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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 12:13:19 GMT -5
Zarius gives Cantio a knowing look as he catches a glimpse of the book the clerk is reading but he does not comment on it. He looks back over at Veliky and Astrid combing through the shelves of clothes. Or at least he would, if he could see either of them. Every now and then he catches Astrid’s horns poking out over the shelf.
“Well, there is a saying that birds of a feather flock together. Perhaps that is why we keep crossing paths. Lucky you.” He nudges the red tiefling with his elbow in a playful manner.
“It is curious though, I know Veliky is a halfie and this girl appears to also be a halfie though of different heritages. I have not seen many half-tieflings if that is where the horns come from.” He thinks for a moment then gives Cantio a sly look. “Actually, you are a bard, perhaps she is one of yours?”
It’s a dumb joke, but he couldn’t help himself when it comes to getting a reaction out of Cantio. He would be surprised if Cantio had any romantic relationships at all. Sure, the performer had fans who probably would be willing to throw themselves at his feet, but he seemed too timid to take advantage of that in any insincere or flippant way.
Cantio was probably much like himself, he assumed, too consumed with his own goals and passions to have time or energy for romance. Though the bard would likely have a much easier time finding a genuine connection one day if he desired it. Zarius on the other hand, could not justify in his head to put someone in such a dangerous position. Though that was an easy reality to accept.
“I hate to be the realist here, but I would assume Veliky has already thought this as well. That girl’s mother is not likely even in town if she ever was. So, that begs the question, what are we going to do next?” Perhaps the bard had some more good ideas rattling around in that pretty little head of his.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 15, 2022 19:07:33 GMT -5
Veliky looks unenchanted at the sight of the blue tunic. The lesser despair is a fairly certain indication that this is not apparel for her. She's never considered herself a fashionable person, and the tunic would be practical, but... her current outfit almost feels like a part of her. She wouldn't feel like herself without it.
...Maybe she's been wearing this outfit for too long, thinking thoughts like these. Maybe she actually should try wearing that obnoxious costume, annoyingly feminine though it is. She lets out a sigh.
"Thank you, but I'll just buy something from Sol City. Better tailors."
But, even as she answers, she's considering Astrid's other question. If the orphan hadn't been dishevelled and in obvious need, Veliky and the others wouldn't have helped her. A benefit from poor circumstances. She's absolutely right. Though Veliky doesn't know how to feel about being called a 'friend,' or 'strange' for that matter.
"But you're right. You're going through tough times, but, because of that, you were able to get new clothes and new connections. Good job."
If Astrid were about half as tall as she is, Veliky would pat her on the head. Then again, that may only be a halfling thing. Might look weird to other people.
Oh, but Astrid has found some clothes for herself. How are they going to be paid for again?
...Right, Zarius was going to pay. No skin off her back. Or is it? Veliky doesn't entirely like the idea of Astrid becoming any closer to Zarius, given what she knows of his... business. But she does entirely like the idea of not having to pay for this. After the time travel fiasco, she's in a deeper deficit than she'd ever admit to another mortal soul.
She looks at the clothes, then at the counter, then at the clerk.
...
"How good are you at math, Astrid?"
"I'm better than most people, I think. Some people do math badly and almost charge me more than I haggled fer." Little does she know, they'd assumed she's bad at math and try to scam her.
"...They do that sometimes. Want another lesson?" She takes a solar - astronomically more than these clothes would cost (silvers at most) - and hands it to Astrid. "Go to the counter, show her the clothes, ask how much they are. Whatever she says, offer 80% of that number. That's four parts out of five. Then, whatever she offers after, look at her really judgementally, like she just told an extremely bad joke, and offer 60%: three parts of five."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 15, 2022 20:00:30 GMT -5
When Veliky denies the blue tunic, Astrid puts it back, but it's not neatly folded like it once was though she does try. "I've never been ta Sol City. Maybe I'll find me way there one day," she muses to herself. Then she looks at Veliky when she asks about math and is thoughtful about her answer. "Yeah, if yer offerin', another lesson's never a bad thing ta have!" So she listens intently while Veliky pulls the money and explains the haggling process. This isn't unfamiliar to her, but she doesn't quite understand why she needs to give the clerk a mean look. Still, Veliky is the successful businesswoman here, she would know best. So Astrid takes the money, reveling in the fact she's never held so much in her life. "Four parts out of five..." she murmurs. "That's the goal."
