"Hey! ...I only made those the one time, because I wanted to try." The kuranta huffs. Comparatively, it's the gentlest of admonishes. There are many occasions where a level of response could include a shove that sends the man toppling. Or the kind of whining that passes endearment and into cognitohazard. Or, acid tears. You never know.

Perhaps the lack of it here adds gravity to her claim. Could a stomachache be so uncaring? So unfunny? What on Terra could be so cruel to the girl? She blinks up at the Couatl, happy beyond words for the attentions he was giving and looking all the more pliable for it. Ears flick into the touch and her lashes flutter as she leans into him.

"I ate too many cookies."

Alas. A confession. Base and primal. Who can detach themselves from a want of sweets? Current, actually. Which logically meant Malkuth could eat more. But should she? No.

Thankful it doesn't stop his affections it seems, quite content to continue. Ears pinched between his fingers and caressing it between his index and thumb. Then finally just leans down to rest his head atop of hers for a moment. An exasperated, exaggerated sigh... followed by a light chuckling. Ginger ale? What kind of crazy suggestion was she offering up? The desire to pop like a balloon now?

"If you feel bloated from overeating, I doubt putting bubbles inside your stomach would do much besides have it come out the wrong end-"

Then he stops talking, head tilting as he steps back. Party? Eyes roll around in his head. Round and round and round they go, but it doesn't job any particular memory in his mind. Perhaps he has (as usual) ignored something that Malkuth was attentive too. This Kuranta was the exception to his willingness to heed words. Most other who do not speak words of importance only get a parsed messaged through. So... if party was mentioned to him.. he probably ignored it.

“What? D’I say something weird? We’re about to risk smearin up our records for your Kuranta friend, right? Unless you had something else in mind. If you were planning for a picnic I might’ve packed a sandwich or two or three.” The Aegir finds it hard not to grin, feigning confusion in response to Everitt’s parroting. He’s never met Malkuth but has an idea of what she may be like. Vaguely. The template he’s going off, however, is matched to a very different individual. Adol had an effect on people. And Dogi was keen on noticing their feelings towards his former companion as well.

“So… she was involved with some weird testing huh? Wish I could say I was surprised. About Kazi, not Malkuth. Maybe it’s not best taste to say this but it sounds like she’s valuable to em’. Means she’s probably safe, yeah? Which means more time for us to get her back…” Voice trails, like the wheels of the truck as they dig into a drift of loose soil. A quick correction. Before something bad happens. Yeah, here was hoping. “Information is what we’re after. On a secret government testing facility at that. Not something you can just chat up a fella at the local bar now is it?”

Nothing? Dang. Maybe levity isn’t appreciated right now. A sideward glance to the passenger side of the vehicle finds the Couatl turning inward on themselves, haunted by who knows what and how. This country. This homecoming. These people. The expression on the Aegir’s face firms into a straighter line. Fingers wrapping and tapping on the steering wheel as he turns attention back to the ‘road’. Not a picnic indeed.

“Hey. You’re not stopping either, are ya, Everitt? And neither’m I. I got good news at least. Based on what the messenger reports said, the city is stopped and it’ll be stayin’ there at least another month before the next catastrophe is expected to make waves.” No chase required. And it meant they could prepare options if they so desired on the entrance. Dogi hadn’t expected his brief appearance to create an issue around the populace, but Everitt had been a knight. Names and all that. So. Quiet route. Quieter anyhow.

He's listening. Kind of. Half paying attention for any important details but also lost in a train of thought. It's a better conversation that Zephyr's at least. As unappreciated as the lax tone is, it's better than the sarcasm that almost resulted him in choking out an operator today. Still... he's more focused on the "where to find a secret facility issue" than anything else. Not something he recalls during his time here in less savory days. None of his business probably. Cheeky bastards. Finally a disheveled sigh escaping. An a half-hearted grin. Well it's something at least.

"Dogi, you're not supposed to be as psychotic as me. Who the hell is going to play the straight man when shit hits the fan. It's definitely going to hit the fan." Everitt has a reason to be crazy. Being raised a killer makes you think with more... moral flexibility. But Dogi is just ride or die on the spot without any grounds to be other than just being nice. Bat shit insane is what he calls it.

"I can get us through a back door pretty easily. From there it's literally going in blind. Something you'd think I'd be use to but it doesn't get anymore more fun each time." He tilts back in the seat, index and thumb steeple on the sides of his forehead. "You don't... happen to have a fear of heights or being launched several hundred feet into the air do you?"

…

……ugh.

A squeeze of the eyes, a flare of anger and frustration. But it is quelled with a smooth intake and exhale of breath. Eira gestures a hand, raising from her seat.

