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RESPITE PARK - LATE MORNING
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Nesseth finds himself having a bit of a day off at the start of the weekend, and with Plume, Melia and Tarbin still tending to the last few patients recovering from the war against the Saurs, Vix managing her stall, and Erika tending to her garden, he's found himself just sitting idle for the time being. Well... sitting isn't quite the word for how he's currently slumped back against the bench's back rest, head lolling back on his shoulders, mouth slightly open as he snoozes in an impromptu, and probably slightly uncomfortable nap.
Mirriam would be making her way quickly through the park, being one of her favored shortcuts, if it weren't for a certain lizard catching her attention. She tuts to herself, creeping up on the bench behind Nesseth. She leans over Nesseth, hovering her finger over his snout for a moment before tapping it gently. "You're late again, Ness! Wake'm up!"
Nesseth seems strangely slow to wake, the tap on his nose only eliciting a slightly disturbed grumble as he shifts. However, once his brain catches up to his senses, and his eyes start to blearily open, he flails and catapults off of the bench and into a perfect pose of attention, thinking Louma or one of the other captains caught him. "I'm awake, sir!"
Mirriam waits for him to wake, startled into a bit of giggles when he suddenly jumps up. "Sir? I'm not some stuffy-shirt Cap'n, cher!" She shakes her head, trying to stifle her giggling, which really only makes her ant to laugh harder.
Nesseth slowly relaxes, then groans to himself as he rubs his eyes and turns to face Mirriam once he's gotten his wits back about him. "Ugh... gods above and below, Mirriam... I thought you were one of the captains catching me napping on duty or something..."
Mirriam grins at him for a moment, through it slips at his groan. "Not so bad luck, vren. You been getting enough sleep? Y'were out cold, but still look exhausted." She steps around the bench and sits down, patting the seat next to her.
Nesseth shakes his head and sighs as he watches Mirriam take a seat, then flops onto the bench beside her. "Been getting plenty of sleep, which is the weird thing... I've loved a good nap for as long as I remember, but I've just been feeling weirdly tired for a while, at the weirdest times, too."
Mirriam hums, looking at him with a bit of concern. "Y'seen the town doctor 'bout it? Guard that can't keep his eyes open's not such a good thing, wouldn't wanna see ya get booted out for a bit of sleepiness."
Nesseth shrugs. "It's not too bad during work, and I'm already known to doze a bit while on wall duty. If they had a problem with it, I wouldn't be a lieutenant, so..." He shakes his head again, "I've not talked to Plume about it yet, since they've been busy working with all of the wounded from the war. I should, though, since it's something even I'm aware isn't exactly normal.
Mirriam nods, nudging his shoulder. "Doesn' matter how busy they are, y'gotta take care of yourself. 'Sides, maybe it's somethin' to do with all that fighting? Counts as an injury from the war in my books, cher."
Nesseth hums quietly at the nudge. "Mmh... maybe. I'll just snag them when they've got a moment. It's strange, though. I'm not tired so much as just... I feel like sleeping more than normal."
Mirriam chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "Too many good dreams temptin' ya to sleep, maybe?"
Nesseth chuckles at that, though the smile that comes with it fades quickly. "Heh... not really. Been having the occasional nightmare as of late, too. Last time I had nightmares before this recent flare-up was... hmm... before I first left Orela, I think..."
Mirriam frowns, shaking her head. "Sounds an awful lot like too much stress, t'me cher. What's goin' on different?"
Nesseth tilts his head curiously, now looking pretty much completely awake again, except for the telltale signs of exhaustion around his eyes. "Different? Not much, aside from Erika and I being a thing, and that's already smooth as can be with Vix and Plume."
Mirriam hesitates ever so slightly, looking forward with a nod. "Ah, well maybe y've got too many attentions comin' your way? Quite the gatherin' y've got going, a lot of folks t'keep happy."
Nesseth shakes his head at that. "Nah... they've all been wonderful for keeping my stress down. You too, of course." He smiles a bit at Mirriam, jokingly nudging her side for a moment before his smile slips again, "I dunno. Something about the battles must've gotten to me."
Mirriam smiles at his nudge, though it wanes a little. "Well that only makes sense, cher. Gotta refocus your mind on somethin' else. You got some time off comin' up, right? Maybe travel a bit? Even if ya only get as far as the Folly, a change of scenery might do ya good."
Nesseth shrugs a little at the suggestion. "Maybe. Wouldn't be able to travel too far, though, since Erika's got her garden to tend to, and Plume has the clinic to work. I could go traveling with Vix, probably, and you if you wanted to come along, but... Wouldn't feel all that right leaving behind Erika and Plume, you know?"
