Private Hylands Ascent Getting Ore Galore with Mi Amore

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Clambering on, the Lion would take a seat next to the Lepus. Not too close for discomfort, but not too far to be distant. A nice happy middle ground where they were close but not close so to speak. The old man would crack the reigns and the wagon would lurch forward, jostling the two. The Lion would instinctively reach out to steady the Lepus before chuckling a bit at her question.

"I'm cooling off, but unless I find a fridge to step into, a pool to dunk myself in, or a shower It'll be a spicy minute until I'm back to one hundred percent." Fidgeting slightly he would turn to look at her and raise an eyebrow.

"Did you enjoy the flying though? Is that something you would want to do again?"

He wasn't quite sure how the woman had felt about their little adventure, but he was hoping she would be down for more shenanigans.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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There was a slight lesson of physics to be learned today when the wagon suddenly lurched forwards, the only hint given by the rider having been the snapping of reigns but a second before the wagon begun to move once more. It caused the Lepus to tumble in the direction of the Felis, given that she had been looking at Brutus in that very moment, before a hand instinctively reached out to brace herself.

"Ottotto—!"

An open palm pressed against the torso of the lion to avoid smacking face first into him instead, just as Brutus himself also reached out to steady the hare in response. She couldn't help the squeak of surprise, or the blush that crept onto her cheeks once more, before mumbling an incoherent thanks as Toko striahgtened herself back onto her seating spot after the initial jostling.

What's he built of... bricks?!

Her hand still felt warm even as Toko withdrew them back into her lap, though the rabbit couldn't tell if it was due to the lion's higher than normal temperature right now or justt ingling from the touch in general, before his words caught the hare's attention.

"Y-Yeah, tanoshkattah... is it safe enough, though?"

It had certainly been a new (and fun!) experience, but if it had a chance of harming the Felis due to him overheating so much then the Lepus wasn't sure if she'd want to repeat it too often.

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

The lion would chuckle ever so slightly as the Lepus managed to fluster herself, all without any direct action on his part. All it took was circumstance and once again he was getting felt up, though this time a light blush was crossing his face as well. They were one rom com moment away from both being flustered messes, and an event of such critical cuteness would probably scuttle any chance of this date going well.

"It's safe enough. I'm still working out some kinks and thinking about ways to combat the side effects and get greater control. I'm thinkin about pestering Askera for advice on creating special boots to help me manage the flight better. I've also wondered if I could get like... water elemental cores strapped into some like...pauldrons or something and channel some magic into them to cool me down?" He would shrug. "But it's no more dangerous to my long term health than say...using my pyromancy in a really long fight" He would give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"And besides, if I'm flying with you I'm going to be extra careful."

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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She slowly nodded in understanding, listening to the various ideas the Felis expressed regarding his pyromantic flight. It sounded like the lion was actually considering all the options, and with someone like Askera—and Corsair too—the Lepus was confident more could be figured out.

"Alright... I'll trust your word for it." There was a soft sigh, her gaze serious as she looked at the man. "But still, do be careful... especially during the experimental stuff."

After all she'd seen first hand how some experiments could go awry in Askera's lab, the thought making Toko remember one of the lastest experiments shortly before the scientist took a break from his academical activities with MIT. It was enough for a faint shiver to run up her spine at the memory, before the hare pushed the thought out of her mind.

No need to sour the time she was spending with Brutus by thinking about such things.

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"Hey..." his gaze softened as he set a hand on her shoulder. "I'm doing my best to be safe. Don't worry about me." He would frown and then move that hand to tussle her hair. "I won't get hurt and I won't do anything dangerous." A warm smile would flash across his face to try and cheer her up.

With the reassurances, he would adjust in his seat and get a little more comfortable. They were in for a long ride in the wagon, and the last thing he wanted to do was spend it constantly fidgeting. Once he would settle in, he would gently set his hands in his lap and twiddle his thumbs a bit, humming a jaunty little tune quietly, occasionally flitting his eyes to Toko to check on her.

