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WOODS EAST OF RESPITE - AFTERNOON
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Louma has spent most of the morning in preparation, between finishing their camp setup and enjoying the outdoors with May. She hadn't packed much food that needed to be prepared, so lunch was a middle-of-the-road packet of dried rations with some fresh berries and mushrooms from the woods around them. She herself didn't eat much, instead mixing a rather musty smelling fatty poultice in a bucket with boiled water, resulting in a slightly creamy, oddly gritty salve. She seems a bit embarrassed every time she sees May's eyes move anywhere near the bucket, though hasn't tried to excuse it, either.
Maybelline has, for her part, mostly been watching Louma, with only occassional glances towards the bucket. She definitely has had a mixed expression of concern and support, she finishes eating one of last cupcakes they brought from the bakery, and gives Louma a smile, "So, I'm guessing that's going to be for your scales, and not for dinner?" She laughs a little, uncertain of herself in this situation.
Louma chuckles, glad for the prompt to explain. "Y-yes... That cream you got me a little while back is a very good moisturizer, and helps with making my scales a little more elastic so I don't have to shed as often... In theory. I still prefer to, but want to choose when. So a few years ago I went to Hooktail with this in mind. This is what he came up with, an un-moisturizer."
Maybelline giggles, "I'll admit, I didn't even know what that cream was. I asked Bracvar to get me some things from Orela that you might like on one of his trips" She eyes the bucket a little more directly now, walking closer. "Un-moisturizer? So it dries out the scales and makes them shed a little earlier, then?"
Louma nods, poking it with the stick she's been stirring it with. "It's got a tendency to burn if not mixed with water first, so I imagine Hooktail's recipe is about as authentic as his medical license, but as usual it's effective." She turns to May as the salve continues 'cooking' for a bit. "I'm flattered that you had Bracvar get something at all for me... But I'll be honest, that cream you handed me is very common and inexpensive in Orela... It's incredibly expensive to ship, since sea water fouls it up very easily. I appreciate it, but at the same time, I hope you didn't get swindled out of a lot of money for it."
Maybelline tilts her head, then chuckles, "Swindled? Well... probably. But not too badly. I'm more concerned about the parts he found for the generator, but they all seem fine. Just... yeah." She sighs. "Questionable. But I learned enough as a kid to sometimes not ask questions when someone like that is trying to do you a favor. That's maybe a bit naive?"
Louma hums, slithering over to rest next to May and gently rubbing her back. "I have... Reservations about that ah... Merchant, but he pulled through for you, and nothing was dropped on my desk afterwards, so all is well, perhaps." She bends to give May a peck on the forehead, giggling.
Maybelline giggles, blushing slightly at Louma's touch, and humming at the massage. "Perhaps. I'd say that I've failed you on a few levels if anything I do results in more paperwork on your desk, love."
Louma grins, shrugging slightly. "Possibly, I wouldn't know. I'd be too busy daydreaming if your name were written before me."
Maybelline laughs, reaching up to hug Louma. "That's almost too corny, but it still makes me smile to hear it." She leans against Louma and hums, "So... what can I do to help get you all un-moist?"
Louma tries to stifle a laugh, putting on an excessively saucy voice for one mumbled sentence. "An impossible task~" Before she clears her throat and looks toward the bucket. "Mmh, well it ought to be ready by now. The first thing is to coat near my feathers, and then work down. It doesn't matter if we use it all up, the lower bit usually sheds fairly easily." She bends to the bag and picks up a few pieces of heavy leather scraps, handing a few smaller ones to May. "Rags. Try not to touch the salve too much, it's not good for normal skin."
Maybelline smirks as she takes the leather rags. "If I'd known I'd have brought some of my protective gear from the generator, but ah well. I can be careful. I just want to be sure you're comfortable through it all... it sounds like it's typically a bit unpleasant for you."
Louma nods, picking the bucket up with a bit of a grimace and turning her torso to hold it over her tail. "I would not blame you for stepping back and just being by my side, darling. I am sorry I didn't explain everything before we came out here... But with your help, at least it will be over much sooner." She dumps the salve onto her tail and visibly fights the urge to recoil before putting the bucket down. "Ugh... It's both hot and cold at once..."
Maybelline coughs once at the aroma of the salve, eyes watering a little, but her face sets into a rather determined look as she lifts the rag and steps closer towards Louma's torso where the feathers meet the scales. "I would blame myself though. Blame my parents, if you want, cause they taught me that if I want to make this work, it's got to be a partnership through the best, and the worst." She steps forward with the rag and start working to spread the salve. "Like this?"
