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RESPITE TRAINING GROUNDS - AFTERNOON
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Fiora finishes doing some warmup excercises with a long staff, spinning the staff and balancing with it, using it to stretch and the like, just going through a well-practiced routine.
Gareth arrives at the training grounds, having figured he'd find Fiora here if not elsewhere. Upon seeing her, he smirks and walks to a nearby rack of weapons and pulls a wooden training sword out, before moving to meet up with her. "Here ye be, Fiora. Been lookin' fer ye for a bit, now. Still trainin', keepin' yer skills sharp?"
Fiora smirks as she hears someone approaching, spinning towards Gareth with the staff not quite threateningly, "'Settling down' doesn't mean getting rusty. If they're gonna let me use their training grounds, I'm gonna."
Gareth chuckles and nods as he similarly points his newly-acquired blade in Fiora's general direction. "Fair enough. I guess yer warmin' up pretty well to the idea of usin' Respite as a home base, then?"
Fiora shrugs, "Yeah, guess so... it's not all bad, right? And it's not like I'm chained her or something... that's... that's what I'm trying to avoid."
Gareth grins toothily as he rests the blade against his shoulder, then gives his free arm a bit of a shake. A rolled-up poster slides out of his sleeve and into his hand, which he holds out towards Fiora. "Well, good. I'm guessin' ye recognize this, then?"
Fiora tilts her head, lowering the staff and resting it on the ground. "You found a contract, eh? A good one?" She takes the poster from Gareth and unrolls it to look over the bounty.
Narrator: The bounty presented by the poster shows someone willing to pay a handsome sum for the capture (not killing!) of a magitech thief thought to be residing in Respite Falls, having stolen tech from some researchers in Sarn. Details are unfortunately a bit lacking, however.
Gareth shrugs. "Not quite on the level of some o' our previous hunts, but still respectable, I'd say. Just got to catch ourselves a thief and haul them in."
Fiora seems a little indifferent as she reads the details. "Kinda boring, but I guess no one's gonna miss a thief like that. Here in Respite too? Huh... Guess this place is a pretty good place for folks like that to hide out until the heat dies down or whatever. Doubt it'll be much trouble, but I'm in."
Gareth smiles. "A bounty's a bounty, after all. First one I've seen posted on that board near the barracks since we got here, and I've not heard o' any other bounty hunters roamin' these parts." He nods a bit, "And around Respite, so we get to do our jobs without havin' to leave."
Fiora chuckles, "Well, other then delivery. For the price they're offering, I'm surprised you didn't just go for it by yourself. Sarn folks get all uppity about their toys if you ask me."
Gareth shrugs again. "I could have, but I knew ye'd been hopin' fer a job lately. Can't have all the fun meself, right? Besides, after sparrin' with that leopard, Victoria, I'd rather not have to deal with one of yer punches on the shoulder if I can help it."
Fiora rolls the bounty back up and grins. "Heh. I suppose if I'd found out you did a job here, in town, without me... you'd deserve a good punch. I'd say I'm not even interested in the reward but... that was a pretty big number." She hands the rolled up parchment back to Gareth. "So, you already got a lead?
Gareth accepts the poster and tucks it away in his sleeve again as he shakes his head. "Nothin' solid, afraid to say. 'Course, with Respite bein' as small as it is compared to the bigger cities, there can't be too many magitech folks about. I figure we could start with the most obvious."
Fiora shrugs. "I'll let you handle that. You're better at being 'subtle'..." she glances at Gareth's outfit, still fairly blatantly screaming 'pirate'. "When you want to be. I can go ask a few questions up in the warehouses by the north gate, this town is sure to have folks who know everything that comes in and out of it. A little smile, a few giggles, and a head through a table if I have to. You know how I work best."
Gareth nods, grinning again. "Indeed I do, lass. I can't count how many times I've witnessed yer style in the past. Still, if ye want me to take the lead on the investigatin' this time around, fine with me. I'll be sure to keep ye in the loop about any information I dig up."
