Octarus squeezed his eyes shut, and his ears reddened as he remembered. “I’m sorry, I can be a bit forgetful sometimes, especially after a long day” His eyes focused back on her as he scratched the back of his neck hastily. He raised an eyebrow at the comment about the Ethaefal but kept his face neutral. “That sounds like a fine idea, I’ll make sure to remember this place.” He glanced one more time at the beautiful structure before following Maderia down. In a way, it was a relief that he’d been the one to let it slip than her intuiting it. He wasn’t exactly sure why that was, but he was pretty sure the feeling was kin to the deep, unwarranted paranoia that had plagued him since the death of his friend back in Alvadas. There was a lot more to unpack than just that, but he couldn’t have his thoughts cluttered now. He had company and now was not the time to go off on one of his tangents. When she looked him up and down, he almost stopped in his tracks. Instead he diverted his eyes and pretended not to notice, nodding in a way he hopped was thoughtful at her comment. He did smell rather strong and could use an update to his wardrobe. His clothes didn’t exactly fit in with his surroundings. “Couldn’t agree more” “I hope so” He said about his friend as he kept an eye out for a tailor, or even better, a bath. She was right, he was ripe from working out in the field with the Okomo’s today, and that was no way to shop. Perhaps his time with the Okomo’s and traveling with sailors had blunted his sense of propriety somewhat but that didn’t mean he had to go full animal. His friend would have clucked at his appearance and made him more presentable. It seems he had a habit of needing people to show him what was necessary. Her next line of questioning offered a pleasant diversion from that course of thought. “I did odds and ends in Riverfall. Mostly there I was trying and failing to connect with some long-lost family that lived nearby. The Sea of Grass is a rough place for those not acclimated to its conditions. So, I killed time in Riverfall whilst I learned how to traverse the Sea, but before I could get to far in my studies, I was called back to Alvadas to see to the burial of my friend.” He said soberly, chewing his lip. Is that really what he had been doing in Riverfall? Did he really care enough to think about it further? Seeing a sign for a tailor, he chased the thought away. Making himself presentable seemed a far more pressing need. ***** Having picked up a fresh set of clothes and bathed, Octarus looked a smidge better at least wearing his new long, wool coat with a half cape trimmed with sable at the top. It was dyed a dark blue that complemented the lighter blue of the new trousers and shirt he now wore. Feeling fresh, and enjoying the fit of the new clothing, Octarus found it a lot easier to smile when he and Maderia picked up the conversation where they left off as they walked off toward where he suspected he would be able to pick up the art supplies. “So, how did you get into, uhh Spiritism was it?” |