Stewing On Assumptions

Log Info

• Title: Stewing On Assumptions

• Emitter: Aelwyn

• Characters: Aelwyn, Kira, Schara

• Place: The TarRaCe

• Summary: Aelwyn is working at the TarRaCe as a server, and meets with two unknown people looking to find some rest and relaxation at the place. One is not unknown however, or is seen how they had not been before, the makari recognizing Schara by scent after a moment, before he departs for his duties. Kira and Schara meet at the table, and the Artificer explains what happened, before reintroducing themselves. There are many apologies, and the optimistic paladin of Serriel forces the elf to further consider her outlook on followers of the divine.

The cold weather keeps pushing people into the TarRaCe at a frequent pace. A lute player and a drummer were keeping a healthy atmosphere in the tavern as well, keeping an upbeat tempo to warm limbs up. It also served a certain ruddy draconian as he danced between the tables; Aelwyn, wearing his waiter's white blouse and black loincloth alike, was constantly greeting, leading and taking orders as they came in. Occasionally he even delivered them.

The ruddy sith-makar walked over a few drinks and a dish to be served - and with a flick of his wrist, he conjured a brief flash of flame over on top that briefly causes the food to be lit. "Enjoy the heat," Aelwyn greets with a bow, before turning around and looking for his next victim. Patron.

The cold wind continues to pick up outside.

At least it isn't raining or sleeting? Especially as some of that cold wind sneaks inside when Kira walks in. She tries to be quick and couretous, closing the door behind herself. She steps further in away from the door, then pauses to look between the tables and the door to the baths. Food or soak, or maybe which one first.

At one of the various tables was sitting a elven woman, wearing a light purple blouse and loose fitting pants, though the left side of the shirt was pinned down, leaving just a wooden arm on the right leaning against the table. The elf had a long metal rod sticking out of the corner of their mouth, as occasionally moved to nudge to the next page of the book they were reading. They turn to watch the door as the chill wafts through the air, stopping a moment to see Aelwyn, and offer a wave to the familiar face before they returned to their book.

Aelwyn continued to easily step and weave through the crowd, pausing briefly as a unfamiliar familiar face moves to greet him. Exposing his teeth, he bows towards the wooden arm bearing woman. "Stranger, a moment." He calls out, before he nimbly turns around on his step to greet Kira instead.

"Greetings and welcome to TarRaCe, stranger," The ruddy sith moves onto his undoubtedly practiced spiel, bowing deeply and then gesturing towards the rest of the common area. "And how can we best serve the weary traveler's needs today?"

Kira turns her smile to the greeting Makari. "Hello, and thank you. I ... am trying to decide that, myself," she admits. "The food is most wonderful here, but so are the baths." She thinks a moment longer before her stomach speaks up. Her smile turns apologetic and bashful. "I think that just answered the debate. Some stew, and I should find a table."

"Oh, don't worry about any rush, I'm just reading, and I don't even know what I may wish to order, yet." The elf answers before returning to their reading. "Please don't hesitate to see to the rest of the patrons first, as I am in no such rush."

Aelwyn leans back, crossing his arms. A click leaves his mouth and he taps his notepad against his bicep. "Tch, and here this one was ever ready to help her find the path to her satisfaction." A very toothy looking 'grin' appears on his face then. "Stew it is. Slowly cooked and steaming?"

The question about the table though becomes very prevalent as he looks around - the TarRaCe was quite full of customers. A ponderous rumble leave his chest as he considers, then he turns back towards Kira. "Blue-eye, would she mind being seated next to another of our patrons?" He asks, as he gestures towards where the elven woman was seated. "Our tables seem to be brimming at the moment."

Kira has turned her head and eye to try and find a table and is still lookinf when Aelwyn speaks up. "Yes, you are very busy. I don't mind at all..." She follows the sith's gesture to the table and its occupant, adding to Schara, "Unless you object? I don't want to intrude."

The elf looks over, and tucks the metal stylus into the corner of their mouth, before they shake their head. "Oh no, if I am taking up space that is needed when I haven't even made an order yet, then it is perfectly fine for someone to make use of the space. So don't worry about that, you are intruding in the sense of the word, but it is no problem, and I would welcome the conversation, if you wanted to speak. I came here to rest and relax, after all." They answer, looking just a bit tired on closer inspection from the light bags under their eyes.

