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It had been a long day between Fern's recent chronic exhaustion, going to the market, and that whole debacle with the ori. The ori itself had kicked up a lot of dust, so Fern found himself feeling a little gritty. He returned home for a bit to drop off the groceries, then excused himself to go to the bathhouse in town.

Fern rinsed himself off with the water from the pump at the entrance, making sure he wasn't about to get the water super dirty by getting off the majority before stepping in. He settled into the warm water, closing his eyes as he felt the soothing feeling wash over him. It was also later in the evening, so he was able to enjoy relative quiet with not many other gros in the bathhouse at this hour.

That didn't last very long, though. He was practicing some earth magic that he didn't normally use on the farm, more used to sprouting seeds or moving dirt, when he sensed the vibrations of someone else approaching the tub that he was in, was had been unoccupied when he entered. He had little warning before the stranger set her towel at the edge of the bath and stepped inside, flashing Fern a polite smile. Out of the entire rest of the bath, she chose to be just a few feet away from Fern.

She was already seated when she directed a statement towards Fern, her voice sweet, soft, and just as polite as her smile. "I hope you don't mind sharing your bath with a stranger."

Shouldn't you have asked before getting in if you really cared about how I felt about it? Fern bit back the response, not wanting to take out his recent bitterness on someone that he didn't know. Instead he stated flatly, "It's a public bath. It would be weird to mind sharing when I came here voluntarily."

"Well, it is late," she said, reading up to brush a stray strand of hair back into the rest of her tied-up locks. "Not many others are here. But, if I can be frank with you, I followed you in because I wanted to speak with you."

Fern grew rigid with her admission, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I don't know you. Why are you trying to talk to me? Are you sure you aren't mistaking me for someone else?"

Her eyebrows raised, seeming a bit surprised to be talked back to, but her smile didn't change. "Oh, no, we don't formally know each other. But I saw you in the market earlier, and how you tamed that ori so easily. I was interested but wasn't sure how to approach, but by the time I thought about it you had vanished. I happened to spot you heading here on my way back home, though, so I followed you here. I couldn't let my chance slip away a second time."

Fern's lip curled a little, still not trusting this gro entirely. This was a little odd, but the least he could do was ask what she wanted, so he did. She chuckled softly, placing a hand over her heart. "Excuse me, I'm sure this is very strange to you. My name is Iris Adál. I come from a successful family and I'm currently under training with my aunt in her estate near the outskirts of town."

"Not seeing how this is relevant to you following me to the bathhouse," Fern couldn't help but quip.

Iris raised a hand, shaking her head. "Sorry, getting to it. Part of my training has been that I've been in charge of training an ori of my own to build my leadership and command skills, but the one my aunt chose for me to train is a very... temperamental male. She refuses to assist me, and none of the other employees around really have ori experience beyond the stablehands, who both know how to care for and ride ori, but not necessarily tame them. If I could gain a mastery like you showed in the market, it would assist me greatly. Of course, I would be happy to give compensation to you for your troubles, and I can talk my aunt into hiring you as a live-in employee, if that sounds agreeable. I've heard that many wyngrew around our age have trouble setting out on their own and often end up in that horrible run-down shack of a building that they call the cranny, so I would be more than happy to procure a place for you to stay, and we always have spare quarters."

As she spoke, a little flicker of interest lit up Fern's eyes. A live-in employee? Paid for his work by a wealthy family? "How far out of town do you live? Would I have to come in to visit often?"

"Not terribly so, but I might ask you to accompany me as a bodyguard," Iris told him. "Not that I really need it, but just in case we encounter spites or bandits on the road to or from the house. We have other guards who can train you at home. Technically I'm not even supposed to leave the house like this unless I'm going somewhere with my aunt, so if you can keep quiet about when I leave the estate and make sure I stay safe that would be very useful."

Fern hummed softly, rubbing his chin as he was deep in thought. He really didn't need to think much, though. This was a secure way to leave home and know that he would have a place to stay, with a roof over his head and money in his pockets. He could vanish and his so-called family would be none the wiser as to where he'd gone. He could be free from those liars. And all he had to do was help this rich girl tame and train an ori? That was something he could almost do in his sleep after working with oris his whole life. He'd watched his dad break in a lot of oris for other farmers, and once he'd grown up he was no stranger to the task either. The bit about guarding Iris seemed more than a little unfamiliar to him, but quite frankly, he could care less. That was something he could learn to go as he went, and he doubted a situation would arise when he would need to protect her from real danger.

"I'll do it," Fern said resolutely. "I just need the directions to your house."

"Of course," Iris said, seeming delighted. "What's your name? And when can you start?"

"My name is Fern. I'll arrive the day after the new moon if that sounds alright."

"Then we have a deal, Fern! I'll have it all arranged before then."

Iris reached out one hand, and Fern took it, grasping it tightly with a firm shake. The pact was made, and Fern would finally have a chance to escape.

fern - age
+ body fluff - x x

iris - age
+ brow changer
+ elegant hair - x
+ teeth - x
+ thumbs

Independent Earth Magic
Sense Vibrations - 1 / 2
Sprout Seeds - 0 / 2
Move Rock / Dirt / Sand - 0 / 2
Heal With Plants - 0 / 2

max wyn

Description
Previous

It had been a long day between Fern's recent chronic exhaustion, going to the market, and that whole debacle with the ori. The ori itself had kicked up a lot of dust, so Fern found himself feeling a little gritty. He returned home for a bit to drop off the groceries, then excused himself to go to the bathhouse in town.

