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RESPITE TOWN GENERATOR - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Maybelline has been awake all night since the accident. No reason to go home with Louma out on patrol outside of town, and she's incredibly tense after the accident, running tests on the generator to find out what happened, and trying not to overthink the rest. Nearby, one of the panels pops open for the sixth time today, resulting in the stoat sighing to walk over and reaffix the panel. An annoyance, but a distraction, at least, "Ugh... why won't you stay put?"
Louma leaves the clinic after letting Nesseth inside, not taking the time to chat with Plume over the curing of her lieutenant. Her duties half-shirked duties behind her, the captain flies toward the generator building near the center of town. She makes her landing a couple minutes after leaving the clinic, chuckling quiet excitement to herself as she shakes out her wings, adjusts herself as best she can, and knocks softly on the door.
Maybelline slides down from the scaffolding a moment later, rubbing her eyes and trying to make herself at least partially presentable. It's clear she's a bit exhausted as she answers the door, but the expression brightens immediately upon seeing Louma there, "You're back!" She throws herself at the swek to hug her as tightly as she can.
Louma barely opens her bill when she's jumped by the excited stoat, giggling as she returns the hug with as much enthusiasm. "I am! I was only gone two nights, but it felt like forever. You... Weren't up both nights working, were you? Your coveralls are more ruffled than usual."
Maybelline sighs, "Just last night..." She rests her head against Louma, tears she's not really let free now pouring down her face, "Th-There... was an accident. And it's been a stressful night. But... I screwed up bad, Louma."
Louma blinks, loosing her hug on Maybelline to crane her neck, looking her over. "Are you okay? You don't look hurt. Or was it Brunilda?"
Maybelline shakes her head, "Strix... it... I'm fine, no. It was Strix. He...? She. She's fine too, just... I don't know if she's still Strix...? Ugh, it's so hard to explain." Behind May, that offending panel pops open again with a slow squeak. "There was an upgrade from Sarn, and something went wrong, and it struck Strix... Strix had just drank one of his shinies... and when I found him... he was a she... a cat? And... ugh, it's all my fault."
Louma blinks again, trying to make sense of May's slight rambling. "Strix was hurt by... A failed upgrade?" She looks up when the panel opens, though more looking for signs of an accident. "I assume he's at the clinic, then? Wait, a cat? Drank? I... You're right, it does sound hard to explain. Does the stove in here still work? I can make a cup of tea while you sit and sort your thoughts."
Maybelline nods, glancing towards the old living quarters. "I-it does. I I'm sorry... It's a Lot, I know. Trust me, I know."
Louma gives Maybelline a reassuring smile, as tired as she looks herself as she slithers through the generator room, heading into the attached quarters, with May still clung to her chest. She goes about starting the tea, looking to May. "So from the beginning, perhaps?"
Maybelline finally releases herself from Louma's chest with a sigh and goes to take a seat at the table. "Okay... okay, yeah. Delivery caravan came in with parts from Sarn... an upgraded Amplifier Array. Basically, it's supposed to stabilize the output so that she can power the new construction."
Louma nods, coiling against the counter while the water boils. "Mhm, I recall when you told me about Sarn sending a new assembly over. Is the growth really having that much of an effect- Mm not the point right now. So the part arrived..."
Maybelline shakes her head, "Well... no... but there's another minor issue it was supposed to help with... err, right. Not the point. The point is... our generator is unorthodox... because, you know... had to be built from scratch. So I had to adapt things. Still, easy enough, I thought... so that's what I was doing when Strix came over."
Louma hums, nodding. "Unorthodox, genius, depends on who you ask." She grins a bit, retrieving the tea and two cups, carrying everything to the table along with a jar of sugar. "So Strix arrives, and has some sort of drinkable invention with him?"
