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RESPITE WATERFALL - MORNING
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Enver is drying off by his small cooking fire after a chilly bath in the splash pool. Over the fire, a pot bubbles away making a simple soup out of leftover fish from last night's dinner and a couple of small root vegetables. After adjusting the pot on the grate over the fire, he ducks back into his little tent to get dressed for the day.
Teis: Teis wanders up the stream towards the waterfall, searching for Enver's camp. She doesn't know exactly where it is, and while Enver had told her that he tends to pack up his camp and hide his supplies if he's not there, a weak divination spell is at least able to tell her that Enver is around, just not specifically where he is. Some more searching later, and she comes across the smell of Enver's cooking on the air. Specifically, the smell of the fish. She figures that it's a likely suspect, so she follows her noise to Enver's camp. "Enver?" Teis calls out. "Are you here?"
Enver pokes his head out of his tent and smiles at Teis. "Oh, morning. Uh, yeah... just getting dressed." He pops back in and then emerges about a minute later, dressed in his usual performance gear. "So... what brings you out to my..." He looks around at the waterfall and frowns. "Not really enough trees to be a neck of the woods, I guess?"
Teis: "It's a weird expression anyway, so." Teis shrugs, having taken a seat on a log, rock or just the ground in the meantime. "I'm, uh. Well, I'm here to talk and. . .Maybe apologize."
Enver gives the soup a quick stir or two before using his prosthetic hand to lift the handle of the pot and set it beside the firepit to cool off. "Oh? I mean, you don't need to..." He takes his seat next to Teis and smiles. "I mean, you were going through a lot of stuff. You didn't say anything super mean to me..."
Teis: "It's just . . .Well. The good news first, I suppose. Turns out that I'm not a murderer and that the elemental is still alive. . .So that's good. I've had a couple of days to recover from that now. As for Jax, I thanked him for letting you in, if that matters to you." Teis pauses, then sighs. "But. . .I don't know. . .Is it. . .Fair? To put so much emotional burden onto you? And to have snapped at you for only trying to make me feel better?" Teis crosses her arms, both defensively and vulnerably.
Enver shrugs. "I don't know. But I know I still like you just the same as before." He leans over and gives her a firm hug. "I mean, you're you and I like you and sure, maybe you weren't the nicest, but everyone has dark times."
Teis: Teis hugs Enver back, nuzzling into his neck and purring. She pulls back ever so slightly just to allow her to talk a bit easier as she nests there. "None of this makes any sense."
Enver laughs. "Life doesn't make sense most of the time. I mean, I never imagined I'd be anywhere other than Sarn, but here I am." He nuzzles into her neck, though the tender moment is interrupted by a loud gurgle from his stomach. "Oh.. uh... I should probably eat my breakfast.. You want some?"
Teis: "I know. It's just. . .I never expected to have a boyfriend, like. . .I guess ever." Teis replies. She pulls back from Enver if Enver does. "Um, yeah. Sure." Teis smiles. "But, prioritize yourself? I don't want you to go hungry just to be nice. I'll be happy with whatever's spare."
Enver nods. "Of course..." He ducks into his tent again and comes back out with a pair of tin cups, which he fills up with the soup. It's nothing special, and certainly nothing anyone would sell, but there's enough salt and the spices on the leftover fish make the broth at least not tasteless. Also, the chunks of potato and turnip are perfectly tender without being mushy. He gives one over to Teis before blowing on his own cup of soup prior to taking his first sips.
Teis: "Thanks." Teis takes the cup with a soft smile, looking at the soup briefly in contemplation. She blows on it as well and tries it, decidedly realising her mistake. She thought she still had her pre-noble tastebuds, though is instead surprised by the fact that she no longer has them. Despite the cuisine on sale in Respite, nothing had even adequately prepared her for a camp-cooked meal. She doesn't find it vile, though it visibly takes her aback.
Enver cocks his head at Teis's reaction after taking his own first sips. "Yeah, it's not much... but it's better than just the fish by itself..." He shrugs a bit.
Teis: "No no, it's fine!" Teis insists, despite Enver noticing her reaction. She commits to continuing to drink the soup, not wanting to be disrespectful. She actively curbs any further negative facial expressions.
Enver settles in to his breakfast, quickly drinking down the first mug and then refilling it with what's left, which amounts to only a bit more than half a cup. "So uh... the elemental thing isn't dead?"
Teis: Teis nods, making slow progress on her cup. "Yeah. Turns out it's. . .Attached itself to Tarbin, the uh, guy I've been helping un-curse. Oh, and he's un-cursed now. Apparently the elemental finished that off, so that's neat."
Enver smiles. "Oh, so it's two good things instead of a bad thing. Nice." He sets down his empty mug and wipes his mouth off with a handkerchief from one of his pockets.
Teis: "Well. . .We still made a mistake that we need to fix. Find a way to get it out of Tarbin and set them up with a new home. But. . .Yes. It's certainly a much better situation than we both initially thought."
Enver wraps his arms around Teis's middle and hugs softly. "Sure... still better than like, killing it."
Teis: "Absolutely. And I certainly never want to become a murderer again in the future. That. . .Broke me pretty badly. Still has, really. . ." Teis sighs deeply, staring into the contents of her cup as she does so. She looks up at Enver and forces a light smile. "But. . .There's a way forward to focus on."
Enver nods. "Yeah. Forward. The past can stay behind us." He leans in and kisses her cheek. "But come on, let's think about something else for now."
Teis: Teis nods, sipping more. "Well. Now that I'm, uh, friendly with magic again. . .Could be a good day for me to join you with the children?"
