⭐️Arty doesn’t spend much time in Gridania (It’s a small time place with not much to stir up in the way of trouble and money), but she always makes time to stop in at Buscarron’s Druthers to pay off her tab, and the tab of the sad girl that she saw there one time. Or at least she-asks- if there’s a tab. It’s the thought that counts.

Zhaji’a sought answers, but he didn't anticipate how they would be delivered as Bodge switched violently. He practically jumped on the spot, thinking she might pull a knife and drive it into his throat. In a gesture of goodwill, he offered the flask once agai- And now it's over the building."Hey! Why'd you do that for!?" He exclaimed, turning to face her with narrowed eyes and brow creased. "What the fuck is your problem!? I ask a single question, and you completely flip out on me like I slaughtered your entire family!" He thrusts his hands in an explosive gesture towards her. "Sorry for trying to get to know you! Sorry for attempting to be your friend!" His nostrils flared, eyes briefly glancing down towards that knife. His hands clenched for a moment..then relaxed.

She wasn’t helping the situation very much.  “You’re a great friend!  You’re just an idiot sometimes!”  She huffed, but then quickly glanced to see where the flask of water had landed.  “You don’t care about flowers or anything, you just care about your stupid hot chocolate with the whipped cream.”  Somewhere very far away was a poetic swordsman who was proud of Bodge for speaking in metaphor like that.  Inspired work, girl.  The sun had apparently seen that things were getting heated, so it backed off, and the cool shadow of a cloud drifted over the fighting cats.

He looked at Bodge as if she spoke sacrilege. He could feel his heartbeat rising..those hands clenched again, firmly. "Excuse me!? Are you listening to yourself right now?" He exhaled sharply, he snorted, he shook his head in disbelief. "What's your sister like? How's your love life? I think that's a sign of me trying to GET to know you, trying to care about you! Never mind the hundreds of other questions I attempt to ask!" He stepped towards her, using his body to shove her back, and in the same movement, he’d attempt to swipe the knife from that open sheathe with deft hands. “You hardly give me an answer or I’m just left with just silence! And if I try to ask you another, you sigh and you huff and you get frustrated like I’m annoying you!” He paused a short moment to catch his breath. “A-and you’re saying that I only care about myself? Now that’s some shit right there, Bodge.”

Bodge didn’t even notice the knife being stolen from her belt.  She was too angry.  A dragon could have roared behind her and she wouldn’t have even noticed it.  She growled and turned away to storm off and find somewhere quiet to sit.  The air got even cooler, so now it was just uncomfortably hot, not oppressively hot.  After she took a few steps away from him, she stopped and turned her head. “You asked how I handle the heat.”  She said from the shade of the building.  “Well, I don’t.”  She turned away from him again and went off to find her quiet place.  She’d probably calm down in a few hours, but for now she was on fire inside.  Out here in the desert, there would be no rain to extinguish the flaming forest of her anger.  She needed to burn out on her own.

Zhaji swiftly tucked the blade into the inside of his coat, sneering at her the moment she turned her back, it dropping immediately she turned back.

She turned to walk away, he didn't know what to say..how to respond to that. Perhaps it was best to say nothing, otherwise they'd both explode again. He wasn't mad at Bodge..he was just tired of her deflecting, not allowing him in. It hurt him more that she said that he didn't care about her. That's when he knew what to say, he looked back up to open his mouth, but she was already gone.. Maybe for the best.

  It was probably the first and last honest conversation they'll ever have.