2017-06-22: My Little Lunies Can't Be This Cute!

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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. Even in the wake of the battle of Adlehyde, the Saloon continues its steadfast tradition of serving some of Adlehyde's finest foods and beverages. The building has largely survived the wrath of the Demons' attack -- minus the shaved off shingles that have fallen prey to dragon fire, and a breached room up top that ate a cannonball to its balcony.

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 cook is known to most as 'Aunt Hilda', the woman who, along with waitress Lunata Croze has concocted many delectable, mouth-watering specials and soups. The Starfall Saloon was widely known among Drifters for offering warm beds, cold beer and wonderful grub for a fair price...

...and now, it is serving as an additional hospital and clinic for the injured in the wake of the battle of Adlehyde. Most of the showfloor has been converted into a sick ward with plenty of gurneys and cots tending to the ill and injured -- and rooms are at limited availability with priority going to those who need intensive care. The sign reads: 'DOCTORS AND MEDICS WANTED', along with 'STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS'.

Certainly, they have a downsized menu mostly sticking to mass-produced, but still delicious nurturing foods. A cup of warm, comforting soup to recover from a disaster... won't you have some?

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

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata is kind of reeling from the devastating tornado that is her mom whirlwinding in and making a right menace of herself, so she's just kind of taking it easy next to Shallie as she peers at her pot and watches it as it potter about, bouncing up and down and making whatever it is... Shallie is making it make next. "Is it really going to turn out okay...?"

The Starfall Saloon's just about wrapping up at this point, but there's still some time for drinks and there's some injured who'll probably hear a song or two... not that they've got anything to pay. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

The returnee to the Starfall Saloon has spent most of the day proving that she's still got what it takes to man the counter, even in the current conditions. While not quite as perfect and elegant a maid as Lunata is, the upbeat girl with pink hair has instead brought an endless upbeat cheer - and turned out to be a pretty good nurse, at least as far as general patching-up and care is concerned.

Now, following her interrogation, Shalune is kind of glowing happily and proudly as she works - especially with Lunata sat next to her watching. She nudges the other girl lightly, a bright smile on her face. "It'll be fine, it'll be fine," she promises as she does so, stirring the pot with a ladle she borrowed from the kitchen after her broom bumped the ceiling one too many times.

She's also 'taking it easy', in as much as she's not trying anything too large scale - instead, she's got a bit of a production line set up, several little piles of nuts and bolts pooled together as raw materials for the lengths of slim piping her pot is kind of rapid-firing out.

"Huwaa--... but y'know, your mom is pretty much the same as ever?" she wonders between two pieces, tilting her head. "I guess I got a bit worried when you described what was up, like she'd be-- uh, you know when someone's all empty-eyed 'I must awaken the sleeping Medium of Amon-Ra' or whatever, like in those old comics?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise has been going back and forth between Adlehyde and Lacour - mostly the latter, to be honest. Not that she's avoiding Adlehyde, but it's harder for her with Althena's Guard in town, plus a bounty on her head.

It's probably why, when she pushes the tavern doors open and slips inside, it's evident enough that she's bleached her hair. It makes her look different at first glance. Then again, there aren't many six-foot-two Lunarian half-Beastwomen in town, so it's not /that/ hard to identify her. And indeed, she's smiling that familiar wide Talise smile as she heads for the bar, shrugging her lute off her shoulder and taking it in hand. "Hey Lunie," she calls back towards the kitchen. "Lunie, you back there?"

That's about when she realizes someone else is here. Blinking rapidly, she scratches at her hair with one hand and smiles crookedly, leaning over the bar to wave to the pair of girls. "Hey, who's your friend, Lunie?" she asks the Lunie she's familiar with. "And what's in the pot?" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata looks towards Shalune and laces her hands together. "It might've been less worrisome if it was like that... ...the fact that she's pursuing this with all her heart is what makes it more worrying. And Miss Miang has a point too -- now that we've found a Gear, it's impossible for Aveh and Kislev to not notice... they've been harranguing my mother too." A pause. "Oh -- Miss Miang is a historian we met just today, she told me she'd help teach my senses!"

A pause, as she looks behind her with a smile. "Oh, Miss Talise! This is -- hehe, Lunie! Shalune Amira, a childhood friend! Isn't she cute?"

Shalune Amira

Shalune is a diminuitive girl around seventeen years of age, standing only 5'2"; her build is slim, but she's definitely got the sort of wiry strength and agility that comes from performing a dozen odd jobs that include climbing or hauling. Her hair is seriously long, a thick reddish-pink mess that goes down to the small of her back, with long bangs that usually end up clumped and half-covering her face. A woolen bobble hat in bright primary colours tries to hold its mass back but miserably fails.

She is clearly an expressive and open sort, incapable of staying still for long periods of time and with her heart worn firmly on her sleeve; her face lights up at the slightest provocation, but wilts just as easily if given a reason. Fond of affection, she's quite likely to try for innocent touches and reassuring hugs if given even half a chance, though she at least tries to limit that to people she actually knows.

