Bridget's exile (Tessylyn & OneNightNinja)

RE: Bridget's exile

And now it was Bridget's turn to give the odd look. What she'd basically been told was that the world was operating on witchcraft. The kind of stuff that priests tried to burn women for. "Oh right... I don't get out a lot... That's why I'm so concerned and hoping to get back. Not used to being alone." That was a total lie, but she needed to play the part. She found herself fidgeting in her dress a bit. Nerves, clearly.

"I suppose I'll have to wait for her to finish her work then. She must be terribly busy." Bridget said, to try and be as polite as possible. Still very much curious about this strange world, she figured she might learn more alongside this woman. "Might there perhaps be a way to pass the time here. Something useful, I mean? I seem to be an unusual sight here, and I'd not want any um... Overreactions."

RE: Bridget's exile

The fox woman gave a commiserating shrug "Don't worry about it sweetie, we'll point you in the right direction somehow, even if it's just down to Byran to ask for someone who actually knows which way you need to head in". Apparently she believed the lie that she had been told without much need of convincing, though from her tone she did find it a little strange.

"Tabs? Busy?" the fox woman gave a snort of very unladylike laughter at that. "The woman is ninety years old, I doubt she could even bend down to pick up a hoe let alone actually use it. Nah, she just doesn't trust the farmhand she hired all that far since she comes from out of town, and so the old girl checks her work at the end of the day just to make sure that the 'whippersnapper' didn't spend all day napping instead of ploughing".

As the subject changed again she considered for moment, then answered "Well, I didn't want to be rude, but you don't exactly look like you're from around here. Closest thing I've seen to what looks like you is... and now don't you go taking this the wrong way... but you almost fit the description of one of the pure-bred demons. 'Course your skin isn't red and you aren't sporting a pair of horns or a barbed tail, but it was enough to trick my eyes at first glance. Pretty obvious you aren't one after talking to you though, those buggers are real nasty, born without a conscience and all".

Now seeming to feel quite talkative, the blacksmith folded her arms, forgetting about the knife in one hand and slicing a scratch cut across the front of her leather apron, one of many. "As for what to do... you could always hit the shops if you have some money, maybe pick up some supplies if you have a long trip. Or if you don't, you could always head to one of the farms and see if someone will let you work for some".

RE: Bridget's exile

"Ah yes... I was taken aback for a moment as well. I suppose I must be quite far off, as I've not encountered people who look like you either. Where I am from, none of us are... Well... Furred... I got into a bit of a tussle with a... What was it? Goblin? On the way here. She said similar about my appearance." Bridget pondered the fact a moment. Maybe the two regions had been at war in the past, and thus told tales of one another as demons. Though she could remember no mention of a furred demon. But there were the standing wolves, the werewolves. Though this lady wasn't quite a werewolf. And it was day.

Watching the woman fold her arms, she cringed a little as she saw the knife cut into the apron. Apparently this was a common thing though, seeing the similar cut patterns in the apron. "I do have money, but being quite separated from where I come from, it may not be valid here..." She said as she pulled out a piece of the gold the priest had given her before the sacrifice.

RE: Bridget's exile

The blacksmith peered interestedly at the girl as she explained that people weren't furry where she came from, clearly she found the notion a little bit odd, but she was polite enough to keep that to herself. "Hmm, goblins?" she asked when they were mentioned "bout this high, green skin, obsessed with sex?" she asked holding a hand at about her belly-button in terms of height, and once she saw that this was the case from Bridget's expression she nodded. "Yeah, harmless but obnoxious mostly, unless they have those nasty potions they brew up".

At the appearance of the gold coin Alder squinted and asked "That's money where you come from? Gold is pretty and all with how it catches the light, but useless mostly. Can't make swords out of it since it can't hold an edge and it's too heavy for most anything else of use. I don't think you'll find anyone who really wants that stuff around here, except me maybe, every now and again someone wants a trinket made of gold. I could always melt it down and make some pendants, or a nice bracelet perhaps".

