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LOUMA'S HOUSE - EARLY MORNING
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Maybelline steps out of the shower, having availed herself of Louma's bathroom after spending another night over with her girlfriend. Her fur matted down and wet still as she reaches for a towel to begin drying herself.
Louma blinks as Maybelline steps out of the bathroom, blushing brightly and glancing away when she realizes she is staring. "Ah, you're still drying off, I'll give you some privacy."
Maybelline blushes. "I mean... you could... if you want. I don't exactly mind if you stare~. I mean, I know I stare at you~"
Louma giggles quietly, peeking at May. "I don't know, too much of a good thing and all that... I could certainly get used to having you emerge from my shower more often, though~"
Maybelline giggles, "You saying I don't shower enough? I'd like to think I stay pretty clean. Usually."
Louma blushes, shaking her head as she turns to May. "Not at all! Just... That I... Wouldn't mind if you took more of them here~ Or... All even~?"
Maybelline's grin fades slightly as she stares at Louma, "To... do that... I'd need to be here a whole lot more often. I mean... more often then I am already. L-like... all the time?"
Louma nods, smiling, though she looks nervously at May. "Yes, something like that. Well except when you're working on the generator. Be here, eat here, wake up here... If... If you wanted, that is."
Maybelline nods readily, "Of course I do! I just... I didn't know if you knew what you were asking! Inviting me in to... to stay... live... her. With you." She chuckles nervously, "I'm sorta high maintenance."
Louma giggles, nodding. "Well... I can't say there's no selfish reasons involved~" She doesn't hide that her gaze wanders along May's profile as she says this, but returns to her face before continuing. "But you deserve to have a little more room than the generator quarters."
Maybelline smirks, "I don't need that much room. You wouldn't mind me installing a few little projects around would you? Just steps and such so I can reach everything? Little things to really uh... make myself at... home." She blushes upon saying the last word.
Louma smiles warmly at the word, blushing as well. "Yes, anything you want or need, sweets~"
Maybelline steps closer and lifts a hand up to Louma's side, staring up at her. "I'd like all of that very much. I didn't really get to choose where to live when I moved here. Couldn't imagine a better place though, then with you."
Louma grins before she bends to kiss Maybelline, a hand gently brushing the stoat's cheek while Louma's heart is thumping hard in her chest from excitement.
Maybelline kisses back, smiling up at Louma when she pulls back at last. "Living here will make things a lot easier in my plan you know."
Louma blinks, tilting her head with a quiet chuckle. "Oh? Am I privy to this plan, by chance?"
Maybelline giggles, "You're definitely party to it, if not privy." She turns her head to rest it against Louma's scales as she hugs her. "They're simply my plans for spending more of my life with you."
Louma sighs, keeping herself composed, as difficult as May is making that. She gently caresses May's bare back. "Ah, so I've fallen into place just as planned, then? Devious, my love~"
Maybelline coos a little at the touch, "I just plan for all sorts of eventualities. But you definitely caught me a bit off-guard asking me right out of the shower~"
Louma giggles quietly, nuzzling her bill against Maybelline's cheek, hugging the stoat. "I just realized, watching your fur shimmer in the morning sun, that seeing you here each morning would make every day so much better~"
Maybelline grins, "Making your every day better is all part of my plan too. Of course, the fact that you make my day better too is just a happy coincidence, I'm sure~"
Louma gives May a playful peck on the top of her head, shaking her head slightly. "How I could make you happier is always a question on my mind, sweets."
Maybelline blushes. "This works. Hearing you say you love me. I... I'm a pretty simple stoat, to be honest. M-maybe a little needy..." She swallows, "I... ask myself the same question about you, though."
Louma sighs again, shuddering a bit this time as she wraps Maybelline in a tight hug again. She clears her throat quickly before replying. "Of course, we'll have to f-figure that out as we go. I love you May, it would make me immeasurably happy to live with you~"
Maybelline sniffles against at the emotions threatening to spill out. "I love you Louma, so so much, and I'm more than happy to do so~."
Louma lets out a slightly choked half-laugh, kissing May's cheek as she picks her up to hug the slightly damp stoat into her feathers. "This might be the best outcome of seeing you step out of the shower~"
Maybelline giggles as Louma lifts her up against her feathery chest, nuzzling into the fluff. "I quite agree, love."
Louma gives her lover a warm squeeze, humming as she tilts back with the stoat until she's laid back onto her... their bed.
Maybelline holds on as Louma carries her, humming happily held close against her lover, with all her hopes and dreams and plans of staying with Louma the rest of her life feeling quite close to being fulfilled at the moment.