Generally, Shalune prefers formless and warm clothing - big baggy work pants, over-long chunky sweaters, a duster she wears when camping out at night to keep the cold at bay - with most of it obviously care-worn and well-loved. This tends to make her look 'cute' more than 'attractive' - but she is capable of getting there sometimes, especially when working at the Starfall Saloon where she matches Lunata in a black maid's outfit with white frills and apron. She seems to enjoy the occasional chance to look good... but keeps the bobble hat, apparently non-negotiable.

Her 'Gear' is actually a Veruni construction golem, significantly refitted and jury-rigged with custom parts and patchwork repairs. Most of the work she's done to it would make very little sense to a seasoned, expert mechanic - and yet somehow it seems to run better than it ever would when in active service. Composed primarily of rounded shapes, its design is very simple - a conical body, stumpy legs and arms, and a forehead that narrows the cone to a rounded point with two lit-up lenses as eyes set back into the interior beneath - but a number of attachments and tools have been bolted onto parts of it. It seems affectionately protective of Shalune, in as much as a golem can have such instincts, and she seems to trust it implicitly in return, referring to it as 'Big Shal'.

It... also has a bobble hat. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune bobbles slightly in place, her eyes a little wide. "Even if it's true, t-that's kind of a weird thing to offer on your first time meeting someone... she wasn't confused about your senses? /I/ was confused!" she adds, just a little bit of a lost-puppy whine in her voice. She throws a glance out of the window, where the twelve-foot Golem with a sign saying 'Big Shal - I Am Nice I Promise' calmly and politely sits, looking just a bit Gear-ish. "I hope I don't make that worse myself..."

But she seems to remember herself the next moment, puffing up a little in protectiveness as she reaffirms her good cheer and blobs somewhat into Lunata's side. "But-- whatever happens, I'll keep you and your mom safe! I've got time to catch up for!" she claims, pumping her fists.

Dressed similarly to Lunata in the Saloon's work uniform, Shalune's main difference is the mass of pink hair that mostly escapes from the multi-coloured bobble hat she's wearing. Through it, she beams, waving her hand an innocent hello. "Hey~!" she greets brightly, then squints a little as the white-gold pot on the counter suddenly glows with a white light, briefly encompassing their corner of the room. "And-- ta-dah!"

An inch-long piece of black pipe with rubber tubing attached is not dinner, however you look at it. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Did I hear someone's harassing your mom, Lunie?" Talise asks with a frown, resting her arm on the bar. "Do you need me to have a talk with them for you?" She bunches her shoulders just a little as she says it but doesn't otherwise put any emphasis in there to suggest that 'talk' might actually mean 'punch in the face.'

Then Lunata introduces her friend - who /also/ introduces herself innocently. The pair are treated to the rare sight of Talise actually blushing, her smile growing wide and a little sheepish. "Gosh, you've been the Lunie Twosome all along? And yes, she's cute enough that I think I'd get a sweet tooth if I put the two of you in a room with Sephilia for any length of time."

The pink-haired girl gets a warm nod from her. "Mice to meet you, Shalune. I'm Talise Gianfair, but you can just call me Tal!"

Shalune summoning up a chunk of pipe is somewhat more curious, though. Talise blinks twice, then hops to a seat on one of the stools.

"But seriously," she asks. "Is someone threatening you two?" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"We've met twice!" Lunata corrects, as if that makes it any less weird. "It's okay, Miss Miang is a magician of some kind, she seems really nice! She's also sending more supplies for us to help keep the wounded taken care of."

She look stowards the both of them with some stammer, saying, "O-oh, no... um." A pause. "Mom can take care of herself, but... I'm just wondering if even this is a bit too much attention for her. You know how those military people from over the border can be, the moment they hear something about a Gear or an ancient weapon..."

She claps her hands together with a giggle. "Sephy's kind of competitive when it comes to Shalune, it's kinda cute though..." She tilts her head, and perks up and pulls up the pipe. "It's perfect! It'll go under the sink straight away!" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune gives Talise a lazy but pleased salute, two fingers coming up to her eyes for a moment in a cute kind of hello. "Mmm... but they'd have problems comin' out this far, wouldn't they? At least, she's got a bunch of Drifters hired to look after her during the dig, and Jay and Sephy and me too! I can swing a pretty mean broom, and so can Big Shal!" she boasts - but happily, rather than with any kind of worry or pride to it.

"Besides, when it comes to Mrs. Croze, other people usually need protection more than she does," she comments to Talise with a beaming smile. ... Shalune, that's kind of worrying...

"Aww, Sephy's cute! I gotta knit her up a hat when I get a moment, but I figure Lunie's comes first. Oh-- don't forget to hit the stop valve first!" she blurts over her shoulder, automatically hopping up to bob after Lunata. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Oh, Miang?" Talise rubs at the back of her neck with one hand. "Ida introduced me to her once... she seems pretty nice. I'm glad she's helping out."

