[Haven] Vega & the Bookdweeb

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 19 Ashan

The meeting between herself, Kura, and Vega was complete, but Elisabeth wasn’t done yet. She had spent a lot of time recently, due to her visions, thinking about Vega and now Vega was right there, in Haven. It felt like, amongst other things, someone was trying to tell her something. Something important.

More to the point, she wanted to spend some time with Vega. The young mage didn’t know when she would get over to the other side of the island, where Vega was staying, but the opportunity ahead of her was in the present. She would take it and hopefully foster it to the best of her ability.

Elisabeth had never been good around the red-head. Having met her first at Storm’s Edge – what seemed a lifetime ago – Elisabeth had been much more naïve to the world back then. She had figured out to watch, listen and learn. And even though it was only three seasons prior, it felt like the world had changed since.

After the meeting and Kura departed, Elisabeth smiled at Vega and extended the invitation. “If you don’t have to get back to Hopetoun in a hurry, I would be happy if you would stay here for a while. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you and you’ve been on my mind. I was hoping we would talk? I can get us some tea and we can sit next to the bonfire on the beach? It’s one of my favorite spots here."

They were a world away from Rharne, Storm’s Edge, and the Caverns. Maybe it was the perfect opportunity for them to get to know each other a bit better, in a place that was so unlike the one where they first met.

[Vega]

19th Ashan, 721

following this

Breathing in, Vega looked around at the place Elisabeth suggested. A bonfire on a beach? Vega had to smile at the irony, considering the number of bonfires on beaches all around Idalos she'd sat next to, danced around. Something about being a biqaj she supposed and she nodded. "I love me a beach bonfire, that'd be nice." She was quite content to walk down to the beach with Elisabeth and she glanced around at the woman. "You doin' alright?" Vega asked. She'd met Elisabeth previously, at Storm's Edge. They'd made their way to the Umbral Caverns, and Elisabeth had been part of that. She'd come along as part of the research, because Vivian had asked her to, and Vega had been happy to have people who were brains rather than brawn.

The meeting had finished, Kura had made her way back to Scalvoris main island and Vega was about to make her way back to Hopetoun, but Elisabeth said that she wanted to talk, that Vega had been on her mind. Vega figured that she understood why, of course, but equally she wasn't quite sure what to say that was more than had happened or been said during that meeting. "Tea sounds great, though. You got any mint?" She loved some mint tea and she found that it helped, these trials, with her nausea.

Once they got to the beach, Vega was happy to sit, to sip tea if tea there was, and to look out at the sea. She didn't sit too close to the bonfire - after all, she was constantly over heated due to her father's curse. So, she sat far enough away from it that she wasn't heating even more.

"So," she said, looking at the ocean with colours swirling in her eyes. "it's been a while an' a lifetime an' a whole world or more since Storm's Edge," and that was very much the case as far as Vega was concerned. "What've you been up to, Elisabeth?"

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 19 Ashan

Vega had agreed to stay for a bit, causing the young woman to smile. Leading her back along the beach, Vega’s question about how she was doing caught her a bit off guard. In most cases, she would have quickly recovered and gotten on with things. The red-haired woman was definitely not ‘most cases’ – at least not to Elisabeth. Vega was smart when it came to seeing things. She had witnessed that firsthand in the Caverns. Did the woman suspect something? There was really no way to know, but the one thing she knew she couldn’t do was sidestep the question.

Laughing a bit, dark curls blowing about, she glanced over at her companion. “Oh, I suppose that depends on the break and trial, really…but for the most part, I’m okay, yes. Faldrass is special to me. I’m not sure how to explain it but I felt it the first time I was here. I didn’t realize I would be living here but it seems…right.” It was hard putting feelings into words, even for someone that liked words as much as Elisabeth.

As they arrived at the small bonfire directly out from the tent she shared with Balthazar, she nodded and smiled at Vega’s comment. “Mint tea can be absolutely be arranged. Please, make yourself comfortable wherever you’d like, and I’ll have tea in your hands before you know it.” Elisabeth enjoyed black tea herself but occasionally felt the need for a bit of mint. As such, mint leaves were readily available. In the corner of the bonfire was a cast iron tea kettle that was kept warm by the flames most all trial. Whenever she walked past it during the trial, she added water to it to make sure that should anyone need hot water, it was available.

