[IC] Nomadium - The Nomad's Respite

Tyvin moved herself back to the table and flopped down to sit beside Elin, a bit of pride in being able to entertain the two, though a bit of a realisation that she'd only been able to enrapture the young ones. "Him? Well, considering his current conversation with Amorra, a dumb ass; like I said a few minutes prior. Been here as long as Scales, I think'' Well, she guessed given the manner in which he talked to Amorra. While Tyvin had never really met the man despite her few short years here, she wanted to appear... Uh... Knowledgeable.

At the girl's twinge of depression at a common fear, Tyvin shrugged. "Don't look so down. Count yourself lucky that you and Elin here get to keep your cuteness, I'm a walking 'Mage here!' sign"

"Don't look so amazed. Poking a fellow mage here won't usually get you that much trouble, and he knows that, Kid." It was strange, Tyvin called him kid despite nowing full well he was only around three years shy of adulthood. Maybe it was an attempt to sound superior? "How old are you now? You'll probably be starting bigger contracts soon"
 
"I think it's another of the older Mages here." Shiori said looking at the newcomer. "And as for my book, it-" Shiori's brow furrowed "doesn't let people other than me touch it.
 
Cato laughed, a soft sound that was somewhere between teasing and good-natured. He continued to eat as Amorra spoke, noting the expression on her face, the extent of the sound waves she was creating--- Ah, she must have been yelling pretty loudly. He thought. He hasn’t seen her for so long that he had a little problem figuring out what she was saying, but knowing Amorra, she must have been throwing off insults at him like always. What was that thing she used to complain to her about, how he made her eardrums bleed or something? It was an exaggeration of course, he had been careful not to actually hurt her. He just liked to... well, tease her, like now. Every time her hand darted to grab her plate, he would move it just a couple of inches short, further aggravating her. “Lively as ever, huh?” As he finished the meal he stole from Amorra, he couldn’t help but look around again, especially to the message board where job listing can be found. After all, since he’ll be staying here for a while, those job listings got easy ways to make money for his living. He was planning to save up for his next travels. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees. It would have been great if they do.

As his eyes wandered, his gaze fell on one of the kids he had noticed earlier. It was the young lad, staring at him with wide eyes with a tinge of something that looked almost like admiration. His eyes continued on to see the younger girl beside him. He tilted his head, placed his empty plate down and with a small concerned look, and whispered to himself. “Too young.” He remembered the first time he stepped into his place, he was a month shy of fourteen. Amorra was young too when she got here. To him, it was almost sad to think that people so young get their lives cursed forever by magic. He tapped Tyner’s shoulder a little with a slightly dark smile. “Is this a mage guild or an orphanage? Really, Tyner.”

From the distance, he picked up a couple of words from their conversation. Who… he… older… mage… For the average person, it was hard to explain how he can pick up certain words from the way their sound “felt” like, but to Cato, it was almost as natural as breathing now. Are they talking about me? He wondered. He was much too far to see their lips and confirm, but he was pretty sure they are. For friendliness’s sake, he waved a little at them, before turning back to to Amorra. “Miss Grumpy, let’s do a job together sometime. For old time’s sake.” he grinned a charming grin, the type of grin that usually made people say yes, but never Amorra, it seems. “Please? I’m broke.” He added as an afterthought.
 
"Really?" Shiori replied to Tyvin, tracing her fingers down the black marks leading up to her eye, even then also thinking about the swirling blue marks and pupilless eyes that greeted her every morning in the mirror. She knew Tyvin was trying to make her feel better, but she almost made it worse. Almost. She still smiled sadly a bit and let out a hushed laugh.
Shiori was surprised when the other mage waved. She didn't expect him to notice them. This kind of attention made her face flush a bit. She also thought he was talking to Tyner, probably about something that had to the with them. She saw him mouth 'Too young.', making her cast her gaze down again. She wanted to get out of this sort of awkward situation she was in, so without thinking she blurted out to Elin before thinking"Hey, if you wanna see my book, we can go upstairs to my room and I'll show you something." realizing what she said made her even more flustered, and she clutched her book even tighter and hunched her shoulders. Darn it, Shiori, think! That sounded like the stupidest and most child-like thing ever. Maybe you're not cut out for this after all.
 