As Lunata stammers like that, the tall woman rests her elbow on the bar, cupping her chin in one hand. The talk of military types leaves her frowning. "They sound just like Althena's Guard... jumping on anything that's not under their control. Either way, those Aveh guys are jerks. I don't know what your mom found, but if you need help, I'd be glad to." Her eyebrows come up shallowly as she asks, "Why, did your mom find something incredible?"

Talise has been too busy plotting in Lacour to visit the Rujm el-Hiri, apparently.

A little laugh bubbles from her. "Sephilia /is/ pretty cute, isn't she? But she's great, too. I'm glad you've met," she answers Shalune. "I'm sorry I haven't met you before now, too. I've been avoiding Adlehyde a bit becase of the Guard." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"She's really compassionate," Lunata nods at Talise. "She told me she understands how hard it can be for people who see things others don't..." Given her recent ghost-seeing escapades, she can definitely relate to that.

"It's a... well, we found a Gear, at the bottom of those ruins... it spoke out to me, echoing of death," Lunata relates the story to Talise. "I'm not concerned about the excavation, I'm more concerned about what it'd do to her reputation... you know, 'Oh, you've found Gears in the past, work for us and find us other weapons'..."

A pause. "But at the same time, mom's not the kind of lady who lets anyone push her around... so I'm not too worried."

She kinda hands the pipe to Shalune after a moment when she realises she has no idea how to do plumbing. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Even after getting the story from Lunata, Shalune is still a terrifically down-to-earth sort of person at heart, so even the quick explanation from the other waitress kind of makes her nep out a bit, her eyes set in wide blank circles as she bobbles slightly in worry. "J-jeez..." she mumbles as she pouts ever so slightly. "It kinda feels like you should say 'echoing of death' with a little more emphasis, y'know? Or-- church bells, or somethin' like that."

Her grump only lasts a second, if that, because this is Shalune and any more would be impossible. Instead, she beams as she turns the pipe over in her hands, eyebrows raised at Talise. "Aww, don't worry about it. I mean-- I was kinda away from Adlehyde for the last year-and-a-bit anyways gettin' myself all trained up. I came back when I heard there was trouble, but I'm real glad I did."

She disappears beneath the sink for a moment, her tongue sticking out as she works. A wrench is probably not something you'd expect to find stashed in a waitress' apron, but there you go. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"...Echoing of death?" Talise repeats with a little frown. She leans forward, giving Lunata a worried look. "Sounds pretty unusual... and like it might be something some of those Aveh guys might want, or even those Solaris ones who tried to steal the giant robot men from the Fair." Forgive her, for Talise's terminology is a bit off when it comes to robots.

She shifts on the barstool, shifting a little closer to it to better chat with the pair of them. "But I didn't think echoing of death was something they normally did. Then again, I know you see a lot of things I can't."

Her smile takes on a self-effacing note. "You'd think I'd know more about magic, coming from Lunar... but I don't! You two know more about it than me." She shrugs. "Still, it sounds like you should be careful with it, Lunie. It might be dangerous - a lot of ancient stuff is, I've heard." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"They're related, aren't they...?" Lunata doesn't seem to be too up and informed about Gebler's relation with Aveh, but it's impossible to miss given how many rat-a-tats her mother has had with solicitors from Aveh. "It's scary to think of -- humans wanting to gather up as many giant robots as they can... all for war, too..."

She sighs just a moment. "Mm. I think it's deeply tied to that ruin... the whole place is like a temple of death... a temple of Ge Ramtos." She holds some reservation in her heart. In some ways, it didn't feel like a temple. It didn't feel like worship... but she's not sure.

Lunata nods at Talise to admit as much. "I did tell mother it felt like something that was best left alone, but... she has a point in that after the Golems were stolen, Adlehyde needs another protector against the demons... she's going to go see who's going to be up to the task of riding it."

Lunata is not very mecha genre savvy and does not even think for a moment she might accidentally fall into its cockpit, you see. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune straightens up, coincidentally just as Lunata finishes talking. Cradled in her hands is a rusted, corroded length of pipe about the same size as the one she's just replaced, but the pink-haired girl doesn't seem too bothered by the mess as she deposits it in the sink and immediately starts to wash her hands. (She is, at least, careful not to get anything on the uniform. Aunt Hilda runs a tight ship, okay?)

She's at least a little more genre-savvy than Lunata is, because her brow furrows slightly as she slowly considers the situation. "Can you-- um. Ask it, or something?" she wonders after a moment, still not entirely up on Lunata's newfound senses, and then immediately starts to chatter as her thoughts begin to wander. "I mean, if you can sense it, maybe you can tell when it's happy with someone or thinks they need more practice? Maybe it'll be all 'today I'm echoing of grumpy death because Jay can't figure out the controls', y'know?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Knitting her brows, Talise scratches at the edge of her shallowly-pointed right ear. "Uhm, I think they are - I thought Solaris was a part of Aveh or something? But I don't know much. It's all politics, and I've never really been much for politics... just trying to survive, honestly. And make some money and have fun, of course." Smiling, the tall woman flicks her hand up to her forehead, brushing a couple locks of bleached hair back from her forehead.