Maybelline nods. "Adapation Potion, he... they call it. Apparently supposed to make it so they can do the kinds of things Strix does more safely. Like... stick their head in a bucket of water and the magic lets them breath it before they drown. They're showing that off to me while I work... same as most Strix shinies... brilliant. Confusing, impossible, but brilliant. All seems fine. I have the adaptor ready to install, so I slot it in and make the final connections. But... that's when something went wrong."
Louma pours their tea, preparing May's with her usual spoonfuls of sugar as she wonders at the description of Strix's invention, filing that away for later investigation. "Sounds almost too incredible, even for Strix. What happened then?" She sets May's tea in front of her, reaching to hold one of the stoat's hands.
Maybelline reaches out for the tea with one hand, resting her other hand in Louma's with a sigh. "We don't know... I mean, we sorta know. Strix... sorta thinks she knows. I think. But there's no readings of it. But something caused the generator to... 'reject' the upgrade. That's the only way I can say it. She literally just... 'spit' it out."
Louma tilts her head a little. "'It' being... The amplifier?"
Maybelline nods. "It should have killed me... instead, it shot straight at Strix. It should have killed them too. Ugh. I don't know what I did wrong... Been up all night trying to find the error." She shakes her head. "Found Strix out in the street. But... she wasn't Strix anymore. The potion, the amplifier, the magic surge or whatever it was... she's different. She's just... she... I..." She squeezes Louma's hand, slumping to stare down into her tea.
Louma squeezes May's hand back, clasping it in both of hers. "Hey now, maybe it could have, but it didn't. You can't blame yourself for the worst thing that didn't happen, love. And it's magic. I know you're one hell of a talented magitech engineer, but I also know that magic is one hell of an unpredictable thing. By all accounts, it can do whatever at a moments notice. If you can't find a fault in your machinery, there might not be one to find. Perhaps... The amplifier just didn't mesh with that Elizabeth's magic. Perhaps there has been some fluke to using more than one mage that makes the magic more stable. Or Sarn's part may have been flawed. Whatever Strix did with his potion might have caused it. Without an actual magic investigation, guessing is no help."
Maybelline sighs, "I know, I know... and Strix... well, with her... condition... I'm reluctant to call in any kind of official investigation." She cringes a bit, "The amplifier... and the potion... we think it 'adapted' the amplifier into her to save her life."
Louma hums, pausing to think for a few moments. "You are probably right. Where is Strix now?"
Maybelline: "The clinic... she's... with Nesseth and Erika." She cringes again. "I don't know what the hell they got into, but... you might want to brace yourself for this too..."
Louma shakes her head a bit. "I ah... Already know what those two got themselves into. Nesseth decided to greet me at the barracks wearing his new body." She sighs, looking to May. "We can figure more of this out once plume has had their time with Strix. Perhaps their assistants will find something, they're more in tune with magic and everything. I think your responsibility isn't to stress out trying to solve this problem, but to support your friend as she goes through this."
Maybelline takes a deep breath, but nods. "You're right... I just... worry she's not who my friend was? Strix helped me a lot when I first came to Respite. But she's not... Strix anymore? I don't know... At the very least, she didn't sound enthused with the idea of a cure. If we could even find one."
Louma squeezes May's hand, nodding. "Give her time to get her bearings. Keep talking to her, though, be an anchor for Strix. With you around as a point of reference, she'll at least have a bearing point to work from." Louma chuckles, shrugging. "Not that I need to tell you that. You're not exactly the type to just let someone go after a mistake."
Maybelline chuckles, letting her fingers stroke the inside of Louma's hand, "...you're right. If they're willing to call me friend, if they still want me around... I'm not going to abandon them. I'm too stubborn."
Louma leans over and gently kisses May's forehead. "Damn right you are, sweets~"
Maybelline sighs, but is clearly blushing at the kiss. "It's... really, really hard to stay stressed when you come in here, make me tea, look at me all pretty like that, and say all the right things to make me feel better, you know?"
Louma pouts, looking away. "I know, I am terribly sorry to have interrupted you."