RE: Bridget's exile

Bridget had herself at a conundrum. She had a year's worth of gold, but it was useless out here. Extremely useless. But if she got somewhere human, she'd need that gold. Perhaps it was better now to try and get something for it that would help her out with the whole survival thing. "Hmm, well, perhaps we could work out a trade between us. I am... Clearly... Not too good at traveling. With this, perhaps you could get me some of the supplies I'd likely need?" Bridget inquired, opening the bag so the woman could see how much she had. Enough for quite a bit of jewelry. She was finding herself quite dejected now. Things seemed to operate on entirely different rules now, and Alder was confirming it. "Um, I also have one of those goblin potions. She dropped it when I chased her off. Think she used another one of the same type on me."

A slight sigh caught her lips. "At least a meal. I haven't eaten in quite a while."

RE: Bridget's exile

At the sight of the open sack Alder reached in and took a handful of the coins, hefting them in her palm a few times before dropping all of them back into the sack. "There's a pretty good amount there, but I'm afraid I can't actually give you any supplies of my own. Like I said, I don't travel much, so all that I could really offer you is that meal you're after... I could always make you a charge-stone from some of this gold though, most people have theirs made into a ring, a bracelet, or a necklace of some kind, and I'm good with that kind of delicate work".

She noticed the blank look on Bridget's face "Don't know what a charge-stone is huh? Well, it's what we use for money around here. It's basically just a little gemstone that can hold magical energy, mostly people just use the blue kind since that is what most shops accept and use as currency, but sometimes people add a green one as well. The different types hold different types of energy, the blue is used by mages to power certain types of spell, so they'll trade goods for it, which is why the rest of us started using it as currency as well. The green charges are rarer, those are used for soul-enhancement magic, most places don't accept them, but they're used for some services".

"After you've got one of them, and I can put one together for you with a little of the gold, I'll be able to actually pay for the rest of the gold with some of the charges I've got saved up, and with those you can buy the supplies you need from Lucina, she runs the shop over there, sells everything from tents, to cook-pots to flints for starting fires. Sound good?".

RE: Bridget's exile

"Charge stone?" Bridget asked, only to be given a nicely detailed explanation by the kindly smithy. So apparently they even use magic to trade. A most unusual system. But seeing as how magic was accepted as non-burn-worthy around these parts, it seemed at least logical to a certain extent. Blue for powering spells, green for soul-enhancement, whatever that was. Still, it was the blue ones that were important, and she would be able to get some by handing over the gold. Plus, when she got back home, she could sell the trinket to a black market fence, so they could sell it to anyone actually practicing witchcraft. And good jewelry could fetch an excellent price. Enough to at least get a decent return on her investment, even after the fence's markdown.

"That sounds agreeable. I must thank you again. You've really gone out of your way to help me out, Ms. Alder. As unusual as this place is to me, I'm very happy I met you."

RE: Bridget's exile

After explaining it all out loud the fox woman did pause and admit "That sounds a bit odd I know, but the mages up in Byran developed the system after the breaking since the stones are bound to a specific person, it means that people can't steal your charges like the can steal... well, a sack full of gold for example". With that and Bridget's agreement she took the pouch of gold, nearly dropping it due to the unexpected weight. That much seemed true at least, these people weren't really accustomed to seeing gold in such high amounts.

At the repeated thanks she received Alder chuckled and answered "It's just Alder, sweetie, not Miss Alder. Anyway I'm not gonna lie, I do expect to make a bit of profit out of our deal, not too much as I'm not the kind to swindle someone you see, but I do get something out of this for myself, so it's good for the both of us. So what do you want making for the charge-stone? Necklace, ring, bracelet, maybe earrings, any specific design you want? Whichever it is, it'll take me until about noon tomorrow to finish, so you'll probably want to find to something to do between now and then. I'm about to go over and see Luncina now too, so if you want we can just skip me actually paying you tomorrow, and I'll just buy the supplies you need here and now, that way you don't actually have to wait here overnight".


(ooc: p.s. Essentially the blue charges are money, the green charges are experience - if it wasn't clear.)