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Tyner nodded along to Amorra's statements, understanding them all too well. Less, even. He could conceal his "gift", but Amorra...well, she was cursed to be a monster to all that laid eyes upon her. It was taxing for all of them, of that much he was certain. He muttered a single "We carry on, Amorra. Isn't that right?" giving a smile. It was a phrase everyone in the guild was used to hearing; the concise words of comfort the old guildmaster would use for everything from paper cuts to lost loved ones. It was small, and meaningless, but when Tyner said it, his heart could be felt.

Grinning all the while Cato teased his not-so-friendly comrade, Tyner visibly shifted at the criticism. The recoil was subtle, but plain to see, as if he had pricked himself. He agreed with Cato: these children were too young, too young for what had been through at their age. He hoped he would not repeat the same mistakes.

"Yes, well," He started, returning to his knowing smirk, "they had to go somewhere, didn't they? They are very bright young pupils. It will be many years before they embark on their own bounties, one can hope..." he trailed off, glancing about the room at the lack of experienced Nomads. "However, if certain young strapping heroes continue to not return, I may be forced to put them in the line of fire." he nagged, wagging an imaginary finger at the man.
 
Elin continued to stare at the newcomer. Apparently he was a regular but that was hardly surprising. He could own the place from the way he walked and held himself. Elin spotted him looking over and blushed, the tips of his ears turning red. He wished he had his hat on to hide it but instead he had his big red ears sticking out of his curly bed hair, gangly arms almost in his porridge. What a sightthey must think him. Tearing his eyes away, Elin wished he could just grow into his limbs already.

He nodded to Tyvin. "Yeah, I would like to go on a real mission soon, but it's kinda hard on my own. You know, with the," He waved his fingers vaguely and briefly gave Tyvin a burst of strength. Not much, just to get his point across. He gestured to himself. "Even with all the strength boost these skinny arms and legs are really only good for running away." Suddenly glum at the reminder of how many worlds apart he was from someone like Cato, Elin spooned his porridge idly.
Shiori's offer of friendship hit him like a truck. Blushing once again, he gave her a bewildered look, but then a shy smile crept over his face. Someone wanted his company, even if he couldn’t fight any monsters yet. He nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I can show you my power as well if you want!" Hoping she didn’t think him too eager, Elin shovelled the rest of his porridge into his mouth.
 
"You know, just because you're not on death's doorstep 24/7 doesn't mean it's not a real mission. I could use someone like you on my next mission, enhancements can come in handy; Plus, you aid my ego well" She winked, patting him on the shoulder. "If you want to make those arms more practical, I could show you a thing or two. Just because I don't stick my head in a lions open mouth to look like a bad ass, doesn't mean I have no substance" Breifly she gestured to the bow on her back. "Don't waste your time trying to be someone else, as long as you're not a psychopath, you should focus on being you" She had to reach deep into the book of ''Motivational speeches for Dummies'' for that one.
 
Shiori's embarrassment faded after Elin accepted. With a soft smile, she relaxed her shoulders and stopped clenching her book. "O-Okay." she said, nervously "Follow me" she walked over to the hallway leading to the rooms, looking over her shoulder to see if he was following. She brushed a stray hair out of her face and clutched her book with a bit of anxiety, no excitement. She wanted to show someone this for a long time, but she also wanted to have a friend, and Elin seemed like he could possibly fill both those roles.
 