One knee would idly bounce to release nervous energy as the wagon rocked along the road. He wanted to hold her hand, but he got the feeling that she needed some space, and space she could have.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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Don't worry he'd say... as if such a thing was possible. He tussled her hair, causing the Lepus to shake her head before a hand ran through the strands to move them back into place. "Fiiineee... I'll try." There was a small pout on her face before the hare leaned her side against his just slightly, a faint touch before she straightened out once more.

The wagon ride quickly became quite monotonous, it was all the same scenery and the same bounciness as the vehicle continued down the dirt road... if you'd ridden one wagon you had technically ridden them all. A soft yawn escaped her lips, eventually followed by another a short while later, as the hare's eyelids began to feel heavy.

"Mmm..."

Before she'd noticed the Lepus had already begun to lean against the side of Brutus once more, the warmth that radiated from the lion bringing comfort on a subconscious level... and soon enough it seemed to be lights out for Toko as the rabbit drifted off to sleep.

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

The moment the rabbit leaned into his side, he would gently lift his arm up and let her nuzzle closer to his side, cradling her gently to prevent the wagon from jostling the rabbit and disturbing her sleep. He would also slightly nod off, leaning against her ever so slightly.

You know what they say. Sleep is kinda like fast travel.

...

He would awaken to the soft rumbling of the town in the distance, alerting him to their arrival before the rabbit could awake. He would casually extract his arm from around her and give her a gentle shake to try and rouse the Lepus back from la la land.

"Toooookooo~" he would gently whisper into her ear. "Wake up we're here hun." His eyes would dance to the city on the horizon, and the sun as it slowly edged closer to the horizon. It was late in the afternoon, soon to be evening. Villagers were walking about going through their evening motions, and soon the two would be doing something similar. The wagon would cease and the man would turn back, Brutus handing him several coins in compensation.

"Thank ya kindly sir."

"No," Brutus would reply, standing up. "Thank you." Departing the wagon, he would help the Lepus back down onto the street below.

"Well hun, where too first?"

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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She had snuggled up comfortably against the lion's side as his arm had wrapped around the rabbit, the heat Brutus radiated comforting to the snoozing hare. Their travel would continue unimpeded and, while Toko couldn't say she actually reached the point of dreaming, actually provided the Lepus some much needed rest after their little cavern spelunking and battles.

"Toooookooo~"
"Hrrrm, ato go-fun..."
"Wake up we're here hun."

It took a few moments for the rabbit to finally wake from her slumber, rubbing her eyes softly as she felt the gentle shakes of the lion. The first thing she noticed was the change in lighting, a sign that the sun was almost beginning to set, before a faint blush colored her cheeks as Toko realized she had actually fallen asleep the whole ride over.

"Ah, gomen...!"

By the time she was awake enough to stand up and not trip the Felis had already taken care of the fare for the ride over, a soft nod of thanks given to the man that had kept the wagon going before the hare dismounted with the help of the Felis.

"Well hun, where too first?"
"Eetoh, I'm not sure what direction would be best.... maybe we can walk towards the center of the city, and see if our noses pick something nice along the way?"

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"You don't need to apologize to me." Brutus would quip smiling at the rabbit woman. "I enjoy your company, and you leaning on me was super kawaii. You can always lean on me for sleep." Watching her wake up was adorable, causing his heart to flutter.

It wasn't fair. She was so cute, but if he pointed out she'd get all flustered and embarrassed, which was also cute and pointing that out would frustrate her to no end. Instead he had to watch all of this wordlessly in order to prevent her from getting cross with him.

"The center of the city seems like a wonderful place to start." The lion would extend his hand out for her to take, waiting till she did so before starting their walk. With her hand in his, it was like they truly had begun their date in earnest. He would navigate the crowd, clearing a way for Toko to follow alongside him. His eyes would flit between taking everything in and gauging the Lepus' reaction to how things were going.

The main promenade of the town was quite beautiful, filled with picturesque shops lining the sides of the streets. Tall streetlights stood as unlit beacons against the soon to come darkness. The air was filled with the thrum of the crowd mixed with music from street performers plying their trade on street corners. Various stands were serving various street foods, the smell of grilled corn and various meats served on skewers would cause Brutus to salivate.

"Anything catching your eye?"

