Bread with Toppings and a Sunrise - RPLOG
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."
Sveta sniffs. "I personally believe that we would be a lot saner without so much politicking." She picks at her bread with toppings, wincing a little at the stringiness of the cheese that the restaurant has used. "Well, you'd mentioned before that you had family in Sweetwater. Any plans to visit them?"
Trace nods again, before taking another bite from his own slice. "Plan on doing that somewhere next week. Shouldn't be too far, just need to gather supplies and set up some plans and so on. Better to be prepared than not, after all," he mumbles, taking another sip from his drink.
Sveta's smile broadens a little and finishes the last of her meal. Not that she'd ordered much in the first place, with that gooey mass of tomatoes, mushrooms and who knew what else stuck in the cheese. "And that's a little more planning than you did when you first arrived here with no idea where to go or what to do. You just need to think about it a little." Now, if only she could get him to stop mumbling sometime...but one thing at a time. Beings don't change overnight.
"I did... Plan things... I just didn't plan on the city being this big and disorienting," Trace mutters before he takes another bite from his food, another sip from his drink. "Pretty sure I'll be missing some other obvious thing while planning that trip to the family as well. Doesn't mean I won't try."
"This is going to sound obvious, but I'll say it nonetheless: have you tried...well, making a list?" Sveta clicks her beak and leans back in her chair, pushing her empty plate away from her. She sips at her water, waiting for Trace to suggest something to do after the meal, or anything else he has in mind. This is supposed to be his show, after all.
A small nod, a light chuckle, and Trace shakes his head a little. "I do tend to list out things... Just tend to miss things more often than not," he mumbles, flagging a waiter to pay for the dinner. "Are... Are there any good viewpoints over the entire city?" he asks after a moment of consideration. "Figure that being able to see everything, or at least most, would be a good way to figure out where things are and how to get there."
"Then you should make a list of things you need to list. And a list of that, too." Sveta makes a note of Trace paying the waiter, perhaps thinking something to herself, then nods. "The Lighthouse is the tallest point of the city, if you like. We're not getting into Castle Good or the Academy's towers as we are, that's for sure. Why, would you like to visit?"
"Might be useful to know my way around, so... Yes?" Trace mumbles as he stnds up, offering to help Sveta up as well. "So... Where... Where to? I think it was that way?" he mumbles, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the maritime district, before looking towards Sveta again.
"Help me help you?" Sveta considers Trace's proffered arm for a moment, then accepts it, although she'll only stand with a firm tug. "Oh, just head out towards the waterfront from here - it's really close to the Academy District. I don't think even you could lose your way like that...it's plainly obvious once you get close enough that the buildings thin out somewhat."
A small smile on Trace's lips as he helps Sveta up, before nodding and holding the door open for the goshawk. "After you, milady," he offers, still looking a bit unsure about things, although just a little less so than before.
A mumble, a smile as Trace leads Sveta towards the lighthouse, which indeed, wasn't too hard to find. "After you?" he offers, once more trying to do the gentlemanly thing and holding the door open for the Goshawk accompanying him.
"You're still fine after that long climb? Maybe you weren't fibbing when you said you helped out at the marketplace a little. I know, I did my share of that back in the day..." Nevertheless, Sveta steps past Trace, out onto the deck and leans on the railing. There aren't that many beings here at this time of day, and the brilliant beams of light shining from the lighthouse are muted as the keepers inside turn them down in anticipation of a new day.
And one it is, with the spring sun coming up from over the seaward horizon, casting a dim red light on Firmament proper. The goshawk considers it a moment, studying it as a jeweller might study a particularly interesting gem, then pulls out the clip holding up her hair and lets it down to let the strands rest amidst her feathers. "You know, I've always liked the sunrise."
A small nod, a mumble, and Trace stands besides Sveta. He's silently peering out over the city, occasionally making a little mental note of one or two landmarks. "Sunrise, sunset... Depends on which way you're looking," he mumbles, smiling faintly as he looks at the sunrise. "Can't say I disagree, though."
"Would have to disagree on that one," Sveta replies, turning to face a stiff sea breeze and spreading her wings a little to catch it in her feathers and dress, making both even more ruffled. "You can only see the sunrise from here if you face the sea. You can only see the sunset if you face away from it. The way you look does indeed affect which one you'll see...but they aren't the same thing." A pause. "See anything from here that you like? In the city, I mean?"
"I... never said they were the same... One opens a new chapter of life, the other heralds the end of the previous one." He pauses a moment, before shaking his head. "Right now, I'm taking in the sights, making a mental map... I think the inn was over there... Those appear to be the slums... Castle, academy, church," he mumbles as he points in various directions.