Aelwyn glances towards the elf, his orange slit pupils slowly narrowing. A moment later, he puts his hands on the table and leans forward, staring at the stylus wielding elf with a long stare. A moment later, a slow hiss leaves out his mouth as his tongue flicks the air, as if searching for something.

And just quickly, he gets back up on his regular step and pulls out a chair for Kira to seat upon. "Aaand... what kind of stew for Blue-eyes? Something to drink? A spicy hot cocoa to warm up limbs?" A bright toothied grin towards the elf as well. "A copper ale for the reader?"

"I will do my best not to intrude too much?" Kira offers to Schara with a smile, followed by a "Thank you," as a seat is pulled out. After sitting, she answers the other question. "Whatever warm stew you have, please, and a hot cider? Thank you. Is there anything you would like?" She turns her eye to Schara again, echoing the server sith's sentiment.

"Well, maybe intrude is the wrong word, now that I think about it. Intrusion implies some manner of unwelcomeness, which isn't the case, sorry. Perhaps joining is the better word, I think it would be in this case."

The brown haired elf blinks, and looks back, before returning to their book. "I am sorry if something is the matter. I would not mind a drink, perhaps one of the cheaper ales would be good. Perhaps a stew as well?"

Aelwyn picks up his pen and twirls it between his fingers. "Nothing is the matter, but a sudden sense of familiarity." The draconian explains with a rumbling twisting of his lips playing over his jaw. Actually that was a smile. Turning to jot down... letters into his scratched up pad, he writes down the order. "Two stews, hot cider and an ale." He flicks the pen back into his loincloth/apron, and he bows deeply. "They will be served soon."

Looking amused, the ruddy sith-makar flicks his tail and begins to head towards the kitchen with his rolling gait.

"Thank you, both," Kira offers, first to the departing Makari and then her table-mate. While waiting for their food and drink, she watches the latter read for a bit "That is a very creative and useful way to handle turning the pages."

"Ah right, I understand." Schara nods to Aelwyn before they leave. "Thank you, I will be looking forward to them when they come."

The elf watches the server leave, and sighs. "Something about sith-makari, it must be a scent thing, they're able to tell people apart that way perhaps?" The elf muses, before noting the observation from Kira. "Ah, this? Thank you, it's just something I use for reading usually." They answer, smiling back. "A solid wooden hand has a way of ruining parchment if you aren't careful, and a hook would just tear it. So, it's better when I actually want to stop and read. You've probably had to make similar considerations for your eye, probably?"

"They do have keen noses," Kira agrees on makari, "and can tell things of people. Tails are important, too, I think. At least between each other..." She then looks to the arm on the table. "I guess it would be hard to turn pages with that. I never thought of it. I'm not much of a reader..."

Her smile turns a bit bashful at that, or perhaps mention of the eye. "Oh! Yes, it took a long time to get used to. Had to learn to turn my head when I want to look left. Otherwise all I see is nose."

"Yes, they're able to tell a lot with their sense of smell." The elf nods slowly. "I don't know about tails, I'm sure I can think of the advantages of having one however, and they seem useful, but I don't know if the movements mean anything."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to point out the fact you are missing an eye, or anything like that, I know how uncomfortable it can be when such things are brought attention to, with the fact both of my arms are missing, and I really should have considered that." She backpedals in apology quickly, waving her prosthetic arm around as she did so. "And I should state now so there's no further confusion. My name is Schara, and we met the other day at the festival grounds. It's good to see you again, and I know Aelwyn, but he has never seen me without my armor, that's why he was acting so odd I imagine. I should tell him when he's around again and be honest."

"Oh! The soup! I am sorry..." Kira pauses, her smile turning apologetic as well. "I did not recognize you, but I guess you expected that. Thank you for making that clear." She then waves away Schara's apologies. "You didn't make me uncomfortable. I am who I am. I'm a little different from others, even what I was a couple years ago, but I'm still me." Her smile grows again. "Just like you are you. You aren't your arms, so not having them doesn't make you any less you, or less than anybody else."

