|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Jun 1, 2019 9:12:42 GMT
Riven wakes up early the next morning, surprisingly well rested, despite the injuries, the unfamiliar location, and the relatively short amount of time she slept. As she exits the room, the inn is mostly quiet, except for the sound of another patron or two beginning to stir in their respective rooms. As she makes her way down the stairs, there's the sound of a deep voice humming a little tune to himself, definitely not Hyacinthe.
The torches around the edge of the room are now empty, the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling now alight with the soft tones of the morning sun. The humming comes from behind the counter, and a moment later a middle-aged, large man with a solid build, dark brown hair, and a well groomed mustache pops his head from behind the counter, taking a basket full of green and orange crystals and shoving them somewhere underneath. As he looks back up, he sees Riven, and gives her a small wave and jovial smile.
The man puts a finger to his lips and points to a chair next to the staircase, where Hyacinthe currently sleep lightly, wrapped up in an old blanket. The gears in Riven's head turns for a moment, and she suddenly realizes why things had felt a little off to her last night, and why the room she slept in was so clean. Hyacinthe had given her his own room last night, just shoving all of his stuff under a sheet and lying to her about it being a storage room. If she had to guess, they hadn't had any spare rooms left.
Revelation aside, the man behind the counter waves her over, speaking to her in a loud whisper when she gets close. "Yer a little early fer breakfast, but should start in a little bit, just giv'n sleepin' beauty over there his beauty rest before I start makin' some noise." He pauses a moment, staring at her face, and then holds out a hand, introducing himself in the same loud whisper. "Don't believe we've met! I'm Hassik, the owner of this inn, good ta meet ya!"
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Jun 2, 2019 22:14:51 GMT
The rest hadn't been long but it had been invigorating enough. Sleeping in wasn't on the table, Riven had always been an early riser, not that she'd had much choice otherwise, and with breakfast on the line she wasn't going to miss out. So she manages to get her still sore body moving towards the wonderfully refreshing common room.
She's kind of glad that the common room is empty other than the not so mysterious humming. Riven returns the jovial man's smile and has her voice catch as he shushes her greeting. Once she notices who he's pointing out her stomach drops. She really was going to owe Hyacinthe wasn't she?
Avoiding bumping into any random chairs, she makes her way over to the bar. "I don't think we have, no. It's my first time in town. I'm Riven, a bit of a wanderer I guess." she carefully grabs Hassik's hand glancing away as he starts to scrutinize her, "Got off the ship late last night and Hyacinthe figured I could use a place to stay since it was already so late." She shakes her head and gestures to the sleeping man, "Didn't know he was gonna give up his own. Probably owe him breakfast rather than the other way around."
Her side complains as she takes a seat nearby. "This is a nice inn that you're running. Haven't seen one with so much greenery before. Something to do with the Grass crystals?" Riven was curious. And if that curiosity led to less about herself all the better.
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Jun 4, 2019 19:03:52 GMT
Hassik laughs lightly as Riven explains her story, a knowing look in his eye. "Aye, that sounds like 'yacinthe alright. Too kind for 'is own good, though I wouldn't have 'im any other way. Don't try to pay him back too hard, he'll just get annoyed with ya."
As Riven sits, a large goat pokemon wanders from behind the bar, presumably the eponymous Gogoat of the inn. It looks at Riven with a stern expression, and wanders over, carefully sniffing at her. "Aye, a lot of grass crystals, an' the sunlight chandelier, an' Mari there, she's good at causing plants to grow." The Gogoat intensely judges Riven for a minute longer, but then gives out a bleat of... well Riven can't quite tell, but it causes Hassik to beam. "Ye've got her approval. That plus 'yacinthe, good enough fer me. I'm gonna wear myself out fer asking this question, but, here fer the festival, I assume?"
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Jun 5, 2019 2:05:25 GMT
Riven halfheartedly chuckles along. Hyacinthe wasn't going to make this easy for her. Or maybe too easy? She'd have to find some way to pay him back. Somehow.