As Shalune pulls out the pipe, Talise blinks at her again, but isn't sure how to tactfully ask about it. She's content to linger on the topic of the robot. "Ge Ramtos... one of the Guardians?" she assumes with a cant of her head.

"Lynnai and Ida tell me that a lot of weird technology was left behind after some of the wars hundreds of years ago. Even before the big Metal Demon War," she muses. "Maybe that's what the giant robot you found is, too... I mean, most robots are from hundreds of years ago, I guess, but...."

Talise trails off, blushing. "...I'm a bit, uh, dumb about them," she confesses. "There aren't any robots on Lunar!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata looks just a little embarrassed as she says, "I--I don't know! I don't know robots, okay?" She looks at Talise as she says, "I'm-- no less dumb either, Miss Talise. When Miss Lily told me what a cockpit was, I thought it was a cucco roost!" A pause. "It's apparently a little room where the person sits and commands the Gear, I didn't know that.... why is it called a cockpit?" She's just imagining clucking chickens now.

There's a pause. "Ge Ramtos is one of the Guardians, yes... the Guardian of Death. And -- why would it be mad at Jay anyway? It-- doesn't exactly /speak/ to me, it just gives sensations out... and it's angry... it's kind of strange, for an object of worship in its temple, isn't it? Maybe it really does not want to be disturbed."

She sighs very faintly, rubbing at her own ear, making a face. "Ohh, Shalune, you're filthy! At least change your apron before you go back to the floor, no serving customers with grime on you!" She cutely rubs some of the soot off her face. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Wah--" Shalune blurts, but rather dutifully submits to Lunata fussing over her, squinting as she does so. "--I didn't! Did I? I thought I was bein' careful," she sulks as she picks at her apron, trying to check it from an awkward angle. "We're pretty much done already, aren't we?"

Still, she does scurry to one side behind a divider, perking up a little as the conversation goes in a direction she's more comfortable with. "Aw, Granny said it was 'cause it came from a boat term? I never really got it myself, but it's not like Big Shal's got one anyway," she calls from past the curtain, not exactly one for a great deal of modesty.

She peeks her head back through it the next moment, beaming through her long bangs as she ties a new apron around her waist. "I mean, I get the principle of it, I've just never had the chance to poke around one. I'm pretty curious to see it - maybe I can figure out why it's mad! Maybe it just needs some new parts, or something, or a bit of fresh air to get the rust off, that kinda thing."

"I'm a mechanic, myself," she adds as she looks towards Talise, rubbing at the back of her hair with a sheepish grin. "But-- I guess I'm a pretty weird mechanic nowadays. I mean, I've been working with some really neat stuff, and I can make up anything I need in a jiffy." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"It-- it's not a cucco roost?" Talise stares at Lunata for a couple of seconds. "Then... then why's it called that...?"

A hot blush burns across Talise's cheeks as her mind calculates reasons why that name exists. She purses her lips, though. The Lunies are far too cute to be privy to /those/ thoughts. Instead she diverts to, "Oh wow, so it's a robot that lives in the death Guardian's temple. I... I've never heard of something like that. Maybe it shouldn't be disturbed... but then, if you don't disturb it, maybe those Aveh jerks will, and that'd be bad, I would imagine...."

She quiets, but nods as Shalune leans back out and speaks up. "I figured you were," she observes with a crooked smile.

"So is that twelve-foot-high robot outside yours, Lunie?" she asks, before catching herself and clarifying, "Excuse me, that was to pink-haired-mechanic Lunie!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata doesn't know why Talise is blushing or why else it might be called a cockpit, noooo. She giggles as Talise clarifies, and she says, "If it's too confusing, she has other nicknames too -- mom calls her Shallie, and Professor Hetfield calls her Shalala."

She lets Shalune explain the twelve-foot high robot outside, though, cute as it is. "Oh, can I get you some dinner or drinks, the both of you? I just nearly forgot!" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Big Shal belongs only to Big Shal," Shalune-- doesn't intone, because intoning would require her voice to be doom-laden and low, and instead she's just as perky as ever. But she does make a point of picking out the words, as if it were an important tenet. "At least, that's what I wanna think. I mean, I didn't mess with any of her programming or anything as far as I know? So when she's helping me, it's more 'cause she wants to?"

She's kind of verbally shrugging with every statement, presumably not wanting or simply unable to worry about it all that much - but she does give the Golem a pleased wave through the window, giggling when it gives her a thumbs-up back. "I mean, she carried me and my stuff all the way here, and I've helped her out in turn. So it's not like she's mine - we're just good friends."

"I did fix her up, though, pretty much from scratch. She was in a really bad way when I found her - I dunno how long she'd been lying around, but she was real beat up. Most of the panelling on the right side is me," she adds as if it weren't a big thing, "And I copied the left arm and leg to make new versions for the other side."

