PM to join We Aren't Really Up In Your Business (Rhiva Pls)

[Tazrae]

Timestamp: 84th of Spring, 521 A.V.

Randal dropped by Tazrae’s place early that morning. On the surface, he looked like he was dropping by for fresh bacon and a scone. Tazrae poured him tea and started frying three eggs to add to his plate as well. The Innkeeper felt duty-bound to feed the Founder whenever he was around. He had, after all, built her entire Inn and taught her everything she knew about carpentry. He’d also gone a long way to getting her used to the jungle.

“I have been meaning to talk to you about your paddleboards. Now that I have some extra coin, I really want to see if I can have you make one for me. And if you have time, some for the Inn too… maybe six with paddles?” She said tentatively, not sure how busy Randal’s schedule was. “More lessons would be great too. I really enjoyed our time on the water and it would be nice to be able to take new guests out.” She added thoughtfully. “It’s something, you know? To see Syka from the sea and to tour the calmer places like the Coconut Plantation.” She added, thoughtful and hopeful.

Randal laughed. “I’m one step ahead of you. I knew the moment you took your first lesson that you’d want your own board. So I finished one that would be perfect for you, and I have others made already. I’ll drop them by your place sometime today when I swing back by my shop.” Randal said, smiling slightly. Though Randal lived in a lofted bungalow, he had recently added a very nice workshop in the clearing where his treehouse stood. Tazrae wasn’t surprised he had what she needed already done. Syka provided long days and when people weren’t building, they were exploring and gathering. The young Founder must have proved no exception.

“Thank you. What am I going to owe you for them?” She asked, knowing that sometime he took the coin, but often he bartered.

“Four gold mizas a piece? They aren’t hard to make and the paddles are simple harvested trees… the only carving I had to do on them was the blade and the grip end. Juli even painted them, so they are all good to go.” He added, smiling again.

“That’s great.” She said, slipping into the cupboard and taking down a tin. It was a large thing that held her extra coin. She counted out twenty-four mizas and slid them across the table. “I think I’ll take Bree and go tonight or tomorrow morning… whenever you can deliver them. I think they’d be fantastic to forage off of. And The Gods know I need to stock this Inn up on a few things.” She injected, making a mental list now that she would have some offshore transportation lined up.

“Taz, that’s not the only reason I dropped by.” He added, causing the young Innkeeper to look up from her musings in time to see Randal pocket the coin. He undoubtedly would spend it in Riverfall via James. They didn’t take or spend a lot of coin in Syka… most of it was barter. So he probably needed something he couldn’t build from there.

“Oh? What can I do to help?” She asked automatically.

“It’s not me. It’s this young woman visiting Syka. I’m not sure if she will stay or not, but I was hoping you’d swing by and see if you could catch up with her. Her name is Rhiva and James was telling me she had one miserable crossing. She was sick the whole time.” He added, shaking his head. “I was hoping you’d drop by, maybe get her out of her accommodations, and show her around the settlement. I think more than anything she needs a friendly face. I would send Juli, but the girl’s been in a foul mood lately and I’m not sure what’s riding her. James didn’t want to talk about it.” Juli was James’ daughter, and the pair were fairly close. If Juli was upset, Taz needed to swing by and pay her a visit anyhow… regardless of any new person or not. The girl owed Juli that much. The youngest founder – not – founder had been a lifeline when Tazrae had been new to the settlement.

“Of course… where is she staying?” Taz asked, nodding when Randal told her. “I’ll go see her as soon as my two guests are fed and well off to their day. I’m almost to the point I can hire someone to do the room cleanings now, freeing up more time for my days.” She added. “What’s the new girl like?” She asked, curious.

Randal shrugged. “She seems intelligent. She’s got the look of one of those Sea of Grass folks. But there’s a hard edge of anger in her. She looks as stubborn as you or Juli, and while she’s lovely to look on, there’s something not approachable about her right now… like she’s built walls and is standing firmly behind them.” He added with a smile. It was truly a lot of people coming to Syka had those walls, but the denizens found that they often crumbled after a ten-day of people being overly nice and not asking a thing from them.

