Completed [Traveler's Row] Talking into the Night

[Crypt]

74th of Fall, 512 AV (Night, the Twenty-second bell) The scratching of a quill against parchment filled the air in the small room, accompanied by the slow, rhythmic breathing of Maras, which signified that he was asleep. Crypt was writing in his journal about the events that he had encountered for the past few days. Finishing the last few words, he wiped the quill on his cloak (A habit he had recently picked up) and set it on the table, then capped the bottle of ink. He turned around to face Hisoka, smiling as he did so. “Well, Hisoka? How do you feel about these few days since you came here? Your feet look much better, so I guess they'll be healed fully by tomorrow. Do you have any footwear?” Crypt queried of her gently.

[Hisoka]

Hisoka rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawning. She had been curled up at the
end of his bed, similar to how a pet hound might on its Master's bed.
"No... no footwear.."
She looked up at him, hair reflecting a sheen from the light, her eyes slightly tinged with gold.
Getting up, she padded softly over to him, sat in front of him and rested her
head against his knee.
"Is it.. important..?"

[Crypt]

Crypt's grin lengthened, and he reached under the table, pulling out a pair of small leather boots, passing them to Hisoka. “Here ya go, Hisoka. I got these at the Great Bazaar on my way back here today after work. I took a rough measurement of your feet when you were asleep last night and picked out a pair that was as close to your size as I could find. They're cheap, but they'll last you for quite a bit.”

[Hisoka]

Hisoka lifted her head, sniffed them tentatively, peeked at Crypt, and
took the boots hesitantly. She lifted one, holding it to an eye, looking inside,
lowering it run her fingers along the stitching, and to stick her hand in. Then, she
proceeded to repeat with the other one, peering at them in every which way.
Finally, she looked at him shyly, and spoke softly.

"...Mine?"

[Crypt]

“Of course, my dear Hisoka. They're yours. I have my own pair, and Maras doesn't need one of those.” He pushed them into Hisoka's hands, and gave her a pat on the head. It was always hard to not think of Hisoka as a child, but Crypt always gave in to the urge as she always acted as adorable and as innocent as them. Still, she was abused badly in the past, and quite a few traces of it remain. Lady Caihya, even though Hisoka is but half-wolf, I pray that your blessings will be on her, such that she will continue to grow and enjoy life. Thank you.

[Hisoka]

Hisoka jumped up happily, slipping them onto her feet and leaned forward to
admire them, her shirt slipping up a bit, revealing her taut stomach, sinewy
muscle finally covering her ribs again. Her back gleamed tanned skin, free of imperfections.

The glimpse was momentary, as she sat on the bed and splayed her feet in front of herself, pleased. She began to hum softly, rummaging through her bag, which she had picked up from the floor, she slowly took out a necklace with a blue, glass sphere for a pendant. Undoing the clasp, she attempted to put it on, but had difficulty, fumbling with the clasp.

[Crypt]

Good. She's finally getting some meat on her bones. Rather fast, too. Guess the daily regular meals must have come in handy. “Here, let me get that for me.” He brushed her long, dark hair (now much neater than when they first met) aside, and placed the pendant around her neck. Crypt chuckled softly. “There... There... Now you look beautiful. Who gave you that pendant?”

[Hisoka]

Hisoka paused for a moment. Slowly, a gentle smile light her face as she turned
to him.

"Mother." She said simply.

She turned back to face forward, pressing the key shaped marking on the sphere
to her lips.

"Always keep it with you, she said," Hisoka spoke softly,
letting the necklace fall back gently, just bellow her collar bone. Speech was coming much more easily, having conversed over the past few days.

Tilting her head to look at Crypt, "What now?"

[Crypt]

Crypt pulled Hisoka into a hug, feeling the pendant pressing into his chest. “I'm sorry.” He whispered softly. After a while, Crypt released her from his arms and tried hard to smile again. “Tomorrow morning, we'll go to see Serena. She owns the Stables I work at, and she says she's willing to take you on if I guide you for a gold miza a day. You'll be working with me from the ninth to the seventeenth bells, maybe a little longer, but it'll help pay for your meals. What do you think?”

[Hisoka]

Hisoka looked at him with awe-filled eyes.

"Y-you teach me..? ... I get paied...?"
Jumping up suddenly, she hugged him tightly, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, thank you! I work hard!" she exclaimed,
looking at him with shining eyes, and a toothy grin.

Running over to Maras, she rapt her arms around his large neck. She had grown
close to the mount, as he had gotten used to her, even allowing her to comb his
mane.

"I will pay back Master," she whispered conspiratorially to the horse, for Hisoka
had taken to calling Crypt "Master".