2017-04-04: Lending a Hand

• Log: Landing a Hand
• Cast: Rosaline Calice, Gwen Whitlock
• Where: Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon
• Date: April 04, 2017
• Summary: As apology for inadvertantly eavesdropping on Gwen, Rosaline reveals a little something about herself.

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=======================<* Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon *>=======================

Located in the southwest quadrant of Adlehyde, the Starfall Saloon is situated next to the local Adventurer's Guild outpost and kitty-corner from an ARMs Meister; the mostly-happy not-at-all-coincidence has turned the Saloon into a popular gathering place for Drifters. The Saloon has been carefully constructed to recreate the feel of a frontier alehouse - it has stables and a livery out back, and the main floor is taken up almost entirely by the sort of dark, slightly dank wooden tables and chairs that appeals to its clientele. An old harpsichord even sits in the corner, although it does not seem to be heavily used. Or in tune, for that matter. 

The Saloon's proprietor and bartender is known as Honest Tom; this is a bit of an in-joke among the regulars, as the man rarely speaks more than a dozen words over the course of an evening. The Starfall Saloon is widely known among Drifters for offering warm beds, cold beer and decent grub for a fair price, and so it sees a great deal of out-of-town traffic. It is also known for the three rules hung over the bar: NO GUNS, NO FIGHTS, NO CREDIT.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQRL7xws7w

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

It's early afternoon at the Starfall Saloon, which means the relative quiet contrasts the evening's usual liveliness.

This is just the way Rosaline likes it, to tell the truth. It's unusual enough to see a nun in this place, but she's also a Drifter, and so she still belongs here, if just on a technicality. She's actually here for the networking opportunities, perhaps even for a specific purpose, but it's not as if people could tell.

She's tucked away in a corner, enjoying a meal of fish and milk. She didn't WANT to be so stereotypical, but fish is what they're serving today, and milk is all they have that doesn't have alcohol in it! She eats quietly, her Extreme Teen Bible opened in front of her, lit by what little sunlight can filter in.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Some days, it's a steak and fries day. Other days, it's fish and chips. Then, finally, there's gruel day.

Gwen's currently in the middle, with fish and chips. Yesterday was a good day, with decent pay, a load of good karma coming her way with all the Heal Berries she brought in, with a massive load of help from a few others (who also got their pay and karma). Thus, with the berries delivered, pockets filled, and a good night's rest, she's back... and there's still no more courier jobs. They've taken care of the Heal Berry shortage. There's just not much to be done besides going to the saloon and just... seeing where the day takes you.

And Gwen'll do this with fish and chips, happy to cherr herself up with some good food. Swinging open the swinging doors, Gwen strolls in and sits herself down, catching sight of Rosaline, who she waves to. "Oh hey! How are things goin'! Didn't think I'd see you in 'ere, but it's not like it's required you imbibe anything."

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

Rosaline almost chokes on her milk when she looks up from her reading to see Gwen coming in. The beastwoman seems happy to see her, but there's a definite note of awkwardness in her demeanor. Then again, when has Gwen seen her NOT behave awkwardly?

"Oh! Hello there." She waves back. "I like the afternoon ambience," she says, "and I'd been hoping to speak to a few people. Things are... going well."

She hesitates a moment, her ears twitching in evocative but hard to interpret ways, before she speaks up again: "Actually, would you mind sitting with me? There was something... I wanted to talk to you about." She forces a smile.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Granted, the first time Gwen met Rosaline, Gwen was yelling, waving her arms, and accusing her of being a mountain lion. So, some awkwardness is to be expected. Still, this is something Gwen needs to take care of! She can't let their budding friendship stay like this, after all.

"Nothin' wrong with that," Gwen drawls casually. "It's a lot more quiet here in the afternoon. Nicer for some socializin' without any beer bottles being thrown, or beer kegs making holes in nearby walls. Those sorts of things."

