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RESPITE MARKETPLACE - AFTERNOON
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Fleuret: Fleuret exits the back of the trinket shop she's been working at, all but shoved out the door. "Go, take a break already!" calls out the owner. Reluctantly, she does go outside, with her lunch wrapped up in hand.
Melia wanders about the market, the lizard elemental for a change actually dressed-up in a pretty swirly summer dress of various shades of blue, adorned with a small bone on the hip. As usual for her, she's in a cheery mood and greeting pretty much everyone as she wanders by. Curiously, she's causing confusion because she has clothes ON...
Fleuret works her way around to the main market area. She seems to recall a common area in the center that looked like a good place to sit and eat, though in some ways she'd much rather be working.
Melia wanders past Fleuret: "Oh, hi!" She saunters forward for a couple of steps, before turning around again: "...hey? I don't think we've met! Hey, new person!"
Fleuret glances up to Melia, then tilts her head curiously. "Well, hello there. You're an unusual one, are you not? I'm Fleuret and I am indeed new to this town."
Melia tilts her head the other way, her frills swaying to some unseen wind: "Unusual is a matter of perspective, but most just call me weird if that works? And if you're new, then you don't know I'm Melia! So hi!"
Fleuret giggles a bit, and nods. "Melia then. It is nice to meet you. You aren't one of those.. what was it? Saurs? I'd heard there was some sort of conflict but I didn't quite catch the specifics."
Melia blinks and looks at herself, waggling her leaf-growing and mildly glowing tail: "I err, probably not. Saurs I don't think are elemental, unless I missed a few pages of the script in the last few months. Which to be fair, has happened before, cause I spent a lot of time inside a lizard-friend..." She trails off, not really sure herself where she's even going.
Fleuret ahhhs, a light of realization registering in her eyes. "That would explain the magic I thought I sensed, then."
Melia tilts her head: "You can sense it? I mean, me? I guess that would make it clear."
Fleuret nods. "Magic and artifice are my specialties, so I tend to notice it. Magic is everywhere, of course, but some beings have more than others. You know how it is."
Melia nodnods with a grin: "Oh, yeah, I do. I uh, guess I really have more than most. Or so I've understood. Flow is kind of hard to measure?"
Fleuret sets her lunch basket on the table, idly digging out a sandwich. "It can be, yes. I don't make a habit of inspecting people for magical prowess or what have you, but it's hard to miss you."
Melia giggles, spreading her hands: "A lot of people actually say that! Go figure why. I thought I was nice enough."
Fleuret considers a moment. "You do seem nice enough, at least judging by this bit of interaction."
Melia shrugs with a grin: "I'd like to think I am! But like, if I'm hard to miss, then people don't like me enough and that's bad. Yeah?"
Fleuret tilts her head a little at this one. "I.. am not entirely certain."
Melia shrugs: "Me neither!" She shakes her heard, frills swaying side-to-side: "But I guess it's best if I don't need to find out."
Fleuret takes a moment to take a bite of her sandwich. She looks a little sad, as she thinks about the people she misses.
Melia looks at Fleuret, her smile waning: "Did I hit a sour note? Sorry."
Fleuret mms. "Well, somewhat. It is no matter. I came here to move beyond such things."
Melia tilts her head: "Which things?" She pauses, frowning: "Wait, no, sorry. Shouldn't ask that, right?"
Fleuret pauses as well. "Maybe someday. It is just.. a lot to think about, and at time I tire of thinking about it."
Melia shrugs: "I tire a lot of things. Like, cactuses? Seriously, those guys have no imagination, always talking about the same thing in and out. I get that water's important, but sheesh."
Fleuret laughs a little, despite herself. "You.. talk to cacti? I'm surprised they have anything to say at all."
Melia nods, oblivious to the amusement: "Oh you have no idea. They talk a lot, it's just their choices of topics are pretty limited even for a drought-area plant."
Fleuret leans in a little. "Does that make you a phytomancer or something of the sort, then?"
Melia shrugs: "Nature elemental, plant sage, that weird green glowy lizard. Something like that?"
Fleuret ahhhs. "Elemental then. I cannot say I had yet encountered one. You would be the first."
Melia smiles: "I'm the first time for a lot of people, go figure."
Fleuret smiles. "I can say I have enjoyed our first time then, Melia."
Melia giggles: "Good! It's important to enjoy the first time!"
Fleuret laughs despite herself. Not even she can maintain her composure under such duress.
Melia laughs with Fleuret, even though she's not sure why. But it's fun!
Fleuret catches her breath after a bit, and wipes a tear from her eye. "I think I needed a laugh like that."
Melia blinks, then smiles brightly: "Laughing is good! I'm not sure what's the funny thing, but we can also laugh for no reason?"