Mirriam hums, shaking her head. "Can't, too rooted with work, an' just got a place, gotta get it all up to my strict standards an' whatnot. 'Sides, you got enough t'worry about. Don't need this roo anchorin' you and Erika down." She stands up, adjusting her half-full satchels. "Speakin' of, more to drop off yet."
Nesseth pfffts and waves a hand. "Anchoring? Hardly, Mirriam..." He sighs a bit as he looks over at her satchels and nods, "Well... I shouldn't keep you for too long. I don't have much planned today, so... you might find me here still, after you're finished?"
Mirriam nods, smiling slightly. "Ya maybe. Take care not t'get caught, eh?" She starts on her way, not really looking at Nesseth since standing from the bench, and she'll manage to keep herself peppy while dropping off the rest of her packages and letters. At least when she gets home, she'll have lots to do to keep her mind occupied...
Nesseth watches as Mirriam heads off, only to stifle a yawn. He takes a few seconds to rub his face, perhaps feeling a little frustrated at not knowing what's going on, before he stands up with a stretch and attempts to wake himself up further with a walk through the park.
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SARN - GLAUSHIRE - DUSTY'S MARKET - LATE AFTERNOON
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Maybelline leads Louma onward into the restaurant, a brightly lit, rather busy establishment that maintained a rustic looking decor, making it look like a cellar or pub, but clearly offering slightly more upscale food offering. A quick word with the server, and the two are led towards a reserved table, with three table settings and a cushion that seems to have been hurriedly, but still considerately, placed for the fourth guest who would not be making use of any chairs.
Louma follows along with May, quietly nervous the closer they get to their table. She's managing to hide it quite well, considering her years of putting on a confident facade of authority. Unfortunately, this is also resulting in a rather stiff pose when she's done coiling up on the cushion, looking to the server with a nod of gratitude. "I hope I am not being an inconvenience to them..."
Maybelline reaches out to take Louma's hand and give it a squeeze. "You're fine, love. I'm sorry if all of this is stressing you out."
Francine walks into the restaurant soon after the pair, looking around perkily. The older stoat is considerably grayer at the edges of her fur than her daughter, though still sports a bright red stripe from her forehead to the back of her neck, one she's seemingly always had. She's dressed relatively simply, since her purpose her is clear; to see Maybelline again and see who she has ended up with. Dressing up is not truly that relevant.
Francine spots her daughter and smiles brightly: "My Mel-May! Sweet deities you've grown!" She makes her way to the table quickly, just barely avoiding scampering in excitement.
Maybelline 's ears perk up at the familiar voice, and with one last squeeze, she releases Louma's hand to turn towards it, expression lighting up as she moves quickly to meet her mother and hug her. "Momma! I'm the same size I was when I left and you know it."
Francine hugs Maybelline tightly: "Nuh-uh! I can tell, you've gotten bigger. Without a doubt." She squeezes: "It's been way, way, way too long!"
Louma squeezes Maybelline's hand in turn, halfway through saying she's totally not stressed before she stiffens slightly, turning to see Maybelline's mother settling in at the table. She's unsure what to say in the exact moment, sitting still with her hand where May had left it vacant instead. She watches the exchange, their general warmth to eachother letting her loosen up enough to finally speak up. "Ah- Hi."
Maybelline giggles, then releases her mother and turns towards Louma with a blush, "Momma, this is Louma. She's the one I talked about in the letters." She smiles up at her love, "Louma, this is my Mom, Francine."
Francine lets go of the hug, but not before giving May's cheek a soft kiss. She turns to Louma, raising an eyebrow: "Well, you're certainly a big one. Suppose a big heart too, my Mel-May would not fall for just anyone."
Louma blinks, remembering her manners a little late and bowing slightly to Francine. "Y-yes, it is great to finally meet you. Maybelline has always talked about how much you supported her. I ah... Hope it's okay, me not being a stoat. I-if it is I can change." She pauses, immediately realizing that the last part is a bit out there.
Francine blinks in slight surprise, then smirks: "I suppose if you're really into it, I hear there is magic out there that can achieve that." She pauses, then winks: "But no need, least not from me. Always suspected she'd fall for someone more outside the box, my girl."
Louma glances toward Maybelline, chuckling quietly. "Yeah... Maybe a little bit outside the box. And I am all the more fortunate for it."
Maybelline grins, "I wouldn't want you to, love~." She steps over to pull out her Mom's seat, more special attention, albiet some the restaurant is more used to, with the foot ladder up to the seat for the smaller-sized patrons. "You know me too well, Mom. Louma found me at a pretty low point and scooped me up, making me feel pretty fortunate as well."
