[M] Anima Mundi IC (Namingtoohard and Headwrapper)

[Headwrapper]

Mec would raise an amused eyebrow towards friend when she tried to weasel her way out of playing the bastard child in the fiction they had created together. "I suppose that would be unbecoming. I suppose I'll let you off the hook. The surname Foxtrot seems to suit the bastard title a little better, no?"

As they continued to tour the city, Mec's eyes would continue to scan the surroundings, only turning his head briefly to respond to Shallan's comments. He would quietly chuckle when his friend brought up visiting the butcher's shop for the sake of Ashton, not being able to help succumbing to Shallan's contagious giggle. "In all seriousness, it would do us good to visit a butcher if we have the funds," he would say. "If we can find a suitable place to make a fire, I can dry some of the beef and treat it with salts so that it will last us much longer than the feeble amount I was able to bring with me to begin with."

After some more walking and jesting, the two would eventually come across The Sleeping Giant. Mec would follow his companion inside the heat of the alehouse, crinkling his nose at the smells that accompanied the stuffy air. Mec had little experience in these types of settings, only recalling being dragged into the lone pub in Ozette once when he became of age and quickly deciding that it was not his idea of a good time. The loudness and arrogance of men as they lost their minds to the drink, the smells of sweaty patrons and hosts, the occasional violence - he could not imagine finding entertainment or merriment with the dealings in pubs. Maybe it didn't suit his normally quiet personality, or maybe there was some mystery to enjoying getting drunk that he just never caught on to. From what he understood about traveling, however, lodgings in these types of taverns came at a much lower cost than a good and proper inn. There would be little place for a merchant with wares, horses, and wagons to store his possessions, but the accommodations would be more than sufficient for travelers with only a few bags on their backs.

After taking a moment to grow accustomed to the sounds and smells of the inn, Mec would turn his head to respond to his friend. "Let's see if we can speak to the innkeep. A tavern would only be as full as this if it offered cheap drink, and it would be logical to think that a place that offers cheap drink would also offer cheap lodgings." He would glance around the tavern to take in the sights. At some tables he could see the quick shuffling of cards and the rolling of dice, while other tables only held mugs of ales that would be downed by their patrons between roars of laughter and bites of food.

Unable to find anyone else who seemed to be working in the inn, Mec would approach an empty space in front of the bar to address the barkeep. The barkeep's back was turned to the empty space as he chatted idly to one of his customers while drying glasses, his bald head shiny with sweat. After a minute the customer would point towards Mec's direction, prompting the barkeep to turn around and acknowledge the hooded figure behind him. "Can I help you stranger?" he would say through missing teeth.

Mec would lean his arms against the polished wooden counter of the bar, crossing his fingers as he spoke. "My companion and I are searching for a place to rest for the evening. We would be willing to offer good coin for a good meal and a bed for each of us." The boy's almond eyes would scan the barkeep's face for an answer, careful to avoid staring at the mess that was the man's dental situation for too long.

The barkeep would nod his head in response, a small frown setting on his face as he set down the glass he was polishing. "Aye, I believe we may have a room. Can't promise nothin' about its furnishings though. Me big brother Giacomo is the only one allowed to take reservations, and he be busy right now. Maybe if ya come back later h-..." The response would be interrupted by the loud crash of breaking glass, causing Mec to flinch and spin around quickly. The barkeep would smile, exposing his gums as he chuckled. "Actually, here he comes."

One of the serving girls who worked at the tavern sat on her knees in the middle of the stuffy hall, struggling to hold back tears as she carefully began picking up pieces of broken glass and placing them on a silver serving tray. Behind her, a table of brutish men, probably a few years younger than Mec's father, laughed loudly as they made crude jokes directed towards the woman. At first, Mec would only notice the beautiful golden curls that were the girl's hair as her head was slumped over her work, but once he noticed the redness of her face and pained expression he would return to reality, wincing in disgust of the laughing men and in apathy for the girl. At that moment he wished he could comfort the her somehow with a gentlemanly gesture, but a fugitive was in no position to make a show of himself for the sake of valiance, as enamored as he may have been. Another loud noise would once again cause Mec to jolt, this time caused by a door slamming open from the back of the pub.

