#and the ending...

Cravendy Hound: "It was the closest one to me," Cravs notes with a wide grin. And that was the truth, though perhaps some unconscious part of her had gravitated towards this particular idea. She kicks off a layer of wet sand to reveal a broken sea dollar and then smushes it back into the ground. "Ye ever done this before?"

Aislinn North watches her a moment and takes note. She doesn't care for broken dollars, apparently. "Oh, a time or two. It's always something to do while I need to think. Better than sitting still." she moves along the shore and kneels down, picking through the debris at the shoreline. She holds a small, pretty pale pink shell up to the sunlight before looking over at Cravendy with a trace of a smile. "What about you? Big shell collector? Got a collection of 'em back at the House?"

Cravendy Hound kneels down and begins to dig a hole in the sand, the tide washing her work away and filling it slowly with seawater. Little horseshoe crabs frantically burrow themselves back under as Cravs keeps this up, not finding shells but finding a simple kind of satisfaction regardless. "Eh, I 'aven't done this in a long while. But used to all the time with the old crew. When ye spend most of yer day at sea or on an island, there's only so many past times to choose from."

Cravendy Hound glances up and catches sight of the shell Lin is holding up. "That's a nice one! Punch a 'ole through it and it'd look right around yer neck."

Aislinn North Tilts her head as she considers it, picturing such a necklace. She pockets the shell. While Cravendy digs a hole, she comes over and peers into it to see if the Seawolf knew a trick she didn't. No. Just a hole full of seawater. "One of your favorite things to do with them? Or did you enjoy something else?" she pauses. "Hmm...drinking. I'm gonna go with drinking." she said with a low laugh as she sits and starts building a retaining wall around the shore edge of the hole that's been dug.

Cravendy Hound pauses from digging to snort, one eye narrowed in an almost-wink. "Hah. Ye know me too well. No better friend than the bottle." She gently palms a horseshoe crab before it's able to escape and sits down, thoroughly covered in sand. The crustacean does little loops in her hand and eventually tumbles off on its own.

Cravendy Hound: "Lots of card games, too, but don't recall winnin' much. Barnable was always an old cheat...never caught 'er, though," she continues, the tips of her boot being tickled by the wave every few seconds. "Oy, that's the name of yer chocobo ain't it? Barnabas."

Aislinn North Nods as she continues expanding her little wall. "Aye. And I'm sure he's not above cheating if need be either. Still an ornery bastard." she says it with a touch of fondness though. It's clear the bird means a great deal to her. "But if she was always cheating and you were losing, it wasn't a real level playing field if you were always playing straight with her."

Aislinn North looks over at her with a hint of dry humor in her eye "Downright noble of you."

Cravendy Hound notices Lin's sandy fortifications and tries to help, working on the opposite end of the wall. "Ye always one for rough-round-the-edges rouges like yer chocobo and I?" She sends Lin a toothy grin as she works. "Hmph, I tried, but she caught me. And then the games turns into somethin' else when that 'appens."

Cravendy Hound: "She 'ad a mean right 'ook..." Cravs trails off, feeling phantom pain in her cheek.

Aislinn North Tips her head, a small, almost shy smile her only reply to Cravs' question. But as Cravs keeps talking, Aislinn softly snorts. "What? So she could dish it out but couldn't take it?" shakes her head, incensed on Cravs' behalf. She opens her mouth to say something else but stops, deciding at the last minute it might be best not to insult a lost member of Cravs' old crew. "You and I should play cards sometime. No cheating."

Aislinn North reaches for the scuttling horseshoe crab and places it in the seawater den they had made. Now she starts decorating the wall with broken bits of sand dollars and small shells. She scours the sand around them for more.

Cravendy Hound: "Pff, well, we 'ad no reason to start a fight with 'er when we couldn't catch 'er in the act! I mean. It's possible she /wasn't/ cheatin', but I don't want to believe that I got beat by a stiff all those times," she replies, now moving on to adding decorations to the wall. Little sticks and gross pieces of seaweed, as flags. "They're still kickin' round in the east somewhere, after bein' cured of their temperin'. Wonder 'ow they're doin'...Barnable and Perry."

Cravendy Hound nibbles guiltily on her lower lip. That she wasn't there with them was something she didn't want to think about. Her place was here with Heartwood now, but that was an excuse in a way. To avoid what was sure to be an incredibly awkward confrontation. She glances to Lin. "Aye. What games do ye know?"

