[PMD BTS] RP: Visiting Gene
Howell and Avner decide to pay Gene a visit now that he's awake.
The snow was blinding as the harsh sun shone down on Ethovalon. It had been quite some time since it had made an appearance, and would almost make one forget there was even a disaster wreaking havoc just a few islands away. Days like these needed to be cherished, and so, with friends in mind, Howell and Avner gathered a small parcel of goodies to bring over and share with Team New Beginnings.
The Dragon had recounted his tale of braving the blizzard to his dear old friend. Everything from the time he took to build his own igloo, chop his own wood, and showed off his whittled spear that now hung on his wall like a prized trophy. Concern arose for his other friend, Myrtle, as well, and so the bird proposed they make a visit to their comrades. With tensions high, it was important to stand together in these trying times.
To ensure the clumsy bird wouldn't fall going up the stairs to New Beginnings' base, Howell gave the old man some support. Once up front, Avner gave a rapping on the door with his cane as he leaned onto his one good leg. The other was tender to walk on, though by now his bandages had been cut loose. Neither of the two had had the pleasure of seeing their base themselves, and had to go into Jasper's files to find the address. They hoped they had found the right place. Howell's tail swayed back and forth behind him with anticipation while they waited patiently outside the door.
Concern as to whether or not they were at the correct address was entirely warranted given that the New Beginnings base looked rather residential compared to other land-based bases. A skinny, pink-tinted house that was squished between two much larger buildings, a small window box filled with snow rather that flowers hung from the window just beside the door. Overall a rather quaint home that a granny might live in.
The door opened revealing a young woman with purple curls and distinctive Loudred shaped ears. "Oh! Avner! Hi, it's--it's so good to see you. What brings you here?" Frannie asked, glancing curiously to the other person with him. She should know them probably, right? Still she couldn't place a name.
"Afternoon Frannie." Avner nodded in respect. His eyes darted up to her ears, noticing a change, but he kept his observations to himself. "We've come to deliver a care package for Gene." He glanced playfully to the side at Howell.
"And I wanted to see if Myrtle was okay." He said a little too quickly for himself. A toothy grimace accompanied thoughts of having to justify his words. He should have chosen them more carefully. Things between her and her leaders were tense, and adding onto that would only make her angry at him. Making friends is hard.
"This is Howell." Avner supplied with a weak chuckle. "He's one of our younger recruits, but he is a star among them." The unexpected compliment made Howell blush, and he let off a little steam and gave a scratch to his head.
Remembering common introductions, Howell extended his demonic hand out to Frannie, red claws and all. "It's good to meet you Frannie." He felt like he'd seen her around before, but couldn't quite remember where. Maybe it was someone else.
"Oh! How kind of you, both of you," Frannie smiled sympathetically. It was nice to see other members of the guild stopping by to check on her team.
"Please, come in. It's--it's too cold outside," she said, openning the door for them.
"It's nice to meet you Howell. I've heard a little about you from both Gene and Myrtle. Only--only good things!" she said, though it was a white lie. Myrtle didn't really tend to say nice things about anyone.
"Gene is upstairs, but he should be awake. Myrtle should--should be up there too," she explained.
"I can take your coats," she offered, as the little coat rack they kept by the door was completely covered in winter wear. It had served her and Gene well enough the previous year when it had just been the two of them, but now they clearly needed an upgrade. "Can I--can I get you any tea or cookies?"
"Ooo! Cookies sound good." Howell said with a childish grin before he even got a chance to shuck off his parka.
Avner hobbled in behind him and promptly leaned against the wall beside the rack where he hung his trench coat. He gave his stiff little wings a stretch, thankful to give them some air. "If it isn't too much trouble, I would be greatful for a cup of tea, Frannie." Glancing at the stairs, Avner thought he'd better take a rest before making a journey up them. After the long walk to their base he was in need of a few minutes recovery. He took to grabbing one of the comfier chairs in their living space for the time being.
Howell kept his coat on for a little longer, bringing their care package up to the table that divided the rooms inside. "Actually we brought some cookies already, but these ones are for you."
"There's also crunchy rolls and a canister of home-made bisque. I say- prices on sea-food have blown out of proportion from this disaster." Avner muttered. "Anyways - it is a favorite of mine when I feel out of sorts. I hope that Gene will enjoy it as well. It is quite flavorful."
