----------------------------------------------
OUTSIDE EAST GATE - MORNING
----------------------------------------------
Tarbin had managed to wander his way along the wall this morning, following it from the North Gate around the outside to the East, enjoying the cooler side of Respite and the feel of slightly dry grass under his feet. While he has his cane with him, the lizard is managing to hobble along without relying on it today, his recovery going much slower than he would like, but it is what it is. He blinks as he steps out of the shadow of the wall, letting the sun warm his scales when he pauses for a breath.
Narrator: Highlighted by the rising sun, Teis skitters along all fours along the wall with the finesse one might expect from a cat. Eyes on her target, she pauses momentarily, squinting from the glare of the sun in her eyes. Then, she jumps, descending ahead of Tarbin, landing on all fours. "Aha! There you are!" Teis exclaims, looking up at Tarbin from her hunched over position. She slowly stands up straight.
Tarbin startles, stepping back from the white blur and loud noise. He scowls, the scales on his bare feet shifting to orange... Before the still injured lizard steps back onto his left leg and feels a shock of pain. He catches himself against the wall, huffing for a moment. He curses her in Yurettan before shifting to Common, "Do not do that, please! Not appreciated, no thank you!"
Teis is taken aback by the foreign language at first. "Do what?" Teis tilts her head. "Are... You okay?" She softens, showing concern for Tarbin.
Tarbin pushes off the wall after his heart stops hammering, resting against his cane and now glad he'd brought it along. "Scaring such as that, please do not." He sighs, trying to soften his voice and expression. He's not angry with her, but certainly sounded that way. "I am fine, am sorry for shouting. Just sore."
Teis: "Oh. Sorry? I didn't mean to scare you." Teis hums. "Sis says I can get a bit energetic. Was I too energetic?" Teis questions, sincerely. "... Why are you sore?"
Tarbin looks toward Teis' blur, settling down a bit. "Mmh, I did not arrive in Respite on purpose. Shipwrecked in the South bay, from what I am told. Both legs were broken, a lot of cuts. Doctor Plume saved me, am very grateful for that." He manages a smile, "Could not have shipwrecked anywhere nicer, I suppose."
Teis: "Oh... I'm sorry. That sounds horrible." Teis frowns, hunching a little in depression. "But... At least you're alive... " Nice, Teis.
Tarbin chuckles, nodding along. "Yes, alive is good. Shipwreck was probably best part of the journey to be honest, but perhaps that isn't a story to share now. Were you looking for me?"
Teis nods, quickly perking back up. "Yes! Uh. I wanted to ask you more about your magic. I've been studying the plants you made and I'm at a dead end with my research. Figured I'd come to the source!"
Tarbin tilts his head slightly, chuckling again. "Is magic, perhaps, but not mine. Is difficult to explain, but I can try."
Teis: "What do you mean by... Not yours?" Teis questions first and foremost, before giving any of her own observations away.
Tarbin grins, gesturing toward the ground with his free hand as he speaks. "Nature is the force, I am only fortunate enough to be able to direct it. I can ask it to grow, to sleep, to heal." He shrugs, chuckling as he looks back to Teis. "Not mine."
Teis: "Do... People usually believe you? When you say that?"
Tarbin hums, his smile slipping slightly. "How do you mean? You think I am not speaking truth?"
Teis: "I'll tell you what I think in a moment. I'm interested in some unbaised information first. Ah, that is, what you think, without knowing what I think." Teis explains.
Tarbin rests against his cane, nodding after a short pause. "I am happy to talk with you, Teis. What would you like to know?"
Teis: "... Ah. Hm." Teis hums, figuring out how to reword her question. "Do... Other people think you are lying when you tell them?"
Tarbin smiles, nodding. "I believe some do, yes. Perhaps they think I have magic and only use Nature as an excuse or something of that like." He shrugs again; "They may believe what they like, it does not change anything for me. Why do you ask?"
Teis: "One more question and I'll get to that, sorry. Do you know why they think you are lying?"
Tarbin hums, thinking for a moment. "I suppose not, it could be any number of reasons, yes? I am aware that I speak of Nature in a way like others speak of their gods, that may hurt the hm... [perception...] way they hear? Others may just not like that they stand on powerful magic every day that they can not control."
Teis nods. "Are you aware that you are speciall, Tarbin? And I'm not just talking about your second tail. Even amongst magi, you possess an ability that I have never witnessed."
Tarbin hesitates, nodding shortly. "I am aware that the way I use magic is different from most. Others have been aware as well." He taps his temple; "Cursing to hurt my connection with Nature when I would not help them destroy." He's starting to feel a bit wary of Teis, some of her questions falling rather close to those he had been asked in Yuretti before certain events unfolded.