With a deep breath to build her confidence up, Astrid nods and marches to the counter where Cantio and Zarius are chatting and giving each other looks about the clerk's book. Astrid however can't see the book from her vantage point. She sees Cantio has a coat draped over his arm and gives him a curious look then it dawns on her. "Oh, I forgot about a coat! Didja pick that out fer me?" She seems excited at the idea he's being thoughtful about things she needs and quickly shoves the bundle of clothes she's picked out onto the counter.
"S'cuse me, miss clerk, how much is alla this? And the coat!" Astrid asks, peeking over the mountain of clothes to the young woman.
The clerk stands and with a sugar-sweet smile goes through the haphazard bundle set forth before her. She goes through the catalog and names the price. "For all of this, it will be two gold pieces," she says, looking past Astrid at the adults standing behind her, expecting them to cover the cost because she's but a child.
But Astrid has a mission. She's doing math in her head, breaking two gold down into digestible pieces. That's 20 silvers, 200 coppers. Maybe silvers is easier. Twenty divides by five into four each, so three groups of four is 12 silvers. Oh, but she needs to start with four groups of four, so 16 silvers. She whips her head up to look at the clerk. "You can have 16 silvers!"
The clerk is taken aback by the demand, shocked and unsure how to respond. "I-I'm sorry, honey, we don't particularly barter here..." She's careful to keep her tone sweet and gentle. "It'll be 20 silver, or two gold."
Astrid tries to imitate Veliky's demeanor and gives the clerk a mighty, pouty frown. "Then you can have 12 silvers instead!" Behind the counter, the clerk just stands there baffled and tries to seek some assistance from Cantio and Zarius, but Astrid tries to keep her attention. She parrots what she's seen other people in shops do. "Then we'll take our business elsewhere!" Then she starts striding for the door.
"A-Ah, um..." the clerk fumbles her words then quickly regains her composure. "I can give them to you for 16 silvers." She wants to avoid conflict and get back to her book.
Astrid stops her roll and spins around on her heel. In her spinning, she spots a pair of goggles hanging from a rack that she missed before. Her eyes sparkle with excitement, and she snatches them off the rack. "16 silvers and these goggles!" Exasperated, the clerk obliges, and Astrid grins. "Perfect! Here ya go!" She slaps the Solar down on the counter, and the clerk looks even more dead inside. All that haggling when she had plenty of coin. She takes it and starts counting change out before turning and asking if anyone will be needing any more assistance. Meanwhile Astrid gathers her spoils and looks at Cantio, excited for the coat he's picked out, and at Veliky for some look of approval.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 16, 2022 18:20:12 GMT -5
“ I’m sure luck is involved to some degree, but I would hesitate to call it good luck.” Cantio bereaves; he rolls his eyes as Zarius nudges at him with an elbow, and crosses his arms haughtily in response. He looks out towards the two still plucking at items among the shelf, and fidgets with the soft exterior of the jacket. It should be enough to keep Astrid warm, he thinks; and also, it’s very in season. He furrows his brows slightly as Zarius continues talking, “ Wait, Veliky?” he regards with a mild confusion; though, he does agree with the tiefling’s comment about Astrid… She is certainly infernal to some degree, whether her parental figure is a Tiefling, or… It takes a few moments for Zarius’ last line to fully absorb, but once it does, Cantio offers Zarius a stunned look. He meets his sly gaze, “ How dare—” The red tiefling turns a slightly deeper shade of red, “ I have not— I do not have children— and she’s like, ten!” he bristles, unfurling his fan and covering the lower half of his face. He turns away with a slight huff, “ She’s more likely to be yours at your age, anyways.” It is not the burn he wishes it was, because it’s practically mumbled into his fan; and, speaking with Zarius is a lot like having whiplash, because his next comment is one of a more serious nature. Cantio closes his eyes, breathing a slow breath to calm the butterflies of annoyance in his chest. “ ...I know.” he agrees, somewhat grimly. “ It breaks my heart to think about it.” He closes his fan, cheeks still tinted red from Zarius’ earlier comment. “ Do you know anybody in town? Maybe we could leave her with someone trustworthy— teach her some life skills, or set her up with a job? We can’t just… buy her clothes and let her wander back into the streets like she was without guida— oh, hello ladies!” He cuts the conversation off as Astrid and Veliky approach, fan unfurling with its usual, thworp! as he steps aside to let the two walk up to the clerk. He smiles cheerfully at Astrid, and turns his back on Zarius. “ I did! I thought it might go nicely with what you were picking out over on the shelves.” he agrees with a nod, tail swaying with delight when she comments on it. He sets the coat down beside Astrid’s bundle, folding it neatly in half in contrast to her pile, and turns to speak to Zarius about splitting the cost, when— " You can have 16 silvers!" He hesitates, surprised, and looks back at Astrid quizzically; is she… bartering with the clerk?
