2018-05-06: I Call Her Bitey
- Log: I Call Her Bitey
- Cast: Tabitha deVriese, Catenna, Lydia Seren
- Where: Meribia - Blue Dragon Way
- Date: May 6, 2018
- Summary: Tabitha stops by Catenna and Lydia's booth in Meribia. Things start off nice enough, until Lydia shows her fangs.
=========================<* Meribia - Blue Dragon Way *>========================== Blue Dragon Way is the name given to the area where Meribus's governor used to make his home. Several years earlier, the governor and his entire line were slain by a group of cultists who ravaged the city; it was only the arrival of a wandering martial artist named Lunn that saw their reign of terror end. In the time since the cult's defeat, the administrative buildings of Meribia have been replaced by dozens martial arts dojos, each operating independently. The dojos attract students from all over Lunar, and the resulting competition (which is /generally/ friendly) has given Meribia a secondary purpose as one of the foremost repositories of martial talent on the planet. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3jru8_hq_s
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
In a far-off land, there is a fiersome curse: May you live in interesting times.
Everyone is now living in interesting times...for they live in a universe that contains Tabitha deVriese.
Today, the roving Etone ordinand has come to Meribia's Blue Dragon Way, her long blonde hair flowing behind her as she steps and whirls on her heeled boots, taking in the tableau of dozens of dojos. She has an apple she got back in the main market, but her eyes are swinging around wildly. She definitely looks like a tourist...but she also moves like a fighter, which has a few of the dojo street recruiters looking alternately hungrily at her, and spitefully at each other.
All channels have been gagged.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Business doesn't really stop when you're in the Caravin Kinship, even when you're Catenna and your main pursuit is honouring the Guardian of the Moon.
A little stand has been set up in an opportune spot on Blue Dragon Way, from which lovely scents emanate. They're scents somewhat alien to Lunar, yet in some ways familiar.
Catenna - still channeling Jean in her fashion choices - is minding the stand today, within which has been set up a little kitchen ensemble - a couple of huge pots, one full of a mild curry made with local ingredients, the other with rice. A small sign in front of her advertises lunch and takeaways available for a very reasonable spot of small-denomination coinage.
The Etone whirling through the square isn't lost on her. Blinking a couple of times, the Moon Shaman turned chef lays one hand on the table in front of her, following the visitor with her eyes for a moment.
When Tabitha does look her way, Catenna smiles politely and waves. If Tabitha looks like she's not from around here, Catenna looks the part too, albeit for different reasons. But hey, the food smells good.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia is adult who does a business.
Lydia continues to be suspicious of blondes as a general rule, especially if they happen to work with Granas (ew). It's a weird negative relationship modifier until you realize that the reason she's suspicious is because she taken prisoner by a race of blonde people who proceeded to torture on her and use her for experiments! Sadly, there's a lot of blonde people in the world, and that means Lydia is often mildly tense whether or not there's anything worth actually being tense about. Lydia is managing the store today with Catenna, it seems. Actually Catenna is probably minding the store because it was Lydia's turn and nobody wants Lydia to be doing this on her own. She'll probably horribly cheat someone or injure someone.
Lydia is presently gnawing on the stand, no doubt convincing any secret Solarian agents they were wrong about the lambs and they don't need guidance because they are quite civilized.
Her eyes narrow faintly at Tabitha when Catenna waves at her. "Why would you make such a miscalculation?" She asks quietly in her best Peridot voice. Which is really just her voice.
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
Tabitha's hands are clutched behind her, as she sweeps her gaze around with her lips split in a fascinated grin.
But finally, it lands on some Baskar-lookin' chick she doesn't know; and Lydia, who is eating a table. They're so cute when they're teething, she thinks, and decides to pay a visit.
"My, my!" she chimes, pleasantly as she gets within conversational distance. "What an interesting place to set up shop," she adds, leaning on the countertop rather than sitting right off. She moves with a certain constant grace. And possibly an intentional amount of provacation, though she keeps it to a dull roar at the moment. "You're not from around here, are you, child?" She smiles pleasantly. She doesn't use it as a diminutive, at least not obviously; like a priest referring to their flock, all are children of God.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna - who did, in fact, not want to make Lydia face the crowds by herself - has absolutely no idea what she's just done. She gives Lydia a slightly baffled look. "Excuse me?"
She doesn't ask why Lydia is eating the table, but then, she doesn't need to.
Tabitha comes sauntering in. Catenna mentally braces herself, figuring Lydia's upset for a reason. The moon shaman clasps her hands neatly, inclining her head. "Yes, welcome to the Caravan Kinship...."
