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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - LATE AFTERNOON
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Cavro enters the vaguely familiar tavern, a place he rarely frequents alone, and somehow can't recall details of when there with Erika. He quickly looks about before opting for a seat at the bar counter. Seeming a little anxious as he orders a sandwich and small bowl of stew, one would think he should be sweating with the heavy wool coat and cap he's wearing, despite the temperature only being a notch milder than it has been.
Brunilda steps in soon after Cavro, the elephant dressed up a lot lighter, just in her usual light Guard wraps and armor. She walks to the bar and gets herself a pachyderm-proportioned pint, before belatedly realizing she has company and giving Cavro a smile. "Hey. Been a while, hasn't it?"
Cavro turns as Brunilda enters, giving her a nod and similar smile when she arrives next to him. "Hello Brun! I I I suppose it has... I have have have not had a chance to visit the the generator in a while, how are things there?"
Brunilda shrugs: "It works pretty much perfectly. We've kept an eye on it of course, but... since that skunk lady Elizabeth charged it, it's been functioning pretty much flawlessly."
Cavro blinks, looking a bit surprised. "Oh! You you you've already charged it!" His surprise turns to a look of dejection as he realizes. "I was sort of of of hoping to be there for that..."
Brunilda looks at Cavro with sympathy: "Sorry. We were ready, and eager to get it done."
Cavro nods, looking to his food as it arrives. "I I I understand, things have been too busy at the the forge to get away anyhow." He lets out a quiet sigh before continuing. "Who is miss miss miss Elizabeth?"
Brunilda takes a gulp of her beer before answering: "Some kind of high-powerful mage type May found. Promised to charge the generator for... whatever her reasons. Don't really know much of her."
Cavro hums, nodding. "That's good at least... It it it would have taken a long time to get some to to to come from Sarn." He picks up his sandwich, taking a hearty bite.
Brunilda shrugs: "I think she's from Sarn, seems the type... maybe. Again, don't really know."
Cavro chuckles, looking to Brun. "Well I I I mean getting a a a group from the university. It's fortunate to have one in in in Repite already that could do it safely."
Brunilda winces, thinking back to the wild magic cloud: "Yeah... safely. It wasn't, really... didn't seem like it." She sighs: "She went unconscious, had to dive into that magic cloud to save her. Last I heard, she's still unconscious at the Clinic."
Cavro blinks, shaking his head. "No, that doesn't sound safe... I I I thought it was a bit strange, the old engineer had three mages in, and that was a a a smaller generator and not a full charge. Is she okay now?"
Brunilda shrugs: "Don't know. Not really my business to go poking at the Clinic, you know?"
Cavro tilts his head slightly, frowning. "Well I I I mean, she got hurt helping you and and and May, right?"
Brunilda frowns slightly, then just takes another sip of her drink as her answer.
Cavro shakes his head slightly. "Sorry, maybe you've been too busy... I shouldn't assume." He turns back to his food, though doesn't continue eating, just stares at the steaming stew.
Brunilda nods absently: "Busy... something like that." She is quiet for a moment more, before glancing at Cavro: "You have been too."
Cavro chuckles dryly, nodding. "Yeah, when Erika recovered I I I came back to a a a lot of orders... And the generator parts... Nora has been very helpful, I can focus on the big things at least. Sometimes I secretly hope Ragnarr gets a little more work so so so I can have more time away from from the forge."
Brunilda gets a bit of a smile and lightly pokes Cavro's shoulder: "All work and no play makes for a sour badger, hmm?"
Cavro grins in spite of the cloud of anxiety, nodding before he turns back to Brun. "It used to to to be the other way around, but I I I never really had much else that I adored more than the work!" He blushes under his fur, the splatter-scars on his snout standing out more in their paleness.
Brunilda smiles, nodding slowly as she gets a bit of a blush of her own: "I... yeah. I know the feeling."
Cavro chuckles with a bit more life, giving Brun a bit of a look. "Oh? I I I didn't know you've found someone, too."
Brunilda starts to nod... then shakes her head. "I mean, uh. Maybe. We're not... sure... yet..." Her expression makes it pretty obvious something is going on, though.
Cavro smiles and nods. "I know that feeling as as as well. I think Erika and I were like that for for for months before something clicked." He turns to his food, taking another bite of the sandwich.