He blinks, looking towards Veliky standing nearby, then offers the clerk a mildly apologetic shrug as he looks back. A small battle ensues afterwards, in which Astrid bluffs about taking their business elsewhere, and the clerk eventually caves— even giving her a pair of goggles, practically for free. Astrid, delighted, slaps down her solar on the counter and claims all of her prizes; Cantio is impressed, but confused. He leans back slightly, “Did you give her that?” he whispers to Zarius quizzically, tail flicking back and forth.
Though, he readjusts his attention quickly, smiling back at the child as she looks up at him. “Do you want to change before we leave, Astrid? You’ve got a dressing room, right?” he asks, lifting up the coat he’d picked for Astrid off the counter; he holds it for her given she's already got a mountain in her arms— although he holds it loosely, so she could certainly nab it whenever she wants.
The clerk nods, pointing towards a little curtained off room towards the back without looking up. "Back there, if she wants to use it."
Cantio nods approvingly, then looks back at the young girl. "Otherwise, you can wear your jacket to make sure you don't get a chill; and we can fold up your... Oh." He hesitates, looking thoughtfully at her. "She might need a bag, won't she?"
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 16, 2022 21:08:04 GMT -5
Zarius just toothily grins at Cantio as he has a minor spat. The bard really could not take a joke. "Fair enough. Though I will inform you that I have no intentions of having kids. My work comes first and that would not be fair to them or any partner that would have to exist for that to happen."
"I am afraid that my contacts here would be poor caretakers. That said, we are all here. I am not in much of a rush to be anywhere, are you?" He asks, eyeing the bard. "You seem good with kids and you travel a lot. Admittedly, you are a little bit of a push over and naïve, but you are a genuine and good person from what I have seen. Why not take her under your flamboyant cape for a while?"
The conversation is interrupted as Astrid takes the coat and flops the pile of clothing onto the counter before the clerk.
He chuckles and watches Astrid walk up and interact with the poor woman. It's hard not to laugh at how she jumps right into bartering with the clerk. Though he thought she didn't have any coin. He shakes his head when Cantio asks about the money. All his coin was still safely secure in his belt pouch.
If Cantio was asking him, then that meant he hadn't given the child any either. That left only one possible culprit. He looks over at Veliky with a curious head tilt. Had she actually given the child they just met coin? That was surprising, though maybe Veliky just has a weird kinship with other halfies. Or maybe there was something else going on.
Honestly though, Astrid's negotiation skills were impressive. He had to wonder how well that whole scheme would have worked if she wasn't this short little trash child. He doubts he would have gotten away with the same strategy. Not to say he wouldn't have been able to get the same results one way or another. But he wouldn't push his luck with Veliky around.
"She might need a bag, won't she?"
"I can cover that. Cantio is right, you should go with him to change into warmer clothes and Veliky and I can select a bag to hold your old ones for the time being." Zarius says to Astrid as he pushes off the counter.