'child'
Catenna's heart turns to ice as she fights back a surge of familar contempt.
"We are a traveling caravan, yes," she says aloud, keeping her smile in place as her expression retains its simple politeness, as if she's not going to give this woman the satisfaction of seeing her ruffled by that word. "Many of us come from foreign lands. But we are happy to serve anyone. Would you care for a meal? Today we have curry chaandee on offer."
Catenna made it up when she realized she had different ingredients to choose from on Lunar.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia says, "You invited the Etone over." to Catenna. She naturally says this before Tabitha starts speaking by the rule of comedic timing, and certainly out of hearing by virtue of this being a marketplace and her speaking quietly.
Indeed, she doesn't even give Tabitha two middle fingers instantly upon her arrival. Is Tabitha finally making headway with the natives? Are they ready to accept her in their pack??? Did Lydia just rip a small chunk of the table off with her teeth and start chewing on it like it was a piece of fruit?????? The answer to one of these questions is yes.
"You're not from around here either." Lydia says, spitting out a splinter. "We have a special rate for members of the flock."
Wait they do? Lydia gives Catenna a look.
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
Tabitha smiles and her teeth are upsettingly straight and white. Her hair and skin are clean to the point of lustrous. This woman goes way out of her way to look good. But hey, that's time not spent bothering the Baskar heathen, maybe?
Her clear blue eyes linger on Catenna with a sweet smile. She must not have noticed that subtle tension. "Yes, of course. It's a big world the Goddess has built, isn't it?" she titters, eyes scanning to Lydia. ....who is chewing on a chunk of table. Tabitha's fingers itch to act but she displays little more than a slight curl to them.
"Oh do you? How kind of you," she says. "Curry chaandee?" She utterly slaughters the pronunciation. "That sounds lovely. I can't say I've heard of the dish! A new experience is always exciting, don't you think?"
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna, who had absolutely no clue that Tabitha was an Etone, gives Lydia a 'how was I supposed to know' sort of look.
But she's not totally blind to Lydia's discomfort around an Etone; indeed, as she catches the look, she inclines her head and folds her hands, nodding almost apologetically. "Yes, we do have a special rate for members of the flock."
Tabitha butchers the Zortroan word for silver. Catenna's little niche-race heart quails, but she bears it. It wouldn't be the first time. "Yes," she murmurs, "The spirit of the Moon is truly strong here. We are blessed." It's not exactly a profession of faith in Althena; Catenna decided a long time ago that she wouldn't deny her faith. But it could be mistaken as such by someone who doesn't realize she's a Shaman and Priestess of Celesdue.
Too polite to just scare Tabitha off and end the scene prematurely, Catenna steals a look back towards the curry pot, then back to Tabitha. "It is an original recipe, adapted from one my people have held close for many generations. If you would care to try some...?" As much as Catenna's anxious here - and Lydia too - it would be rude to just send her away.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia's teeth look like they belong on a shark. Or a Taokaka. Lydia looks like she barely takes care of herself though non-Tabithas will know that Lydia actually HAS improved markedly in terms of self care as of late and now even bathes every so often and keeps her teeth nice and flossed.
"Yeah I guess." Lydia says. Tabitha is certainly hot but this just makes Lydia jealous and more upset still.
But she does give Catenna a double pat as if to reassure her and then she says, "Worlds are tiny compared to the vastness of the cosmos." Lydia says. "Would you like to sponsor a space program, ma'am?"
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
"How delightful," Tabitha chimes, because she is a sucker and assuming she's getting a good deal. Definitely. That's definitely the reason.
"Yes," she adds, to Catenna's highly specific phrasing. "The spirit of the moon is surely out here among us, hm?" She echoes the words. She's not challenging her on things Etones definitely don't believe in. Well, a good conversion takes time, of course. "You're...Baskar, then?" she asks, because that last thought was a lie. "This place seems to have drawn all sorts. Still, good to meet someone else who knows what it's like to be so far from home. I'll certainly try some of your curry." Smiiiile.
And then, her eyes cut to Lydia. "I suppose they are, at that. Do you know much of space, dear?"
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna sadly can't take credit for teaching Lydia to hygiene. Unless it's through example; Catenna does bathe. Often. She even fancies up her hair with those pretty bangles, takes care of her skin and wears a tasteful but fetching quantity of cosmetics, mostly to bring out the shape of her eyes.
She's a different kind of hot from Tabitha, though.