“Has anyone shown her around? Plied her with fresh food? Has she recovered from the crossing even yet?” She asked, sort of put out that no one told her there was a new person who had reacted to the ocean like that. Taz would have been fussing and plying them with soup and mother hening them long before now. “I’m sorry I didn’t know. You shouldn’t have had to come and asked me to help. I should have been there. I’ve been busy with the Mussurana. They’ve been laying eggs and it’s been hectic pulling them from the mothers and placing them in incubation. Thankfully Duncan has been around to maintain the heat/cold in the incubator.” She added. “Still, it's no excuse. People before snakes.”

Randal smiled. He snagged another scone off the plate of the freshly baked items and waved his about momentarily. “Don’t worry about it, Tazrae. And thanks. It’s much appreciated by all of us.” He added, even as the Innkeeper nodded.

With that, Randal took his leave and left Taz to see to her guests. Once they were all fed and off to a day's adventure or just relaxing around the deck with the promise of cold cuts in the icebox should they grow hungry… Taz packed up the rest of her scones and went in search of the new woman. She’d try her accommodations first, then swing by the Mercantile, check Stu’s Tidepool Bar, and then wander until she found someone who knew where Rhiva was.

Words 1126

[Rhiva]

She hadn't slept a wink.

When the furor around the arrival of goods stocked on the vessel Veronica had died down, she'd thought the place quiet. She'd found a decent spot on the beach far enough away from the main square that she'd have privacy, but not so far that she couldn't call for help. The looming grave of the jungle, also a piece that she'd thought silent, had spurred her to move quickly in setting up the hardy-but-ancient tent. It smelled like home, and she wished it didn't. The taint of grass and horseflesh seemed to follow her everywhere, building on her memories yet waning with each hour that it further soaked in her new surroundings. She liked her new place. The water, now safely beside her rather than lifting a wooden floor beneath, lulled her in as she settled into her bedroll, the tent flap open to the view of the horizon and closed behind, hiding away the deepness that she feared.

Her camp was simple. So simple, in fact, that she hadn't even bothered with building a small fire for food. She'd enough provisions to last her another week, and the hope was to find work soon, anyway. She knew she wouldn't starve. Besides, the fruit, sweet bread, and coconut milk had sat heavily in her system. She wasn't sure she'd be able to eat for another week with careful doting of the men who'd she'd learned quick enough were the founders of this haven. It wasn't until she'd closed her eyes, mind numb and washing back and forth with the waves did she realize the quiet disappeared.

The sea, calm as it was, seemed a maelstrom in her ears, and the jungle... well, suffice to say her eyes had gone wide and red tinged, muscles sore by the time the sun brought the first rays and the time for getting to feet had come. Grumbling, she'd done just that, happy enough that the ground no longer swayed no matter that she'd not gotten any true rest. One would think living amongst a traveling people would lend comfort to those sleeping in new places, but on second thought it only reinforced her utter lack of real experience. Grass can only make so many noises, after all.

Barefoot, her toes digging through the still warm upper crust of the sand, she found the coolness that lied beneath and savored it. Summer was on her heels, and though she'd done her best to protect her skin from the sun- burning hotter as it reflected from sand and sea- her cloak was becoming stifling, the long sleeves of her shirt clinging to her damp arms. She wondered if she could get away with wandering around barefoot. Finding this area, wandering around dreamlike as she had the day before, hadn't leant her any true observation of those around her.

Her rump fell into the softness of the ground as she contemplated the sleeves. She wanted to cut them off- oh, how she wanted. Her skin wasn't fair as her mother and sisters had been. She wasn't likely to crisp up, skin painful in the night, and turned a rather pleasant bronze in the summer months. But thinking ahead hadn't been her priority at the time.

"Would be better if you thought at all," she grumbled aloud, thinking back to all the mindless choices she'd been making.

She swore. Picked herself off her haunches, grabbed her pack emptied of all but her little knife (Not that she'd use it) and a few Mizas, and tied her tent closed. She hoped, and yet doubted at the same time, that folks wouldn't be too interested in the threadbare tent. She'd not much to her name and wasn't sure she wanted it anyway. She flung the pack over her shoulder just as she heard the distant mish mash of accents build up in the near civilization- as much as she could call it, at least- shoved her feet into her boots, laced them too tight in her anger, and began walking.

