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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Apr 30, 2023 17:12:57 GMT -5
The quakes that rocked Charon had Darkveil in shambles-- though nothing would be close to the ruination that was to come.
For now, though, the city was intact, if a little shaky, with frequent quakes rumbing through the area. As such, things were falling apart, here and there. The call for aid had reached Del and her new forge-- Ironwood Ore and Timber-- relatively quickly, all things considered. They needed skilled hands for repairs, and Del was just the sort of skilled hand to offer her services without much fuss. As far as Darkveil society was concerned, her altruism was something of an aberrance, wholly out of place in the world of criminals and those who would happily gut one another for a quick Solar. It was a trait Del did her best to keep secret, even though she often felt compelled to help; it made her a target for the wrong people, though for the right ones... well. It was worth the risk.
Still, she was no pushover.
It was in a tavern where Del finished up the last of the repairs to the wine cellar below, and wiping her brow with a cloth, when she approaches the bar. "Can I speak to the owner, please?"
The bartender gives her a skeptical look up and down and shakes her head. "He's out. I can take a message for him, if you like?"
Del's brows lift, but she does not rise to the bait. "Yes, if you could let him know I'm finished, that would be great. And that he can expect my bill to be couriered."
The bartender sneers a bit. "Bit bossy for an outsider, aren't you? You'll get what you get and you'll like it."
The brows arch a little higher. She leans over the counter, voice low, but loud enough to carry to those at the bar. "And what do you think Remard would say to that?"
The bartender's face turns from smug to pallid in a matter of seconds, and the rest of those at the bar counter turn to look. After a second to compose herself, she sneers at Del and grabs a glass to start polishing. "I'll let the boss know. Get lost."
Well. That was easy enough. Del eases back from the counter, and gives the bartender a half-smile that is more reflex than sincere. "Have the day you deserve." She adjusts her toolbelt and starts off once again, to the next place that needed her.
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Post by Nax on May 1, 2023 15:38:35 GMT -5
Nax had never been so far from home...
They slowly walked down the black paved streets, taking in the sites around them. They had never seen buildings this tall before! They towered over the inhabitants like some oppressive taskmaster glowering down at their slaves. Lights dotted many of the windows, though it was still fairly early in the evening. The reason being how dark the sky was. Nax had to work hard not to sneeze every time one of the grey floating mites got sucked up into their nostril. There weren't many people out on the street, though they could hear lots of raucous laughter and partying in many of the buildings. It was so bleak here. There wasn't an ounce of greenery in sight. All Nax could see were different shades of black and grey. Nax felt a shiver down their spine. This place was foreign - dismal.
How did Nax get to this place - which was almost a complete opposite to his home? Well, it's quite simple.
Nax fell asleep.
To start at the beginning, Nax had been steering his trusty ship along the sea coast by Moonveil Forest and getting used to steering around the rocks and shoals (after all, if you're gonna be a great Pirate Captain, one must be an expert navigator). Upon turning a corner into one of the smaller lesser-known alcoves, they had seen a beautiful sight - a Bigger Boat. Nax's ears twitched with excitement and they quickly roped off their ship in a little inlet close by. Having secured its safety, they had slinked their way through the trees and hopped into the water, beelining towards the massive ship. They used their claws to climb up the side of the ship with ease*.
Nax peeked onto the deck from the side, their tail swishing methodically as they scanned for the owners of such a fine ship. But they saw not a soul onboard. They climbed onto the deck and with the excitement of a child at christmas, inspected the ship from for to aft. They marvelled at the beautiful oak steering wheel, the four masts reaching skyward with yards and yards of white cotton cloth trailing from hundreds of ropes. They delighted in the huge captain chamber, with its intimidating map table and fluffy bed - with blankets! They checked below-decks at all the storage, the hammocks lined up in neat rows, and the kitchen! Oh, the kitchen! It was a treasure trove of biscuits, jerky, and even some sweet cakes! Before they could even think through anything, Nax had grabbed armfuls of foodstuffs and sequestered themselves in a dark corner by a little porthole, to see the ocean beyond. They sat and ate, looking out and daydreaming about sailing the high seas! Oh what a life of adventure awaited them across the sparkling blue seas!