A large figure stood in the doorway, barely able to march through without ducking his head. Mec could immediately see the resemblance between this man and the barkeep, the main differences being a full set of teeth. What this man lacked in hair on his head he would more than make up for with his thick burgundy beard. Dutifully, the man would approach the girl and kneel next to her. He would take her hand with a surprising tenderness for such a large man, listening to her nearly inaudible mumbling patiently as she explained what had caused her to drop her tray of ales. The man's eyes would widen, and his ferocious visage would rival that of the most fearsome of dragons told in legends. He would leave the girl to attending to the mess, straightening himself as he approached the table of brutes behind her. Without a word, he would slam his fist against the table, rattling the empty mugs and pitchers.

The men would look up from their drunken laughter, almost immediately sobering up to the presence before them. One of them would muster the courage to pipe up. "G-Giacomo, c'mon, we were only having a good time is all. The girl is a clumsy one she, we didn-..."

The tall man would reach over and grab the man by the throat, nearly lifting him over the table. "The sun hasn't even set and you bastards are already hammered to the point of perversion!?" He seemed to shake his prey as he roared. The victim's two companions would stand up quickly, begging for some form of forgiveness or mercy. Their pursuer would offer little of this, however, grabbing both of their collars with one giant hand. "You don't touch one of my girls ye dumb bastards. I will have you turned into eunuchs if I see yer filthy faces again." As the giant grumbled his threats he would drag his three victims out of the front door of the tavern, throwing them onto the street as one would toss a bale of hay onto a pile. Content with his work, the giant man would step back into the inn, ducking his head so that he could walk through the doorway. With a kindliness uncharacteristic to a man of his size, the giant would kneel on one knee to help pick up shards of broken mugs from the floor. Once the glass was picked up, he would pick up the serving tray that held the broken glass and make his way back towards the rear of the building, leaving the serving girl to finish with the rest of the mess.

Mec would stand still, an expression of awe across his face. Whether he feared the man known as Giacomo or was envious of his raw power he couldn't tell, but he certainly was blown away by the display. He didn't dare turn his head as the giant disappeared from the window of view his hood had allowed him. He would be snapped out of his daze when he felt the hand of the barkeep behind him grip his shoulder. "Aye brother, once ye get a moment this lad and his friend would like to book a room for the evenin'." Mec could make out a rough grunt behind him before the sound of a door opening and closing. The hand on his shoulder would give a firm squeeze before letting go. "He'll come back in a moment to speak with ya and yer friend, lad."

[Namingtoohard]

Even as the question of searching for a bartender or innkeeper slipped from her lips, Shallan found herself glancing around the rest of the room somewhat idly. Part of her was searching for someone who looked like they worked here with any sort of authority - moreso than the scarce waitresses or servers who seemed to float from one table to the next, answering any call for another round or the likes. Another, though, was simply taking in her surroundings with a mild interest. Here mother had always kept an open mind, telling her daughter that she could try drinking if she so wished once she had come of age, and the daughter had on rare occasions, but more often than not she refrained - in no small part due to their lack of disposable income to put towards such activities. She had never really overindulged to the point of intoxication either, both out of common sense and for the same money-related reasons, but she had a handful of experiences dealing with other drunken people on the rare occasions when she had stumbled across them.

She had heard many stories about bar encounters that resulted in people singing along together, either spontaneously or with a little encouragement and liquid courage, but somehow Shallan had trouble imagining this lot doing anything of the sort. Indeed, she didn't much feel like trying anything of the sort, given the current jaunty atmosphere. After a quick once-over of the furnishings and a glance at the loudest group of patrons in the bar, she turned and followed Mec as he sought out the bartender and inquired after a room for the both of them. She would listen to the conversation that followed with polite interest, before turning with everyone else at the sound of breaking glass. It cut through the general murmur of conversation like a hot knife through butter, and Shallan pursed her lips a little as she spotted the cause.

Unlike her companion, she wasn't exactly distracted by the waitress' curls at first. Indeed, the reality of the situation impressed itself upon her rather quickly. Given her small frame and total lack of physical prowess or experience in any sort of direct confrontation, she had not the courage to try and deter the men directly, as much as she wished that she could. Shallan was half afraid that if she tried they would just laugh her attempts off, before turning their attention her way. Still, the least she could do was try and help the woman up, offer her some sort of presence to cling on to for support, be it physical or emotional. Before she could move, though...well, Giacomo made his arrival, stopping her dead in her tracks.

Hands clasped together, she would watch in hopeful silence as the giant made his move, approaching the girl with surprising tenderness. While her previous experiences with violence often seemed to explode into motion all at once, this felt quite the opposite. The large man's movements seemed slow and deliberate, at least to begin with, and everyone else seemed frozen in their respective positions as he both spoke with the young girl, before finally turning his attention to those buffoons that had caused this disturbance in the first place. The simple sound of his fist banging on the table was enough to make the woman flinch, even from the opposite side of the hall.

