2017-07-01: What's in a Name?

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========================<* Lacour - Market District *>========================

The Lacour Market District does not rival that of the major commercial powers of Filgaia in terms of volume or value of trade, but it the class of the world in traditional weapons and protective gear. More than a hundred individual shops line the streets of the district, each bearing its own name, specialties, and branding. Almost any kind of weapon or armour can be found in Lacour, and odds are good that anything innovative will be found here first...or make its way here in short order.

The merchants of the Market District are proud and competitive, and walking down the streets is an exercise in patience, as they bombard passersby with litanies in praise of their work and curses for the rust-ridden works of their neighbours. At no time is this competition more fierce than during the Lacour Tournament of Arms; this annual exhibition to name the World's Greatest Fighter includes considerable prestige for the merchants sponsoring their entries, and talented fighters will find their services heavily sought-after.


<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

The Lacour Tournament of Arms was well underway. The city was positively bustling with activity, and at the moment, all of Jay's teammates were in the city, for one reason or another.

This opened up an interesting opportunity for her.

She put out a call to everyone, asking them to assemble in a small pub in Lacour. It was one of the few places that wasn't overly packed with tourists and Drifters chatting raucously about the tournament and doing their gambling. It was a comfy enough place, and despite its small size it had more than enough room for everyone.

They even allowed dogs, though that might also have partially been because Jay had asked about it after purchasing quite a few drinks for the group - tailored to everyone's preferences - that would soon be assembling.

She sat out one of the tables now, a mostly blank sign-up sheet present before her. She seemed to be in the process of filling in some information. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata is looking just a little bit guilty now that she knows that she's responsible for both Fei and Shalune signing up to the tournament, but... she's trying to put a positive spin on it. She can't feel down forever, after all. Plus, Catenna telling her she can still wear whatever she wants seems to have removed the most immediate concern from her eyes.

The black cube is bobbling next to her as she peers towards the sheet. "Oh, what is that, Jay? Is it for your business, or...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

No doubt anticipating that she'll be expected to get into some manner of trouble given that Jacqueline has an idea that's drawing them to a place like this, Catenna dressed accordingly. She's put on the over-layer of her robe, but she's left it open and pushed back the hood. Beneath it she's put on her more action-oriented outfit, namely her shorts and vest. She's even got her ARM hiding somewhere under the robe.

Moving towards that table where Jay's seated, Catenna rests her hand on the back of one of the chairs. "Hello, Jay," she greets quietly, inclining her head politely to the other woman. "I came as quickly as I could. I hope there is no trouble."

Lunata comes bouncing up too. Smiling gently, she looks over to the young girl. "Hello, Lunata... how are you getting by?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Fresh from one of her matches - and reportedly having filled half the arena with ice thanks to a rather unorthodox bomb, leading to a quick dispatching of her opponent - Shalune is curled up next to Lunata, her bobble hat off for a moment to leave her pink hair spread around her face. Her white-gold alchemy pot is innocently laid on the table, the spidery lines of neon around its surface thrumming with her synchronization. Every so often, it flashes and pulses white, as Shalune works slowly on a job lot of munitions to replace the ones she's just used.

If you haven't seen it before, it's quite something to see a girl toss some screws and pins into a pot, add in a match, and then extract a bomb a couple of minutes later. However does she do it?

She's a very innocent-looking face for someone who's entered the Tournament, no larger than Lunata and with a bright and unassuming smile; she beams at Jay and Lunata - childhood friends from Adlehyde - and then at Catenna as well as she approaches, her eyebrows going up. "Oh, oh-- hey, I'm not sure I got your name last time--" she greets - and then beams sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her hair. "Aah, I was a bit crazy with worry, so I'm sorry if you told me! Um-- you're a priestess, right, or somethin' like? You helped Lunie a bunch with advice, so-- um-- thanks." 

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin's definitely glad to be out of Adlehyde and the immediate reach of the Guard. She's not signed up for the tournament as an individual competitor - the last thing she wants to do is risk running up against Leo, who she knows wouldn't be able to turn down the opportunity to participate in such a contest of arms.