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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Her gaze would stray away from his as the lion commented on how cute she was when asleep, the blush still strongly present on her cheeks as a hand fiddled with some of the tips of her hair. "Yamete dah..." It really wasn't fair how easy and natural this all seemed to be for the lion, though a part of Toko couldn't deny it was nice to know what was on his mind easily instead of having to guess... which was probably what Brutus had to do when it came to her.

It was then that the giant turned to offer his hand in her direction once more, a split second of hesitation crossing the rabbit before her hand finally reached out for his. After all it had been the only thing that the lion had really asked for, and it seemed like such a simple request to fulfill too... though that had been when they'd been walking by their lonesome on a dirt road, not in the middle of a bustling city like Finweald.

Toko was definitely self-conscious about this all, something the Lepus couldn't quite help but feel given Nao's upbringing, but little by little the initial nervousness seemed to ebb away just a bit as they navigated the streets of Finweald as they headed towards the center of the city. It was rare that the hare actually took time to enjoy the sights the new capital of Astorea had to offer, often coming to the city in order to visit the Guild's headquarters or to assist Askera with his research in the tower.

"Uwah... there's really a ton of things hidden all around Finweald, huh?"

She was surprised at the different sights, often opting to traverse the city through the lesser known roads—sometimes purposely to avoid crowds, though a good amount of the time it was due to the rabbit's poor sense of direction in bustling places. Toko had been about to shake her head in response to the Felis' question when she suddenly stopped, the scent of something familiar and delicious causing the Lepus to turn her head around until she spotted the stall it was coming from.

"Aaah...! That one smells almost like yakitori!"

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

The lion would give off a throaty chuckle before shaking his head and turning to the Lepus. "Gomen gomen Toko." A blinding smile would erupt from his lips, perhaps the cheeriest Toko would have ever seen him. "It's just..." He would scratch the back of his head with his free hand. "I guess I spent so much time not telling you everything I've felt that like...once I've uncorked it I just can't stop. I swear I'll get it out of my system...so please bear with me." Giving her hand a squeeze, they would continue down the road, marveling upon everything they walked past. It was kinda like walking through a really busy faire, a really good and really busy faire. He supposed this was the ultimate goal of what they were trying to do, recreate this sort of thing. Here he was, right in the thick of it, in the world he was trying to recreate back home.

"Yeah, it's amazing. It's hard to believe this is a game..."

When the rabbit urged him over towards a stand, he would squint as he peered at the strange stand. The smell of grilled chicken would tickle upon his nose as he peered in at the charcoal grill. Hank Hill would disapprove, but he couldn't argue with the results the high heat was bringing. He would watch as skewers would be set on the grill and slathered with a brush soaked in marinade. His nose said soy sauce, but there were hints of...other notes. He wasn't knowledgeable enough to know exactly, but he did know enough to know it would probably taste delicious.

"You want to try some?"

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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Right, given the revelations of the Felis back in the cave he had certainly been giving the matter thought for quite a while now... although a part of the hare couldn't help but wonder since when had Brutus actually known that he liked her. A soft nod of understanding was given in response as he squeezed her hand gently, before the pair had continued to meander about the streets as they mingled with the crowds of Travelers and Landers alike... before being pulled to a particular stall.

"You want to try some?"
"Un!"

The excitement on the hare was almost palpable as she watched the person behind the charcoal grill work their magic, the tail quivering in anticipation before she finally made her pick from the selection available. A skewer of dark meat and scallions was presented over to the rabbit, who eagerly received it with her free hand. Steam was still rising from the treat, having just been pulled from the grill mere moments before, and Toko softly blowed on it a few times... waiting just long enough for Brutus to have his own before being unable to resist the temptation any further.

"Itadakimaaass~!"

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"Careful Bun, that looks hot."

Brutus would place some coins down in the outstretched hand of the vendor, taking his skewer with his free hand. He would blow on it slightly, watching as the Lepus dug in right as his fingers wrapped around the skewer. He had the sneaking suspicion the Bunny would get a stomach ache from scarfing down hot foot before it was ready causing his eyes to dart around looking for somewhere to get her a drink.

He would settle on a nearby bar, tugging her along him as he wove through the crowd. Taking a bite, he would do the trademark hashafashashas ritual of chewing and blowing on the food in his mouth at the same time. The bartender, a wolfman with golden hair, would eye the giant, then the Lepus woman as they arrived before his gaze would finally settle on their intertwined hands.