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SOUTH BAY - MIDDAY
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Bracvar scuttles along the edge of the scrub, looking over the scant bushes to the inviting waters ahead of them, a light wind pushing water a few feet up the gravelly shore with a pleasing sound. "That breeze really is no different than being on deck, hm? No tint of soil in it at all, nevermind what we're standin' on."
Gareth hums as he lets the sea breeze play over his face for a bit. "Aye... it's a nice feelin'. Only difference is that we're not havin' to work to keep our balance on a swayin' deck, which isn't exactly a bad thing."
Bracvar laughs, shrugging as he easily steps over a berry bush of sorts rather than making his way around it. "Shame, it's amusing watching new folks stumble about as their sea legs grow. Wherabouts were yeh thinkin to build?"
Gareth laughs a bit and nods. "Aye, it's always fun seein' them struggle to keep balance, even better if they're on the rail fer the entire first journey." Still chuckling, he points over at a spot nearby where the trees lining the shore open up a bit, "As fer the house, I was thinkin' around that spot. Ground seems sturdy enough, far enough up from the water, too."
Bracvar laughs at the image he gets, though doesn't share that he's imagining Gareth's first time on the sea wasn't much different. Instead, he turns and scuttles in the direction the wolf points, getting a better look at the area. "Oh yes, this does seem a nice spot. Those trees there look pretty hardy, ought to block some o'the worse winds off the bay, too."
Gareth strides along with Bracvar, already having a bit of a good idea of the spot. "Strong material, too, in case I need replacement wood for any reason. I'm thinkin' o' keepin' as much o' the area intact as I can, though. Ye can see some o' the old ship materials I've got dryin' over there, fer exactly that reason."
Bracvar steps up to the frankly impressive amount of driftwood, picking a board up and turning it over in the sunlight. "Aye, yeh've got quite the collection here, enough fer about half of it you reckon?" He runs a carapaced hand along the edge of the board, noting that it wasn't as eroded as one might expect. "This board wasn't floating away from it's ship fer too long eh? Where did yeh say you picked it up?"
Gareth thrusts a thumb over his shoulder along the shoreline. "A little ways over that way. The ship most of the wood was from seems to be a really recent shipwreck. Might have even come from the same ship that Lizard me huntin' partner rescued a while back, now that I think about it..." He pauses for a moment, thinking, then shrugs, "The rest o' it's from older shipwrecks. Probably goin' to use the older stuff fer sidin', nothin' load-bearin'."
Bracvar ahh's, setting the board back in place where he found it. "Well yeh've got quite the project ahead of you, hmm?" He turns toward the bay, scuttling to stand next to Gareth with his arms crossed over his chest. "Lot of wrecks in this bay, actually. Think I heard a rumor of six that thought they could land there instead of Bairnell's Foothold. Might be more, who knows?"
Gareth nods as he looks out over the bay's calm waters. "Seems like the currents push a lot o' wrecks this way, aye. Fer as calm as the water looks here, the entrance o' the bay is deceptively rough on anythin' larger than a dinghy."
Bracvar nods, chuckling. "It's not much deeper'n two of yerself fer most of it, either, excepting the pit."
Gareth tilts his head. "The pit? What, there's some sort o' cavern or somethin' towards the middle o' the bay?"
Bracvar nods, gesturing toward the water. "Yeah, can barely make out the darker water now I think. It's dark as all hell in there of course, I didn't feel like waiting until my eyes were adjusted. Think it might be why the shoreline is narrow 'round the bay. Cuts the waves a bit." He glances toward Gareth with a grin. "You'll feel a chill in yer core when yeh decide to take a dive and see it."
Gareth raises an eyebrow at the glance. "A chill, eh? Ye seem to be thinkin' I've got a yellow streak down me back." He grins a bit, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
Bracvar lets out a single low laugh. "I know yer comfortable on a ship, and maybe in the sea it rocks on, but staring into the depths? Might be a good thing if yeh are what with Sammi takin' an interest in you."
Gareth blinks and pauses for a moment. "Fair enough, aye. I guess I do think the depths aren't quite as terrifyin' as most surface rumors make it all out to be."
Bracvar grins, laughing. "I'm havin' one at yeh, I know yer as bold as hell Gareth, don't look like it's so personal!"
Gareth flashes a grin. "I figured as much, ye salty crab. But I'll also admit that speakin' with Sammi, the depths aren't utterly terrifyin'. Maybe a bit scary, and probably unsettlin', but nothin' that'd keep me away."
Bracvar nods, looking out toward the bay again. "Aye, no more frightening than what's on the land anyhow. Except angler fish. They're a bit unsettling, if yeh've ever had the pleasure to meet one. Mmh, how did the gift hunt go fer Sammi, by the by?"