She's more than happy to see her friends--as new as she is to having such people in her life.

Spirit, for his part, is a Good Boy and happy to see new faces and familiar ones alike! 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Ethius shows up about as quietly as he ever does. He lost his first round of the Lacour Tournament of Arms, but he seems to be in remarkably good health for an environment where everyone can go all out without risk of death - he seems even leisurely, for the circumstances, even as there is passing derision about his performance.

It would be faster to talk about what circumstances weren't suspicious about the whole ordeal, but nonetheless, here he is, having taken a seat at the table without having said much of anything to draw attention to the fact he's arrived. 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Ah, no trouble. I hope I didn't worry you." Jacqueline shakes her head and sends a pleasant smile toward Catenna. Kourin gets a pleasant smile as well, as she comes in. "It's just that I thought it would be nice to get everyone together and do something. And...I feel like I've been slacking off in the introductions, so this is also a good opportunity for everyone to get to know eachother."

She's messing with the sheet as she says this. Whatever it is, it seems relevant, and Lunata's the one who brings it up first.

"In a manner of speaking. But it involves all of you, as well." Jacqueline says with a nod, looking down at the sheet.

"As you all may already know...the Lacour Coliseum is hosting exhibition matches for the duration of the tournament. So, I got to thinking...since we're all going to be traveling together, it would only be helpful to get more familiar with working alongside one another. Think of it as a teambuilding opportunity." She explains.

"It's a challenging but safe environment, and there are apparently prizes on the line, as well. They were...a little vague on what, though." She says, trailing off at the moment as she gets to thinking exactly what those might be.

"Anyway...you don't have to do it if you don't want, I just thought I'd put the idea out there. I know the three of you must already have a lot on your plate as it is, with your normal arena matches." Jacqueline says, looking between Lunata, Shalune, and Ethius.

"Though if we do this...I think we'll need a name to call ourselves by, to spice things up a little bit..." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"I'm... doing okay," Lunata has to admit to Catenna. "The box only seems to get really upset if I talk about quitting... and... um, Mister Fei's told me as much I shouldn't try to provoke it." A pause. "He seems to have some personal experience around black boxes, so I trust him. I guess there's nothing left for me to do than to try hard..."

She pats Shalune on the head with a bit of a pout. "--but still, that looked really dangerous! What was that-- ice... bomb thing??"

She dials it down when Kourin appears, though, giving the ice mage both a wave and Spirit a pet, good boy!! And-- pauses as she smiles nervously at Ethius again. "Hi Miss Kourin, Mister... Ethius, was it?" Still has no idea he's a party member.

She perks back towards Jay, though. "O-oh, a group activity? I guess it'd be a chance for me to learn more about... Ge Ramda's power, but..." 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Things were busy last time," Catenna admits with a shallow dip of her head towards Shalune, clasping her hands. "But my name is Catenna. And yes, I serve Celesdue. And you are Shalune Amira, if I have not remembered you wrong...?" Her cheeks colour ever so slightly. "You are both welcome." When Lunata speaks up, she nods to the younger girl quietly.

"If you feel it is the best course to follow what it is telling you, then I suspect you will learn something in the end from it. And... we will all support you," she assures, smiling gently.

She shakes her head at Jacqueline. "You did not," she admits, before her eyes dip down to the sign-up sheet.

Her lips come together in a tight line. Catenna has not been at most of the matches, though she watched Ethius fight from far at the back of the audience and was there for Lunata and Shalune's. She's professed in the past to dislike bloodsports.

She clears her throat nevertheless, clasping her hands together at her waist and inclining her head. "If you wish to enter, then I suppose I would not be opposed to it... I will do my best to support you. As to a name...."

(Jay's Baes,) a tiny voice in her mind squeaks.