"You forgot about the honey and cheese." Howell added with a swaying of his tail. "Ah yes, that too."
"Of course, no trouble at all," Frannie assured them, making her way to the kitchen where a hot kettle sat on the stove.
"Oh my, how sweet! I'm sure he'll love it, he--he really likes seafood so uh, with--with the fish shortage and all it'll--it'll be a nice treat," Frannie explained as she brought a cup of tea over to Avner in the living room. It was a flavorful black tea made from dried berries. "This is one of Gene's favorites, but--but I can make another batch if it's--if it's not to your liking."
As she returned to the kitchen again she moved a cookie jar from the counter and set it on the table for Howell. "Take--take as many as you like, don't be shy," she told him. Inside the jar was filled with peanut butter cookies with large chocolate chips embedded in the center, along with what appeared to be crescent shaped sugar cookies.
Howell excitedly grabbed one of each, giving the one with the big chocolate chip a sniff before prying the candy off.
"It'll be a pleasure to try Gene's favorite." Avner took the cup and let it warm his hands, and allowed the steam to fog up his tiny specs settled on his beakish nose.
"I'm going to go ahead." Howell notified, opening the care package and grabbing the little bundle of rolls. They were made hot and fresh just before they left, so they were still warm to the touch after their walk over.
In his typical Howell fashion, he made his way upstairs to the room he presumed to be Gene's. He gave it a knock before entering, and gave it a small crack. He figured Gene probably wouldn't be able to get up and answer the door, and mostly he was just trying to give his ears less of a barrier to work with. "Is this Gene?"
"Oh, okay. Gene's room is down the hall if you turn at the... oh, um...," Frannie trailed off awkwardly as it seemed Howell was already gone, and her voice was so quiet he likely did not hear her at all.
Gene was lying in bed, looking over some paperwork while Myrtle sat beside him in his desk chair. They were discussing sending a team to Luminous Night before the season ended, which Myrtle thought was utterly lame. Since the pokemon in these seasonal dungeons Chronos opened up were so docile she never felt like she gained anything from these outings. Realizing this sort of mission would not be to her liking Gene was making notes to send Charlotte instead who would likely enjoy the night sky and be more diplomatic about gaining new recruits, while Myrtle could be sent to one of the more challenging dungeons. As long as the storms at sea permitted it.
The two of them perked up when they heard Gene's name faintly from down the hall. Glancing to one another Gene raised a hand and used Telekinesis to turn the handle and open the door to his room, seeing an unfamiliar demonic dragon boy knocking on Frannie's door.
"Howell?" Myrtle asked in a tone that said 'what the heck are you doing?' Why was he here?
"Howell!?" Gene repeated when Myrtle spoke his name aloud, his tone more happily surprised with an incredulous smile on his face. "My, you've certainly changed since I last saw you. What brings you here?"
Howell spun his head to where he heard a familiar voice. Myrtle! He quickly shut the room he had tried to investigate and crossed over to Gene's. When Gene complimented his new appearance, the dragon blushed but smiled with pride. He felt so much stronger, maybe a little too strong for his own good, and he was feeling much more confident to boot. But who wouldn't with massive clawed feet?
"Hey there, Gene!" He held up the bread. "Seems you're doing a lot better now. Glad to see you're awake." Howell's brows expressed concern. He had indeed been fairly worried about the other, and with Myrtle unaware, he was glad to see them in the same room together. "We brought you some food. Avner made a visque." He struggled to say behind his tusky teeth. "Forgive me if I put any scratches in your floor or walls, I'm still getting used to my new form." This was evident in the few scratches beneath his horn along his chin. Likely the boy freshly shaved before coming over. There was a lot an old man could teach a young man, but that lesson was soon learned on its own when obstacles became involved.
"Glad to be awake, thank you," he laughed, oddly at ease with the whole incident. Of course he wasn't above joking about his own death so why should this be any different.
"That is very kind, thank you. Is Avner here as well?" Gene asked, floating a walking cane near his nightstand into his hand and moving so that his legs hung over the bed. But Myrtle simply pressed her hand to his chest and pushed him back, causing him to sit on the bed again.
"No more, you were just walking," she said in a tone that sounded much like a bored babysitter.
Gene opened his mouth like he was about to protest, but seemingly thought better of it. While he was not fond of these latest limitations he knew, begrudgingly, that she was right. And he was not interested in starting fights with her when she had only just recently returned.