"It's lovely. Mari must spend a lot of work on it." The approaching goat catches her wary eye. She'd never seen a guard goat before but 'Mari' sure would fit the part.It doesn't quite make her flinch as the Gogoat judges her. Riven's puzzled look at the bleating is soon met with a fortunate explanation. Maybe Mari liked to be scratched under the chin the same way Vass did?
"I am in town for the festival. Along with everyone else in the inn it would seem," she says gesturing to the still snoozing Hyacinthe. "Guess that makes me a pilgrim with the rest of them. I suppose you don't mind too much"
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Jun 7, 2019 0:04:49 GMT
Hassik grins at her. "Aye, the festival is why we get all the travelers, but I meant the trials, specifically. Most are just here to enjoy a pleasant few days an have some frivolous fortune telling, only about... eh, 10 percent or so are here for a shot at the Oracle. An' of course I don't mind pilgrims any, I was one too, once."
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Jun 8, 2019 3:27:00 GMT
"Oh, well yea. The Oracle is why I'm here too," Riven clarifies, "Seems like the only thing that might turn something up at this point." She hesitates, maybe she had said too much. "So why did you end up coming here for then? If you don't mind the asking? Or did you find a way to the Oracle too?"
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Jun 22, 2019 7:52:13 GMT
Hassik pauses as Riven asks her questions, glancing around the room for a moment, as if checking to see if there was anyone else in the room beyond himself, Riven, and the sleeping Hyacinthe. He locks eyes with Riven, a serious look crossing his face... and then he breaks into a grin, a conspiratorial look in his eyes. "Ah, what the hells, no one will believe ya if ya tell 'em anyways. Aye, many years ago, I was a trav'ler, came to a festival like this one, passed the initial test an' was nominated to-"
He catches himself suddenly, his face flickering into relief as he realizes he didn't let anything slip. "Whoops, almost said too much there! Either way, the reason I came here?" Hassik rolls up the sleeve on his right arm up to the shoulder, and glances at Riven in anticipation of her reaction. He touches a point on his shoulder, and there's a sudden glimmering and gleaming across his entire arm before the colors begin to shift and fade as an illusion falls from around it.
Hassik's entire right arm is no longer one of flesh and blood, but of densely woven vines, with the smallest amounts of green and purple light shining through from deep inside. The arm is made of this mixture of plants and crystals all the way up to his shoulder, where the vines weave across gleaming white scar tissue, eventually tapering out before they reach his neck. Nestled in the vines of his shoulder is a large crystal the likes of which riven has never seen before, with three different spikes, one of dark black, one pink, and one purple, each humming and thrumming, three elements in one crystal, incredibly refined and pure, the energies swirling in its core.
He flexes his vined arm, showing off its movement, completely lifelike if not the fact that it was made of constantly shifting vines. Then, he lightly touches the crystal in his shoulder, and lightly shines from it, dancing back down his arm, covering it in its previous, completely mundane looking illusion. The entire thing is entirely surreal and impossible to Riven, like nothing she's never seen before, and Hassik has a proud grin on his face, confident that he's blown her mind. "The Oracle, she ain't all pow'rful, but... lost my arm when I was young, came here to a festival, and given time, she helped lead me to this. After that, I decided that, hey, Essica ain't so bad, so I decided to come back an' settle down here. So, whatever it is yer lookin' for, if yer worthy, she can point ya in the right direction."
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Jun 22, 2019 22:35:57 GMT
She hadn't really been expecting a straight answer. Just some platitude of finding his way. But Riven really hadn't been expecting something that he'd been keeping a secret so she pays extra careful attention and gives her own scan around the room. Nope nothing but the hibernating Hyacinthe. What could have the barkeep so serious?