RE: Bridget's exile

What Birdget took from all that was that her charges couldn't be stolen. Which was crazy. Amazing, but crazy. She was used to everything being able to be palmed, lifted, heisted, or some other variation of 'taken without permission.' But she did need to figure out what was going to be made out of that gold. She didn't have piercings, so earrings were out of the question. Trying to be smart about it, she replied, "Considering how rough it can be outside... Something sturdy. So probably a bracelet. As nice as a necklace would be, those little gold chains snap all too easily." Personal experience doing the breaking could attest to that, of course. "Maybe something to match this dress?"

Then came the question of finding out a way to take care of herself until the next day. Alder clearly wouldn't have anything for her to do, as she'd be too busy with the work. But Luncina might, seeing as she had a farm. Bridget knew jack-all about farming, but a way to earn a roof over her head for a night was enough reason to try. "Sure, it'll be good to have you introduce me anyway. You know... On account of me being the odd one out around here."

RE: Bridget's exile

The fox woman nodded and agreed "a bracelet does sound most sensible if you're going to be travelling, you can always get the gems taken out of it and transferred to another piece of jewellery or something else entirely later if you change you mind later. At the request to be introduced and accept the advance payment in the form of supplies, Alder nodded and gestured for the girl to follow her., walking towards the general store where the woman they were heading to meet worked.

"Hey Lu, you forgot you knife" Alder announced as she pushed the door open and strode into the store. The windows to outside lit up the interior well, and the place was stone-walled and had neatly cut boards for the floor, clearly the work place and home of a generally successful merchant. Around the room there were several counters and tables, most of which had examples of various tools or boots on them, though there were a few oddities. It was pretty obvious that most of the wares that Lucina had on display were meant to interest working folk and farmers.

The woman herself stood behind a counter at the back of the shop, looking much like Alder except for the fact that her muzzle was more like that of a wolf, and her fur was grey rather than the reddish brown hue of the foxes. She was a slighter of build as well, since obviously she didn't spend all day working a forge. Looking up when the two women entered she replies "Oh, thanks Alder", stepping forwards to take the blade and setting it down on one of the benches nearby. "Who's your friend?" she enquired, nodding towards Bridget.

"A traveller" the fox woman explained, "lost her friends along the way somewhere and needs some supplies, traded me some gold she had so I'm paying today. Five hundred blue sounds about fair for what she gave me, so let's call that the budget". Turning to the human girl she gave Bridget a quick nudge with her elbow. "Don't be shy sweetie, introduce yourself".

RE: Bridget's exile

Bridget naturally surveyed the shop when she got in. Not a whole lot of typical thiefly value, as little of it could be fenced for a decent profit. Most farming tools and worker's bits weren't exactly made for luxury. Oddities here and there were all well and good, but nothing seemed to pop out initially to the young thief. The woman back behind the main counter seemed a lot more slim than Alder, which made sense due to their professions, though normally wolves were bigger than foxes. Despite being prepared for it, Bridget was still getting used to people walking around being all fluffy.

On being introduced, she stepped forward, nodding a little hello as she spoke. "Hello Ms. Luncina. My name is Bridget. A pleasure to meet you." Introducing herself was easy, but translating 500 charges of blue energy into gold was something she was still wrapping her head around. Math. It seemed a lot, but that meant that prices for mundane objects would be higher than those at home. She'd have to get an idea of the scale by comparing small items to the general price of things at home.

RE: Bridget's exile

"You too" the wolfish woman said with a nod of greeting, before looking expectantly at the pair of women, clearly a little less talkative than Alder was and more interested in the business side of their meeting. Since Bridget hadn't spoken up other than to introduce herself, the fox took it upon herself to start proceedings.

"Well, I'm figuring that she'll need a tent, probably a waxed one in case it rains, a bed roll, a small cookpot and snare or two to catch food, a flint for starting a fire and maybe a small tin to store kindling in..." taking a quick glance at Bridget she added "A water-skin, and a pack to carry it all in of course. How much does that come to?"

The shopkeeper did a quick tally in her head, and answered "That'd come to three hundred, rounding down since you're a friend Alder, for someone who doesn't travel I think you covered pretty much everything she might want for a journey there". Turning to Bridget she asked "you okay with all of that? It's your money after all, anything you want to add?"