They hadn't realized they had fallen asleep until they were suddenly tossed head over heels into the side of a barrel! It was almost pitch black in the storage area, with only dim light showing through the porthole. Nax had stumbled over to the porthole and what met their gaze was a frothy grey storm-tossed sea and no sign of their forest coastline.
The next few weeks were spent slinking around the shadows and avoiding the rough looking humanfolk that inhabited most of the ship. Nax was aware what they had become - their picture books sometimes mentioned "stow-aways", and even sometimes illustrated what could happen to such individuals. Nax wasn't keen on those consequences. Thankfully, the crew didn't bother to check the storage hold very often - and Nax was grateful for having the blind luck of falling asleep in a secluded place for so long.
When the ship finally docked after what seemed forever, Nax waited until the sounds of footsteps and shouts disappeared - and then waited even longer. When they judged that they might be able to slip out, they moved out of the cargo hold, onto the deck, and down the gangplank into the foreboding city of Darkveil.
Nax continued down the sooty streets when they suddenly felt a presence behind - a shadow looming over them. "What do we have here?"
Nax spun around to face a big burly human man, two other shorter men flanking him. All of them in slightly ratty clothes and wearing the same weasley grin. Nax felt their heart flutter in their chest, fear seeping into their body. Although Nax was wary of most humanfolk, there was no doubt in their mind that these individuals were much more dangerous dangerous that your average person. But, they were the Pirate Captain Nax! of Moonveil Forest! Pirate Captains were not afraid - they were fearsome! They were brave! Nax puffed out their chest in as much bravado as they could muster and unsheathed their wooden sword, pointing it toward the leader. In a voice that belied their fear they shouted, "Begone with you! I am the dreaded Pirate Captain Nax! And I will not show mercy towards you fiends!"
The trio seemed taken aback for a second before letting out loud derisive guffawing. "It talks!" One of the shorter men said, wiping a tear from his eye.
"This little beast thinks it's some kind of pirate!" commented the other as they started to ease back on the laughter.
The leader grumbled menacingly, "What other tricks can you do?"
Nax was put off by the mocking laughter. The little voice in their head screamed at them to be smarter about their actions. But Nax had to prove themselves! They lunged at the lead man with their sword, going in for an ultra-powerful-jab! This will teach them not to mess with Nax!
The man caught the sword in his massive hand, a toothy grin spread wide on his face, and his other fist came around too fast for Nax to follow. It hit Nax straight in the gut, throwing them back a couple of feet and having them straining to catch their breath again.
Okay, now it was time to flee.
Nax got one foot under them as they prepared to shoot forward down the bleak street. They felt the massive hand clamp down on the back of their coat, holding it in an iron grip. It lifted Nax easily off of the ground.
"Let's keep it as a pet! We could teach it some new tricks!" Nax heard one of the men say in between mirthful giggles.
Nax wriggled and thrashed for all they were worth, trying to free themselves from the man's grip as he easily strode forward past the brightly lit doorways and down the darkening street. "Let me go! You'll be sorry! I'll show you my wrath! Let. Me. Go!"
*Surface Scaling
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on May 5, 2023 1:36:34 GMT -5
Crime was nearly as abundant in Darkveil as the ash from Mount Drakolt. Del was not typically inclined to delve into any vigilantism here; if she started acting against criminals, she ought to well count herself among their number. She was, after all, still being pursued for reasons unknown to her-- but not so to others.
But her principles ran as deep as the scars that marred her body, and she could never, ever resist the sounds of someone in trouble, ever compelled to solve, to fix. Though that was probably just the blacksmith in her talking. Probably.
Sharp ears picking up on the sounds of clamour and struggle pause Del in her step, head swiveling in the direction of the noise. For a moment, she stands there, tense and frowning. It was not unlike the many situations she had been in before, while inspecting someone's fence or shed, and knowing the second she went to replace a loose board, she was going to find six more things that needed fixing. She knew that if she looked, this was bound to be an all day thing.
She was going.
Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she swiveled down a side alley towards the noise. She doesn't bother slipping into shadow-- not yet at least, not wishing to scare whomever it was who needed help-- but silently[1] rounds the corner, to find the two large men hauling an... oh, that was new. An understanably irate kobold by the collar of their coat like a wet kitten.
Still as silent as before, frowning in anger now, Del stalks up behind this man and kicks her foot out, striking the back of his weight-bearing knee with the heel of her foot. If he wasn't expecting it, it would drive him to the ground, forcing him to take a knee, and maybe, if lucky, release the poor kobold from his grip.
"Where the hell do you two get off, man-handling folk like that?" She immediately starts chiding them, hands on her hips, like a disapproving mother. "Do you really think you can just go around grabbing whomever you want without consequence?"
The man holding the kobold's companion turns on her, his face an angry snarl on his friends behalf. "Yeah? What's it to you?"
"How would you like it if someone did that to you?" She persists, not backing down.
The man steps forward, cracking his knuckles, his expression one of incredulous amusement. "I'd like to see you try."
A smile touches Del's lips. Novel idea.
As the man swings a punch to her, Del deflects the blow gently with the back of her hand, stepping to the outside of his outstretched arm to get to his back. She curls her hand into his own jacket, twisting the fabric around her knuckles as she hauls the man into the air by the scruff, holding him above her own head with seemingly little effort.
"Still having fun?" Del looks at the man in the air before returning her gaze to the Kobold, wherever they were, either still in the hands of the first man, or escaped. "Are you alright?"
[1] Pass Without a Trace - Shadow Dancer Prestige [2] Bull's Strength Tattoo
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Post by Nax on May 6, 2023 13:20:31 GMT -5
Nax was at a loss as to what to do - they'd heard stories of humanfolk grinding up kobold bones to make potions, or chopping them up to serve in fancy eating establishments. They were the old stories kobolds would tell their younglings to scare them into staying in line. Nax had never put much weight into those stories - especially having grown up near humanfolk for most of their life. Now, though - those haunting stories were coming back to them. Just as they were beginning to fear for their skin, however, they suddenly dropped to the ground! Instinctively, they tried to get up and sprint away, but their coat was still caught in the big meaty hand of their captor, who seemed to have fallen to their knee with a grunt. They looked around and spied out of the corner of their eye a gallant figure standing with hands on hips, her chin elevated and amber eyes striking and menacing! They were fierce like a tiger - standing up to the men with nary a speck of fear! One of the men darted at her and she deftly swung around his arm. In a quick motion, she had him dangling in the air, just as Nax themself was a moment ago.
Nax was in awe. Their eyes dilated and their ears fell flat against their skull in pure admiration. Nax swore they could see light shining from behind their head - they were so amazing! The epitome of a ruthless fearsome pirate captain! The lady turned her eyes to Nax and asked if they were alright. Nax's ears perked in surprise, not expecting the question. But before they could answer, the man holding onto Nax turned and straightened - which in turn whipped Nax around as well. They skittered lightly along the pavement until both Nax and the man faced the woman. The man's arm holding Nax was relaxed by his side, which allowed Nax to stand on the ground, but not much more movement than that. Nax looked up to see unbridled rage in the man's face. His other hand reached around his body and unsheathed a sword.
"You better drop him and run, bitch - before I teach you a lesson in sticking your nose into other people's business!"
Now in a position other than the air, and with his rescuer being threatened at sword point, Nax decided to join in on the fight. Their tail swished violently and their pupils squeezed into slits as they growled, fangs bared. They reached around with both hands and sunk both sets of claws* into the man's huge thigh. Nax braced themselves for consequence as the man let out a guttural roar of pain, but hoped that it was enough of a distraction for the lady to take action. The man, by instinct, suddenly ripped Nax off of his leg and threw them into the nearby wall. They hit hard with a squeak and landed on the ground.
*Claws - Unarmed Novice
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on May 11, 2023 0:48:45 GMT -5
Del narrows her eyes at the man as he draws his blade. He was still holding on to the kobold, and that was enough reason to give the sylvan elf pause, not wanting him to take the smaller creature hostage.
