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RESPITE FALLS MARKET - MORNING
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Vix zips between the different market stalls, greeting her fellow merchants and desperately trying to work off her restlessness.
Rhask is tending the stall she shares with Jennica and Emmeline, spending some time making sure everything is in order and on proper display for the day. When Vix draws up to the stall, she turns and smiles warmly, giving Vix a cheerful wave. "Good morning, Vix!"
Vix leans on the counter and smiles up at the pretty lizard. "Mornin' Rhask! You want one of these snacks I'm givin' out?"
Rhask tilts her head curiously, her eyes drawn to the pack Vix is carrying. "Snacks? What sort of snacks?"
Vix sets a speckled muffin on the counter. "Just one of my latest batch of stressly--er, freshly baked muffins~"
Rhask 's expression brightens quite readily as she gets a look at the muffin set out for her. She claps her hands together and goes to pick it up with a fair bit of eagerness. "Ohh~! What a nice way to start the day! Thank you, Vix!" She blinks, the feline's verbal backspace registering a few seconds after the fact, "Uh... stressly?"
Vix giggles. "Oh, you have the best reactions. I should give you things more often!" She waves a paw dismissively. "Don't mind me, I just got a little tongue-tied."
Rhask blushes a little under her scales, but giggles and takes a little bite of the muffin. She hums appreciatively and nods as she takes a moment to lick a couple of crumbles off of her scaly snout. "It's really good!"
Vix smiles. "Glad you like it! The uh...other merchants didn't seem that into them this time."
Rhask tilts her head, casting a look around at the other merchants going about their business. "No? Why not? They're flavorful, warm and fluffy..."
Vix: They were trying to be polite so they didn't say, but they made a bit of a face.
Rhask hums thoughtfully, then shrugs and takes another bite of the muffin she'd been given. "Well... their loss, I guess? They're delicious."
Vix takes another muffin from her bag and takes a bite, then makes a bit of a face herself. "Eugh...salty...? But it's the same recipe as last time..."
Rhask gives the muffin a curious look. "You mean... it's not supposed to be salty?"
Vix sets the whole bag of muffins on the counter. "Nah, but if you like it, you can have the rest of these." She sniffs a little.
Rhask nods happily. "Like I said, they're good!" She does, however, key in on the sniff, and she tilts her head a bit even as she grabs the pack and shifts it aside a little, "Don't worry, Vix, it'll come out better next time! It was just a little mistake in baking, right? You've been bringing all kinds of snacks to the marketplace for a while, after all."
Vix stares down at the defective baked goods. "Y-yeah, you're right. I need to be more careful next time..."
Rhask tentatively reaches over the counter and gives Vix a gentle pet on the head. "Are you... sure you're okay, Vix?"
Vix glances up at Rhask, then back down. "M-maybe...I don't really know..."
Rhask hums thoughtfully, then smiles. "If you want to talk about it... I usually spend a lot of time just knitting. Things have been a bit quiet around town as of late." She nods at the open chair usually occupied by Jennica behind the counter, "You're welcome to have a seat."
Vix makes her way around to the seat. "Thanks, um...I could use a break..."
Rhask smiles cheerfully as she grabs the pack of muffins and pulls it behind the counter, too. She takes a seat again and curls her tail around the base of her chair. "Of course! You've been really kind to me since I first showed up. I can't just leave you feeling bad!"
Vix sits quietly for a minute before speaking up. "I think...I might have cried into the dough....before I put them in the oven. That's why they're salty..."
Rhask doesn't really push for Vix to talk once she's settled in, and in fact goes to get her knitting gear out from under the stall. Once Vix starts talking, though, she listens closely. "Crying? How come you're in such a low mood?"
Vix sighs. "Nesseth and the rest are still...out. I've been trying to cope, mostly by baking a whole lot."
Rhask draws a blank on the name, but the implication is clear enough. "Nesseth? Ah... I'm guessing one of the guards?" She hums quietly, nodding, "We've not really heard from them for a while, since they set out, huh?"
Vix nods. "I try not to worry, but every day gets harder, you know?"