Teis: "It's very different, Tarbin. See... Most Magi, Ah... How do I... " Teis hums to herself. "Our bodies are like containers, yes? Which contain magic, like a bottle might water. We can only have so much magic, and we use it directly from our container. Those who have no container cannot use magic, which is most people. But you also have no container... And yet you can use magic. Yes?' Teis hopefully explains.
Tarbin grins, nodding. "Yes, I have seen the 'container' you speak of within those with it, in a way, when healing. A natural collection of power in them. I can only ask of Nature's power, not hold it for myself. You say 'we', you are a mage as well? I did not know this!"
Teis nods. "Yes, I am. In fact, I used my magic to locate you. Sorry-not-sorry." Teis smiles. "I'm not... Ah... I wasn't born with my abilities though. I've had to study and work hard to use what we call the arcane arts. Which leads me to ask... Were you born with the ability to use your magic?"
Tarbin nods, sweeping his tails around to his side. "Yes, have been able to turn Nature's flow for as long as I can recall. My tails are hm... 'traditionally' a sign of that, though most with this abnormality are traditional mages."
Teis nods. "That is as I expected, then. Which is, unfortunately, a disappointment. Because I would like very, very much to learn how you do what you do."
Tarbin tilts his head slightly, his expression losing some of it's softness. "There might be a reason that nature does not allow just any mage to tap into the limitless magic in the soil... I can direct it, but not pool it into such powers as curses or manipulation of others. What would someone who has such abilities be capable of if they had all of this magic?" He taps his cane into the grass to punctuate his words.
Teis: "Ah... Do not take this the wrong way, my friend." Teis replies. "I seek only to understand the vast mysteries of the Infinite Arcanum. I am fascinated by that which I do not understand in all magical pursuits." She intentionally avoids answering the question.
Tarbin sighs, tapping a claw against the cane for a few moments, properly frustrated for the first time in a while about his inability to see her face. "You just want to know how, and if is true... Is still dangerous. Not important though, if you do not intend to do bad things with knowledge, as I have no insight to give."
Teis: "Which is why I wish to study you." Teis replies, keeping a neutral demeanour. "And how it is you draw on the magic around you."
Tarbin hums, his expression slipping a little more. "Like an animal, or something strange." He breathes a quiet sigh, recalling regretfully back to how he'd treated Elizabeth when she confided in him, looking away from Teis's blur. "Or maybe your intentions are not so cruel. It is hard to trust, for me."
Teis: "What? No. That isn't what I meant at all." Teis frowns, hurt. "What can I say, do, or give to you to convince you?"
Tarbin looks back to Teis, straightening up a bit as his leg starts feeling better, leaning less on his cane. "It's hard to tell your intent without seeing your face. If you are so keen on research, I would ask you to help discover a way to reverse my curse. If you promise to help me, I will help you understand as much as I can."
Teis: "Okay." Teis bluntly agrees. "If what ails you is indeed not of the physical nature, then I promise you I will do everything in my power to assist you." Immediately, she shifts into her more analytical mode. "So then the first thing to figure out is, if this is indeed something of the magical, arcane, supernatural or otherwise. When do you want to start?"
Tarbin blinks, tilting his head a little. "Whenever you like, Teis. I will have to find somewhere to sleep or earn money, soon, before I am kicked out of the Minnow. But I will make time for you otherwise."
Teis: "I would like to start immediately." Teis replies. Upon hearing of Tarbin's impending homelessness, Teis crosses her arms and frowns again. "... And that's terrible, Tarbin. I'll... " Teis pauses, skewing her lip in thought. She doesn't necessarily want to get Tarbin's hopes up, in case she ends up being unable to help in that regard. "... Stay safe, okay?" Teis sighs. Maybe Sis will have a kinder heart towards research subjects... And maybe Teis should do something profitable first to get Sis in a better mood first.
Tarbin nods, her concern, even if she did hesitate a bit lifting his mood. "Thank you, I will. I do not mean to worry you, just to let you know I may be forced to be busier than I have been. Would you prefer to work at your home again?"
Teis: "I'm... Not worried. Just... " Teis hesitates again. It isn't about her. "But... Yes. We'll need to meet at my lab. I'll need my equipment, at least in regards to the potential curse of yours."
Tarbin nods, looking toward the East Gate, his tails thumping on the grass for a moment. "I will greatly appreciate your help..." he pauses for a moment, looking back to her. "Equipment?"
Teis: "Yes. I'm far more accurate with my tools than I am with just my raw magical talent alone." Teis explains.
Tarbin nods curtly. "Fair enough. Well, once again, lead the way, miss Teis!"
Teis nods, beginning to lead the way!