Fortunately Del does not seem to have to worry about that for long.
Before she can react, the kobold growls, thier little claws clamping down on the man's thigh, deep enough to puncture muscle and draw blood. It also makes the big man throw the kobold against a wall, where they strike hard. It's as though a switch goes off in her brain, some unseen mechanism that knows how to move her body in just the most specific way, and she moves, in exactly the way she needs to. He wanted her to drop his friend? Careful what you wish for.
"Suit yourself." Pivoting on her heel, she twists her body around, and with her momentum, unceremoniously launches the man she had held aloft towards the one who had thrown the kobold, tossing him like a sack of potatoes so the two collide, falling to the ground with shouts of pain and anger. She moves immediately to the Kobold's side, gingerly kneeling next to them before the two men could get up, her brow pressed with concern.
One hand goes up to the ring around her neck[1], touching it for a moment of reassurance and guidance, before she casts her hand-- and Cyran's magic-- out towards the two men who were struggling to get back to their feet. An eruption of nettles and thorns emerges from the cobbles, stabbing into the men and covering the ground in a thick patch of untraversable plants.
Her focus goes back to the kobold, the two men busy at least for a while. "Hey, I've got you. My name's Del, and I won't hurt you. Want me to get you out of here?"
[1] Stinging Nettles - Cyran's Eternity Ring
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Post by Nax on May 11, 2023 10:34:58 GMT -5
Nax was stunned for a moment, trying to fill their forcefully emptied lungs. They scrambled to their hands and knees, wheezing a bit. They felt the presence of the lady beside them and wondered at the positions of their two aggressors. Nax looked up in time to see the ground suddenly cover itself in thick scores of nettles, right where the floundering men were trying to stand up. Nax's ears perked up in astonishment and they looked up at the woman, who had a hand lifted towards the men, a look of concentration on her face. Nax felt their scales shiver in curious astonishment. They barely heard the words the lady directed at them as they met eyes.
Nax jumped up and a mixture of excitement and awe, pointing an accusatory finger at the woman. "You're a sorcerer!" Nax was going to say more until they heard the angry grunting of the men, working their way towards the twosome. Nax gave another undignified squeek of alarm (to which they would adamantly deny later) and jumped toward their saviour, grabbing onto the woman's clothes.
"I would like to get out of here, yes!" Before they can leave too far, though, Nax caught a glimpse of their forlorn sword and hat. They pointed them out to the woman. "Wait! My hat! And sword!"
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on May 20, 2023 20:40:57 GMT -5
Del balks, a little surprised at the frantic pointing and not sure at all how to handle it. "I, ah... no?" It wasn't untrue but it was by no means an explanation enough to assuage thier... concerns? Admiraton? There's not enough time to try and parse the reason behind the kobold's words, but things were moving VERY quickly now and there just wasn't time. The two men are doing their best to bear down on herself and the small escapee. The Kobold launches themself at Del, clinging to the fabric of her shirt, and she helps them up higher to hang onto her shoulder. "Hang on." She makes to bolt, hitting a stride within a couple of movements of her powerful legs, ready to jump her way up the wall--
Nope.
"Hat and-- aaah," Del hits the brakes, skidding a little as she abruptly changes direction and runs back the way they came, towards the two, now very angry men. She shifts out of the way of a jab from one of their cinder-block fists[1], shifting like water out of the way of a rock. Her hands come up[2] as the other man swings his sword down in an overhand arc. With the kobold friend tucked against her back, her arm comes up, snaking just to the side of the blow-- maybe too close for comfort for her passenger, but for Del, her timing was as natural as breathing. Her hand snakes around arm, and with a diamond-shaped fist, taps the bundle of nerves on his forearm, targeting a pressure point, and causing him to drop his sword with a shout of pain. Del catches it by the hilt in mid air and, holding it by the tip in one hand and the hilt in the other, her arms flex, muscles standing out against the cloth of her shirt as she bends the sword in half and tosses it to the side [3,4].