What follow drew her eye, as much as she wished she could look away. Despite the violence that followed, though, the girl was glad that those idiots had gotten what they deserved...well, in her mind, at the very least. As things came to a conclusion, she would snap out of her reverie, blinking a few times, before whispering in a soft tone.

"I suppose we've just met the sleeping giant himself" she muttered softly, voice so low that she wasn't even sure that Mec would hear. Even if he had, she didn't expect much in the way of a reply. Any conversation beyond that died in her throat, with her mood for idle and polite chatter lost in the ruckus. Over the next few moments the same casual air as before returned as general conversation started up again, albeit much more quietly than before, with three of the major offenders removed from the premises. At that point, it seemed that there was little to do but wait until the giant returned. His approach alone was intimidating, but offered a strange sense of security...provided one was standing on the right side of him when push came to shove. Indeed, she felt tiny just standing alongside him.

"So, youse two were after a room, was it?" The question came. His voice had much of the same gentle tone he had used when dealing with the woman earlier, but it wasn't quite the same. As if his tone was tinged with the anger of their earlier confrontation, suppressed without complete success. As soon as either of the pair answered in the affirmative, he would turn, baiting them in with a quick and simple statement - "come with me".

Shallan would follow slowly as the man headed for the stairs leading up towards the second floor. Wooden steps would groan under the weight of the giant as he led them upstairs, but made little to no noise as the woman passed over them. During the short trip, he would glance back over his shoulder at them, though only briefly. "How many days will you be staying with us?" The question came simply. As it did, Shallan would exchange a quick glance with Mec, not totally certain on what the answer should be. Finally she decided to settle on a safe and honest one. "At least a day, but it could stretch for longer, depending on how things go" she responded. It was hard to judge for sure until she and Mec got the chance to discuss future plans. The answer seemed satisfactory, as the giant grunted simply in response.

"Here ya are" he announced simply, leading them to a door down the far end of the hallway, on the left hand side of the building. He would push it open, before standing aside so that the two of them could inspect the room. Shallan would step inside gingerly, glancing around at the sparse furnishings. Two single beds sat opposite each other, both attended by a small bedside dresser, some wooden chairs and a table, all made from the same dull hardwood. Still, the mattresses and sheets seemed about as clean as one could expect from a place like this. She nodded in satisfaction to herself for a moment, before only glancing back at the man as he spoke up again.

"So, will ye be staying with us?" He questioned simply. After another glance towards her companion, she would give a simple nod. "We'll take it" she confirmed verbally after a moment. "Just head downstairs and see my brother when y'all get hungry. He'll set you both up with a meal good and proper" he announced simply. Unless Mec said anything else to object, the man would take his leave then, pulling the door closed behind him. The sound of his footsteps would echo throughout the hall, audible even within their confined little room, but Shallan paid them no mind as she headed over to one of the beds and pulled off her pack, setting it down unceremoniously. After a moment of silence, Shallan would speak up again, tone soft.

"...somehow I don't think they have to worry about people skipping out on their bills often"

[Headwrapper]

As the conversations and games of the inn began to pick back up, Mec too would also regain his bearings. Somehow, the atmosphere in the room felt less overpowering to him now, as if a small factor in what he disliked about pubs had vanished. After a few seconds he would allow himself some distraction from the noise, losing himself in the golden curls of the waitress once again. The brightness of the girl's locks he would swear had something different to it than other blonde's, something that let it cut through the musty dark air of the inn. He would catch glimpses of her face, still red but no longer holding an agonized expression like before, and determined she must have been about the same age as himself or Shallan. Although her skin still burned red with embarrassment, she still had some cute charm left with the way her small nose and dimples were arranged in the tiny frame of her face. Mec would quickly avert his attention, turning back towards where Giacomo would be returning from, when the girl finished wiping up the spill and began towards the back of the inn. He would glance one more time at her bright locks as she walked by. If only she had not kept her eyes so low in humiliation he would have been able to see what color they were.

Mec would immediately dismiss his infatuation with the girl once Giacomo returned. Mec would respond to the giant's initial question with a nod, and follow obligingly as he and his companion were led to their room. Mec would watch with some awe as the giant ducked his bald head below the entrances of the hallways he walked them through. This man who seemed to match the namesake of the inn must have been the brains and the brawn operation, considering he acted as an innkeeper and a bouncer all at the same time. The young man would wonder if it was normal to be so impressed with the people of the city. Was it possible the further they got from Ozette the more and more of these impressive people he would run into? Guards whose stares could freeze you in your tracks, pretty girls who left you smitten with just a glance of their golden hair, and giants who could drag grown men around like they were just sacks of potatoes? It was entertaining to think that a mage would be so awed by the feats of regular people.