“Come on. Oh get up. This isn’t the end of the world, Iona. Leave the dramatics to someone like me, why don’t you-“ Fuss fuss fuss. Not that she didn’t also feel the burning of embarrassment over the altercation and situation. But Eira wasn’t going to be one to let everything be doused by spilled water. Now at the other side of the table, the Ursan is making a point of lifting the Vulpo’s from her sandwich and flitting her devastating arts to life. That warmth is now a pointed heat. Singes and brief puffs of steam as careful application of heat evaporates and does away with the er- excess hydration. Even their clothes and the tablecloth are just fine! Some wrinkles to be ironed but any drips left would have to be from Iona’s tears if she were feeling so dramatic.

…there’s no hope for the receipt though. Eira passes it a glance, plucking it off the cloth and squinting at the various layers of paper. But no, they were soaked through. Mind you, this whole time the poor waiter is staring in bewilderment. He messed up and now they were-!! But no, Eira is not directing anger their way in her deft attempt to handle the situation. They’re beckoned over (that bushy tail now between his legs) and Eira offers out the 800 LMD from Iona, as well as a generous bill of her own.

“This should be more than enough to cover the bill and, yes, you’re keeping the rest as a tip. Understand?”

“Y-yes ma’am, of course. So so sorry for the inconvenience.”

Eira shakes her head.

“No. Not at all. It was poor timing on all of our parts and we can leave at that, understand?” Eira smiles and the Perro dips away probably to re-evaluate their life to some degree. Or count their lucky stars in the false skies above them that night. Actually, could the stars be seen here? Nevertheless- Eira turns to the Vulpo.

Thankfully the bossy phoenix assertive Ursus snaps Iona out of her moping! Tails up! Ears up! Girl... up! Almost as if being called to attention! Strange how this woman is somehow both occasionally meek with her and a tiger mom at the same time. Of course the former is begrudgingly, but it doesn't escape her notice that the silver haired bear seems more at home in a commanding setting. Only for these spurts of heat to be exuded from her. Like she's firing little heat pellets she can't quite see!

"I've never been steamed before! Quite a different experience entirely! If only I had an iron too at this point, then maybe that could..."

She trails off. Considering she can't feel like... half her body all that well, what's the worse of pressing a hot iron to her clothes would do? Wouldn't even need to be that scalding, considering most of the heat is coming from her arts. Now that the fox is pondering it, she doesn't think she's ever witnessed it! Makes her almost curious enough to ask about it, just to see how it might be different than someone like Blaze with boiling blood. Always interesting when they vary different enough to be fascinating!

"Oh no! You're fine sweety!~ That one is on us!~ Don't worry your little head over it or anything! We've got this! Just girls doing their own thing, you know?"

No, he doesn't seem to but that's beside the point! Watching the poor guy scamper off as if he's done something wrong, but she's free to sit down now and sight. Leaning against her hands for a moment before saying her tails around. She's back to normal now. She's sooo normal again after this she swears. Now perking up and smiling... then looking down at a soggy sandwich and... smile falters a little bit more... but it's there!

Thankfully the bossy phoenix assertive Ursus snaps Iona out of her moping! Tails up! Ears up! Girl... up! Almost as if being called to attention! Strange how this woman is somehow both occasionally meek with her and a tiger mom at the same time. Of course the former is begrudgingly, but it doesn't escape her notice that the silver haired bear seems more at home in a commanding setting. Only for these spurts of heat to be exuded from her. Like she's firing little heat pellets she can't quite see!

"I've never been steamed before! Quite a different experience entirely! If only I had an iron too at this point, then maybe that could..."

She trails off. Considering she can't feel like... half her body all that well, what's the worse of pressing a hot iron to her clothes would do? Wouldn't even need to be that scalding, considering most of the heat is coming from her arts. Now that the fox is pondering it, she doesn't think she's ever witnessed it! Makes her almost curious enough to ask about it, just to see how it might be different than someone like Blaze with boiling blood. Always interesting when they vary different enough to be fascinating!

"Oh no! You're fine sweety!~ That one is on us!~ Don't worry your little head over it or anything! We've got this! Just girls doing their own thing, you know?"

No, he doesn't seem to but that's beside the point! Watching the poor guy scamper off as if he's done something wrong, but she's free to sit down now and sight. Leaning against her hands for a moment before saying her tails around. She's back to normal now. She's sooo normal again after this she swears. Now perking up and smiling... then looking down at a soggy sandwich and... smile falters a little bit more... but it's there!

Defying fate

Indie OC

Selective

slow

21+

KNOCHENWEBER | BONEWEAVER

Independent Fantasy OC blog

Private + Selective

18+ Only

Loved By Syl

@hallowleylines

"OH MY GOD! ITS MY KING! MY BOY! THE ONE WHO IS GOING TO (CENSOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRR) ME DOWN AND MAKE ME HIS MATE!!!"