"Alright," he sighed, drifting his cane back to it's spot resting against the nightstand.
Howell looked at the both of them with sheer unbridled surprise. These two were not the type that Myrtle had explained they were when she was home. Quite the opposite in fact. Perhaps with Gene being in this state it made their dynamic shift for the moment. Either way, he was glad to see them getting along. It's never fun when personalities clash.
"Uh- yeah! Avner's here too. He was really worried about you when I brought him the news. We had considered coming sooner, but Avner figured it was best to give you your rest first. Which I see now was much needed." Howell looked at the cane floating around Gene's bedside. "You and Avner should race some time." He laughed, hoping to make light of his situation.
"You know, I can't really imagine what it's like to be put out like you were. I think my head's too hard." He gave his noggin a little knocking with his knuckles. "I'm sure it's got something to do with my horn. Ele tried to read your dreams...hopefully you don't mind that...but she wasn't able to see anything. Did you dream at all while you were asleep?" Howell asked curiously.
Gene grinned as Howell recounted Avner's eagerness to visit. "Well I appreciate you visiting now, though I dare say I would not have turned you away had you come sooner. This whole 'bedrest' matter is terribly dull. I could use a good challenge," he said, his grin growing more sly at the opportunity.
Myrtle snarled, folding her arms in annoyance. "'ur supposed to take it easy," she grumbled.
"Oh come now, it won't kill me it's--" 'too late for that' Gene was going to say before catching himself. He was far to accustomed to joking about his own death around the house. "--just a walk. I need to build some muscle back somehow, and it is not going to happen lying in bed all day."
Myrtle's eyes narrowed at Gene. Why did he insist on doing stupid things that were just going to get him hurt? Why couldn't he just stay put? Idiot.
The mention of dreams pulled the attention of them both back to Howell. Gene, for one, was glad to hear Ele had not happened to uncover anything... problematic. Then again they were but dreams, just nonsensical chaos that filled an empty mind. Even if he had dreamt of something incriminating who would be able to say whether it was fiction or factual?
"I cannot say I am surprised. From my point of view no time had passed at all. The real shock was that the storm and the boat were not in the hospital with me," he laughed.
They really did seem like they'd swapped roles. It was amusing, but at least they were getting along for now. He thought that maybe Myrtle might enjoy the power she had over him now too much, and saw her getting outraged again once Gene was able again. For now, Gene giving Myrtle some control over him seemed like it would be good for both of them. Likely the two of them would learn from each other this time around.
"Oh yeah!" Howell perked up. Even though his sclera were black as night, there was still a fiery light that pushed through his red iris. It's as if a fire was aching to breathe coals from his eyes. "You don't know! Jasper was the one to help you. Not to frighten you- but you were almost 'a goner' as everyone put it. The ship wrecked for sure. It's a good thing I got swimming lessons. Uh- another ship came to our aid, there were members of Blackstar on the crew lucky for us."
Howell rested his hands on his hips as he shifted his weight. "Myrtle's right though, Gene. Recovery takes time - trust me, I'm more impatient about it than anyone else." He chuckled. "Better this than a broken leg. And you'll come to train with me again soon. Maybe you can bring over some of your team for a lesson too." He glanced at Myrtle and raised his brow, his heart beat a little stronger from the gesture.
Gene turned back to Howell, his eyebrows drawing together ever so slightly with this new information. "Jasper?" he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "No, I was not aware... I do not know much about what happened. I will... be sure to thank him properly. Whenever I see him next." He was somewhat surprised to hear that Jasper had rescued him, but then again Jasper had dropped him off at the Blissey House when he'd last been knocked out in his presence so perhaps it was not so out of character. Still, he knew not whether Jasper particularly 'liked' him. But then again liking someone and saving their life did not necessarily need to exist together.
Gene's confused demeanor quickly faded as he rolled his eyes with a casual smile. "Yes, yes, she's right. But it does not make it any less dull," he sighed. "But perhaps you could fill my spot as one of Myrtle's training partners in the meantime. What do you think Myrtle?"
Myrtle was used to just spacing out when multiple people were in a room together. Usually the conversation moved too quickly for her and she had a hard time telling when it was her turn to talk. It was a lot easier with just two, more silence. But Gene and Howell talking about her pulled her back to the conversation and she glanced to them both. Train with Howell?