She tilts her head. "The... the Barber Shop...?" she suggests awkwardly, blushing. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune, for her part, doesn't give two figs about who is or isn't suspicious, and possibly hasn't even taken the time to watch any matches - after all, she was late to the opening ceremonies, having had to rebuild her stock of bombs once already today. This much energy poured into her pot might tire her out later, but that's what Lunata is there for, and already the pink-haired girl is leaning ever so slightly against the other Lunie.

The mechanic does at least wave at Ethius in an unassuming manner, if ever so slightly subdued compared to everyone else - that's what you get for being tall and male and someone she hasn't met before, though her faith in 'people Jay knows' obviously rides pretty high as she doesn't seem inclined to argue his presence.

She perks right the hell up at the sight of Kourin, though, or rather Kourin's companion - immediately bobbling a little in her seat as she nears Proximity To Dog.

"O-ooh... oh, oh, so these guys are with our caravan?" she blurts, glancing between the trio she wasn't aware of previously - immediately she's sat up in her seat a little more, starting to pay more attention as if she were introducing herself in class. "Um-- um, my name's Shalune Amira!" she blurts, confirming Catenna's statement with a nod. "I'm a mechanic more than anythin', but I do bombs and fix stuff and invent stuff-- the whole works, really!" is about as far as she gets before sheepishness starts to take her over again, rubbing at her hair once more. She's a mess of warm-coloured, lovingly-battered sweaters and baggy jeans, with a multicoloured bobble hat she's only just slipping back onto her head.

"Ehehe-- wasn't it great? I learnt how to make a bunch of stuff like that for getting around Elru. It really helped me out more than once, y'know? It's totally safe, though, really! It just disables!" she adds to Lunata, leaning into the pat on her head with a pleased hum. Pet me, pet me.

At least some soberness filters through, though, glancing at the waitress next to her with a light frown. "Um-- I kinda think it's a good idea. We should check how well we can help you out if somethin' like this happens again, right? And it'd be good to know what we're dealin' with too," she considers aloud, before slowly tilting her head.

"... um. Jay's-- Jay's... ..." oh no!! "Jay's-- Caravan?" 

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin smiles slightly at Shalune's attentiveness to Spirit. Spirit, sensing an easy mark, beelines over to her, tail wagging in a friendlly way.

Kourin frowns slightly at the topic. "I do not know how useful I will be in the arena," she says slowly. "But I will do my best. What about...The Caravan of Courage...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

"I do have a vested interest in the arena." Ethius speaks. This might disarm those who didn't notice he arrived to begin with, becuase he has a bad habit of abrupt appearances and disappearances. That is, at heart, a 'yes, I would be interested,' if going by past trends.

"Yes." He replies in confirmation to Lunata's query about his name as he stoically regards Shalune's little wave of greeting.

Shalune could see his eyes fall upon the peppy mechanic, momentarily, with little else other than this acknowledgement of her existence.

"I am simply a man possessed of curiosity in regards to ancient technologies of uncertain origin or construction," as though somehow playing himself off as far less interesting a person than any of the gathered. Such a claim has stretched credibility even before he met any of them.

"May I suggest 'Our Next Challengers?'" He asks, with as straight a gaze as ever (and probably straight a face as ever, what with hiding half of his face under that bandanna) as he delivers a suggestion completely free of distinction, character, or merit. 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline nods toward Lunata, though her slight hesitation at the end gets her attention.

"If you have any concerns, feel free to tell me. We're a team, after all...and friends, besides." She offers reassuringly.

She nods toward Catenna, then, as she agrees to join in. She takes in all the names everyone provides.

Shalune gets a smile and a nod when she asks if the others were coming with them.

"Yes, they are. You've met Catenna, but this is Kourin and her companion, Spirit." She says, gesturing toward Kourin and Spirit.

"And as Lunata asked, this is Ethius. Cyre - I believe you met him before? - will be coming with us as well, but he isn't here at the moment." She finishes, then smiles.

"I did think your explosives were very clever, Shalune." She adds, then glances toward Kourin.

"I'm sure you'll be very useful, Kourin. Trust me." She says with a warm, reassuring smile.