"Aha what a lovely couple." The Canus would drawl, sizing them up. "I know just the thing. For the gentle giant I will craft a delightful cocktail, strong yet easy on the tongue." A toothy grin would spread across his face. "And for the lady, something sweet that packs a bit of a punch." His hands would dance mixing liquor and juice alike like some sort of magic. Before either could blink they had drinks slid before them.

The giant would raise an eyebrow before setting some coins on the table. Then it donned on him that with the skewer in one hand, and Toko's hand in the other, he in fact had no free hand to drink with. His brow furrowed before he would decide on carefully pinching the meat skewer between his ring and pinky fingers, then grabbing the cup with that hand, much to the amusement of the bartender.

He would turn his gaze down to his companion to watch her munch upon her food and sip her drink. Luckily for her his mouth was busy chewing, otherwise he would be teasing her with compliments or flirting. Instead he was intent on savoring the chicken and booze.

What a wonderful evening so far.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"Hafshahashahafsha..."

She did the universal ritual of blowing air out of one's mouth while trying to consume whatever hot treat that was too irresistible to wait a few moments longer for, before another squeal of delight escaped the hare as she enjoyed the subtle flavors of the chicken skewer. Meanwhile Brutus would lead the pair over to a little outdoor bar of sorts, by now the rabbit already half way through with her treat when the Caenus seemed to analyze the pair.

A blush spread on Toko's cheeks as the bartender mentioned they were a lovely couple, taking a demure bite from her skewer this time around now that they had company, before the rabbit's ears perked up in curiosity as the man proceeded to make each a cocktail based on how he viewed each one.

"Ah, a sunrise!"

She quickly recognized the familiar drink as the Caenis worked on it, her tail quivering happily before a realization dawned on the hare. One hand was still being helped by Brutus, who didn't look like he was about to release it any time soon, while her other was still holding onto a skewer... not to mention that her hands were certainly daintier than those of the lion.

Oh well, she wasn't particularly thirsty yet, another bite taken from her yakitori before Toko realized that the giant was looking in her direction. "... nawni?" Her head tilted to the side in slight confusion, the uttered words somewhat muffled considering she still had a mouthful of chicken too.

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

The rabbit would look up to him and ask her question, and a blush would dance across his face as he looked away and nibbled at his skewer. "Hrrm!?" His tail would swish a bit as he realized that she couldn't do the same thing he was doing, reluctantly the giant would relinquish her hand so she could enjoy her beverage. "Nothing I just uh..." his face reddened. "Was checking out some of the stalls that way." He would motion with his now free hand to support his flimsy lie. None of the stalls offering various grilled snacks or sweet treats could hold a candle to the woman at his side when it came to holding his attention.

Thinking quickly, he would take several bites of his skewer finishing off the meat in an attempt to excuse himself from having to talk. Better to be silent and thought the fool than to open your mouth and projectile vomit spaghetti from it. Clearly gushing over her wasn't going to be the only thing he could talk about, and if he didn't pump the breaks he felt like he'd scare her off just like...

Just like a rabbit.

The thought brought a smirk to his mouth and he quickly found himself fighting back a chuckle. "Gomen, I just remembered a funny joke." Taking a sip of his drink he would free his mouth of any food and savor the strong yet smooth flavor of his cocktail.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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There was a soft frown of her eyebrows as the Lepus peered curiously towards Brutus, noticing the color of his cheeks and the way his tail suddenly swished though Toko was mostly unaware as to why the sudden shift.

"S-Sokka..."

Another bit was taken from her skewer as the hare turned to look at the stalls in the direction the giant had pointed, surprised as well that he'd released the hold on her hand... though she assumed the lion had reached the same train of thought as Toko had regarding the food and drink situation. Said hand reached for her drink then, taking a couple of sips before she hummed happily—pleased to find that the Caenis bartender had done a good job with the ratios in her drink for a smooth experience.

"This is really good, Bartender-san~"

One final sip was taken before the glass was placed back down, the rabbit focusing on finishing her skewer just like Brutus was currently doing... before the Lepus looked back to him once more as the man seemed to fight off an urge to chuckle.

