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ERIKA'S GARDEN - AFTERNOON
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Erika is tending to the garden, because what else is there? The small oasis of growth in the middle of Respite is positively brimming with green energy in a way that it never has before, almost like the life within is giving you attention when you step in. In the middle of it all, the creature that calls herself Erika keeps doing little magical tweaks to make things even better...
Xochi slithers into the edge of the garden, glancing around carefully. "Ah... hello? Erika? I am seeking for you, yes? It has been awhile..."
Erika perks up from her work, giving the root she was conversing with one last wisp of energy before getting up: "O-oh? Here? I mean, I am?"
Xochi slides her way through the garden towards the voice, smiling as she spots the Okapi, "Ah! There you are. It has been some time since we spoke, I was worrying you had forgotten our last talk... I was curious if you had found anything for me?"
Erika tilts her head at the snake: "Found something... I mean, anything, for you? What did you, uhm... need?" If Xochi is observant, there is a definite wisp of dark green magical energy around Erika's being, particularly near her hands and hooves.
Xochi does see it, though not necessarily due to any magical attunement, but a definite sense that 'something' is off here, like seeing a smudge on a photograph that doesn't make sense. The confusion shows on her face, "In regards to the token... for the ritual? You had said you would speak to Cavro and try to come up with something to aid me... didn't you?"
Erika blinks a bit dumbly, frowning: "I... I do not recall. Haven't done anything with him in a while..." She looks about the garden as she attempts to recall whatever it was that she's supposed to know.
Xochi rises up on her coils just a bit to match Erika's height, "...are... you alright? Ever have I found you a source of whimsy, your excitement is encouraging and your joy is contagious, this is why I began a garden of my own, in fact. Yet you now seem... lost? Are you feeling well?"
Erika lifts her arm to touch the other, looking aside: "I don't... know. Something feels off, but I d-don't know what."
Xochi moves closer, slowly, carefully, as if approaching a wild beast she wishes to calm, "Erika? You do not know? What do you not know? What feels off? I am your friend, you know this."
Erika nods absently. She lifts her hand towards a fern, doing a gesture at it before stopping herself, frowning again. "There's no answer. Everything is as perfect as things could be here in the garden..."
Xochi glances about the garden. "The... garden is perfect, yes. You do an admirable job in its maintenance. What of outside, yes? You and Cavro? You and your parents? You and your friends?"
Erika looks at Xochi, hesitant: "They're all... fine? F-fine. I have been outside." She likely couldn't lie more obviously if she tried.
Xochi pauses, watching Erika's expression. She reiterates her notion, "I am your friend, Erika. I wish to help you find your way again."
Erika nods, looking about the garden: "....I know that." She blinks: "...which way?"
Xochi shakes her head, coming forward to rest a hand on Erika's shoulder. "I do not know. But you are lost. Something is... off. You sense it yourself. But what? Has it been this way since you were restored from your transformation?"
Erika looks at Xochi in slight surprise but she doesn't shy away from the touch. "No, I'm... I was fine after that?" She shakes her head: "Nesseth, the guard, he said that something was off about me."
Xochi nods in thought, "Nesseth is perceptive, and a good friend. I would wish that I would notice a difference as well. When last we spoke in my garden, you seemed fine. So what has changed. What has happened, Erika?" She lowers her hand from Erika's shoulder and offer it to hold.
Erika looks at Xochi's hand, then takes it in hers: "I... I don't know. Am I different? I don't think anything has happened... I've just been here, doing what I do..."
Xochi holds Erika's hand, then places her other hand atop it, cradeling Erika's hands in her own as she considers. "I cannot say. But something feels different about you. Your spirit... your self. Something is... strange."
Erika blinks in confusion: "My... spirit? I think it feels fine." She looks at their hands with a frown: "I'm... I'm fine. The plants agree, they haven't thought anything is wrong."
Xochi blinks at that statement, glancing around the garden, "They... agree? Howso?"
Erika shrugs, still not taking her hand away from Xochi's: "Well, they don't disagree at least. I'm just as good as I was. Maybe better?"