Placing an order with Honest Tom, Gwen's gaze travels back to Rosaline, trying in vain to attribute the beastwoman's ear twitches to the appropriate emotions. "Oh? Don't mind at all! I'd actually appreciate the compa... ny..." The courier's words slow to a comedic stop at the forced smile and the notion of 'something that needs to be talked about'. Oh god. Oh god. Gwen shouldn't really checked to see if Rosaline was really sleeping that night?

Deciding to bite the bullet, Gwen leans in. "... Is it about that night a few days ago? Because, uh, you, um, don't need to feel scared of anyone. Especially me. Honest." She moves back, waving her hands. "Really! Nothing happened, everything was fine!"

Which likely makes Gwen look even *more* suspicious.

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

Rosaline nods vigorously. It IS nicer here in the afternoon. Then, she abruptly stops at the mention of keg-shaped holes. "Does that really happen?" she asks, almost whispering.

Rosaline tries to be welcoming while Gwen tries to be reassuring, and both meet mixed results at best. The catwoman actually cowers for a second, her ears pressed against her head, but it passes. When she raises her head again, she's blushing deeply.

"No, no-- I mean, yes! It's fine. It's fine, everything is fine." They seem to be in agreement. Honest Tom and whichever regular barflies are paying attention might find this scene odd, but then again they've probably seen far more noteworthy.

"I'm not... I'm not scared. Please don't worry." She's actually trembling a little, but she still looks up, making a monumental effort to meet the other woman's gaze. She lowers her voice, realizing very much that other people might overhear. She gestures for Gwen to come closer.

"You guessed right, I... I overheard you two talking the other night. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, honest... I-I can't help it, I have really sharp senses, and when I'm with people I have trouble sleeping, and..." She seems to be holding back tears. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

At Rosaline's horror, Gwen slowly nods, sparing no chance to theatrically amp up the surreal seriousness of her expression. "I wasn't there, but I heard it happened. Recently. People just get really rowdy here, sometimes." The solemn face dissolves quickly enough into a giggle, as she reaches over and whaps Rosaline (lightly) on the shoulder. "It's not that violent usually! You shouldn't feel afraid to do the things that bring you joy, especially if it's something an innocent as going to a saloon for an afternoon snack." She forgot the key content of 'you are a nun who does not drink', but it still works well enough for Gwen.

As Rosaline cowers, an anxious pit begins to form in Gwen's stomach. "H-hey, uh, no, really, everything's okay, uh, please, don't be scared..." Now it's the redhead's turn to shrink downwards, blue grey eyes staring pleadingly at the cat nun. "I'm not scary, I swear it." Her voice is a whisper, not wanting to alert the bartender of any indication of her being anything other than the sunny young woman who has begun to frequent the place. "Oh, you're not scared? Oh, uh, whew! That's a load off my shoulders."

As Rosaline gestures, Gwen leans in, her light eyes blinking with curiosity. "What?"

%TListening to Rosaline, the other woman nods slowly, then gives Rosaline a warm smile. "You too? I always have trouble sleeping when I'm around other people. But I never thought about that! Your ears must pick up a whole lotta stuff." If Rosaline allows her, Gwen gently takes her hands and, with the presentation of a high priestess, states, "I forgive you, and your apology has been accepted. Now, go forth and... be a good nun person." She trails off, her temporary role wearing off like water off a duck's back. "You should probably chat with Rudy, too. Not because I think he'd get mad or anything. I think he needs to hear from more people like you that you're okay with him."

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

"They do," Rosaline admits of her ears. "It's usually more trouble than it's worth." Gwen's demeanor seems to put her at ease, or at least back to an acceptable, baseline level of anxiety for her.

There's some hesitation for her to let her hands be taken, but she does. Gwen will find Rosaline wears gloves, which might have gone unnoticed until now because they match her habit well enough. Touching them reveals they're thicker than they appear.