Amorra was still slightly pissed but then gave out a loud sigh as she knew that her food was now gone and the fight for it was over. She heard Tyner's words and gave out a short laugh that was more of sarcasticness. How many times did she hear that line from him? Unhelpful as always she thought but at the same time those words did have a meaning. Carry on as if nothing has happened eh? Or maybe carry on for the sake of an unseen goal. Whatever it was she did not think too much into it. The bartender shook his head at Amorra as he never liked it when Amorra broke glasses but she knew she would have to pay for the trouble and she always did. He brought her another glass and let the cook know she needed more food.

She looked back over at Cato who was know looking towards the kids that were sitting behind them and she followed his gaze. She did happened to look at the kids with maybe a look of concern but it seemed a bit more harsh then that. Amorra was not good at expressing feelings other than anger but there were times where she had in the past tried to help young kids who came in. But given her personality she caused more issues then solve and her appearance did not really help her case. Her gaze returned to the new glass that was set in front of her. The bartender told her to not break this one and she apologized about breaking the other one. She often forgot how strong her grip was given her... interesting features. She took another drink from her glass and then Cato asked her to do a job with him and she put down her glass slowly then looked at him with her piercing yellow eyes. She did not like being referred to as Miss or Grumpy nonetheless both of those terms at once. He then gave one of this so called stunning smiles which she simply ignore and gave a cold but tired "No" as her answer. He then added pleased and told her he was broke and she sighed. It was hard for her to actually decline an offer at a job but she just came back from her own mission and was tired and needed to rest.

"I just came back here from doing a contract." "I don't have plans to go on another one especially with you." she said more in a tired voice then actually being cold. She took another sip and her right arm began to hurt slightly and she winched slightly. She hated to turn down going to missions but she had to be more careful know as it seemed her body was becoming hard to control these days and her attitude. She figured she might of needed the time to relax and try to feel better. But regardless of Cato the contracts they had accepted in the past were always fun and she did have an enjoyable time with Cato... sometimes. Amorra's stomach then growled and as if on cue out came the bartender with a plate of food at hand and simply placed it down in front of her. She then started to eat waiting for what Cato would have to say to her.
 
“Shut up, old man.” Cato replied, making a show of rubbing his ears as if he had heard enough. Well, in a literal world that wouldn’t be the case but… whatever. “I am already twenty-three you know. Twenty-three. That’s practically middle aged in mage terms! If I die in the next five years, how can I say I lived my life to the fullest, huh?” he grinned wide, showing all his teeth. “Those little shrimps will have to face that line of fire someday, since they’re already here anyway, they might as well start young. We can’t protect them forever within the four walls of this guild. But the least we can do is guide them in their first few steps out.” He glanced at Amorra and made a disappointed frown at her refusal. He shrugged, seeming to drop all pretenses of teasing as he realized that she indeed is tired. “Then… maybe some other day.” He said. He walked away from the two, facing the direction of the kids. The boy seemed to be eagerly inhaling his porridge, while the girl was waiting for him. Are they planning to go off somewhere?

“Hey, little shrimps!” he said as he put his palms on their heads, flashing a confident smile. “I’m Cato. Cato L’astaer. I’m a regular here. I’ve been a member for about nine years now, but I disappear every few years to do my research.” He took out his notebook, showing them. “You see, I’ve been collecting information about the nature and the forms magical items and abilities stem from, I was hoping to get some data from you two. Would you help me out? Ah, from you too, Miss, if you don’t mind.” He said, glancing over at Tyvin for a moment.

He leaned over a little towards them, whispering. “Also, since Miss Grumpy just declined my offer of a date, I really am feeling lonely right now. I was dumped. My ego, my pride!” he said dramatically. “So! Let me show off, just this once. Do you young ones want me to show you something cool?”
 
Shiori mentally face palmed. Great, now she's stuck in this situation, might as well make the best of it. She looked nervously at Elin.
"Uh, sure. My name's Shiori." She said looking down and blushing hotly clutching her book, now with nervousness and embarrassment "You, um, you can show your thing first." Shiori shuffled her feet "It's probobly cooler than anything I've got."
Calm down. Veda spoke up. They'd been quite lately, and Shiori was surprised. Veda seemed to know what to say, but sometimes said it vaguely. She wondered if they did it on purpose to tease her.
 