Fleuret hees. "True, sometimes just laughing for the fun of it can be healthy."
Melia giggles, grinning: "Definitely true!" She pauses: "Though seriously, what was the fun thing? I think I missed it."
Fleuret tilts her head again, just a bit. "It is a.. I shall say, something I am not sure an elemental would understand."
Melia tilts her head the other way: "Would I? I guess I might not. Is it like, too high magic of a thing for me to get?"
Fleuret shakes her head. "Maybe a bit of youth, maybe a bit of nature. It is a.. biological thing."
Melia hums: "Well I do get some biology, but I am young. Or relatively so, like seven hundred and seventy-two days." She pauses: "Might be seventy-three now. Not sure."
Fleuret raises her brows a bit. "I see, indeed that is young. Suffice to say, you said something humorous that could be interpreted in.. naughty manner, so to speak."
Melia hums some more, then nods: "I guess that makes sense. I'm not good with naughty stuff, although Erika had some memories that I think qualify..." She shakes her head: "Nevermind."
Fleuret nods. "Mayhap someday you will understand it better, who is to say? It sounds as though the circumstances of your genesis were rather uncommon, at any rate, so who even knows."
Melia shrugs: "They certainly weren't common."
Fleuret huhs. "Should I ask what they were?"
Melia hums, lifting a claw to her chin: "A lizard hedge-mage, a hidden coatl, cat alchemist, a tree, me and whole lot of magic undirected less-than-perfectly. Before that, a skunk witch bombed me into existence by displacing a friend-okapi few hundred kilometres to the south and making me a copy of her?"
Fleuret holds silent for a long moment. "Complicated, then."
Melia shrugs: "Relatively."
Fleuret looks at her mostly finished sandwich and hrms. "I ought to be heading back to work soon, but I can say I have enjoyed meeting you, Melia. May we speak again some day."
Melia smiles and gives a friendly wave: "Be seeing you! It was fun talking! Even if it was for the first time of you meeting an elemental."
Fleuret nods and smiles, then packs up the rest of her lunch so she can return to work.
Melia looks at Fleuret go, then shrugs and wanders her way to bother the next whoever she comes across. Good day!
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EVENING
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Robin idles over a plate full of roasted roots and walnuts, picking away at it slowly. His mood might be affected by the fact that he unwittingly matched his dress this evening with the blue and burgundy of the tavern, feeling like he'd accidentally applied for a job as a bench extension.
Victoria walks into the bar, giving a frown over her shoulder. The half-snow-leopard is dressed almost up to the nines, wearing a considerably fancy long bright red dress that almost doubles as an evening gown, along with more jewelry than she usually sports, glinting gold in several spots. The over shoulder glance is reserved for a sneering guard who got a bloody snout for his troubles. Noble ladies may not do that sort of thing, but Victoria has never been above punching someone deserving it, and anyone making fun of her wanting to look pretty definitely qualifies.
Robin watches Victoria nearly stomp by his booth, pausing in his chewing as he takes in the contrast of her white fluffy fur with the smooth red dress. He glances toward the door, following her glare, though he doesn't catch sight of whoever she's looking at. "Some jerk bothering you out there, miss?"
Victoria blinks, turning to the chipmunk, her expression mellowing down. Slightly. "Nothing that jerkass didn't have coming. Should have known Brian would get all funny about me wearing something else." She spits at the doorway, ignoring the glare from Barkeep: "Guards have no idea what to do when one of their own looks decent, much less that dork of a rhino."
Robin chuckles a bit when Victoria spits out the door toward her foe, shaking his head a bit. "Sounds a lot like how the Vamese guards rag on eachother. Granted, you look plenty capable of kicking anyone's ass for getting on your case."
Victoria gives Robin a feral grin as she walks to the bar, getting her usual sizable beer before turning to Robin as she holds her drink: "What gave you that idea?" She shifts around, showing a sizable blade hanging from a belt on her hip; a completely unnecessary thing for an evening out but who's gonna tell her that, Annika?
Annika was working this evening, so...
Robin chuckles, shrugging. "The blade, for one. Plus I only ever met one snow leopard that wasn't a machine, and he was o~old. And probably still a machine." He takes a bite of his food, nodding. "I mean a beatdown gibbin' mafine, ob courfe."
Victoria raises an eyebrow, stepping closer: "A machine, hmm? I guess my kind sort of have a reputation..." She flexes the claws on her free hand and grins: "All true, of course."
Robin sticks his tongue out after finishing his mouthful, though he does feel a bit nervous as Victoria approaches with her claws out. "Don't mean any insult, of course!"
Victoria grins toothily: "Good." She sits down, carefully minding her dress as she does. After she's already sat down proper, she gives a friendlier smile: "Mind if I join you?"