Gareth smiles. "It went well! I managed to find somethin' nice fer her, an astrolabe that can handle heavy water contact. She liked it a lot, said it'd be a good complement to the one she's already got fer underwater use."
Bracvar looks impressed, nodding with an appreciative hum. "That's a good gift, aye. I'm sure she'll get a good use of it, with how curious she is of the surface. "
Gareth nods. "That's the hope, at least. It was really nice, seein' her smile so much when she got the gift."
Bracvar turns just enough to have Gareth in the corner of his vision, grinning. "Oh, taking a bit of a fancy to the Old One are we?"
Gareth glances over at Bracvar with a bit of amusement. "I thought ye'd figured somethin' o' the sort out when I came by askin' fer gift advice."
Bracvar pauses, shrugging. "Actually hadn't, just thought yeh'd gotten a bit of fear fer repercussions without offering a gift in return to hers. Givin me a lot to think about. First a new wreck, and now this. How's that goin fer yeh?"
Gareth shrugs a little. "It goes, I guess. Still tryin' to figure that all out, meself. We did have some ice cream together in town not that long ago, and I got to speak with her papa more recently. I do want to spend more time with her, but I'm not sure what all to do, really."
Bracvar chuckles, shaking his head. "Yer an interesting one, I see that. I'll bet yeh can't go wrong with taking her to see surface things right now, though."
Gareth nods thoughtfully. "That's an idea... Shame Respite doesn't have much goin' fer it in the way of interestin' things." He pauses, "But... maybe other continents, if she's up fer the trip?"
Bracvar tilts his head, humming. "Aye, could take her fer a trip. As long as she can travel, that is."
Gareth nods again. "I'll have to ask her, o' course. Somethin' to consider the next time I see her."
Bracvar grins, clapping Gareth on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Happy fer yeh if'n it works out, yeh sea dog! I didn't know something as intriguing as that was happenin', it's been eerily quiet since I got back a few days ago, even with how full up the Minnow's rooms are."
Gareth laughs, rocking forward just a bit from the clap. "Well, now ye know, Bracvar. Things have been pretty uneventful in town recently, but I think the generator bein' fixed up has somethin' to do with it."
Bracvar chuckles, nodding. "Aye, that Maybelline is quite the smart one, designed that whole thing herself. I got to get a hand in there to help... And curry a favor or two fer the future o'course." He huffs quietly. "Had to track down a hundred stone of charged lead to really put it over, though."
Gareth treats Bracvar to a clap on the back in turn. "So ye had a hand in gettin' that generator back up, eh? Good work, there! From what I hear from the locals, the town's a lot safer from weather now that that shield's back up. No sandstorms causin' problems, mainly."
Bracvar chuckles, shifting a bit from the gesture. "Nah, I think she had most of it running on, but needed a few things to get the most out of it. I wont take the credit from her... But I will take the offered pay from the town's coffers." He chuckles, turning more toward Gareth. "So nothing else notable happenin' since I left? I mean, that's near two months of silence. In Respite Falls?"
Gareth hums quietly, thinking, then shakes his head. "Well, no. If yer talkin' recently, there have been a couple o' things here and there. First, there was that bounty out on the Kobold, Strix. Long story short, there was a bounty out o' Sarn on him, but the researchers just wanted his knowledge." He shakes his head, "An in kind o' related news, a bounty hunter after Strix got killed in town. Still no idea who did it, though."
Bracvar pauses, a slight shiver running up his back. He can't really hide the happier tone in his voice for once. "Oh? I hope nothing awful happened to the little kobold." He scratches at a phantom itch on his left cheek, just along the edge of his eye patch. "Poor Strix."
Gareth shakes his head. "Nah, he's in hidin' somewhere in town now, best as I can tell. Me partner and I got to him first, caught him and had a nice chat with him. He'd given a decent enough argument, so we let him go."
Bracvar sighs slightly before he mutters; "Sure, wouldn't give me my eye back either way." He turns to look out over the bay, shaking his head. "So the bounty was a dud, and some idiot got himself killed in a frontier town over it?"
Gareth shakes his head. "Dud bounty, but the hunter was murdered in the bathhouse. He didn't even get a fair fight in."
Bracvar shakes his head, a little baffled. "That sounds senseless. Effective, but where's the honor in it?"
Gareth shrugs. "No honor at all in it, but what gets me is the attack in the bathhouse itself. Could have at least tried fer the kill while Hatnay had his gear on him, ye know?"
Bracvar blinks, thinking for a few moments before he turns his eye on Gareth. "You must have the wrong name, or that's not the one I knew..."