Xochi squeezes Erika's hand, "This is new, though? The plants? They have not always 'spoken' to you, have they?"
Erika blinks, thinking: "They... I think they have? Or have they?" She frowns, not certain of this: "...I think so?"
Xochi frowns, "The uncertainty speaks for itself, I fear... why so many questions for your own life, Erika?"
Erika takes her hand away, looking at it for a moment before looking back up at Xochi: "W-what do you mean?"
Xochi tilts her head, "Why do you not know when I ask you these things? The plants, or Cavro, or even our own talks? There is such uncertainty in you... It is your life, yes?"
Erika blinks dumbly: "Um... whose else's?"
Xochi shakes her head, "I... don't know. This brings me... a bit of fear, Erika. Much concern for you as well." She frowns, further squeezing the okapi's hand.
Erika allows her hand to be squeezed again, if only out of confusion. She looks at Xochi: "Um... what should we do?"
Xochi lowers her head, "I do not know. I shall pray for guidance... but I am no expert in such matters."
Erika nods, looking about the garden in concern: "...what can we do?"
Xochi gives one final supportive squeeze before she releases Erika's hand. "Speak to Cavro? Or perhaps others, like Lady Elizabeth? She is wise in the ways of magic in ways I am not. If this is magical in origin... But I shall seek aid as well. I shall find a way to guide you, if this is what you require."
Erika glances at Xochi before leaning down to magically help a fern grow up several inches: "I did not know I needed that, but I guess... I do."
Xochi watches this display of magic in further curiosity. "This... also seems new? All I can advise for now is... seek the aid of your friends. Those who you know for certain will aid you. Perhaps... I should speak with Nesseth as well, yes? I am certain he will wish to aid you too."
Erika nods slowly, looking at the fern before turning back to Xochi: "Nesseth is... nice. Maybe I'll speak with him too..."
Xochi nods, "He is nice, yes. And what of Cavro? He is your best friend, is he not? The token I sought, a token of your love for him...?"
Erika blinks in confusion: "My... my love for...?" She trails off as though tasting the idea in her mouth: "...my love for Cavro..."
Xochi frowns, "Even this is forgotten..." She slides forward and gives Erika a hug.
Erika stiffens slightly at the hug, but awkwardly hugs back. Her hug is cold like the earth, though she does not seem to notice.
Xochi releases the hug and studies Erika carefully, a frown upon her face. "Do you... need anything right now?"
Erika shrugs slightly, holding her hand on her other arm: "I... I d-don't think so? I thought I was... fine?" She frowns, not sure what to believe anymore.
Xochi sighs, "I am sorry, Erika. None of this was my intent in coming here. I am simply... concerned."
Erika nods slowly: "I understand. I g-guess I'd be concerned too." She shivers slightly despite the afternoon heat.
Xochi sighs, "I shall not leave you like this, Erika. I am here for you."
Erika nods and gives Xochi a smile: "T-thank you." She looks about the garden and shrugs a bit helplessly.
Xochi follows her gaze, "I can help you with the garden, if you wish. You have taught me much. We can work together and find some peace in that, for now."
Erika smiles: "...we can do that, y-yeah." She touches her hand on the fern next to her, smiling at the touch and some unseen communication between her and the plant.
Xochi smiles as well, "Then let us do that, and take your mind off of this for now. There shall be time for answers later."
Erika nods and starts going about the garden, showing Xochi the improvements she thinks the snake hasn't seen. Soon enough the two are toiling in work, the problems forgotten for now.
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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - MID-AFTERNOON
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Nesseth makes his way up the path to the Bouquet Estate's front entrance, having gotten off of his patrol not that long ago. He's still in most of his guard gear, since his patrol took him through the more affluent areas of town today, and figured it be faster to stop by directly than going back and forth from the barracks.
Narrator: Nesseth would sadly find his path stopped by the gate of the estate. The lone wolf in his tiny post nearby looks out to Nesseth, though doesn't make a move to do anything until it's clear that Nesseth is seeking entry. "Can I help you, Sir?" The guard asks the other guard.