Maybelline gives a slightly dramatic sigh, "I could have been in here sulking and beating myself up all alone." She giggles, but cuts herself short. "I... still don't feel great about what happened. But I... I owe it to Strix to stand at her side through... whatever this is."
Louma nods, letting one hand off of May's to gently stroke her cheek. "I know you will do everything you can for her. I'll be there too, if and when you and Strix need me."
Maybelline leans her head into Louma's hand. "I think it's safe to say that I will always need you, scoops. For as long as you'll have me."
Louma giggles, nodding. "Does forever sound good to you?"
Maybelline closes her eyes and nods. "It does. I missed you."
Louma sighs, "I love you sweets, I missed you too. Now drink your tea, I know you probably took not one break all night."
Maybelline nods again in confirmation, and starts to sip her tea. "Hopefully your patrol was less eventful than my day."
Louma rests against the table top as she starts to tell May about the various minor findings on a relatively boring patrol as the stoat enjoys her tea. The conversation eventually leads to the two tired ladies to curl up on the mechanic's old bed, sleeping off their exhaustion in warm, loving company.
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RESPITE FALLS - GOSHEN RESIDENCE - AFTERNOON
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Mirriam makes her rounds as usual, her mind repeatedly wandering back to ponder Erika and Nesseth's strange circumstances and how they're so dang unflustered, by all appearances. She couldn't imagine being transformed into a feral version of herself (despite the fact that it wouldn't be all too different from her normal self, if a bit clumsier). Really not something she wants to think about, so any excuse to take her mind off it is welcome, including chatting with half her clients instead of quickly making her rounds. She taps the knocker on the door, shuffling all the letters addressed to the house, though one less familiar name stands out and winds up on top of the stack.
Narrator: The door opens and Mrs. Goshen answers. "Oh, hello there, Mirriam! Delivery time, is it? Anything interesting for us today?"
Mirriam smiles at the lady of the house, nodding. She separates the top letter from the pile, handing the rest to Mrs. Goshen. "No parcels or nothin', but yer tenant's got a pretty letter all th'way from Vamas. Heavy bit, too, an' all stamped up 'n officiated. Means I gotta give it ta her. How's the youngun? Still holdin' firm on bein' a carver or's he found a new hobby this week?"
Mrs. Goshen chuckles happily and accepts the letters. "Oh, he's still thinking about being a carver. His dear old dad already went out and got him a new carving knife and everything!" She looks at the letter, then blinks, "Oh, this is for Mrs. Goshen! She's been here for a bit, so we've been letting her use our address." She smiles at Mirriam, "Want to come in for a quick snack, or are you still on duty?"
Mirriam hums at the offer of snacks and chatting, but the weight of her parcel bag and position of the sun warn her that she's been dawdling an awful lot today as it is. "I would love ta put a hold on tha' offer fer another day, if'n we can. Been a bit distracted t'day, though it's very temptin'. Is miss Cawlin in, though? Don't know I've met her yet."
Mrs. Goshen gives Mirriam a sympathetic look and pats her on the shoulder with a motherly smile. "Of course, dear, you know the offer's always open. And sure, if you want to meet Ms. Cawlin, I can fetch her for you. She's just resting in the living room."
Mirriam smiles at the motherly gesture, nodding. "Aye, will take ya up on that soon, promise! I wont run off b'fore she gets here."
Mrs. Goshen nods and smiles as she goes to fetch Shirley. "I'll hold you to that, dear! Ms. Cawlin will be here in two shakes."
Shirley shows up at the door after a short wait, looking curious as she carries the letter. She's looking a bit better than when she first arrived, but some of her feathers have yet to fully grow back, and her left arm is still in a cast. "Ah, you must be Ms. Mirriam! Thank you for delivering this. I've been waiting to hear word back from my assistant."
Mirriam smiles at Shirley, nodding. "Glad ah could deliver to ya! Think've seen ya around, but always nice t'put a face to a name, eh?" She gives Shirley a quick, mostly unintrusive glance-over as she talks, nodding to the cast. "Ah, think've heard how ya got that, there. Ya recoverin' alright?"
