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TARBIN'S HUT - MORNING
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Tarbin stretches as he steps out of the small hovel, though it has literally grown a bit from it's original size, expanding to have two small rooms and still lacking most amenities. He has bought two nice little magitech lanterns though to light the place a bit more than before. He looks about at the thickening forest around the hut with a light sigh.
Rhask makes her way along the outside of the town's walls towards the place Tarbin told her his house was at. She's currently got a big cloth folded up and draped over one of her arms, securely held against her to prevent it from blowing away in the breeze. It doesn't take her long to find Tarbin's house, and she waves cheerfully upon seeing the twin-tailed lizard in front of it. "Good morning, Mister Tarbin!"
Tarbin blinks, looking toward the familiar voice. He waves at the figure approaching, smiling warmly at Rhask. "Hello miss Rhask! It is good, yes? Such a warm breeze today. What brings you all the way out here?" Not that it's particularly far from the West gate, nor very secluded, in case him or Melia needed to be found. Still, he doesn't get a long list of visitors.
Rhask grins happily as she lifts the arm with the blanket up a bit to draw his attention towards it. "Remember the blanket you wanted me to make for you some time back? It's done~!" She seems quite proud of having crafted something of such a large size, regardless of the simple shape.
Tarbin tilts his head a little bit. "Blan- OH! That is very kind of you!" He looks toward the blanket, grinning.
Rhask nods as she lifts a corner of the blanket to show a part of the design to Tarbin once she's come to a stop in front of him. "It was a lot of fun to make! I even got some design help from a friend to make the patterns a bit more elegant." She sets the corner back down, then presents the entire folded blanket to Tarbin, grinning all the while, "Here you go!"
Tarbin catches sight of the design, pausing before he takes the blanket from Rhask with a nod. "I... Thank you very much, miss Rhask. This is very kind of you. What can I give you in exchange?"
Rhask 's tail wiggles happily, pleased with the work she'd put into the blanket, as well as that warm glow she feels from a satisfied customer. "I'm sure we can figure something out! It doesn't have to be figured out immediately, either. Though... maybe you could tell me a bit more about the place you're from? I remember you said those designs were from your homeland."
Tarbin ahs, nodding after a moment. "Yes, we can talk about homes, if you like." He gestures toward a couple large roots near the side of the hut, heaved out of the ground and smoothly curved for sitting on. After sitting and laying the folded blanket on top of his lap, he smiles at Rhask. "What would you like to know?"
Rhask goes and takes a seat on the other root offered and makes herself comfortable, though she does take a moment to curiously (and gently) bounce against it to test the sturdiness of the wood, just to make sure she won't damage it. "Well... you sounded like you missed your home, the last time you talked about it. I think I just want to hear about it in general."
Tarbin chuckles as Rhask bounces on the root, the plant giving way a bit under her scrutiny, but certainly strong enough to hold her up. He nods, glancing at the blanket, then forward toward the Western mountains, visible through a clearing in the canopy. "I do, of course. Though, maybe not everything about it? This place is strange, but still familiar enough. I can do whatever I would like, but have to do something to thrive. Back home, one would do what they were good at, but never have to worry for food or shelter." He sighs a bit, "I really do miss the forests and such, though. I admit I've been trying to overgrow this bit of Respite out of nostalgia..."
Rhask tilts her head a bit as she listens to Tarbin. "So... your homeland is a lot more forest-y? That sounds really nice..." She looks up and around at the new growth of the trees around Tarbin's hut, "What is it that you used to do back home, before you came here?"
Tarbin smiles, shrugging. "Much the same I do here. Healing the sick, helping crops grow larger and healthier, undoing the lumber harvests." He looks to her, laughing a bit. "I was good at my job, but I learned not to be too good. [Magic users] often got called to give and give until they were starting to get too drained. Had to fake being tired a lot."
Rhask hums quietly, only to frown a bit as Tarbin continues to talk. "You and folks like you got taken advantage of? All because of your powers? Was there any reason for it other than... just because?"
Tarbin blinks, shaking his head a bit. "Not... Entirely. It was just expected. A gift that should be shared with the community, so everyone's lives can benefit from that gift." He shrugs. "A great carpenter would be made happier by those around them for doing great carpentry, rather than trying to be a poor baker."
Rhask takes a few seconds to think on that, then nods. "That makes sense, but being worked to exhaustion? I'd think anyone with such a good skill would produce better results when they're not being worked to the point one has to fake being tired..."
Tarbin nods. "I was fairly ah... unique, though not completely. They did not work magic users to collapse, but well... I and others like me -I assume there must be- don't get magic-tired. And being a conduit for Nature is not that tiring, honestly." He looks down at the blanket on his lap. "More a fear of being told to wake, help until I sleep, and repeat."