Fiora kicks the base of the staff off the ground and twirls it in her hand. "Interrogations are fun! Investigations, I meant. That's what I said. Yeah. Bounty said it's a kobold? Can't be too hard to track down."
Gareth hums as he gives his blade a little twirl. "Kobold, yup. From what I've seen around town, kobolds aren't too common, not like in Orela, where they're helpin' out just about everywhere. Magitech, too, so that's a pretty narrow search."
Fiora nods. "Easy money. Maybe I'll armor up and go for a walk by the north gate... Loser buys a round at the Minnow once we catch them?"
Gareth laughs. "Hah, yer on, lass. I'll be considerin' what I want to order while I search around town."
Fiora sticks out her tongue. "Hah, you wish. I'll meet you there regardless. It's a good spot to meet-up before we catch the little thief anyways."
Gareth nods, smiling cheekily. "Sounds like a plan." He looks up at the sky, noting that the sun's already pretty low, "Hm... Kind of late today, though. We should probably start our investigation tomorrow instead of right now."
Fiora shrugs again, "Maybe. We've probably got a head start, if that just got posted. We're probably the only bounty hunters in town... for now."
Gareth nods again. "Exactly. Plus, I doubt anyone would appreciate bein' interrogated over their dinner. Just a hunch."
Fiora chuckles, "Guess not. Better to get them after lunch."
Gareth smiles, shaking his head. "Yeah, now you see what I'm sayin', lass. People are more than happy to give ye info if yer not inconveniencin' them."
Fiora leans her neck, lowering her head towards Gareth to bat her eyelashes, "Me? Inconveniencing? Why, I would never!" She snorts, breaking into laughter.
Gareth smiles and reaches his training blade up to lightly tap at one of Fiora's ossicones as he starts to chuckle as well. "We mainly do the inconveniencin' to the ones we're huntin'. They're never in any position to complain."
Fiora sticks her tongue out as Gareth taps her head. "Oh right, I also forgot that I don't care. But yeah, you're probably right."
Gareth laughs again. "I wasn't complainin', anyway. Our inconveniencin' them is what gets us our pay, after all. Still, got to build a good reputation here in Respite if we want to stay fer any length o' time, and that won't happen if we start bein' a nuisance to the townfolk."
Fiora considers that for a moment, "Okay, yeah, that's probably smart. I do wanna live here, sometimes at least."
Gareth idly scratches at the fur on his cheek for a few moments. "Then we just need to be a little less confrontational with locals. Easier to live with them if ye can get along with most of them."
Fiora hums, walking towards the weapon racks to slip her longstaff back into place. "Yeah, guess I'll have to be ugh... tactful. At least a litte."
Gareth follows Fiora back to the rack and drops his sword back into place. "Eh, not sayin' ye can't be as ye normally are. Just try not to be so flippant about mouthin' off at folks, I guess."
Fiora folds her arms and hums, "Yeah... guess so. Not something I'm all that practiced with, but I guess I'll have to try."
Gareth grins and nudges Fiora in the side. "Ye seem to handle it just fine when yer not actively thinkin' about it, anyway. Look at how ye handled things with yer sister and her partner."
Fiora raises an eyebrow at Gareth and sighs. "'Eh, just don't be a pirate anymore', that's you." She snorts and starts walking away from the training grounds.
Gareth walks alongside Fiora. "Well, ye can be as ye want, then, if yer seein' it that way. Just don't expect me to be smilin' if Captain Louma is breathin' down our necks fer somethin'."
Fiora: "Ugh... so complicated..."
Gareth shrugs. "Only to a point."
Fiora groans, "Ugh... I need a beer."
Gareth chuckles a bit. "Well, let's go get ye somethin'. Wouldn't mind a drink meself, anyway."
Fiora nods, walking alongside Gareth as they head towards the Minnow, the Giraffe being unusually quiet for a bit as she ponders this whole 'living a life' thing.