Rhask nods. "I understand. I try not to worry about my family back home, but the distance and separation means I can't just take a day trip that way." She smiles sweetly, "But... they'll be fine, the guards. They all looked like some of the strongest and toughest folks out there, from what I remember."
Vix brightens up a little. "Y-yeah. They'll keep us safe."
Rhask nods again. "And they'll be able to keep themselves safe, too." She gives Vix a curious look, "I'm guessing Nesseth is someone close to you?"
Vix blushes. "We're um...we're lovers."
Rhask blinks, then giggles with a smile. "Ahh, I should have guessed. Then I'm hoping they all come back sooner, rather than later, so you can be with him again."
Vix smiles a bit. "I'm gonna bake so many muffins for him when he gets back..."
Rhask chuckles quietly. "And I'm sure he'll appreciate every single one you make." She smiles a bit more cheekily and playfully nudges Vix's arm, "I'm sure you save your best recipes for him."
Vix squeaks and blushes more. "Those recipes are a little...hotter~"
Rhask tilts her head. "Really? I would have thought being out near a desert would be plenty of heat for most folks." She giggles again, the innuendo clearly going right over her head, "But I guess even in a desert, folks can appreciate a bit of spice in their foods."
Vix chuckles awkwardly. "Well no, I meant..." She briefly makes a somewhat lewd gesture with her hands.
Rhask blinks, then ends up blushing a bit more fiercely, enough for it to shine through her scales a little. "O-oh! Uh... I see!" She clears her throat and smiles, "Then, uh... I'm sure he'll really enjoy your recipes when he gets back!"
Vix laughs heartily at Rhask's reaction. "Mmhm, some sweet snacks where I'm the main ingredient~"
Rhask giggles again, her blush still quite vivid. "M-my goodness... I hope he sets enough time aside to properly enjoy such a treat, then!"
Vix sticks her tongue out. "Say, Rhask, do you have a lover or anything?"
Rhask seems a bit startled by the question. "M-me? No, I don't. I've, uh... never even considered anything of the sort before I left home."
Vix hums and leans forward a little, glancing around like she's sharing a secret. "You know, I think a pretty gal like you wouldn't have any trouble at all~"
Rhask leans in curiously to hear what Vix has to say. "You... think so, Vix? Why do you say that?" She seems interested in hearing why, but there's still an air of uncertainty about her.
Vix eyes Rhask's voluptuous chest. "Well, you've got big...personality!"
Rhask blushes a bit more as Vix's eyes drift towards her chest, and she shifts a little awkwardly. "Ah... I do? I mean... folks have told me I'm really cheerful, but... not, you know, big."
Vix glances over Rhask again. "I meant to say you're...really curvy. Lots of guys love that kind of thing. Or girls, if you're into that~"
Rhask clears her throat. "Ah, like... body shape, you mean? Um... I... guess?" She carefully sets her knitting aside (not that she even really started) and stands up carefully so she (and Vix) can look over her form a bit, "Uh... I don't know what I'm into. Never gave it any thought, before."
Vix tilts her head. "Oh yeah? Not even a preference for fur or scales?"
Rhask shakes her head. "No, never thought of that, either."
Vix taps her chin. "You should give it a try. It's a lot of fun~"
Rhask tilts her head. "Give it a try...? What, you mean like... getting into bed with someone?"
Vix: If you prefer, but most people just start with dating!
Rhask chuckles nervously. "Ah... r-right, uh... well... I'll... I'll give it some thought!"
Vix hums and gently hugs Rhask. "It's okay to take it at your own pace."
Rhask jumps slightly, but hugs Vix back after a moment. "I mean... I suppose part of seeing the world is finding that special someone, right? So much to consider, though..."
Vix: Sharing your life with someone does spice things up a bit~
Rhask hums and nods, seeming just fine holding the hug for as long as Vix wants to give it. In some part, she also figures Vix needs it, being as sad as she was earlier. "Maybe you could tell me some of the ways you being with Nesseth makes things interesting? I'm sure you two do all kinds of things together, especially in a frontier town like this!"
Vix starts to relax some more as she recounts some of her fun memories of her lover.