Nesseth nods, giving the wolf a friendly little smile. "Yeah, actually. Is Teis at home at the moment? I'm intending to see her since she'd told me the other day that she has some information that might be relevant to an investigation that's been ongoing with the town guard."
Narrator: "Miss Amaryteis is indeed home at the moment. May I please have your name?" The wolf asks, physically picking up a list briefly to emphasize his reason for asking. From the distance, however, a small, decidedly Teis-like voice carries across the wind. "JUST LET HIM IN, JAX!" Teis shouts from her perch up on the warm, sunbathed balcony, sprawled out on the railing lazily. Decidedly unladylike, though entirely catlike! The guard perks at this, letting Nesseth through the gate with a slight sigh, as if he's used to this. "If you'll follow me." He instructs Nesseth.
Nesseth is about to state his name when Teis' voice catches his ear. He looks up towards the source of the sound and notices a certain, white-furred feline sprawled comfortably on one of the manor's balconies. He treats her to a cheerful wave, then nods at Jax and begins to follow the wolf. "Sorry about circumventing due process like that. Causes all kinds of paperwork issues, doesn't it?"
Teis: Teis stretches a little bit, waving equally as lazily back to Nesseth.
Narrator: Jax, as it were, puts the list down and closes the gate behind Nesseth, leading Nesseth up the path, past the pretty gardens, to the estate, though doesn't stop before the balcony to let Teis and Nesseth speak. Instead, he leads Nesseth into the estate, taking him up to Teis' room properly. The estate itself is as clean as one might expect, with a rather modest grand staircase that Jax leads Nesseth up.
Teis: "Not much paperwork particularly to be had, if I'm honest. Not on gate duty anyway. More that Lady Bouquet's both have vastly different. . .Preferences." Assuming there is little further conversation, the two are at Teis' room in short time, Jax offering a soft knock on the door on Nesseth's behalf. "Yes yes, let him in!" Teis' muffled voice replies from the other side of the door. Jax opens the door with another soft sigh, letting Nesseth in. Teis' room is as clean as the rest of the estate, except for the parts where it's obvious Teis has used the room since she's woken up. Those parts are chaotic and messy.
Nesseth nods at Jax as he's let in, gives Teis a little bow once he sees her, though he does glance around the room a bit just to kind of take in the sights. He's very much impressed at how quickly Teis and Rondelethia have gotten things in such good shape in such a short time. "Afternoon, Teis! I hope I'm not interrupting your relaxation or anything."
Teis: The door to Teis' room closes behind Nesseth. Teis is still on the balcony, continuing to laze, though she looks back at Nesseth through the door that is open from her room to the balcony. "Eh. Not really. Well. You are. The sun's pretty nice. But it's as I said. You'd have always been interrupting something regardless of when you came. Which is why I told you to simply come around whenever. Which you have!" Teis exclaims. "You're here for my old notes, right?" Teis questions, vaguely tilting her head but the balcony railing stopping her from really doing so to any real degree.
Nesseth nods as he makes his way over to the balcony doorway, lightly leaning against the threshold. "Yup! If you don't need the notes immediately, I'm here to see if I can borrow them for a bit, unless you have copies of the notes anyway." He looks around a bit, taking in the view of the gardens from the balcony, "I have to say, too... you and your sister got a really nice spot."
Teis: "Well. I don't strictly need the notes but I would like them back mmmmmm. . .eventually? I enjoy having my notes incase I want to go back and read them myself. . ." Teis finishes with a large yawn, then stretches out all her limbs and fingers for a moment. She hops off the railing, onto the balcony proper. "I mean, yeah. By design. Papa and Sis really put it all together. All I wanted was a nice place to catnap."
Nesseth hums. "Don't worry, we'll be sure to get the notes back to you once we've copied down all the relevant information for our files. I'll personally deliver them back here once we're finished with them, and it hopefully shouldn't take us too long." He smiles again as he steps aside and gives Teis room to walk back in, "Seems like you've got exactly that. The balcony catches the sun nicely, doesn't it?"