As for Ethius...

"That means I can count you in, then? Excellent." She says with a nod. She'd heard about his fight after the fact, and...wasn't sure what to make of it, but she'd seen enough of it to know that something had to be up. Maybe this was another possible path for the answers he soughts?

"As for the suggestions so far...they're a little...'me'-centric. We're working together, after all. I don't mind the Barber Shop, though...it's just subtle enough. And Ethius's suggestion...might be a bit confusing..." She murmurs, tapping her writing utensil against the paper. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"O-oh, Mister Ethius is--?" Lunata looks surprised, looking both embarrassed and shy as she bows her head down. "I'm sorry! I don't know you very well, but if Jay trusts you, then...!" That doesn't sound great, but as Jay comments on the title, she frowns to say, "Mm... but it sounds right to have it be around Jay, you're the heart and backbone of the team, don't you agree, everyone?"

She scratches her chin. "Maybe something that rhymes with Jay?" Uh oh, it's going in a -dangerous- direction. "Fae... no, we're not faeries... Rays...? That doesn't make sense..." 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

At the mention of Cyre, Catenna glances back and forth through the group, as if searching for him. Her lips tighten just slightly at the outer corners as she fails to spot the man.

When she turns her gaze back to Shalune, she smiles one of those calm, polite smiles back at the blob of sweaters and rosy hair that is Lunata's pink bestie. "I have heard much about your skills... though I did not know you were of Elru. I, too, come from there." Her eyebrows curve upwards shallowly. "Though a southern region of it."

When her attention returns to Jay, she blushes as the woman decides she likes the name she picked after all. "Thank you," she murmurs before picking up on Lunata's rhyming theme.

"...Bays hardly makes sense either," she murmurs. "Nor does Yays... and Maze makes us sound quite incomprehensible...."

She frowns, brushing back a lock of her hair. "...Perhaps we are a Sisterhood. --No, we cannot be one. Cyre and Ethius are men. But perhaps...." Knitting her brows, she tosses out, "...a Kinship...? The Kinship of the... something...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune's already bright face only explodes brighter in a happy blush as Spirit pads up to her. "E-ehehe-- who's a good boy? Issit you? You're a good boy, right?" she coos, leaning a little forward--

--and all of a sudden, without moving through the intervening space, the mechanic is basically latched onto the friendly dog in a cuddle, the only part of her visible above the line of the table a shock of messy pink hair and a vibrant red hat bobbling back and forth. "Awww, good bo~oy~, I've got treats in here somewhe~ere..." she burbles as she pats through her pockets all without letting go of the dog.

She does at least crane up to peer above the line of the table, though, her eyes wide as her pot starts to shake and bubble at her lack of concentration - fixing it with a look seems to help, and after a dangerous moment it seems to calm itself down to rest still on the wooden surface.

"Oh, um, I'm not from Elru, really! I just spent a buncha time out there learning about how to do stuff. Really, I'm an Adlehyde kid through and through," she admits sheepishly to Catenna, and would clearly rub at her hair again if not for Proximity to Dog.

"Um, but if you ask me, I mean-- it's your caravan we're joinin' up to, right?" she adds towards Jacqueline, nodding along with Lunata's argument as she adds her own weight to it. "Plus, your shop's the most-- shop-py. I mean, I basically run a bric-a-brac store most of the time," she grins, without any worry or upset about it whatsoever in her modesty. "So--" a long pause, and then she lights up. "--Jay's Baes!" 

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin frowns. "What is a "bae"? 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata scratches her chin. "Like a beach? Or one of those places you store goods in? Makes sense, since it's a moving shop, I guess....?" 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Then I hope you enjoyed your visit," Catenna answers Shaluna with an incline of her head.

Shalune posits a truly absurd nickname and Catenna blinks at it, seeming a little startled. "Interesting choice," she murmurs. "'Bae' is an Old Zortroan word for a romantic partner, though." 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

"I find the arrangements acceptable in regards to one Mister Cyre." Ethius continues in that tone of voice nearly devoid of personality. That said, it seems to be good there's no personality conflicts - but that might require having a personality to cause a conflict with, huh.