Grabbing the small wooden box sitting next to a log by the fire, Elisabeth set the box on top of the log and went to work. Lifting out two cups, she sat them down on the log and rummaged for the pestle, all the while hearing Vega’s question about what she had been up to since Rharne. Smiling a bit, the raven-haired mage nodded and agreed. “A lifetime indeed, although some trials it seems like just yestertrial too. Time is a bit weird that way, I think.”

Taking the pestle and a square of clean linen, Elisabeth took a small handful of mint leaves and placed them on the linen, then lightly crushing the leaves to release the oils. After that, she simply bundled up the leaves, knotting the linen, and placed the sack into one of the cups. Drawing out the dried black tea leaves, she made a similar bundle and placed it within the other cup. Taking the two cups over to the fire, she placed them on the flat rock near the tea kettle, casting a smile over at Vega as she took and towel, grabbed the handle of the tea kettle, and began pouring the hot liquid over the leaves in each cup.

“Let’s see. I met Balthazar during the whole Storm’s Edge situation. Coming to Scalvoris was simply supposed to be a site-seeing trip. He wanted to show me his home and instead, ended up asking me to stay here with him. He was asked to start this settlement, so we’ve been here, working on that with the settlers. There have been a few hiccups along the way…but we are here now. I love it here, to tell you the truth.” Checking the cups, she noted that they both needed a little more steeping before she could pronounce them ready.

Elisabeth considered telling Vega about Almund but wasn’t confident in her own ability not to make a mess out of the story, so instead, she broached the subject that had been on her mind for quite some time.“Vega, I’ve been thinking about something and I’m hoping you can help me. I, of course, don’t know all the adventures you’ve been on, but I’ve seen a few.” Elisabeth, tapping her head, smiled at the redhead and continued. “Including and since Rharne, I feel like I’ve spent my time…on the back foot. Always. Showing up at exactly the right time for something I know nothing about. I’ve learned that it’s a great teacher, situations like that, learning how to thrive in said environments and I feel like, in part, you understand what living a life full of that is like.”

Checking the tea and finding it ready, she pulled out the linen sacks, letting them drip just a bit, and set them aside, handing Vega her tea and grabbing her own, plopping down in the sand next to the log.

“Does one ever get used to living like that? A surprise around every corner?”

If Vega looked, she would find Elisabeth’s sapphire eyes gazing out at the water. The question itself was sincere and honest, searching for answers within one that possibly understood. The two women may have been different but there was always common ground to find.

[Vega]

19th Ashan, 721

following this

Vega watched as Elisabeth fussed with the tea and she kept quiet. The way that they had the water boiling here seemed very odd to her, but Vega was aware that she and Arlo had both been camping for a lot of arcs and they were probably rather set in their ways. So, she said nothing, simply smiled and accepted the tea. She sniffed it first, and then smiled. "That smells great, thanks." She cradled the cup and sat, pulling her knees up and looking out to the ocean. Elisabeth explained that she'd met Balthazar in Rharne. Vega knew of him, of course, he'd turned up when they were fighting Rhaum, and he'd been at the Mummer's Ball. She didn't know much more than that, though, so her opinion ended where it began - and that was quite rare for her.

But, Elisabeth had a question on her mind, Vega thought. She had asked her to come down here because she wanted an answer or an insight or something. And, indeed, then she asked. It rather surprised Vega, in truth, what the question was and so she held on to her mug for a moment, and thought about Elisabeth's question, playing it again in her head. "I feel like I’ve spent my time…on the back foot. Always. Showing up at exactly the right time for something I know nothing about. I’ve learned that it’s a great teacher, situations like that, learning how to thrive in said environments and I feel like, in part, you understand what living a life full of that is like.”

She mulled it over and she considered it and then Vega came to a conclusion.

"I think," she said, thoughtfully, "that maybe I don't quite understand where you're comin' from."