Fern rinsed himself off with the water from the pump at the entrance, making sure he wasn't about to get the water super dirty by getting off the majority before stepping in. He settled into the warm water, closing his eyes as he felt the soothing feeling wash over him. It was also later in the evening, so he was able to enjoy relative quiet with not many other gros in the bathhouse at this hour.

That didn't last very long, though. He was practicing some earth magic that he didn't normally use on the farm, more used to sprouting seeds or moving dirt, when he sensed the vibrations of someone else approaching the tub that he was in, was had been unoccupied when he entered. He had little warning before the stranger set her towel at the edge of the bath and stepped inside, flashing Fern a polite smile. Out of the entire rest of the bath, she chose to be just a few feet away from Fern.

She was already seated when she directed a statement towards Fern, her voice sweet, soft, and just as polite as her smile. "I hope you don't mind sharing your bath with a stranger."

Shouldn't you have asked before getting in if you really cared about how I felt about it? Fern bit back the response, not wanting to take out his recent bitterness on someone that he didn't know. Instead he stated flatly, "It's a public bath. It would be weird to mind sharing when I came here voluntarily."

"Well, it is late," she said, reading up to brush a stray strand of hair back into the rest of her tied-up locks. "Not many others are here. But, if I can be frank with you, I followed you in because I wanted to speak with you."

Fern grew rigid with her admission, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I don't know you. Why are you trying to talk to me? Are you sure you aren't mistaking me for someone else?"

Her eyebrows raised, seeming a bit surprised to be talked back to, but her smile didn't change. "Oh, no, we don't formally know each other. But I saw you in the market earlier, and how you tamed that ori so easily. I was interested but wasn't sure how to approach, but by the time I thought about it you had vanished. I happened to spot you heading here on my way back home, though, so I followed you here. I couldn't let my chance slip away a second time."

Fern's lip curled a little, still not trusting this gro entirely. This was a little odd, but the least he could do was ask what she wanted, so he did. She chuckled softly, placing a hand over her heart. "Excuse me, I'm sure this is very strange to you. My name is Iris Adál. I come from a successful family and I'm currently under training with my aunt in her estate near the outskirts of town."

"Not seeing how this is relevant to you following me to the bathhouse," Fern couldn't help but quip.

Iris raised a hand, shaking her head. "Sorry, getting to it. Part of my training has been that I've been in charge of training an ori of my own to build my leadership and command skills, but the one my aunt chose for me to train is a very... temperamental male. She refuses to assist me, and none of the other employees around really have ori experience beyond the stablehands, who both know how to care for and ride ori, but not necessarily tame them. If I could gain a mastery like you showed in the market, it would assist me greatly. Of course, I would be happy to give compensation to you for your troubles, and I can talk my aunt into hiring you as a live-in employee, if that sounds agreeable. I've heard that many wyngrew around our age have trouble setting out on their own and often end up in that horrible run-down shack of a building that they call the cranny, so I would be more than happy to procure a place for you to stay, and we always have spare quarters."

As she spoke, a little flicker of interest lit up Fern's eyes. A live-in employee? Paid for his work by a wealthy family? "How far out of town do you live? Would I have to come in to visit often?"

"Not terribly so, but I might ask you to accompany me as a bodyguard," Iris told him. "Not that I really need it, but just in case we encounter spites or bandits on the road to or from the house. We have other guards who can train you at home. Technically I'm not even supposed to leave the house like this unless I'm going somewhere with my aunt, so if you can keep quiet about when I leave the estate and make sure I stay safe that would be very useful."

Fern hummed softly, rubbing his chin as he was deep in thought. He really didn't need to think much, though. This was a secure way to leave home and know that he would have a place to stay, with a roof over his head and money in his pockets. He could vanish and his so-called family would be none the wiser as to where he'd gone. He could be free from those liars. And all he had to do was help this rich girl tame and train an ori? That was something he could almost do in his sleep after working with oris his whole life. He'd watched his dad break in a lot of oris for other farmers, and once he'd grown up he was no stranger to the task either. The bit about guarding Iris seemed more than a little unfamiliar to him, but quite frankly, he could care less. That was something he could learn to go as he went, and he doubted a situation would arise when he would need to protect her from real danger.

"I'll do it," Fern said resolutely. "I just need the directions to your house."

"Of course," Iris said, seeming delighted. "What's your name? And when can you start?"

"My name is Fern. I'll arrive the day after the new moon if that sounds alright."

"Then we have a deal, Fern! I'll have it all arranged before then."

Iris reached out one hand, and Fern took it, grasping it tightly with a firm shake. The pact was made, and Fern would finally have a chance to escape.

fern - age
+ body fluff - x x

iris - age
+ brow changer
+ elegant hair - x
+ teeth - x
+ thumbs

Independent Earth Magic
Sense Vibrations - 1 / 2
Sprout Seeds - 0 / 2
Move Rock / Dirt / Sand - 0 / 2
Heal With Plants - 0 / 2

max wyn