Elin's eyes bugged out of his head as the man came towards them. Was he coming to them? To start a conversation with them? Did he need something done? Were they being too loud? Elin swallowed the last of his porridge as the man got closer.

Cato. The name of his idol was Cato. Elin nodded eagerly at his words. He'd love to look at his notebook though he probably wouldn't understand most of it. Shiori responded hesitantly but positively, and elin was glad. He gave her an encouraging smile. He couldn’t wait for her to show him whatever it was she was excited about, but Cato was right there and asking. "Well she can be a bit grumpy I guess, but we can chat."
 
"I might mind... But I'm too lazy to get up right now after doing a bread and bowl puppet show" Tyvin had sat there and watched Cato approach with a bored gaze, all the attention of the young ones now projected onto him. This was starting to become a common theme for Tyvin's interactions with children. She stretched out her and adjusted her neck for the fifth time that morning, though had a bit of a chuckle at the rather extreme reaction the man's approach was getting from Elin. Maybe it's just because I've been doing this a while, but he's enraptured all too easy... Which meant her job here was probably done now.

"Maybe in a few minutes I'll be active enough to reach the job board..." And then Cato had asked to do something cool. "Fine, but if it fucks up the bar, I'm not covering your ass" She really made no attempt to censor herself around the younger mages, but with what awaited them as they grew up, she really didn't care. THey should learn their swear words before they go out, or they won't know what to say when missions get messy. "You'll probably want to make it quick, Shiori really wants to show ELin something. And I think the boy is currently crushing on you..." She lightly joked, gesturing to ELin's expression.
 
Tyner scoffed at Cato's display, observing his little recruitment scheme. Waving down the bartender, he asked politely for another cup of tea. In moments it was delivered, steaming and bitter. He smiled. Just the way he liked it.

Still sitting quietly next to Amorra, he gestured towards Cato. "Ever the charmer, isn't he?" He chuckled. If anyone was a tough nut to crack, it was the scaly warrior sitting across from him. And Cato was not cracking her very well.
 
Elnius Blath didn't frequent the Nomad's Respite all too often, he never really saw a need to other than for business. His particular strain of magic allowed him to make a fairly profitable living without having to stand out too much as a mage. He came into the Nomad's respite now and again to sell the rarer of his plants that he grew. Some mages took them to make medicines, painkillers, and all sorts of healing tonics as well as put them to use in potion making. The those on the outside he just seemed like a simple young gardener. The only dead give away of his magic was that his hair was tinged a dark blue which matched the color of his eyes.

Elnius entered the Nomad's Respite with a smile on his face as well as a bit of dirt. He had just finished harvesting some plants from his garden and so his knees, his coat and his gardener's gloves looked a bit dirty with garden soil. He carried with him a small box with little potted plants and clipped leaves and petals from his garden. He went to his normal table near the front window and set the box down there.
 
Shiori smiled back at Elin sheepishly. Turning her attention to Cato, she moved out from under his sweaty palms and attempted to fix her hair. Realizing it was no use, she gave up and instead smoothed her robe. She realized she was still in the one she slept in, and quickly muttered a tiny enchantation that changed the sleeping wear to a more fitting blue with gold embroidery. On perk of having a book that could change the world around you.
 
Cato smiled. The kids looked quite enthusiastic. He held his palm out in front of him, facing the ceiling. At first nothing seemed to be happening. And then a gust of wind caressed the Elin’s hair. Another flowed past Shiori’s cheeks. Cato grinned as the wind packed closer, with the core at the center of his palm. In normal combat, he didn’t really need much time, but he figured the kids will appreciate some anticipation. In his head, he imagined the image he wanted to make. He imagined the wind bending to his will, the particles getting closer, closer… until it’s close enough to maintain itself.