"Sure, whatever," she shrugged casually, a significant step up from her usual glowering.
"How is the rest of your team faring?" Gene couldn't help asking. "Was anyone else injured in the crash?"
Personally training Myrtle? Oh. Oh boy. Howell couldn't keep his tail from swaying back and forth with excitement. There was only a little time left before his birthday, and by then his time would be taken up even further by his duties with the GCSF. No longer under the juvenile restraints they placed on him, he'd be called to action far more frequently, especially if pokemon and weather kept being so mysterious. Doing what his real father did was a dream come true.
"Yes, unfortunately. Our newer recruit, Areti," which he was able to pronounce with a perfect stacatto, "swallowed too much seawater and came down with a fever, on top of that, she got all scratched up and her hands were burned by a rope. She'll be out of commission for a little while, though she still comes by to get treated with Catrin. Sterling sprained his wing to his thrill. Nothing like a little tender love and care from your very own crush. But you didn't hear that from me." Howell winked.
Myrtle's eyes narrowed slightly at Howell, seeing that he was clearly happy at the idea of training together. Stupid, it was just training. Nothing to get excited about.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. My condolences. I am glad to hear you all are relatively alright, given the circumstances," Gene said, a small crease forming between his brows. Jasper had told him about this new recruit of theirs that had joined in on the mission, a shame that it was one of their first and to have it go so poorly. Still, it sounded at though she had faired far better than he so that was a relief.
But at the mention of Sterling's significant he grinned slyly. He did so enjoy keeping up with the gossip. "Oh? Lucky fellow. Ari was quite instrumental in my own recovery I must say, though he's away on business at the moment sadly," he sighed longingly. "Pray tell, who is it that has caught Sterling's eye? If you do not mind my asking."
"Catrin, our medic. Well- medic in training? I'm not sure what she is. Not a doctor, but not inexperienced. She's helped me reset my nose and stuff after training sessions and fixed a number of sprains, especially early on after my latest evolution. That and I've collected sap and bark for her from a lot of the local trees for her medicines. Hey Myrtle, do you think that your feral form would be able to do something like that? Heal people, I mean." Howell didn't really consider any moves involved, but more about her biology. Was her blood thick and sappy? He knew that Timoti, Lynne and Maeve all withered in the winter and wondered if maybe hers expressed itself in the form of irritability.
"That's a wonderful question and observation, my boy." Avner said as he entered the room, cane in hand and supporting the rest of himself against the door frame. "Good day to you Gene. It's good to see you and Frannie, and the rest of your team, are doing well." Avner gave a knowing glance at Myrtle and a subtle smirk knowing about Howell's big crush and also her mishap in the blizzard.
"Ah, a medic. That certainly explains how she's nursing him back to health then," Gene said, understanding the situation a bit better. Catrin did not sound so unlike Charlotte in that Charlotte too was still learning a great deal about the practice, though she had come a long way.
Myrtle turned to Howell when he posed his question. "No. Phantump leaves 'r' good fer healin', but I didn't grow leaves," she explained. There had been other Phantump in the forest that used their leaves to cure a variety of ailments, but she never had any. And she wasn't particularly interested in breaking off a chunk of her bark to test that out.
"Avner!" Gene brightened at the sight of the old man. "Good to see you as well. How is your family holding up?" he asked, as Jasper had informed him of their living situation.
The Cramorant's wings drooped at the instant mention of his family and his eyes froze. He hadn't told a soul about their arrangements from- what, has it been a year ago now? Could these documents she had sent to him still be any good after sitting around in his piles gathering dust for so long? Surely not. He wasn't entirely sure, but since then she hadn't sent him any more.
"They've been with us at our base for a few months now. Luckily we haven't taken on any new recruits as of yet, so we have the space for them for now." Avner sighed heavily between ideas. "Rebecca, my wife, has not been enjoying being cooped up, nor has my daughter Sage. Lavender doesn't mind being a home-body, she's the mellower of the two."
"Yeah, Sage is pretty fun. I've been teaching the girls how to play my favorite game, Crokinole. I showed it to Myrtle once too." Howell chimed in. "She and Sterling have been racing around too, seeing who can fly the furthest off the top of the boat."