Francine giggles: "Sounds familiar, really. That's what your Dad did with me!" She sits down, smiling at Maybelline: "Besides, nothin' wrong with finding love in the silliest of places. How's life out there for you two?"
Louma smiles lightly, waiting for May to help Francine along. She realizes she doesn't know how much of what May has told her family in the letters, looking toward her in case she speaks out of turn.
Maybelline climbs up into her seat, "It's been... stressful, but good. Better than I expected. I know my early letters were pretty doom and gloom... but I've met a lot of really good people, especially Louma. Once I really got into the job, I... found my passion for it again."
Francine hums, smiling: "Good to have passion. You know Louma, Mel-May here always claimed to she'll never be able to build anything real, when she was a wee kiddo? Granted, that was around the time of playing with wooden blocks, but I remember that cute temper tantrum like yesterday..." She smirks at her daughter.
Louma chuckles quietly, nodding along. "Yes, May has been wonderful for Respite, honestly." She looks to May on hearing the second part, tilting her head a bit. "Oh? Well she seems to have worked very hard to find one."
Maybelline blushes, "M-momma!" She turns back to Louma, "I was... five? And Maecy was already 'I'm gonna be a fashion designer! I'm gonna be famous!'." She pauses... "Wait where is Maecy anyways? Dad's probably still working but..." She glances around at the lack of a fifth seat.
Louma looks to the empty seat as well, turning to Francine for the answer.
Francine shrugs: "Last I got a letter from her, she mentioned about a fashion emergency of some sort. You know her long rants about how the fashion world works, half of that stuff honestly flies above my head. But my point is, she's not here and honestly while I worry... I don't know where she's off to this time. You know her."
Louma hums with a nod. "Suppose I'll have to meet the fancier, more famous sister another time." She pauses, realizing she had already thrown her facade and honestly not caring a wink that she did. Still, she smiles a littler nervously at Francine.
Maybelline sighs, "Yeah, figures. She's always been sorta single-minded, unfocused. Always chasing that next idea." She shakes her head. "Well, I made it home, so I win." Win at... what?
Francine chuckles softly: "Ever comparing yourselves to each other, you and your sister. You do different things, neither of which I understand truly, but they're your passions and you know we'll cheer for you anyway." She gives Louma a glance, a small look that says 'you are not off the hook yet', but then turns to her daughter: "You have certainly advanced past wooden blocks, I hear you've played a big part in whatever Respite Falls needs, hmm?"
Louma chuckles nervously at Francine's look, glancing toward Maybelline again. "She has. She designed an entire ICEE generator from scratch, brought together a small team and built it after the previous generator failed."
Maybelline blushes at the description of her work, lowering her head down humbly, "I couldn't have done it alone... had a lot of help, and a lot of support, and the job is mostly support now, just fixing lights and water pumps. But uh, I guess I did a lot early on."
Francine smiles brightly: "That's my smart girl! You're better at that stuff than you give yourself credit for." She pauses, humming: "Well, probably. Admittedly I am both biased and actually kinda bad judge when it comes to that tech stuff."
Louma reaches to May automatically, gently squeezing her hand. "And saving the town from a cataclysmic thunderstorm in the nick of time with the shield."
Maybelline giggles, "I do alright. I guess I am pretty proud of everything I accomplished." She returns the squeeze, smiling at Louma. "Y-you both are embarrassing me. I do my best... just like my parents taught me."
Francine smiles: "You've definitely grown from the grumpy barely-adult 'carving her own way and I don' need any help'." Her voice is ever-gently mocking, in that sweet way only a parent is able to. She turns to Louma: "She was such a feisty teenager too, all spirit and power."
Louma grins at Francine, nodding. "She's still got some of that spirited energy, don't worry. Especially when it comes to her work. Some nights were hard to get her to lie down and relax."
Maybelline hmphs. "I wasn't that feisty. I thought I was a pretty good kid. I didn't get into any trouble."
Louma gives Maybelline a smirk, but doesn't speak up, unsure on how many of her college adventures made it back home.
Francine winks: "Technically speaking yes, you did not get into any trouble. I could tell you sort of wanted to do the forbidden things, but didn't dare our wrath... however imagined. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but we're stoats and trying crazy things is what keeps us alive."
Louma blinks at Francine, now really curious as to which stories made it back home...
Maybelline isn't entirely sure what Francine is alluding to either, a few things she did (but wasn't caught doing) running through her mind. And let's not mention her college years... honestly her Respite escapades are fairly tame... "R-right! Well, nothing too crazy. I was definitely the better twin."
Louma nods. "Though that does make it sound like you have a few crazy stories of your own, Francine."
Francine hums: "We had a betting pool going, me and Maddock. Like, which of you and Mae-Mae would get into more trouble over the school years."