That was not, in itself, unusual for the redhead. She often didn't really see things the way other people did. But, Vega felt that there was a fundamental misunderstanding here, and as she spoke, she realised what it was. "Or, maybe it's more a case of you not understandin' where I'm comin' from." The more she thought about it, the more she considered that was true. There were a hundred thoughts in Vega's mind at that moment as memory after memory fell in on her. For whatever reason, and Vega didn't understand why, fate or Scalvoris or the great lord guadalumpeen had shown this woman flashes of her life. As she considered that particular truth, Vega's eyes swirled in shades of blue.

"I don't live that life," she said with a slight smile. "I'm not 'on the back foot', an' while I'm not book-learnin' clever, I have never found a situation I've been unqualified to deal with." She shrugged. "Thus far, I've lived a rich an' full life, an' I've experienced a lot. But even when I was a kid, I weren't on the back foot, an' honestly?" Shaking her head slightly, she turned her gaze to Elisabeth. "I get that you're feelin' whatever it is you're feelin'. I do. But your assumption that there's any part of me what understands a life on the back foot, showin' up for things that I know nothin' about is like?" She never hesitated in saying what she thought or felt, and would not do so now. It simply wasn't her way. "That assumption would be downright offensive, if I cared for one trill what you, or anyone who so blatantly knows nothin' about me thinks about me." Raising her hand, she shook her head. "But, I don't, so it's not to worry about. But if you're feelin' like you're on the back foot, get your balance centred, or get on your front one an' dance." With a shrug, Vega smiled.

"Maybe to you, the fact that my life seems to be one thing after another means I must feel that way. Maybe because I'm clear about who I am an' what my strengths an' weaknesses are, it seems like I'm feelin' unqualified, or unable to deal with things. Nothin' could be further from the truth," she grinned at just how true that was. "An' maybe that's the answer you need. I know me. I understand me. Every insecurity an' fear that fire-demon whispered to me, I recognised. Because I'd thought it, considered it, an' understood it for what it was." Gesturing to the ocean, and the island around her, Vega sighed a little. "My life is great. Every trial is different an' I never know what's comin'. An' one trial, I'll meet the thing or the person or the disease or the natural disaster what stops me. But not to-trial."

As for the second part of Elisabeths question, Vega addressed it. "An' I don't know if you ever get used to livin' a life like mine. Since my first memory, every trial has had new things in it. New places, new people, bad things, good things. It's always been like that, I've never lived in a house, never stayed still." Flecks of orange added themselves to the mix in her mostly-blue eyes as she wondered what it would be like, living a life as she imagined most people must have. But she was never curious enough to find out. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it, not at all. I wake up every mornin' an' I'm grateful for it. I'll never take it for granted." She chuckled.

"But if there were part of my life I didn't like, or I had to get used to?" Vega shrugged. "I'd change it. If I felt out of place - an' I have, all my life - I'd look at why an' then decide if I cared. If I cared, I'd change it. If I didn't, I'd recognise I didn't care an' accept I jus' felt out of place." She'd chosen the second one time and time again - including at the Mummers Ball. Vega sipped her tea. "I'm not good with angst. I mostly can't be doin' with it. It's a selfish an' wasted emotion, an' I really don't understand it, or any of the things you've described. The only solution I can offer you is work out what the problem is in you, then either accept it or change it. Those are your only two options. If your life leaves you feelin' like that, change yourself or change your life." She smiled, and put down her now-empty cup.

"You know," she said with a smile. "There's better ways to keep yer water hot all trial. Make a chimney above the fire, an' then the stones of the chimney will be warm. They'll radiate heat an' you can make holders for the water, against them." Gesturing to the fire, she looked at it. "You're losin' tons of heat that way. With a chimney, you can have shelves in it, too, for roastin' an' stuff."

Why, Vega wondered, did no one ever ask her for advice about things she knew about? Why was it all about emotions and gubbins like that and never about chimneys?

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 19 Ashan

To be fair, Elisabeth just wanted to spend time with Vega. They hadn’t gotten to in Rharne and Elisabeth wanted to get to know the redhead. Unfortunately for Elisabeth, that meant questions. It had always been her way, charging ahead, trying to sort things out, asking whatever come to mind. That certainly had been the version of Elisabeth that Vega first met at Storm’s Edge.