Mec would remain silent as they were shown the room. It would be good enough for a night's rest. If he and his companion were quiet, they would be able to discuss their future plans at the table. He would nod in agreement as Shallan accepted the room and watch solemnly as the door closed behind Giacomo. The man would remain silent as he set his bag down next to the other bed, only perking up when Shallan made her last comment. "I thought it strange that there was no guard at the door," he would say after a small chuckle. "I guess they don't need one." After a brief inspection of the sheets Mec would finally decide to sit on the bed, the frame giving a quiet creak as he did.

After a few seconds he would decide to untie the cloak from around his neck and letting it drop onto the mattress behind him. He would rub the back of his neck with one hand as he took a moment to glance around the room from his new spot. The wood all had the same dull color and seemed to blend together, much like the stone that was used to build Avoorka. After deciding there wasn't much more to see, he would kick off his shoes and toss his legs up onto the bed so as lay on his stomach, facing Shallan. He would rest his head on one hand before probing her with a question. "You didn't happen to catch the color of that serving girl's eyes did you?" The question came with an overly casual tone as if he was trying to mask his interest.

As Shallan responded, in whatever form that may be, the young man would turn himself onto his back and stare blankly at the ceiling. "No leaks or mold up there, I think." He would let his arms hang off the sides of the mattress as he rested. After a time a sense of seriousness would return to him and he would finally pose a productive question. "Shall we go ask for our meals and bring them back up here? I don't do so well in crowds like those. And even if I did... Well, y'know."

[Namingtoohard]

Humming thoughtfully to herself for a moment, Shallan would place both of her hands on her hips for a moment as she took another glance around at their surroundings, now that she was free to do so without being placed under the withering gaze of the giant who ran the place. After a few seconds she would take a few cautious steps towards the closed shutters of the window, even as Mec dropped himself down into the bed. Leaning over, she could cast them open quickly, letting the a breath of fresh air sweep the room.

Seemingly unbothered by the rapidly fading light, she would place her hands on the empty windowsill, glancing out over the street idly. The view was unremarkable enough, all in all, offering little more than a vantage point over the narrow street and a new and strange angle to view the buildings on the other side of the road. There was a decent view of the sky as the last remnants of the day's light faded, and the woman theorised that it might have served as a decent place for people watching when the streets were busier.

She would glance across at Mec as he questioned her on the colour of the serving girl's eyes, raising one of her eyebrows in a puzzled expression. Despite all attempts at nonchalance, it seemed a strange question to ask out of nowhere, regardless of tone or intent.

"No, I'm afraid I didn't" she answered plainly, voice flat and neutral as she eyed him with something akin to suspicion for a few moments. She relaxed a little as discussion turned to the singular topic of food, though, which was one she had a much more powerful opinion on. In an instant she has turned away from the window, and was nodding enthusiastically. "Ah, please. I'd give anything for a warm, home-cooked meal right about now" she responded, leaving her pack behind and once again making for the door.

The journey back downstairs was a quick and uneventful one, though the main hall that took up most of the ground floor was slightly more crowded than their first visit. The party had definitely begun now, even if it was still building. Shallan paid no mind to most of it, though, quickly cutting a beeline towards the brother Mec had spoken with before - the bartender with the startling lack of teeth. He spotted the two new travellers coming this time, removing the necessity of getting his attention.

"Well, ye two are back awful quickly. Ye'll be wanting food and drink, then?" the question came, to which Shallan quickly responded with an enthusiastic nod. "We have some lovely beef stew that's been sitting over the fire most evenin'. If that doesn't suit your tastes, though, I'm sure we can whip something else up for ya" he explained simply. Shallan quickly consented, saying that a slow-cooked stew sounded just about perfect, though she left it open for Mec to put in his own request for whatever he pleased.

[Headwrapper]

Mec would let out a small groan as he rolled himself back onto his feet. "I really shouldn't have lain down," he grunted as he leaned on the bed to put his shoes back on. He would follow his friend out the door and make sure it shut behind them before following her lead back to the main part of the tavern. As they walked his expression grew unenthusiastic, as if withdrawing himself from his surroundings, worn-out from the long day of travel and meeting new people. The events were exhausting, to the say the least, on a mental level nearly as much as they were a physical one. Mec was accustomed to interacting with the same ring of people- patrons of the family business, and it probably had been years since he had even met someone new. Today every person he interacted with, not including Shallan, had been unfamiliar. Fresh faces, grunts, laughs - a shopkeeper from a small town couldn't help but feel worn out taking in all the new sights and sounds.