"Mmm, a joke? Which one?"

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"So there's this wonderful bar on top of a skyscraper right? And outside they have a beautiful patio that overlooks the whole city. A man walks in and starts drinking when he see's another patron just absolutely hammering back bottles left and right. Naturally, this attracts our first man's attention and he starts to keep an eye on the heavy drinker. When he's done with about ten or so beers, the drunkard gets up, stumbled out onto the patio and leaps off it. Naturally the first man is horrified and hurries to check, only to find that the drunk man swooshes back up onto the patio." As the giant spoke he would make large swooshing hand motions to accentuate his story.

"Amazed, the first man would state 'That's incredible how do you do that?' to which the drunk would reply. 'It's quite easy, there's a steep updraft so if you drink enough to get lightheaded and jump off the wind will pick you up and put you back' absolutely amazed, our first man rushes back to the bar and starts downing beers left and right. Once he's nice and drunk, he staggers out onto the patio, jumps off, and falls to his death. The bartender scowls and then calls out 'Jesus Christ superman, you're an asshole when you're drunk.'"

He would down his drink, setting the glass down and letting the warmth of the liquor as it spread across his face. "It's a bit morbid, but it's a joke I remember hearing when I was little on camping trip with the family. You should hear the way my uncle tells it, it's much funnier." He would nervously fidget with the glass for a bit, setting the empty skewer in it.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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The look of the Lepus face was... indescribable at best, her chicken skewer now finished and carefully held while Toko quietly sipped on her own drink. A part of her supposed that she could understand the intent of the narrative, though the hare wasn't sure she'd classify it as an actual joke.

Maybe Westerner humor was different to what Nao was used to back home...?

"S-Sooka..."

There was an unintended awkward chuckle released by the hare, Toko attempting to think of something—anything really—to add before finding that words were simply failing her at the time. Finally she opted for the best option, deciding to busy herself once more by sipping the sunrise cocktail that the Caenis bartender had made instead.

@Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

What had he just been thinking to himself? Better to be silent and thought the fool? Something about spaghetti. Man wow, look at that. Even the Bartender gave him a look that was...indescribable. He could have straight up whipped out some packs of pokemon cards and opened them there at the bar and that would have gone over better.

Talk about a fumble.

"Maybe it's...more of a skit? The memory of hearing it is funnier..."

His face grew flush, but his jaw reflexively clenched to keep him from opening it again and saying something fucking stupid as he scratched his head nervously. All of that was smokescreen too, or attempted smokescreen nonetheless. It was like dropping a smokebomb only to realize it was an actual bomb and blowing off his toes.

He wanted to change the topic, but he didn't trust his own words. Fuck, goddamnit it Ollie you stupid idiot. Without saying a word the Bartender would set another drink on the counter in front of the giant. The two would lock eyes and then suddenly he would get hit with a primal aura.

Liquid Courage.

His eyes widened a bit as the Caenis would wink at him. It would appear this cowardly Lion had found his Oz, taking a swift sip. "Anyways." The word would smash through the weird vibe like a wrecking ball. "There's a bunch of stalls and whatnot down that way." An idle hand would drop some more coins for the bartender. "We could see what other sorts of goodies are running around eh? Had a bit of Savory now try some sweets?"

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"Maybe it's...more of a skit? The memory of hearing it is funnier..."
"Tabun atteruh..."

The awkwardness that settled between then shortly after was almost palpable, causing the rabbit to look sideways as she continued to quietly sip her drink in response. She wasn't sure what to say, or do, to alleviate the situation after all... perhaps it would simply fix itself on its own with time?

It was the sound of a glass against the surface of the makeshift stand in bar that had caught Toko's attention back, watching as the Caenis served Brutus another drink before turning around to work on their own things. Her own drink was already halfway through, another sip taken before the voice of the lion finally rung through the air once more.

"Iiyoh."

She softly assented with her head at the idea of checking out other stalls, the now finished skewer carefully placed inside Brutus' old and empty glass along with his before Toko watched as the Caenis promptly disposed of them.

"Which one did you want to check out, Brutus?"

@Brutus Dahlgren