Shirley nods as she looks at her cast for a moment. "Yeah... yeah, I've been recovering well enough, thanks to the Goshens and Doctor Plume. I still need to figure out a way to repay them for all the kindness, but I'll stumble onto something soon enough, I think." She smiles at Mirriam and dips her head, "Shirley Cawlin, inventor, at your service."
Mirriam bows in mirror, chuckling a bit. "Mirriam Hanover, courier, at yours! That accent, and of course the letter. Ya from Vamas, then?" She tilts her head a little bit, humming. "I get the feelin' yer not this far from home ta stay, hmm? Least not on purpose or nothin'."
Robin speaks out from behind the roo with a loud "Ahem" and a glaring look from around Mirriam's waist. "She is! She is very far from Vamas. And very far from her workshop. And very far from being out of trouble!" The chipmunk steps around Mirriam, taking off a red pillbox hat to waggle it in Shirley's direction as his other hand tries to keep a slightly dusty matching red dress out of the Goshen's front garden.
Shirley smiles, and is about to respond when an alarmingly familiar voice rings out, and she jumps in surprise, a sound of shock completing the momentary panic move. "I'm from Vama-- ahh!! R-Robin?! How did you--? When--?" She glances at the letter to confirm it's from Robin, then back at the chipmunk, "Why didn't--? I... What?"
Mirriam is startled by the short shouty chipmunk, stepping aside to let him pass with her shock shifting slightly to amusement. "Ah... Think I'll go an' let ya... Reune. Take care, miss Cawlin!" With that she backs off, starting into the street, though glancing back. Certainly a lot more to keep her mind distracted now!
Shirley waves the hand holding the letter at Mirriam as the roo takes her leave. "Ah... y-yes, I'll be seeing you around, miss Hanover! Take, uh... take care!" She awkwardly clears her throat and smiles sheepishly at Robin, "And, uh... Robin! I didn't think you'd travel all this way to get me!"
Robin puffs his cheeks, ignoring Mirriam as he focuss on Shirley. "I followed the letter all the way to you! And a letter's all I got to start with! You just disappear and I'm stuck sitting around worried and all I get a month later is a letter saying you were blown away by how good the airship flew, and you'd be back as soon as you could! Or something! I only skimmed it this place is expensive to send mail to!"
Shirley just stands in place to bear Robin's tirade, knowing the chipmunk's anger is borne out of concern more than anything. Once it's over, she sighs and gives him a contrite look. "Robin... look, I'm sorry it took so long to get a letter back to you, I really did what I could to send it as quickly as I could, and I'm lucky the Goshens footed the bill for me. Mail is slow, and the magical methods charge an arm and a leg more than pen and paper." She lifts her cast-bearing arm up a bit, "I can't leave yet anyway, with my arm broken like this. Doctor's orders."
Robin looks at the cast shaking for a moment before he deflates a little. "The heck were you thinking... Well I didn't come with nothing, brought a chunk of your treasury along with me. And a bag of hand tools. All I could carry, really. So we take some time, heal up your arm, fix the airship and ride home. Where did you 'park' it, anyways?"
Shirley sighs as it becomes clear that Robin's done being upset. "It certainly wasn't anything I intended, at least. The storm snapped the anchor ropes when that blizzard blew in... But... thank you for bringing everything you did. It makes things much, much easier for me, and us." She hesitates for a few moments, "As for where I parked the airship... best I could tell, about 200 nautical miles southwest of Westport, and a few hundred meters below the ocean surface."
Robin pauses, letting out a very small "Ah." as he grips his hat in both hands. "Well. That um... Complicates things, maybe? I mean, we can just take a ship back from that dingy little port town, once your arm is better. Lucky I got what I did here, too. We were waylaid by some vagabond jerks on the road here. The guards scared 'em off, I guess."