The young man would seem to come back to life as he and his companion reached the tavern. His eyes would flick around the room as he entered before he followed his friend to where the barkeep stood. He would second Shallan's response to the offered stew with a nod, smiling in appreciation. As the barkeep stepped away to fetch a couple bowls, Mec would lean against the counter with one hand, turning himself to view the display of merriment and cheer that surrounded him. His opposite hand would pull his lengthy brown locks away from his face, exposing his almond eyes and lightly wrinkled forehead as he continued to watch the crowd.

Mec would grin admiringly when he spotted Giacomo, the sleeping giant himself, serving a table a pitcher of ale. The long, dark beard on the giant's face would bounce as he laughed heartily, jesting with one of his patrons. A man who stuck by his business and ensured its success with his own hands, this was a man not unlike Mec's father. Mec's expression would quickly change to one of surprise, the almonds of his eyes briefly turning into walnuts, when the serving girl from earlier suddenly appeared from behind the giant, darting dutifully between the tables of customers. Now unburdened by the humiliation of the earlier events, the girls skin was no longer a bright red, but a soft pink. Her bright white smile, accompanied flawlessly with the rosiness of her cheeks, was small and held a sort of shy charm as she directed it to her patrons.

Mec's face would only convey his surprise for a brief second before he straightened his expression, forcing his eyes to gaze in other directions. Still, he would find himself cheating quick glances in the girl's direction, unable to resist searching for some secret hidden in that small face or those golden locks which might release him from this smitten state. It was so foolish to feel so enamored by a complete stranger in this way, Mec knew, but he supposed there was no harm in admiring from afar. Soon, he would be leaving this inn to continue his forced pilgrimage, leaving behind any beautiful women or noble men he might meet, so what would be so wrong about appreciating their presence now? These thoughts lingered on his mind as he watched the server's her delicate fingers serving the last of her load of drinks. She would turn and briskly walk towards the back of the pub to restock her serving tray.

When the girl turned, even though it was only barely towards his direction, Mec would quickly spin himself back around to face the bar and lean his arms against it to watch the barkeep as he filled the two bowls with the promised stew. Mec would accept one of the bowls and offer his thanks before making a hasty turn back towards the stairs, keeping himself purposely ahead of Shallan if she had followed suit to mask any secrets his face might betray, only relinquishing the lead to hold the door open should they return without hindrance.

[Namingtoohard]

Quite the contrast to her shy and almost reclusive companion, Shallan herself seemed right at home amongst the heated atmosphere and bustling chaos that made up the bar's mess hall. It almost seemed a microcosm for human interaction and society as a whole, in a strange way...or was she simply overthinking things? Regardless, she was enjoying herself there, just sitting back and taking in the sights and sounds as everyone else went about their own merrymaking. Like her comrade, she took note of the same waitress they had witnessed as a part of events before, and the sleeping giant himself. Unlike him, though, she allowed her gaze to slip over and past them without any particular focus while the two of them patiently waited for their chosen stew.

Her gaze lingered on a few of the mugs of ale as they passed, and for the briefest of moments, the girl hesitated. Assuming her admittedly limited experience was still valid here, she didn't mind the stuff, finding it somewhat enjoyable on the few rare occasions when she had been allowed to try it. The idea of ordering just one for herself lingered briefly, before she dismissed the idea almost as quickly as it had come. Their funds were just as limited as her own had been back home, after all, and if she allowed the drink to dull her senses then she might accidentally let slip something she shouldn't. Better to avoid the risk entirely. It seemed she didn't have long to dwell on the thought, though, as her attention was quickly distracted by Mec's hasty turn away from their surroundings and back towards the bar. It seemed curious enough, but perhaps he had just heard the stew being served and she had missed it.

Turning around in a much more slow and reserved manner, her eyes would light up as she caught sight of the two steaming bowls that were waiting for the two of them. Clasping her hands together, she eyed it greedily for a moment, a grin plastered across her face. "Ah, it smells so good" she chimed idly after a moment, before reaching out to take the bowl, pausing briefly to give the bartender her thanks. As she straightened up to go, though, the girl paused briefly again. "...actually, do you have any leftover bread?" She questioned simply, tilting her head a little. Just a few moments later, two perfectly good ends from a loaf sat on the edges of her bowl, just barely dipping into the stew. Mood lifted by the simple gesture, she thanked the man again, before turning and following Mec back towards their rooms.