And then Hassik reveals his secret and her jaw nearly hits the floor. "That's incredible! Didn't know something like that was even possible. I never saw anything like this when I was studying cyrstal tech before." She tries to keep a good eye on the arms movement and the crystals fueling it while he's willing to show it off. How did it even work? She was pretty sure that she'd never seen anything like this grafted crystal before.
Whatever misgivings she'd had before about coming to see the Oracle were a bit more manageable. She really could do the impossible. "I guess I just have to find some way to be worthy then." Hassik's display did have her wanting to show off a secret of her own but there was the whole running away from her problems thing...
She stuffs the temptation down with something else to keep her busy. "I don't suppose there was anything that Hyacinthe was supposed to help out with this morning? Kind of feel responsible since he had to bunk in the common room. Or I could ask about what all there is to see at the festival. From a local of course."
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Aug 25, 2019 6:45:28 GMT
Hassik beams as Riven offers to help, a twinkle in his eye. "Yer a right proper young lass, you are, a shame yer 'ere for the festival, otherwise I might try to give ye a job. 'ow 'bout this, I got some water heatin' for tea in the back. There's a nice fresh lemon-y one, it's 'Cinthe's favorite. Brew some up for 'im, make some fer yerself if ya like. He likes it with a more than healthy amount of honey. Then, help me with breakfast, and I'm sure it'll all be made up, hmm?"
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Aug 27, 2019 21:16:40 GMT
"I appreciate the offer but I'll probably be on my way after the festival. One way or another," Riven responds graciously. Hassik did seem to be a rather pleasant man to work for. Better than any of those she had served under before at least. "Least I can be a bit of use now. It'll be ready before you know it." She kips up from her seat and sets about her task. She could handle tea without burning herself...right? At least Hyacinthe wouldn't have to worry himself about it.
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Oct 6, 2019 7:04:17 GMT
As Riven makes it into the back room, it's far less of a disaster than the previous night; in fact, it's spotlessly clean, which, considering the state it was in, probably took a few hours for whomever did it. She finds the tea and the hot water, boiling away, and quickly enough she manages to brew some tea, a strong aroma of citrus rising up from it.
When she's done with brewing it and brings it back out, Hassik directs her to set it on the bar as Hyacinthe still drinks, and then he sets about directing her towards helping him cook. Very quickly, she learns that Hassik is a surprisingly good cook, but he is unfortunately very, very messy. Most of her time helping him is spent cleaning up after messes that spontaneously appear around him, and the messes that make it onto the floor are quickly cleaned up by the small herd of Skiddo behind the counter, expectantly following him around for more scraps to fall.
As they begin to wrap up the first batch of food, other guests of the inn have begun to make their way downstairs, drawn in by the sound of cooking food. Hassik plates up two very hearty breakfasts and nearly shoves them in Riven's arms, a grin on his flour coated face. "Alright, all that help should be enough to cover the night, so we can call it all even, though ye might owe 'yacinthe still, but that's between you." Hassik glances over at Hyacinthe, who is surprisingly still resting, and a smile of conflicted, fatherly concern washes over her face. "Shame to wake 'im up now, deepest I've ever seen 'im sleep, normally 'e only manages an hour or two... but ye both have a long day of festivalin' ahead of ya, so go wake 'im up and get both of yer asses out of 'ere, eh?" Hassik flashes Riven one last grin before turning his attention back to the food, plating some up for other guests and beginning the next batch.
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Oct 8, 2019 7:37:05 GMT
Everything had gone so smoothly. The scent of the tea had been just the thing to shake the last bit of sleep from her. Fortunate, because Riven spent the rest of the morning trying not to trip over the herd of Skiddo that always managed to be underfoot. She had never been all that light on her feet in the first place the energetic little goats didn't help matters. It was a good thing that she was cleaning up messes and not cooking anything important. Hassik would never know that he hadn't spilled all that salt right?
The scrubbing was just behind her when Hassik shoved two platefuls of food into her hands. Panic tries to hold her as she attempts to keep the plates from spilling across the tavern floor. I JUST spent all morning cleaning, I am NOT making a mess now. Riven's thought spurs her to steady the plates. Breakfast was saved. Mostly. The Skiddo looked pretty cute with that biscuit though.