She would certainly need a bag to carry things, but he also wanted a chance to catch up with Veliky with Cantio distracted. He was curious about what she thought of this whole situation as well as how she and the bard knew each other. If they were close, it was entirely possible that they may have shared stories from their adventures, including their previous encounters with him.
He wasn't particularly nervous that they would suddenly turn on him. That wasn't either of their styles. Still, he didn't want to give Veliky more reason to chew him out or to cause a scene.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 16, 2022 23:47:18 GMT -5
It's certainly a start. While it wouldn't get a better deal from a Sol City miser, it could win her a free drink at a tavern. Milk, probably.
But the halfling's face shows neither approval, nor disapproval. In fact, it doesn't show much at all. She beckons Astrid toward her.
"Your glare needs work. You want to make them feel like they did something wrong. But you got a good deal. Even used a technique of your own. Not bad." Everything about the businesswoman is like a tiny paradox: small, yet commanding; cherubic, yet mature; emotionless in demeanour, yet favorable in tone. But she does show a modicum of feeling as she furrows her brow at the stock. "Two gold, kien scarrit." Her accent, barely noticeable before, changes drastically as she curses in what must be her native tongue. "Guess they don't have much in the way of competition in this dempf wasteland. Still, it's no wonder that this place is empty."
She's brought back from her musings by Cantio and Zarius' suggestions. She certainly trusts Cantio far more than Zarius, and, if she were Zarius, she'd trust Cantio more than herself. In addition, Zarius is left with, apparently, the only person here that's even partially resistant to his tormenting. It's a decent operation. But too intentional, too premeditated; Zarius is using it as an excuse to be semi-alone with Veliky, to talk about something. Veliky sighs with the exasperated knowledge that she's likely about to engage in more chary conversation with the man who broke her arm.
"Sure, I'm fine with that. But, speaking of changing, I'll need that change back." She extends a hand expectantly to Astrid.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 17, 2022 21:57:51 GMT -5
Astrid gathers up all of her new clothes and tries her best not to drop anything while the adults talk over her. Oh, now Mister Cantio is going to make sure she's all gussied up in her new stuff. Awesome! When Veliky asks for change, Astrid shoves all the clothes onto one arm to free her other arm up, and she slaps all the change the clerk gave her into Veliky's hand with a grin. "Thank ya very much fer the lesson, Miss Veliky!" Then she walks past her, goes over to the rack with the goggles and snatches up the pair that look somewhat like the face of a bird off and strides towards the dressing rooms.
Once inside, she pulls the curtain past and looks at herself in the mirror. She sure does look like a dirty street kid. She doesn't want to dirty up her new clothes already. So she throws the curtain back and looks at Cantio. "Mister Cantio, do ya have any of that special magic that cleans people up?" she asks. It's only something she's heard about but never seen for herself. "I don't wanna dirty up all me new clothes already. I don't mind the grime so much, but it'd be mighty rude ta get alla this filthy just by puttin' it on, wouldn't it?"
Astrid can't think of the last time she had a bath, certainly not a warm one with fresh water and soap. Sometimes she'd get lucky and it'd storm all the way up here, and she'd use the rain to get a good scrub going. That was always risky though, because the cold sets in fast when you and your clothes are both soaked all the way through. She caught more than one cold during those times. There are a few instances where she suckered her way into getting a bath at the inn paid for by travelers, but she always found they never stuck around. Not that she blames them. Taking in a strange child is a big burden, after all. She even tried to work for food and lodging at the inns but often found herself back on the streets. She never could figure out why. It wasn't that she had a great personality and liked to talk to folks, so it must have been all the dishes she broke by accident.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 21, 2022 21:02:26 GMT -5
Cantio looks towards Zarius appreciatively as he mentions he can cover the child’s bag, and nods. “Sure,” he agrees, tail swaying as he looks to Astrid — where Veliky is coaching her on… glaring…? Cantio tilts his head, listening to their brief back and forth before realizing that Veliky was the one who had given Astrid the money. “Oh...” he remarks, thoughtfully tilting his head at the two as they chat. Astrid hands back the change, and then strides happily away.
That's interesting... He didn't think Veliky would have any interest in little Astrid.
