Coin Toss

Log Info

• Title: Coin Toss
• Emitter: Tawyse
• Characters: Tawyse, Skielstregar
• Place: Druid Grove
• Time: January 13th, 2022
• Summary: Within the Druid Grove to the north of the Alexandria, Skielstregar wanders in after having taken a wrong turn on a trial. He runs into Tawyse, her greeting him happily. After some conversation about his silver scales growing in, how they were doing, and getting some food, Skiel tries out some of his necromantically gifted magics on Tawyse, making the small gnome grow in size! She tries out her new dimensions for a bit, unused to it before the affects fade away. Conversation shifts to a more pressing topic. The fork in the road with both Tawyse and Vaera. In the end, Skiel needs to talk a walk to clear his head. And he flips a coin.

Nature rules this place, that much is certain. The sapling of Ygdrassil towers above the clearing, its great branches merging with the forest's canopy. Similar to the Sith's place of Mictlan, the Grove bears tempered weather and temperature. This allows a plentitude of wildlife to gather and roam the space.

Near the edge of the Grove's clearing, perhaps to put some distance from the cacophony of birds and small critters, Tawyse has set up her 'camp'. Which merely consists of her backpack, a bedroll, and numerous pieces of discarded leather.

The Gnome studiously works at the different leather pieces, tending to straps and buckles, as well as repairing the softer padding underneath. In it's place, she wears a tunic of dark green homespun cloth.

Skielstregar is a simple man, and therefore, he lives a simple life. Some days are collecting firewood. Some days are hunting. Other days are just to wander the woods to ensure nothing is remiss. Is it dull sometimes? Yes. But, he was glad to go about it. Besides, the wandering about helped him get familiar with the woods around Mictlan.

Today, he wandered a bit too far.

A mishmash of a bronze/silver makari steps out into the clearing, their head craned high at the tree that looms over all. He scratches at the underside of his jaw, flaking scales falling free as he rumbles a bit in confusion.

"Thisss isss not the Pointe..." he rumbles to himself, his perplexion making him miss the small gnome off to the wayside.

A faint laugh can be heard from nearby to the Sith, and Tawyse's voice replies. "That is because, dear silver one, this is the Grove. You should have taken a right instead of a left at that last fork in the road."

A little flash of dark green and bright orange approaches Skielstragar at high speed, the Gnome's hands stretched wide for an impending hug.

Skiel turns his head to the side, just barely catching a flash of approaching orange before he briskly kneels down to half his height. "Ah, Tawysssse," he greets, one hand holding up his polearm while the other arm outstretches in preparation to receive impact.

She impacts with a light oof, her weight probably not making much of a difference to the Sith while well balanced as he is. The Gnome grins up at the most shiny one. "Goodness, it is going to become quite difficult to look at you on a sunny day, you will blind people."

Snorting, she hugs again, squeezing tightly. "How have you been? Are you hungry? There's some good stew on the fire. It has all manner of game in it, and it's very savoury."

The impact is met with a clamp vice of an arm, latching the gnome against his side as he rises to his feet. Skiel chuffs, grinning slightly. "Thisss one hass to wear their cloak more often now when the ssssun is out. Lessst they do jussst that," he hums, lazily walking back to her camp. Those silver scales up close are almost mirror like, and incredibly shiny. Like they were polished tirelessly for hours.

"Thisss one isss well. Though, ssstill itchy," he lightly huffs. "They have been getting better at usssing their magicsss, and learned a bit more about it. And, thisss one could eat, yesss. If you have enough for thisss one's appetite."

He deposits her at her camp. Carefully.

She giggles lightly as she's lifted off her bare feet, and she admires her reflection in his scales before he deposits her back at her spot. "For you, I would hunt more game if what we have here isn't enough!", Taw says cheerfully. She spreads out her bedroll as much as it can go, and gestures for Skiel to sit. "I'll bring you back a bowlful!"

The Gnome runs off towards the central fire, where the communal pot is tended to. She is momentarily caught up in conversation, though she does dodge and duck them as politely possible.

