Del's eyes flick to Beist's tail, and inwardly curses herself. If she had caused offense by her question, she would profusely apologise-- she knew that sometimes this was a sensitive subject for people. But after a moment, it's clear that she misread his expression, the downward turn of his ears a little, as he reassures her. Del sits quietly, listening without interruption while Beist explains his origin.

Alchemy was a craft well above her knowledge base, but Del knew enough about it to understand how much power and ability it took to harness. Though hearing he was born a werebear was not something she had expected-- but now the use of alchemy in this made sense. Her heart went out to him; Beist had tried to find a more effective way to maintain control in those moments, and... well. He said it all. It was a correction he had tried to reverse and could not, had created new obstacles and burdens that he had to deal with. To have your attempts at rectifying something only bring more pain and distress... Del could only imagine how heavy that was for him.

Something she understood on a level she could not quantify. The back of her mind prickled a little, and then fell still.

When Beist finished, she let the silence hang for a moment, punctuated by the crackle of the campfire. Clearly this had been something he had bottled in for a long time, and she wanted to give him plenty of room to voice what had been so heavy on his heart. When he pulled back, apolgising she stayed quiet again, simply watching. When he offered her soup, she smiled, chuckling. "Yes, please. It really is delicious. And," she adds, reaching out to lightly place her palm on his large forearm, trying not to disturb him or little Moe, "Thank you for telling me that. As a crafter, as a person who wants to... find ways to make their life easier, and to have those solutions create more obstacles instead, is harrowing. You've been enduring this for a long time and I am honored to hear your story. You have no need to apologise."

She gives him a soft, slightly crooked smile. "I don't see it as complaining. I asked, and you answered honestly. I think it's more than alright to be..." what was the proper word-- "frustrated with that. The shop isn't clean if you can't point out the saw dust. That's what my mentor used to say."

Beist prepared a fresh bowl of soup for Del since her first had been unexpectedly claimed by Moe. The little fox didn't seem apologetic at all, in fact he seemed very content in Beist's lap without a care in the world. Who could stay mad at such an adorable little fellow? Beist certainly couldn't!

"Harrowing... Humbling... Embarrassing... I must still apologize for suddenly venting like that, and to someone I'd only just met, no less. It was terribly rude of me. Thank you, though, for your understanding. It did make me feel better to, eh, clean out some of that saw dust?" Beist finished speaking with a smile.

The fluffy white catmoth suddenly landed on top of Beist's head, the big bee and the raccoon dog also coming over from the wagon's window. The bee landed on Beist's shoulder while the raccoon dog sniffed curiously at the latest addition to the group in Beist's lap. Moe looked curiously at the raccoon dog and sniffed back.

"Ah, yes! Awd, Ned, Sorbet! Meet Moe, the newest member of our family!" Beist announced cheerfully, his smile widening and his tail beginning to sway behind him again. He tapped the two charms on his horns again and the huge griffon and green woolful appeared again. "Dora, Leon, you should meet Moe as well!"

Beist looked back at the window of the wagon where Bull, the vampire bat was hanging with a disinterested face, but was nevertheless watching the scene anyways. Beist just smiled and looked forward again.

Pretzels also emerged from his hiding place in the fluff around Beist's neck to look at the purple fox.

"Aah, thank you," Del takes the bowl of soup happily and takes a deep drink of the warm broth. Perfect on a night like tonight. Hearty and wholesome. She eyes Beist as she lowers it, trying to decide which track to take with him. On one had, she genuinely did not feel he needed to apologise at all; Del was not offended by familiarity, not usually.

But, on the other hand, she could understand Beist's need for keeping some modicum of control. That had been the whole point of his alchemy experiments in the first place, if she wasn't mistaken. It was clear he took that seriously, and held himself to a very high standard. Del had to wonder if Beist was aware that he was still trying to make amends? He probably was. He was sort of person who cared for and loved so many, she could tell, from how many animals were his companions, making soup for strangers, being anything but the thing he had tried not to be.

"In that case, you're very welcome and I'm glad to hear it," is what she decides on saying, giving him another smile. "Well, if you should arise again at any point, now you have my advance permission." An eyebrow quirks in amusement. She was not one who was easily deterred.