“ Ah, okay! I’ll be back then.” Cantio remarks, waving over his shoulder at Veliky and Zarius; he follows after the girl with the jacket still draped over his arms, tail flicking as he watches her rush inside. Cantio waits patiently for her— but hardly a moment passes before she throws the curtain back. Cantio startles with the sudden, unexpected motion. “ Oh? Hm?” he remarks, frowning slightly. “ Ah, I’m sorry, Astrid— I actually don’t…” he murmurs, thoughtfully cupping his chin in his hand as he looks at her. It’s awfully thoughtful of her to be concerned for her new outfit, and… well… if what they’re hypothesizing is true, and her mother left her here… when was the last time she was able to have a nice bath? He feels a wave of sympathy, and breathes a soft sigh.
“Mm… How about this?” he remarks, fumbling about in one of his bags; he pulls out a bright red handkerchief, and a small waterskin. He crouches down to get closer to Astrid’s level, and offers both to her. “I wish I had something better, but I have this for right now; why don’t we make sure you don’t catch a cold first, and you can wash up what you can for now? There’s an inn in town we could go to after we’re done here, and maybe we can get you a hot bath there?” he offers. He could at least pay for that, he thinks. He doesn’t have much, but they could at least get her cleaned up in a way that’s more pleasant, right?
Magic is fun and all, but nothing beats a hot bath at the end of the day, in his opinion.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 22, 2022 15:43:05 GMT -5
Zarius waits for Veliky to retrieve her change and keeps himself busy by browsing through the backpacks. Listening in on Cantio and Astrid over by the changing rooms, he can't help but shakes his head with a smile. They seemed to get along.
It was pretty obvious that Cantio would want to help the young girl as much as he could, but if she had been abandoned intentionally then there was nothing they could do to reunite them without possibly causing a confrontation he wasn't sure the child would come out of emotionally well. It was a terrible thing. An all too common thing.
He puts those thoughts out of his mind for now and idly checks the various different compartments and quality of the straps and buckles on the bags that hang from the hooks on the walls until the quarterling finally joins him.
The tiefling doesn't say anything at first then he looks down at her. "You certainly do get around. How have you been?" He asks.
Though he doesn't have much to gain from idle chit chit, it was common to start with low stakes conversation before transitioning into more personal conversations. Not that he is expecting to have any serious discussions with Veliky, he really did not expect to see her here in the first place and the business woman did not strike him as the type to want to reminisce on the past.
He wouldn't blame her, that night felt like distant a nightmare, a bad dream that would haunt a child and keep them awake at night. The tiefling had recovered from the whole ordeal well enough, but its effects still linger in some ways. He could swear he saw shadows move on their own from time to time and hear those dark whispers in his sleep.
Nothing had ever manifested though, so maybe it was nothing after all. He wouldn't dwell on it. It was an unnecessary distraction to his work and he had no shortage of that and too little time.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 23, 2022 21:11:08 GMT -5
Change clinks in Veliky's gloved palm. To her, it's an extremely pleasant sound; some like birdsongs, some like crashing waves, some like whistling wind, Veliky likes the sound of the tiny murals rubbing together. In fact, a secret talent of hers: she's able to determine coinage value in exact quantities just by rubbing them together. And she does; without looking at the coins Astrid gave her - and, in fact, closing her eyes to better hear the subtle scraping - she pours them into her purse.
And now she's alone with the tiefling, and already there's a sense of unpleasantness. Hearing his shallow pleasantry, she stares blankly, sidelong and uplong at him. To call her disposition 'distasteful' wouldn't be entirely accurate, as she tends and prefers to view others impartially. That said, Zarius has proven to be an excellent and mischievous fighter, duplicitous even to trick even her, *and* he broke her arm. Tactical assessments of him are grim, and sentiments are even worse. And he wants to talk.
"...Better."
Turning away, she steps into one of the aisles, full of handbags, purses and similarly practical attire. Most of them are tacky. Again, Veliky finds herself questioning her own fashion sense; sure, these bags would work well, but... they just look awful.
She neglects to face Zarius as she speaks.