There was a point though where she had to begin to understand that it wasn't about what she wanted. Did Vega want to know her? The raven-haired young woman operated off the general belief that people were happier when they were connected, but was it right of her to force a connection with someone else? Was she? Elisabeth didn't have the answer for that.

She had thought Vega might have the answer to something that had been plaguing her. In fact, Elisabeth had been certain of it…but the truth was, she had been wrong, and the other woman told her as much. Thinking back to Rharne, the young woman remembered her first interaction with Vega where a very similar blunder occurred. It seemed for all the progress she thought she had made in the time between, perhaps she hadn’t? It was a sobering thought that would take some thinking to sort.

Elisabeth listened to Vega tell her how her assumptions were wrong. That was more than fair – they were wrong. Wrapped up in what Vega told her, however, was wisdom - work out what the problem is and either accept it or change it. The woman had said many more things that she took to heart, but it really boiled down to that. It was, oddly enough, an elegant piece of advice for its pure simplicity.

Vega was blunt. She always had been, ever since Elisabeth had known her. Perhaps she needed to adopt a bit of that to find her way back to common ground with her. The young mage was always looking for ways to connect with others and sometimes those connections presented themselves more quickly. In others, they took a while.

Before she could speak, however, Vega pointed out the flaw in the way they were keeping water hot. Elisabeth listened, impressed by the idea. Dumbfounded really considering she didn’t know the first thing about camping or survival skills. There were a few settlers that did, and they all made do with whatever they cobbled together but Elisabeth, no. There hadn’t been time for her to prepare for the situation.

And that’s when the idea came to her.

Turning to Vega, Elisabeth smiled. “My name is Elisabeth, and I will never say the right things, even though I try to. I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing…but to be honest, I’m just trying to get to know you and doing a horrible job at it…”

It was a bit silly, but maybe she had just needed to start over and be honest with Vega.

Looking at the fire, she nodded, understanding what the woman was saying. “I’ve never been camping or lived outdoors a trial in my life before here. I’m out of my depth but learning…slowly. There hasn’t been much help in the way of learning skills, so I’ve been fumbling through most of it on my own, figuring things out.”

The way of life on Faldrass was much, much different than city dwelling. In many ways, she hadn’t been prepared for it, but it was where she wanted to be, so Elisabeth put her nose to the grindstone and watched, listened, and learned. Those were the things she did best.

Considering what Vega had said, Elisabeth had a question. "So, the shelves, how would you get things in and out of the chimney to set them on the shelves inside? From the top?"

Oh, and there was one other important thing. Something she hadn’t had the chance to do since finding out in the meeting with Kura and Vega.

“And many congratulations. On the baby.“

Babies were not something Elisabeth spent much time thinking about. There weren't any babies in the settlement but it was just a matter of time. Growing up, there had never been babies around her and as such, she knew nothing about them, but she was happy for Vega and her husband.

[Vega]

19th Ashan, 721

following this

She spoke - in her own unique and largely obstreperous manner. And, Elisabeth spoke. When she introduced herself, it caused Vega to raise an eyebrow. But then, Elisabeth went on to explain. To say that she was never saying the right thing, but that she was trying to. Vega didn't reply, didn't respond. Even when Elisabeth said she was doing a horrible job, she didn't say anything.

As Elisabeth explained that she had never lived outdoors, never camped. Vega smiled. "You did the whole livin' in a house thing?" She chuckled slightly. "You know, I once had a dream where Arlo an' I were livin' in a house. There was a garden gnome an' a well." She shook her head. As for the chimney, Vega shrugged slightly. "Depends what you want to do in there, I guess. If it's jus' shelves, then you can fairly easily jus' make a doohickey to catch the shelf an' pull it." She looked at where the chimney would be. "If it's baskets or stuff, or you want to be able to smoke things, then you'll need to rig up somethin' else."

When Elisabeth congratulated her on the baby, Vega grinned, her face showing her delight and - in fairness - there was no attempt to hide it. "Thanks," she said. "We're well happy." Terrified too, of course. But she didn't say that. Because, of course she didn't. And with a slight sigh, Vega spoke. "Look," she said. Vega turned to Elisabeth and she spoke. "I get that you an' I are different. We are. An' fairly obviously very different." Vega gestured to where the chimney wasn't. "I've lived my whole life on boats an' in camps. No houses. I learned to read a few arcs ago, an' I have about as much intention of enrollin' in a university as I do of removin' my toenails for no reason."