When Tabitha calls her on her ethnicity, Catenna suppresses the urge to sigh, just turning to pick up a wooden bowl and spoon some rice into it. "Not really. I am Zortroan." That ought to be obscure enough to throw her off a little, she decides; most people from Filgaia don't know where the Zortroa live or who they are. "We are all travellers, I suppose, in our own way... but traveling is part of what the Caravan Kinship does. We do our best to bring help to those who need it."
The curry Catenna ladles into the bowl holds a rich yellowish colour, with diced bits of chicken and a hearty serving of vegetables. Catenna carries it over to Tabitha and offers it up.
Lydia gets a curious look from her but she doesn't question it. A space program? Is she hoping to fling the Etone into orbit? So far Tabitha hasn't really done anything awful aside from call her a child, Catenna reminds herself.
Maybe it's coming, she reflects internally.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Pffh, 'course I do." Lydia says. "With the right tools I bet I could get a rocket to break the atmosphere. Course then it'd probably crush in on itself and break apart, but I already got plans for a prototype craft! I just need the materials. I also know that there's aliens out there that do experimentation on people from Filgaia." She crosses her arms. "I know 'cause I'm one of their victims! They took me right up to their flying city--" She raises up her arm. "--and they did this to me!" Her metallic arm ripples as if to answer Lydia's accusation.
"I've even met some friendlier aliens back on Filgaia. I also know that with how big the universe is, which is so unbelievably big I couldn't even begin to describe it, there's gotta be plenty of alien civilizations out there."
Lydia is not considering throwing Tabitha into orbit. She wants to do that to Carakin first.
(It's a great honor you should be proud).
She starts going into measuring star distances through the use of a telescope and a compass and will keep on this until someone hits triangle to skip the dialogue.
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
Tabitha gets Lydia talking, which pleases her a bit. She reaches into her pocket and plucks out a small black book, which she jots a few things down in as Lydia talks. "Really," she says. "Crush itself! I can't say I've had the time to consider the finer points of rocketry. How wonderful that we have young people such as yourself working so diligently."
The lower portion of her face isn't quite visible behind the notebook when she adds, "A flying city, was it? That would give one an interest in such things, I imagine..."
It's essentially impossible to tell how seriously she's taking this, but she does turn her attention more toward Catenna while Lydia goess off on her tangent. "My apologies," she adds. "I must confess I'm not familiar with the Zortroa. But I should like to hear of it, someday." She smiles, tucking her notebook away. "Understanding one another must surely be an important step forward for Filgaia, don't you think? Now then!" She reaches for the food. "Let's see what you've prepared."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna has no idea what a rocket is. She actually blanks out a little as Lydia starts rambling, but fades back into the conversation as the girl starts discussing her ordeal in the flying city.
So much for keeping their cover as locals. But then. Tabitha'd already figured them out, and she seems to know Lydia anyway.
The moon priestess folds her arms loosely beneath the curve of her breasts, paying a little more attention to how Tabitha takes the Lydia-rant. By patronizing her, mostly. Her eyelids lower just a little before settling back to their usual position; she doesn't move to stop Lydia from rambling. "No, it is quite alright," she concedes with a small bow of her head. "Perhaps I shall have the opportunity to educate you. Our ways are not especially well-known, but I am pleased to share them, as I have with the meal you are about to partake in." She nods her head towards the bowl of food.
"My name is Catenna, by the by," she says.
The curry turns out to have a mild spice to it, but much of its tastebud-teasing complexity comes from the warm, blooming aromatics that fill the senses. There's a freshness to the ingredients that Filgaian food just can't match save in a few parts of the world.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia trails off about halfway through her rant as she stares at Tabitha writing in that book of hers.
"You don't believe me." She says, raising a leg and stepping onto the forefront with it. "You think I'm crazy, huh? You think I'm a joke or something? I'm not making it up, I have proof! I have proof that it happened! It's in the arm! Sometimes it's in my head and it made me bite someone."
She pulls her other foot on top into a crouch, eyes glaring wide at Tabitha. She shakes her metal arm at her. "Look at the arm!! LOOK AT IT!!! TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!!!!"
She then promptly leaps for Tabitha and tries to bite her arm (this is not the gentle bite that Catenna got). Careful! You can probably guess where Lydia's teeth have been.
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
Tabitha keeps herself busy with Catenna for a moment. "I'll be excited to learn. It's one of my great pleasures, is learning about other people. The places they've been, the things they've seen and believe..."