RE: Bridget's exile

"That all sounds pretty good." Bridget nodded. Water, food, sleeping, shelter. The basics were all there. Now, all she really had to do was learn how to use it all, of course. But what else could be added? What else might be needed? She honestly didn't know, and had to leave it up to professional non-city dwellers. Oh wait, she knew exactly what she needed. "Maybe a set of spare clothing? There are goblins out there after all. Though I suppose I'll be going to the tailor for that." She added, then immediately retracted. General stores didn't have clothing usually. And there was the tailor right next door anyhow.

"Sorry I'm not too educated on the subject of being out and traveling. I'm used to cities. None of these are terribly difficult to use are they?"

RE: Bridget's exile

"Aye" Lucina agreed "you are better off going to the tailors for clothes, if you want boots I've got the best in town, but I won't claim to have the best selection of clothes, Jada has that claim. As for how difficult the stuff is to use, not very at all. I trade for most of it from down in Byran when I head there once every few weeks, and most of the time it comes with instructions. I'll be sure to include those with anything that isn't immediately obvious".

"If you want my advice" the fox woman piped up "find some sheltered place with water nearby to set up a camp with your tent and cooking gear permanently in place, then just use focus travelling to get to where you need to be. It's far easier than lugging that pack around with you all day, and you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to sleep every night. You came from up north right? Well I'm sure there's bound to be a good spot out on the plains somewhere. As for goblins, I was thinking about that. I've got a handful of weapons that someone asked me to make and then never came to collect. For a hundred blue you can take your pick and choose one".

RE: Bridget's exile

Instructions were good right? Wait, could she even read them? That would be an awkward question for another time. Maybe they at least had some pictures or something. Alder spoke up, giving a bit more advice and an offer of a weapon to take along to ward off the little green women. The use of focus travelling to go back to the same camp every night was an odd concept to handle, but it made sense in this strange world. The ability to just quickly get anywhere was really handy, obviously, just in added unexpected ways like this.

So four hundred blue was already gone. Certainly not the worth of one hundred in the city. Then again, one hundred wasn't that much when one's living expenses were above and beyond that of a guttersnipe. With all this, she basically had a safe haven to go to every night, a luxury she didn't have in the city at the very least. "Protection is good. Don't really know how to use any real weapons, but I could probably use a dagger. Can't be too far removed from a knife." She mused, knowing that she had to play the part of the innocent. Really, she knew how to use a dagger quite well, and wasn't too bad with the ol' noggin' thumpin' club.

RE: Bridget's exile

"Right then, I'll go start getting that stuff together" Lucina suggested, giving the two a nod of farewell and heading through a door behind her main counter that likely led to a storeroom, one with quite a stout lock on it which she unfastened before heading in and closing it behind her.

"Getting a bit ahead of yourself there sweetie" the blacksmith chuckled "I trained as a jeweller for the most part, but out here I mostly make repairs on plough blades and make simple things like the heads for tools. I don't have a whole armoury full of weapons to choose from. I've got a wooden club banded in iron to reinforce it, a bow with the arrows I made for it, one of those fancy magic sticks that I did the inlay for, the type that bursts into flames at the ends when you focus on it".

RE: Bridget's exile

"Oh... Then the club will have to do." Bridget remarked. "It's just a stick. Can't be too hard to use..." She gave a meek laugh. She'd never used a bow before, and having a stick with fire sounded like a good idea, but Bridget was sneaky, and sneaky people didn't like light revealing their position. Besides, a club was best when sneaking up on someone, to get them with one quick strike. But, it'd do the trick, and better to be armed than unarmed when face with an intruder. Honestly, her main issue for now would be finding somewhere good to stay. Maybe that little place from earlier? That one where she had to... Cure herself of the goblin's shenanigans.

RE: Bridget's exile

Alder nodded, clearly agreeing that a simple club would be the easiest to use, and therefore the most suitable option for someone of Bridget's background, or at least the background that her story seemed to suggest. "I'll head over to my place once we're done shopping and fetch it, there was a belt with a loop that I made with it as well so you can have it fastened to your hip, ready to use if you get accosted again".

