Closed Look What I Caught! (Titus)

[Leila]

Timestamp: Summer 21, 513 AV Leila found herself waking up before Syna was in the sky, so early Shaco didn't even bother to get up with her. She got dressed, tussled her hair, the auburn ringlets tumbling past her shoulders. She stepped out the back of her home into the foggy, moonlit morning. It was a little chilly, but Leila didn't mind it. By the glow of Leth, she began to check her plants in the herb garden. She felt at the leaves, feeling them to be soft, flexible, healthy, a little damp from the fog. She knelt down, feeling at the soil. It was damp, loose, and airy, and by Leila's standards, perfect. "Grow big and strong for me darlings." She continued checking at the soil, finding a few grass sprouts which she plucked out deftly, then transplanted them into the soil outside of the rock border she had around garden. She didn't like to waste plants, hated to just toss them away. No plant was a bad plant, at least that she'd discovered, just many weren't as useful as others. She really needed to get around to building a compost bin. But she didn't know the first thing about building things, she needed to find someone who did. Lost in thought while pulling weeds, she absentmindedly grabbed a worm. A little surprised, but not grossed out, she held it up at eye level. Her father had always told her that worms were good for the soil, good for plants. "Hey there little guy, sorry for interrupting your day. Go back to what you were doing." The worm gave her an idea of how to spend her morning until she opened her shop. She wanted to go fishing down at the docks. She'd meant to learn how to do so last season, but was too busy working at the bar. But she needed new bait, but she wasn't going to use the worms in her garden. But she did have an idea. She went back inside and dug through her trunk and found her fishing kit. She opened it up and grabbed the empty bait jar from within. She then went back outside, walked past her garden to the back end of her property. She set the jar on a fence post, looking over the fence at the stream that passed through. She knew nothing but minnows and maybe some other small critters lived there. But the soil was softest here, naturally at least. She clumsily climbed over the fence, and the search was on. A worm here, a worm there, a scary spider nearly making Leila nearly fall backwards into the stream. Several chimes later, and Leila's jar was full of worms and mud. She looked in the top, "Time to go catch some fishyfishes." She climbed back over the fence, then back home. She grabbed her fishing kit, and the fishing pole that had been collecting dust in the corner, and left out the front of the shop. She plodded along toward the docks, loving the glow that Leth cast on the city. It was pretty, as if everything, even the air, was made of silver. And soon dirt gave way to stone gave way to wood and she was walking down the dock that had a large ship heading towards it, probably seeking harbor. She sat down at one end, legs dangling off the end, kit sitting next to her. She untied the line from the pole and checked the hook. No rust or anything on it. The ship came in and stopped, as Leila was trying to skewer the worm onto her hook. After having successfully pierced it a few times, to make sure it was on there good and tight, she was ready to try and cast. She held the line against the pole with one hand, holding the pole steady with the other. She held the pole out to her side, the baited hook dangling down. She then began swinging the line back and forth, then swung it forward harder. But she forgot to loosen her grip on the line, and the hook arced up, starting swinging back. Startled, Leila let go and the hook and line flew way backwards behind her.

[Titus]

Titus sighed and stretched as the boat final came into dock. "Finally!" he shouted out in an uproar. He walked off the ship and looked around. The moon shined down on the water and he sighed. Finally feeling relaxed after a long journey. He threw his bag of things over his shoulder, his lance in his hand as he began walking towards the entrance of the city. He stopped short as a sharp pain his it shoulder. "Petch" he groaned as he looked over to see a hook caught in his shoulder. He followed the slight shimmer of the line as it shone in the moon light.


He saw a girl at the other end of the pole. He sighed and grabbed the line giving it a slight tug. "Hey! You're casting the wrong way if you want to catch something" he shouted towards her. He turned and walked towards her, when he finally got there he dropped his stuff and pointed towards the hook. "This is yours I believe." he said looking down at her.

[Leila]

Leila's eyes grew wide as she saw the single largest man she'd ever seen. He was absolutely massive, lugging a bag of things and a giant spear... thing. Leila wasn't versed enough in weapons to truly know what it was. She also saw her hook had imbedded itself in his shoulder, and her breathing started coming quickly, panicking. If he got mad and wanted to hurt her, it wouldn't be hard to do. His hands were the size of her head, and everything about him screamed power. Then he tugged at the line, looked at her, and shouted at her. She froze, terrified at the man, too scared to run, to useless to fight. She was trapped, as sure of the fact that she as going to die as she was that she had auburn hair. She saw him lumbering down the dock toward her, hearing his footsteps echoing from the wood. She refused to flinch as he got closer, though she couldn't fight it when he dropped his stuff. This was it, this was how she died. Then he spoke, and Leila let loose a massive sigh. The God of Death would not take her this day. She saw the single curve hook buried there, the man looking down at her. "I'm so so so sorry! I've never fished before, I'm so careless! Does it hurt bad? I can take care of that if you bend down here. I'm so very sorry!" Leila was already covered from chest to cheekbone in blush, embarrassment evident. She couldn't think of a time when she'd done anything more stupid.