Aislinn North "Triple triad." she says almost primly, pausing to glance at Cravendy to see her reaction before she breaks into a grin. "Poker, of course. 21 high. Goldfish if you really want to get crazy." she tips her head up towards the sun drenched sky. Cravendy obviously wanted to see her old mates. Lin just wasn't sure why she never did. Was it the same sort of situation like Aislinn and her cartel? She couldn't imagine it was. "Would it be so bad to go see how they are?"

Cravendy Hound mouth twists into a frown at the mention of Triple Triad. "Piss n' wind, not that bloody game...could never wrap my 'ead around it. But maybe poker sometime. I'll show ye 'ow bad I am at bluffin'." The sour expression fades from her face as it's replaced with a smile, though that falls when Lin asks her next question.

Cravendy Hound: "...they'll be fine. They've got their mess, and me, mine. Don't want to get in their way," she mutters, avoiding the question. The fact that her old crew's mess was clearly hers as well.

Aislinn North can relate. She shifts, stretching her legs out in front of her and digging her toes into the sand. "Alright, then." a beat and then she smiles as something someone once said comes bubbling up from her memory. "Ain't about to tell you how to live your life. Besides, I guess it's not like you don't have your hands full with Heartwood." Or vice versa. But why split hairs? "Whatever mess you all got into, the fallout has been nonstop lately."

(Cravendy Hound) lort speaking of fallout )) (Cravendy Hound) I am very afraid )) (Aislinn North) ((why?)) (Cravendy Hound) afraid but EXCITED )) (Cravendy Hound) Haila is full to the brim with sus energy )) (Aislinn North) ((Isn't she always? xD)) (Aislinn North) ((But I know what you mean)) (Aislinn North) ((She's being way too chill about dottering around the Company House like a grandma bun)) (Cravendy Hound) ohhhh I can feel it in my bones )) (Cravendy Hound) something bad is gonna happen )) (Aislinn North) ((KNitting sweaters. And plushies. Very sus))

Cravendy Hound releases a breath, thankful that Lin doesn't push the subject. "And I ain't gonna tell ye 'ow to live yers, unless ye go and do somethin' unacceptably dumb. Somehow, I don't think yer the type." She grins back at Lin, though the conversation they had moons ago echoes in her mind. Her aether troubles and the lack of action on Crav's part. The Seawolf sighs and looks over to the pulsing tide. In and out.

Cravendy Hound: "Aye, I wish we could stop bein' in disaster mode. But. Guess that's just 'ow Heartwood functions, eh? Out of one mess and right into another."

Aislinn North shrugs like she's come to accept that's just the way it is. "I'm not sure we'd know what to do with ourselves otherwise. We'd get bored. And then just make our own mess. At least this way, we're cleaning up -other- people's messes." she sighs. "But at least things are...calmer? For now." One Garlean and two mischievous AI aside. But surely that wasn't anything they couldn't handle, right? "Hear you've been going out and handling the business end of things here and there. "Resigning to your officer fate?" she teased lightly.

Cravendy Hound feels her mouth twitch into a smile. It had taken a while to accept, but yeah. She was finally beginning to go soft and it wasn't all that bad. "We're all a bit messed up but I wouldn't 'ave it any other way, so messmakers it is. Just....yeah. At least 'ave the courtesy of lettin' us catch our breath before tossin' us into the fire again."

Cravendy Hound: "Mhnn..." Cravs finds it difficult to admit to what Lin is saying, a mental block preventing her from speaking more. Words broken, she opts to nod instead. "I get these real bad allergy attacks lately, so been keepin' indoors. Then I found out paperwork ain't....so bad. Ye better not go 'round gloatin' 'bout this to anyone though!"

Aislinn North eyes widen in a feigned 'I would never!' look. "Your secret's safe with me." she promises. "Also, not sure anyone would believe me, anyroads." Seeing the crab struggling, she leans forward and helps it out of the sandy hole. It begins to scuttle on its way. "We didn't get much shell collecting done." she noted. "Do you think she'd mind?"

Cravendy Hound laughs at that. "Thanks for steppin' round my pride. It feels nowadays I keep gettin' walked on, like that drinkin' incident..." She shakes her head, not bothered by it, and lets the ocean speak for an extended period of time. The gentle breeze warm against her skin, salt-soaked and soft, wrapping herself around them like a blanket.

Cravendy Hound: "I don't think she'd mind."