Listening to the rummaging in the storeroom she suggested "Maybe we should head over and see Jada now, I think Lucina might be a while in getting that stuff together for you. A hundred blue left though... I think you might be better off saving that for a rainy day, but that dress of yours is quite fetching, I'm sure Jada would trade it for something more suitable for travelling in. It'll just get ruined sooner or later otherwise".

RE: Bridget's exile

"Thank you, Alder. I'd be lost without you." She smiled at the woman, happy that the powerfully built fox was so willing to be a good friend. And while Bridget was playing the con game, she figured she'd want to keep any theft she did here to a minimum. For one, nothing her was especially valuable, aside from food. But it'd also been a great place to learn about what she'd gotten into, and how the world worked. Besides, it was always good to have people that weren't pissed at you. Stealing from these people, even if uncaught, would be pretty easily linked to her. Best to do any thieving in the big cities.

"That sounds good. It shouldn't be too long if I'm just getting some sturdy traveling clothes. I rather like the dress myself, but it's not going to last long out here. I'm just lucky it's green, for all the grass stains." Bridget waved a little goodbye as she stepped through the door to go see Jada at the tailor. Thankfully, it was just those few steps away.

Stepping into the shop, she made sure to make just a little noise so nobody would be startled. If she saw anyone, she'd do her best to look meek and non-threatening (not hard normally with her size and shape) so nobody would be inclined to try to stab the apparently near-demon looking human with scissors.

RE: Bridget's exile

Alder just gave a wave of her hand as if to say it was nothing, but sighed "it's a shame maps don't work any more, focus travelling put an end to that, made the landscape unpredictable, otherwise you'd not be lost in the first place I guess. Anyway, I'll meet you back here once you're sorted with your clothes, and I guess that by then Lucina will be ready too".

With that she departed, leaving Bridget to the find the tailor's place on her own, not a hard task of course given that there was a sign. This shop was smaller, without very many counters at all, just a few different wooden dummies that were likely used for modelling clothes, though at present they were all wearing simple brown or cream cloth trousers with comfortable looking shirts of various shades, a leather jacket on one. Oddly all of them also had a tail... though given the inhabitants of the village she had seen thus far, it wouldn't be hard for Bridget to guess why. Sure enough, the next resident of the village also seemed to fit the pastern.

Like Alder, Jada seemed to have a fairly strong resemblance to both human in terms of her body and a fox for in her fur and face, though she was certainly different from the previous example Bridget had seen. For one her face seemed more feminine, her muzzle more subtle and her cheeks more rounded. Furthermore her fur was perhaps a shade lighter, with the inside of her wrists and the tip of her tail covered in very soft looking downy fur. Her build was slender, though her rather immodest dress showed that her frame held a more than generous rack, almost incongruous with her slim figure.

"Oh my, that's a beautiful dress" she announced in a slightly drawling accent as the thief walked in "too chaste in my opinion, but very finely made". Seeming to remember her manners suddenly she added "nice to meet ya sugar, what can I do you for?"

RE: Bridget's exile

Bridget found herself checking out the clothing instead of looking for Jada herself. They all looked quite utilitarian. Probably for the best considering the village wasn't particularly in need of courtly fashions. But the owner of the shop made herself known, to which Bridget looked up and gave her a smile. She wasn't terribly phased by the appearance of these people anymore, though darn if she hadn't seen a set of smuggling pillows that big before. "Thank you, miss. I come from a rather far off place, and I was separated from my travelling companions. So I was hoping I might get a few changes of clothing, since now I'll have to travel alone. Alder is making me a charge stone right now, so I don't have any blue to trade. But, travelling alone, I fear this dress might get rather ruined. Perhaps you'd be willing to work out a trade?" She offered, instinctively trying to straighten out the dress to make it look as presentable as possible. Surely a tailor wouldn't mind a grass stain or two?

"Oh, manners... My name is Bridget. It's a pleasure to meet you. Miss Jada I presume?"

