Noble
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Half-Halfling, Half-Goblin
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Post by Veliky on Oct 2, 2022 16:59:01 GMT -5
Veliky finally uncovers her face, glad to have her personal space back. She isn't sure which is a more sour taste: the awful grog, or the ineptitude of her conversational skills today. This is why she doesn't drink. Still, Tatalia didn't rebuff her, nor did she even seem to notice Veliky's discomfort. Both are for the best.
"I'm definitely not planning anything as bad as that... stunt." She winces at the memory.
"Honesty... I'm not entirely sure what that means. When I hear people use it, I think of a word in Halfling: 'enakayeh.' It means to be open with your thoughts and feelings, especially with people you trust."
The server brings her water, and she takes a clumsy sip. So much unhygienic water and alcohol... she's definitely going to need a healer after this.
"I guess if I'm being 'honest,' I'll say that enakayeh is overrated. Better to just assume that everyone's hiding something, and let them assume the same about you. Equal footing. Fairness. I know for a fact that if I always say what I think, then people will hate me."
Being drunk is such a strange, unfamiliar feeling for Veliky. The usual torrent of thoughts flowing through her mind has become murky and stagnant. It makes her feel more present, but less in control. Moving, too, feels different; simple actions are so much faster than she intends. She's nearly knocked over her glass several times. Sober Veliky would hate the feeling; Drunk Veliky is undecided.
"What I'm saying is that I'm not going to be honest with you, so don't worry about being honest with me." It's a truly odd way of thinking, but, by every appearance, she seems to earnestly believe it.
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CCS Courier
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Post by Tatalia on Oct 3, 2022 9:45:55 GMT -5
"You won't be honest with me?" answered Tatalia, raising an eyebrow at Veliky. She cracked a huge, sharp-toothed grin and let out a long laugh, eyes twinkling in the firelight. She caught her breath, shook her head, and replied: "Why, I've never heard anything so honest! You are terrible at dishonesty."
The goblin stood up and stretched like a particularly lazy cat, then looked out the door with a weary expression. Half-drunk as she was still, she had work to do. So, Tatalia turned back to Veliky and bowed on low, nearly tipping over like the world's dumbest flamingo as she did. She managed to catch herself, however.
"I will leave you to your thoughts," Tatalia declared, rising back up to her full (and unimpressive) height. "For now, I have to speak with a man about a sword. Hopefully neither of us ends up wearing it in our intestines!"
That was a joke. Tatalia didn't actually think she or anyone she was meeting would get stabbed in the immediate future. It wasn't a good joke, however.
"Oh, and Veliky..." Tatalia paused just as she was about to leave, deciding to make one last parting comment. She offered the half-halfling an encouraging smile, then told her quietly, "You don't seem that hate-worthy to me. You barely make the top ten!" the goblin joked, cracking another quick grin. "I look forward to another candid conversation."
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Noble
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40
Renown
Half-Halfling, Half-Goblin
Arrived in the Booba Stratosphere
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Post by Veliky on Oct 3, 2022 13:41:59 GMT -5
Of all the things to deal with in conversation, there are few things Veliky is less equipped to deal with than compliments. For the most part, it's an issue of pretending to care, or, if she feels particularly dismissive, she just answers 'I know.' Neither are applicable in this case. She looks away, half of her face warmed by the firelight.
"Thanks... maybe when we meet again, we can talk about-"
She turns back. Tatalia's already left. One last embarrassment to end the chat. Veliky rests her head in her hand and lets out a dejected sigh.
It's a habit of hers to review conversations after they've finished. There are many details that are elucidated only by the full context. Of course, in her inebriation, her recollection of the talk is foggy at best. So she just skips to the end. She isn't certain how to interpret that she was called 'terrible at dishonesty,' nor does she understand the sword joke. Aren't intestines what witnesses do in court? Maybe she's teasing that there might be legal repercussions for the tribe incident... not an unwise prediction.
Finally, she ponders Tatalia's parting words. 'Was she telling the truth?' is the crucial question. Veliky didn't detect any duplicity, but, then, she was drunk, and still is. Maybe she can ponder it later. For the moment, there's no harm in accept it as truth.
Veliky's lips slowly curve into a warm smile.
"...Heh."
Veliky turns to the snicker to see Two-Toes, standing with a smirk. Veliky's brow furrows.
"Something to say, Two-Toes?"
"Nah, nothing at all," he answers coyly before turning to clean a table.
Veliky stares daggers into the back of his skull. What's he thinking? But she says nothing more, just looking back to the fire. Only, she does find it somewhat odd that he's cleaning the tables so early in the day... wait.
She grabs Tiny Two-Toes by his collar.
"What time is it?!"
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