----------------------------------------------
BRUNILDA AND FIORA'S NEW 'HOUSE' - AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Narrator: The house the giraffe and elephant found wasn't exactly of the best condition. A true renovator's dream, but these two did take it as a challenge. With the newly risen Saur situation, they haven't had much of a chance to do much about it, though. Currently the two are finally dragging a bedframe big and sturdy enough for them, having to take it apart just to get it in the door. Neither of the two are terribly experienced with carpentry, but they make it up with sheer force of stubborness.
Brunilda drops the final piece on the just-big-enough-for-the-bed bedroom floor. "...t-that should do it. We got this." She looks at the assorted pieces: "...well, still not together, but it's here?" She gives Fiora a lopsided grin.
Fiora chuckles, dusting her hands off as she looks down at the 'bed', or what will eventually be a bed. "Yeah! Here. Finding a big enough house to have a big enough room to fit a big enough bed... I'm surprised they make 'em big enough for the likes of us."
Brunilda laughs a bit nervously. "Y-yeah, heh. I hope this is sturdy enough, but at least we know who promised us that." She kneels down and picks up a hammer, starting to eye the deceivingly simple big pieces to be put together: "Reckon we only have one way to find out."
Fiora lifts up two pieces, testing out how the fit together, "Heh... only one way to find out if it'll work? Or you mean... Um..." She glances at Brunilda, and a small blush crosses her face, "Oh uh, right... Only one way..."
Brunilda blinks, turning to Fiora, then blushes as the dots connect: "O-oh. I uh... sorry. I just meant the bed. Just the bed, not us... I mean, us, but I didn't mean to imply... any of that." She scratches her neck: "I know you're not confortable with that and I-I'm not sure I'm either really."
Fiora takes a moment, slowly raising her hand up towards Brun's mouth to give her a sign to quiet down for a moment. She smiles, lowering her hand, "Uh, well... I'm not... not comfortable with it? I just... I don't know. We're not getting two beds. I'm not building two of these things, that's for damn sure. So... it's going to be a uh... a step. For both of us."
Brunilda lets out a nervous giggle, lifting her hand towards Fiora's. "Yeah. Sorry." She gives a cough: "Let's do this." She starts focusing on making the bed and for at least until they're done, not thinking about anything closer to that comfort-uncomfort zone. Though she does keep stealing glances at Fiora throughout them working on the bedframe...
Fiora nods, sticking her tongue out as she focuses, keeping her mind focused on the task at hand, not so much as a distraction from thinking of the end result and more... she just gets a bit focused when she's not thinking. She fits the pieces of the frame together, glancing at Brun to check on her progress, "All fits together pretty easily, honestly. I'm not so good at the whole screws and slots and such. Much better with uh, hammers. Or axes. But the axes don't work so well on beds, I've been told."
Brunilda finishes screwing last of the bits together some moments later, sighing in relief: "...that should do it. Now to add the soft stuff." She gives Fiora a smile, clearly happy about having successfully assembled a bed that's only slightly smaller than the room it is in.
Fiora rises up, admiring the finished bed frame. "Heh. Yeah. Does feel good right? I'm used to forging stuff on an anvil. I mean, that armor I wear is all made by hand." She waves her hand. "Something about doing it yourself like this... satisfying."
Brunilda grins slightly: "I can agree on that. Creating something, making it work. " She gets up from the floor: "Granted, it's usually the more techy stuff I get to, so... this is a middle ground, somehow? Sorta." She shakes her head amusedly, and steps into the other room to pick up the sizable-and-heavy mattress the two got.
Fiora stays in the room, letting Brun push the mattress towards her so that she guide it in the door, and manuever it atop the bed frame. "Well, hope this works... no way we're getting it back out..." She smirks, "You're good with the techy stuff. It's over my head. But I get that feeling for sure."
Brunilda laughs softly as she sets the mattress down: "Maybe. It's what I enjoy, anyway." After she's done, she sits down on the mattress, testing it with her hand (and rear): "Mm. Soft." She taps the spot next to her and smiles at Fiora.
Fiora watches Brun test the mattress out at first, then steps forward, turning to slowly settle herself down on it. "Heh. I've slept in armor against rocks, everything feels soft to me." She bounces a little on the edge of the mattress, then pulls herself up onto the bed, rolling to face Brun. "...feels nice."
Brunilda smiles some more, holding her hand on Fiora's leg. She stiffens for the briefest moment, but relaxes. "It's... it is, isn't it? We deserve this. We... fought for this. Or fought each other for this..." She shakes her head, laughing slightly: "I don't even know."
Fiora giggles, "We did." She pauses, then lifts a hand to Brun's side. "We're gonna keep fighting for this. ...not each other, probably? I hope not, at least."