[Titus]

The large man looked down at this girl. She was tiny compared to him, like a lot of women were. His rage began to die down as he realized how scared she was. He sighed and said "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Its been a long trip". He shook his head, and looked at her. He knelt down so she could retive her hook from his shoulder. "The names Titus, whats yours?" he asked. Trying not to seem like a huge jerk. She was cute in an odd innocent way, which caused him to sigh again. He hadn't been here for more then few chimes and he was already in some sort of trouble. Once she removed the hook and did whatever she needed to do, he stood up. Towering over her once again, he held out his hands to shake hers. "So catch anything?" he asked, "Other then me?" he laughed. Trying to lighten the mood. 'Good job, you're really great at meeting people' his mind screamed.He reached down and grabbed his stuff. He lifted his lance up and rested it on his shoulder.

[Leila]

He apologized for his scary demeanor, making Leila realize she'd made it too obvious how she felt. She scolded herself, that was no way to treat anyone who'd just arrived to Zeltiva. So Leila decided to try and think of a way to make it up to him. He then knelt down, and she looked closely at the hook, imbedded into his skin through his shirt. The wound wouldn't be bad, would seal itself up, and likely wouldn't need treatment. But Leila wanted to help. "This might sting a little." She grasped the hook, and gently slid it out of the hole that it had formed, and plucked it free from his shirt, now blood stained. She figured she could at least buy him a new shirt, make him some breakfast, and patch up his minor wound a bit. "My name is Leila, Leila Hughes. And no, I'm quite awful at this sort of thing. Give me the toughest plant to find and harvest, and I'll manage, catching a fish though is beyond me. I'm sorry for seeming so surprised, I'm not used to seeing men so... big here in Zeltiva. Let me make up hooking you. It would really be my pleasure. Is this your first time in Zeltiva? If so, I must insist on giving you a proper tour, after I patch you up and make you some breakfast."

[Titus]

Titus sighed as she pulled the hook from his shoulder. The pain didn't really bother him, nor did the blood. It was just a weird way to start the day. He stood up and looked down at her. "Names Titus, Titus Walker." he said before listing to her little rant about fishing. "Well, everyone has there own special thing." he said with a shrug. Then she mentioned something about not seeing men as big as him in Zeltiva, which caused him to laugh, his booming laugh which could be heard across the docks. Some of the workers turned and stared at him for a bit, before he flashed them a look and they went back about there business. "I remember this one guy, he was in Nyka for awhile. Pretty tall, strong looking guy. Goes by the name Ricky" he said. "Or atleast that's the one he gave me" he mumbled. "He seemed pretty big, do you know him?" he asked. She offered a tour of the city, Titus smiled an idea crossing his head as he quickly looked her over again. He nodded and said "A tour would be nice, but I could make you fix breakfast. It would be to much". His stomach growled in disapproval of his words.

[Leila]

Leila was surprised to hear Ricky's name come from this man's lips. They'd met in Nyka? That's where Ricky had gone last season when she thought him dead. Did that mean Titus was involved with that whole situation? She pushed all of that to the back of her mind. Ricky was safe and sound, and was her best friend, and what happened in the past was past. She smiled at Titus, "Yes, I know Ricky quite well, he's one of my closest friends. He's probably around her somewhere, walking the streets in his blue uniform. How did you two meet back in Nyka?" So much for not thinking about it, but she was curious about this man, just as much as Ricky. Leila smiled widened as he'd accepted her tour, but denied her meal. She'd get him to eat her cooking, it would just wait a bit. "Okay then, do you mind if we stop by my shop to drop off this stuff? I have a few errands to run, and would go great with your tour. Catching two winds with one sail as they'd say." Leila gathered up her supplies and repacked them, holding her pack in one hand, and her pole over her shoulder with the other. "So tell me about yourself while we walk, where are you from? What brings you here? What do you do for a living?" Leila led him up the dock, pointing out the customs office, then leading him up towards West Street, explaining that it was where most of the nicer businesses and homes were. She kept him on a northwesterly course to her shop, "And this is my home and business. I sell herbs and salves and the like. I also help treat hurt or sick people, I'm nowhere near as good as the Infirmary at the University, but maybe one day. Come in, come in, don't be shy." She unlocked her door and led him into the hallway that led to her three doors. She made her way to the one on the left, stepping inside her little cottage. She set her fishing gear in the corner, dug the jar of worms out of it, and grabbed her coinpurse, hiding it in a pocket of her dress. "This is my home, that middle door is my shop, and the one on the right is my plant lab. Now let me show you out back." Leila led him out the back door of her cottage, and he would immediately see Shaco there waiting. "Hey boy, this is my new friend Titus, I'm giving him a tour of the place." She rubbed his expecting head, and walked over to her central herb garden. She popped open the jar, and dumped the mud and worms out into the soil, sealed the jar and set it on her woodpile. "This is all my land, about an acre. If you go north, you'll find the pass that leads out of the city into the wildlands. To the northeast you'll find the University, the center of learning in all of Mizahar, or so they say. You sure you don't want any breakfast? If not, let's go do some errands!"