Long moments later, she returns, bearing a large, steaming bowl topped with a round loaf of pumpernickel covering it. The Gnome also clutches at a big mug, which also steams lightly.

"Deer and boar stew, bread and ale!", she announces loudly to Skiel.

Skiel blinks at that assertation, and he rubs his neck. Managing to not stare at the ground until she was well away. "Ah, yesss, thank you," he says a bit delayed, him carefully sitting down on the bedroll as to not rip it any.

When she returns, Skiel has cast off his weapons and is working on his armor. Though, he pauses, eyes widening faintly as he reaches over. "A-Ah, thissss isss quite a lot..." he murmurs, hoping she doesn't topple over. "Thank you. You are too kind to bring so much. And a hearty drink to boot."

Tawyse giggles lightly, and is content to wait while he removes his armor, stepping back from his reach. "I could stand to be more kind.", she says softly, grinning brightly, "Go on and get out of that." Once Skiel is suitably comfortable, she offers up the bowl, bread and beer, as well as handing over a wooden spoon.

Skiel huffs lightly, a faint pout crossing his features before he resumes unbuckling the breastplate. A few more straps, and it pulls free, as well as the plates that line his tail. He reaches for the foodstuffs, his once scarred and bare forearms now almost wreathed in shiny silver. "Thank you, Taw."

Pulling the bowl to his lap, bread balanced on a knee, and the cup on the ground. "You assked thisss one how they are. How are you?"

Her laugh is bright and cheery as the Sith pouts. The bread is removed from his lap and replaced with the Gnome, the bread resting in her lap instead. "I am well. I keep busy tending to the paths, so that people may travel without becoming lost in the undergrowth. Chaucy slumbers well, safe in his burrow. I have, as I am told, just missed you a few times at your camp or at Mictlan, so I trust that you are keeping busy too. Are the mothers to be well stocked with firewood and materiel for their nests?"

The man can't help but chuckle at the laugh. Though, he has to play a bit of gnome-soup-bread swap around as she occupies his lap. Bread in her lap, bowl off to the side. A drink is taken as she talks, him giving a long sigh in relief as it hits.

"That isss good. Uh, yesss, thisss one is busssy, mossstly. The mothersss have ssso much firewood and building lumber they are certain they will have need of no more. Thisss one went... ah... what do the sssoftskinsss say..? Overboard?"

The Gnome laughs once more, leaning back against the silvery scaled one. "Well, better to have too much and not need it than need it and not have enough." She pats Skiel's free leg with a hand. "You are a generous man, and a kind one to boot. You're a credit to your people."

Taw's voice lowers a little. "How is your affliction? Still receding? I see more and more silver has replaced what was lost. You should let me pick out all the loose ones so that the silver can continue."

The kind words make him smile somewhat, his shoulders relaxing. "Thisss one is glad you think ssso."

The question makes Skiel blink, and he turns his attention stew-ward. "Ah, um. Thisss one hasss mentioned they think the... the ssscales and their affliction are two ssseperate thingsss. The affliction is still there. They feel it. Can call upon it. But they are better about managing it. Letting it out hass been quite helpful."

A pause. "... pleassse don't. Ssssome of thossse are sssensitive.." he mumble rumbles.

"No, silly silver, I won't pull them all out. Just the loose ones. Gentle-like too." She holds up a hand, her fingers long and delicate looking. Wiggling her fingers, she grins up at him.

"I am glad to hear that they are separate things. I guess at the time, you might have easily considered them both the same thing. It's good to see that you've been able to have a deeper insight on it."

She leans a little more heavily against him. "How is Vaera doing?", she wonders, a guarded tone creeping into her voice.

Skiel rumbles, sighing. "Even the loossse onesss ssssometimesss are sssensitive. Just... uh... fine." He caves. "But uh, yesss, they thought ssso at first. But nothing feelsss different. Except though feel a lot better about themselvessss."