"Other than that, I'm not seeing a lot of landmarks. There's the docks, but those are pretty big... Anything obvious I'm missing?"
Sveta waves a hand in the air noncommittally, then waves her fingers, beckoning Trace over for a closer look. "Then I must have misunderstood. But there -" she points south of the inn - "is Mange Square. Consider it the poor part of town. And just outside the east gate, although you can't see them from here on account of the wall, are the shanties. I'd stay out of them if I were you - even the guard are loathe to patrol there. Charity...well, I wouldn't say it's lost on them, but it needs to be very carefully and finely doled out to avoid falling into the wrong hands."
Trace nods in agreement. "Wasn't planning on going near the bad part of town. Nothing good comes from that," the kite mumbles.
"That there must be the noble district... So, erm... Which of the manors belongs to whom?" he asks curiously as the wind blows through his feathers and he takes a deep breath of air.
Sveta "I haven't really made a note of that, come to think of it. They don't go out and mix with our kind much, not when they can help it. Mostly nobles, rich folk...some visiting dignitaries from foreign parts have vacation residences here, so I hear - they let out the properties or pay housekeepers when they're not using them. The only ones that are know for certain - you see that large one over there? The one that where you can squint, you can see all the training dummies set out in the yard? That one's the Solacious manor. Bunch of eccentrics at best, unhinged at worst. And that one down there's Longtail Manor. I work and live there, for the moment."
She notices Trace's little gesture and smiles at him a little. "You might want to make a list or something. I know you're smart enough to not have to have me repeat all this to you."
"Don't... Mingle with... Your kind?" Trace mumbles, a brow lightly raised. "Didn't... Didn't Lady Longtail make you a noble, too?" he asks, seeming a tad confused. "Wouldn't that make your kind also their kind?" he mumbles as he scratches his head a bit. "I... I'll admit. Thinking about high society gives me a bit of a headache."
Even so, he shows a small little noteblock on which some things are scribbled out. "I do make notes and lists, really."
Sveta pinches the bridge of her beak. "It's only been a few days, Trace. Not more than a week, at most. Firstly, the process is quite controversial, and secondly, there are those who hold to the idea that if you aren't born into it, you never had it. I myself mostly accepted the position because I didn't want to upset Flora - that, and it could potentially open some doors which otherwise would have remained closed. Don't expect myself to get into the spirit of the thing, though." She eyes the lists. "You do seem to remember a lot. I ought to make a note of that."
Trace nods again and shrugs a little. "I... I guess?" he mumbles with a confused-looking expression on his face, spreading his limbs and allowing the breeze to blow through his feathers again for just a moment, before huffing lightly. "This is what I mean, though... Thinking about high society gives me a headache," he mutters, shaking his head a tad and looking out over the city again.
Sveta ruffles Trace's feathers a tad, patting his shoulder in the process. "Then don't. I suppose I'm technically part of it myself, but I try not to think of it as much as possible, either." She looks out over the cityscape to the sea and rising sun once more, and sighs. "It's almost daylight now, I guess. We've got a busy day ahead of us."
"I guess so," Trace mumbles with a slight shrug, starting just lightly as Sveta reaches out, though nothing more than that. "Not that busy for me, though... Got a late shift in the afternoon, don't have a whole lot to do in the morning just yet. Other than, y'know, planning things and practicing some spells," he continues, flipping through a collection of spells. Fire, air... A few water and earth spells, though not many, and finally, a rather complex lightning-spell, which he frowns at, before tucking the spellbook away again.
Sveta doesn't seem to notice Trace's motions, or if she does, probably chalks it up to his natural awkwardness as she steps towards the stairs leading down. "Not going? I don't blame you - I liked this place a lot when I was new here. Still do. But it'll probably get a little more crowded when it gets light. Well, I suppose that means I'll have to see myself out, then."
A mumble, a shake of Trace's head, before he hesitantly grasps at Sveta's hand. "E-erm... I... I enjoyed myself, this morning... I, erm," he mumbles, his voice trailing off as he grows more and more nervous, before he's apparently done with what he wanted to say. "W-what do you say?" he murmurs, looking down to the ground again.
Sveta allows her hand to be taken and squeezes it, a small sign of affirmation, perhaps? "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" she shakes her head before loosing her hand from Trace's and reaching back to clip up her hair. "If you did enjoy it...then ask again. Passively waiting for things to happen is a pretty bad way of looking for something. Thing don't just fall into one's lap, after all, not with any certainty. And now...I do think I must be going."
"I... I do want to do something again, s-sometime," Trace mumbles, before, like a true gentleman, once more holding the door open and making the usual 'after you, milady' comment.
