were small 'charms', made from smaller bits of metal, and
Sammi: occasionally non-precious stones of animals, and little leaves. None of it was very skillful, there was a bit of an eye to the composition of the various charms looking nice when they were viewed side by side, but the craftsmanship was pretty shoddy, and the materials were cheap. The cushion, and insides were of fine velvet though, and it had been rested carefully into position.
Gareth picks the lock within a short time, much to his own mix of delight and disappointment, delight from seeing what kinds of treasures might be held within, and disappointment from the ease with which the lock was picked. He tucks his lockpicks away and carefully flips the lid open, making sure to angle it so that both he and Sammi can see the contents inside.
Sammi: "Oh..." She leans in, before looking to Gareth, to see what he thinks of it "Well..um..is it a nice gift?"
Gareth arches an eyebrow as he gets his first look at the bracelet within. "It's nice enough, I'd say. Looks like it might have been somethin' of a keepsake for whoever owned the box before." He turns to smile at Sammi, "Thank ye for the gift, Sammi. Ye can rest assured I'll keep it safe."
Sammi: "Alrighty!" She smiles brightly "That's great! I hope it helps you in some way! I always try to gift new friends something"
Gareth chuckles, Sammi's energy reminding him of a certain giraffe's 'off duty' attitude a bit. "It might, we'll just have to see. If I find a way it helps, I'll be sure to let ye know, Sammi."
Sammi: "Great!" There was some further chatting, but eventually, Sammi would make her excuses, and leave, she enjoyed the talks, but actually burned out pretty quickly, and needed to be alone, until everything aligned again for her to be around other people
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DAMINA'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON
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Damina has not really been as out and about as many others in Respite, really only visiting the marketplace twice a week to buy various foods she needs. She's mostly been focused on the renovation and has managed to succeed in that after a few weeks of work. Currently, the cat's taking a bit of a break and sitting right outside, just letting her mind run off and do its own thing.
Louma slithers up the street, dressed in her usual morning uniform and looking for a place she had spotted from overhead, though she doesn't have to look hard for the building as the person she's looking for happens to be the perfect landmark. She smiles as she waves. "Good afternoon, Damina."
Damina barely glances up from her seat and gives a half-hearted wave. Then she does a double-take and falls off her seat.
Louma blinks as Damina falls, moving quickly over to her to offer a hand up. "Are you alright? Take it easy now."
Damina waves it off as she uprights herself. "No, no thanks, I'm fine. Louma! Been a while, hasn't it?"
Louma chuckles quietly, relaxing as Damina seems unhurt. "Yes, it has been a while. I'm sorry, I meant to visit sooner, things have been... Interesting for the Guard for a couple weeks."
Damina tilts her head at this. "Oh really? What's been going on? Oh, oh, come on in by the way. Been real busy fixing this place up."
Louma nods, turning toward the door. "I'd be happy to, thank you. It was quite an interesting fiasco, to be sure. Not one I would like to see repeated any time soon, though we have the solution now." She pushes the door open, heading inside and looking around at the renovated home. "Oh, this is all very good, Damina! A cute little cafe of sorts?"
Damina gives a quick nod. "Oh yes! Like it so far?" And it certainly smells the part, too. Something very delicious is being baked right now it seems...
Louma nods, looking about, then to Damina. "I do, you've done well since your decision, then? I'm glad. And... What is that smell? It's reminding me that I haven't eaten since last night."
Damina: "Been baking some pastries. Had some troubles first few times I tried it, but then it took quite a bit of practice before I was even confident in my ability to try them! They should be done now...." She jumps on over to the oven and opens it up. Lo and behold, a disaster did not happen!
Louma chuckles, turning toward the nearest table to the kitchen and settling her coil beside it. "I would love to try some of your menu, Damina. If you'll have me as a guest, that is."
Damina takes a moment to kinda just vibrate a bit because hearing that definitely is doing strange things to her. But she gets over it and slowly extracts her pastries. Ooh, raspberry flavor.
Louma waits at her table, continuing their earlier conversation in the meantime. "I don't know if you have met Erika Smithens. She met with an unfortunate accident that somehow changed her body into that of a feral okapi, but she could still talk. It turned out two of our colleagues had met the same fate on Mean Peak."
