"The New Student"

Cast: Kiera (TC) & Seed (Deme)

TLDR: Seed finds one of the new recruits, Kiera, in a restaurant eating and drinking alcohol. Seed joins her and orders just some juice. After confusing him for a "plant Laguz", Kiera continues to blurt out her secrets to him, overtaken by the alcohol, it seemed. Seed didn't seem to mind, and kindly offered to teach her how to read and write. She agrees, but now wouldn't be the best time, so Seed bids her farewell. He was happy to have a pupil.

Support Points Earned: 1

[8:37 PM] TastyChicken12: === Start RP === Kiera was busy at the restaurant part of the hotel, enjoying herself the exotic foods of the... not arid lands. To her, the rather mediocre fare of the inn was absolutely delicious, compared to the plain old goat and pita bread that made up so much of her diet back home. Naturally, the Fighter was also enjoying a decent bit of beer to go with her meal... "Ah, man! This is AMAZIN'!"

[8:53 PM] LadyDeme: This eventually attracted Seed's attention; he'd been dragging somewhat lately, but the noise of the fighter clearly enjoying herself so extensively -- and so loudly -- pulled him from thoughts about the passage of time, and awls to stab people you could never stop saying you loved, even while you were thinking about stabbing them, about returns, about violence. He hadn't really been eating since a cookie the other day... Perhaps that was why the tall Florkana drifted over to her. "Ah, miss," They'd been briefly introduced, but not much more than that; her name emerged after the briefest pause," Kiera. Having a nice meal?" While something about the general tug of his long face gave his smile a wistful vagueness, a smile it was. He looked across the table, eying the food she seemed to be tucking so much into. And beer -- a surprising amount of liquid bread foamed at the lip of her mug. The tree-man tilted his head as he watched, his branches rattling with their purple flowers and a few small purple fruits dangling from them.

[9:03 PM] TastyChicken12: "Hi there! What's up? I'm Kiera. That's right! Who're ya?"

[9:09 PM] LadyDeme: "Ah, pardon the interruption." That had been a little forward, hadn't it? She probably didn't want the interruption... But. Since their introduction had been rather one-sided (specifically, there was a new person, her name was Kiera, be nice), Seed bowed politely and took the opportunity to properly make her acquaintence. "I am Seed Viridius. Since we're going to be working together for now, you may just call me Seed, that's what everyone calls me." He gestured to the table, which had another chair beside it; vacant, even if the table was less so. Perhaps she didn't "If it's not too much trouble... May I join you for a moment?"

[9:13 PM] TastyChicken12: "No, no problem at all! Come, sit down, okay?" She waved him to sit by. "Whoooooa! Are ya a plant Laguz?"

[9:25 PM] LadyDeme: Seed sat, and shook his head -- a faint chuckle rising. The comment alone wasn't especially funny; nor was his chuckle mocking. Only... "You know, I've been getting asked that a lot lately. No, I'm a Florkana; it's a different species entirely." Sitting at a table with nothing to do got him antsy, so he motioned vaguely for the attention of a waitress, who might eventually answer. "As distinct from Beorc and Laguz as I am from an ordinary tree."

[9:30 PM] TastyChicken12: "Oh, that's fascinatin'. Meetin' all these new races is great an' all."

[9:36 PM] LadyDeme: "We're an unusual bunch, aren't we?" Compared to the last time he explained this, she got the message in a way that made him feel a quiet relief. "Are you from somewhere particularly isolated?" He asked, noting her response to both the food and him in general.

[9:38 PM] TastyChicken12: "Yeah, from a little, itty-bitty village in Ramalia. Manx. You probably ain't've heard it."

[9:44 PM] LadyDeme: "I'm afraid I have not," he answered with a shake of his head. He looked out once again across the table. "I take it you don't have much chance to eat new things, more than you have chance to meet Florkana -- what are you having here?"

[9:45 PM] TastyChicken12: "It's tuna. My first time havin' it."

[9:49 PM] LadyDeme: "Ah, I see. That makes sense, given Ramalia's climate." Seed considered it for a moment, before deciding it'd be better not to: after all, for him, eating fish would just be a waste. "What do you do for a living there -- or, I suppose, at all?"

[9:57 PM] TastyChicken12: Slightly oblivious from the alcohol, she began to ramble a bit. "I did anythin' the tribe needed, y'know, but I mostly made axes and woodcut... and I got my baby kid, he's such a good kid! Real nice, my boy."

[10:08 PM] LadyDeme: Seed's eyes widened for a moment, just a little startled by the statement, before a warm smile split across his face, tinged with something a little quieter. "You have a son? He doesn't sound that old... It must be difficult to have left him for this job," He sighed, thinking at the sort of feeling the two of them must be having -- he did not know if this was a feeling he was allowed to feel, if it was something in his reach. "I can't help but think of it as lonely." The waitress came, and Seed thought about his options for a moment. He didn't feel like eating, but he could at least wet his lips. "Juice, if you would."

[10:15 PM] TastyChicken12: WAIT... DID I JUST?! "Yeah, I miss 'im sooooo bad. He said 'Momma!' before I left for here..."(edited)

[10:23 PM] LadyDeme: "Ah, so he's that sort of age? How sweet." Seed momentarily fidgeted the back of his lip with his teeth -- not visibly biting them, but thinning his mouth a little, as his eyes creased towards shut for a thoughtful moment. "I spend a little time teaching and telling stories to the saplings when I can; I suppose it's not quite the same thing... Are you joining this expedition on his behalf?"