"No, you don't need to apologize for that." Schara answers, flailing a bit more before settling down and sighing. "Sorry, I just, it's not something I'm used to talking about, and it really doesn't matter to me at the end of the day, and it does not affect your physical appearance negatively either, and I am just talking more and making things worse, sorry."

The elf sighs, and nods. "That is kind of you to say Kira, it is a struggle at times, but at this point, it is just part of me."

Kira's smile dims a little at the sigh. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by speaking of it, either. It must make many things more difficult for you that others take for granted. A struggle, like you said... but you overcome that every day. I think that makes you that much stronger than everyone else." She quiets, then, when the bowls of stew and cups arrive and she gives the server coin for it all.

After, she looks to her bowl and reaches for a spoon, then pauses. Her eye shifts to Schara briefly, then back to her bowl. She seems to consider for a moment before lowering her hand back to her lap.

"It's alright, I'm used to it at this point, even if it's hard. Don't worry about it, I don't want to be making someone sad when they came here to relax and enjoy a warm meal. I'll stop apologizing now, it's not necessary, and your kind words are nice and appreciated. I don't think I'm particularly stronger than others, other people would do the same in a similar situation though."

The elf takes her bowl, and looks to Kira, tilting their head. "Is everything okay, Kira? The food looks really good to me." They ask.

Kira's cheeks color and she looks up to Schara. "Oh, the food is fine. I was just ... I was curious whether you might want help with yours, but I didn't want to offend you by asking."

"Oh, that. Well, I appreciate the offer, and honestly, I'm not the best accepting help with how much I've relied on it, it wouldn't be bad, but I'm alright. You can focus on eating your food while it's still hot." Schara smiles, taking a moment to collapse the metal stylus into itself and stow it in a pocket of their blouse. And at the same time, she pulls out a metal spoon from her pants, sticking it into their mouth before wrenching off the hand against the table, and twisting the end of the spoon into place at their wrist. "It's not as efficient as using normal cutlery, but it gets the job done, and all that matters is it actually gets eaten."

Kira nods and takes a spoonful of her food, tests it, then eats. She then blinks at the switching of ...accessories. Maybe she'd been worried about holding the spoon in wooden fingers. She's not tried that, but thinks it could be hard to keep it in place. Obviously Schara's already solved that problem!

"Looks like I needn't have been worried. You are, of course, much better than me at overcoming those challenges."

"Well, it's alright, I understand the worry at least, you don't know what I'm able to do." Schara smiles, in an attempt to actually be somewhat reassuring. "I don't know, you seem capable of doing a lot, is there anything causing you problems at the moment? If there's anything I can do to help, I would be happy to, if you needed."

Kira's smile brightens. "I am sure you are able to do a great many things." She takes a bite and considers Schara's question and offer for a time. "I don't have anything personally bothering me, but I would never turn down help when it is offered. I spend most of my day helping others. If you helped someone, it would help me. There's always someone in need of something that someone else can offer, I believe. A warm blanket, a warm meal, a hand up, some conversation, a smile..." Which she offers alot. "It doesn't take much to make someone else's day better."

"But you said that I am better than you at overcoming challenges, but maybe you meant just in general with what I deal with." The elf replies, looking a touch confused. "That would make sense and it would not be the first time I misinterpreted things. It tends to happen a lot and I'm not good with a lot of alternative uses for words and the like."

"Well, I don't know how much I can help with that sort of thing, but I'll do what I can if I can. And, oh! Actually, if you could tell me where the various people in the city are that need help, there was a mul'niessa who paid me to make amulets to protect against cold for 24 hours, but I need to find the people who need them the most." "I'm sorry. I meant you know more of your challenges than I do," Kira admits, "... but that does make you better at overcoming others, too. You've had more experience and practice at it." She then perks at the specific question. "Oh! That is very nice of her! The temple takes all who seek shelter there, but there are often many outside that don't come in. Others make little tents out of whatever thay have in the gardens or the festival grounds. I think that's where most would be that need shelter. There are many more, now, than before, with the refugees coming in from other lands."

"In a way it does, yes, you're right. If strength was something innate I guess, no one would be able to lift more by exercising their muscles." Schara nods along, taking a large scoop of stew to chew on for some time afterwards. "It was quite nice of her, she gave me an entire platinum piece for the work, so I'm making fifty amulets over the course of a few days. Though, I'm taking a break for now to rest, I don't want to disappoint my friend Slixvah by getting sick overworking myself. I'll make sure to check the gardens, I've only been going to the festival grounds."

