Sunny Tea Time

Log Info

• Title: Sunny Tea Time

• Emitter: Skielstregar

• Characters: Skielstregar, Dolan, Andelena

• Place: The Verdant Earth

• Summary: In which a trio of Daeusites catch up and plan for parties and learn some culture.

The Verdant Earth, Midday

It was a strange circumstance. One person asks you to help move something heavy someplace. Then someone else asks you to hold the door. Then as you're leaving, someone else wonders if you can bring something heavy inside. Now you're inside. It smells very strong, to the point where it's almost overhwelming until one sits down.

Which one does, after all of that. Tea? Tea is good. What kind? Uh, tea? Point at one on the many shelves. Wildberry fruit. And it comes out.

So that is the tale of how a massive silverscaled makari is sitting on the ground with a laughably small teapot on the table in front of him and an even smaller cup and saucer placed there. Skielstregar blinks at it. "Um. Thank... you...?" he mumbles to the keeper before looking down at the tea. A hand comes up. Two fingers. One finger. Just one finger was as big as the cup. "... hmmmmmmmmmmm."

Smelling most thoroughly of a blend of herbs that is pungent, but not wholly unpleasant, Dolan walks through the door to the shop, pausing just inside to look around him. He is stripped down in deference to the weather, no armor, no leather cuff on his shoulder, and no weapon save the longsword at his hip. His body language reads relaxed and in good spirits, a thing that is seldom the case these days, and he makes his way in the direction of the counter.

"Brightest of days, Skiel," he calls on his way past the sofa area with its tea, and _pauses_ at the sight of Skiel trying to manage such a small teacup. "What, did they replace their teacups with thimbles?" A chuckle and one of his usual cheeky grins accompanies that.

Skielstregar cranes his large head up, the silverscale also dressed down with nothing more than a tunic and pants. Not even his signature halberd is around. Probably wanted to be stuck on the roof at the Knight's Temple. Yep. Probably. "Oh! Warrior Dola-" /Thud./ Cups clatter. He freezes as he knees the table. "Warrior Dolan...!" he says quieter, yet enthused. "Peace on your nest and brighest of days!"

He looks down at his regular sized teacup and kettle. A quiet rumble of a laugh escapes him. "Ssssomething like that? They sssaid sssomething about... style. It wasss bessst to sip on the cupsss? But..."

He thinks hard. Nods. Pushes the cup away and holds the kettle in hand. Problem solved! New cup! "How isss? Thisss one helping Micltan and Am'shere assss of late, cannot come to temple often."

"Peace on your nest, too," Dolan answers, grinning still more and reaching to straighten table and cups, then flopping down into the overstuffed chair across the table, his errand for the moment forgotten. He'll take care of it on the way out.

"Style ain't style when it ain't sized right for the person using it, my friend. Puts me in mind of Andie's mama trying to make people be things they ain't, for her convenience." His tone is dismissive, but the note disappears quickly into geniality. "Andie and I are to be wed a week hence," he goes on, flushing. "Life ain't slowed down that much, but I'm damned glad someone else has taken charge of the planning. Andie can't plan a drinking party in a wine cellar, and I ain't know the first thing about it. 'Sides, I've still got a demon to track down."

The cheeky grin fades.

"What's going on in Am'shere?"

Skielstregar grunts in an appreciative tone as the table is fixed. It's hard for the silverscale to get things done well in tight places such as this. He laughs quietly, though the rumble echoes in the store. "Ssssometimesss people put othersss in cassste they don't belong in. Very rude. Mussst resspect anothersss knowledge," he chuffs, lifting his cup (teapot), and sipping on it (removing the lid and pouring half of it down his maw in one go).

He blinks, looking at the tea with surprise before asking for another one. "Ah! Thisss one heard! They will be there!" Skielstregar grins, wicked teeth on display. Tail dusting under a couch behind him. "Thisss one is almost done with the gift, they just need a little more time! Thisss one thinksss you two will like it! Maybe party and wed can be relaxing enough to help with killing demonsss?"

The happy fun lizard's expression, too, fades. "... Charneth incursssionsss..." he rumbles, frustrated. "Capturing hatchlingssss... making more... monssstersss. Thisss one thinksss it isss someone from Charneth. Not the clan- err. Coun... Country. Sssa. Coutnry."