Shirley blinks, then kneels down to Robin's height, her gaze sharpening at that. "You... what? You're not hurt, are you? I know how you get when you're upset with me for doing something stupid, and I'd hate for you to be ignoring an injury just to get on my case." She stuffs the letter in a pocket of her pants and rests her good hand on Robin's shoulder, looking for any signs of injury without even waiting for a response.
Robin shakes his head, putting his hat back on. "Of course not! I hid under the bench of my wagon and pulled our luggage in front of me. Mother didn't raise some fool."
Shirley hums and nods once she's satisfied that Robin's okay. "Well, even the cautious can still get hurt. Not that, er... I'm a shining example of caution, mind you, but, well... you know what I mean..." She sighs and stands back up, "But, regardless of that... thank you, Robin, really. I take it you just arrived in town?"
Robin nods, giving Shirley's hand a gentle pat as she reassures him before she's straightened up. "You have always been a shining example. Of what to not do, sometimes, but always shining." He straightens his dress out, nodding once more at her question. "I did. As soon as I saw that courier had my letter to you, I just opted to follow her around, so I already have pretty good bearings on this place. It's much less fishy smelling than that port, at least. Bairnell's Foothold... More like Bairnell's Flatulence. So this is where you're boarding, then? Should I bring our stuff over here?"
Shirley giggles a bit at Robin's nickname for the port town. "Ah... I'll have to check with the Goshens, but now that we've got funds, I imagine we could rent a place at one of the inns. I've been a burden on my hosts for long enough without a means to support myself."
Narrator: Mrs. Goshen's voice echoes from the living room, having clearly overheard Shirley. "Burden nothing, dear, we could arrange something, maybe, though you two will have to share a bedroom!"
Robin peeks past Shirley into the house, though not able to see Mrs. Goshen. "Thank you ma'am! We'll be able to pay rent now!" He leans back, smiling up at Shirley. "Problem solved! I'm fine with sharing a room, just don't think it means you can borrow any of my clothes."
Shirley blinks and looks over her shoulder towards the living room. "Oh, uh... well, that's gracious of them! The Goshens are a wonderful family..." She smiles as she looks back at Robin, "I doubt I would look half as good in your dresses as you do, Robin, so don't worry. I've some clothing from the marketplace, and you bringing some funds with you means I can get a proper wardrobe again while we resume work."
Robin looks a bit prideful as he adjusts the dress, patting folds down and smirking. "Darn right you are~." He grins, nodding. "We do need to get you at least one spare set of coveralls, anyhow, lest you suffer the torn flap incident again. I, on the other hand, have a small sliver of my clothes in the luggage, so we'll be focused on getting you stocked up. Unless I see something really cute."
Shirley chuckles and grins. "You might like some things around the marketplace, then. A few clothiers make some very nice pieces of clothing, and I've heard tell of a Spider Weaver that lives somewhere in town, too." She thinks for a few moments, "And I think one clothier specializes in work-related clothes, too. The sort of materials that can handle some rough handling while on the job."
Robin blushes a bit as he smiles, shrugging. "We'll deal with your wardrobe first, and materials, and maybe tools and a workspace to rent. Don't go tempting me, though. We only have a thousand or so gold coin."
Shirley nods. "That should be enough to cover our costs for a good while, at least. A replacement wardrobe, materials to rebuild, and a temporary workshop and space for projects, on top of covering rent for both of us." She smiles warmly, "You almost gave me a heart attack, showing up as you did, but it really is good to see you again, Robin."
Robin puffs his cheeks a little again. "Don't think I'm not still mad about you vanishing, you're just lucky that the relief is stronger. I addressed our stuff with the same as the letter, so..." He sniffs the air, catching a whiff of something delicious cooking inside the house, his stomach growling it's approval. "It should um... Arrive soonish. Hey, what's for dinner?" The two head inside, Robin getting a proper introduction to Shirley's hosts before settling in quite easily to the cozy, welcoming home.