The return of the Catmoth, bee and raccoon dog brings a new smile to Del's face, watching them crowd around Beist and Moe. She sipped at her soup, watching the scene thoughtfully, as everyone welcomed this new member of their family, even the beautiful Dora and the hissy Pretzels. After a few moments of silent watching, she speaks up again, setting her now empty bowl to the side. "Where are you headed to, if I might ask? I am headed back towards Darkveil, myself."

"Oh, Darkveil?" Beist said in surprise. He'd heard of Darkveil. Passed through it several times, too. He always tried to make those journeys quick. Darkveil was a dangerous place to be. Thankfully, he himself had never been pickpocketed there, mostly because anyone attempting to do so would need to reach suspiciously high up to get to his waist pouches. He was surprised to hear Del was headed to such a place. She seemed so kind, not like the criminals that called Darkveil home.

"I'm afraid I'm headed in the opposite direction. I'm meeting someone in the mountains to attend to some business. What a shame! I'd have offered a ride in my wagon and we could have enjoyed each other's company a bit longer." Beist's smile became somewhat melancholy. He looked down sadly, his smile perking up again when his eyes landed on Moe. He scooped Moe up to sit in his palms and held him close to his face. "But I'm sure I'll enjoy your company just as much!"

Moe leaned forward, turning their head sideways, and bit Beist on the nose, pinching it between their jaws. Beist didn't feel any pain from the little fox's bite. 

"Oh, you little rascal! You're a playful one, aren't you?" Beist chuckled, his voice changed by his nose being pinched.

"Ah, that's unfortunate," She clicks her tongue, but smiles nontheless. "I would have gladly accepted. I think travelling with you and your wonderful friends here would have been quite an adventure," chuckling, she looks down the road for a moment. There wasn't a direct explanation to why she wanted to go there, some sort of distant feeling that there, there would be answers. She'd gotten that feeling before, and had been run out before she could actually make good on discovering that reason. Maybe this time would be different. She felt different, certainly.

"Ive already enjoyed yours!" Del smiles, "I don't get to meet very many friendly people on the road. I am very lucky to have crossed paths with you." Her gaze drop to the feisty fox, as it spring up to gnaw away on Beist's nose.

Laughing, she reaches out to tickle the fox's little belly lightly, before pulling back. "So fierce!! He's such a little scamp." It really is adorable, watching that. Maybe she should pick up an animal companion some time.

She picks up her dirty bowl, and offers to take Beist's. "Can I tidy these for you before we turn in for the night? I insist, you've really been a wonderful host."

"Ah yes, I'd appreciate that, thank you." Beist nodded to De. He'd have insisted on cleaning up himself, but he had a bit of a problem to deal with at the moment, so he accepted the help gratefully as he tried to remove the fox's teeth from his face as gently as possible.

"It has been quite lovely meeting you as well. And unexpectedly eventful!" He chuckled as Moe finally let go of his nose. A little blood trickled down his face, but he hardly noticed. Leon bleated and a slight green glow came from the wounds for a moment before they closed and vanished.

"Hm? Ah, thank you Leon! I hadn't noticed." Beist looked to Leon as he bleated and, once again, seemed to have a conversation that Del could only hear one side of. He seemed to do that quite often. Beist patted the woolful on the head in thanks for the healing before looking back to Del and setting Moe down on the ground again.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you headed to Darkveil? I've heard... bad things about that place. I try to avoid it myself." Beist asked as he began to help with the cleanup as well now that he was free of the fox's jaws. Moe, meanwhile, began to walk around and get to know all of Beist's other pets.

"Of course, it's no trouble at all." Del eyes the blood dripping from Beist's nose for a moment, before it closes up with a little magic. That came from the Woolful. That was sweet-- and with more language that she couldn't understand, but the love was there. That, Del could understand. "Definitely eventful. And in the best sort of way too," her head turns back toward Beist and the little fox friend with a smile

She takes the bowls to the side with the kitchen tools to scrub, using water from her waterskin to rinse after scraping out the bowls and the pot. The question from Beist makes her look towards them. It was a good question-- a fair one, even. A wry smile appears as Del turns back to the dishes. "I don't mind at all. I ah. Don't really have a good reason."