"I feel a bit bad though, since I can only make five a day functional. So I've been avoiding giving anyone one twice, but that doesn't mean they don't still need the help." Schara sighs. "Don't be discouraged. What you're doing is wonderful!" Kira is exuberant before realizing her volume and lowering her voice again. "Do take care of yourself, too. First. As much as I wish a few of us could cure all ills and remove all wants... it will take more than a few of us. But every bit does make a difference. I understand wanting to do more. Very much."

"Well, it is good, but like you said, sometimes you want to do more, like you said." Schara chuckles, causing the elf to cough on a bit of stew before they collect themself. "Ah, right, I need to take care of myself, that's just how it is sometimes."

The elf tilts her head again, looking at Kira before nodding. "Your excitement to help is genuine, isn't it? You're surprisingly nice and easy to talk to, for a cleric. It's a bit hard to get used to, though." Kira's cheeks color. "Thank you. I've always wanted to help others. I think that's what drew me to The Healer. To heal, protect." She then corrects lightly, "I'm a Sentinel, a Paladin of The Healer, but I did what I could to help long before I ever answered The Call. Maybe I didn't even realize that's what it was at the time?"

"Oh, you're a paladin, not a cleric? To be honest, I don't know the entirety of the difference, but I assumed you were a cleric." The elf notes, half thinking aloud and half musing. "Well, if you already wanted to help people and happened to have some sort of awakening like that, that's different, I guess?"

"I'm sorry, this is just a strange experience for me, I'm not trying to be rude, even if I come across as it easily." Schara sighs, pausing to take another scoop and nearly finish off her stew. "I've had bad experiences with clerics in the past, so I always expect the faithful to have some sort of ulterior motive to their actions, so thinking about helping people and not desiring to be a cleric is different."

"We can talk about something else, if you want?" Kira's smile turns concerned. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry that you had bad experiences. Even those that serve the gods are still people. We make mistakes, or can do things we shouldn't."

She pauses before admitting, "I do have a motive. I want a world where everyone is able to exist peacefully, where there is no want, or hate, or war..." she gives a little shrug "I know it's possible, but not just from me, or any time soon."

"No, you're not making me uncomfortable Kira, it's the fact that you aren't which is, strange." Schara corrects, the elf shaking her head a bit quickly. "I know that a bit better now, but it's still difficult to accept, if I ever will fully even."

"That's, it's a big goal, Kira, but not impossible, and it's a good thing to wish for. Even if it takes setting up the world for the people to continue your goal in the future, I think you can do it with enough effort."

The artificer looks to her bowl, now emptied, and sets it aside. "I was going to go and use the baths after eating something, they're good for resting, and I heard you say you were thinking about going. You're welcome to join me if you want to keep talking?" The elf offers. Kira isn't sure how to, or whether she should, apologize for not making her uncomfortable which is somewhat making her uncomfortable? So, instead, she simply nods as she finishes a bite. Her own is all but gone. "Thank you for believing so. The more that do, I think, the more possible it gets."

Then she mentions the baths. "I would love to! The baths are delightful. I try not to indulge in them too often..." A pause. "I mean, I bathe, just don't always use the ones here."

"It's partly why I want to keep researching my own work. I'd like it that if some day, no person needs to go through the pain and struggles I have due to injury, and make it inexpensive enough that anyone could get the help they need with missing limbs." Schara smiles. "I want to prove that there is good in artifice if people are careful and use it right."

"I like the baths here too, but I don't go too often, but I get what you mean. It's a bit out of the way, and takes a bit of time. But they're warm and relaxing, all of which are good for resting and sore muscles and the like. You don't look like you don't take care of yourself, so I understand that too."

Schara brushes the wooden hand into their lap, and bracing it, reattaches it at the wrist after stowing the spoon away. She stands up, and waits for the paladin before departing. Kira rises and pushes in her chair, beaming back at the other's smile. "I think your work will help many people, though if it isn't needed for that one day, I'm sure there will be many other uses for it." She gestures with a hand. "Please, after you."