Louma smiles at May, despite only wanting to cringe away from the dripping salve. "I love you, sweets, thank you~" She turns to start working along the top of her tail where May wouldn't be able to reach without likely getting messy. "Yes, just like th-th-th-ah that feels so icky..." the way she's bending over her own tail, May would have no trouble torturing Louma with her efficient medicine application techniques. This shouldn't take long.
Maybelline does her best to be efficient, while hopefully not torturing her lover overly much, albiet that is certainly unavoidable in such an unpleasant process. Still, May sticks with it, laughing just a touch. "Heh. From everything I've heard about that last Doc, maybe talk with Plume and see if there's a better way to do this for next time? Bluh, I can't imagine how unpleasant this would be to do alone. I'm so sorry."
Louma chuckles, shuddering as the salve that already felt weirdly cold starts to chill on her body. "You're right, I hadn't thought about it. Can you blame me?" Her rag starts to run dry most of the way down the top half of her tail, tossing it aside into the bucket and turning to watch May's progress, and shifting her tail to keep the task as easy as possible for her. "Y-you're the best, May, honestly and truly... I'll back you all the cookies and c-c-cakes you want when we get home, p-promise."
Maybelline giggles, "Nah, I can't blame you. You did said this was a bit of a ritual, so I kinda get that." She continues to work her way down diligently, laughing. "I mean, I'm not going to say no to cookies and cakes, love, but you do spoil me." She glances up into Louma's eyes. "You're enough. You're always enough."
Louma blushes as their eyes meet, humming in response. "You're certainly making this whole thing more bearable... Mph that's uncomfortable. I am definitely taking your advice and asking Doctor Plume for an alternative option..." She instinctively reaches to the bottom of her feathered section, scratching at her tail a bit. There's a nearly inaudible -pop- as the outer layer of her scales splits, some of the salve falls free. Undeniably effective indeed!
Maybelline turns back towards her work, switching to a different rag as she gets lower, "And if Plume doesn't have a better way, then, I'll be here making it more bearable whenever you need me." She glances up at Louma's waist. "Oh uh, what next?"
Louma lets out a light whistle before glancing back to May, bending to give the stoat a kiss. "That's all, love~ We wait a little bit, and then I can take it from there~" She gives May a bit of a look, giggling. "Unless you think you can hold back against my slithering, I'll just nudge a few trees~"
Maybelline giggles, "Fair. This I can do." She holds up the rag, "But I might have a bit more trouble with helping with that."
Louma nods, smiling as well as she can. What May doesn't see is how Louma's to-be-shed scales are tightening on her body, a tube of discomfort, though not dangerous. She retrieves a snack for each of them from the bag, as well as a water canteen. "I'm glad that it's at least a bit sunnier than yesterday. I wouldn't want your first camping experience to be washed out. So you really never did anything like this before?"
Maybelline walks back alongside the length of Louma's tail to join her. She shakes her head, "Nah, not really. Not that there's no woods in Sarn. My family just never really could afford to leave town for stuff like camping."
Louma nods, offering a bite of her honey-and-seed cake to May. "I can understand that, it was similar when I was younger. Either training or in school... And then we did camp related things in the military, but I'd hardly count that. If anything, most of my 'camping' is here around Respite."
Maybelline takes the offered cake and takes a seat, "My parents were always busy running their shop. I spent time with them, or with my Uncle watching me. Then I got accepted into the University, and worked my butt off on that, and then I got here. I guess we went to a few trips to the beach, but never camping."
Louma chuckles, shrugging a bit as she thinks about it. "Well, who would go camping for fun? Isn't this why we create four walls and a roof? Not much other than bugs and weather... Unless you like peace, quiet, and fresh air." Her tail writhes in minor ways as they relax, partly from discomfort, but mostly to loosen herself up a bit.
Maybelline giggles, "I've never been much for nature, I admit. I did pick a career where I surround myself with technoglogy and magic specifically designed to avoid nature." She takes a deep breath of the air, then laughs, "The fresh air is a little nicer then the smell of that salve at least."
Louma gives May a bit of a look, huffing somewhat dramatically. "Oh, my salve recipe isn't to your tastes? Hum. See if I ever make it for you, then." She breaks into a giggle, nuzzling May. The sun breaks around a cloud, briefly lighting their little clearing up with warmth.
Maybelline laughs, rubbing her hand along the side of Louma's face. "That'll be a problem when my scales grow in, probably."
Louma nods, sighing. "One day you'll wake up half stoat, half snake... A sad day when your scampering is swapped for slithering."
Maybelline hums, "At least I'll still be able to fit into the generator... I think."
Louma laughs quietly, a bit of a huff under her voice from the tightening feeling. "Hopefully... I think I was probably your size when I hatched, so you probably wont grow much before you decide to retire with me~" She huffs again, looking toward the treeline for where she wants to start, visually picking out a nice rough-barked tree that looks like it'd be quite helpful.