The question makes him blink, and he looks down at Tawyse. His jaw opens slightly, then quietly clicks closed It's clear he's picked up the tone. "Ssshe isss well. Um. Her metal leg isss a bit messsed up after jumping off a roof. But ssshe's better. Thisss one almost got shoved off sssaid roof by the neck."

There is a faint, faint bruising that loops around his neck that is almost healed. The bronze scales there are gone. It's just skin.

Her eyes probably didn't miss the injury, but she tsks, now robbed of a question to ask of him. "Was everyone alright? Why were you being dangled off a roof, and why did Vaera have to jump? It sounds like it was pretty dangerous."

Tawyse is quiet for a moment. "The adventurer's guild?"

She reaches up a hand, stretching her fingers to lightly trace the bruising. "Did you have it healed or did you just ignore it?" There's another tone hidden in her voice, that of concern and perhaps irritation.

Skielstregar slowly sighs. "Yesss, everyone was alright. Even the... man that offered himself and sssnapped his legs. There wasss sssome ghosts haunting the Arcanist's Library. Thisss one among othersss was trying to sssave a woman from getting thrown off by the ghossst with a noose. Then the noose got on thisss one. The drop wasss... it would have more than likely made thisss one crippled for ssssome time."

"The man that offered himssself ssseemed pleasing enough to the ghost, ssso he ended up jumping. Ssstupid. Vaera clambered after him asss he wasss in bad ssshape to fix him up. Her leg isss a bit dented now due to that."

He shakes his head. "No. Thisss one went with Vaera into the city to learn more about magicsss. Sssoo thisss one can learn a bit more."

That tone makes him pause. He wasn't sure how Tawyse would take it, but he answers honestly, "Vaera healed thisss one."

"Good. I was going to be cross if you simply ignored it or pretended it was nothing.", she says quietly, her arms crossing. "It sounds like it was scary. A ghost demanding a sacrifice? I'd have set it on fire. Undead are an abomination."

Skiel sighs, bobbing his head. "It wasss... very unsettling. It unnerved thiss one for a few nights."

He chuffs at that. "Yesss, they are an abomination. Thisss one struck sssome of them down without hesssitation. Though, from that, thisss one learned that their affliction allowsss for them to... touch ghosts. Sssurprisingly. But not entirely, consssidering the affliction is necromantic."

Taw quivers as he speaks, and she turns in his lap, reaching up to place her hands on his cheeks. "I did not mean you, though. I don't think you are an abomination, it is only an infliction." She plants her face into his chest, to hide her blush of embarrassment.

"It is good that it at least gives you some power over them, it goes to show that there's a silver lining in everything."

This brings her to giggle. "Very apt given your colouring.", she mumbles into his tunic.5r

Skiel blinks, his large head suddenly sporting two small hands. "... ah... thisss one did not think you mean them. Though they are glad you think not." Despite how I think I still am, he does not mention.

He pats her on the back. "Yesss, there isss some silver lining to it," he chuckles at the joke. "Sssome thingss about it are helpful."

Though, it does bring up a thought. "... thisss one thinksss sssome of their magic might be transssferrable. Maybe. They have not tesssted thisss yet."

The Gnome cants her head back slightly, to look up at him. "Oh? How so?" She taps her chin with a finger. "As in, you can cast magics on others? Or uh, transfer some of your er affliction? to others? That sounds intriguing."

Tawyse's expression brightens. "Well, I am willing to help out. It is the least I can do, since I expect you will have to make the effort to transfer the magics, and I only need explain how I feel, yes? Easy!"

Skiel shakes his head. "Uh, no, the affliction isss too deep rooted. And, thisss one would not dare inflict it on someone else. But, uh, yessss. Thisss one thinksss they can."

He blinks as Tawyse offers herself as a volunteer. "Uh... o... very well. Thank you. Uh, thisss one will try and sssee if they can make Tawyse larger. Perhapsss near thisss one's height? Jussst... let thiss one know when you are ready."

"Your size as it is now?", she wonders, softly. "Or uh, the giant you from a little while ago?" Tawyse glances down at her tunic. "It does work on clothing, yes?"