Brunilda laughs softly, gently squeezing Fiora's leg a bit. "I hope not, yeah. We spar together well, but... I guess we might soon be seeing how we gel together out there." Her smile wanes slightly: "Or even, how I do. I have never seen such a... war-like situation, Fiora."
Fiora hums, leaning her neck closer to Brun. "You'll do fine. This whole thing's a bit crazy but... I've faced... worse?" She chuckles, "It's hard to qualify that, but I've definitely thrown myself into stupid situations before that've felt like wars."
Brunilda looks at Fiora with a bit of a hopeful, warm smile: "Guess we don't really know enough what's waiting us out there, but we'll tackle it together, whatever it is." She lifts her trunk to gently touch Fiora's cheek.
Fiora chuckles, "And I'm very good at tackling." She blinks, "Err... in combat. Not... like... um..." She sighs, then lowers her head down around to rest against Brun's back. "Well, tackling isn't probably so good for the bed. But it seems like it can handle this just fine."
Brunilda lets out a soft 'mm', still new to someone being so close but definitely not not enjoying it. She shivers slightly, smiling: "Combat. Y-yeah." She sighs softly: "We're both new to... whatever this is. But I like it."
Fiora: "I do too. I might not want... t-to test the bed too hard, you know? But... I told you I wasn't lying, Brun. I do love you."
Brunilda sighs softly, smiling: "I love you too." She gives a weak chuckle: "I guess I wouldn't have done the crazy things I did if I didn't..." She shifts back enough to wrap her trunk near Fiora's neck.
Fiora scoots in closer, snuggling up against Brun and squeezing her gently. "Well, crazy recognizes crazy, I guess."
Brunilda laughs softly: "Fair. Never claimed I was sane, anyway. My family would hold me up on bringing them honor, but I don't even know what that is anymore." She glances at Fiora: "I'd rather have you, anyway."
Fiora snorts. "Really? I've not met many folks more honorable than you, Brun. You stand up for what you believe in, and you're willing to fight for it. Don't know anything more honorable then that... if they don't see that in you, that's there loss."
Brunilda shrugs with a wry smile before holding Fiora closer again: "I don't know. They're all back in Ondonga anyway, and pretty much promised wouldn't come looking for me. I miss them, but... not that much." She hums: "Not that it matters too much."
Fiora grows very quiet for a moment, then squeezes Brun tight, staying silent.
Brunilda glances at Fiora, but just leans on her quietly. Her mind travels back to her family and her conflicted feelings about their expectations - and how she's fairly unlikely to see a lot of them again. She gives a deep sigh.
Fiora doesn't let go. "Don't give up on them so quickly, Brun. Trust me..."
Brunilda turns to Fiora again: "I... I'm not. I think. But well... they're there and I am here, now."
Fiora slowly lifts her head and cranes her neck back around to look at Brunilda. "I know. It's hard to keep in touch when you're a continent away. Easy to make excuses not to write, not to touch bases..."
Brunilda sighs: "I don't even know what I'd write to them. I left... was effectively sent to make 'glory and honor' for the family, even as it actually means 'most are not heard of again in years if at all'. It's rough, but that's... that's what it is when your family are Guards through and through."
Fiora nods, "Just... don't let it fall apart if you have anyone you'd regret losing touch with. Even just a 'hi'..." She sighs, dropping her head back down against Brun's.
Brunilda leans on Fiora: "Yeah... I won't. I won't." She glances out the singular small window of their bedroom: "...not that I currently even could do anything."
Fiora hums, "One battle at a time, love. One battle at a time."
Brunilda: "Indeed." Brunilda looks back to Fiora, squeezing her hand on the giraffe's thigh again: "Like, uh... well, sleeping together. Why does that feel stranger than what's happening outside the walls, Fiora?"
Fiora gives a nervous smile, "Well, I've dealt with crazies who want to kill me before. Never dealt with someone who wants to sleep side by side with me. It's uh... it's weird? But nice."
Brunilda laughs softly: "Weird but nice. Sounds about right." She reaches her hand up on Fiora's shoulder, whispering softly: "Looking forward to holding you that close, though."
Fiora blush a bit more, "Closer than we are? I mean... I guess I'm not opposed to that..." She shifts a bit in the bed to shimmy a bit closer to Brun.
Brunilda blushes as well as she leans to hold Fiora close: "I... I want to have you close. Sleep safely with you. Hold you." She chuckles quietly: "It's hard to put to words. You know."
Fiora squeezes Brun, "Well, don't look at me for wise words. I just... feel the same."
Brunilda: "I guess that's all that matters." She lightens up a bit: "Shall we get the rest of our beddings actually in here?"
Fiora mrphs, "Guess we can get back up and actually you know, make the bed." She releases Brun from the squeeze, and shifts to get up.
Brunilda gets up as well, her gaze lingering on Fiora's backside just for a second before following her out of the bedroom.