Miss Lunata's worries and reluctant acceptance seems to just slide off of the apparent outward nonchalant air he puts up. His hands don't seem to be doing anything - not even grabbing onto the drink that was picked out for him, or tapping his fingers on the table, or what have you. That unnerving lack of body language... as though he were, on some level, still on guard even in the company of what should be friends and allies.

"I have no objection to a 'Sisterhood,' in spite of the logistics." At least he's amenable to that idea? "Nonetheless... I profess I am short on ideas for names."

Beat.

"Names were never my strong suit, I will confess." 

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin turns pink. "But--but we are friends. I only feel that way about--I mean, I don't feel that way about--" She cuts off. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata's own cheeks flare up as she suddenly realises what Shalune is suggesting. "Lunieee--!" she pouts just a bit, before looking at Jay. Then glancing away with a sulk. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"I dunno what it means~, but it sounds good 'cause it rhymes, ri~ight?" comes the overly blissed-out response from beneath both the table and the woollen hat, muffled against Spirit's fur as Shalune's thought processes get rather overridden by the dog's presence. Catenna's warning possibly just drifts right by her in her happy daze, her litany to Spirit starting to devolve away from words. "Whoozaboozaaabooo..."

She lifts up a moment later, at least, sliding back onto her seat; a search of one pocket of her jacket - there are many - has turned up a number of trail biscuits neatly packed together in paper, and from it she extracts one to snap in half and offer down towards Spirit. She is, it's fair to say, the easiest mark there ever was.

Finally, realization slowly sets in... and she blinks up, her cheeks as red as her hair. "W-wha-- r-really? What-- bwah, I didn't mean it like that! Lunieee!" she whines to the other girl. 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

She was the heart and backbone? It was hard for Jacqueline to think of herself that way. She'd only ever done what felt right to her, after all.

"Well, I...don't know about that, necessarily..." She murmurs a bit sheepishly. Her face even reddens a bit when Shalune nods in agreement, though it becomes red for a different reason when she proclaims her name idea.

"J-Jay's Baes..." Jacqueline repeats, stunned. She's not outright denying the name, but she glances toward Catenna when she mentions it as an Old Zortroan word.

"W-Where'd you pick up a term like that, Shalune...? I mean, it's punchy, but...well..."

But it'd be super-embarrassing going out into the arena under the name 'Jay's Baes'. She...she didn't want to end up people thinking about her like those poor Fiends who kept ending up being called 'consorts to consorts' on their wanted posters.

As she tries to recover, she glances toward Ethius.

"Same here...it's why I'm asking everyone. But let's see...Kinship of the...Bottle? No, that'll make everyone think we're alcoholics...Kinship of the Flask...? That could work...I can't decide..." She murmurs.

"Let's take it to a vote. What's everyone in favor of right now?" She asks. 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Yes, I am... not sure that my romantic interest extends that far," Catenna murmurs with a gentle blush and a hint of a smile. "Though I am... sure you are all very nice women." She glances at Ethius and clears her throat. "Or at least perfect gentlemen."

Except Cyre. She's fairly sure he's a cute cat.

"Kinship of the Flask does make us also sound somewhat... alcoholic, I should think," she murmurs. Even after hanging around Adlehyde and Lacour for so long, her accent hasn't especially faded; it's still as pronounced as ever. Clasping her hands together, she clears her throat softly and suggests, "The Caravan Kinship. I do not think that is... overly Jacqueline-centred." She tilts her head and admits, "Though it is slightly personal... my people are also a Kinship." 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"It doesn't... sound very catchy," Lunata admits, still squirming just a little bit as she looks down. "W-what if we reinvented the word? It just means close friends! I mean -- I mean, it's an old word, so it might be time to be reinvented, right?" Lunata language... well, okay, it can work that way, but it's usually by osmosis, done over a long period of time!! You can't just 'take back' bae!