The Gnome slips out of his lap and stands up, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm ready to try it out now, if you want. Perhaps, though, you would want to finish your food?"

GAME: Skielstregar casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13

Skiel nods at the first wonderings. "Thisss one thinksss you will be perhapsss somewhat asss large asss this one now."

He blinks. "... thisss one had their clothessss lassst time, ssso... thisss one asssumesss it will work."

He looks to his food, dunking the bread in the stew and taking a hefty bite out of it. "Thish one can eat it ssson."

He clears his throat, and rises to his feet. "Right, um, do not be alarmed at the sssight of it."

He raises both of his hands before him, and concentrates. A familiar, sickly miasma starts to leak out from his scales, running through the edges of them like small channels. It drips to the ground, staining it briefly before wafting away. His visage twists a bit in a slight twinge of anger. And he huffs out a gout of cold air.

The miasma moves to engulf his arms. Both a solid, clawed black of shifting oil and sick. Both hands point to Tawyse. "Okay... go," he whispers. Nothing happens.

"Go." More forceful. It shudders some.

An eye twitches. "Move your scaled ass already..!" he snarls, dipping faintly into that deep rooted anger. That did the trick.

Black tendrils fly off his hands and engulf Tawyse, the miasma covering her like a film. It feels... cold. Unsettling. Wrong.

But, as it does, Tawyse's form swells larger. Larger. Larger, until... >pop!<

The miasma bursts like a little balloon. And Taw's proportions have been multiplied. Skiel blinks.

"... oh. That worked...."

"I look forward to it.", she says, grinning brightly.

Her grin is dampened somewhat as the magic seems to come in the form of a black miasma that curls around Skiel's arms. Her eyebrows rise up when the miasma seems to be stubborn.

Tawyse struggles to not squeak as the Sith snarls in anger. She blinks as the miasma engulfs her, and the fine hairs along her arms and legs and neck all stand up, giving her a full set of goosebumps. The Gnome's eyes open wide as she starts to grow, and with the pop, she gasps. Hugging herself, she stumbles towards Skielstregar, seeking the comfort of his now normal-sized lap.

"So cold! That blew right down my back!"

Skielstregar blinks a bit in worry as the gnome looks unsettled. "Ah... ss..sssorry.." he mumbles, moving to sit back down, but then a larger sized Tawyse is already seeking comfort. He lightly hugs her. Still massive of a man, but a lot easier to manage.

His gaze slides slooowly to the ground.

"It's alright. It was just a surprise. I suppose I should have expected that, what with you loving the cold.", she says with a snort. One that sounds an octave lower, now, which causes her to blink in surprise. "Do I sound different?", Taw wonders. She eyes him curiously, suddenly grinning. "You seem normal sized to me now."

"Of courssse, of courssse.." Skiel hums. Though, he tilts his head to the side. "Yessss, your voice is deeper. Which, isss unsurprising."

He chuffs. "Thisss one thinksss you are the one that isss normal sized now."

Tawyse looks around, and then laughs, slowly standing up. "So... so this is what it is like." She runs to the edge of the forest at an awkward pace, obviously not used to long legs. Crouching, she jumps upwards and latches onto a branch that the shorter version of herself could never reach in such a manner.

"I could get used to this!"

Skiel chuckles as he's relieved of a larger Taw, him getting back to his meal. "There are many an advantage of being ssso tall. Take care not to climb ssso high when it wearsss off," he cautions before sipping on a spoonful of stew.

"I can fly.", she says with a laugh. Letting go, she lands in a crouch and returns to Skiel's side, settling down cross legged. "Does it make it easier when I am your size?"

Skiel blinks, then makes a faint 'ah'. "Right... thisss one forgetsss about that," he mumble rumbles. He glances up from his half finished bowl, and a scale-less brow quirks upward. "What do you mean?"

"Does it make it easier to consider me as a uhm... partner, when I am more your size?", she wonders, looking away, at the edge of the forest.