Her pleasant natter stops after a moment, and-- she's-- gravitating towards the other girl. "Lunie, Lunie-- I did good today, right? I earned a Lunie-dinner, right? I missed the cooking here so muuuchhh..." she wheedles, one maid clung to the other in a hug as she makes her case. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"It's just that Lunie is such a natural nickname for you both!" Talise laughs, running her fingers through her hair. "And I'm not sure I can stop myself from using it. Maybe you should number yourselves. One of you can be Lunie 1 and the other one can be Lunie A. That way you're both equally Lunie."

The smile she shares with the two is just the slightest bit impish.

Then Shalune explains the terror of Big Shal - or at least the awesomeness of Big Shal. Talise's archness gives way to a confused frown. "I... I didn't know mechanical things could /have/ minds of their own. Other than Metal Demons, I guess, but aren't they living metal...? How can a robot be alive...?" The mere thought of it seems to be bringing a couple of gears in her brain grinding to a halt.

She finally gives herself a little shake and smiles crookedly. "Well. You did a good job fixing Big Shal, anyway! I couldn't tell she was ever broken."

Then one Lunie latches on to another. Talise blushes again and ducks her head, a friendly laugh bubbling out of her. "Althena, you two are just adorable, do you know that?" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata giggles and-- umms and says, "We tried Lunie C and Lunie A after our surnames for a bit, but I think that somehow confused people more. They asked, 'Where's Lunie B'?" It' s an alt away, seats are limited, apply now before they're all gone!

"It's because Big Shal has a heart, of course!" Lunata answers Talise with a surety that... doesn't seem to line up with science. Look, she's not on Team Science, okay, she's on Team Magic. Heart is a kind of magic.

She looks towards Shalune to squint and say, "I think you did gooood... Talise, do you think she did good? Okay! But, you have to tell me what to draw on your omurice, Shallie." She blushes at Talise's compliment, giggling in turn. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Ehehe... I dunno, really! Or rather, um, Granny gave me a couple of things she called 'logic boards', but I haven't really gotten the hang of them yet. I can usually pick out what somethin' does just at a glance, but these are /really/ tiny, and I'm gonna have to go see if I can borrow a magnifying glass or something."

"To be honest," she wonders, still hanging onto Lunata's shoulders in a totally, 100% platonic hug, "I'm kinda with Lunie? Maybe I shouldn't be, but it's kinda nice leaving the question unanswered. If I screw up, I'm pretty sure Big Shal will let me know." The fact she apparently has a benefactor just willing to hand over advanced tech she's never seen before almost seems to be lost on Shalune, but perhaps that's just the sort of person she is, unassuming to a fault.

"H-hmm... well, it's like the reunion omurice, right? We should draw something together!" she decides, never mind that this probably sets off immediate warning bells in Lunata's head. "Oh, but-- it's not really right for me to draw on my own one, huh..." Such a quandary. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

It's okay, Lunie C. Talise isn't a woman of science either. She squints at Lunata a moment -

And then she just smiles widely, nodding with understanding. "Well! If Big Shal has a heart, then she's as important as any one of us. Just like how Chauncey is to Sephilia! Maybe they're the same kind of being - they both have hearts, after all."

She scratches at her neck and considers Lunata's question. "I do think she did good," she agrees after a few seconds before giving Shalune a warm, slightly playful smile. "Certainly enough to deserve a Lunie-dinner... though I'm not sure what omurice is. It does sound awfully good, though."

Internally, she debates asking for some, but lets it slide and instead just chuckles again as the pair of Lunies hug once more. "If I can make a suggestion? Draw a cat on it. You can't go wrong with cats, right? They're adorable, after all." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

There's a little laugh from Lunata as she hugs Shalune a little tighter, then lets go. "Oh, it's omelette rice," she explains happily to Talise. "It's a fluffily beaten egg that's wrapped around tasty chicken rice, then you draw a picture on the egg with ketchup!" She does nod as she says, "I think a cat sounds really cute! What do you think, Lunie?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Ehehe, I guess it's kind of our symbol at this point, huh?" she wonders in an agreeing tone of voice, then smirks in an uncommon moment of mischief as she steps up to the counter to greet Talise properly with a smile. "Lunie's got a bunch of stuff with cats on upstairs, and I've got this adorable hoodie with ears on the hood part. Oh, oh-- and you wouldn't guess what I found behind the counter--" she starts to say. Oh no!! 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Really? You can make rice like that?" Talise asks, widening her eyes with the kind of simple wonder of someone experiencing a magic food from the future for the very first time. "It sounds really delicious... I'd love to try some, sometime."

The pair of them call each other Lunie, and it's all Talise can do to keep from going 'aw' right there. She just bundlesthat little opinion away and entertains it privately, though the smile she's sharing with the pair is just slightly crooked and her cheeks hold a hint of pinkness to them. "You... you have a cat hoodie?" she asks then, eyes widening.

. o O (Don't aww out loud don't aww out loud don't aww out loud)

"That is... just the most charming thing," she manages to keep it down to. "I kind of want to see it now. And--" She blinks. "What'd you find, Shalune?"

