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RESPITE STREETS - LATE MORNING
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Cavro turns the corner just down the streets from the Oldhammer, looking mostly downward as he wracks his own brain over why that ore seems to be giving them trouble. It hadn't wanted to melt on it's own in the forge, perhaps not enough heat? But Flux claimed it had liquefied with the molten iron around it, but doesn't mix? He grunts, silently hoping that the merchants are still around.
Fiora comes around the corner, heading towards the Oldhammer with her head downward as well. The giraffe-turned-possum has been trying to figure out how best to approach Cavro and open up a conversation with him, try to fix some of their... relationship? Friendship? Whatever they are, that's part of the problem, still- She collides with Cavro.
Cavro nearly trips over Fiora, stumbling a bit to the side and looking to Fiors. "Ah-ah! Sor sor sorry! I I I wasn't paying attention."
Fiora disentangles herself from Cavro's legs, flailing a bit, "Gah! No, my fault! My Fault! I wasn't either, I just... uh.. oh! Cavro! This is perfect! I mean uh, it's less then perfect, I absolutely did NOT mean to literally run into you. Gah, ouch..." She rubs her head, getting back up and onto her feet to look up at the badger with an awkward grin.
Cavro steps back a pace, looking down at the stranger with an oddly familiar voice. "Ah, no no no, I uh... Do I know you? Kinda fam fam familiar..?"
Fiora chuckles, "Oh uh, yeah... long story, but basically I fell into a secret magic basement in the house Brun and I bought, and some kinda weird dust made me a possum." She dusts herself off a bit. "Oh, uh, it's Fiora. I'm Fiora."
Cavro blinks. "Oh. Well well well okay then. I uh... Guess that makes sense, yeah? Uhm... Did... Did the basement come with with with a house or...?"
Fiora waves her hand about so-so, "Ehhh, I mean, yes? But it wasn't mentioned. The whole thing was walled off. Floored off? Sealed off. So no one told us about it."
Cavro hums, scratching his head a little bit. "I don't think I I i ever heard of anything like that in in in Respite before, but... There have been a a a few mage types living here." He laughs a bit, then looks concerned. "Uh... Do do do you think you'll be you know, fix fix fixable?"
Fiora grins, "Oh! For sure! It's hard at this size, but it with a bit of bracing we can put down some new floor boards, or even just put in some stairs and you mean the size thing, not the floor, don't you? Uh, yeah... pretty sure. Erika is looking into it. Says she thinks it might even be tied to that same blue flower that happened to her? So, she thinks it'll be fine."
Cavro grimaces a bit at the mention of that flower. "What, really?" He thinks about it for a moment. "But you were a giraffe?" He tilts his head. "But I I I guess she would know better, after all! You you you said you didn't mean to literally run run run into me?"
Fiora shrugs, "It was some kind of powder, so someone was experimenting with it I guess? I've hunted down some folks who've done some crazy crap before, and had some weird spells thrown at me too... so I just gotta roll with it and... I mean, if nothing else, The Bounty Hunter Guild back in Vamas has some pretty damn good Decursers that can fix most any magical condition. Just... for a bit of cost and a lot of travel for me and Brun, since it impacted her too. Brunilda that is." She pauses, "Oh! Yeah! I was heading to the Smithy to find you!"
Cavro blinks at all that, ahhs for a few seconds, seemingly on the fritz for a second. "Well we got to to to hope that Erika figures it out, then. That that that would be a a a very long trip. What do do do you need, in the meantime?"
Fiora 's expression fades to one of slightly less confidence, and she glances down at the ground, "Oh uh... I guess I mostly wanted to apologize? I uh... yeah. To apologize."
Cavro hums. "Oh... For for for the night out there? Where you you you said you would kill me. If Erika wanted." He deadpans this, sighing quietly. "It's fine. I I I mean, you you you gotta make a living somehow, right?"
Fiora cringes a bit, "Y-yeah, for that... I mean... I wouldn't have. I'd like to think I wouldn't have even if you had a price on your head. I tried to be better than that. Tried. I failed a lot, I admit. I just..." She crosses her arms, sighing, "Damn, I am Bad at this."
Cavro chuckles quietly, sighing after. "I I I guess you aren't, hmm? I don't blame you, but but but thank you for not killing me. I I I like living."
Fiora manages to laugh, "Hah, well, you're welcome. I guess I don't have to get you a birthday gift then, eh?" Her laughter fades off, and she takes a moment to watch Cavro, "Was just me being stupid, trying to figure out the whole family thing, and the truth is, I think I was just jealous."
Cavro blinks, pausing for a moment. "Jealous? Of what?"