Teis: Teis brushes past Nesseth, headed back into the recesses of her room, "Good, good." She opens up one of the cabinets in her room, rummaging through the files while she continues to talk. "Yeah. It's nice. I often nap there when I'm not down in my lab. You're lucky I wasn't asleep, or Jax would've dragged you through all that formality muffins. Ugh."
Nesseth chuckles and shrugs. "I can't say I'm all that bothered by the formality, even though I don't really do anything of the sort myself. Lots of red tape to deal with in the administration side of guard duty, after all. I'm a patient enough lizard to handle it if you did happen to be asleep."
Teis: "Yeah but it's just so unnecessary. So much better uses for the time. And before you say it, yes. Napping is a good use of time. A good nap is ace." Teis nods to herself. "Aha!" She finds her old coursework, dragging it out. She presents it to Nesseth, "Now, like I said. None of this is actual research, okay? This is just my coursework and exams from the classes I had about them at The Academy." Teis warns.
Nesseth laughs a bit. "Well, you won't hear me arguing against a good nap. I enjoy a nice soak in the sun, too, after all." He nods as he's handed Teis' notes, "Got it. It's all just coursework and notes, but it's still far more than we've got to go off of otherwise. Until the library really builds up its catalog, stuff like this is our best source for info about these sorts of things."
Teis: "Excellent." Teis smiles, her tail giving a singular swish. "And. . .Please. I hope you remember your part of the deal. If there are actually doppelgangesr, I want to see them with my own eyes. Mmmk?"
Nesseth hums and nods. "Yup, I'll keep up my side of it, Teis. If we ascertain that these are actually doppelgangers, then we'll let you know once we have them apprehended."
Teis: "Good, good. I ah. Actually. While you're here. . .I've got something I want to ask you. . .Hold on. . ." Teis scampers around her room quickly, headed toward her desk. She hastily fishes out a piece of paper and her coloured pencils, drawing an insignia. She shows it to Nesseth. "Do you know what this symbol is?" She questions.
Nesseth watches Teis scrambling around her room, then tilts his head when she comes back with the piece of paper with the drawing. He examines it for a few seconds, then shakes his head. "I'm afraid not... Is that something from Sarn or Vamas, because that doesn't look like anything I've seen back in Orela."
Teis: "It's from Yuretti. The, ah. Ship that crashed carrying that other lizard, Tarbin, was from there. He has a curse that I'm researching, so any information I can get about the Yuretti would be quite helpful. Do you know much about them? Maybe a bit of a longshot, I know, but you are literally the only other lizard I know. So. Y'know."
Nesseth perks up a little. "Oh, something from Tarbin's homeland? I've never actually been that way, myself, unfortunately, so what I know is entirely just from Tarbin, which he's already probably told you." He pauses, thinking, "Though... you might be able to ask the person managing the town's library, Aurelius. He's a Loremaster, so he likely knows a few things about Yuretti."
Teis: "Yeah, I've spoken to the Loremaster already. He's given me what he's can, and he's already put in a request to have more books on the subject sent out this way. Buuuut we're still waiting for them to arrive. Takes a while, being so remote. Y'know?" Teis ahems. "A shame you don't have anything extra to give me on the matter, though I suppose that was the expected result."
Nesseth chuckles a bit. "Yeah... I'm from Orela, so my knowledge about other lizard nations is... woefully limited. I think there's another lizard that arrived recently as well, but they were from Vamas, so I'm not sure how much they'd be able to help your search for info..."
Teis: "Well, any potential lead is worth following up on. Short of an actual visit to Yuretti myself, which I doubt Sis would be willing to approve of. . ." Teis muses mostly to herself.
Nesseth shrugs a bit. "Well, if you want to try and see, they're probably not too hard to find."
Teis: "Yeah. . .Yeah. If I happen to run into them, I'll bring it up I suppose. Otherwise, there's bigger and more important leads to follow up on first." Teis replies. "But. That isn't really your concern, and I have no more questions."