The further elaboration makes him almost immediately look to the ground in his embarrassed manner. The wooden spoon idly stirs the stew around in the bowl. "... forgive thisss one, but... that isss... what isss the phrase.... a loaded quessstion?" he rumbles quietly, gaze still fixed on the grass.

She reaches up with a larger hand, and gently strokes his cheek. "No, it is not a loaded question. I do wonder if my size makes things difficult, that's all." Tawyse lets out a huff of breath, and pulls her knees up to rest her chin on, leaning slightly against the silver-scale. "I also wonder if you have thought about it more, since you have had some positive things happen regarding your scales, and your affliction."

The hand brushes against scales old, new, and lacking. That touch drawing his focus from the blades of grass to the fiery orange beside him. His throat bobs, and his too-long talons clank against each other was he fidgets with his hands.

"But it isss, though. Sssaying yesss would imply fault with what makesss you, well, you. Sssaying no would be a blatant disssregard of acknowledging what difficulties we would face."

He glances to her properly now, before looking back to the bowl in his lap. An arm shifts, and wraps around Tawyse.

A tiny gobbo babbles in his head. A sigh leaves him. It's better to be honest.

"... but, the anssswer is yesss," he murmurs with no small amount of hesitation, guilt, and trepidation. "Thisss one findssss it would be... difficult."

A moment to let the answer settle. Then- "And... yesss, thisss one has thought more about it. And they are more open to the idea assss of late. But..."

The stew is all but abandoned, as he buries his face into a hand and shudders a sigh. "... thisss one is stuck between two kind people. Thisss one hasss.... t... three friendsss."

He holds up three fingers, and carefully places the digits against his chest. "... t-thisss one doessn't want to hurt any of his friendsss..."

She, in turn, wraps her arms around him. "A difficulty that would be intriguing to try and defeat, yes?"

Her smile fades a little as she listens, and she nods slowly. "Are all three of them vying for your love, then?", she whispers, her hand brushing against the newer, shinier scales. "That is a difficult burden then, isn't it? I can't say it would not hurt me, but you can choose without losing friends, Skiel. We'd still be friends. I think Vaera would feel the same. Life is full of such hurts, and if we don't get past them, well... that's not a good life to live, is it?"

"N-No, not all three, one of them isss thisss one'ssss sister. The others are Vaera and yo-" Skiel stills for a moment in that corpse-like manner. "... v... vying? Since when was... thisss a competition..?"

His frame sinks lower, further down than Taw's larger form now. Tail curling around his seat haphazardly. "... no... it... it isssn't."

Silence for a beat.

"... thisss one thinksss you and Vaera should talk. Without thisss one."

She cants her head back and laughs gently. "It may not have been our intention, but both of us wish to be your partner. It means that you'll choose one, which means the other does not have their feelings requited the same way. If that makes sense? It is a competition, of a fashion."

The giant Gnome nods, "I could talk to her. I don't know what... what we would talk about, though. Has she said anything about it?"

The laugh somehow eases him that it wasn't as big of a deal, but also makes him sink more as it just affirmed that there was a competition, even if it wasn't intentional. "... thisss one supposesss...."

He gives a little shrug, a hand carefully wrapping around Tawyse's shoulder. "Thisss one jusssst... doesssn't want you two to ressent each other if, or when, thisss one chooses."

A light sigh. "Sssomewhat. Her worriesss are sssimilar to yours. Thisss one's affliction, and your feelingsss in regards to thiss... 'competition'." His tail tip flicks to and fro to air quote for him.

Her hand moves to his back to rub gently there. "You're worthy of such a competition. Is isn't a bad thing." Tawyse smiles once more, and shrugs. "I can only promise that I won't do anything silly or stupid. I might be angry, or upset, or sad. It's just how things are. Maybe I'll be mad at her for a while. I don't think so, but maybe."

The Gnome shrugs. "But I don't see myself resenting her. I mean, part of moving on is letting those sorts of feelings go. I'm going to live a few hundred more years, and I'd be a miserable person if I held onto that for so long."