"I should congratulate you. You're the first person to be added to the Blixtbots'™ global blacklist."
She stops by a large handbag. It's a pleasant grey.
"Don't take it personally. Or do. Doesn't matter much. Was necessary either way." She disregards the bag. Too grey. "All Blixtbots™ will now regard you with Copper-level trust. For reference, that's the lowest level possible."
She lets in a long breath.
"Other than that, things have been generally awful for reasons I won't be getting into. In particular, business has been slow due a series of events - or, rather, lack of events - that arose from what I can only describe as 'extraordinarily bad luck.'"
Hm... a black bag. Veliky would buy it in a heartbeat. Granted, that heartbeat would come after several minutes of scrutiny and haggling, but it would occur in the shortest amount of time she would ever afford. But is it Astrid's styl- again, with the thoughts about form over function! Veliky's beginning to get worried. Has she developed a fashion sense?
No, surely not. That's impossible.
"Recently, I've been focusing more on tech due to reasons that I, again, won't be getting into. And that, at least, has been going well. We've been looking into new bots and upgrades for the Nin Hloth, and it seems we'll be able to push them out by the end of the month. It won't get me out of the rut, but it should make fiascos like the one in the Shopping District easier to deal with."
She steps out at the other side of the aisle, empty-handed, and turns to Zarius.
"And you?"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 24, 2022 21:53:02 GMT -5
Astrid looks between the handkerchief, waterskin, and then lands on the red tieflng. She can't help a bright smile. "Ya really like yer red, don't cha, Mister Cantio?" She says it genuinely, there's amusement and a hint of admiration in her voice. The red tiefling wears his color well. "It suits ya, I think. Bet yer a real fiery spirit. And ya've got good taste, too." Astrid takes the handkerchief and waterskin. "I'll try not ta make a mess."
With that, she closes the curtain and undresses. Then she uncorks the waterskin, trying not to spill water everywhere as she dampens the cloth. The temptation to dump the water over herself is strong, but he said they could get a bath. She's looking forward to that. "Ya know, I used ta hate baths," she chatters, wiping the worst of the dirt scuffs from her skin. "I guess I still am not all that fond of 'em, but it's nice ta get clean again. I always used ta imagine I'd be covered in soot from a forge every day. Now I'm just..." Astrid looks at herself in the mirror, turning around to check her back and areas she can't see. "...caked in dirt and dust. It's not all that satisfyin', ya know? If it were forge dust, it'd say I'd been workin' hard all day makin' things. Regular dirt just means I ain't taken proper care of meself." She does a general wipe down to clean her face and neck and hands then gets to work on some of the particularly stubborn bits of dirt on her arms. After a few minutes, she looks at the handkerchief. It's filthy. "Um... Ya might wanna throw this away, Mister Cantio. Or I'll wash it fer ya before I give it back!"
Setting it aside, she quickly gets dressed in her new clothes, situating everything just right and looking at herself in the mirror with a proud smile. There's a deep feeling of satisfaction and gratitude in her chest. These strangers who all seem to know each other approached and offered to help her. She's been in Skypeak for a long time and few others dared to approach the strange child with horns. Her eyes are drawn up to her horns, which she thinks are a cool feature and she makes no efforts to cover up. They're bright red against her blonde hair and stand out especially. Bright... red... She looks at the dirty red handkerchief. Then her horns. Then she gets a perplexed expression.
"Hey Mister Cantio, how come you approached me?" she asks from behind the curtain.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 25, 2022 12:00:20 GMT -5
The tiefling laughs as Astrid shoots him a big smile and questions him on all of the red. “What gave you that impression?” His voice is light and playful as he gently nudges the waterskin and handkerchief at her again, “I do, but I might be a little biased; it’s a bright and confident colour— don’t you think?” He smiles as Astrid takes the waterskin, and nods as she disappears back into the curtain. Out of politeness, Cantio turns his back to the curtain and adjusts the jacket he still has draped over his arms.