Gareth hums curiously as he meets Bracvar's look. "Hatnay? Giant of a crocodile? One I met at the bathhouse was James Hatnay."
Bracvar: "Aye... In a bathhouse... Pull the other one." He rubs the back of his head, looking slightly shaken. "Figured it'd be by a cannon if nothing at all, bastard shrugged off blades an' small guns like nothin'. Even when he bled you wouldn't know it fer seein' the red." He finally laughs for a few seconds. "Unarmed in a gods damned bathhouse."
Gareth chuckles a bit, nodding in agreement at Bracvar's assessment. "Aye, he had a thick hide by the looks of it. But I guess that's how it is, aye? Ye either die with yer blade in yer hand, or ye die with a knife in the back." He sighs, shaking his head, "Bounty huntin's not a profession fer long lived folk."
Bracvar nods along, slowly getting over the mild shock. "Aye, suppose yer right, though pirates don't get much longer lives, if at all. I was doin my routine, yeh know, when I met him. We were sailin around the islands East of Orela. Crew came up o'er the side round midnight and he just..." Brac mimes lifting something over his head and tossing it forward. "Right into the bunks, dazed a few that way, got 'em killed. I signaled my mates to call off and they hauled off over the side again, but still regret letting 'em show up at all."
Gareth shakes his head. "A shame, that. Ye were right tryin' to get the jump on him like that, but he was a giant of a Croc. Really doubt anyone could have taken him with anythin' less than maybe a third o' a city guard, and even then there'd be losses."
Bracvar shrugs, shaking his head again before letting out a derisive laugh. "Aye, learned that lesson the hard way. Perhaps just hoped the numbers would make him back off. Ah well, what's in the past and all that."
Gareth nods. "Aye, but I suppose ye've got a bit o' closure on that bit, now. He's gone, and no one knows who did it yet."
Bracvar sighs, looking to the low waves as they lap the shore. "Well, can't say I ever really blamed him fer it, was just glad to get off that ship with my legs intact." He manages a chuckle. "What did the kobold say t'get you off his back, though? I mean, must have been good fer you to decide the bounty wasn't any good."
Gareth shrugs again. "He'd said what a lot o' other folks were sayin' before we caught him, that he'd created everything himself and that Sarn just wanted his knowledge fer themselves. Normally, I wouldn't care, and I'd have turned him over, but those Sarn researchers outright lied."
Bracvar: "Complete lack of any honesty in their bones, unbelievable. They called off the bounty, then?"
Gareth laughs and shakes his head. "Nope. Me huntin' partner and I called off the bounty. I'm intendin' to head back some time later on and tell those researchers the bounty info was bad. There was never a Kobold inventor present in Respite."
Bracvar hums for a moment, scratching his neck just under his hidden mandibles. "...And if they call your bluff? They must have some info to get the bounty out in the first place. If they want him bad enough fer his skills to hire hunters to bring him back, you know they're probably not going to quit that easily."
Gareth grins. "I trust Strix stays hidin' well enough that no one can find him if he doesn't want to be found. If other hunters start reportin' the same, they'll give up. Besides, researchers aren't goin' to want to argue with someone openly carryin' a sharp sword and pistols."
Bracvar chuckles, giving a tilted nod. "Aye, suppose a word-of-mouth gambit's all yeh can really do when tryin t'say there's no evidence."
Gareth hums. "We'll see what all happens, anyway. Still givin' it some thought fer the time bein'."
Bracvar nods, turning back toward the location scouted out for Gareth's homestead. "Well, one thing that may help with that is a cool tankard of ale. My treat fer the first round."
Gareth chuckles. "I do like that idea. Sounds like just the thing after a bit o' a walk out from town and back, aye?" He smiles again, "I might have a couple more small stories to tell about, too, come to think, once we get back to the Minnow."
Bracvar chuckles, his mood considerably better than a few minutes ago. "Aye, look forward to hearing them, I knew yeh were holdin something out on me. Figures it'd take an ale t'get the rest."
Gareth grins. "I might be a little predictable about that with friends. But aye, this is the spot I'm thinkin' o' settin' up in, so now ye can stop by to see how things are goin' whenever ye like."
Bracvar claps Gareth on the shoulder again, laughing. "I'll make sure to bring yeh a housewarming gift when it's all up, then!"
Gareth chuckles. "I'll hold ye to that, then. Fer now, we should head on back to the Minnow and get out o' the sun fer a bit. Still a little warm fer me likin'."
Bracvar and Gareth make their way back into town, the walk leaving them plenty of time to discuss times passed before Bracvar clams up on some topics the closer to town they get, trading the chatter for welcome shade, and in a short time, refreshing drinks at the Thirsty Minnow.