Maybelline sticks her tongue out, "Well, I wasn't even half this big when I was born." She lifts her hands, indicating a very tiny, tiny baby May. "Afraid I'm not getting much bigger than this, Love."
Louma looks back to May, smiling lovingly at the stoat. "You're perfect, sweets, but I would take you in any size that you came in." She giggles, "So maybe I'm biased~" She scratches at the base of her feathers again, though with more intention, before suddenly lifting the cotton shirt off and bending to land a rather passionate kiss on May. "I'll be right back."
Maybelline kisses back, letting her hand run through Louma's feathers before dropping it down. She smiles, "Just let me know if you need help, dear."
Louma nods, drawing back from May before turning and starting into the woods. It takes roughly half an hour for her to slowly wind her way in and out of the trees, patiently dragging her tail across the bark. until a great relief starts to wash over her lower half, letting out a sigh. She's not exactly subtle, not avoiding crushing small bushes and the like while working the shed away. Eventually, her head and torso poke out of the trees a short distance from where she entered, looking around towards May, who positively shines in the sunlight washed campsite after being in shaded forest. She hesitates before exiting the woods. "I'm back love~ There is one thing I certainly do love about this trip, that I'd like to show you~"
Maybelline waits patiently all that time, and if there's a reason she shines when Louma returns, it's because her expression perks up considerable as she returns. "I'm guessing it went well, then? What do you want to show me?"
Louma glances skyward, making sure the clouds aren't going to dull her little reveal before giving May a bit of a bashful look. There are small twigs and leaves stuck in her feathers as she slithers slowly out of the bushes, but her tail the darkest black it's been since they met. Well, not where the sunlight catches and shines brilliant highlights of rainbow color. She deliberately keeps subtle movements when she comes to a stop and coils her tail around, going for a bit of a sparkling effect.
Maybelline watches Louma's movement, and her eyes immediately catch the multi-colored glimmer of the light playing across the otherwise deep black scales. "Oh wow... you're absolutely gorgeous... I mean, you already were, but..."
Louma blushes, giggling. "Thank you, sweets~ I wish I could look like this all the time for you. Well... Perhaps with fewer twigs..." She begins plucking poking foliage from her feathers, shaking her head slightly.
Maybelline grins, stepping forward to pick out a few leaves as well, "Ups and downs, Love. I like you no matter how shiny your scales are... I wonder if I could shine your scales manually?"
Louma smiles warmly at May, nodding. "I would certainly not mind your hands all over me any time~" She pauses, looking at her tail. "Mmh... Not just now though. Shedding leaves one incredibly tender."
Maybelline frowns just a bit, but ends up snickering, "Ah, heh. Oh well. I shall restrain myself for the moment."
Louma smiles, though it falters slightly before she bends down and hugs May, nuzzling her beak against May's cheek. "Thank you for joining me, May. It really means so much to me. That you don't mind something like this..." Her voice catches a bit, her tail not the only part of her feeling tender and exposed after the shedding.
Maybelline squeezes Louma in a tight hug back, "I don't. I mean, the salve was kinda gross, but what medication isn't? The rest is... well, you. And I love you."
Louma lets out a light sigh in the embrace, settling low there to just enjoy Maybelline's presence. "I love you too, Maybelline."
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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - MIDNIGHT
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Teis is out on her balcony in the dead of night, overlooking the estate's grounds and beyond the gates through the soft illumination of the moonlight. She's sitting with a glass of soda water, idly drinking from the overly fancy glass as she reads her coursework. With a sigh, however, she puts the book down on the table beside her and looks out longingly to her lab in the corner of the estate. When will she be able to return to her lab? When will she be able to roam the town once more? Her confines are starting to really get to her. Her eyes scan over the main gates, the lights of the town and the stars above both as she falls into a deep contemplation. She should be sleeping, but. . .She cannot.
Kira is just on her nightly rounds when she notices that one of the lamps on the perimeter of the new estate isn't working. She makes her way over to it and begins tinkering with its mechanisms to see if it can be fixed beyond just a manual re-lighting.
Teis: Teis' eyes soon catch the mysterious moth's movements. In her bored, sleepless state, Teis idly grabs her lesser mana lenses nearby, slipping them on and adjusting them to monitor Kira's activities from her balcony. Perhaps a curious gander would help to break the monotony of her restless night.
Kira continues to work on the lamp, finding that the autoflint had just become jammed. She turns the gas off and beats her wings to clear the stale buildup from around the lantern before fixing the flint and then slowly turning the gas back on. Once it lights up again, she checks the flow level before closing the glass on the lantern. She then flutters in place, marvelling at the fine filigree work on the lamp and the glass around it. Bathed in the light from the lamp, her pale green and pink coloration stand out against the darkness.
