Click the names here or anywhere in the log to toggle filtering for that character.
----------------------------------------------
THE OLDHAMMER SMITHY - MORNING
----------------------------------------------
Flux rests within the center of the forge, circulating energy within a crucible and coaxing the alloy within to mix, pushing the impurities from liquid steel off the surface into a pile by it's ashes. Cavro stands a few feet from the forge, goggles and leather apron on as he sweats in the heat, watching the elemental work. He's very curious about how well Flux can mix the bluish ore that came in from Vamas with a portion of iron and carbon. The elemental is curious, as well, having never seen that ore in the time he was here alone. A pile of ashes push to the edge of the forges mantle, forming a small-ish squirrel body to sit there, looking to the badger. "Is this mixture right? That metal you gave me does not seem to be mixing well yet. I can feel it swirling separated."
Melia travels through the town in a blur of green cloud, not bothering with her usual walking when she has something this exciting to talk about. She only appears into her 'proper' lizardine form right at the entrance of the Smithy, shouting out a greeting as she waves: "Hi!"
Cavro hums, watching Flux form up a body to speak with him. He actually requests that Flux do this whenever it can, as the more disembodied voice when Flux speaks from the coals was... Unsettling. Especially when unexpected. "I am am am not sure... There was some debate between the merchants on how how how hot the fire needed to be. One wanted it white-hot, the other said that that that would be too much..." He looks back to the core of the fire before being startled out of his thought by the voice behind him.
Flux looks past Cavro, waving to Melia when she is spotted. "Hello Melia! How are you?"
Melia waves excitedly for a moment more, grinning: "Hey hey! I'm doing the bestest, or at least nearly so! Also hi Cavro!" She manifests to give the badger a short hug, and a slightly longer (and crispier) one to Flux, her smile not waning whatsoever despite the damage.
Cavro blinks, almost starting again when Erika's former doppelganger appears next to him, though he does return the hug. He's never going to get used to many of either elemental's quirks. "Hel hel hello, Melia. Oop! Don't get singed there."
Flux hugs Melia back, feeling a notable glow from hugging her, the coals of the fire brightening before they separate. "That is good, I'm glad."
Melia steps back before her green starts to burn too much, grinning: "Greatness. So yeah, I just came in to sort of say that..." She finds herself hesitating, her smile waning slightly: "I'm kinda going away for a while."
Flux tilts the squirrely head a bit, more curious than disappointed in expression. Really, the ashen elemental never seems to express much more than curiosity and satisfaction, so nothing new there. "Oh? Are you going on an adventure? Where are you headed?"
Cavro seems slightly more concerned about someone adventuring alone. "Yes where? And and and when do you think you will be be be back?"
Melia shrugs: "Here and there. There's whole lotta Aephix and I've mostly seen the surroundings of Respite Falls. Now that I'm no longer bound to anything... or anyone-" She winces ever-so-slightly at this: "-I figure I gotta see what else this area, this continent, has to offer." She hums towards Cavro: "I don't really know."
Cavro hums, thinking about this for a few seconds. "Well... I I I mean we do need to know more about where we're living, rye rye right? And who who who better than someone that doesn't need to to to eat or rest?" He looks to Flux.
Flux nods, smiling at Melia. "That is true, we don't need those. And Melia can disappear away from danger."
Melia nods, shifting slightly as she smiles some more: "All kinds of plant life out there, and no one's ever even talked to them!"
Cavro laughs at that. "Noone can other than than than you. Or maybe Erika."
Melia hums: "Erika's too caught up in all of that garden stuff... and other garden stuff. An' yeah, she'd need to come back pretty quickly. I don't have anything tying me down, now that the Clinic don't really need me around either."
Flux nods a bit, smiling warmly (any other kind with this one?) at Melia. "You'll do great. After all, you are Nature, so no sense in you being cooped up in and around this town when Nature is literally everywhere else, too."