Pausing to think on her words only takes a moment before she continues, setting one of the bowls aside. "It's not a pleasant place, no. I've been there before, and have had a pretty rough time of it myself. It's... a feeling, I suppose. Like I am supposed to find something there," She glances over again, a little sheepishly. "I have a fair bit of memory loss. I've been going from place to place over the past decade or two trying to get some clues. For some reason, Darkveil feels like it's somewhere I need to go. I haven't ever stayed there long enough to understand where that feeling comes from."

She sounds very accepting about her situation, but it is this that helped her to understand Beist's situation. Finding ways to make life easier, encountering obstacles that were unexpected... trying to find a way to resolve it. Make it better, somehow.

That was very familiar to Del indeed.

Continuing the dishes, she adds, "Of course, I usually ply my trade while I'm on the road anyway. Carpentry and smithing are few and far between, especially for anything other than a large fee. I tend to offer my services without cost. It helps the people who need it most, and I get to see more of Charon while I'm at it." Del smiles a little, "And it brought me to the same road as you! So, I think my method has been working."

"A feeling can be a good enough reason." Beist spoke comfortingly. "I've gone many places based on just a feeling myself, and I've found some of the most wonderful companions thanks to that."

Beist reached down and stroked the back of Sorbet's neck as she purred happily. He'd only adopted a lot of his pets based on a good feeling and it had always turned out for the best. Of course, that also could have just been because he was too kind hearted to turn any of them away, but who cared? He was happy to have them with him.

"Perhaps, since you have memory loss, these feelings could just be lost memories trying to remind you of something. I'm no expert in that kind of thing, so I can't really say for certain, but it is a possibility, isn't it?" Beist hypothesized as he stroked his beard idly. He liked trying to solve riddles, and this felt like a good one. He didn't want to be rude though, so he left it at that. Maybe there was something important from Del's past in Darkveil? That was a thought that gave him mixed feelings. Anyone with important business in Darkveil likely had some connections to less than savory folks. Del did seem nice though, so he would reserve his suspicions. Surely, she wasn't some kind of criminal, was she?

"Oh, you're a carpenter and a smith? It's nice to meet another travelling artisan! I don't meet too many on the road you know. It's much more common to have a workshop in a town or such, but I enjoy having my wagon to sell my potions out of. It's much more enjoyable to see the world and meet new people!"

Feeling reassured that she is not the only one who acts on intangible feelings, Del offers Beist a smile of relief. She finishes washing up the bowls and the pot, and goes about drying them carefully; not a lot of space to allow them to drip dry, and besides, the cleaner the space was, the easier pack up would be.

"It is a possibility," Del agrees. It was something that had been on her mind as well. "I can't say for sure-- just about every time I've tried to go there... well, it hasn't ended well," she turns her head for a moment to show Beist a sheepish smile. "It's certainly a rough place. But I am glad to hear I am not alone in proceeding to new locations base solely on feeling. What's been the most interesting place you've been to?" Her inquiry is a genuine one, deeply fascinated by the things Beist must have seen.

Her expression brightens as Beist indicates he too, is an artisan. "That's an incredible coincidence! What sorts of potions do you make? How long have you been at the craft?" Finishing up the drying of the dishes, Del neatly puts them away and returns to the fire to sit across from him. "That isn't my particular skill-set, but I find how the ingredients transform into something else entirely fascinating."

"Hm. I can understand why." Beist nodded. It didn't end well for most people that spent too long in Darkveil. Beist was just lucky that he was a bit harder to rob than most. It was just about impossible to pickpocket him stealthily thanks to how high up someone would have to reach to get to his pockets. They also weren't too eager to try to rob the 12 foot tall beast man with a giant griffon pulling his wagon. He had an easier time there than most, and even still, he preferred to pass through as quickly as possible.

"Ah, the most interesting place I've ever been, let's see... Yes, perhaps, there is a very interesting area in the Marsh Flats known as the Flood Road. It'd be more accurate to say it's beneath Marsh Flats. It's incredible to see. The plants there are adapted to the underground environment, able to survive both on land and underwater. The tunnels are always flooding and then draining, you see. And the bioluminescence! It's beautiful! Everything down there glows in so many colors. And the plants have so many uses in alchemy, it's an alchemist's paradise, truly. I haven't been back there in a while. I wouldn't be able to get my wagon down there at all, and it'd be a difficult journey through the swamp above. I'd love to visit it again though." Beist rambled on, stroking his beard and closing his eyes as he reminisced about the wonderous flora he'd seen in the subterranean tunnels beneath the Marsh Flats. He was brought back to reality by Del's next question.