Brunilda raises a curious eyebrow: "Oh? What changed, then?"
Cavro hums, chewing slowly as he thinks before responding. "I I I'm not sure. We just connected, I I I think. But we've been friends for for almost as long as as as I can remember. Perhaps we we we were both just ready for something more at the the the same time."
Brunilda sighs a bit as she takes a sip: "Sounds wonderful, if... somewhat wonderfully unhelpful. I wonder if I'll ever get that with Fiora..."
Cavro blinks again, looking at Brun. "You and Erika's sister?" He chuckles a bit, nudging her as she had done him. "Guess we we we'll be family, then, huh?"
Brunilda blinks several times, having definitely not processed that particular bit. "Wait huh what? L-let's not get ahead of ourselves..."
Cavro laughs lightly, nodding. "I I I'm just teasing, Brun. But I I I do hope the best for you. How long did did she like you before you knew?"
Brunilda blinks in confusion: "Er uh... none? I think? She's a bit mysterious to make sense of."
Cavro blinks, his smile turning a little more sly. "Oh, you were the the the one with the crush, then? I've only met met met her a couple times, but she does seem a a a bit... aloof with her feelings."
Brunilda blushes brighter, but nods: "Uh... y-yeah. I did a dumb, but she... I don't even know."
Cavro pats Brun's arm in a reassuring gesture. "Nothing to to to be embarrassed about, Brun. I I I guess she knows you like her, right? I mean, you you you are pretty smart, you wouldn't do anything to to to jeopardize things... Right?"
Brunilda opens her mouth, lifts her finger slightly... then thinks better of it, doesn't say anything and instead takes a long drink off of her pint.
Cavro turns his head slightly, his smile fading a bit. "Oh... Okay, that tells me there's quite a bit of of of a story..."
Brunilda sighs, then glances at Cavro: "We were both more than a bit stupid. Mostly me."
Cavro nods slowly, taking a few moments, to think about it... And enjoy a spoonful of stew before it cools off. "Well... If she she she is still around... And you still like her, maybe what comes for you you you two will be that much stronger?"
Brunilda nods: "Perhaps. I'd still like to not have bruised her rib like I did." She shakes her head: "I fought her over a stupid reason I thought right at the time, and turns out we had no reason to fight in the first place."
Cavro blinks, forgetting the spoon of food halfway to his mouth. "You and her physically fought for no reason? And and and she's still friendly with you?" He shakes his head slightly, "I I I figure Fiora might be a bit odd, but that still sounds like a good sign to me."
Brunilda shrugs: "Yeah, maybe. I mean, we fought physically before, kind of our thing... though just sparring."
Cavro nods, shrugging as he remembers the spoon with a chuckle. "Well, Erika and I aren't much for fighting, we we we just cuddle."
Brunilda gives a small smile: "I'm not sure we're there yet, me and her... I can hope, though."
Cavro blushes slightly, considering his advice before giving it. "Now, I I I don't know that this might work with Fiora, but one thing Erika and I do is is is tend to the other's sores... Maybe the the the next time you spar, try that?" He coughs lightly, blushing a bit more after.
Brunilda tilts her head, considering this: "Humm... maybe. I don't know if she's into that, but. Well. I haven't asked either."
Cavro shrugs again. "Might be bad advice with Fiora, I I I don't know any better than you would." He goes back to the last bite of his sandwich.
Brunilda looks aside thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugs: "Guess I'll find out sooner or later."
Cavro grins, leaning back from the counter as he relaxes a bit. "Hope it all works out for for for you, you deserve it after all."
Brunilda chuckles softly, glancing at Cavro: "I don't think deserving has anything to do with it, but thank you."
Cavro smiles at Brun, nodding. He digs into the pocket of his heavy coat for some coins to hide that his smile doesn't last long as his anxiousness starts to creep back, setting out enough for his meal and Brun's drink. "For the the the company, thank you."
Brunilda looks at the coins: "You don't have to, you know."
Cavro shrugs, smiling. "I want to, you're my friend after all."
Brunilda smiles, leaning on the bar: "Well, if you insist. Take care, Cavro."
Cavro nods, patting Brun on the arm again before hopping off of his bar stool. "You too, Brun. And and and I wish you well with Fiora!"
Brunilda laughs a bit: "I might yet need some of that luck. Be seeing you."