[Titus]

Titus nodded, "Yeah I ran into him. He looked lost and I was looking for something to do." he said remembering the way they met. Ricky with his broken ribs looking for a girl. He shook his head and chuckled. "Figured I'd be nice for once" he added before she asked her next question. "That would be fine with me". Titus followed behind her, watching her hip sway side to side. Only looking up when she pointed something out to him, in which he replied with a nod. His eyes traced up her back and back to her shoulders, he let out a small sigh. "I am from Nyka, trying to get away and nothing at the moment" he said, answering her barrage of questions in one motion. When they finally reached there home he stepped inside. He followed her around the house, before he looked around and said "Nice place". He was a bit surprised when he went outside and saw a small dog sitting there. He leaned down and he held out his hand for him to sniff. "No I am fine" he said standing up after awhile. "After you" he said.

[Leila]

Leila took Titus by the arm, letting him walk with her like a proper gentleman would. His arms were massive, and solid, and she could feel the muscle. She didn't hold on romantically like she used to do to Ricky, but in a friendly way. She wasn't worried about anyone endangering her before, but now it was definitely safe. Leila could tell that Titus wasn't much of a talker, probably similar to Ricky, more of a man of action. Hopefully he wasn't as blockheaded as Ricky was, but that was still a redeemable quality. So rather than force him into small talk, she just enjoyed the pleasure of his company as she walked with him, steering him back towards the docks, albeit by a different route. Syna was beginning to rise and the morning fog was beginning to dissipate. And Zeltiva was coming alive. Shops were beginning to open up, workers beginning to be seen all around, even a few children were now running about. As they approached the docks, Leila saw another ship arriving, a big merchant vessel and smiled. She was glad she'd brought her coin purse, she loved nothing more than meeting the merchants as they disembarked. "Shall we do some shopping?" Leila led him down to the dock, when she saw another man there waiting, short silver hair, back to her, but she knew the smile, the eyes that looked away. She let go of Titus' arm, and ran towards the man. "Papa!" She threw herself at him, and he turned around and caught her, as if he knew she was doing that all along. "Hey there little bird, what brings you down to the docks so early?" Then Leila remembered her manners. "Papa, this is Titus, he just arrived this morning, I'm giving him a tour of the town. I saw the merchant ship coming in, and came down here to do some shopping. Are you here to pick up something for mother?" Her father moved to shake Titus' hand, his own still iron strong despite having been off the ship for a few years. "Pleasure to meet you Titus, welcome to Zeltiva." He then turned to Leila, "You know her, she bought a few chairs from Riverfall. And I'll probably never be allowed to sit on them either." He chuckled, as the ship threw down its gangplank, and to workers began to unload. Leila and her father stood near the man that worked for Customs, taking inventory of what was coming in, so they could get a heads up on the goods. Spices from Ahnatep, grains from Syliras, pottery from Alvadas, all interesting, but none of it Leila wanted to buy. Until she heard the little yips. A man in a big red hat came down the gangplank, while workers carried a large barred cage behind him. Inside the cage was a bunch of blankets, and buried in those blankets were a bunch of white puppies, with large brown splotches on their coats. Titus would hear an audible 'aww' from Leila. After the man in the hat checked in at customs, he saw Leila's longing stare. He walked up to her, a merchant's grin splitting his face. "I see you like my whelps. Do you keep any dogs?" Leila blushed lightly at the man's attention, "I have a Falivan Elk dog, he's a big sweetheart." "Wow, I'm impressed miss. That's a big dog for such a lovely, little woman as yourself. You must take good care of him. But I bet you have a good bit of land for a dog that size? So he can run around and exercise right?" Leila nodded, "I own a small herbalism shop and about an acre of land, Shaco gets a lot of room to run around." "Herbalism you say? A bunch of stock then. You might not have a pest problem now, but soon the rats will find your stores. They love to eat on that sort of thing. However," he then placed his hand atop the cage, "These little guys are the perfect defense. These are Sykanis, and they are the best ratters in all of Mizahar. They are small, fast, and smart. They can kill more rats than any cat could dream of, and are decent guard dogs. They may not be able to fight off a burglar, but they will certainly let you know if someone is on your property that shouldn't be. And if you're able to feed an Elky, these little guys won't be a problem in the least. They can be a quite hyper, however, I bred most of these from calmer parents. They'll still be full of energy, but with their breeding and your large yard, they will easily entertain themselves." Leila was already sold, and the