A solid form.

Suddenly, Cato closed his hand. It did not close completely. In his hands, out of nowhere, was a dagger. Double edged, firm, sharp, deadly… and almost invisible to the eye. It has a transparent glassy appearance that glinted off light, as though the dagger--- blade, hilt and all--- was entirely made of glass. Cato knew better. The dagger felt cool to the touch, and unlike a normal dagger it felt almost fluidic, like it will dissipate any moment. Cato was confident it won’t though. That’s just the nature of his magic, since the wind, like him, does not want to be restrained. He put it down on the table, encouraging them. “It’s a wind dagger. Want to touch it? Be careful, it’s sharp.”

With a flick of his hand, he summoned another one. He played it on his hands, casually. “You see; my ability is to make wind bend to my will. It’s pretty handy, as it also forces me to be creative in order to make anything useful. When I was your age, I thought my ability was pretty much useless. The only thing I could do is be the world’s most efficient hand fan.” He laughed. “What I like about these daggers that I made, is that I can pull them out from almost anywhere, I don’t have to carry them around wherever I go, and I can summon as many as I want too. Well, within reason. Too many at once is pretty tiring.” As he played with the dagger, an idea caught in his mind. “Watch.” He winked at the two, facing back the direction of the bar. “Hey, Mr. Bartender!” Without hesitation, he suddenly threw the dagger in the direction of the bartender. The dagger flew at seemingly the speed of sound, then, right as it was an inch from the bartender’s face, it exploded into a burst of wind, blowing his hair a little. The bartender didn’t even blink, it seemed as though he was used to Cato being like this: fooling around.
 
Shoiri gasped. The daggers looked beutiful, and she was in awe of how eloquently he used it. As Catos wind blew across her check, she smiled genuinely. "That's... Amazing" she said breathlessly "I, I wish I had control over my spells like you. I'm... Not much use in battle." She looked down a bit, nervous, and her smile now turned uncertain "Um, do you, wanna see my thing now?" Shiori glanced around nervously, biting her lip and thumbing the pages of her book, anxious to show them what she could do.

Shiori couldn't help but notice the scent of plants. She glanced over to see a young man, with a box of plants and an earthy smell around him. She wondered what he was doing here. Was he a gardener? Veda spoke up, Mage. He's a Mage. Surprised, she looked again. Yes indeed, he was a Mage, with his colored hair being the only real sign of it. She put aside the thought, she'd go up to him later. She was curious though, as to his powers. Plant related, most likely, from his attire.
 
Elnius organized his box one more time before started to walk around the tables. I always made my way to the people who looked to be in most need of my services, specifically those who looked injured. I managed to sell a few potted plants and some clippings here and there. I was only half way through the room when I felt and heard a rush of wind and saw another mage throw a dagger made of air at the bartender. It stopped me in my tracks for a moment but I continued onward seeing that everything was fine.

I got to a table near to the bar and the bartender noticed the dirt on my attire. He grumbled and started telling me off for tracking dirt around his establishment. I apologized but this was a common occurrence as I always forgot to clean myself up before coming here.
 
Alethea Rudicum hadn't visited the Nomad Respite in over a week, and still wasn't incredibly familiar with the place. Pushing open the door with her sleeve-covered hand, she took a small step in and blinked, adjusting to the difference in light. Tugging on her sleeve, she reached up and smoothed her auburn curls with her hand, surveying the room. People around, to be sure. Fiddling with the cuffs of her robe, the girl walked up to the bar, jumping up slightly to seat herself on a stool.She looked up at the bartender, and saw with surprise that his hair was ruffled by a mysterious breeze. Blinking quickly, she asked, "Could I get some coffee? Black." After receiving the hot drink, she spun the cup slowly in a circle, staring at the dark liquid tiredly.
 
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