"Oh, I've been an alchemist as long as I can remember. Since I was very young, I was always interested in plants and animals. When I was told I could make medicines and magic from the things I was so fascinated by, it seemed like a perfect fit. And then it seemed like the perfect solution to my problem, but I've already explained where that lead. You're very fortunate. There's a lot less that can go wrong if you make a mistake while carving some wood or hammering some metal, eh? It's still very impressive though, and easier for people to appreciate. More people are eager to buy a good knife than some dubious liquid in a bottle." Beist chuckled.

"Alchemy isn't the only trade that transforms its materials into something new. I'm sure you've made some wonderful creations. Do you have any pieces on you? Perhaps I could buy something."

Del's eyes widen a little as Beist describes the Flood Road; all this time walking Charon, even her more recent forays into the Marsh Flats, and she had never journeyed on, or even heard of, this road. She listens raptly; the way he tells it, the softly glowing plants and fungi, truly does sound like a place of wonder, alchemist or otherwise. She wondered how bright it would be underground like that, with those faint colours saturating the earthen walls, and if the road itself was damp and mossy. "That sounds incredible, honestly," Del breathes, smiling enthusiastically. "I've never been on it-- in it, I suppose. The next time I'm in the area, I will have to see if I can take the path!" And, it might be an effective way to stay out of sight, too, especially after what happened on the surface the last time.

Del laughs lightly, agreeing. "Yes, the worst I could do to myself is lose a limb or my sight, if I am especially careless. You can only forget your eye protection so many times." Still chuckling to herself, she smiles at Beist's description of his craft and how long he had been at it. She had no such similar story, remembering nothing of her early years. "I think some people can't identify a good craftsperson if they look at potions from you and find it dubious. If they want glitz and sparkle, they can pay the price for that; I would rather something that works. I'd love to see anything you might have made, and learn what it might do. You know, I have a friend, Xhavian, who lives in the Pale City who is a budding alchemist. I think you and he would have a lot to talk about --Oh?"

She blinks, not expecting to be asked about that, before she breaks into a smile. "Yes, I do! I have some I've been making on the road." She starts rummaging in her satchel as she talks, "some of the trees here are quite fascinating, struck by lightning and all; makes the wood warp in very unique ways. Here!"

From her satchel, Del produces a small cloth wrapped bundle. She carefully unfolds it to reveal on its surface, an array of childrens toys, figurines of animals, puzzle boxes, and carved flowers with stems. Beaming proudly as she sets these before Beist, she shakes her head. "No charge whatsoever; consider whatever you'd like a gift for a new friend."

"Oh, you should. It's quite the sight." Beist agreed and then realized he'd forgotten something important. "Eh, quite dangerous as well though. The last time I visited, I saw a lot of dead bodies of people that got caught in the caverns while they flooded... And met some bandits that were looting one of those dead bodies... And an ooze... And almost drowned...  Be careful down there, you could accurately describe it as a very beautiful death trap." Beist let out a nervous chuckle.

Beist laughed more genuinely as he listened to Del. Yes, eye protection was quite important while working with dangerous materials. Hot metal, sharp wood splinters, and alchemical mixtures weren't so different in that regard. He'd also forgotten his own goggles on occasion. Thankfully no serious accidents occurred, but he'd learned his lesson.

Beist let out a sigh. "Oh. most people don't look at my potions. They don't get past taking one look at me. Don't worry, though. I have some friends and loyal customers in various places that look forward to my visits. People that saw past my appearance. I'm quite alright." Beist waved a hand and smiled. He was used to people fearing him when they first met him, but that only made him more thankful for and appreciative of those who didn't. It didn't bother him now as much it had when he'd first changed his appearance. Even then, some people were kind to him when he was just a traveler without a shop window to hide behind.

Beist chuckled as he remembered one of the people he'd met and sort of gotten along with. "And one of those people would surely disagree with you about flashy appearances! Another alchemist I know, who adds crushed pearl glitter to everything they make and dresses like a walking circus tent. Ah, but I don't judge them for their appearance. It would be awfully hypocritical of me if I did. Still, they at least have some effective potions. Oh, just don't buy a potion called Dragon-Be-Gone from them if you ever meet them." Beist shook his head. He didn't want to ruin the business of a fellow alchemist, but he didn't think the warning would hurt too much. He didn't want Del to be swindled by Morrigan if the two ever met.