Her movement unabated, she continues forward, sliding on her leg to scoop the kobold's personal affects off the ground and back to a full sprint, avoiding the brambles by leaping up and triangle-jumping her way up the alley walls until they make it to the roof top [5,6], leaving the two men to yell in fury (and perhaps, a little fear) below.
She moves them quickly along the roof tops, before sliding them down once more into a relatively busy street. Less likely they would get jumped here. Exhaling a little shallowly from her exertion, Del at last stops, lifting the hat up to the kobold for them to take back. "You alright?"
[1] Float like a Butterfly [2] Viper Dance [3] Bulls Strength Tattoo [4] Baloth Muscles [5] Cat's Grace [6] Surface Scaling
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Post by Nax on May 23, 2023 12:45:20 GMT -5
Nax had been quiet the whole way around the unsavory men (though there might have been a squeak when the blade came in towards their head) and across the rooftops to a more crowded street. As Del lifted up the hat for them, though, Nax exploded with excitement.
"That was Amazing! You all coming in with a 'you can't go grabbing people' and lifting up the one guy and the brambles and the dash! Slide! Duck! Bam! Wham! See ya!" Nax gestured wildly with their hands while their legs clamped around Del, holding Nax up and their tail helping them to balance. Nax mimicked the movements of Del's encounter as they gushed, adding in more jabs and flourishes than there actually were in the previous altercation. Excitement and admiration filled their voice as they talked way too fast. "You were so cool and so fearsome! You had those dumb men quaking in their boots! the epitome of a well renowned warrior!"
They continued showering excited praises onto Del until they finally ran out of breath and had to pause to take a big inhale. They reached out and grabbed their hat as well, securing it onto their head happily.
"You said your name was Del? Are you a pirate Del? Maybe a world-renowned hero? Do you have books written about you? Can I have them? Can you teach me your punching and stuff?" Again, they continued firing off questions in rapid succession, their ears twitching with their hyper energy.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on May 24, 2023 21:31:12 GMT -5
Again, Del finds herself taken aback, not at all expecting such blatant, complimentary enthusiasm for her actions. It is at once confusing and charming, and as always in both cases, Del has no idea of how to react. Cool? Fearsome? She flusters at the very thought. "Oh, that's-- you're too kind--"
But the compliments don't stop there! Oh, no! Around them people cast dubious looks at the pair as the kobold swung their tiny reptilian body around whilst gesturing, and Del steadily, awkwardly, inches the both of them around a corner for a more discreet conversation. They take a breath to secure their hat before launching into more questions that make Del's head spin. "Yes I-- I'm Del, no, not a pirate-- nooo, not that either Gods, I hope not--I, ah, no, no books."
None that she had heard of anyway.[1]
Though about teaching punching and stuff, Del finally breaks, and exhales a light, breathy laugh, as the sudden barrage tips her from confused to endeared. "That-- that's possible, yes, but we can start with your name first, if you like? I don't think I got it in the midst of all that." she glances around them for a moment; even the side street was a bit busy. Maybe they needed somewhere a bit quieter to talk. "Are you staying in the city? Do you have a home or a room?" Del lifts her head again to look around; if not, she could find them a tavern relatively quickly, if need be. There was one on nearly every corner in Darkveil.
[1] There is a dramatic bodice ripper that exists by the name of "Commotion on the Ocean: A Tale of Murder and Passion", that exists in a mobile library owned by one Cirice Lunestra/.
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Post by Nax on May 27, 2023 15:21:52 GMT -5
Del manages to squeeze in a question about Nax's name in between their own barrage of questions. Nax is brought up short, remembering as well that they haven't even introduced themselves yet to Del! "Oh, right!" Nax scuttled down and off of Del, standing just a couple feet away and waited for her to face them. Nax cleared their throat and with as much flourish as they could muster, took their hat from their head and lowered into a very flamboyant bow.
"I am Captain Nax of the Moonveil Forest! I am in your debt!" Nax listened as they straightened back up and secured their hat back onto their head. Nax paused for a moment at Del's next question, wondering how to word their answer so they sounded more authoritative and put-together and less like they'd accidentally found themselves on the other side of the world (which was much closer to the truth). They hastily coughed into their fist to give them a moment to think before putting on an air of casual dismissal.