Vega gave a slight shrug. "Gettin' to know me, or me to know you, well, it's about me an' it's about you. But I'm not goin' to be navel-gazin', or philosophisin' about dealin' with our angst. I have emotions," she said. "One o' my Domains is Emotions, in fact. An' I tend to wear some of them on my sleeve. But I'm not goin' to hug it out an' we won't become friends by me tellin' you how I deal with things." Vega grinned. "You gotta understand by now that most of the time, I deal with things by sayin' it how I see it, an' not botherin' with anyone's feelin's. " Not even her own. Vega was unapologetically who she was. And that was - often - tricky.

But still, she appreciated the gesture, so she held out her hand. "My real name is Eva, but only my Papa calls me that," she said. "I used to be Eva Lei'nox, Lei'nox is my Mama's first name, but she died birthin' me, an' so my Papa took it as our clan name. Now, I'm Vega Creede. My husband an' I, we spend our time scamperin' around Idalos an' we have adventures one after the other. From explorin' Ishallr to havin' babies. It's all an adventure." She smiled. "I'm difficult an' argumentative an' a cantankerous mare, so I am. An' I don't apologise for it. I take no nonsense, an' I won't be anyone other than me." She grinned. "But as much as I won't hesitate to say it how I see it, I also won't hesitate to do what needs doin'."

With a slight smile, she addressed Elisabeth's point. "If you want to get to know me, it takes time an' workin' together. There is no right thing to say, jus' right things to do." She gestured towards the camp fire. "I'm like that chimney," she said. "If you want to learn about it, stop thinkin' that books an' that are the answer. There could be a thousand books written about me, an' they'll tell you nothin'. If you want to learn to make a chimney," she said, with a grin. "Make one. An' fail. An' then make another one, an' fail a bit less. Don't expect perfection to begin. Buildin' chimneys - an' gettin' to know me - it's hard an' it's complicated an' it's somethin' that you can learn by doin'. " Vega grinned. "Stop lookin' for help in learnin' skills, an' help yourself. An' don't think you need help in learnin' about me. That jus' happens the longer we're together, yeah?"

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 19 Ashan

The thing about Vega was that whenever she talked, Elisabeth listened. The young mage listened to everyone, knowing that knowledge came from all types of sources. Books were fine and for most of her life, she would have bet on a book over a person anytrial.

Rharne had taught her differently. Vega, Varlum, Balthazar, and Faith really were the ones that introduced her to the idea that people contained greater vaults of knowledge than a single book…because the knowledge that people contained had context and depth while knowledge in books was simply words. Books would always hold a special place in her heart, but she had a much better handle on when to refer to people and when books were better.

Back to Vega, Elisabeth always found when Vega talked, she wanted to listen to her. It had been the same back at Storm’s Edge. When Vega asked her about living in a house, Elisabeth nodded and smiled. It was fairly obvious, and the redhead was smart. She felt it didn’t really need further commentary, other than to comment on the gnome. “Now that you mention it, a garden gnome would have been helpful!”

Vega addressed the issue head-on between their differing personalities and ways of life. There was logic to everything she said, and it was said in a very Vega-way. The young mage might not have known her very well, but they had been together often enough that she could relate to everything the redhead said by thinking about the times they had been together.

Grinning as Vega took her hand, shaking it, telling Elisabeth about herself, she couldn’t help but feel some of the weight of the moment lift. She had told Vega the truth and while it might have been the clumsy truth, it was who Elisabeth was – she always tried, and even when things looked bad, she kept trying. A stubborn, curious thing she was. “A pleasure to re-meet you, Vega.” Even though she had told Elisabeth her real name, she had also said her father was the only one that called her that and she didn’t wish to disrespect that relationship.

She knew her as Vega and Vega it would be.