Maybelline: "You what?! You..." She pauses. "Who won?"
Louma giggles quietly
Francine shrugs: "We lost count." She grins, rather obviously not telling the whole story.
Maybelline smirks at Louma, "It was probably me. W-wait that's bad, right? So I did the least so Mae won which means... I won... by losing."
Louma smiles at May, nodding. "You have plenty of time to make up for it, of course." She leans back a bit as their server comes to the table, a stack of five menus in hand as he waits politely for a pause in their conversation.
Narrator: The server addresses Maybelline, "Are we still waiting on your other guests, miss?"
Francine: "Maddock said he'd be running late today, unfortunately."
Maybelline sighs, "Just like Dad, you know? Always has his head in some project or another... hope he won't keep us waiting too l-ONG!" She eeps at something, then blushes and picks up a napkin, "S-Sorry, hiccup."
Francine giggles softly: "And you nor your sister would not know anything about being stuck in a project, hmm? I do wonder where you two might be getting that..."
Louma blinks at May, stifling a giggle. "Oh, so that's where you get some of your drive and focus from, then?" Louma turns to the server, shaking her head slightly. "I think it will just be the three of us, thank you." He nods, setting three of the five menus on the table and moving on with his job.
Maybelline shoots Louma a look, just a little flustered, but nods. "G-guess so. You know Dad... well, you don't know Dad. Mom knows Dad. And you know me and um... right. Yeah. You know what I mean."
Francine giggles: "It's the three of us for a meal, then. That works too, Maddock can grill Louma later. Gives me full freedom right now, then." She turns to Louma, grinning sharply: "So, what's it that you do, Captain? Specifically, what do you do to keep my daughter happy, hmm?"
Louma grins at Maybelline's look, shrugging slightly. She turns to Francine with a smile. "I do look forward to meeting Maddock... Though a grilling? And well... Anything she needs from me, really. Flights to the market, a tail to lean on. I certainly don't spoil her with sweet things."
Maybelline coughs, "C-Certainly not. She's been a huge source of support for me, and... shown me so many new things."
Francine smiles, though she crosses her hands under her chin as she considers Louma: "New things hmm? As long as you're careful and don't strain anything too much, that's all fine and dandy. Although I guess this is the point where I note that if you hurt my sweet-teeth Mel-May, I will break you. You know, gotta get that part out in the open." All this said with a sweet, even voice, of course.
Maybelline turns back towards Francine, "Momma! It's fine. She's been nothing but wonderful to me... I love her, absolutely and without a doubt. It's as easy as that."
Louma blinks, wondering if Francine's really intending the double entendre. She shivers a little, her beak darkening just slightly as she glances toward Maybelline. "I love Maybelline, as well, and would do anything to keep her from harm or heartbreak." She looks to Francine with clear resolve. "She is everything to me."
Francine giggles, waving her hand: "Oh, it always is that easy. But there are certain things I am just required to say, you know. I'm pretty sure it's in the meeting-your-daughters-significant-other script." She giggles, looking at Louma: "I believe you. You seem pretty straightforward to read, so when you say that, I believe you."
Maybelline sits back in her seat and exhales a little, her own nerves up at the 'grilling'. She reaches out and squeezes Louma's hands. "I'd do anything for her as well, Momma."
Louma blushes, squeezing back with a light sigh.
Francine shrugs, smiling: "Well, as long as we are clear on that. And I suppose I could mention that you gotta be safe when explorin' each other, but I guess that's taken care of. I can probably write off getting grandkids."
Maybelline blushes at that, "Err... y-yeah, we um... we'll be safe... and... guess not? S-sorry..."
Louma blushes a bit deeper, chuckling quietly as she turns back to the table. She clears her throat slightly, picking up the menu and opening it before belatedly commenting, "Only stoat grandkids..."
Maybelline tilts her head at Louma's comment, a small chuckle following. "Well, with magic stuff like Mom mentioned and all... anything's possible?"
Francine shrugs with a grin: "Aaaanything is possible, indeed."
Maybelline picks up her own menu, smiling at her Mom, and then back to Louma.
Louma looks from one to the other, nodding. "Ah... Yeah. Magic could be a factor."
Francine gives a quiet giggle as she finally picks up her own menu. "You do as you want to, kids."
Narrator: The three order an appetizer, continuting to talk over some light stories about May's past endeavors, as well as her experiences with Louma, and some further questioning about the Captain's role in town, but mostly light conversation continues as they eat. Maddock arrives late, as expected, but other then a brief introduction, is his mostly somber quiet self through the dinner as May and Francine do a lot of the talking, with May keeping a grip on Louma's hand through most of it.