AS IT EVER WAS.

with the open sky above and the open sea in front of them it's hard to wrap your mind around the inescapability of this place. iloren can't help but feel freer as soon as his boots touch sand and there's no rain splattering into his face or waves threatening to crash into him.

as much as he liked iron bull from the moment they met, the storm coast took some getting used to.

' this is nice, ' he says absentmindedly, looking up. ' it's strange to see so much sky without a breach. '

or a scar to show for it. iloren opts to reach his arms down and wrangle himself out of his boots, preferring to feel the warmth underneath his bare feet.

after pausing to squat down and grab a handful of sand, he takes a few hurried steps to catch up to reuben. each grain passes through his fingers as they walk.

"I lived in a landlocked portion of my homeland, so I'd never even really seen a beach before living here...paintings, and stories from my parents and their workers, but never with my own eyes. I've started collecting the shells I find here and using them to decorate my room, though."

He moves fast, almost forgetting to wait for Iloren: like a long-striding horse, purposeful and sloping, singleminded in his destination (the tidepools near the small cave up a few feet from here, just under a small cliffside). There's starfish there, and they're cute in their little wiggly way, perfectly orange and pink. Reuben's quite fond of them, now that he's seen them alive and not just dried up for display.

"Was the beach in your home pretty? It sounds as though it must have been quite...something, to achieve such a name for itself."

     if asked later, he would blame being wrapped up in his memory for why he didn't register the human approaching until they'd crouched directly in front of him, the eridian coming to an abrupt stop and carapace tilting back as he chittered in surprise. but—oh. they were offering help?

"My apologies for making an assumption! This street goes upward at a pretty sharp incline up ahead by three and a half blocks, and there's some portions that shift to cobblestone and cement in the shopping district a block ahead to the left, so it may catch you off-guard here and there."

Spoken wisely, since he'd nearly broken his bootheel in a gap in the cobblestones by a shopping street his first week here. The term block, too, is one he'd picked up after moving in; a helpful little way to refer to distances, that, and one uncommon to his home -- typically you just used streets and businesses and districts (which overwhelmed him, and his often poor memory of what business was in which district).

"And I've been living here for a little while, yes. My name is Reuben Talios, but just calling me Reuben will do. I take it your name is Rocky, as you used it in speaking to me a moment ago? It's nice to meet you."

"....Ap..." They repeated, then perked up a bit. How kind!

Chiikawa nods their head, but they wait for him to hand it out, rather than snatching it away.

"Yeah, apples, for us to share! Here you go."

A portion is divided out, slightly larger in amount for them: he places it in front of them, still resting in the wrapper -- so it doesn't get dirty, and they can eat it whenever they want. The smaller portioned side stays with him, resting in his own lap. He'll eat lint or dirt or whatever else, that's just fine.

"Do you have trouble with saying longer words? I was like that myself when I was young."

It's spoken in a neutral way; no judgment offered as Reuben cracks into his homemade treat. He simply states what he sees, a similarity that he can relate to with ease (something he always does, for better or worse).

They're working on something, aren't they? How nice. Deft with their hands.

"Hmm? Oh, that's pretty much a red cabbage. Sweeter than normal, and when you cook it, the outer color will leech into other foods. Watery and crunchy if raw."

He's familiar with the vegetable in soup and raw forms -- fond of its gentle and easily transformed nature. He'd seen some people here even serve it in noodles and with fried meats on top of its shredded leaves: nothing back home was so inventive!

"The ones sold here are very well-raised. I was surprised by how sweet they were when I first ate them! They do work ever so well in soups and stews because they offset a savory flavor."

Reuben's face can't help but light up: the stranger is beautiful and curious, so like paintings of religious figures (he believes they were called angels -- the religion they're from is one he's not familiar with), and seemed to be doing his best to select things for a balanced meal.

Welcome to wintery Isola Radiale, Reuben!

You’ll be staying in CONDO 409.

You will retain everything you were given in your previous stay.

Enjoy your stay!

– ⋆ diadem.