His tail sways idly as he looks out to where Veliky and Zarius seem to be talking with one another, then turns his head slightly as Astrid’s voice resounds from behind the curtain. “Oh?” he prompts, listening quietly as the child prattles about baths. His default, polite smile fades slightly as she continues; his brows furrowing sympathetically beneath his mask. That’s… well, that’s awfully sad, isn’t it…?
“Well, that’s not always the case…” he responds slowly, “Sometimes being covered in regular dirt means you’ve been traveling; sometimes it means you’ve been adventuring; sometimes it means you’ve been fighting to live life, day by day; it’s not a forge, and it’s not soot of course… but that doesn’t mean you haven’t still been working hard to get by. I hope you won’t short-change yourself, Miss Astrid. Regular dirt still means you’ve been working hard— just in a different way than forging.” There’s a faint smile in his voice, and he laughs softly when Astrid’s voice resounds from the curtain, telling him he might want to throw away his handkerchief. “That’s quite alright— I’ll wash it later, don’t worry about it.”
He hears the shuffling of clothes as Astrid changes, and starts to fuss about with his own outfit— straightening his collar, undershirt, and adjusting the mask on his face while he waits for Astrid to come out from behind the curtain. Instead, he hears her voice— a little hesitant and confused, asking about why he approached her. One hand on the top of his mask, Cantio hesitates with a blink.
Why…?
“Oh… Well…” he trails off, eyes narrowing slightly; how does he… go about this gently…? “When I first saw you, I thought maybe you were lost. I thought I might be able to help you find what you were looking for.” After a slight moment of hesitation, he adds. “I got lost once in a marketplace when I was young; I remember it being scary. I still get a little overwhelmed by them to this day; too many people, too many things… you’re very brave, miss Astrid.”
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CCS Courier
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 25, 2022 22:57:56 GMT -5
“That is good to hear.” He says simply as he continues to browse through the items, not making eye contact with the quarterling.
He pauses and glances at her as she mentions adding him to a blacklist. His eyes narrow. What that meant in his line of work may not be the same as what Veliky is speaking of. Then again, he wouldn’t put it past Veliky to write his name down on a kill list either.
As she continues to talk, he decides she must mean something else with how casually she mentions it.
“That is too bad. Perhaps things will be better next year.”
The tiefling listens to her talk about what work she has been keeping herself busy with. Then she mentions the incident in Sol City. He turns around and folds his arms while leaning back against the display counter. He meets her eyes as she comes out of the aisle over and faces him.
“Busy. Neither good nor bad.”
It wasn’t a good answer, he knew that. Still, he didn’t know where they exactly stood now as far as their dynamic was concerned. She clearly didn’t trust him any more than she did before despite everything they went through. Wasted effort. That night had done him no favors that is for certain. All he walked away with was a long convoluted story to tell his siblings and a tiny black kitten which had a bad habit of chewing on his horns.
He sighs. Veliky would expect more of an answer than he gave.
“I am working on renovating an old building back home. It is taking longer than I had hoped but my work keeps me away for weeks at a time. It likely will not be ready until next year.”
He doesn't think to extend and invitation to her to visit. She likely wouldn't want to anyway. She had enough on her plate as it was and Darkveil really didn't seem like a place she would ever willingly go. Too much partying and too many people like him.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 28, 2022 15:16:37 GMT -5
Those answers are far too casual to be all there is, Veliky feels. Or, in realism, perhaps they are. Veliky never feels the need to fill silence - and, in fact, vastly prefers it - but she does know that others find it awkward at times. Maybe Zarius is just making small talk until Cantio and Astrid get back. Or maybe he does want something from her. Either way, this is not a conversation that Veliky is partial to.
She looks to Zarius with narrowed eyes that could freeze a demon's blood. Her stare is as prying and obtrusive as ever; for a woman so dedicated to hiding her thoughts and feelings, she doesn't seem to care at all about being offputting.
"Is this about something, Zarius? If you're looking for workers, the answer is 'no.' If you're looking for work, the answer is 'probably not.' Whatever it is, I ask that you be more to-the-point, for my sanity and your dignity."
It's hard to imagine a more dismissive answer. Not to mention her half-exasperated, half-disdainful demeanour. She may as well have a sign nailed to her chest that says 'Don't talk to me.'