Cavro offers a warm smile, nodding as he wanders toward the door and back to his own home for the night, Brun's earlier question of 'what changed' echoing a bit in his already worried mind.
Brunilda stays at the bar for another, thinking of Fiora for quite a bit longer.
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RESPITE FALLS GENERATOR - AFTERNOON
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Elizabeth walks to the generator building, feeling plenty conflicted. But she has been conflicted ever since she woke up at the Clinic late last night, having been out of it for nearly three days. She's almost entirely covered in one of her more elaborate hooded dresses, as though she's ashamed of something. Maybe she is. Sighing, she knocks on the doorframe.
Maybelline is sitting at her drafting table, making some notes and calculations. She lifts her head at the knock, answering the door quickly. "Hello, how can I... Elizabeth! You're okay!"
Elizabeth gives a somewhat weary smile from under her hood: "Well... for a given value of 'okay'. Can I come in?"
Maybelline nods, stepping aside to let her in, "Of course, uh, I'm just doing some prep work for the next phase, nothing critical. Come on in."
Elizabeth nods, glancing behind her before stepping in. Only once the door's closed behind her, she dares to lift her hood.
Narrator: The skunk lady is fine. Way more than fine, in fact - her face lacks decades of the slow wear years and magic have done to her. She looks like she's somewhere in the vicinity of her thirties more than anything, although the rest of her form is still hidden under the dress.
Maybelline frowns as she closes the door behind them, "I doubt you're worried about it, but everything is running optimally. Everything is within the tolerances, output is even a little better then expected. I can't explain the addition venting beyond that, though, -Whoa!" She pauses as she looks up, seeing Elizabeth's face. "Wow, you look good! I was worried about the impact on you, especially after Brun dropped you off."
Elizabeth blushes, holding her arms down in front of her: "Y-yes, well... imagine my surprise when I saw myself in mirror." Her voice is somehow a bit lighter as well: "S-scared the heck out of me, it did."
Maybelline chuckles a bit, "Well, yeah, I can imagine. Still, I can imagine... hell, I've experienced, far worse magical side effects then dropping a few years. Is that the primary impact? Are you feeling alright? Anything I can do?"
Elizabeth frowns, and her expression drops. Out of perhaps nothing more than muscle memory, she lifts her hand, wills her magic, and... nothing happens at, around or near her claws. "T-the other side is... my magic is gone. Entirely."
Maybelline blinks. "Gone like... Gone gone? Not just some kind of exhaustion?"
Elizabeth leans on the wall with one hand as she still stares at the other, her voice wavering: "...f-far as I can tell, entirely gone. Even after exhaustion, I should feel... something, in here. Now I just feel... empty."
Maybelline frowns, walking past Elizabeth over towards the generator. She puts a hand against the newly built and powered structure. "I don't... think that's natural. At least nothing I've heard about this process says anything about that. I'm guessing it has something to do with what happened at the end of it?"
Elizabeth looks at the generator, nodding slowly: "Usually, these things are done by at least three mages." She pauses, sighing to herself: "Perhaps more than a bit arrogantly, I thought I could... do it alone. I lost control of the magic draining from me."
Maybelline sighs. "I... didn't realize. I wouldn't have pushed it. This entire endeavor, after the first explosion, I've been doing my best to do this as carefully as possible so that no one else gets hurt... I... wish I'd known, Elizabeth. I'd have never have pushed us to do it so quickly."
Elizabeth looks at Maybelline, frowning: "Mayhap. But I was also pushing for it. Wanting to... make a difference, I guess." She looks at the generator and gives a small, if weary, smile: "...at least it worked, r-right?"
Maybelline nods. "It definitely worked on this end. It's running as expected, and once it's built up enough charge, I can connect it into the mainlines and take the stress off the temporary generator. Then we start building the auxillary systems now that they'll have power."
Elizabeth nods, sniffling a bit: "G-good. I-I'd hate to have done a-all that for... n-nothing." She slumps slightly, leaning on the wall again.
Maybelline sighs, then walks over to put a hand against Elizabeth's side in support. "Definitely not for nothing... But... I mean, if I had a way to open it back up to give you something back, I would Elizabeth. I'm sorry this hurt you like this."