"If it's Jay, though..." oh noooo, Lunata you say dangerous things sometimeeeeeee 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

"Though this may appear a dereliction in trust invested in me as a fellow member of the Caravan," Ethius says as he brings a hand to his forehead while talk about Kinships and quirks of language and the like surround him, "I'm afraid I must abstain from voting." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Poor Shalune. If only she were more aware of feelings and romance in general rather than mostly being a comfortable pink blob, she might be more worried about the suspicious way in which Lunata slowly trails off. Perhaps it's for the best, though, if only to save Lunata a lot of very curious questions down the road.

"I'm not really sure where I got it from, though..." she hums to herself instead, laying her hands on her pot again. This time, when it ejects the last of its little round bombs, adorably innocent for what they are, it quiets completely. The neon light fades away, and Shalune hums in confident happiness as she looks back up. "Well, um-- hmm. I mean, I kinda like kinship, but-- it's not like we need to decide for sure, right? People are gonna remember it's you doin' the sponsoring, anyway."

Oh, right. Shalune already blew up the arena once in Jay's name today. 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I-It's fine, Ethius. Refraining from voting is also an acceptable motion." Jacqueline assures, still a bit off-kilter due to the discussion at hand.

She takes a deep breath, and glances toward Lunata.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I think this probably isn't the best environment for that..." She says. It's hard to tell if she noticed Lunata's last statement, or if she was pointedly keeping her mind off of it.

"That's a good point, Shalune...but people like having a punchy name to call people...something quick, to act as a point of reference." She says.

"I like Caravan Kinship, though. It's got a good ring to it. So...unless anyone has any objections..." Jacqueline picks up her writing utensil, and puts it to the page. Now that she has confirmation from her friends, she can fill out the rest of the sign-up form and get themselves entered into an exhibition match. 

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin shrugs. "I do like Caravan Kinship. And it is not...the one that suggests..." Her face reddens again a bit. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata's face is red enough, so she just nod. "And for a catchy nickname, CaraKin! When you need to fill your Bin!" 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

"I am in full support of what is collectively decided to be our name going forward." Ethius comments, while maintaining his recusal from the situation at hand in a show of political integrity. 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"I would think that most people in Ignas would not know what the word means, anyway," Catenna muses, brushing a lock of hair back from her cheek. "And there are some poets who used it in the past to indicate close companions... at least, I think so."

Fortunately Jacqueline avoids declaring them all her baes. Catenna clasps her hands and bows her head slightly. "I do not object. I suppose it is as good a name as any," she agrees, though as Lunata shortens it and gives them a slogan, she blushes softly and smiles at the younger girl.

"CaraKin does have a certain charm, doesn't it?" 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

That seems to be confirmation enough for Jacqueline. With everyone agreed, everyone's names are listed on the document, with 'Caravan Kinship' listed as the name of their group as a whole.

A smile is sent towards Kourin, and then Lunata.

"Hey, that is pretty catchy...I'm liking this more and more." She says, then glances toward Catenna with another smile.

"It does! You picked a good name for us." She says. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Ehehe... well, it's settled then!" Shalune decides brightly. At some point, the rest of the biscuit has also disappeared under the table as well. Spirit may be a Good Boy, but he's probably going to need more exercise if he hangs around the mechanic much longer, especially with the way she's already absently patting at another pocket.

As she does so, she piles sideways into Lunata's side in a loose hug, as if a moment's jealousy had filtered through for just a moment. "Ah-- anyway, um. I mean, I sell bits and pieces of inventions from Big Shal, but I guess most of my work tends to involve fixing whatever people bring to me. Of course, that means I'm gonna make sure the caravan runs as well as it can! If anything gets busted up, just leave it to me and I'll unbust it as soon as possible!" she states with a sudden burst of confidence and an arm in the air.