Enver nods. "It would be a great day, yeah. I even have a new story ready..." He proceeds to outline the story he's going to tell, and the two plan some basic glamours and magical effects that Teis can create to go with it until it's time to break camp and head to the marketplace.
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SOMEWHERE ABOVE RESPITE - AFTERNOON
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Louma flaps hard, humming to herself as the city falls away, the air getting cooler rapidly until she figures they've reached somewhere around 50' higher than they'd been before, Louma slowing their ascent gently until she's levelled off. Her wings beat steadily between gliding to keep them aloft as she begind a lazy circle. She tightens the scarf around her neck a little against the chillier air. "You okay there, sweets?"
Maybelline is cozy in the sling she's worked with Louma to make, what appears to be an oversized belt pouch which is held in place with a few straps that tie into Louma's armor. The inside has a few blankets to keep her warm at higher altitude, all while letting her peek her head out at the spectacular view. A pair of safety goggles keep the wind out of her eyes as well, "I'm all good! It's just... so amazing. Everytime..."
Louma giggles, looking to May in her cozy sling. The way it fits, she only feels a bit of weight. She already knows it means they're going to have the chance to carry more things for wherever they plan on going in the future. "It's a bit cooler up here... We're higher than before, too. Just a little bit." She takes a deep breath, certainly feeling more relaxed than she has in a while. "I'm pretty lucky to get to enjoy both of my favorite things at the same time~"
Maybelline giggles, prying her eyes off the scenery to smile at Louma. "I'm pretty lucky to be one of your favorite things~. And anything I can do to help you relax after the kind of week you've had, I'm happy to be here for you."
Louma smiles at May, the orange of her bill deepening in a light blush. "Well... My week hasn't been terrible." Her expression slips a bit as she turns her gaze forward again. "I've just been worried about Nesseth. He has taken that elemental's death very hard. There's not much good I can do for him, that he's accepted anyways."
Maybelline lets out a sigh, "I wish I'd known what was going on... I haven't spoken to Cavro in awhile... I sorta feel like I should've noticed something before you told me all about it." She frowns, glancing back down, "I really hope Nesseth's alright, though. I've not had to deal with anything like that."
Louma nods, remaining quiet for a short while before she looks back to May. "I trust him to figure things out with the second one... I can't say I'm not tempted to take over just to keep him from more heartbreak if things go poorly. That wouldn't help, though. That lizard's determination is a bit difficult sometimes."
Maybelline grins back up at Louma, "Is that why you two butt heads the way you do? Plume worries you're gonna hurt each other you know."
Louma chuckles, nodding. "Oh, very likely. When he signed up, we were both just guards. He was pretty fresh out of Orela, it seems. Still had a lot of hate hammered into him for the coatls. You know, the winged serpents, royalty by birthrite among the snakes decades ago before the war."
Maybelline hums, "I uh, really don't? All I heard was that they're extinct? Guess if they caused decades of wars with Nesseth's folks, I can see the friction it could cause." She pauses thinking a moment before she breaks into a giggle, "So, does that make you some kind of Princess?~"
Louma blushes, giggling as well. "That depends on the perks. If I get to lazily travel around the land with my trusty stoat escort, then I hope so~"
Maybelline grins, "Oh I get a promotion too, hm? I could live with that. As long as folks don't mind a little fraternization with the royalty~. That's good gossip material in Sarn."
Louma reaches to May, gently stroking her cheek. "Hmm, let them talk. I'd give up the crown if it came to it.~"
Maybelline tilts her head to better let Louma stroke across her face, nuzzling back as best she can from within the harness. "Y-you'll make me tear up you keep talking like that. I love you too, no matter what anyone says about our scandalous behaviors~." She giggles again.
Louma gives May a loving look, hating to have to look away to keep flying, though she keeps a grip on the side of the harness. She giggles again, tilting a bit in their path to angle away from a cloud shadow. "O no, can't have you getting icicles on your cheeks, my love~"
Maybelline hums, "You don't think so? When I was little I used to play in the park on snowy days with my sister. I can handle a bit of ice!"
Louma looks to May again, smiling. "That sounds adorable~ I imagine you two could hide pretty well when that beautiful white coat comes in. You haven't talked much about your sister, though."
Maybelline shrugs a little in the harness, "Eh, I guess not. Mae's a very different stoat than I am. I guess I took after Dad a lot, and she took after Mom."
Louma blinks, tilting her head a bit. "Er... Mae?"
Maybelline mmhmms. "Yeah, that's my sister. Mae. Err... Maecy."
Louma nods, humming. "I see. Is she as brilliant and curious as you~?"
Maybelline lets out a snort. "I guess. She went into fashion design though."
Louma turns in the air, pointing them toward the West, starting to slowly descend as they glide. "Ah, okay. Sorry, I don't mean to press for information. I just enjoy learning things about you and your life."
Maybelline laughs, glancing back down to watch the landscape tilt and turn beneath them. "I know. Sis and I are just really very different, that's all. I still love her. And I've got no secrets, Love. Especially not from you."
Louma chuckles quietly, giving may's head a single gentle caress behind her ear. "If you're so different, then I am truly so lucky you wound up moving here instead of her~"
Maybelline gives out a loving squeak. "You are. We're both lucky to have found each other."
Louma shivers a bit from the cool air, starting to turn them back around toward the generator building, which is a convenient landing spot for its obvious shape and the wide road next to it. "I do hope you don't mind if we stop somewhere for a hot cocoa."
Maybelline perks up at the mention of cocoa, "Of course not! Err, I mean... nah, that's what I mean. I'd love to get some cocoa with you."
Louma chuckles again, nodding as she slowly tilts into a decent descent. The two eventually get cocoa and warm up, ending their short jaunt with sweets and blush-inducing company.