[10:25 PM] TastyChicken12: "Oh you oughta know it! He's EVERYTHING to me! Ain't got much else, y'know. Am only 18."

[10:38 PM] LadyDeme: "Ah, I see." It was perhaps not a very judgemental statement, though tinged through with a little surprise; he hadn't quite realized she was as young as she was. Seed's sense of his own age was foggy, at best. "Is his father watching him while you're away?"

[10:42 PM] TastyChicken12: "I guess not..." I ain't in a good position... I wasn't supposed to talk 'bout this.... "I don't think so."

[10:46 PM] LadyDeme: "Ah." That sounded bad -- the best it could run was bittersweet. Seed's brow furrowed briefly, and he gave her the sympathetic nod of a person who, too, had seen love that didn't quite pan out. "Well, I won't pry about that...Is he staying with relatives then? Oh, though I suppose I'm a little rude: I haven't asked his name yet."

[10:47 PM] TastyChicken12: "I-I didn't wanna mentioned him, I guess I'm a bit weirded from the booze, y'know?"

[10:47 PM] TastyChicken12: She paused and averted her gaze. "Uh... I ain't gonna tell ya. I don't wanna mention it more, o-okay?"

[10:50 PM] LadyDeme: How much had she had to drink...? Seed raised an eyebrow, but he nodded. "I'm not entirely sure I understand why, but I won't bring it up further."

[10:53 PM] TastyChicken12: "Th-thanks. I'm so bloody 'fraid o' everyone thinkin' I'm stupid or savage or whatever, I mean, I can't help I was born in away from the big cities, y'know?! I can't speak good, I can't read or write, and I had a child at 16, so I'm a mom. People're gonna think I'm dumb and backwards... hey now, I ain't dumb!"

[10:58 PM] LadyDeme: Seed listened to that, but part of it caught his attention in particular. He leaned a little closer, crossing his arms on the table. He ignored his juice as it arrived. He had something to do here now, after all. "Would you like to learn?" Seed valued words -- that much was nearly fundemental, dividing his life the way living and dying might to him: leaving that knowledge unspread, when he had the chance, was against his principles.

[10:59 PM] TastyChicken12: "You'd do that? For me? Ya just met me."

[11:13 PM] LadyDeme: "Of course." Seed saiid without an instant of hesitation. That settled, he relaxed a little in his chair, taking a sip of the juice before he began to explain himself a little more. "I think.... there are few things I treasure more in the world than the written word, than having the ability to recognize the ideas or feelings, nay, the people who are leagues or centuries away..." Or, to one day perhaps being truly recognized like that... Seed shook off the thought. "The point is, it's something I'm happy to try and share with someone. It makes the world a little better, I think -- and perhaps might one day be good for business." That last part was very clearly a joke, delivered with a deep, gentle little laugh.

[11:15 PM] TastyChicken12: "It's one of my big wishes in life, to learn how to read. I want Casey to learn to read a when he's young, 'cause he oughtta, and it's good for everyone.... yeah, I just want what's best for my son, a'ight?"

[11:37 PM] LadyDeme: "Of course," he said, nodding. That this could be something she could take home had occured to him -- it was a wonderful thing, in a way that bit at him. He lowered his face, looking deep into the golden brown apple juice -- cider, he supposed, soft cider -- in his cup, and busied himself with a drink of it. Well; now, he had a mission. "I look forward to having you as my pupil."(edited)

November 18, 2017

[10:53 AM] TastyChicken12: "You'll be like a village elder back home, yeh?"

[11:00 AM] LadyDeme: He put a hand to his face, as if he was wondering just exactly how old he seemed to this young lady -- note to self, if you start thinking of someone as a young lady, you might just be older than you are -- who, it was true, was both younger than him and, frankly, travelled through time just a little bit differently. He accepted the comparison with an agreeable laugh, in the end. "Hahaha, something like that. I'll need to gather up a few materials, but it shouldn't take me long to get ready."

[12:15 PM] TastyChicken12: "Great, great. Oh uh, Seed? Can I ask ya not to tell anyone 'bout my kid? Me being a mom. I uh, I'm a bit embarrassed 'bout it."

[12:18 PM] TastyChicken12: She looked to the side. Much as Kiera loved her baby, she couldn't help but to fear being shamed by her new comrades.

[12:56 PM] LadyDeme: "I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of, but I won't say anything," Seed finished his drink and rose up to his feet. While the circumstances might not have been ideal, her care and dedication were admirabe, and in the end, that was what counted. "I'll leave you to your tuna. Have a nice meal, Kiera."

[1:41 PM] TastyChicken12: "Thanks, Seed. I'll try what I can, a'ight?" She managed to laugh.

[1:44 PM] LadyDeme: "Alright." A few Leafs, for the juice, rustled down onto the table; he waved at her over his shoulder as he left, perhaps a little lighter in his steps than before: he had something to occupy him for a while, after all.

[3:51 PM] TastyChicken12: Kiera nodded and finished up her meal. She had a lot of think about... perhaps the letters of the alphabet. If she knew them.

[3:58 PM] LadyDeme: == RP End ==