More sharp points along his back. More scales coming in under the tunic. That comment seemed to break his melancholy with a chuff. "... assss arrogant asss it may be to sssay, that certainly doesss boossst thisss one's ego."

Skiel looks down at her, his gaze softening as he reaches up to gently brush a hand though her wild orange hair. "Thisss one.... fearsss as much that would happen, but it isss only natural. And, thisss one hopes not. They would not want to deal with a resentful Tawyse for their hundresss of seasssonsss as well."

Tawyse smiles at that, clapping Skiel on the back lightly. "As long as you don't let it go to your head too much, it's okay to feel that way. It should give you a good feeling when you find out someone wants you in that way. You may find the attention unwanted, perhaps, and you do see a little shy so maybe it's difficult to handle it, but it should at least boost your self esteem."

"More confidence is good!" The Gnome laughs, and claps his back again.

She snorts then, "Oh no, I'll hate you forever after that." A complete beat passes before she laughs again. "No, I am joking. I could not hate you, for such a low reason."

Skiel does the little 'tap the tips of his forefingers together' bit and looks to the ground. Though, he can't hide the small smile quirking the corners of his lips. "... yesss, thisss one isss a little shy. But it doesss feel sssomewhat nice..."

He sits up straighter, like the smacks on his back straightening his spine. The joke makes him pause. The rational part of him filing it away as just a joke. Though the anxiety filled part reading a bit too much into it. Blink. Rationality wins. He snickers. "They certainly hope not. Thisss one doesss not want to string either of you along to caussse that. Hence why thisss one is ssso... resserved about doing anything."

"Oho... I get it. You think we should fight it out. Two ladies enter, one lady leaves!" Tawyse giggles lightly, and leans against his shoulder.

"Well, you could just choose one of us, that would prevent you from ... stringing us along."

Skiel blinks, then shakes his head, chuckling. "No no... thisss one doesss not think that isss wissse for either one involved."

That point gives him pause. "... you would be... very right." It makes him quiet down, his gaze downcast as he leans back against her.

Cold, black miasma starts to drip slowly from Tawyse from seemingly nowhere. The rate of which steadily increases.

"Aww.", she says softly. "It looks like I will be lap sized again soon." The Gnome nods slowly. "It would be rough. She would win."

She hugs at his arm.

"Is it possible that you would choose neither of us?", Taw wonders quietly.

Skiel glances to the dripping miasma and makes a soft 'ah' sound. "Right..." he murmurs. Then, he chuckles. "Thisss one doesss not know, she isss down a leg after all."

The black ichor starts to become a mini-deluge as it engulfs Tawyse in a similar fashion as before. Her form starts to shrink down, down, down, then... >pop!<, like a bubble. It unnerving miasma dissipates.

There's a gnome sized gnome on his arm now. He pats her carefully, then moves her to his lap.

A light sigh leaves him. "... it isss a possibility, but a slimming one. Thisss one has found the idea of entertaining a chossse more... appealing asss their confidence growsss and their affliction is more wrangled."

Taw makes a face as she begins to shrink, and shivers as she's deposited back into his lap. "It's neat magic, but so cold!"

"She does pretty well with just one leg, I think. It'd be unsporting of me to take her artificial one away just for a fight... but... hmmmm." Her expression is very mischievous.

"It difficult to choose when the choices are very personable."

Skiel rubs his neck. "At leassst it isss jussst cold and doesssn't do anything elssse."

The man look at the mischievous expression, and he snorts. "Warriors ussse what they can for an advantage. She isss very good with jussst one leg, yesss. But you'd be fassster if you hampered that. Thisss one thinksss it would be a close match."

The makari rumbles, him shifting a bit to pick up his lukewarm ale. "... and now you sssee why thisss one isss having a hard time."

The Gnome sighs and slumps a little against the silver-scale Sith.

"A cynic might say... flip a coin.", she says with a chuckle. "But don't let a Tarien bard touch that coin."