She was frustrated, angry at herself, and the reflection of it caused the self-pity to wither and die. She couldn't take it out on those that already lived here. They'd done nothing to her. Every choice she'd made in the last week had been her own, and her short fuse grew a little longer as she ignored the call of the jungle for that of people. She still had enough of her head attached that she wouldn't listen to the lure cast towards her from the darkness. Her skin prickled, hair on her arms rising as she chanced a short glance towards it. Still looming. Still dark. Still completely, utterly, terrifying.

Ten minutes or so later, she was standing on the periphery of the town. The sun had risen a bit more, and folks were beginning their day. She stood, the unease of her situation stifling her once again as she touched her earing. The settlement had seemed friendly enough when she’d arrived, but they also seemed close knit. Everyone already knew everyone, and new residents were always welcomed for the first few hours, at least in her experience traveling between the bands of drykas. But now she had nothing to do, no plan, no where to go, and no will to bother Randal nor Vas. They’d done enough for her as it was.

And so, she stewed in indecision, her lips quirked and confusion wandering over her face as she rolled the sleeves up her arms, the only bit of her windmarks visible on the nape of her neck where she wasn’t covered. She made to move, but her feet were stuck, and it sent an interesting yet intriguing feeling of embarrassment zinging through her cheeks as she blushed. What a way to make introductions.

WC: 953

[Tazrae]

She’d checked all the usual places. The Commons. Stu’s watering hole. Even the Mercantile hadn’t had any new visitors with the description or name Randal had given her. Taz was all but ready to give up and decided she’d head back to The Protea via the beach, since she’d already walked the cobbled pathway. Darting around The Mercantile, the woman had come to a halt as a small snake charm on the charm bracelet she wore gave her a pulse of magic.

There was a serpent nearby. Tazrae wasn’t afraid of snakes. In fact, she’d grown to really enjoy them even after one had come perilously close to ending her life. She’d been bitten by a small eyelash viper and only the quick reaction of her feet and the close proximity to a healer had saved her. Now, one of her goals was ridding the city of dangerous vipers. A traveling mage had made her a charm bracelet. And one of her charms on it detected the close proximity of serpents. With her thoughts on the snake and her momentarily forgetting the woman whom seemed to have disappeared anyhow, Taz had followed the magical nudging and had taken the time to find out what serpent was around.

Relief mingled with disappointment as Tazrae discovered the small emerald tree boa clinging to a young palm nearly at her eye level. Taz approached the creature cautiously, eyes scanning its length, and then discovered the disturbing bulge in its center. The tree boas tended to be ambush hunters, snatching birds out of the air, eating small monkeys and rodents… they had one bite and one chance and if they blew it, they starved. The little snake was only a couple of feet long and looked like it only had a couple of years to its name. Regardless, it had eaten something that wasn’t normal – not egg shaped, not carcass shaped, but two multiple bumps, and it wasn’t going to be able to digest whatever it was easily.

Taz approached cautiously, knowing a second thing about emerald tree boas. First, at night they were aggressive and mean – hungry and looking for food. But in the light of day they tended to hang out, basking in the sun, and became quite passive. She carefully unshouldered the pack that held the scones and her wineskin, and dug down to the bottom where she pulled a soft canvas sack free. She unrolled it and then carefully broke of a nearby branch to use as a snake stick, and moved even closer.

Whatever was in the snake wasn’t normal nor natural. It had two equal sized lumps in its middle that almost looked like it swallowed two eggs exactly the same size nearly touching. Taz knew snakes threw up things a lot, especially if one of her Massurana’s was handled shortly after eating. And she also knew that cutting into this snake was not a good idea. Decision made, Tazrae decided to collect the creature and take it home… and hope she could find some way to help it.

Unfurrowing the sack, she noted how the snake’s coils were wrapped around the young palm and carefully inverted the sack, draped it over the boa’s head, and then using the sack as a way to gently manipulate the snake, pried it off where it was clinging too the wood. She flipped the sack right-side out again around the snake, neatly enclosing it in the soft cotton. She lightly knotted the top, fished her scones out of the backpack so the snake wasn’t placed in the bag on them, and slipped the snake into her backpack in the deserts place. Then she put the desert gently in on top of the snake. Closing the backpack she gently shouldered it and began to head back up the beach where she almost walked into a woman who seemed to be mutely standing in the middle of the sand like she was stuck or something.