Uh-oh. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata's eyes widen as she's about to get scandalised, and she flails as she remarks, "N-nooo! Don't look don't look! J-just where've you been looking, Lunie?! Lunie-timeout for you!" Her face is thoroughly red as she points towards the bar stool in the corner.

B-baww... 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Oh, for sure!" Shalune beams at Talise. "I mean, it's kinda battered because I keep having to patch it up, but it's the comfortable sort of battered, y'know? And--"

"--a-aww, c'mon! What's wrong with it? You'd look super cute!" she pumps her arms, trying to fend off the weight of the Lunie-command before sagging and sticking out her bottom lip. You can't deny the Lunie-timeout, after all. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The great big reveal is spoked by the direst of dire threats: The Lunie-timeout.

But the water has been chummed. Talise's smile broadens to a toothy grin, showing off those pointed incisors of hers and bringing out her cheekstripes. Leaning forward over the bar, she cups her hands to her cheeks and bats her lashes at the Lunie twosome. "Oh my, it must be pretty embarrassing, Lunata," she sing-songs lightly, fluttering her lashes at the girl. "Is it really that cute~? I wonder what it could be to make you blush like that?"

She reaches out, tapping a finger against Lunata's cheeks. "It's okay, you can share! Even if it is really cute, I promise not to say 'aww' out loud~" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata: Weak to peer pressure.

Both Shalune's great big pout and Talise's prodding causes her to whine some more, as she stammers, "It-- it's, it's....." She pauses, before rummaging around the counter and taking out a ... light hairband that's got a great big pair of cat ears on it. "..." She pauses, looks around, then slips it on. "... meow." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune straight up 'kyaa~!'s, pumping her fists - even if she dare not move from the stool, what with the threat of Lunie-timeout and what it might do to her impeding dinner. "It's too cute, right?!" she asks of Talise instead, elated and with her cheeks lit up happily. "She's super adorable!"

"And, y'know, I bet I could sneak a little motor in them, make them wiggle or bat when you want!" comes the inevitable tangent, suddenly veered down thanks to Shalune's brain. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

At least Talise isn't pushing Lunata to do anything harmful!

"I'm sure it's not that bad!" Talise encourages, ever the incorrigible one. And then Lunata reveals the terrible, horrible truth. Talise stares as the girl sprouts neko ears before her eyes, or at least dons the headband.

She cups her hands over her mouth and blushes deeply - and true to her word, she does not say 'aww.' However, there's a tiny sound from behind her hands.

"ee~"

She widens her eyes, her blush darkening even more as she swallows the rest of the squee.

Finally she lowers her hands, clasping them together. The grin she's wearing now is wide and just a bit silly - and pretty much one hundred percent charmed. "You could put a little bow between them if you wanted," she puts in. "I mean, she's already incredibly cute, but with a bow, /and/ the wiggling ears...." She gasps. "Could you make it sense touch? So it'll wiggle the ears when you scritch behind them?" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata's flare of embarrassment at Shalune's 'kyaa!' and Talise's 'ee~!' is incredibly precious and a moment that should rightfully be captured on camera, alas, but there are no paparazzi just waiting around the corner.

"No-- no! It's fine as is, you don't have to modify them at all!" Lunata protests. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Oh, oh--" Shalune hums, obviously taking some inspiration here. It's not as if she wants to torment Lunata, really - she's no Noeline - but more that she's just so easily swept up in excitement and fun. "--um, probably! I think I've got a couple of little sensors I salvaged that kinda 'click' when they don't have light shining on them, you could probably use those..." Too late, she's already sketching in her head.

"Aww..." she chimes as Lunata puts the veto on the idea, but her upbeat grin remains plastered across her face. Thankfully, at least, Shalune has yet to figure out how cameras work. Yet. "Well-- I mean, at least it's nothin' to be ashamed of! I'd totally wear one!" shalune you are maybe not a good barometer 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

There is only Talise's memory, and right now that memory just gained an incredibly precious image of Lunata blushing in cat ears.

"Oh, but it'd be so much more precious if they wiggled!" She's just grinning from ear to ear now. "But it's up to you, really! Even though I bet they could be incredibly cute."

She gives Shalune a pensive look, biting down to one of her knuckles briefly. "...Do you think it might be /too/ cute if we made 'em wiggle, actually? I'd hate to give anyone cuteness overload." As she speaks, she finds herself reaching out...

...she .... she scritches behind one of the little cat ears with a big dumb charmed smile, because of course she can't help herself. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"... w-well, maybe... just... if it doesn't make it any heavier or make noise or anything..." Lunata is very, very easy to coax into possibly bad decisions. Or, at least, decisions that will probably get her teased at by mom later. Then again, Meredin would probably just take one stare at her, then solemnly place a hand on her shoulder to go, 'Red light's not the place you should go, dear daughter,' just to see what her reaction is.