Skiel sighs as well, a plume of cold air rolling out from his nose as he carefully pats the wild orange mane in front of him. Then, after thinking about it, he weakly chuckles. "... thisss one heard that if you flip a coin, and you sigh at it's outcome, then the choice had been made before the toss."

"Have you decided, then? And you are just ... shy about letting us know?", the orange-haired Gnome wonders. "And I have heard that before, I think it is accurate. People want to know that when they make a decision, it's the right one. So if the coin toss goes against what you've decided... fate and what you wanted are two different outcomes. That probably doesn't sit well with people."

Skiel looks aside and shakes his head. "No. Thisss one jussst doess not wisssh to tosss a coin right now in either of your presssence. That would feel... what isss the word... disingenuousss? To the both of you."

He sighs, finishing off the last of the communal food and setting it all aside to lean forward and loosely hold the gnome in his lap. "... yesss. You are wissse."

"Hah, I am sure both of us would swat you if you did that. Or at least prevent you from seeing the result of the toss." Tawyse hugs at Skiel's arm. "I really want to know, but I am not in a hurry to.. for obvious reasons."

She giggles and shakes her head. "I am not wise. Too young to be."

"This one thinksss you would harry me with wingsss and Vaera would throw a leg at me. Well, maybe not, but ssshe would threaten it." Skiel chuckles at the thought. Then, he softly sighs. "Thisss one will do it later."

The makari chuffs. "Nonsssense. Wisssdom knowsss no age. It jussst seeemsss like age bearsss wisssdom because all the fools have gotten themssselves killed before then."

Taw giggles lightly, and squeezes Skiel's arm gently. "You are lovely to say that. But I guess that is how it goes... those that survive troubles often appear to be wise. But I feel I am more the fool than wise."

She laughs then, "You really will, won't you?"

Skiel looks to the ground once more, that 'I can't blush but I am right now' expression on his visage. ".. well... uh, you are welcome. Though, thisss one thinksss otherwissse."

Silence.

He clears his throat. "........ yesss."

She reaches up to gently caress his cheeks with her fingertips. "You really are adorable.", she says softly, giggling once more. "I could offer some suggestions in choosing, but I am concerned that you'd heat up and catch fire."

Cold, mottled and mixed scales meet the fingers, Skiel inadvertently ducking his head into them some as he 'blushes' harder. "... thisss one would turn into an ice cube inssstead," he mumble rumbles.

The Gnome laughs at that. "So I'd have to chisel you out of the block of ice, hmm?" She smiles up at him. "Would you like to hear the ideas I have to help you choose?"

Her grin is broad and cheeky, with mischief seen in her eyes.

Skiel chuffs, a faint smile breaking on the corner of his mouth. "Pleassse, keep thisss one in the ice. They'd prefer to freeze in there for a time."

Dead silver glances down to see that playful expression. His eyes flutter half closed, and a heavy sigh leaves him. ".... Dragonfather pressserve thisss one...." Rubbing at the tarnished scales on his face, a few flake off before he nods. "Sssure."

Tawyse's cheeks almost instantly turn red, and she blinks. "You're supposed to refuse!", she says with a nervous giggle. "I was going to make salacious suggestions."

Skiel blinks, and he all but drops his head to a hang to stare a hole into the ground. "A-Ah. Yesss, thisss one sssshould have figured it would have been... ssssalaciousss sssuggestionsss regarding ssspearsss and ssservicesss."

He pauses, then starts snickering to himself.

The Gnome snorts and giggles once more. "Well, such a partnership does require some physical desires and needs and such needs should be seen to, right?"

Taw hugs at Skiel's arm more firmly. "We all like spears and services."

"W-Well, yesss, uhm, of coursse, that would be, um, part of ssssuch a... thing after all and..." Skiel sputters, slowing to a stop when his arm is tugged. His jaw moves a couple of times to say something, but ends up only mentioning a mumbled, "... yesss..."

"Is there something on your mind, then, that you want to say?", Taw wonders. "I mean, I know I am kind of ... forward about some things. I uhm hold off because I don't want to uh... I don't know... upset you? Embarrass you too much?"