The last part of what she said was the most important part though, committing it to memory. Nodding, she smiled. “Thank you, Vega. I needed to hear all those things. Truly. I would love to see you soon. You are over by Hopetoun, yes? I haven’t had the chance to get over there yet and visit Darius so I might have to hop a boat and visit soon. Tell you all about my chimney building adventures.” Of course, she was going to try to build a chimney. And fail. And build another one. And fail again…

She’d eventually figure it out.

“Oh, I meant to ask. Have you heard from Gennadiya recently? I just send her a letter after I arrived on the island. Hasn’t been long enough to receive a reply yet but I’ve been thinking about her and thought to ask. I last saw her in Zi’da at the Order’s clinic. She was kind enough to teach me a bit about basic medical knowledge, things one might encounter traveling and such.” She had enjoyed getting to know the healer over the cycle in Rharne and looked forward to a possible return letter.

Looking a bit around the settlement, she confessed one of the things she was looking forward to. “With the warmer weather, I’m really intent on doing some gardening around the settlement. I did a little growing up and really enjoyed it but just haven’t had the time since to dig back into it.”

[Vega]

19th Ashan, 721

following this

Vega nodded. "Yeah, Hopetoun is where we've settled. It feels kind of meant to be, you know?" She smiled slightly. "We were comin' here to the resort. Storm's Edge righ' near flattened me, an' I need to rest." With a slight grin, Vega shrugged. She'd spent nearly an arc fighting and bleeding and working there, and it was time to rest. "Arlo thought it'd be nice to come to the resort an' have hot an' cold runnin' beautiful people tendin' to my every whim." Vega chuckled and shook her head. "But instead we found a place what needs strong arms, strong backs, an' where we were really welcomed. An', it's called hope." Motioning to the glowing constellation of a dragon on her chest with a flaming heart, Vega smiled. "Hope's important to me. Xiur has been right kind an' is well important to me." That, the young woman considered, was something of an understatement. "So, a warm welcome, hard work, an' a town called hope? It were meant to be."

She grinned as Elisabeth spoke about her chimney-building adventures, and Vega nodded. "I hadn't thought about chimneys, to be honest. I'll have to suggest it to Darius, too. Fire pits an' chimneys are much better ways to heat." Shaking her head slightly, she raised an eyebrow. "If you're goin' to build houses an' stuff, though, then you won't need most of that sort of survival things. " Why anyone would build houses was beyond Vega, but then she was also aware of how very differently most people felt.

As for Gennadiya, Vega's face lit in a smile. "Yeah, it's funny you should mention her, I wrote to her jus' today." She liked Genna, very much indeed. Bun, as she called her, had really put her back into what she was doing in Storm's Edge. She'd taught Elisabeth medicine? That didn't surprise Vega in the slightest. "Yeah, I taught her some fletchin' an' stuff, back in Storm's Edge. She tried to teach me some medical stuff in return." Vega shrugged slightly. "With a bit of luck, we'll never find out if I learned properly, because no one will need me to be their medic." That would be a very good thing, as far as Vega was concerned.

When Elisabeth raised the topic of gardening, though, Vega shook her head. "I'm not great at gardenin' but I'm learnin' bits. Mostly, I build the things what Arlo - an' now Hopetoun, I guess - use to grow. Like, I made planters for the sides of our cart, an' stuff like that. Arlo's the gardner of the two of us, an' we came here with our family. Biqaj work in clans, you know. So, it's two ships, my Papa an' Arlo's Papa. Then, my three cousins an' their wives." Vega shrugged. "It's jus' how we work. Shon, my cousin, he's a gardener. Reese is a builder, that sort of thing. We tend to work that way, learn different things. Each one, strenghtenin' the clan, an' bringin' somethin'."

That was their way. Speaking of which, Vega touched the lion locket at her throat, the image of the lion gifted to her by Daia ~ which Elisabeth would know, since she was there at the ball when Vega had used it to show that Daia was alive ~ and was quiet a moment. "An', right on time, that's my queue to go. I'm lookin' after a friend's kid for a while an' we've got a project on." Vega nodded, standing up and smoothing down her dress.

"Thanks for the tea, it were right nice." She smiled as she gathered up her bag. "Enjoy the chimney-buildin'." And, with that, she made her way back to the boat she'd brought and started the journey to get back to Hopetoun. Strange, she thought, that she refused to get on a boat, and yet here she was in their small rowboat. But then, she had her locket and could teleport herself to Wren if she needed to. Either way, she hugged the coastline and made sure that she was always chatting to Wren as she did.