Cavro also nods to this. "True, and and and it's not necessarily a bad thing that the clinic goes quiet once in a while."
Melia shrugs, smiling: "And like, I'll come back anyway at some point. I'd miss everyone here otherwise way too muchly." She gets a wistful look as she looks aside: "But there's so much out there..."
Flux feels the smile fade a bit. "I would miss your presence, after too long. Just be safe? Like you said, we don't know what else is on this continent. I don't think there's more like that skunk but..."
Cavro hums quietly, leaning against the side of his work bench. "Yes, do do do be careful of strangers, hmm?"
Melia thinks for a moment: "Well, I was created by magic, unintentionally so? Unless I find something else out there with an intent to devour natural magic, I should be pretty safe." She decides to leave unmentioned her mental checklist of hugging every tree and beast she comes across, though.
Flux chuckles, casting a bit of smoke from the squirrel's mouth, but also from the forge itself. "You can retreat into the roots and trees. If something can devour that much magic, then we are probably all doomed anyhow."
Cavro blinks. "I hope not."
Melia nods: "At least, if I find something like that, I promise to lead it away from Respite. But I sort of doubt I will?"
Cavro sighs, nodding again. "Or you you you know... Escape but come back?" He chuckles nervously, glancing at the crucible. "I I I am going to see if those merchants are are are still in the market." He pushes off the work bench, pausing for a moment before hugging Melia. "Take care, Me Me Melia."
Melia hugs back tightly, smiling: "You too, Cavro. Say hi to Erika for me!"
Flux nods to Cavro, not glancing at the crucible as more impurities are taken from the surface of their mixture and cast aside. "They must know some trick." Flux watches Cavro head out of the smithy, the badger pausing to nod to Melia's request before disappearing out the door. "You are going to be alright, yes?" There is an unfamiliar tinge of concern in Flux's voice now.
Melia turns to Flux, then shrugs: "As safe as I can be anywhere. Very few things can actually catch up to or harm me." She pauses, then steps closer to Flux: "I will be fine, and promise to return in one piece."
Flux dims the coals of the forge a bit as Melia steps a little closer, to keep her from being too uncomfortable. "I do hope so. I can't tag along, we know too far from the forge and my body starts crumbling."
Melia nods with a smile: "I wouldn't ask you to. Your home is with the fire here." She hums: "And well, my home is in Respite too, just... yeah, want to get out too."
Flux hops off the mantle, growing in size closer to Melia's stature and stepping up to Melia to hug her. The figure is only warm, as Flux actiely focuses on not drawing magic from Melia's body, cooling the expy considerably.
Melia hugs back tightly, tightest she has ever been able to hug Flux without hurting herself. "I promise I will be back."
Flux hugs Melia back just as hard, crumbling a bit in the grip but mostly keeping together. "I know you will, but I'll make sure Nesseth is looking out for you."
Melia lets go of the hug after a long moment: "G-good. I hope everything goes fine out there, but yeah, you are right, don't know what's out there."
Flux laughs quietly, the figure not puffing smoke with the low energy it has. "Nobody does, isn't that the point of exploring?"
Melia giggles, the movement sparkling some green dust from her frills: "It is! But you know, careful. That stuff too."
Flux sighs, before suddenly crumbling to the floor. "Oop-" the voice comes from the forge. "I pulled back a little too much."
Melia blinks, then lets out a warm little laugh: "Silly thing. You take care of you as well when I'm away."
Flux chuckles from within the forge, the ashes filtering back across the floor to rejoin the collective within the stone. "I will, don't worry. There is plenty to do here."
Melia smiles towards the forge, then gives a small bow: "Then, brother of mine, I will see you later. Whenever that ends up being."
Flux flutters a small laugh, generating a new body that bows in return, action-figure sized as the mouse is on the mantle. "See you soon, whenever that is, sister."
Melia laughs softly and gives a wave as she turns to leave: "See you soon enough." With that, she turns into a cloud of green mist and drifts outside, upwards and who knows where.