Skiel shakes his head, talons fidgeting with one another. "N-No, it's jussst thisss one is... still not usssed to sssuch... uh... forwardness. Thisss one isss ussed to being... well, uh, avoided iss all."

"Oh. I suppose I can understand that. You're used to people not wanting such contact." Her cheeky grin returns, and the Gnome caresses Skiel's cheeks once more. "I think both Vaera and I will cure you of that."

Skiel nods once. "Yesss, people tend to ssstay away from thisss one... before, well, all of thisss." He gestures vaguely.

That motion got his dead silver gaze to still on nothing. The gears were turning in his head. It's clear he's thought of him and Tawyse before. It's an important problem to address. But him and Vae-

That hadn't crossed his mind. "... thiss one isss going to be an ice cube..." he barely murmurs.

"Then we shall feel like a fire to you, I suppose. Might be an interesting experience for us both." Taw idly rubs at her now burning cheeks. "It will still be good. I think."

Skielstregar rubs his scaleless neck. "It.... will be... um.... certainly an interesssting experience..."

A pause. ".. thisss one thinksss they need about five drinkss before they can continue thisss line of thought." He's clearly reaching approaching maximum embarrassment. "Though, um, thisss one is flattered."

"I hope that no matter whom you end up with, that you at least get to partake of things denied you. It ... really is a part of life that you may actually be angry about missing, once you have done so."

Tawyse smiles brightly. "Well, you do have two people attempting to woo you. I'd be flattered if it happened to me. You've at least got big muscles, silvery-scales and a good heart."

Skielstregar looks off deeper in the grove. "... perhapsss..." he murmurs. "... thisss one gave up on it a long while ago... wasssn't worth the energy worrying over."

He blinks, looking down at the gnome before weakly smiling. "Um... yesss. Thank you for your kind wordsss. Like thisss one sssaid, it isss... certainly a confidence boost. The thought of it makess thisss one feel... nervousss, yet relieved."

"I can share with you a bit of wisdom that I think I am old enough to share.", she says with a soft laugh.

"That nervousness will always be there. The... butterflies in your stomach will always flutter. But, as you experience it, you'll get better at handling it."

Taw hugs at his arm again. "Just so you know, pretty much everyone feels that way. Some just hide it better than others. But if you have ever seen someone get rejected before, their expression shows it all."

Skiel softly sighs and nods, a large hand patting the top of Tawyse's head. "You are correct. Thank you for reminding thisss one, they cannot remember sssuch things very well."

He returns the hug, patting her back while doing so. "... thisss one knowsss what that looksss like. And how it feelsss."

He is silent for a moment. Perhaps he's been one to be rejected before a handful of times due to his state. Who knows?

"... thisss one thinks they may need to go on a walk," he says softly. "Sssorry."

She falls silent and simply enjoys the closeness for a little while. "You need not apologize, I understand."

She lets out a long, slow breath, and gently pulls free of his grasp, standing to offer a hand to him. Not that he needs help standing up.

"I'm still here for you, no matter what, okay?"

Skiel glances up, a direction that was necessary with how hunched over he become over the course of the conversation. Carefully, a couple of fingers wrap around the offered hand, and he rises slowly. Ever mindful of his strength.

Staying kneeled for a moment, he brushes the back of his silvered hand across the side of Tawyse's face. "Thisss one knowsss you are. Thank you," he whispers soft.

He rises, clips on his weapons, scoops up his armor, and gathers his dishware. "Ssssee you later, Tawyssse."

And he ambles off to return the bowls, head full of thoughts.

"Be well, Skielstregar.", she calls back, "See you soon!"

Skielstregar waves as he drops off the dishware, and goes back into the forest.

He walks for a few more minutes, softly sighs, and digs around in his side pouch. He fidgets with it before getting it to sit right on his too long taloned thumb.

Inhale. Hesitation.

>Ping!<

A silver coin spins through the air.

-End Scene-