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SCRUBLANDS - WEST OF RESPITE'S WALLS - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Fiora is using her makeshift crutches to keep her broken leg off the ground, no armor now, as she's sporting quite a lot of bandages, most heavily along her side, and the rest mostly covering up a healthy amount of bruises and cuts. She's maintaining the modest marching pace the group has set, though she finds herself more towards the front of the procession, walking alongside Brunilda. With Respite itself so close, many of the people held prisoner in the Abyss are eager for the final trek of the trip.
Brunilda holds Fiora close, or as close as she dares to without slighting some imagined sense of "honor" the wounded giraffe might have. Sense that might mostly be in Brunilda's head if she were honest with herself. "We're getting close. I think..."
Fiora nods, definitely not too proud to accept Brun's help, letting some of her weight rest against the elephant. "If we push it, we'll be there today. But probably best to stop and rest if we can tonight. No sense pushing everyone out of excitement." She tilts her head to grin at Brun, "Maybe we shoulda stayed out there to fight, but... it'll be good to be uh... home."
Brunilda chuckles, holding her arm to keep Fiora stable: "Yeah, I feel bad for 'just' coming back, but... well, you know. Someone's gotta come home with all the wounded, and uh..." She gives Fiora a meaningful look that betrays her actual motivation, not that it really was a secret to begin with.
Fiora smirks, leaning against Brun to give her a kiss on the cheek, "Eh. I'll take it. Needed able bodies to make sure the rest of us make it anyways. Lots of critters between that Abyss and Respite. Just glad they've been nice enough to leave us alone."
Brunilda blushes at the kiss, smiling: "W-well, you know me. Can't just leave things be." She lifts her trunk enough to caress Fiora's cheek in turn: "...leave you be."
Fiora chuckles, blushing a bit as well. "That's alright by me." She glances back at the folks around them, "Our main mission is complete, right? And I'm confident that Gareth and the rest can handle whatever else the Saur throw at them."
Brunilda nods, musing on this: "Yeah... I think they can. Well, whatever's waiting for them there." She sighs: "...some part of me feels I should have been there too, but... can't be in two places, and I am choosing you. I-I mean the return guard duty."
Fiora chuckles, bumping Brun slightly, "You know it's probably just paperwork and guard duty right? Probably a nice change of pace, but hardly exciting." Her smile fades for just a second, "Is it weird that this stuff... sorta excites me?"
Brunilda shakes her head, laughing a bit: "Probably not. It's what I've trained for all my life, and I'm only more confused, but... maybe excited? I don't know, really."
Fiora nods, "Ultimately way more important to make sure we got everyone out of those mines okay but... I sorta wish I could have finished that duel, one-on-one." She laughs, "That's probably the last thing you want to hear when you look at me right now."
Brunilda gives Fiora a look that indeed tells her exact opinion about that in a glance: "...yes." She shakes her head: "I am just glad that you are okay, and we got everyone out."
Fiora hums, turning her attention back in front of them, "Well, me too, really. I'll tell you right now that my leg agrees with that look you're giving me."
Brunilda blinks, chuckling softly: "W-well, couldn't just let you come back on your own, now could I?"
Fiora hums, "Probably not. A fair point, I'd have come back with you if the situation were reversed, so not like I can call you out on it."
Brunilda blinks slightly: "You would have...?" Recovering herself, she nods: "I-I mean, y-yeah. That."
Fiora laughs a little louder, "What? I might suck at this, but this partner thing goes both ways."
Brunilda blushes, then grins sheepishly: "I knew that. I mean, I know that." She sighs: "Nevermind. Yeah. Gotcha, love."
Fiora grins, "Love you too, Brun."
Brunilda giggles softly despite her huge frame: "W-well, when you put it like that..." She puts her arm around Fiora just a bit tighter: "...I agree."
Fiora leans against her for a moment longer and grins, "I'm glad we agree, then." She pauses a moment, "And we probably agree that had it been a real duel, I'd have totally kicked her ass, right?"
Brunilda pauses, but then smirks confidently: "You bet your pretty shapely ass, you would have. You're the best, Fiora."