The tiefling stares at her for a moment before a slight grin spreads across his face and he chuckles a bit.
“My apologies. No, I am not looking for workers or for work. This is not really about anything presently, though I do hope that despite everything that happened we can keep on good terms. I understand if that is of no interest or value to you.”
'Everything that happened.' Sly wording: diverts blame. He's neglecting to mention that he had a non-insignificant hand in the 'everything that happened.'
"I think we have different definitions of 'good terms.' Open a bakery and we'll talk; association with your current 'business' is of negative value."
She crosses her arms sternly, like a teacher interrogating a student.
"And what, exactly, is your motivation in helping this kid? I hope you realize that the help she needs is not the sort of help a syndic should give."
The clerk's ears perk up at the nomer.
“Well, it is not a bakery but the building I am working on will have a business associated with it.” He shrugs a bit.
An honest business...? No, that's very clearly not in Zarius' ambitions. Definitely a front, like that church in Sol.
“You do not need to worry. I do not have any ulterior motives. I am…off the clock as it were. To be honest, I was mostly drawn to Cantio, not the child.” He gestures to the bard across the room. “We have worked together previously and I wanted to catch up a bit to see how he has been faring. I was surprised to see you and find that you are already acquainted. No offense, but you do not strike me as someone who supports the arts.”
She is willing to believe that he lacks an ulterior motive in this specific circumstance. The amount that he's offered is a pittance, far from what she'd call an 'investment.' But she'll keep watch.
"Hired him for a mission. Captured a water elemental. Successful in spite of heavy resistance. Cantio's wasted on music; he's an exemplary mage and tech." Her meaning in this use of 'tech' is unclear. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the sentence. "Should be a merc. Companies would crawl on broken glass to employ him. I would."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 28, 2022 17:46:52 GMT -5
Ah, okay... So it's not because of some connection. She's making it up. Maybe she hoped just a little that there was some reason she ended up here and met these folks, but it doesn't seem to be the reason her little imagination cooked up. Well, that's fine, she supposes. She likes his take on why someone might be dirty, though she can't say she really falls into that category either.
"Well, I'm not really an adventurer, so the dirt ain't all that special," she says. Not that she couldn't be. It's just not something she'd really thought about until this moment. Maybe she could be an adventurer. After all, she stashed herself in a cart and adventured her way all the way up to Skypeak from the base camp below. He tells her about the time he got lost in the market, and she thinks that she hasn't really felt afraid at all, and the lostness never feels physically lost, more... Well, something inside of her feels lost. She kind of feels at the handkerchief until he says she's brave. For some reason, it makes her chest swell. Is that pride? It feels nice. She watches a grin spread across her own face in the mirror, and she suddenly whips the curtain back to look up at the red tiefling with the same grin.
"Ya think I'm brave?" she asks. There's excitement all over her face. "Think I'm brave enough ta maybe be an adventurer like you?" She's heard adventuring can be lucrative for pay, and it would be nice to afford a forge of her own one day. Heck, it'd be nice to afford at least one square meal a day if she could. To be an adventurer? That's a nice thought. It'd certainly be less boring than waiting around here for her mom. Maybe she could go find her on her own!
Fully dressed in her new clothes, Astrid flares out the pink skirt behind her. It falls longer in the back to keep her feet clear. Her gloves are much too large and bulky for her arms, but she seems to like it, as if she's impersonating a blacksmith in the forge. The final touch is fitting the goggles on top of her head to hold her stray hairs (which definitely haven't been brushed in weeks) back. She then turns around and collects her smelly, dirty clothes from before. These belong in the trash, she decides. They're stretched, torn, dirty, and riddled with holes. Not fit even for the poorest of the poor. She looks around and sees a trashbin just beside the clerk's feet and just walks behind the counter and stuffs them into the bin. It's not like she knows she's not supposed to be back here. The clerk startles and seems to want to shoo her but fears Zarius and Veliky so says nothing.
Astrid strides out looking much more confident and proud even if she does smell a bit, and she grins between the adults. "So, where does a fresh adventurer find a bath?"
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