Slipping into their shared room ahead of Mec as he politely held the door open for her, Shallan would head towards the desk beneath the open window, setting her bowl down almost immediately. She had some inkling that something was off with her companion, given his most recent actions combined with his strange question before, yet she didn't feel it was enough for her to question him outright. So, for now, she would simply drag one of the chairs across to her side of the desk and help herself to a seat, electing to eat first and save any conversation - whether it be questioning or their necessary planning session - for afterwards.

Mouth practically watering, Shallan dig into her meal eagerly. As soon as she took that first bite, the woman closed her eyes, focusing almost entirely on the taste. The meat and spices both were distinct, yet blended relatively well; their flavour rolling over her. The smell was almost as delectable, though it could have just been Shallan's standing hunger enhancing the taste of the stew beyond its actual properties. She hadn't really stopped to eat since well before her nap, after all, and her last meal had hardly been a proper one. A gran that sounded particularly unladylike escaped her, but she didn't seem to care. At some point throughout the feeding frenzy, she would hold out one of the bread crust to Mec - offering it to him so that he would have his own to mop up what was left of the stew when he was done. If he should refuse, though...well, she was more than happy to make use of it herself.

"Ah..if all their food is this good, I would honestly consider staying a few days extra just so I can try it all" she answered simply, unable to help but let out a soft sigh of contentedness as she sat back in her chair. A few seconds of silence would follow, and she would be sure to wait until Mec was done with his own meal before she pursued any more serious avenues of conversation. Following that train of thought, she would take a moment to get up out of her chair, moving to close the shutters she had reopened before, just to make sure their voices didn't carry too far.

"Well...hopefully the party downstairs has picked up enough for us to talk without being overheard" she remarked simply, pausing briefly for a moment to listen. After another quick trip to the door, she would open it just enough to glance out into the hallway beyond, making sure that it was deserted. The faint clamour from downstairs was somewhat audible even up here, and as soon as she had satisfied her curiosity, she would withdraw back into the room. Closing the door behind her, she would make for her bed this time, flopping down onto it unceremoniously.

"There's no putting it off any longer, I suppose" she remarked simply, pursing her lips a little. She was, of course, referring to the more serious conversation they needed to have. "Two days' travel isn't really enough for us to...disappear, so I doubt we should linger here for long. I think it's time to start looking a bit further ahead, instead of just running from one town to the next aimlessly" she opened, taking a moment to adjust her position on her bed briefly as she spoke, before finally settling down again. Staring up at the ceiling, she pondered her own question briefly. "Of course, we'll need to stock up if we intend to travel anywhere more than a day away, and there's not always going to be a cart we can hitch a ride on"

[Headwrapper]

Mec would take take his seat on the opposite of the desk. He enjoyed his meal which much less vigor than his companion, bringing slow spoonfuls up to his mouth every few seconds as he took in the view outside the window. The food was very agreeable and he may have been much more excited about it had he not snacked during the journey in the merchant's cart. As the motion of eating started to become autonomous, Mec would allow himself to push all thoughts to the edges of his mind, his face resuming the withdrawn expression it did before. This time of silence within his own head would serve as a break from the activities of the day. His own blank space, away from any thoughts or recollections of his experiences so far.

Occasionally he would take a few seconds to swirl the remaining stew in his bowl around with his spoon, eyeing the tender meat curiously before continuing his steady feast. His actions grew redundant as this went on, repeating the same routine of swirling the stew idly, taking a bite, and looking out the window over and over until his bowl was just about empty. It would be about this time that he would tear off a piece of bread from the piece offered to him and return the remainder to his companion. The boy would then sit up straighter in his chair to scoop out the last of his bowl's contents with his piece of bread, then stand up as he tossed the moistened crust in his mouth.

Mec's thoughts would return to him as companion spoke, and he would mostly nod idly in response to her comments until after she had closed the window and checked the hallway. The images of their travels so far seemed to come back in quick succession as they repopulated his mind, and Mec would return to reality. He would kick off his shoes and push them towards his bag with his foot before taking some time to light the sparse candles that were placed around the room to combat the impending dark of the night.