Nesseth smiles. "Then I'll let you get back to your nap, Teis. Thanks for lending us your notes. I'll make sure they come back in the same condition we got them in."
Teis: "Excellent. Ah. I should see you out, or at least get someone to see you out. Otherwise Sis'll get mad at me." Teis nods. She heads to her door.
Nesseth follows Teis to the door, keeping the stack of notes balanced and orderly as he's led out of her room. "Thanks, Teis. I'll keep you updated on things as we learn more."
Teis: Luckily, one of the Bouquet's servants is visible in the hall from Teis' door. Teis quickly gets their attention, instructing them to lead Nesseth out of the estate. "I look forward to it, Nesseth. Farewell, for now. I'm gonna go back to my nap." Teis grins, retreating back into her room. By the time Nesseth makes it out the front door, Teis is perched back up on the railing of the balcony.
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SOMEWHERE - EVENING
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Erika sits at the edge of the cave she and Cavro found, staring into the rainstorm the two only somewhat avoided. She occasionally glances at Cavro's attempts at making a fire behind her, but at this point she doesn't feel much hope for it given the nothing they have to work with. The day has been very quiet between the two since their argument that morning, the uneasy silence weighing on them more than the storm clouds above.
Cavro had gathered a small pile of rocks as they wandered, most from along the edge of a dried riverbed near noon. The first that had caught his eye was speckled with orange rust spots. He had of course managed to lose a couple on the dash to their shallow shelter, but he was still hopeful... At first. Every few seconds, the sound of stones slapping together came from his hunched form, followed by increasingly impatient huffs.
Erika sighs quietly as she stares into the storm, hugging her arms to her chest as she shudders a bit. She glances at Cavro again, sighs and continues staring outside. How did this even end up happening?
Cavro sighs as he gives himself a little moment of rest, staring at the rocks in his hands, and the small pile of stripped sticks that he's cast exactly zero sparks toward. "No luck... We we we've had no luck..."
Erika leans on the wall, sighing to herself again. Her anger has long dissipated, leaving behind only a hollow feeling of being lost. "Cavro... I'm sorry."
Cavro slumps a bit in the shoulders, shaking his head slightly as he turns sideways to look at Erika. "N-no... This this this isn't your fault."
Erika looks aside: "I snapped at you. Yelled. I s-shouldn't have."
Cavro hesitates, looking away from her for a moment. "Oh... You you you did, yes..." He pauses again, dropping the rock in his right hand to wipe at his face. "I um... I don't blame you, honestly... I I I would yell at me, too."
Erika sighs, looking down at her hands. She slumps slightly in her sitting position. "...we need to survive. Before anything else." Her voice is tired, defeated.
Cavro nods slightly, looking toward her. "You are are are our best chance at at at that... I'm sorry I I I was pushing earlier. It is is is wearing on me. And I I I am sorry for what I said, I don't mean to to to insult that you like exploring."
Erika nods, then looks at Cavro sadly: "But it's still not you. Never will be..."
Cavro shakes his head slowly, looking into her eyes. "I... No... I don't think it it it will..."
Erika looks back at Cavro's eyes, then tears her gaze away as she starts to feel her eyes moisten. She whispers: "A-are we just too different...?"
Cavro feels his chest tighten when she looks away, his vision misting up a bit as he looks back down towards the rock in his hands. "I never really though about it... I I I love that you are different, we can can can talk about the different things we like all the time... But..."
Erika sighs, voicing thoughts she's had for a while: "...but aside from work and sex, what do we even... do?"
Cavro nods, leaning back against the rough cave wall. "If we we we can't share more than that, where do we go?"
Erika looks at the storm raging just some metres away from her: "I don't know." She sighs, clearly afraid of saying these words out loud: "...a-are we better off just being separate... friends?"
Cavro shivers a bit, looking toward the failure of a fire, grunting. "I can't say that these last last last few days have been good, of course..." He mulls for a few seconds, nodding. "Maybe we we we were happier as friends?"