Tazrae broke into a smile. “Are you Rhiva?” She asked casually, approaching the woman, trying to determine exactly what was amiss. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Randal sent me to go find you and keep you company.” She added. “He didn’t put it like that, but I think he was worried about you. He said you’d been sick.” Tazrae injected. “I’m Tazrae. People call me Taz though. I’m the local ….” She paused as if wondering how to describe herself. She was an Innkeeper, sure, but also a protector and explorer… a gardener and a chef. Her caramel skin flushing slightly, she shrugged… “Local something… I find myself unable to describe myself. I own the Protea Inn, do a lot of cooking, a whole lot of wandering, and find myself interested in things no sane woman should be interested in. I brought scones for you, cool water, and evidently an emerald tree boa.” She added, grinning mischievously.

Tazrae had one of those smiles… open, concealing nothing… one that tended to be infectious. Her turquoise eyes were bright with interest and friendliness. “Well, I just met the Boa… I think it swallowed something it thought was food but wasn’t… so I thought I’d help it out a bit.” She admitted, glancing down at the woman’s feet.

“Is there something wrong? Is this a bad time?” Taz asked, suddenly nervous. What was Randal thinking, sending her off on a wild goose chase through the settlement looking for a newcomer that might not want to be found? Her smile dialed back its wattage a bit, flickering like maybe the young woman was afraid she’d interrupted something with Rhiva.

“The scones have fresh berries in them….” Taz said, suddenly, unsure of how to make more conversation. All her friends – mostly her mentors – were male. There were few women in the settlement and those that were here didn’t usually stop by the Inn and chat. Taz desperately wanted to meet someone who would and in many ways craved the companionship of other women. But she wasn’t sure how to make a friend with one.

“Do you like snakes?” She asked abruptly, awkwardly, then pushed the cloud of curly hair out of her face in frustration. “Randal should have sent someone better than me to meet you. He just thought you’d appreciate my cooking if nothing else… my conversational topics often leave a lot to be desired.” Taz admitted softly, uncertainly.

[Rhiva]

The blurriness of her fear receded after a long moment, though just in time to see the woman materialize in front of her. Her feet unstuck, she stumbled backwards so they wouldn’t collide, tripping over her boots through the sand. She managed to keep to her feet rather than falling to her knees as she’d done once free of the boat, and for that she was thankful. One would think her a newborn foal and yet unsteady with it for all the tripping and stumbling she’d done in the last day alone. Once balanced, she clasped her hands together as she took in the stranger, noting the fearsome friendliness that exuded from her. Her body language eased fractionally when she realized she wouldn't be attacked as they introduced themselves as Tazrae.

Lamely, she only nodded in response, confirming that she was indeed the illusive Rhiva. Her nervousness closed her throat to speaking just as it had glued her feet to the earth. The excitement that exuded from the woman's bright personality was a wonder, amazed at the high spirits of every person she had come across. The welcome she had received was astounding and so different to what she was used to—outsiders were outsiders unless chosen, though she still thought it strange that she had been shown so much kindness in such a small amount of time. How many people visited this place? Or settled on the warm beaches? It seemed an uncommon thing, and the embarrassment only flushed her cheeks further. Taz was friendly, though, and good manners had been lectured into her since she was a tot along with the hand-signed words she held at bay with her latched fingers.

"Randal and Vas spoke of you," she croaked, fumbling for descriptions of herself to spare, "I've just come from the Sea of Grass. I'm wandering... traveling! I'm a traveler," She clamped her mouth shut, squeezed her eyes closed, and pulled her breath deep into her chest. It helped only so much, the guilt and fear still weighing her down, exhaustion dragging her shoulders lower as she started over, "I'm sorry. When I was setting up camp, I thought this place quiet, and it wasn't until I'd bedded down for the night that I realized how loud it truly is. It's been some time since I've had proper sleep. I can't even say that I'm a traveler, either. When I left home, I wanted to see the world. It only took three days on a boat the realize I may not be suited for it," She finished with a gentle huff of breath.