His feet would tread carefully across the floor as they carried him from the last candle back over to his bag. He would take his money pouch and place it on the table as Shallan spoke, before taking his place at the edge of his bed. The idea of having to leave soon didn't settle well with him, but these thoughts would remain hidden as he was conscious this feeling was caused by the strange obsession he felt towards the girl downstairs. "We need to determine how capable we are of getting doing anything in this city first. It doesn't seem like news has traveled this far. It's possible it never will either, considering how inapt the authority has been so far... But either way we probably need to scout a little before doing anything else in this city like stocking up on supplies."

He would point to the sack of coins he had placed on the table. "That's all I have left in terms of money. I'm not sure what you have, but I assume it's not going to be much more. And we still have to deduct whatever payment we'll owe this inn of course." A hand would raise to his forehead, pushing against the creases that formed as he thought aloud. "We probably need to be traveling on foot from here on out, but that will mean we require more in terms of provisions... And we will have to be able to set up camp on cold nights. We have a fire steel so as long as we travel along places with firewood I suppose we'll do fine in that regard."

With a soft sigh he would stand and make his way over to the desk to acquire the parchment, quill, and ink bottle that rest on the corner. The quill was quite underwhelming, the dark feather excessively plucked to expose the white shaft below. After removing the glass stopper from the bottle, he would dip the quill into the black liquid and begin to write a list of possible items they might require so that they might prioritize them later. He would stop writing after a few words, speaking as he inspected the notched end of the quill. "To make things easier, I suppose we would need to have a final destination in mind... Unless we just decide to become forest people or something. I'm assuming you don't have any place in mind do you?"

[Namingtoohard]

Quite content in her current position atop her bed, where she had so gracelessly flopped down just a few moments earlier, Shallan would continue to stare at the roof rather idly as he moved about, lighting the various candles scattered around. She would have jumped up and offered to help, but now that she was finally off her feet the woman almost couldn't stand the thought of having to get up again so soon. Her nap earlier had been sufficient for getting her through the rest of the day, but she was really looking forward to a proper night of rest, and in an actual bed.

At his words, she would frown briefly, as if pondering such thoughts idly for a moment. His optimistic view was ideal, but she felt that it was a tad too early to count out the local authorities just yet, for a handful of reasons. She sincerely hoped that he was right, however strongly she might have objected to the notion.

"I think it's too soon to say. Our exposure here has been limited, and news made it to the last city before we had. They could full well be looking for us and we just haven't seen proof of it yet" she pointed out simply, before frowning a little as talk turned to money. Rolling towards the edge of her bed, she would stretch and strain to grab her own pack from where she had dumped it without getting up. Pulling it close, she would rummage around for a moment, before withdrawing her own little money pouch and tossing it towards the desk. At a glance, it seemed a little under half full; not a stunning amount, by any means.

"Mm...perhaps we could head even further west, towards the mountains? Or towards the coast. Loose ourselves in one of the fishing villiages, or charter a boat" she mused idly over their final destination, before giving a bit of a casual shrug.

"Whatever we do, money is going to become an issue eventually. We're going to need to find some way to stretch it, or work out some sort of alternative" she mused simply, settling back into position on her bed. "If we bought the supplies, I could try sewing some clothes or something, but there's no promise they would sell" she mumbled softly, almost to herself, trailing off a little as she mulled over their options. There was one idea that lingered in her mind, but she worried that Mec would be opposed to it strongly, or they wouldn't be able to manage it despite their best efforts.

"Do you think...do you think that you could grow food if necessary, the same way you grew that tree, or those flowers?" She finally risked, glancing across at him hesitantly. She tried to avoid being specific, just in case they were being overheard or eavesdropped on after all. "If you managed to grow an entire tree without realising it, then making one bear fruit shouldn't be too hard...right?"

[Headwrapper]

Mec pull the table closer to his bed so that he may continue writing their thoughts on the parchment while sitting on the edge of his bed. "You would be surprised how often criminals get off cleanly just by traveling a few cities away," he would say with a shrug. "Avoorka sees travelers from Ozette regularly, but it's not often that I heard of people from Ozette traveling this far for merriment. Besides, other than the ones defending the gates, most of the guards seem to be equipped with their own weapons. Probably because the government can't afford to properly arm enough men to cover such a large city. You can tell because they're carrying cheap clubs instead of sharp steel... I don't think they'll be much more persistent than the well-armed guards we've seen at the gates or in Avoorka."

After they had discussed possibilities for their final destinations, he would reach into his bag and procure his travel receipts and his leather-bound notes. He would open the book to the page that contained a map of the kingdom. The next few pages would contain other maps of the world, but there was no guarantee on their accuracy. "If we get far enough away, we can use some of these travel receipts to pass through toll roads to increase our distance from Ozette even faster. We could always determine our route based on which ones I happened to grab when we left."