She drops it a moment later, her smile vibrant. "Oh, and, um, when I'm not doin' other work I'll probably be helping Lunie out? It was always pretty fun working for the Saloon, and I figure a mobile version's gonna get just as busy, so I should totally pick up the waitress gig again." 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"I am glad I could be of service," Catenna answers, her blush lingering, but she inclines her head to Jacqueline nevertheless. "And that the group approves of it."

She lifts a hand, chasing a few strands of hair back into place in her braid. "It does seem to be equally centred upon all of us, does it not? I am glad of that."

The priestess nods quietly as Shalune speaks up again. "I cannot say I am... a very mercantile person," she concedes. "But I shall certainly cook whenever the occasion arises... if most of you do not mind spicy food, at least. Though there are dishes I can make that are more, ah... gentle, for those unused to aromatic dishes."

For some reason she's thinking of Riesenlied now. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Ethius coolly acknowledges the consensus about the group's collective identity - the Caravan Kinship - with hardly much of anything other than taking his hand away from his forehead. There's no smiles or laughter in his eyes over the near-miss over something that's uproarious in another language, or what have you. They are a team now, aren't they? Then why does he still seem so... distant?

"I will endeavor to do all that I can for our upcoming journey." This is yet another vague blanket statement that doesn't quite cement what, exactly, he contributes to the well-being of the CaraKin. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata claps her hands together. "CaraKin, for fresh food not from the Tin!" She looks at Catenna as she says, "Aunt Hilda is making sure my culinary education is ongoing too, so she's made sure I'm stocked for our journey -- I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun cooking together! I was originally just planning on helping out by selling food and beverages where we stopped, but..."

She glances to the cube.

"I guess I can help out with Digs now too... I think." 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I'll be counting on you, Shalune." Jacqueline replies with a nod and a smile. Shalune's inventions could be...eclectic, but Jacqueline trusted her with the vehicle that they'd utilizing.

...Just as long as she tried not to get too experimental with it.

Catenna and Lunata get the same nod and smile.

"This journey's looking up already. We've got two great cooks with us..." She says. A glance, then, is spared toward Ethius.

He seemed distant, but...well, that was honestly what she expected from him.

"I don't doubt it, Ethius." She replies with a nod. She had a fair idea of what he could do for them, so she doesn't ask.

...It wasn't cooking, though. Never again. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Me too, me too!" chimes in Shalune, her face alight with happiness. "We've got Lunie to look after, after all, and I wanna throw in my weight too! I've got bombs for demolition, and I'm pretty good with tech, whether it's down in a ruin or up on the surface. Doesn't matter to me!"

She does pause, and grin as she rubs at her neck. "E-ehehe... just, if you're putting me in front of the oven, make sure it's to fix it rather than to cook with it. That kinda side of things I'm not so hot at, y'know? I mean, I can stick stuff on a campfire, but I'm not gonna beat Lunie any time soon. Ooh--" she perks up at Catenna happily. "But y'know, I'll take eating duty any day, ehehe..." 

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

At this point Catenna is used to Ethius being an unknowable lump. She glances at the strange man and nods, taking his statement at face value for lack of any real reason to do otherwise. "I am sure you will do so, Mr. Hesiod."

She smiles once again as she folds her hands and nods to Lunata. "I think we will," she agrees. "I will happily share recipes with you, of course. And I am sure we can come up with some very creative things to make, whether it is just for us, or for those we choose to sell them to." At the girl's last observation, she presses her lips together a moment before promising, "If I am able to offer you any guidance as you... explore the path you walk now, I shall do that, as well."

Catenna does blush a little at Jacqueline's compliment, dipping her chin slightly and clasping her hands once more. "I am fortunate to have been asked along by people with such kind spirits. I had worried that I would be alone in Ignas," she says, before she flashes Shalune a smile as well.

"I am sure Lunata and I will keep you quite well-fed...!"

-

What trials and tribulations await the Caravan Kinship in the Exhibition Matches? Will they pull them together, or force them all apart? Find out...next time, on Dream Chasers!

<-TO BE CONTINUED->

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