Damina comes over with the tray. "Oh, Erika did happen across this place while I was busy practicing. Turns out she couldn't quite... taste, things properly. But the others?"
Louma nods, looking toward the pastries with a hungry eye. "I don't think you'd have met them, since you arrived while we were initially out. Our search party managed to find them and bring them back. One is cured, the other is... Being difficult." She chuckles dryly, shaking her head. "Those look delicious!"
Damina: "Oh yeah, try some!" She thinks about it. "Difficult... how? Have you tried, like, slapping them with a stick or something?"
Louma chuckles again, shrugging. "Hadn't thought of that, she'd probably tear a few feathers out for that. It's up to her if she wants to stay as she is, of course." Louma sighs quietly, picking a raspberry pastry out and taking a bite of it.
Damina ponders that for a bit. At least the pastry's as good as it smells.
Louma takes a moment to finish her mouthful of food before looking to Damina. "You've got a talent here, I think, Damina. This is really very good~"
Damina glances away, clearly quite flattered by the compliments. It's one thing to be good but another for people to tell you you're good.
Louma finishes the pastry off, nodding into a polite, if quick bow. "Thank you for that, not often I eat dessert first. You don't happen to have anything with meat on the menu, do you?"
Damina nods. "Of course, I gotta have some meat for myself after all... I'll be right back." She goes rummaging through the kitchen and starts preparing up a suspiciously steak-like substance.
Louma giggles quietly to herself as Damina heads off, having another look around the dining area. "I wasn't exaggerating earlier, Damina. I am quite impressed with what you've done, a good move for sure. Although I am a little concerned that I don't see your permits on display out here." She chuckles quietly to herself, waiting for Damina's reaction.
Damina emits some muffled swearing but pretends to ignore it, focusing instead on finishing what she's making.
Louma leans a bit to look toward Damina, stifling her grin. "Pardon?"
Damina refuses to respond until she finishes the "steak", then comes over with a plate. After setting it down, she looks Louma rather sternly in the eye. "That's not funny."
Louma grins, trying not to laugh at the stern response. "Oh come now, it was a little funny~."
Damina sticks a large fork into the "steak" and ignores Louma's response. "Here you go."
Louma drops her grin, sighing. "It was just a little joke Damina, I'm sorry that it's upset you."
Damina: "Look, I just... I didn't like the implication that I'd have to undo all this work..."
Louma shakes her head slightly. "Even if you did need permission, I wouldn't let anyone tell you to tear anything down without an argument."
Damina breathes in a bit. "Alright... well, anyway, how is it?"
Louma sighs, turning to the food Damina had brought out. She briefly searches for a knife before turning back to Damina. "Er... I don't have anything to cut it with."
Damina jumps up and quickly fetches one. "Sorry! I was just, er, yeah. A little bit lost. Here you go!"
Louma smiles faintly as she accepts the knife from Damina, nodding. "Thank you~" She turns back to the food, cutting a long strip of the meat and lifting it. As Louma opens her beak, rows of snakelike teeth appear to fold from the roof and bottom of her mouth, letting her make easy work of the meat. She hums as she finishes it, nodding. "Yes, also very good~"
Damina is happy to see that Louma is enjoying it. "I'm eventually hoping to get this completely set up and running so people will be able to come whenever they want..."
Louma nods, smiling. "It's good to see you're so determined for this place to succeed." She finishes her meal in a couple more bits, nodding in satisfaction. "Excellent, I really needed a good meal. Thank you, Damina."
Damina smiles a bit. "And thanks for coming over. I hope this becomes... more of a common occurance?"
Louma chuckles, setting her utensils down on the empty plate. "Oh certainly, with cooking this good, and it would be nice to keep caught up with you in any case. How much do I owe you?"
Damina: "For a good friend of mine? On the house. Just tell people about it, alright?"
Louma bows politely to Damina, smiling. "You're too generous, thank you. I'll let people know, for sure, but I expect to pay properly next time." She uncoils, stretching slightly as she prepares to leave.