"I'd be happy to meet this Xhavian. I'll keep his name in mind next time I'm in Pale City. Perhaps I'll go there soon."

Beist leaned forward excitedly to take a look at Del's wares. His tail waved from side to side behind him as he examined them. He was afraid to touch them, just looking at them each while stroking his beard. He didn't want to accidentally break any of them.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. I must pay you for such fine work!" Beist looked up at Del in surprise. He'd feel awful taking even just one of them without giving her anything in return.

As he looked at Del, Ned flew over curiously and looked at the wooden carvings and toys, buzzing over them happily. One seemed to catch the big bee's eye as he landed and picked up a pretty carving of a flower and held it above his head as he danced around. Seeing Ned playing around, the other animals came closer and looked as well.

Del can't help the little shiver that travels up her spine as Beist details what else he found in the Flood Road. Which made a lot of sense, given its name. The idea of finding bodies there does not bother her overmuch, though it is terribly sad. The chill that touches the back of Del's neck is a familiar one, an icy finger of the river that had tried to claim her many years ago, that once filled her lungs with silent screams into the black.

She pushes those memories aside with a light, faltering laugh. "That's, ah, good to know. Definitely the kind of place one should be wary about, especially if it's taken so many lives."

There's a soft chuckle that leaves her, warmer and more delighted, to hear about Beist's description of this... person wearing a circus tent. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of judging someone for their appearance, of course, but-- yes, exactly as you say, uh. The content of the potion sounds... dubious at best. Dragon-be-gone?" She arches a brow, a light chuff escaping through her lips. That was quite a claim. Interesting person, that seemed to be.

"You can take a closer look if you like. Please, you've already done so much for me, I insist,--" She's about to continue on her Very Good Reason for providing her little affects for no cost, especially here, when the large bee flies over, and... selects the flower. Raising it over his head in triumph. Del lifts a hand to smother a laugh, not wanting to startle the other animals that come over to look. "Fine and lovely things for each of you, if you like. Hard to argue with a crowd," she adds to Beist, laughing a little as she looks up at him.

Beist let out an exasperated sigh, but then smiled warmly though with a tinge of embarrassment, like a parent apologetic for something their child was doing. He was just glad Del wasn't angry at all the animals coming forward to each take one of her works for their own.

"Alright, just one for each of you. We don't want to hoard all of her lovely pieces for ourselves, now do we?"

Ned looked up at Beist, still holding the wooden flower above his head and let out a little buzz.

"Yes, that one looks lovely. Say thank you." Beist said with a nod. Ned turned around and looked up at Del. He let out a buzz of thanks and then flew off with his prize, back into the wagon to put the carving in his little area in the greenhouse.

Awd cautiously stepped forward and looked at the assortment of pieces laid out in front of Del. Almost immediately, the raccoon-dog excitedly grabbed a wooden frog carving with a stick in its mouth and bumps along its back. He didn't wait at all before running off on his back legs to go play with the percussion frog in the wagon.

Beist shook his head and huffed as the striped tail disappeared into the wagon window. What a little rascal.

Sorbet, the large cat-moth similarly stepped forward and grabbed a little bird carving in her mouth before quickly flying away without a sound.

"I'm terribly sorry. Those two can be a bit rude sometimes." Beist apologized with a slight chuckle.

Del has to smother a gleeful laugh behind her hand as Ned, the big bee, thanks her with an enthusiastic buzz. "You're very welcome, little Ned!" It's terribly charming-- they all are, really, even the ones that come up just to snatch what they want out of the pile and run off to stash or play with them. They're so thrilled, each in their own way, and that is the true gift of offering her trinkets to people. The unbridled enthusiasm with which they took her things.

"Don't be, they're so cute, I can hardly contain myself." She laughs, lifting her smile to Beist. "I'm glad they like them. Was there anything among what I brought that you might like for yourself?" Del offers, her expression a little sly. "Since the rest of your little family have selected what they'd each like, it only seems fair that you'd get to pick as well. The others are also welcome, of course," Her gaze turns up to the griffon and offers one of the puzzle boxes, as it was something the creature could move around and manipulate with her beak, if she so chose. "And this should keep the, ah.. precocious ones busy on the road as well, I think."