"Uh... oh- Oh No! I just arrived into port recently! I haven't yet had time to book a room. I was doing a bit of sight-seeing while there was still... light out...?" They were suddenly very aware that it was in fact still dark and there was no sunlight to be seen. Nax quickly tried to change the subject.
"Uh, do You happen to live here? In uh... In this... fine place?" Nax wasn't even sure where 'here' was. But they couldn't go around looking like a lost puppy - they had a reputation to uphold! Well... they didn't have a reputation yet, but they would have a reputation to uphold. Nax couldn't cave now.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 2, 2023 0:41:42 GMT -5
Del relaxes as their passenger relinquishes her from her role as a climbing post, following their new position with a turn to observe how they would either take off then and there or introduce themself. And so it was; option number two.
She gives Nax a small but earnest smile, and bows in return. "Nice to meet you, Captain Nax. No, no, ah, debt necessary. I'm just happy to help." A soft, awkward chuckle escapes as she restlessly fusses with the curls at the back of her head, before clearing her throat. Though, she does wonder. Was there an ocean or body of water in Moonveil forest? Were they perhaps referring to the coast?
Del also casts a glance up at the ash-covered sky; the volcano had been acting up in recent weeks, and while it was typical to see a certain level of ash daily, it had only gotten worse. As such, there really was little to no sun. The only reason Del knew what time it was, was thanks to her own internal clock and the clock tower in the town square proper. "My, my, you travelled here all the way from Moonveil? That had to be quite a journey." Quite literally, going all the way around the edge of the continent to get to Darkveil's port. North would be faster then South, if only to avoid navigating the Crescent Isles, Del reasons privately to herself.
If Nax was here, though, and had docked a ship in port, then... where were their crew? Before Del can ask, though, Captain Nax asks their own question. She gives them a smile, and moves a hand to invite them to walk alongside her. "I do. I moved here a couple of months ago, and I run a forge not too far from here. There's a nice tavern up the road that doubles as an inn if you'd like to go there. Or, I can walk you back to your ship, or let you come see the forge, if you'd prefer?"
There were too many questions and not enough answers at this point, but Del was no fool, and was reticient to address them so publicly. No one knew who might be listening, lying in wait to hear some poor sod accidentally mention their weakness and make a mark of themselves. Given what Captain Nax had been through so far today, Del decidedly did not want to make it worse.
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Post by Nax on Jun 6, 2023 12:23:05 GMT -5
Nax took the cue from Del and quickly sidled up to walk beside her down the road, happy to have a destination to go to. Although, at her admission of opening a forge in town, they paused for a second, aghast. "Another Blacksmith sorcerer!" They continued walking with Del again as they muttered loudly to themselves, "I didn't think it was such a popular career choice! I hadn't ever heard of it before. None of the books mentioned blacksmith sorcerers... Maybe it's a new thing?" Nax pondered for a bit, face set in extreme thoughtfulness and tail swishing back and forth. Then they realized Del was waiting for an answer!
"Take me to your forge!" A brief pause as they remembered their manners "uh, please"
There wasn't really a big reason to go to Del's forge, other than to sate their curiosity - and the fact that they'd been stuck on a ship for too long and needed to stretch their legs some more. They stuck close to Del's side as they traversed the streets. Nax continued to look around - a little more wary than before, but still endlessly curious at all the different sights and smells. It was a world far different than the one they knew.
"What made you come here, if you haven't been living here long? Are you running from the law, or some arch nemesis? Or traveling the world?" As interested as they were about Del, Nax's questions were somewhat distracted by the many different people crowding the streets - and most especially by whichever shop they'd just passed that smelled deliciously of food and sweets!
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 11, 2023 23:51:13 GMT -5
Del blinks, surprised-- another? There weren't... well, to be fair, until recently, Del had been essentially living under a rock when it came to interacting with others, so it was entirely possible she had simply missed the boat on having this information in her peripherie. She personally did not know a lot of other blacksmiths, either, unless you counted--
Del pauses in her steps for a moment, and looks down at Nax with a look of vague recognition. Maybe that did ring a few bells. "I'm, ah, not a sorcerer, per se, but you wouldn't happen to be speaking of Astrid Stormstone, would you?"