Erika finds herself nodding in agreement: "We were, um... maybe we were." She sighs, looking at her hands: "D-doesn't feel right to say that, b-but..."
Cavro shakes his head, kneeling again. "No. No it it it doesn't." He turns to look at her, finally with an unstrained smile. "But I I I did enjoy the time that that that we thought we were in love."
Erika winces at the way Cavro words it, but again can't find actual disagreement in her: "Y-yeah." She sniffs: "I-it was great."
Cavro feels like he's going to break down and yet also feels a bit of weight off his chest, the two states conflicting harshly, although he fights letting them show as well as he can. Instead, he sets the rusted rock next to the potential fire, crawling over to Erika's side and sitting next to her to watch the storm. "We'll be okay..." He swallows a sob. "We we we will."
Erika looks at Cavro, then outside: "I... g-guess we will." She sighs and at least part of it is in relief: "So... still friends?" She mulls the word on her tongue and it feels right even as it hurts.
Cavro nods slowly, wiping at his face quickly before he glances at her. "Y-yeah... Friends."
Erika sniffs a bit more, but still finds a small smile: "...we'll survive this."
Cavro returns the smile, but needs to distract himself before he breaks. "With you here, yes." He turns, crawling back into the cave to his efforts. He picks up a flaky stone from the cave floor, as well as his rusty one, not that he can se much. "Thank you..."
Erika blinks, turning to look at Cavro: "T-thank you? Were you... have you... been thinking it too? That maybe..." She waves her hand vaguely, gesturing at herself and the badger.
Cavro sighs, not looking at her, though his nod is obvious. "Since um... Well well well since your transformation. I I I though I wasn't really meant for for for you... I m-mean, I I I almost ran away..." He shakes his head, grunting; "Stupid badger." He strikes the two stones in his frustration, more of nothing happening.
Erika nods, sighing in understanding: "...mm. I just... y-you're dear to me but..." She looks at Cavro: "...m-maybe it was just physical. Gods forbid any of this make sense."
Cavro sighs, continuing to strike the stones between their thoughts. "I guess it it it was... Mostly. I I I care about you, there is is is no doubt on that. I... Hm." He strikes the stones a few more times, blinking back tears enough that he doesn't see the briefest flash. "Maybe we just just just don't have a spark..."
Erika looks at the sad excuse for a would-be campfire and nods: "Y-yeah... maybe." She returns to looking at the rain, the storm calming her thoughts.
Cavro grunts, giving the stones a few more frustrated strikes, shards falling from the cave stone as he goes on. There's a sudden shout from inside the cave, following a flash of light!
Erika blinks and spins around in her sitting position, nearly falling to her side: "Abwuh?"
Cavro fails to draw light from the stones for a couple more hits, but as he bends towards the pile of kindling, a pair of lively hot lights fly, nearly landing on their mark. "Oh! Please, come on!" He seems to have the angle figured, getting sparks every other hit until a few finally take to the wood!
Erika looks at the process intently, not daring to come any closer or say anything to jinx it.
Cavro feels the strain of his efforts, but continues striking more sparks onto the kindling as he blows on it. One little lick of flame draws another cry from him, somehow not realizing that Erika is already aware as he calls; "Erika! Erika I I I think it's working!"
Erika can't stop herself from grinning: "Y-you done it. Awesome!"
Cavro chuckles nervously, bending to gently tend the flame. This part he knows very well, and they shortly have a small fire starting to crackle away, quickly filling the small space with heat... And a bit of smoke at the roof, though it finds it's way out fairly easily.
Erika scoots her way towards the fire, smiling at her partner- nay, friend: "I knew y-you could do it."
Cavro chuckles, looking at her with a satisfied grin, gratefully holding onto the shift in emotion. "I I I didn't!"
Erika smiles warmly regardless. "We can do this," she repeats to no one in particular.
Cavro nods, grin slipping to a calmer smile as he turns to feed the little crackling pile of hope. "Yes, we we we can."
Erika gives Cavro a smile before shifting to staring their small campfire. Maybe tomorrow will be easier.