Fiora hums, "Yes. Yes, I am, I know."
Brunilda hums to herself: "I know you know, but do you really know you know, or is it just that I know you know?"
Fiora pauses, then breaks into a giggle, "I'm pretty sure I know I know. I just needed to make sure you knew that I knew, you know?"
Brunilda nods, smirking: "I know."
Fiora: "Perfect. I couldn't ask for someone better to carry my broken ass back home." She sticks her tongue out at Brun, still grinning wide.
Brunilda pokes her trunk-tip at Fiora's snout, grinning: "Well, as I said, someone's gotta, might as well be me."
Louma had left Respite in short order after the word had reached the wall, only stopping long enough to assemble her travel armor onto it's harness and retrieve her new spear, both having been sitting at home for months, though not unattended. If anything they appear to have been polished more than normal, the normally dark steel segments over her tail glinting in the afternoon sun as she descends ahead of a hopeful group. Her landing kicks up a small amount of sand, but not enough to obscure her from seeing Brun and Fiora, making a beeline for the familiar guard. Her demeanor matches the official looking garb, though the grin full of nerves hidden under a stoically plain helm might betray the posturing as just that. She shoulders her spear as she stops in front of the pair, looking from one to the other before addressing Brun. "Guard Brunilda. Report."
Fiora stiffens initially at the sudden appearance of the flying reptile covered in feathers, until relaxing at the somewhat familiar sight of Captain Louma. She glances over at Brun, letting her do the official crap that she's never been one to really follow protocol for.
Brunilda scrambles herself together from the less-than-guard-attire-fitting thoughts she was having about her partner. "L-Louma! I mean, Captain Louma!" She gives a hasty salute: "We're, uh, back. Most everyone's accounted for, and largely in one part." She pauses: "Y-you will have to ask for the medics and the group leader for the actual details." Pause again. "Oh, and it's good to see you." Finally a smile.
Louma chuckles, breaking her facade to slither forward, throwing a short one-armed hug over Brun's shoulders as the other keeps her weapon away from any accidental pokings. She pulls her helmet off a few moments later as she backs away from them, wiping an excited tear away as she turns to look Fiora over. "I see that! I assume you gave just as well as you received, Fiora?"
Fiora grins, "You know I did. Would've given even worse if her tail hadn't crushed my leg early in the fight. The rest is... well, it's a weird story, I'll just say that."
Brunilda shakes her head: "It is... and I only heard it."
Louma shakes her head a little, grinning. "I would bet it is. I expect a full report on it." She looks to Brun, tilting her head slightly. "Oh? So the group was split apart for some of the mission? Hm. No need to dredge up those memories right now, it can all be told later. Respite is only a day's walk away, it can wait."
Brunilda nods slightly, trying to not dig up her guilt for not being there. "Yeah... it has been a trip. Not sure I am the best for telling it, but I will of course say what I can. Cap'n." She smirks slightly at her boss.
Fiora poses dramatically, or at least, as dramatically as she can with a crutch in one arm, leaning on Brun, and a broken leg, "One on one duel to provide a distraction for Victoria and Usid to infiltrate the Abyss! It was epic, filled with moments of tension, horror, and hope! Epic duel, Louma, epic duel. Does Respite have any bards? Cause I'm going to need to talk to them."
Brunilda laughs at Fiora's antics, unable to contain herself. She agrees, but it is very funny too.
Louma chuckles, nodding to Brunilda. "I expect you will, Brunilda. I don't dread the stack of reports for once, since no matter what's written in them, at least I'll have this light to look forward to." She gestures to the rest of the group as she turns to slither alongside Brunilda opposite to Fiora, so they may continue on their way home. "As for bards, perhaps a few? I've heard tell the juggler is also an excellent storyteller. Brunilda could always sing your praises, of course."
Brunilda blushes at that mention: "N-not much of a singer, Cap'n..."
Fiora grins, resuming her pace alongside Brun and Louma, "Juggler? That's Enver, right? Might be fun to give him some ideas for a show, but I kid. I'm not actually that vain... I think."