Shallan would eventually suggest the use of his magic to try to help spawn food. At first he would stare blankly at his parchment, tapping the end of the quill against the top corner. After a few moments of silence he would let out a long sigh, and raise his gaze from the table to his friend. "Did you forget that that's what got us into this mess in the first place?" he would ask with a small frown. "Have you not seen the nature of what..." He would pause, careful not to speak explicitly in case they would be overheard. "In what I created? Malice grew those plants and malice is all that they bore. The tree was a result of theft. The flowers, a result of me temporarily losing my sanity to some voice inside of my mind." He would raise his hand to display the purple bruise that had manifested along the side of his small finger down to his forearm. "A bad tree cannot bear good fruit. It's that simple."

After his short outburst, the young man would pull himself higher onto the bed, so as to sit with his legs crossed. Frustratingly enough, he knew what Shallan had suggested was logical and it would help them tremendously during their travels. It did not eliminate the points he had mentioned, though. So far, his magic was mostly involuntary or a result of an emotional outburst. Even if he had some control over his powers, from their experiences so far it would bring malevolence to them. Mec would rest his head on one fist, his elbow supported by his knee. "It's... It's not like I can just get angry and punch the ground and make an apple tree you know..."

He would let the comment hang in the air for a moment, before adding something to the list he had on the table and looking back up to Shallan. "I suppose if it comes down to it though, I won't just let us starve. But it'll be a last resort."

With this, Mec would uncross his legs and fall back onto his bed. He would stay like this for a while, watching as the orange glow of the candles flickered across the ceiling. He could feel the clutches of sleep begin to take him away from reality, and if it wasn't for the importance of their discussion he probably would have just succumbed to slumber. "I don't know about you, but I'm too tried to think properly. We might have to continue our talk later, yeah?"

[Namingtoohard]

At his words, Shallan would give a bit of a dismissive shrug...on the topic of the local guards, at the very least, indeed, it seemed that she held a rather different opinion to him, at least in regard to how careful they needed to be. At the end of the day, she felt that anyone armed who could potentially be on the lookout for them was worth taking note of. Whether the attacker was swinging a proper forged steel sword or a wooden club, the result would be pretty much the same if they were struck. Whether it be by slicing or brute force, both were still perfectly capable of bringing death to either of the two should they get careless and end up cornered or taken captive. Besides, equipment aside, some people might seek to bring them ill will for reasons other than just their employment.

"Fear can be a powerful motivator" she mumbled softly, almost to herself, not wanting to directly breach the topic that people were more likely than not deathly afraid of Mec and what it was that he could do...or what they believed he could do, at the very least. She didn't want to push the issue too strongly right now, so instead she was content to move on as they turned to the prospect of using the toll roads. Unfortunately it was a short-lived one, as talk quickly turned back to his magic and the idea of using it to aid her survival. Just as she had feared, he was strongly opposed to the idea, to say the very least. Pursing her lips, she would twist just enough to watch him with a frown for several moments, eyes thoughtful as she tried to come up with some way to accurately articulate or otherwise explain her thoughts on the matter.

"They hold only what you see in them. You yourself told me that you never intended to harm that child back home, and you didn't. The flowers you grew could easily be interpreted to be an emotion-filled wish for the child's sick mother to heal. It's all a matter of perspective" she mused, voice equally quiet and reserved, before she would give a bit of a casual shrug as he announced that he wouldn't let them starve if at all possible. It was not what she had hoped for, what she had wanted this thread of conversation to achieve, but it was a start. Moreso than she had honestly expected to get out of him tonight, on the first time they had discussed such a thing. Even as he asked about leaving this conversation for another time, she stayed silent for a few moments, looking off into the distance sightlessly. Staring off into space, so to speak.

"...yeah" the answer finally came, about as plain and simple as one could expect, and equally reserved. With nothing more to say o none matter, Shallan leaned across and blew out the candle closest to her, though she paid no mind to those further away. With that, the discussion would be replaced by the sound of rustling and sliding fabric briefly, as she finally made the effort to climb under the blankets and into the bed good and proper. Normally a rather restless sleeper, Shallan's mind briefly registered that she likely wouldn't have any problems tonight. Fatigue rushed over her like a wave as soon as she lay her head down on the pillow, dragging her eyelids closed almost against her will. With one final soft yawn to punctuate her descent, the girl would embrace the urges to rest wholeheartedly, quickly slipping out of consciousness and into the world of dreams almost straight away.