Fiora fidgets a moment, "It sounds dumb, but I came to this town with nothing, hoping I could meet my sister, get to know my father better, I saw the old Smith, and sorta hoped I'd belong there. Erika and I get along well enough, but we're not... 'there' yet. My Dad doesn't much talk to me, I guess I remind him of my Mom." She cringes a bit at that, but continues, "And the Smithy is yours. I don't know, sorta felt like... you were all set there with everything I thought I wanted."
Cavro sighs, looking aside. "Oh... I I I get it. Yeah, that would would would be disappointing. I am sorry, but well... If if if it's workspace you want, you could borrow the the the smithy's tools to to to work on your armor or axe?" He chuckles. As as as long as you don't mind me or or or Flux hanging around, too."
Fiora laughs quietly, "More just... a place to belong than a workplace. I made some arrangement with the Smithy up north, just... in case you didn't ever want to see me again. I'd understand. I really didn't do a whole lot to earn my place at the Oldhammer Forge."
Cavro laughs quietly. "I know you you you don't know me well, but do I I I seem like the type to to to hold a grudge? I I I work with the dop dop doppelganger that lived my life as me for Gods know how long." He sighs. "Besides, I I I know you made your armor, and I I I kinda want to learn a bit from you. Also you're Erika's sis sis sister."
Fiora nods, unfolding her arms. "Yeah, okay, fair. I... really don't know you. Wouldn't mind being your friend, if you want. I can teach you everything my Mom taught me, of course. It... seems like a thing suddenly. Wherever she is, she must be laughing hysterically. But, I appreciate it, Cavro."
Cavro nods, smiling down at the possum. "Uhm... Maybe after you you you are back to normal size? Un un unless you want me to make you some some some possum-sized tools?"
Fiora blinks, "Oh! Um, yeah, no. After... after is fine. And I'll have to learn more about his uh... doppleganger? Like the one with Erika? Same deal? This town, I swear..."
Cavro laughs at that, nodding. "Yeah, like like like hers. Turns out Flux is also an an an elemental. That skunk lady tried to get rid of of of him, but Erika's dopple and and and a wolf called uh... Hm. Phoebe, I think? I just realised I I I haven't seen her since before I I I went back to the smithy."
Fiora hums, "Weird. Glad it's worked out, then? And I don't know if I know a Phoebe. Brun and I have been a bit... preoccupied with just trying to get around like this. That, and doing a bit of planning for Gareth's trade business... speaking of, if he gives me control of gearing up the crew, I can throw some business at you, if you're interested."
Cavro beams, nodding. "I'd gladly accept the work, yes!"
Fiora grins, "Well, this is me and Gareth going 'legit', as it were, so I'll mention it to him, and he can handle the business end of it, and I'll give you the details of what we want. Once he's back from doing the contract work in Orela."
Cavro nods along. "I I I heard about that venture, in the market! Quite a bit of of of buzz around Wrath the hunter's new new new trade group. I I I suppose it makes sense you're got a hand in that, as as as well!"
Fiora nods, standing a little taller (but still quite shorter than Cavro), "He came to me to train the ship guards, to keep our cargo safe. We're still partners in this venture."
Cavro chuckles, "You don't want to sail that much?"
Fiora coughs, looking away a bit embarrassedly, "I uh, tend to get a bit seasick...?"
Cavro hums, nodding. "Fair enough. I I I don't even know what riding a a a boat is like, so can't really speak on that."
Fiora sticks her tongue out, "It's not fun... it always makes me feel like my head isn't attached to my neck anymore."
Cavro laughs. "That's normally a lot of of of neck to lose contact with." He blinks. "Sor sor sorry!"
Fiora laughs aloud, "Nah, maybe that's why I get so sick? Maybe I should try to go out on a boat like this?" She shrugs, "Nah, I'd rather be back to me first."
Cavro chuckles, adjusting his stance a bit. "Cou cou could be worth experimenting, but I I I suppose since you don't plan on on on being a possum all your life, then is there much point?"
Fiora nods, "Yeah... next time you see me, I hope I'll be back to normal? I was going to swing over by Erika's after I talked to you and uh, settled things out. I'm glad I got to talk like this."
Cavro nods. "I wont keep you then, I I I do have a mystery of my own to to to solve today. It was nice catching and clearing things up a a a bit, though!"
Fiora smiles, "Same. It's a good thing to have off my concious. I'll be seeing you around, Cavro!"
Cavro steps aside to allow Fiora to pass by, waving to her before making his way toward the marketplace. "Fare well!"
Fiora gives Cavro a bit of a bow before she scampers past, "You too! Say hi to uh your doppleganger? Later!"
Fiora heads back off to the market, feeling a good deal better about the whole encounter now as she changes route to head to Erika's garden, leaving Cavro to continue to ponder his metallurgy question.