Damina: "And, before you go..." Damina gives Louma a quick hug.
Louma is startled by the hug, but returns the hug with a light chuckle. "Well, I wasn't expecting a second serving of something sweet and fluffy, but thank you."
Damina suddenly lets go of the hug because steam's starting to come out of her ears. Figuratively, of course, but hoo boy.
Louma lets Damina go, slightly confused by the sudden release. "Thank you again for the meal, Damina, and the hug. Enjoy the rest of your day!" She gives another slight bow, turning to leave the small restaurant.
Damina is still sitting there. "Wh... sweet and fluffy??"
Louma pauses with the door pulled open, turning to look toward Damina. "Hm? Well yes. Obviously, you're pleasantly fluffy. Sorry if that was a bit inappropriate... I wont take back that you're sweet, though. It's a pleasant surprise compared to how you presented yourself in the Guard."
Damina: "N-No... I... it's okay..." She looks really weird but judging by the way the blush is somehow showing through her fur, she obviously likes the description.
Louma offers a warm smile, nodding. "I don't mean to embarrass you. I really must go, though, still much to do. Farewell, Damina." She turns and heads out the door, slithering a short way up the street before taking off into the air, her hunger sated well for now.
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TRAINING GROUNDS, EVENING
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Brunilda sits down at the edge of the training grounds, having once again spent all afternoon and evening using her energy alternatively building and destroying training dummies. She wipes a towel on her face, sighing to herself.
Fiora slowly approaches the Training Grounds, feeling pretty uncertain about this course of action, but needing to make some measure of peace with this. Brunilda is there, hard to miss honestly. She walks closer, taking a seat near Brunilda, but still an arms length away. She clears her throat. "Uh... hey."
Brunilda blinks upon seeing Fiora. She is silent until the giraffe sits down, slight look of disbelief on her face: "H-hey. I thought you were going to leave?"
Fiora sighs, "I uh, was gonna. Yeah... Didn't. Couldn't."
Brunilda frowns slightly, sighing. "...s-so..."
Fiora reaches up to scratch behind her ear. "Y-yeah... so..."
Brunilda keeps her gaze on Fiora. "So... you changed your mind."
Fiora chuckles, "Always." She sighs and looks down at the ground. "I uh... suck at this. I really have just, no clue how to say stuff." She glances towards Brun, "Would it make you feel better to punch me?"
Brunilda raises an eyebrow: "...would it make you feel better if I did?"
Fiora shrugs, "Maybe? Feels like owe you a bit of violence against me."
Nesseth: ((feels like I owe you))
Brunilda looks at Fiora, considering her quietly for a second. "...but it's not really violence I want, is it?"
Fiora shakes her head, "Guess not, eh?" She sighs, "I'll be real honest, Brunilda. I... have no clue what I want."
Brunilda lifts her hand in a bit of a half-shrug: "Well... suppose I can't say what that is, either."
Fiora nods. "I told you about my Mom, about my Sister. You know what Erika's been through lately. She's cured now, but before I knew that, it was just all this stress and weight on my back. I don't... do... feelings well." She twists her mouth a bit. "Ugh... I'm..." She spits the word out slowly. "Sorry... I'm sorry."
Brunilda sits up a bit straighter, thinking. "I'm... well, it's obvious I'm not the b-best at that either." She looks aside: "I'm sorry as well. Wasn't my place to do... that."
Fiora slumps, "And I just reacted like a dumbass. I don't know." She shakes her head.
Brunilda lowers her voice: "For as much as you think I should punch you... the reverse might be true too."
Fiora chuckles. "I'm more mad at myself then you." She hmphs. "I'm just a coward."
Brunilda looks at Fiora again, giving an amused soft chuckle: "And I'm just an idiot, so we're even."
Fiora snorts. "You really think it'd be a good idea for the two of us to do anything together? That'd be some real dumb kids we'd be cursing into existence."
Brunilda blinks, then chuckles: "Who says we have to doom any kids into existence? Besides, I think we'd be missing some crucial part of that equation unless you have something more to tell me."
Fiora snorts, then shrugs. "Nah. I mean... I know some potion vendors in Ondonga. Real black market stuff. Hey, you're from Ondonga, right?"