Louma chuckles, nodding. "Even if you don't, someone will certainly do so. It's inevitable. Thank you, Fiora. For going with everyone. You were under no obligation or contract to do so, and yet you did and received a beating for it. We'll see about compensation after everyone is settled, I promise."
Fiora hmmms, bowing her head a bit. "I'm just glad we were able to pull it off. I don't know if I could accept any compensation for doing the right thing." She takes a moment to let the silence linger in respect, "I'm sure Gareth will have a bill for our services."
Brunilda gives the slightest of shrugs: "Just doing what we can and what is our duty, right?"
Louma nods, looking from Fiora to Brun. "Everyone will be compensated for their risk and sacrifice, duty or not." She sighs, looking ahead of them. "I am glad that the worst of this mess is over, but I will not stop worrying about the others until they are also returned." She pauses as if only just registering Fiora's words. "Hold on, did you say Usid helped with the raid?"
Fiora blinks, "Oh yeah, guess you wouldn't have word on that. Guess he came to us and that snake negotiator talked him into switching sides? All I know is word came down to work alongside all the little raptors in camp, and suddenly they were helping us. I did say things have gotten weird."
Brunilda nods in affirmation: "Yeah, not sure what happened there, but... some of them decided to join the winning side?"
Louma frowns for a few moments, remaining silent and considering how Tizza may have had a hand in that outcome. "Perhaps... They're not all you encountered though, I assume?"
Brunilda looks at a scar at her shoulder and then more pointedly at Fiora: "Yeah... no. Some were not so intent to switch sides."
Fiora nods, "Yeah, the fliers fought to the last. You should talk to Kira about that. She was in the thick of it. And then the warriors at the Abyss... that's a whole other thing. There's one of these "Chosen" unaccounted for, I guess, but our record right now is one dead, one surrender, and one turncoat."
Louma grunts, shaking her head slightly as she looks over her shoulder at the horizon, and then up a little more toward the scarce clouds overhead before looking back to Fiora. "To the last? They didn't retreat?" A glint of hope shows in her expression, mirrored by a smidge of tenseness leaving her wings. "What of their leader, Nyzai?"
Brunilda grunts: "Dead. From what I hear, suicided before could be caught."
Fiora nods, frowning. "Like I said... to the last, yeah."
Louma can't share the dark expressions of her two companions, breaking out into a barely restrained grin, though she does manage to not shout her relief. "Good, thank the gods for that at least!" She glances at the other two, noting their expressions before immediately excusing her words. "She's the one who set arrows upon me twice. You might not feel the same, but I will show no remorse for Nyzai's death. It would be impossible."
Brunilda shakes her head: "I was not there, only heard what happened." The fights obviously weigh on the elephant, but well, she's made to carry a lot if need be.
Fiora shrugs, "It was a grim sight... but I can't say I begrudge you that. They were vicious bastards, got what they deserved, and definitely didn't seem all that interested in mercy, giving it or getting it."
Louma sighs, finally getting a grip over her somewhat inappropriate excitement as she looks ahead. "Much to consider, but the most important thing is that you are all almost home. In fact... Knowing that their flying troops are not stalking you all, I could feasibly return ahead of everyone. Get plume and her assistant prepared for the wounded, and the Minnow prepared for the well."
Fiora grins, "Got a lot of folks here looking forward to reunions with loved ones, and a few good hot meals that we don't exactly have on the route here."
Brunilda nods: "We have not seen any flyers since that fight. It should be safe."
Louma nods, setting her free hand on Brun's shoulder. "You both did well out there. I'll speak to a few of the other guards, then take word ahead." She gives Brun a quick salute before moving on in the group to gather more short information before eventually taking off, making the clinic her first stop once she's returned to town.
Brunilda gives Louma a salute before turning to Fiora with a smile: "We did good... we did good, right?"
Fiora gives Louma a sloppy, none-too-serious salute as well, then grins at Brun. She glances back behind them at the former prisoners, all excited to get home, bouyed by the appearance of the familiar Captain and more signs of home. "Yeah, we did. We definitely did." She leans on Brun, wrapping an arm around her in a careful hug.
Brunilda hugs Fiora closely as they lean on each other. Done good indeed.