Teis: And like magic, the amber band on Teis' mana lenses light up to match the emissions she would expect and observes from the other lamps. Fair enough. Teis finds the colours on the moth quite striking as well, humming to herself in thought for a moment. Still bored? Check. Unsatisfied by the conversation with house staff? Check. Want to stop thinking about how Della is ignoring her? Check check check. "HEY! HEY YOU!" Teis yells from the balcony, "MOTH LADY!" Teis attempts to get Kira's attention.
Kira blinks at the sudden loud noise in the night. She turns and faces the source, squinting into the darkness. She moves a bit away from the lamp to shield her eyes and then finally sees the cat on the balcony. She gives a little wave. "Hello!" she calls back, though it's not that loud.
Teis waves back to the moth, then cups her hands to her ears. "WHAT? SPEAK UP!" Teis yells into the night.
Kira starts making her way over toward the balcony, her own little latern a bobbing source of shrouded night next to her. "I said hello!" she calls back, a bit more audible than before.
Teis smiles faintly. "Oh! Yes. Hello to you too." She greets in response. Uncupping her ears, Teis takes off her mana lenses, setting them on the table beside her. "Thank you for fixing that lantern. I'm sure our night gate guard appreciates it."
Kira comes much closer to the balcony, showing herself to be barely more than a foot tall. "Ah, but that's my job. It's safer for everyone when the lamps work at night."
Teis: "Job or not. . .Thank you." Teis shows her appreciation with a soft smile, "It is easy to take someone's job for granted. My name is Teis. A pleasure to meet you."
Kira is unclothed, save for a simple belt around her waist. A small tool pouch is attached to it and her little sting of a rapier-like sword is tucked into it on her right hip. She gives a little dip in midair and smiles. "You're very welcome, Teis. I'm Kira. There aren't many who notice my work unless it hasn't yet been done.
Teis: Teis' smile wavers, shakily dipping into an unsure frown for the most brief of moments, as those words strike deep into Teis. She thinks of Della and the work that she has done that Teis herself is taking for granted. Teis perks herself back up, re-kindling that smile, though this time to hide her inner pain. "Kira." Teis positively voices. "A wonderful name. How is it that you fix those lamps? Assuming you aren't too busy."
Kira flies forward and perches on the railing of the balcony. "Oh, well that one's auto-flint was jammed. Just a buildup of soot on it. Probably the pipes were just dirty from the new installation and some grit got carried up into the gears."
Teis: Admittedly, Teis' expertise is in systems of a more magical persuasion, rather than raw mechanics. "Fair enough. How many lamps do you typically tend to a night?" Teis questions.
Kira looks back toward the wall of the town. "I watch over all of them, but these days only a few need tending each night..."
Teis: "All of them, by yourself?" Teis tilts her head briefly. "Well then. I hope you stay healthy, for the light of the town is truly in your hands." Teis chuckles.
Kira smiles, her cheeks flushing a little as her antennae drop just a touch. "Ah, but the other guards help me when there is much to do. When the generator was down, I couldn't do it all myself, at least not at nightfall."
Teis: "What happened with the generator, if I might ask?" Teis enquires. "It going down had initially delayed our move out to Respite."
Kira cocks her head. "It went boom. I don't know why. Maybelline would know more. I just know about the lamps." She looks around. "Oh, you might tell the others in this place that the gas pipes should get a good cleaning to prevent more grit issues."
Teis: "To know more about generator, ask Maybelline. Understood." Teis pauses, then nods affirmatively to the gas pipe suggestion. "Thank you, Kira. I'll be certain to inform those that is relevant to."
Kira looks Teis over a bit more. "And what do you do here in this big house, Ms. Teis?"
Teis: "I don't particularly have a formal job title. Though I suppose you could refer to me as an arcane scientist, of sorts. Research and development." Teis raises a paw, pointing a claw over to her lab out on the corner of the estate's grounds. "Though, technically I do all that in my lab over there, rather than in the house."
Kira looks over to where Teis is indicating and nods. "Ah... interesting..." She looks up at the moon and frowns. "I'm sorry to cut things short, but I need to continue my rounds. I'll return here another time and we can talk more, if you like."
Teis nods. "I'd like that. Just make sure to check in with the gate guard first, I'll let them know you're all fine. But please, don't let me keep you. I hope the rest of your night is pleasant, Kira."
Kira gives a little salute before flying off back toward the town proper.
Teis smiles, waving Kira off. Once Kira is gone however, Teis sighs to herself. There goes her distraction from her inner thoughts and anxiety keeping her from sleep. She doesn't even want to read. . .