She has a laugh at the accepted apology, though she continues staring at her hands. "I should, when I catch him again. I probably will." She has some complicated feelings about Rudy, which she doesn't share right now, but they have little to do with him as a person.

"But actually, I wanted to show you something. I know you accepted my apology, but I think it's only fair that you know something about me, since I know something about you."

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

"Really?" Gwen peers at Rosaline's feline ears. "I think they look cute! All fluffy and fuzzy? Though, uh," She awkwardly rubs the side of her neck, glancing aside. "I suppose you don't really like to have a part of your body described like that. But, uh." She contemplates Rosaline, her eyes half-lidding. Just what to say... Oh! "There's this beastman that was with me on a trip to Berry Cave the other day. Guy by the name of Morgan... Newkirk, I think? There were a lotta times his senses saved my as--- er, butt. Bottom." Rosaline is a nun. Best not to break out the language. "You get the idea."

Leather gloved hands hold onto Rosaline's own gloved hands- Rosaline just may notice, now that she might have a difference to look for, that one hand feels slightly softer than the other. Yet, the difference between the gloves is minimized to the point of being easily overlooked. Gwen lets Rosaline's hands go, soon enough, especially once the barkeep turns an eye towards them. "Did you like my priestess performance?" she says to him, then looks back at Rosaline. "See, I knew I could do something good! Made ya laugh. Surely that's got to make up for something I put you through."

"You wanted to show me something?" Gwen blinks, craning her head slightly, then smiles, giving the nun a single nod. "Sure, but only if you want. A girl needs her secrets, after all. Guys like mystery." She thinks on it, rubbing a knuckle of one finger on her chin. "Some girls too. I'm not one to judge." She laughs, then clears her throat. "But yeah. It that'll make you feel a little better, I'm all for it."

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

"It depends on the context," Rosaline says, brushing her hand against the side of her head without actually touching her ear. She doesn't comment on assbutts, only giving the slightest hint of a stern look. At least Gwen knows what she did.

She also doesn't comment on the matter of some girls, instead merely commenting. "W-Well, it's not as if I'm in the dating pool," she says, looking away and blushing slightly.

"B-But, right! No, it's no problem... I think it's important that I show you, actually."

And with this, she tugs on her own gloves. They appeared thick, and they certainly are, but maybe not as much as they first seemed. Under them are Rosaline's hands, which are about at the halfway point between what one would call hands and what one would call feline paws. They're fuzzy, of course, but there's also...

The claws.

Her paw-hands are dainty by no means, and her claws are large in proportion. They look razor-sharp even at a glance. Claws on beastmen are not rare, but in this case they clash violently with the image the woman otherwise projects.

"All my life, I've had to be very careful not to hurt anyone. Kids my age were scared of me, until I... I..." She pauses a moment, then resumes: "I started wearing those."

She's been looking down at her hands the whole time, but now looks back up to Gwen. "So our situations may not be the same, but on some level... I think I understand how it might feel, sometimes."

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

"Haha, yeah," Gwen laughs, nodding eagerly. "Just like anything, I suppose."

There's an almost embedded instinct to wince slightly at the stern look from Rosaline, though, from her smile, Gwen doesn't seem to be all that negatively affected. "It's alright, I ain't either. For many reasons." She lifts her right gloved hand, as if that said all there was to say. "But yeah," she says, looking to see if the bartender is looking away, "show me, if you feel comfortable about it."

Watching Rosaline unhook the gloves off her hands, Gwen is surprised first by the dainty, furry 'paws', then corrects herself. Right. Beast(wo)man. Nothing unusual to see here. Cute, even. Except-

Ah, the claws. Gwen does raise her eyebrows in surprise, judging the distance between the sharpness of each claw against the gentle, apologetic demeanor of the nun who owns them. Her blue grey eyes soften. "I don't know a whole lot about beastmen, I admit." Taking the glove off her left hand, she exposes the pale skin underneath. "I'd show the other," she murmurs, "but I think Honest Tom'd get irritated at waving around what is most definitely a weapon."