RE: Bridget's exile

The woman's mouth twisted a little at the mention of not having any blue, but those almost yellow-tinged brown eyes of her lit up at the mention of trading the dress. "Oh I could work wonders with that sugar" she announced happily, crossing over to where the girl stood and running her fingers over the green material around the shoulders and down the arms - seemingly unaware that there was a person inside the dress who would be able to feel what she was doing. She circled around behind bridget, one hand on her shoulder to stop the girl from turning around too, so that she could inspect the back of the dress.

A little peal of laughter came at the title 'Miss' and she teased "Been speaking to Tabs? She's the only one round here who wants calling 'Miss'. Nah, the rest of us are down to earth types, we don't go in for all the formality nonsense". As she spoke her fingers traced over Bridget's back, as she ran her finger over the seams of one of the embroidered leaves, her warm breath against the back of Bridget's neck.

"Hmm, what's this?" she muttered to herself, before her hand went down and rubbed at something on the dress, something that happened to be right on top of the human's rear. Finally the fox seemed to realise that she was poking the girls body after feeling the supple flesh of Bridget's backside under her fingers, and she had the good grace to stop and step back. "You've got grass stains sugar, I can't take a soiled dress in trade. Maybe... well, I do have some stain remover, but it aint cheap".

Now facing Bridget's face again she looked the girl over with a sultry smile the woman pointed out "You're a strange one y'know, not seen your type before. Happens to be though that I like trying new things, especially cute ones like yourself. Maybe we could sweeten the deal a little somehow?" Maybe those touches hadn't been quite so accidental as they seemed...

RE: Bridget's exile

She noticed the cringe at the mention of not having money. She knew that look all too well. But she seemed keen on the idea of getting her hands on the dress. And how right she was, it turned out. The fluffy seamstress walked over and began laying hands on Bridget's dress, inspecting it. The delicate touches made the girl squirm a little, just shy of being tickled by how soft the hands were. "I'm just trying to be polite. I know my appearance is a little... Unusual for the area. But being nice seems to be making sure things stay civil." The young thief felt the hot break on the back of her neck, making her toes curl a little as she tried to suppress a shiver.

Eventually, Jada did back off, but not before having a go at rubbing her rear, in an effort to clean the grass stain there. Unfortunately, it seemed to make things a bit unfavorable for the trade. But she just suggested that something else be added to the deal, and Bridget felt her heart sink a little. She'd been hoping to save that blue. "Well... I suppose I could add in some blue. When Alder finishes my charge stone, I'll have about a hundred to work with. I was hoping to save it up though. Don't suppose there's any work I could help with? Delivery? Chores? Anything?" She suggested, not quite getting what Jad was suggesting.

RE: Bridget's exile

The clothes that Jada was wearing were much like the others in the room in the sense that they had been made to be comfortable and practical, yet her own were perhaps a bit more stylish than most. With the embroidered patterns on the skirts of the dress and of course her low cut top that certainly wouldn't be much good out in the fields, they were perhaps meant to be an example of her work. f that was the case, simply trading in the dress for a set of clothes was a very good deal for Bridget.

That was not why the woman sighed as she unfastened the apron she wore, setting it to one side as she looked at the girl. "I was teasing you sugar, I wanted to see if you were up for having a little fun, that's all". Now that the apron was off, it was possible to see what kind of fun the woman meant, as actually, she seemed to have a bulge in the front of her dress that women should definitely not have. "If your answer is no then fair enough, I'll trade the dress, but the offer stands if you change your mind".

RE: Bridget's exile

She blushed at the woman explained that it was a tease, a soft blush coming over the human's cheeks. As Jada stripped away her apron, revealing the rest of her clothing and the unusual feature. She found herself gulping a bit, not knowing what she'd gotten herself into. Was that a? On a woman? "I've um... Never done anything of the sort before." Bridget admitted. Finger and carrots were one thing, but an actual partner? Definitely not. Regardless, her eyes lingered on the revealed features a bit overmuch, and she pried her eyes away. She bit her lip nervously and tried to get it out of her head. Clothing was important right now. So of course she was just going to take the trade and get back to Alder.

"...I-Is it fun?" Bridget stammered a bit. That was not taking the trade, but her mind was definitely curious.