Elizabeth gives Maybelline a teary-eyed smile: "T-thank you. I-I'll... live. I've survived worse." She wipes her eyes with her hand, giving a soft chuckle: "J-just c-can't recall any right now."
Maybelline pats Elizabeth gently. "I... can't even imagine. Well... maybe a bit." She flexes her hand. "After that first generator explosion, my entire side was pretty messed up. Physically, that is. In part, I thought I might never have use of this arm, this hand ever again. By all rights, it should have killed me. It's a miracle it didn't... and it's because of Brunilda and Plume that it didn't cause lasting damage. But... I was still afraid for awhile that..." She sighs. "I gotta imagine losing a limb... it's gotta be at least a bit similar in feeling."
Elizabeth lifts the sleeve of her dress, her hand more toned and covered in now entirely-ordinary tattoos: "It's... probably something like that. Like a part of me is just missing, where it was just yesterd-" She pauses: "...few days ago."
Maybelline drops her head. "I... sorry. I'm sorry. It was my ignorance on this process that caused this."
Elizabeth looks at the generator, musing slightly: "Was it? If anything, I seem to have been... j-just as ignorant, Maybelline."
Maybelline pauses. "...both of us, then? I... I don't know. I'm just sorry."
Elizabeth gives a wry smile, if only to keep herself from crying again. She offers May her hand: "I d-don't hold it against you. Only against m-myself."
Maybelline nods, squeezing Elizabeth's hand a bit in support. "So, what next?"
Elizabeth sighs, letting go of the hand as she wraps both her hands around herself, feeling odd about how much less frail her frame feels right now. "I don't know."
Maybelline frowns, "I'm no expert, and I know you're retired... but the only advice I can really offer is to do something. And to not give up. Find something to do, and push yourself into it. It might not be the best advice... probably whatever Plume tells you will be better."
Elizabeth nods slowly: "I have never been that good at giving up... but I have also never been without magic in me." She looks aside, her gaze going distant for a second before she just quietly shakes her head.
Maybelline: "Good to hear that first bit." She wiggles her fingers up in front of her face, "I've never had magic myself. I guess I could learn, they say anyone can learn with enough time and effort. But I had other things that I wanted to learn, just never had time for magic. Maybe you could reteach yourself?"
Elizabeth glances at Maybelline: "Maybe. In theory I could. But I'm old..." She pauses, looking at her hand again: "...um."
Maybelline grins, "Well, you... were old? How's that work, eh? Might be something else to look into."
Elizabeth nods slowly, her mind prodding at the thought: "...I'll have to ask the Doctor, at least. It's... interesting, certainly."
Maybelline chuckles, "Might be some threads to pursue, at least. Something. A goal. It's worth having something to chase." She points back over her shoulder. "For me, it was the generator. Rebuilding it, getting it up and running, finding a way to get Respite's power back."
Elizabeth looks at the generator, nodding: "And you have done an admirable job at it." She shakes her head slightly, standing straighter though she doesn't sound entirely convinced: "I will... find something. Do something. Just... s-something."
Maybelline nods, "It's... the best advice I can offer. Sorry, Elizabeth. For just the whole situation."
Elizabeth gives another small smile at Maybelline: "I am sorry as well." She looks at the generator appraisingly for a moment more, then shakes her head: "...I best go lie down. Sleep on this a second time, make sure I am not just fever dreaming or something."
Maybelline nods. "I'll... I'll be here if you need someone to talk with. Can't say I'm much for 'helping', but it's the least I can do." She gives Elizabeth her best smile and a thumbs up. "You'll be okay, Elizabeth, I'm sure."
Elizabeth nods: "Yes... let us hope so." She lifts her dresses hood back up, once again concealing most of her being from casual sight: "I am sure we will speak again."
Maybelline grins, "And don't be too ashamed of the look. I mean, if I weren't in a committed relationship, I'd probably start trying to hit on you. That's... supposed to sound like a compliment and not... awkward. Err... sorry. You look good, is all I'm saying."
Elizabeth blinks, lowering her hood in surprise as she looks at Maybelline: "You... huh. I haven't heard those sort of compliments in years." She blushes a bit: "...thank you."
Maybelline chuckles awkwardly, but nods a little. "Take care, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth smiles as she lifts her hood back up: "Take care, Maybelline." She starts to head out, her mind not-surprisingly a conflicting mess of various pros and cons of the current situation she's only began to process.