Rhiva's eyes widened at the mention of the snake, though not in fear, it was more a gentle surprise. It shouldn’t have been, and she only sent another look of apprehension towards the jungle, a shiver slipping down her spine. She'd never met anyone before that would have thought to help one in trouble. They'd enough problems of their own as it was, their attentions always on the animals that provided for them, be it travel or food. Snakes weren’t necessarily to be avoided, they could provide some substance, but generally weren’t seen as something to take care of.

With her silence, she watched as Taz’s light diffused, and she clenched her jaw with the worry that brimmed over the apologies spoken to her. It was never a good time to meet new people, one only had to run into them by the will of the Gods or men named Randal, Rhiva supposed.

"No, it's not a bad time. I don't even know why I've come here. The reason must have gotten lost on the way, much like my ability to walk," she said, attempting a small joke, finding her limbs loosened as she smiled gently. The woman seemed the good sort, someone she could trust, and if Randal had sent her... Well, she could be angry and bitter at herself away from the people that lived here. They were kind and compassionate, deserving none of the spite that lived in her soul.

When the woman asked after Rhiva’s fondness of snakes, she shrugged. The creatures were abundant in the plains, and she felt a wave of indifference and familiarity that tugged away the last vestiges of her fear, "I can't say I'm overly fond of them, but my brother," she paused, swallowing, "He, er, he was. When the band moved, he found it a game to seek them out. Our father would offer a little trinket of prize to whoever had glimpsed the most."

Rhiva frowned at the frustrated motions and words, shaking her head adamantly, "No! I swear, it's not you. I'm very happy to meet you," she stopped grimacing, "I am not the best with meeting new people, is all. Please don't feel that you've overstepped."


WC: 803

[Tazrae]

Taz liked the young woman immediately. It wasn’t often she was wrong about a person, and though Rhiva hesitated, stumbled awkwardly as if she wasn’t used to sandy ground … there was no pride involved in any of it. The other woman reminded her a bit of herself in her first days here in Syka.

“You know, you don’t always need a reason to do something. Sometimes our feet just point us in a direction and take the rest of the body with them as they go. I grew up in Riverfall and saw a great many Drykas visits the city. Some even stayed with us at times. I liked them. They had the best stories and knew how to gather in the evenings and tell tales around a fire or in our case in front of the hearth. In fact, I learned most of my lessons of history during those times… not at school.” Tazrae said softly, offering Rhiva a smile.

Rhiva’s reassurances that Taz hadn’t overstepped went a long way to reassure the young Innkeeper that she wasn’t bothering the newcomer. “Let’s sit then. And see if we can’t deal with this snake, while you have a snack, and then I need to take you shopping. I’ll do for you what someone did for me when I first got here… and that is get you more appropriate clothing, some insect spray, and proper footgear.” Taz added.

Then she settled into the sand with her legs folded under her as if it was a perfect picnic spot, gently set her backpack down, opened it up, and rummaged around until she pulled a cloth sack out and offered it to Rhiva. “Freshly baked scones. They have mango and peach in them.” She said, all but shoving the bag into Rhiva’s hands. “Baked goods will help calm your stomach. I suspect if what Randal said was true, you had a rough crossing.” She added, then pulled forth a second cotton bag that was knotted at the top. Taz carefully unknotted the cloth, setting the sack down, and peered inside. Then she gently reached in and pulled out what turned out to be a two-foot extremely thick emerald green snake with a series of white patterns down its sides. The color was vibrant and the snake seemed tame.

Tazrae was gentle with it, but set the creature down on her lap and gently probed at two large bumps in its middle. The bumps were uniform and unnatural-looking. “See? It swallowed something it's not digesting.” She said softly, her voice full of worry. “This is a green tree boa. They bite hard and have really sharp teeth, but they aren’t poisonous.” Taz said, glancing up to gauge Rhiva’s reaction. “The man that taught me about snakes told me that sometimes these constrictor types can be convinced to spit things up… you can work them out of their digestive tracks without cutting into them. I have no idea how to cut into a snake and don’t think it’s a good idea unless you are going to eat one. These are very tasty too… though I wouldn’t eat one if I could help it. They are amazing for keeping rodents out of the settlement and thinning out pesky birds.” Tazrae added in, smiling up at Rhiva momentarily before turning her attention back to the snake.