She almost missed what Hassik was saying due to the whole ordeal. Only catching up on his sleeping habits. She slept light herself but really, only a couple hours of sleep? Shouldn't someone that knew a thing or two about medicine know to get enough rest to recuperate? What did she know; she was a soldier that didn't want to fight after all.
"Oh, of course, the festival," Riven thanked the Swords that she'd actually arrived on time. Or had Hyacinthe said something about it last night? It was a little blurry in places. She laughs as her mood brightens, "I guess I do have a lot to look forward to. I'll be sure to get him out of here as quick as I can. Hopefully without owing him again." She returns Hassik's grin with a nod of thanks and maneuvers over the slightly uneven floor.
She set the food on the table and is then faced with a new dilemma. How to wake up her unforeseen companion for the day. The protocols for waking someone in the Empire were probably a little different than everywhere else. Eventually she settles for a gentle waking by shaking his shoulder, probably a little more vigorously than was necessary. "Hassik's was making a mess along with the food again." Ok maybe she wasn't entirely going to let things go. She let's Hyacinthe's sleep addled mind catch up for a moment before explaining, "Of course I already helped clean up the worst of it before waking you. Best eat up. I've found sleeping on stumps builds up an appetite. Much moreso than sleeping in your own bed. Usually can't sleep quite right either."
|
|
|
1,249 posts
|
3 likes
|
Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by haybalebarn on Oct 11, 2019 8:00:22 GMT
Hyacinthe awakens with a start almost as soon as Riven touches him, eyes snapping open. He doesn't sharply pull away, but he brushes her hand off of him as soon as he can, and Riven get the distinct sense that he doesn't much enjoy being touched. Still, he doesn't make any deal of it, slowly blinking as he awakens. "Ah... I fell asleep, how odd. Thanks for waking me. Oh, and for breakfast."
He doesn't say much as he eats, slowly blinking his eyes as he tries to adjust to waking, dark circles hovering beneath his eyes. He releases his Buneary onto the table and gives her some food, and she very happily bounces around the table, spending a good deal of time investigating Riven.
As Hyacinthe finishes up his breakfast, not eating a particularly large amount, he looks to Riven with a small smile. "Well, we might as well stick for the festival, if you don't mind? I don't know about you, but I'd like to avoid the crowds a bit, at least for now; I think they're hosting a bunch of different festival games in a field on the edge of town, it should be a bit less packed than the central square or the temple grounds, if you're interested?"
|
|
|
677 posts
|
0 likes
|
Spaaaace
|
Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
|
Member
|
Post by Bowyer on Oct 13, 2019 21:33:08 GMT
She leaves him his space as Hyacinthe immediately snaps awake. Couldn't really blame him, Riven didn't really like it when people touched her either. Though her opinion on sleep was a little higher. Being a soldier meant taking whatever rest she could get. That also went for meals.
Of course, the Buneary hopping around didn't exactly lend to a peaceful breakfast. It was an inquisitive little thing but Riven was much more focused on the food. Mostly since it had been her first real meal that wasn't raw turnips in days. So Vass makes an appearance to distract the bouncing bunny. A game ensues with Vass circling the table, following after the Buneary's erratic movements. While cute, it also gives Riven a bit of peace to finish her meal in a slightly more timely, if inelegant, manner.
"For now," she agrees cheerily, brushing the crumbs off her cloak, "I'll probably spend most of the time watching. Wouldn't want to overstress myself too much. Think they'll have something easy on the ribs?" Going out of the way also had the added benefit that there'd be fewer eyes on her. "Though later I'll have to see about an audience with the Oracle. Hopefully less crowded after morning bustle."
She kips up. Guess we better get going then. Lot's of time to waste today. She waves to the bustling Hassik as the pair heads out the door and into the festival atmosphere.
|
|