Robin nods, shuffling a bit in his seat. "I-I mean you already- Ah sure!" He calms down a bit. "So you like uh... Guarding?"
Victoria shrugs after she has set down her pint: "It's what I do when I'm not hunting."
Robin hums, tilting his head a bit. "Ah, not much of a hunter myself... Or a meat-eater, really." He gestures vaguely at his plate. "But i am new around here, what's there to hunt so close to the desert?"
Victoria smiles: "More than just the desert around here. And lots of things... the settlers aren't the only hardy things around, after all."
Robin sips his water, pausing for a moment before he grins. "Do you include the settlers in among your pool of prey?"
Victoria grins toothily: "Only if they're being particularly stupid and deserve a punch."
Robin chuckles a bit nervously, nodding. "Right, I'll be sure to stay on the right side of that line, then. I'm a little surprised that you're here in such an elegant dress and not... I don't know, something made of the hides of your previous hunts?"
Victoria leans back and smiles: "I like feeling pretty when I'm not on duty or hunting." Well that, and she was only mildly somewhat hoping to find certain fox up here...
Robin hums, tilting his head a little as he examines Victoria a bit. "Well mission accomplished, you certainly do look pretty." He nods to affirm this assessment, picking some more of his food.
Victoria gives Robin a wink: "Thank you." She glances around, but then just shrugs and leans back: "What about you? You're definitely dressin' prettier than most folks I see."
Robin blinks at the wink, chuckling quietly. he blushes at the compliment though, wiggling a bit before he remembers that he's upset with this outfit. "I also like to look pretty, and most of the time I'm idle enough that it's not a problem. Though I wish I'd known what the color scheme in this tavern was so I weren't nearly camouflaged."
Victoria chuckles: "Camouflage can be a good thing, though. Or are you trying to be noticeable?"
Robin hums, shrugging. "Not particularly, I guess? Just thought I dressed better than a bar, is all."
Victoria leans back again, smiling toothily: "I'd say you look decent, still."
Robin blushes a bit, smiling back at Victoria. "Well thank you~! So did you get all gussied up for fun, or are you waiting for someone else?"
Victoria shrugs slightly: "I was hoping, I guess, for my girlfriend. But she's workin' late, then. Oh well. Can still be pretty for fun, too."
Robin giggles, nodding. "Either or is a perfectly good reason, really. How long've you been together?"
Victoria looks up and starts counting using her fingers... then just shrugs. "Some time."
Robin laughs. "Can't be too bad if time has flown like that, right?"
Victoria blinks, looks at Robin, then gives a slightly sheepish smile: "Probably." She takes a sip of her drink in an attempt to hide the slight blush.
Robin grins, pushing the topic a bit because of Victoria's surprisingly cute reaction. "So is she a feisty predator like yourself, or some gentle prey~?"
Victoria manages to grin back: "Yes."
Robin blinks, tilting his head a bit. "Ohh, I see! You were the prey, at first at least?"
Victoria blushes slightly as she shrugs: "Depends on your definitions, probably..."
Robin giggles, rocking a bit in his seat at the fun conversation. "Nothing to be ashamed of~! A lot of folks like to play against their outward type."
Victoria gives Robin a look: "Outward type?"
Robin: "Yeah. You know, like a small quiet type might like to get a little ah... Rough. Or a big strong type might like quiet evenings just cuddling."
Victoria hums: "Well, Annika certainly is a lot tougher than you'd think..."
Robin shrugs, smiling at Victoria. "I suppose I'll learn that if we run into eachother again. My name is Robin, by the way. Much less tough than I look."
Victoria smirks: "And you don't really look all that tough."
Robin puffs his cheeks a bit, giving Victoria a very unthreatening angry look. "How dare!" He snickers a few seconds later, shrugging. "I know, I aint."
Victoria lifts her pint: "It's better to know your limits."
Robin nods a bit. "Might have something to do with why I hung around people a bit stronger and smarter than me. Then again, they needed my keen eyes anyways."
Victoria shrugs, leaning back as she takes a drink: "I can think of worse ways to stay around and safe."
Robin nods, finishing the last of the food on his plate and leaning back to relax. "Probably a few, yeah. I mean, probably could have become a pickpocket or something."
Victoria chuckles: "A good way to piss people off, that."
Robin bleps his tongue out at her. "Probably that too, yes!"
Victoria smirks: "As long as you don't try to pickpocket anyone in that outfit. Not subtle."
Robin stands up on his seat, turning a little. "Psh, they wouldn't suspect innocent little me of anything so bad, right?"
Victoria grins: "Innocent is a matter of perspective..." She takes a sip: "There was this one story I heard happening some time ago at the South gate..." She trails off into talking about her encounters as a Guard, feeling pretty relaxed for a change. The two end up talking for quite some time.