Taz then gently turned the snake over, even as it squirmed uncomfortably, and stroked a thumb across its vent near the end of its tail. “It’s a female.” She said gently, letting the snake turn itself back over. “You can tell by the shape of the scales along the vent and past it… plus if you were to bend its tail backward gently… putting a little pressure around the vent, nothing happens. If it’s a boy, we’d see a show.” She said, giggling a little. Taz wasn’t one for penis jokes, but in this case, she hoped it would lighten the mood. “They have two of them, you know.” She gave Rhiva a wink and gently stroked the snakes head, all the while controlling its movements with a grip right behind its jaws.

“These creatures… the tree boas… are puppy dog tame in the daylight. But this same snake would be pit viper nasty at night. They hunt then and are completely aggressive. She can snatch a bird out of the air flying by… that’s how fast they are. Can you imagine it?” Taz said, her love of the snakes peeking out between her words in the form of her excitement.

“I don’t know if this will hurt her or not, but if she keeps whatever is in her gut in there, she won’t be able to pass it or digest it – I suspect – and she’ll die anyhow. Things die here a lot, becoming food for other things and if not for something large like a bird of prey, then for the worms and beetles that are everywhere.” She added, running her free hand along the glistening green body.

Taz figured she must look ridiculous. Barefoot, sitting cross-legged in the sand, a colorful skirt pooled in her lap that was now filled with an emerald green snake. Her upper torso was mostly bare, from her navel to her neck, encased only in a bikini top and a light crocheted top that actually concealed nothing. The girl had no sense of modesty and it showed in her skin because it was all bronzed from the sun. The Drykas were proud strong people that rarely let their guard down and rarely had time for the little things, like saving a wild snake’s life. “I wouldn’t have brought her, but I met her along the way to find you… you see?” Taz added as if she wanted to get that out.

Then she glanced at the newcomer and if she weren’t eating scones, she’d invite her to help. “Would you mind holding her tail firmly while I try and see if we can work this out? She asked, knowing what she was about to do would take a long time. She hoped Rhiva would help, but if she did not, Taz would manage on her own. “Then you can tell me what you’d like to share about yourself… and I’ll tell you about me.” She added, picking up the non-business end of the snake and offering it to Rhiva.

She’d hope the girl would hold the creature at that end while she moved her hands up to just below the obstruction in the snake where she began to gently massage the circumference of the creature’s body, gently… ever so gently… working whatever was deep in the snake’s body back out and up… up towards the female’s mouth. The young Innkeeper was so gentle, so subtle about it, the other woman could almost see her taking the entire day, most of the night, and as many days after that, it took to carefully work whatever was obstructing the snake’s digestion up and out of it.

The snake, for all it was being held, didn’t put up much of a fight. And ater Tazrae applied gentle continuous pressure to the snakes body, dragging her fingers lightly from its tail to its snout slowly and methodically... the boa gave a gasp and a pair of human goggles were expelled into her hand, folded, and covered in snake bile.

"Oh hrm... now aren't these interesting? I wonder where the creature got them." She said, noting when folded, the goggles looked like an egg. Tazrae laid the goggles aside, and studied the snake. It actually looked none the worse for wear. She gently bagged it in a spare cloth bag she pulled out of her backpack, and slipped the goggles and the bagged snake gently into the top of the backpack, giving Rhiva a smile.

[Tazrae]

Tazrae –

Business +1, Negotiation +1, Animal Husbandry +2, Medicine +2, Socialism +2, Interrogation +1, Teaching +2

Rhiva: Appearance and Mannerism, Green Tree Boa: Appearance and Mannerism, Animal Husbandry: Extracting Foreign Indigestible Items from A Snakes GI Track

Note: 28 coins for 7 paddleboards/paddles from ledger. Acquisition of one emerald tree boa and one set of magical night vision goggles.


Rhiva -

If you return I'll gladly continue the thread or grade your portion of it.