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 19 Ashan

As always, Elisabeth listened to Vega. She seemed happy in Hopetoun and the young mage wasn’t at all surprised. Darius was a kind man who she was very fond of. It stood to reason his settlement would follow suit, welcoming and warm. Vega mentioned Xiur, which made her smile a bit. She herself had limited experience with Immortals but Xiur was one she was fond of. Stars and hope. Those were things Elisabeth could understand. Looking at the stars let her overactive mind settle in peace, and hope…well…everyone needed hope.

She understood Vega’s comment about building houses and not needing some of the survival things, but the more Elisabeth considered it, the more she thought about the things that made Haven unique – at least to her. The way she enjoyed cooking outside, watching the water and being at peace with herself. Maybe there was a way to incorporate some of what she had learned? A fire pit outside of whatever home they had in the future, maybe?

Laughing softly as Vega mentioned Genna teaching her a thing or two about medicine, the young woman shrugged. “I’m not sure how good a student I was but I think maybe I shouldn’t hope to find out. Ever.”

Listening carefully as Vega explained about their family, she smiled. Vega had the support of a clan and that made Elisabeth happy, especially knowing that she was pregnant. Her upbringing had been different but she could only imagine how much having such a family would feel like.

Standing as Vega announced her intention to leave, the young woman smiled, nodding her head. “You are very welcome, Vega. It was good to see you again. I will get over to Hopetoun soon and come say hello.”

Watching her walk away, Elisabeth didn’t let her get far before calling after her. There was one more thing she wanted to say. Swiftly making her way over, she hesitated for one trill and then got on with it. “If you ever need anything I can help with, let me know. And please send my sincerest congratulations to your husband. Again, I am thrilled for both of you. Safe travels, Vega.”

As with every moment she spent with Vega, the young mage was left with a list of things to consider and think about....and that was a good thing.

And in that moment, she sent a silent prayer to Saoire, thanking her for the gift that was Vega.

[Jackalope]

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Thread Comments:
Elisabeth: “This is the story beat where we have a bonding moment!”
Vega: “Life doesn’t work like that, but thanks for the tea.”

It was fun reading a thread where two such different personalities interact. And it ties into larger events, as well, so it isn’t *just* a social thread, either. Both of your closings, with Vega already focused on the next thing and Elisabeth still reflecting on what had happened, encapsulated their very different personalities, and their respective takes on the events of the thread.

Elisabeth

Experience: +15 xp


Knowledge:
Fieldcraft - Chimneys over fires use heat more efficiently
Fieldcraft - Rigging baskets in a chimney can smoke foods
Fieldcraft - Uncovered fires waste heat
Etiquette - Offering a guest a beverage
Etiquette - Offering congratulations for a major life event
Cooking - Crush mint leaves slightly to release oils
Cooking - Making a linen bundle to steep tea
Psychology - Realizing when you've verbally blundered...again.

Injuries/Overstepping: None.

Skillplay: Appropriate to level

Comments: Who knows what Elisabeth will end up taking from her experiences with Vega. The redhead has given her a lot think about, and a different way of thinking about them. Maybe sometrial she’ll build her own chimneys with shelves in them.

Vega

Experience: +15 x.p.

Skillplay: Appropriate to level.

Knowledges:

Detection: Spotting the best place to sit on a beach.
Discipline: Using techniques such as talking while rowing to allay fears.
Fieldcraft: Chimneys help retain heat
Fieldcraft: A campfire is often wasting heat.
Fieldcraft: Think about ways in which one thing can be multi-functional to maximise efficiency.
Psychology: Differences between people can be a source of misunderstanding.
Psychology: Understanding what you need to overcome a traumatic time.
Seafaring: Hugging the coastline Seafaring: Rowing a small rowboat

Loot: Non-jewelry quality fire pearl.

Comments: Vega is so resilient and self-assured, and about as no-nonsense as they come. I haven’t read any of her more challenging adventure threads, but I definitely want to now.

Let me know if either of you have any questions/feedback. Enjoy your rewards!