Rhask quirks the corners of her mouth up at Tarbin's last statement. "You wanted a little more out of life than just... work, work and more work? I can understand that."
Tarbin laughs a little, nodding. "I liked to sneak off some days. Would head into the forest, commune with the ferns and rhubarb. Doctor Doctor Plume and miss Erika have been helping me learn Common names for some plants, but many in Yuretti don't grow here."
Rhask nods at that, smiling. "I could see that... A lot of plants I saw around Vamas don't exist here in Aephix, aside from maybe the occasional potted plant I see in the marketplace every so often. Yuretti must be a really nice place..."
Tarbin nods, his smile thinning a bit. "It was beautiful! It was a bit colder than here in the winter, but not much warmer than that through the rest of the year. You might like it, and be welcome to visit... Just wouldn't say to live there. Not after growing up away from it."
Rhask chuckles quietly. "I'd say the same about my hometown, I think... Lovely place, but definitely not somewhere I'd recommend moving to... unless you really, really like the cold outdoors." She tilts her head a bit at Tarbin, noting his slightly changed expression, "You moved away, and miss it enough for the memories, but don't want to move back... could I ask why?"
Tarbin pauses, breathing a sigh. "Magitech." Looking down at the blanket, he chuckles quietly. "Magic users worked hard before. Magitech came to Yuretti, and the leaders well... They were just fascinated. [Enthralled]. Instead of just doing our work, magic users would take shifts, keeping the tech powered." He sighs, shaking his head. "It wasn't much at first, but as magitech made almost everyone's work easier..."
Rhask 's expression drops a bit. "...The more magic users were needed to work themselves harder to keep things moving." She looks at Tarbin, "And... because you're able to use nature magic, which doesn't really tire you out... I'm guessing your abilities were sought after?"
Tarbin adjusts himself on the root a bit, shaking his head. "Nobody really knew, I am just a conduit, not a mage. There are a few like me, I assume, and I hope they never revealed themselves. Nobody should be stuck siphoning power like that. Nobody should be using Nature's essence like that." He grunts, shaking his head again. "This topic is not a happy one, I am sorry!"
Rhask shakes her head. "No no, don't apologize! I should be the one doing that for bringing the topic up! I didn't realize it was a bad one, and I was just wanting to know more about where you came from."
Tarbin sighs. "That's the worst of home, but is also my last impression of it. The people are wonderful, everyone accepts that we would be nowhere if nobody ever helped. Nearly everyone freely gives what they can of themselves to better the country, within reason. People here have been similar, though many expect something in return, or to have to give something up to accept help."
Rhask hums and nods. "The people here come from all over. I'm from Vamas, where merchants are some of the most powerful folks around. Of course, we still can give when it's necessary, but giving something to get something is kind of what I've come to expect from Vamas, Sarn and Orela, be it money or something of equal value."
Tarbin nods. "It took a little bit of time to get used to. I still don't know what I give is worth, so I live out here. And it is less closed in, as well. So much stone..."
Rhask nods again. "It's why we tend to rely on money more than trading goods directly. You know the value of money because it can't change, but something you're bartering with could be worth more or less, and it means both people need to agree on the worth of the item." She smiles, "It's a lot harder to argue that 10 gold in hand is worth the equivalent of 5 gold of goods."
Tarbin hums, nodding a bit. "That did settle well, after a bit."
Rhask chuckles quietly. "It takes a little time to get used to it, but it does make a number of things easier the larger a community gets, I think."
Tarbin nods again, smiling at Rhask. "Yes. Especially when someone does not need what you can give in exchange for what you need from them."
Rhask hums. "Mmhm! Exactly! I can only really make clothing and similar things, but not everyone always needs clothing, even if I might need a bunch of different things myself. Using money I make selling clothes lets me get what I need, whatever it might be."
Tarbin nods in agreement, mentioning how little currency circulates in Yuretti, even with the amount of trade done with other countries. "Most of it is held by the nobility, or the merchants to deal with other countries."
Rhask bobs her head a bit, understanding. "I guess that makes sense, since they'd have the most knowledge about it?" She sigh, "Anyway... would you like to see how that blanket looks?"
Tarbin lifts the blanket from his lap, standing up and gesturing toward the hut. "Yes, please. If you would help me find a place to hang it for the summer? It might be too warm to need it for sleeping for now."
Rhask nods with a smile. "Of course! I'll be happy to help get it set up!"
Tarbin leads the way inside, idly chatting with Rhask along the way and as they look about the hut. When they open the blanket up, Tarbin pauses, stuck between admiring the familiar insignia, and feeling a tug in his gut at how familiar it is.