"I don't know about relaxing, but it'll be fun, for certain sure." The grin is back in full force, and Dolan waggles his eyebrows, but says no more on the topic, and the mirth is short-lived as the conversation turns to more serious topics. "It's been a decade in the making, my friend, and I count myself damned lucky it's happening at all, after some of the shit I've done."

"Shit. That again?" Real concern covers the amusement. "No wonder I ain't seen much of you lately. I got a demon to deal with, but if you think I can help track someone, you tell me, yeah? I know how to track people."

Skielstregar stares at Dolan. Eye brows waggle on the human. "... well, thisss one can sssee how partiesss can be not relaxing. And then afterwardssss, you get to ssspend a lot of time with your mate!" he points out, smiling innocently. Poor sweet winter lizard. "Thisss one thinkss they remember the... erm. Problemssss? But they are glad it isss happening. It will be interesting to sssee sssoftskin wedding party!"

A sigh escapes the silverscale, a plume of frozen air spilling forth over the kettle. "It issss alwaysss a problem. It has abated sssome but recently sssomeone hasss potentially found a way to make the monssstersss... erm... even worse than thisss one, if that makes sense?" He looks to Dolan, tail sweeping to the other side. "Thiss one appreciatesss the offer, and they will keep that in mind. Right now, the Huntersss and Ssshamansss helping find location of thisss... blasphemy. Thisss one will be doing the striking."

The door to the shop clicks open with a few words delivered over the shoulder of a certain redheaded Daeusite. "And don't fuckin' do that shit again, okay, piss-for-brains?! _Shit_. Teenage boys, what fucking idiots. A fuckin' miracle they ever grow up to become men."

Andelena huffs as she steps into the shop, her expression brightening as she sees Dolan and Skielstregar conversing. "Well shit. There's my tall glass of water and there's the shiniest set of scales this side of Ea." The Sunguard walks in and kisses Dolan on the cheek, holding a new cloth bag from a certain establishment. "Sorry about that display. I saw you and went to go follow you in after getting my shopping done, baby, but I saw a couple of teenage girls looking real fucking unhappy with a group of boys making unsavory comments in their direction."

Dolan listens intently to the tale, nodding. He is flopped back into the chair across from Skielstregar, an arm over the arm, smelling pungently but not wholly unpleasantly of redolent herbs. "Knowing you, you'll do a damn fine job of it," he answers Skielstregar. "I'd never want to be on your wrong side."

Then, Andelena bursts in, and Dolan's head snaps to the door, immediately recognizing that tone. Before he can ask, though, she's explained, and he leans up to return the kiss on the cheek, his eyes on the bag. A chuckle escapes him when he spots it, along with a wicked look in his lone brown eye, but he doesn't comment. "Teenage boys can only think with one head at a time, baby," he counters. "You have to make them think with the useful one first. He's been dealing with some Charneth arse-hole who's turning the hatchlings into monsters."

Skielstregar perks up as he spies the redheaded woman. He waves towards her. "Warrior Andelena!" he rumbles warmly. "Peace on your nessst and bright daysss!" There's a blink, and he looks at Dolan. Stare. "... Dolan isss not water?" he quizzically points out.

He looks to the cloth bag, tilts his head to the side before his scaled brows pinch as he chuffs. "Do sssoftskinsss apply... erm... what isss in Trade... snout slap? To hatchlingsss? That isss very rude of them."

The silverscaled Daeusite perks up, head held high. "Ssa. Thiss one will do everything they can for the People." A pause. "... and... thisss one doess not like having people on their wrong side. But they undersstand thesssse things musst be done..."

He looks between Dolan and Andie. He scratches his chin. "... one head at a time? But there isss only one head... lassst time thiss one found ssomething with multiple headsss Andelena killed it..."

Okay. Andelena can't help it. She laughs when Skielstregar points out Dolan isn't water. "No, Skiel, but he does get me wet."

There's a sighing noise from Andelena's swordbelt. Deliverance, the longsword, is the culprit. "Must we?" the older female voice asks. "In public, that is?" She's long given up on chiding Andelena in the comfort of their own home.