Brunilda nods, trying to follow this change of topic: "Yeah, that's where my entire family is."
Fiora chuckles, not really having a direction to her change of topic at all. "That's a cool city. There's an alchemist there who owes me a few favors, Arloc? Maybe you know him?"
Brunilda nods slowly: "I've... heard the name, yeah."
Fiora 's eyes widen in surprise, "Oh? Heh. Yeah. You ever go back, ask for some 'off the menu' stuff. He's got some weird shit."
Brunilda gives Fiora a look: "I guess, if I am ever back there in the first place."
Fiora nods slowly. "You can never go home again..." She glances back, "Hey... so... I am still gonna be in town. Maybe like, on a more permanent basis? I don't really know yet, and going out on hunts will take me away for awhile sometimes, but uh, I guess this is my 'home base' now."
Brunilda is certainly a bit surprised by this: "Oh? That's... huh. I mean, I can't say 'no... even if nothing else, you're fun to spar with."
Fiora grins slightly. "Yeah, so are you." She shakes her head, "So yeah... that's where I stand right now. And... I don't know about the rest of this. I gotta think it through, cause I've never stopped in one place long enough to think about something crazy like a relationship before."
Brunilda shrugs, blushing: "W-well, for what it's worth... n-never been in one either."
Fiora sighs, "I'm just... definitely not there yet. I can't say 'no' but... I need some time still, to figure shit out here. Between me, and Erika, and Respite... and everything. You... okay with that?"
Brunilda muses on this for a second, before nodding with a small smile: "It's a whole lot better than not seeing you again at all."
Fiora hums, "I am a pretty big deal, so I can see why that'd be pretty awful. It's funny though, usually when I stride into a town folks all gawk but are relieved to see me go. Though, I'm usually leaving behind a lot of property damage to remember me by."
Brunilda glances at some of her 'work' earlier tonight, the handful of training dummies that have taken a hit from the elephant: "...yeah, I guess I can see that..."
Fiora chuckles. "Well, maybe you can come with me and Gareth on a job sometime like I said before."
Brunilda shrugs: "Perhaps I could. Got a fair amount of time in my hands."
Fiora grins at Brun. "We could certainly cause some havoc together, I'm certain."
Brunilda smiles tentatively: "You'll have to show me, but yes."
Fiora gives Brun a thumbs up. "I'm sure you'd do fine. We get you some cool outfit, a spooky nickname, register you with the guild as an apprentice or something. Would be fun!"
Brunilda chuckles a bit, shaking her head: "Sounds crazy, but maybe that's just my training talking."
Fiora points a thumb to the sparring pit. "Eh, training. Where's that gotten you? You wanna do the hitting now?"
Brunilda stretches halfheartedly: "Been doing that all afternoon. I don't think I'd be much of an opponent right now."
Fiora shrugs, "Figured I'd offer. But we can always do it some other time."
Brunilda smiles: "I imagine we can, now." She goes silent for a bit, her gaze wandering to Fiora's figure. She blushes and looks away once she realizes what she's doing, though.
Fiora nods, standing up and stretching. "Then we'll do that, eh? I gotta figure out where the heck I'm even staying. I'm still at the minnow for now, I guess."
Brunilda shrugs as she gets up as well: "Sadly I'm of no use there, been having just the Guard house... although that's dependent on me being on the Guard's books and I'm not sure how long that lasts." She shrugs again, giving Fiora a wry smile.
Fiora shrugs back, "It sounds like my... err... father... has a spare room? But I kinda hate to take up that offer." She frowns, then shrugs. "Sure you'll figure something out though. I probably will too. Probably. You have a good one in any case."
Brunilda nods at Fiora: "You too. See you here tomorrow?"
Fiora grins, "Sure! Not doing much else other then... figuring out a life, I guess?" Her expression ships and she glances away for a moment, then gives Brun a smile before turning to head back to the Minnow.
Brunilda nods at Fiora, her smile also fading into a more confused expression as Fiora goes. After a moment of staring after the giraffe, she also heads out from the training grounds, towards her little room of a home.