If Rosaline allows for it, Gwen extends her own left hand to shake Rosaline's own, in a genuine handshake, if careful of the claws. "Sometimes we all need gloves. Lots of ignorant people out there. Lots of good ones, too. Sometimes the gloves are there just so they know we're thinkin' about them. But..." She lets go of Rosaline's hand. "You might need these one day, though you probably don't need me tellin' you that. There's a reason I picked being a courier, after all- it's occupations like ours that people don't suspect. But often we're the ones with the most to lose, so we'll fight just as much."

Stretching her glove back on her left hand, Gwen adds, "You should definitely talk to Rudy, Miss Rosaline. He's wise beyond his years, from what I've experienced of him- he'd be the last one to judge you."

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

Rosaline appears unsure what to expect when Gwen offers her handshake, but rolls with it. When she realizes, she smiles.

Gwen has some words on this. How could she not? It's something she's had to live with, too.

"Yes," she says, with a small nod of mutual understanding. The gloves are more for other people's sake than her own. And Gwen speaks of needing to use them some day. Rosaline remains silent on this, seeming to get halfway lost in thought even while subtle twitches in her ears indicate that the words are still registering.

The mention of Rudy brings her back to full attention. "It's true... I wasn't sure what to think at first, when I saw his ARM. It's not a run-of-the-mill weapon. But-- I'm not actually sure what happened the other night, but now I'm sure. He feels the weight of it. A lot of people don't. In the end, that's what makes the difference."

Her expression softens a bit. "By the way, I'm reminded, you mentioned needing help with your more perilous courier runs. I'd be happy to lend a hand from time to time." No pun intended, as she pulls her gloves back on.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Gwen's handshake is firm, but genial, yielding to Rosaline's grip once she finds the rhythm of Rosaline's hand. The handshake of a person used to shaking hands, and the art of being friendly. "You're a natural. Granted, in your line of work, things are probably better resolved through other means than handshakes, haha."

Turning as Honest Tom delivers her fish and chips, as well as her drink, Gwen begins to eat, listening to Rosaline. "Yeah, it's different. Not that I have a lot of knowledge on them," Gwen says after swallowing some fish, neglecting to clarify what happened that night. After all, that's Rudy's secret to tell, and one he probably didn't intend on having to tell anyone about. "I think that's it in a nutshell. He knows what he carries ain't a toy. Like you said, I've encountered people twice his age who haven't seemed to figure that out yet. Even I don't fully understand it myself." It's hard, sometimes, glancing at the cat nun, for Gwen to remember that, for all her bolstering and cordial words, Rosaline is the one who probably yields the most experience of all. She just, unlike Gwen, doesn't show it the same way. "I think he needs friends. People he feels he can trust. So, I might try to keep an eye on him from time to time, though..." She laughs as she sips her drink. "He'll probably get tired of it after a while."

Nodding at Rosaline's offer, Gwen bites into some chips, drinking some to swallow the rest down before she speaks. "I appreciate it! You're allowed to say no, of course, and it goes both ways, too. If you need a hand, lemme know. I might be useful for whatever ya need." She leans on the bar and cocks her head slightly. "Though, I gotta ask- are you a traveling nun or something like that? I met a priest not too long ago, but he was from the Aquvy region. What parts are you from, if I can ask?"

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

"I wish there was more handshaking," Rosaline admits.

The nun has a small, awkward laugh at the mention of keeping an eye on Rudy. He might indeed get tired of it.

She nods with a small smile. "Then it's agreed." Gwen asks more about her, and the nun's smile quickly fades back into a more neutral expression.

"You could call it that. I used to... Well, I'm on a mission to find those who burnt down one of our orphanages, and raise money to rebuild it at the same time. That's why I often take odd jobs and explore ruins. It lets me speak to people who travel a lot, and amass funds at the same time. I might actually..."