"Gotta take the opportunities handed to me, Livvie, you wouldn't get it." Andelena grins wickedly at Dolan now. "I dunno if you're a good one to talk, Bry. Unlike all the teenage boys I knew back then, you had an ounce of sense and good taste. Kind of why I fell for you to begin with."

Andelena then adds brightly, "That and the big cock. Anyway. Skiel--this sounds fucking rotten ten ways from here to Eliday. Do you know _how_ they're doing that? I'd be interested in helping out. Hatchlings shouldn't be _messed_ with like that." The brightness turns to a quietly furious expression quickly.

That was a bit much, even for Dolan, whose cheeks turn red. He stares at the table and scratches his hairline. "Uh, that is a good thing to know, baby. I'll check just to make sure later." Still, he seems to be at something of a loss. He looks up at Skielstregar, with half a quirk of a grin. "It's human slang, Skiel - um, mating slang," he tries to attempt something close to a translation.

"Mama and Papa beat good sense and manners into me," he explains, but drops the topic in favor of the more serious one. "She's right. I'll help out too, as I can, although Andie? Aza's here in Alexandria, though I don't know how much longer she'll be here. I need to go find her, and we need to move on the portal soon."

Skielstregar blinks wildly at that. Looks at Dolan. "... does he push you into a pool?" he quizzically sighs before looking down at Deliverance. His eyes widen. "Ah, peace on your nessst Deliverance! They didn't ssssee you- Oh! Erm, thisss one hass newsss about their weapon; you were right, Andelena! Though, um, they would like for you all to meet them but... they are lodged at the top of the Temple of Daeus. Sssomething about daily praisssse."

He looks at Dolan, head tilting to the side as the rest of the kettle is poured straight into his maw. "... human mating slang? What doesss this have to do about large chickens--"

Stare. >Thud<. The sides of his face have frosted over as his forehead clangs against the table. "... thiss one gets it..." A sigh leaves him, and he sits more upright. "... thiss one doesn't know how, Warrior Andelena. Thisss one sssussspectsss they are um... doing what they did to thisss one but worssse," he murmurs quietly. "Sssome thingsss about makari culture are taboo to ssspeak of, but um, they will let you know if thisss one needs reinforcements to burn this. They really, really appreciate the both of you two offering His Light for thisss, but you two have your own crusade to deal with. Thisss one swore thisss one to be ttheirsss. Find thisss... Aza perssson. Thisss one hasss many friendss to help with Am'shere."

Andelena smirks just a little, a small quirk of the mouth. "Sounds like your weapon's just trying to get as close to the Knight as much as can possibly be done," she says. "Can't blame 'em."

Her hand goes to rest on Dolan's arm, gently. "The bitch is in town--yeah, I haven't forgotten," she says. "As much as I want to help you with that Aza woman, Bry--I worry me and my mop of red hair will tip her off real damn quick that the jig's up. I'll be there if you want me to be, baby, but I've already been running around like a chicken with my head cut off with all of this wedding stuff. Good fucking news is that I'm only doing this once--so it's gotta be the best Donnelly wedding that there ever fucking was."

That's also what leads Andelena to lean in and whisper something into Dolan's ear that gets the wicked grin on her mouth again.

Whatever Andelena whispered in Dolan's ear brings a fresh flush, along with a wicked laugh and a broad grin to go with the flush. "I'll remember that, baby," is all he says in response, then turns back to Skielstregar. "All right, then. I'll take Tel and see what we can find. I'm just glad we got us some help in the temple, otherwise we'd never figure it all out."

The news about the weapon gets a smirk. "You, too? Knight's -" He stops short, and coughs, and continues, a little lamely. "Uh, just how many of these things are there?"

Skielstregar bobs his head. "Malefic and this one have an agreement to be outside during the sun's brightest. Um... they... argue that it isss noon somewhere in Ea. So... thisss one isss dragged around a lot," he mumbles, rubbing his neck. "Though, they admire their tenacity."

He blinks at the whispering, looking down at his kettle being used as a cup before he finishes it off with one more large gulp poured in his maw. "Thisss one will try to be there...!" he says to Andelena before bobbing his head to DOlan. "Thisss one hopess you can get your businesss sssorted quickly, but make sssure to leave time to celebrate...!"