     " ah , woe is current ! being dragged to get free food ! " and blaze laughs again as she takes him through lungmen's colorful streets . " then , you'll just have to watch me drink everyone under the table one of these days , " witnessing her own display of idiocy that intermingles with her joy , often saddled with no regrets for the hangover that follow after ( even with the tab to pay ) .

Everything blurs by like a magnificent oil painting, perhaps a little too literally for the kidnapped compatriot. Streaks of blues, greens, reds, and other neon lights amongst the pitter pattering of feet against the pavement. Eyes so poor it can't make out any individual feature but it truly adds to the image splashed and painted in the moment. It reminds him off those canvas sketches of city life bustling and moving back when he could observe properly.

"I told you it's not free." Consider it a hunch that she might try anyways. A suck of the teeth, already wondering how he's going to pay now. Somebody is probably going to wind up with an unreasonable tip at this rate. Though his features distort, mouth a thin line as eyes are narrowed. Now he's truly judging. "You think they'd limit your alcohol intake rather than your food then, if you do something like that for fun."

Okay, so maybe it's projecting that's happening here. He's not a problematic drunk but.... you know what, it's best not ponder on himself. Falling to peer pressure and the influence winds him into predicaments he'd rather forget. Harmlessly... painfully humiliating predicaments. A memory that gets reminded to him every time he's reminded about the scar across his nose. Yeah, no. He'll definitely only 'watch' if he can help it, if even that little.

"That sounds.... hmmmm...."

Eyes shifting as he ponders. It doesn't sound that bad at all really, if it was a rich broth it would mix quite well. He can at least imagine what it might taste like though.... Is she getting louder though as she explains? No... everything simply cleared up now. Oh, one of those secluded wall vendors instead of carts. He doesn't have any complaints, instead flicking at a chime, a dulling ring echoing out for service. Is the vendor standing right there already? Yes. Yes they were, but it was a tactical distraction.

❝ Shut it. ❞ He circles, and she followed suit. A comparable ying-yang in complete disarray. But who flusters who? The Caster dug manicured nails into her scepter, arcs of electric blue dancing along the spiraled fringes of her horns. She channels the excess energy into the tip of her staff, causing the fluorescent bulbs above to flicker. On and off. Off and on. One would begin to wonder if a child was the culprit behind the electrical circuits being unstable.

There was no such thing as a child.

Muscles ripple beneath her oversized coat, unruly tresses straightening as more electricity channels into the tip of her scepter. Leizi took a deep breath, nostrils flaring disdainfully. That damn serpent. He talks too much for her liking. Someone should silence him, temporarily. She lunges for the cross-legged Couatl, staff poised mid-way, as if intending to slam the metal staff into the side of his face. Sparks of electricity fly out in all directions, causing another brief flicker of luminescent lights.

Still she decides to stand her ground, but what's the point of fighting on this hill? In all honesty his curiosity was just with her tail, quite literally nothing else to be gained by staying in the same vicinity as him. The couatl wouldn't even chase her down either, he's still a man of his word whether she chooses to believe it or not. Show then it becomes a showdown. A contest of wills more than anything else.

Well this is a problem indeed. He'd much rather take the blow and deal with the problem of blowing every circuit in the area. Antagonizing someone is one thing, it's honestly is bread and butter, but he's not going to take the fall for destruction of property with Leizi in the end. So he falls into damage control mode instead. Well... if it hadn't escalated so quickly.

Even his blind eyes are queued in by the changing of lighting. On and off. Oh, she's about to discharge then? The static in the air hadn't escaped him one bit as he floats around and around. She's definitely thinking of attacking, it's just a question if she'll ultimately follow through. He doesn't expect for her attitude to be that far out of her grasp that she'd throw a tantrum of greater magnitude. So consider his surprise when she lunges!

"Shit-" Damn it Leizi! Why did he think you could banter without getting your feelings all in a twist!? Well there's nothing else he can do for it except defend himself from the blow. His body twists in the air, trying to make a small a target as possible and raising his left arm. Something that would normally still hurt given it's a blunt object, a crunch of a bone or something but... there's a simply merely thud of steel against it? Arm braces? Or was that entirely a prosthetic limb? Either way he's touching ground. Not to fight back but....

The lighting seems to be drawing into his form now. He's can't generate his own, it's not worth the energy it would take given his arts is less specialized. Still, if he grabs her staff with his free arm then her can perhaps minimize the damages to the area. It's not to prevent her from continuing her onslaught, though his a nice secondary effect. He didn't mind being attack, but he's not taking the fall for property damages here.