Bread with Toppings and a Sunrise - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
22/4/477
Log
A mutter, a twitch as Trace heads into the academy-district, looking... Mostly lost, trying to find a good place to eat. "I... Is there anything you would recommend? I... I'd like something more... Sweetwater... I've mostly had Cliffside-cooking, figured I'd branch... Branch out a little to other types of food," he mutters, looking a little lost.
Sveta simply gives Trace a small, encouraging smile. "Try looking for something that looks local. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Be daring enough to make a mistake. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't. But I'll eat it anyway." she takes a moment to smooth down her feathers, make sure they're preened and neat. "So, make a decision."
"I... I guess," Trace mutters as he looks past the various shops, mumbling a bit and occasionally glancing towards Sveta to see if the place he's looking at has her approval or not... "This one... Kindof looks local, I guess?" he mumbles as he looks at a place that serves pizza-like meals. With local ingredients, of course.
Sveta simply follows Trace, easing into his pace slightly behind him and letting the kite take the lead into the restaurant. She'll follow him to a table, take a seat if offered, but is mostly concerned with giving him a place to be comfortable with directing the flow of action.
A mumble, a nod as Trace slides a chair out of the way... He seems to be intent on doing things right, at least. Soon enough, he's flagged a waiter, who delivers a pair of menus. Of course, not without making a short 'lovebirds' joke, causing Trace to shrink in his chair a little, before he starts flipping through the menu, glancing up at Sveta every now and then.
Sveta ignores the joke and eases herself into the proffered seat, making sure her dress properly is smoothed out, then sets a proffered napkin on her lap before flipping open the menu. "I'll say, I don't seem to have had any of these before," she mentions. "I usually just cook, even if it's for myself. It's usually worth the time, I find, even if others may think it inconvenient. Look at this...bread with toppings, just with fancy names...simple enough, really, but I suppose the problems always lie in the details." After a moment's thought, she picks one at random and calls over a waiter. "This looks good. I'll have it."
A quick nod, a twitch from Trace, and he looks over the menu. Meat, fish, vegetables... It all looks pretty fancy, even if, as Sveta put it, it's just 'bread with toppings, just with fancy names'. "I'll... I'll have this one," he mumbles, before looking towards Sveta. "S-so... What... What is it that you tend to do?" he mutters softly.
Sveta smiles another one of her mild, pleasant smiles. "Sorry, come again? I'm not quite sure I heard you there."
"I... What do you do, usually? J-jobwise, I mean. Or... Or in your spare time, I guess?" he mutters, looking up at Sveta again, and flagging a waiter for drinks.
Sveta nods and thinks a moment. She doesn't chastise Trace, merely acts as if his mumbling had been an honest fluke on his part, then answers. "I do various things. A little of everything, to be honest, but I prefer to work with my hands. Until recently, I was with the craft school until I completed my journeymanship, but didn't have the money to be certified as a full-fledged artisan. Their loss, I suppose. Today, I work for...a friend, helping to get her organised. We don't make very much right now, but she pays me in room and board, which is sufficient for now. As for spare time...well, I try to fill most of my waking hours with something useful to do. Someday, when I do have the land, though, I'd like to grow roses. Not today, but someday. And you? Why did you come here, anyway?"
Trace nods and mumbles, scratching at the back of his head. "Miss... Miss Longtail?" he ventures in question, before nodding again. "I... I came here to practice more magic, explore the world, and so on. Theory and classroom-knowledge is one thing, but... Doing things in practice is another," he mumbles, pulling out a few very basic fire and air-spells he's worked up.
"You know her? Well, that makes that easy, then. Yes, I do work for her. Can't talk about it, though. Trade secrets." Sveta waves a gloved hand dismissively. "Ah, the old 'student, there is nothing left I can teach you' story. Has to have a grain of truth to it, for it to appear in so many places, even the First Text. Why'd you choose Sweetwat-" she stops mid-sentence as Trace begins his little light show, the waiter choosing that moment to reappear with her pizza. The goshawk settles back, eating in small bites, quite literally like a bird, and watches.
A grin as Trace works what little magic he has at the ready, creating six small wisps of fire. He's making sure they don't hit anything, even as he adds air to the metaphysical equation, causing the flames to spread out in small rings, before collapsing them to the center a litle flash of light. "I... Mostly do fire and air... And it wasn't so much 'no longer being able to teach me'... More... Well... I'd rather not talk about that one right now."
"Mm," Sveta says, before taking another bite. "This bread is all right. Wouldn't say there's no room for improvement, or that I'd have it over something I cooked myself, but it's all right. So..." she leans in slightly. "Tell me something more about yourself, then. Something. Anything. Or what you deem most important."
"I... Well, I grew up near Cliffside. Not quite in cliffside itself, but close enough to be considered part of the country. Turned out to have magical talent, and went to the academy... Turns out... Talent isn't the same as skill. As for what I deem important... Iunno. Family, I guess? Wouldn't want to see them harmed. Food, a place to stay... Friends... The usual, I suppose. A job if I manage to get one."
"It's a strange way to see the world, settling down in another place. Most looking for that don't really seek to set down their roots for very long, if they want to see more of the world than just another part of it. I knew a traveller, a lion fellow, he pulled that stunt. Came and left for a bit, came and left...past caught up with him for a while and he's been about for good since, although one should really think about a ball and chain at his age. Anyway, I digress." Much care is taken not to get any oil on those gloves of hers as she eats. "See now? You're much better when you speak up."
A small, hesitant nod, a mumble, as Trace's own food arrives, and he sets to eating himself. "I'm not quite... Quite sure yet myself, but I figure sweetwater is a big enough place for now, at the very least. Maybe I'll make a pilgrimage to Shralesta at some point, but there's more than enough experiences to be had here," he concludes after some deliberation. "And who knows... Maybe I'll like sweetwater enough to settle down here."
Sveta chuckles at Trace's last comment. "My folks certainly thought it nice enough to come across the mountains and put down roots, although I was too young to remember when it happened. One more winter like the last one, my father would say, and they would go mad like the neighbours. I can't say I like the old country much, mostly because I never knew it." Some serious contemplation. "I suppose it's not unheard of, Cliffsiders settling here, although it is a little rare. What with the occasional skirmish every generation or so, at least."
A nod, another quick bite as Trace listens to Sveta. "I... Suppose so. I guess it helps when you're a bit removed from all the politics," he mumbles as he continues eating, taking another sip from his drink. "I try to not get involved, in any case, honestly."