She clears her throat as she starts leading Nax down the streets to where she had her forge set up, a few blocks away. "But, uh, of course, I would be happy to show you. It's comfortable, on a nice and quiet street. We shoul dbe there soon. I have to admit, I don't know of many other smiths. Oh, ahh," a light, sheepish laugh escapes her. "Well, that's a tough question to answer, but long story short, I felt as though I was supposed to come here. No, not running from the law..." that was not technically a lie; Del had no idea who was pursuing her at this point. "I suppose travelling the world is the best fit for that. I've been at it for forty or so years now. What of yourself, though, have you been a Captain a long time?"
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Post by Nax on Jun 28, 2023 16:38:01 GMT -5
Nax did not readily answer the question Del posed to them.
Mostly because they had not heard it. Because they were not beside Del anymore.
And this because Nax had actually gotten distracted by one of the pastry stalls along the street and the intense grumbling of their stomach. With tail swishing curiously, they slinked around people to get a closer look at the decadent sweets being haggled for at the stand. The seller herself was tall (of course everyone to Nax was tall) and had on a stern no-nonsense expression on her face. And the glare seemed to have a reputation, since none of the burley or shady individuals around the stall seemed likely to kick up a fuss. Nax nudged their way past the individuals until they were at the cart, the top piled high with delicious looking sweet rolls, pies, and small cakes. Nax's ears twitched and their eyes grew wide at the magnificent sight. However, they pulled themself together, clearing their throat, and with on e finger raised said with confidence, "I desire your tastiest morsel madam!"
The problem was, no one heard Nax over the raucous conversation taking place above them. No one seemed to even see them, as Nax kept getting bumped here and there. This was certainly a conundrum. What could Nax do if they were not seen or heard? This was certainly a problem.
At least it would be, if Nax wasn't already a pirate! Stealing and plundering was in the job description! All they had to do was sneakily take whatever they could lay their hands on, and rules be damned! Now, the question was - how to reach the delightful pastries? They were sadly out of reach with Nax's current stature. Nax got an idea and again squeezed through the crowd around the side of the stall, peering around the corner to where the intimidating woman stood guard talking with her customers. And Nax spotted their opportunity. If they could just stand on that small basket next to the woman, they could gain the elevation they needed to snatch a tasty dessert - as long as the lady didn't see them. But Nax chuckled to themselves - sneaking around was one of their many affluent talents, along with bravery! The woman would be oblivious as Nax took what they wanted easily! There was no way this could go wrong!
Carefully, Nax clambered up onto the wobbly basket, their tail helping to keep their balance. Slowly, Nax reached up towards the waiting pastries...
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Jul 3, 2023 16:45:30 GMT -5
Del pauses, brow furrowed in surprise as she looks back and forth. They had just been here, where did they go--?
"Uhh.. Captain Nax?" Del calls out, turning on the spot to look for the kobold. Looking an absolute right fool for a moment before she spotted a tail vanishing into the crowd.
The streets were certainly busy today, but this was also one of the market streets, so it was bound to be teeming with customers and vendors alike. It made it all the harder to find a certain, small kobold who had moved through the throng like water down a stream. Now, where could they have gotten off to--
Oh. There they were. Trying to steal pastries from a vendor. A vendor who was certainly in the process of noticing that there was some sort of miscreant trying to snatch goods from her stall, something she was likely well practiced at noticing, being a citizen of Darkveil.
"Oh, gods," Del grimaces as she rushes forward, pushing through the crowd to get to the Kobold in time, just as their tiny grabby claws seize around a cruller and the stall vendor's nostrils flared. "HEY--"
"Sorry, ma'am sorry, they're with me," Del reaches over to slap a solar on the counter. The vendor looks between Del and the kobold and grunts, sweeping the solar off the counter and into pockets unseen. "Thanks for your business." she glares down at the Kobold and goes back to hawkingn her desserts.
Del looks down at Nax, arms spread a little from her body in a silent gesture of what the hell was that, man?
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