"A-aaah... ummm--" Lunata flinches just a moment as she starts to paw, before pausing to go, "W-wait, it's not like I can feel anything!" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"... aww..." chimes the pink-haired girl in the corner, tilting her head. "That's true... I wonder how we could fix that?" she wonders aloud, continuing in her dangerous habits - but she sniggers softly afterwards, puffed up with pride for Lunata's sake. "But, really, you got so pretty in the year I was gone! You could totally pull it off while serving!" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Oh my goddess, you two are just the most precious," Talise starts, before blushing and pulling her hands back. She brings them to her cheeks again, her eyes a little wide and her smile still hanging there, big and downright delighted. Turns out she's pretty susceptible to cute things.

"I'll leave the machinery to Shalune! I'm not good with it, but I'm sure she'd make it work great." Here she grins at Shalune and finally lowers her hands to the table again. The grin soon relaxes, back to a gentle smile for the pair.

"You two really get along great. I can tell you've been friends for a long time. Did you grow up together, too?" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"I--it's not like I changed that much! Did I?" Lunata pouts at Shalune, now self-conscious about whether or not she just kinda went 'pomf' in a smoke of cloud and turned ten times prettier. She's sure that didn't happen...

"Mm!" Lunata nods. "Our parents've been friends for the longest time, and mom's taken to taking care of Lunie as well in more recent years... well, until she left on her journey! But she's back now, so..." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Uh-uh, you totally did! You got even better around the Saloon, too!" Shalune protests, but the praise is all good-natured and earnest, completely without any guile as the pink-haired girl speaks her mind. "I mean, I think I do pretty good myself, but I can't make it look effortless the way you can just like that."

She pauses, and then grins at Talise, nodding her head. "Ah, yeah-- I grew up an Adlehyde kid, you know? But my dad was always busy, and my mom always kinda sick, so Mrs. Croze just sorta took me on. Aunt Hilda helped out a ton too, gettin' me a job here when I couldn't always make ends meet." For all that it's the 'slum urchin' origin story, Shalune's expression doesn't darken at all as she describes it so matter-of-factly.

"She introduced me to Jay, too - um, Jacqueline? - 'cause at the time I was still messin' around with alchemy." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise's smile is almost envious. "It's amazing that you're still friends after all these years. A lot of times friends grow apart or fight over the years. But you two haven't. That's how you know you've got a true friend."

Shalune's story leaves the tall woman dipping her head just a shade. She reaches across the bar again to give the girl a pat on the shoulder. "Sounds like you grew up surrounded by some good people, even when times were tough. And Jacqueline's great, too. She's run with me and my friends a few times and she's been great."

She clears her throat. "I always wondered what it'd be like to have a childhood like that. I grew up on a pirate ship." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata nods and says, "I've been friends with Lunie as long as I have been with Jay. She's a couple years older than us, so she's always looked afte rus as a big sis," she giggles very softly, but then her eyes widen. "Wow... a pirate ship? I can't imagine that what would've been like..." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

No for real Shalune's eyes just went wide as saucers within two seconds. "Wah-- woah, so cool..." she burbles, bobbling a little at the thought. The grass is always greener, perhaps. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Hey, having a big sis is great! You get someone to teach you all the mistakes you shouldn't make." Talise grins, blushing as she becomes profoundly aware that Sephilia might think of /her/ that way.

No pressure, Tal.

As the pair of Lunies react, Talise chuckles and shakes her head. "It was pretty interesting... not a lot of other kids, though! I had a lot of grown-up friends. And my mother was amazing. She was a full Beastman - she had the big cat ears and she was even taller and stronger than I am!" She holds her hands out as if to demonstrate someone tall and broad. "I always wanted to grow up to be just like her." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata just kind of perks up at the sound of 'Beastman' 'big cat ears' and thinks of Mister Cyre for a moment, before smiling quietly to say, "Wow... I--I mean, I love my mom, but she's not exactly the kind of person I looked up to as wanting to be like when I grew up. Maybe just a little more, now...?"

Somewhere else, Meredin peers across the room like she just got called out, before turning back to go, "One more round, honey. I'm feeling really brave," as she knocks down a shot of whiskey and knocks the hammer back on her husband's revolver to point it at her head with a grin. "Heeeeere's Aquvy rouletteeeee."

"... maybe not," Lunata answers, as if she can feel the sheer naughtiness her parents get up to on a regular basis. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Even Shalune looks a little distant for a moment as she tries to imagine Lunata being like her mother, one eye slowly squinting as it becomes harder and harder. 'Welcome to the Starfall Bar Braaaaaawl--!' just doesn't seem to fit. "U-um," she tries, and has a rare moment of needing to pause and think of the words. "W-well, uh, Lunie is Lunie, and Mrs. Croze is Mrs. Croze! They're their own person, right? It's not like you've gotta force it!" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Honestly, your mom reminds me a lot of my mom, in some ways," Talise says with a gentle smile for Lunata. "Though your dad not so much."

She even manages to mention Lunata's father without looking the least bit thirsty. This may be reassuring.