Sadly she does not get too deep into her curry before Lydia has a bit of an...episode. The screaming moves her from half-listening to full-listening, eyes turning up.
Lydia lunges, and Tabitha moves. Being sorcerers the two may not recognize the Accelerator technique, the facet of several Filgaian martial arts that allows one to move faster than the eye can track. Instead Lydia will simply find herself lunging at air, with Tabitha having seemingly slid to the other end of the booth, leaving Lydia to sail uselessly past.
"I was taking you seriously, little one," Tabitha says, though that full priestly warmth has cooled to something colder and more calculating. Her eyes turn toward Lydia. There's no contempt there, not really. But there's not really any respect, either. "I meant it when I said that learning of others' lives and experiences is a great joy of mine."
She smiles, thinly. Dangerous. Something about this woman is incredibly dangerous. "Though if you wish to be treated as a child, I can arrange that as well."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
The bite Catenna got was weird, especially since Cyre bit her too.
"Lydia!" Catenna gasps as her most awkward friend lunges at Tabitha and gets nibbly on her. She drops her ladle with the surprise of it all. Certainly she's too surprised to try and stop Lydia - and she's not all that sure she wants to.
Not that Tabitha needs or deserves her help. Catenna snaps her eye after the blur that is the smug Etone.
The priestess presses her lips together in a firm line as Tabitha smiles that dangerous smile. "I would prefer that you did not," she says as she steps around the booth and moves to stand by Lydia, reaching out to try and steady the girl with a hand on her shoulder. "You already called us that when you got here and I find it insulting. I am more than happy to talk with you as an equal, Etone. But not if your goal is simply to sneer at the both of us and our faith."
She tightens her grip a bit to try and give Lydia a small, encouraging squeeze. Lydia may be erratic, but she's also Catenna's friend.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia's teeth gnash the air and she hits the ground shoulder first, cringing in pain. She was not expecting Tabitha to be able to avoid her like that, it semes. Lydia is pretty quick on her feet even if she's not the platonic beastman ideal. She's no match for ACCELERATOR by a long shot even so. And she gave plenty of warning. Even if she doesn't realize she did.
Lydia looks up glaring at Tabitha, her face red hot, fingers digging into the dirt. In this moment she sees very, very, clearly. She takes in a long breath and then smacks her face with both hands.
Then she stands up.
"Yeah, sorry." She says. "You were kind of hitting up my nerve unintentionally I guess," This is quite a sudden change honestly but Lydia just hops back over to her side of the booth. "Can y'please be a little less aggressively Granas? Thanks."
<Pose Tracker> Tabitha deVriese has posed.
That dangerous smile disappears and Tabitha's back to that winning, pretty grin. "That's better," she chimes, pleasantly, but can't move to help Lydia up because she did so on her own. So she goes back to her curry.
And then she glances at Catenna, and her smile is thin and sad. "I've never once," she says calmly, "sneered at either of you." She says it with absolute certainty. 'Child' earlier was a welcoming term, something she says to nearly everyone. Nothing she has done today has been of spite. Except maybe that last look at Lydia...
She arches a thin, curious look, and then just sighs. "But if you would prefer to bring your hatreds here with you, after I have invited you to peace, then I suppose there is not much a woman can do. Good fortune to you both. I expect we shall meet again."
She turns, sliding a few coins on the meal for her pay, and slips away.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna presses her lips together gently before letting her breath out in a slow rush that takes much of her tension along with it. "Then I have misjudged your intentions, and I'm sorry for it," she says with a small dip of her head. "I do not hold any hate in my heart for you or your faith. If you genuinely wish to learn, then I will gladly seek you out at a later time."
As much as Lydia seems to be anxious about Tabitha, Catenna hasn't really seen her do anything bad, and her explanation seems fair. But Lydia's a friend and Catenna's impulse is to stand by her friend.
"Please be well," she finally says, as Tabitha begins to move off.
Again she gives Lydia's shoulder a little squeeze, as if to assure her that it'll be alright.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia bites into her lip. She's gone fro"m enraged to anxious in a blink. She remembers Halle's words, of course, to not act in hatred so Tabitha's words do double moral high ground damage. She bites into her hand and makes a noise into it. "Mmmpphhh..!!"
But then she exhales and opens her mouth, to say something, to say that it's really hard perhaps to shut it out no matter how much she tries, and she'd just like a member of the Granas church to just acknowledge it at her, to understand.
To apologize, to say she did her best.
But Tabitha's already gone by the time she managed to get that mouth open, so she just shuts it back up.