merchant knew it. The puppies were adorable, and would grow up to be useful. Negotiating would be cake for the man. "How much do they cost? If it's not too much, they sound like a worthwhile investment. And would I get to pick out which ones I want?" "Of course my lady, now back home in Yahebah, I would sell these pups for twenty golds a piece, but I'll need to raise the price for the trip here. How does thirty golds each sound? And I'll make sure you get a male and a female, from separate litters, in case you ever wish to breed them yourself. You'll have to wait a while, for they aren't quite old enough to be away from their mothers, but when they are, I will deliver them to you myself. I have my own flat here if you wish to check up on the ones you purchased." Leila was smitten with them, but the moment mizas were mentioned, her mother's training kicked in, "Thirty golds is quite high for ratters, when rats aren't a problem currently. And I imagine, like rats, they breed quickly and often. And if you came from Yahebah, then these were born on the ship, not back in the city, so the trip isn't as costly as you make it seem. I'll split the difference, twenty-five golds, and you throw in some paperwork on how to best raise and breed them, as well as dietary concerns. When will they be ready for delivery?" The man's smile shrank a little, realizing he wasn't just dealing with a girl who loved cute things. And he knew he'd already lost the negotiation, for he was unprepared and no words came forth quickly. Resigning, "Alright, twenty-five golds per pup, and I have a few copies of a guide I've written on the breed. I have a standard contract for us to sign, to ensure delivery of the goods in a proper time, and I will file it with the Library." He then opened up the cage, separating out the pups with the eyes of a man who knew his craft, into three groups. "Each grouping is a separate litter, so you'll want to pick ones from different group. The first group is all females, the second one is half and half, and the third is mostly males. Pick which ones you'd like, and I'll get everything ready." He then pointed out which were males and females, and the search was on. Leila took several chimes of playing with the puppies, but picked out a female with two brown splotches on her hind hips, and a male with a spot surrounding an eye. The merchant then gestured her over, quill and ink ready, "Do you have the payment?" Leila nodded, then handed over fifty golds, the man signing a section. "I've signed that payment was received, you sign her indicating you've given payment. Then I will file this and have it copied until the time of delivery, which you will sign once more indicating receipt of goods. The pups should be ready around the thirtieth. I will come to your shop in person with them. Would you like your manual now?" Leila nodded, signed her name, and the merchant handed one over. "Pleasure doing business with you miss Hughes." The man and his pups then made their way down the docks toward town. Leila saw her father was off speaking to some sailors, and she looked around for Titus. When she finally found him, "Sorry about that, I couldn't resist such an offer. I didn't mean to get so sidetracked. I hope you weren't too bored. Did you buy anything?" Grading ModeratorPurchases: 2 Sykanis Pups (normal worth 15gm, paid 25gm each) = 50gm + 1 Breeding Manual

[Titus]

Titus had dropped his stuff in a corner before being pulled out of the house by the tiny women. She wrapped her arms around his as she led him back to the docks. He remained quiet not really knowing what to say as they walked onto the docks. "Sure" he said as she asked him a question. He felt oddly protective right now, which wasn't really weird for him, but he just met this girl. He shook his head and walked beside her. Suddenly he felt her release his arm and ran off, yelling "Papa". Titus watched as she jumped into an older mans arms. They talked but Titus couldn't hear them until he walked closer, stopping just before reaching them. He heard her mention his name, his face stayed straight as she talked to this man, who he assumed was her father. Her father moved to shake his hand, which he returned with a firm grasp of his own. "You to sir" he said. Titus watched as they unloaded things from the ship, he put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes relaxing a bit. He opened them when he heard Leila let out an awww. He watched as she talked to another man, big enough to hold his own about the same size as Titus. He remembered his work on the docks before leaving Nyka. They were nothing like the docks here, but it made him a bit homesick. He shrugged it off and took a few steps towards Leila, his arms dropping to his side. He cracked his neck as they talked about dogs, not really interested in getting an animal. Not that he could afford it anyway. He chuckled as he listened to Leila cut the man down in a discussion of price. "Interesting" he mumbled with a slight smile. He walked off to look one of the ships over. Admiring it abit, with a smile he turned back and looked at Leila as she approached him asking if he had bought anything. "Nah, and don't worry about it. I wasn't bored, they have some nice ships here" he said with a mild interest.