She steals yet another glance at Honest Tom, though Gwen might miss it if she blinks. Rosaline may wear her own heart on her sleeve in some ways, but she's at least good at discretion.

"I've got a possible lead. Have you heard about the Black Ties gang?"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

"Yeah, but not everything can be done with a handshake," Gwen says, forking another bite of fried fish into her mouth, listening.

A mission, Rosaline says. To find those who burnt down one of their orphanages. Gwen's face goes unusually pale at the mention of fire, especially with the word 'orphanage' right by it. It takes the courier some time to recover, her right hand fishing for her drink to soothe her suddenly dry throat. "... Was anyone hurt?" she timidly asks, her gaze looking downward. "I mean, not that it gets someone off the hook if everyone was okay, but... yeah. I mean, yes, I'll definitely help you there, if I can. That's horrible."

There's a lead. Gwen catches herself leaning in, then forces herself to push back to her previous position. "... Yeah, I know them. Some of the worst people around. I'm lucky they keep to banks and the like. Buildings." No, her face says. That was a horrible joke, and she's already beginning to regret it. "I'll definitely help you with this lead. What's up?" SHe leans in close, allowing the nun to whisper, if needed.

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

Rosaline notices the extent to which talk of the orphanage's fate is affecting Gwen. The nun has to detach herself a bit to even talk about it. The very idea would be upsetting to anyone decent, and from her initial read, Gwen has seemed to care about people to a rare degree.

She then follows up with a question there's just no happy answer to. Rosaline remains silent a long moment.

"Yes," she finally says. She looks down at her near-empty plate, the look of barely-contained anguish on her face telling Gwen volumes more than words ever could. Rosaline's gloved hands have balled up tightly, to the point of trembling.

A faint sound, tearing from one of the gloves' fabric, is what shakes her out of it.

Yes, there's a lead. Rosaline nods with vigor when Gwen gives her assessment of them. She then makes a terrible joke, which causes neither laughter nor dismay in the beastwoman nun. She just... doesn't even seem to hear it.

She's regained most of her composure when she speaks again. "The news from Lacour says the Black Ties are holding their King for ransom. We can't stand for this. I was thinking that investigating this would be the best way to find and interrogate them."

Rescuing a King would probably be very important too, but Gwen will likely understand why even that isn't as high on the Ethos member's list of priorities.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Most people don't retain very many memories from their childhood. Some can remember more than others, but for Gwen...

No matter how long it's been, she still remembers. Or is it that the only memory that's left is what her brain struggles to make sense of?

The usually cheery courier just looks pallid. "... I see."

She drinks the rest of her glass, and lets out a slow sigh. "I'll help you." She's said it before, but her voice delivers these words in firm, measured beats. "You could easily find others who'd help too. If I find or hear of anything, I'll let you know." The lazy, skipping accent is still there, just barely, as a function of it being her normal pattern of speech. Beyond that, Gwen sounds sober.

Again, if Rosaline allows for it, Gwen reaches for her hands, this time underneath the level of the bar. If she can find them, she cups them in her own, leveling sad, tired grey blue eyes with Rosaline's own. "... I don't know if I can do much, but I'll help you. Um. One more thing." Her gaze falls downwards to the floor. "I may crack some jokes and act like you never told me this when you bring me in to help you, but. It's just 'cause I got some issues of my own to resolve, that's all. I don't wanna make this about me. Y'seem to be carrying enough all by yourself. And that's a heavy load for someone really kind to be havin'."

<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.

Rosaline's hands are not too hard to find if you look for them. The nun lets Gwen take them again.

She speaks of issues of her own. Rosaline nods, slowly. "I understand. I'll pray for you to find your own peace. And... if you ever want to talk, well..." She trails off. For a moment, she doubts her own ability to be a good listening ear.

Then again, listening too well is what got this conversation started in the first place. There really is a plan to it all.

She has a tiny, sad smile at talk of a heavy load.

"We all have our crosses to bear."