And now Dolan has observations of the weapons' awakenings. "Um. Thisss one doesss not know? Thisss one had Sssshaman Zeke speak to the Dragonfather for thisss one, and learned that their halberd wasss once a servant of Him. They are... very, very adamite of reciting Hisss mantrasss."

"You think that's bad, Bry--you should see Sir Seldan's blade, Reunion," Andelena says with a grin. "That thing's got a bunch of voices in it, not just one. Livvie here's just the one."

"Please do not make me 'touch tips' with Malefic again," comes the voice of Deliverance with a small sigh.

Andelena has to bite down a chuckle at that, patting the hilt of the blade like she's patting the shoulder of a friend. "No, Livvie, you're not gonna have to touch tips with Malefic. You and that polearm's sure got a bit in common, though."

She looks back up to Skielstregar. "I hope we can, too, buddy," she says. "We'll see how shit shakes out over the next few days. Got time for love and got time for war, maybe."

Dolan looks between the two of them, then shakes his head slowly. "Glad I ain't got a blade as talks to me." He shakes his head again, turning himself to stare at Deliverance. "One's bad enough, but how in all the Iron Hells does a blade have more than one? I don't event want to think about that."

One more headshake. "Livvie, I like you, but it's just weird, yeah? Anyway. Love and war, yeah. We'll see what we ccan find out. I'll be glad to have all this over with."

Skielstregar just rumbles a chuckle at Deliverance. "No, do not worry, we will not have to do that again. Malefic, though, likes to... bite things. Usually thisss one's face and horns. But they may act... differently. Thisss one is sstill figuring them out."

He grins. "You two can do it! Thisss one believesss. And if anyone triesss to crasssh party, thisss one isss there to tosss them out!"

He chuckles. "Thisss one doess not know. They have not met thisss many talking blade, but it sssounds entertaining! More friendsss isss alwaysss good, thisss one believesss!"

"Malefic likes to bite things? Like... a teething baby?" Andelena's the one who thinks this is weird now, raising a brow. "Or like..."

A grin cracks her face as she looks at Dolan. "Like how Spot likes to chew on bags?" she asks. "Weird little cat she is." All cats are weird in their own special ways, but the Donnelly cats are no exception.

"Anyway, I hope to shit nobody starts anything stupid. Would be the dumbest fucking thing in the world to do," Andelena adds. "The wedding's being attended by _how many_ adventurers? We'll be fine."

The idea of anyone starting trouble at their wedding bash was clearly not an idea that Dolan had even considered, and from his rueful expression, he probably should have. "We probably ought to leave weapons somewhere with the keep, just in case, baby," he says seriously. "They might try it, thinking that people there ain't armed, and it'll be a whole barrel of people whose arses they want, all in one space. Wouldn't put it past 'em to try it."

He returns the grin about Spot chewing on - and in - bags, but it's a half-hearted thing, but it's the biting blade that has its attention. "Ouch," he remarks sympathetically. "A blade that bites his owner sounds like the worst."

Skiel scratches a talon under his chin. "Erm, no, not like a hatchling- erm, Spot, the... small fuzzy pet, yess? No no no, not like that." He ponders, trying to figure out how to word it. And in an odd twist of culture not being understood- "It iss a makari thing to do that. Thisss one doesssn't think sssoftskinss do that." A beat. "Outssside of private roomsss."

He looks to Dolan. "Eh. It could stab thisss one. But they mosstly do that when Malefic wantsss to sssee the sssun."

His expression shifts to a challenging smile. "Sssa. Not a bad idea. Besssidesss, if it isss full of adventurersss, then mossst know not to sstart anything. It would be... very difficult to try anything. Even thisss one, without their weaponsss, can do a lot. Our friendsss our similar."

Dolan sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of biting in private rooms, the lone brown eye momentarily going dark, but he lets it out very slowly and carefully. "Yeah. Our kids are taught as hatchlings not to bite. It's rude. Speaking of rude, I was supposed to be here on an errand. It was a pleasure to see you, Warrior Skielstregar, but I'd better get back. Brightest of days, and I'll see you at the wedding if not before." He hoists himself quickly from the chair, and strides over to the counter.

When he is done, he has a wrapped paper parcel in hand that smells not too different from the scent that clings to him. This, he holds up to Andie in a signal that he has what he came for, and waits for her before turning and making his way out the door.

-End Scene-