She nods to the pair with a more serious smile. "Exactly. You should be whoever you want yourself to be," she says, eyes settling on Lunata once more. "It was different for me since my mom wasn't there to guide me for the second half of my childhood. But, y'know... you can learn a lot from your mom. Even if you don't follow the same path as her, there's a lot she can teach you." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"No, I know you're right... I can't just pretend that I'll be insulated from all the hardships in Filgaia forever," Lunata expresses firmly. "Jay, Lunie, and everyone else's trying so hard, so that's why I've been practicing too! And when we go west, I hope to be able to contribute too... even if it's just with a smile and a home-cooked dinner right now!" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Mm... but you know, at the same time, Filgaia's really not all that bad!" ... the fact that Shalune is a relentless optimist might colour this statement a little, but she does deliver it as if she means it. "There's tons of friendly people out there, and cool stuff to find in unexpected places, and some really pretty stars-- it's not like it's all hardship out there, I promise," she adds with a confident grin, then glances at Talise.

"Plus, the Lunies will be there to look out for each other, for sure!" she promises the open air, pumping her fists. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"You're growing up," Talise says, folding her hands together. "Growing up isn't easy, especially when it seems like it's coming early."

She smiles at Lunata, though there's a sad tinge to it. "When I was a few years younger than you, the ship I grew up on - the Lunabelle - left all the non-fighter on board to wait at the dock while the crew sailed off on some kind of mission. My parents were on board. The ship never came back and I never saw them again." Her shoulders rise slightly, then fall. "Your parents are still with you, and I can tell just from talking to them how much they love you. Never forget them."

She shoots Shalune a grin, eyes brightening again. "Hey, Filgaia's got plenty of nice stuff! I've met a lot of great people here, including you two! I bet there's nothing you two can't do if you support each other." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata -- is an optimist in the end, smiling in turn. "Yeah, it's not all bad! There's lots of neat things to do, and it's never boring, at least...!" A pause, as she listens to Talise's tale. "That's so sad..." A pause. "Hey, um, maybe we can call the Lunabelle the Lunie B. in retrospect."

She has no idea why she just said that, but there you go, the trifecia of Lunies is complete. "Jay and Catenna and Kourin'll be with us too!" She hasn't been told that Ethius is coming too. Boy won't that be an awkward moment. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"... yeah," grins Shalune back at Talise, her expression a little sheepish as she rubs at her hair. "I mean, um-- my mom and dad really loved me, I know that," she agrees, ever so slightly deflated before she picks herself back up. "It just got pretty hard at the end for a while, y'know. I mean, I left Adlehyde 'cause I kinda needed some space... but-- I think I got a bit more independent on my trip, right?" she proclaims, glancing proudly at Lunata as if for confirmation.

"Ah, I should try to find them just to say hello, huh?" she realizes, bobbling a little on the spot. "What do they look like?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Catenna I don't know," Talise says as a bar patron walks behind her, munching on jellied eels.

She blinks, startled. "Kourin too? I thought she was one of the Guard. Or did she finally decide to walk away from all that?" Her respect for Kourin rises by a few notches; before now she'd simply steered clear of the Guard.

The smile she flashes Shalune has a note of reflectiveness to it, somewhat subdued. "So long as you remember that love, they'll always be with you, in your heart. At least, that's what I believe. You just have to have faith that your parents would be proud of everything you've achieved."

She laughs. "Which in my case is getting in trouble on the Blue Star!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata nods vigorously at Shalune as she gives her another hug, then says, "You absolutely did! But, don't go wandering off on your own, okay? You're not alone, Lunie." She looks at Talise and then Lunie again, before she says, "Ah, Catenna's from Elru and wears these really fancy, nice tribal clothes... she makes really tasty curries! Kourin's got dark hair and wanders with this really really really cute doggie, Spirit! And yes, she told us that she couldn't stand what the Guard stood up for anymore... so we're trying to show her that good friends can make all the difference." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

... it's entirely possible that Shalune hasn't even twigged they're basically going to be a caravan of crafters - and pretty much certain that she hasn't paid attention to the bounty notices around town. Fortunately, that isn't what she'd focus on either way - after all, she listens to the descriptions with interest, perking up as Lunata says the magic word. "A-aww... well, if there's one thing I can be, it's a good friend! I'll keep an eye out for them, for sure," she promises.

And then puts on that bashful grin again, not so great at talking about feelings. "Ehehe... I promise, no more going off on my own." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Good for Kourin." Talise smiles broadly. "There are some noble people in the Guard, but what they stand for isn't right, and they're hurting people back home. They drove me out of business, even! I used to play music in taverns to make money. Then the Goddess Althena banned drinking and singing, so I couldn't sing anymore even if I had somewhere /to/ sing."

She watches the Lunie Twosome exchange words. Then she reaches across the bar, resting a hand on each girl's nearest shoulder. Her smile is wide and genuine, eyes aglitter with a fond appreciation. "You two take care of each other!" she urges. "And take care of Kourin for me too, okay? She deserves a lot better than what she had to go through before now."

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