"Lavender has been enjoying reading all of my books and findings. I'm very happy she has shown an interest in the mysterious as I have. Her mother doesn't enjoy that she's indulging in my findings, but allows her to see in hopes of it lessening her worry for the Spiral." Avner cleared his throat and folded in his lip.
Gene felt a flicker of pain as Avner's face fell. For a moment he feared the worst, but when he spoke of them Gene failed to pinpoint what was amiss. Did he simply feel guilty on behalf of the calamity?
"I am... pleased to hear they are well," Gene said cautiously, still feeling as though he was missing something but unsure as to what.
"Crokinole?" Myrtle repeated, having a hard time placing the name. Now that her common was improving the name of this game no longer sounded like the 'rock in hole' she had once thought it to be. "What's that?"
Gene listened intently as Avner went on about his children. His wife did not like their daughter taking an interest in his work? Odd, but then again their line of work was a dangerous one. Perhaps she feared their daughter becoming too starry-eyed at the thought of joining the guild herself?
"Shame that the circumstances could not be more ideal, but I imagine getting to share such passions with your own kin must be nice. Do you suppose she might become an explorer herself someday?" Gene asked. Estranged as he was now it was not difficult to recall bonding with his own father over business matters. While their current relationship was no more, the memories had been fond. He assumed it was much the same for Avner.
"Crokinole was that game I taught you when we first met." Howell reminded her. He was a little upset that she'd forgetten what it was, but it was a while ago, so he could forgive her easy enough for it. Her enthusiasm for it though was enjoyable in the time they'd shared together. "I'll have to show you again sometime."
"Lavender an explorer? Hm, I do not see her being much of an explorer. She doesn't particularly enjoy traveling. She's more of the artistic type, so she'll probably find her place in advertisement or the press. That or she may do something with charity or find work with a non-profit. Or maybe she'll take after my old self and become a teacher. I taught at the Portsmouth University for a short time y'know." Avner began to ramble, but righted himself. "No no- if anyone will surely take after me, it will be Sage. She's much more enthusiastic about setting records and exploring. She even wants to be the first person to fly a plane around the entire Archipelago. You know those bizarre contraptions that allow the flightless to soar? I'm sure you've heard of them being from Allurian. They're always testing prototypes of new inventions over there."
Myrtle'seyebrows furrowed. That wasn't the name of the game he taught her, stupid. "Don't you mean rock in... oh," she trailed off, realizing what had happened as she listened to how the words sounded spoken aloud. She pouted and looked away with a faint blush on her cheeks, clearly embarrassed.
Gene listened for a time, simply smiling contentedly as Avner went on about his daughters. It was nice to see faces of people other than his teammates and to have someone new to fill the silence. "I am familiar, yes," he laughed in response to the flying machines. "I may have had the opportunity to take one for a spin myself, but it was an early prototype more akin to a bicycle than the more advanced designs. Still, it was invigorating. Sounds like a worthwhile dream to me."
"I do not recall hearing of your teaching days," Gene smiled curiously. "Portsmouth you say? Did you enjoy your time there? I can only assume not greatly given as you left to pursue other ventures."
"Oh no- the university was a wonderful experience, but I was only contracted to be there for a short time - a few years - just an adjunct. I took up the work when the girls were older teaching astronomy since I had been well acquainted with the stars from my navigation positions among trade ships. I did an entire course on tidal fluxes and the moon before. It was a joy to demonstrate water pokemon's power on full moons. The psychology and biology majors were also delighted to learn that they could effect mood in some species." Avner gave a sured tapping of his cane, enjoying his recollection. "The same goes for the sun in fire types, as you know. Sunny Day and all..."
Howell turned his attention away from Myrtle when she blushed so as not to worsen it. He wasn't quite sure what it was that made her do so, but he'd much rather see her smiling and confident. "Was there anything we could do to help out?" Howell asked, Gene. Maybe they needed some fire wood, or some chores done. The training was probably enough, but Howell just felt a need to make sure. He was really just getting antsy listening to Avner start to ramble.
Gene listened with intrigue as Avner went into detail about his time at the academy. He'd heard tails of sailors using the stars to guide them, but it wasn't a skill he himself ever needed to learn. Still, it was quite interesting.
"Fascinating, I take it you got along swimmingly with Carina and Percy when they were amongst your ranks," he smiled. "I had the pleasure of seeing their new base not long ago with the rather large telescope. And some members of their team are quite... enamored with astrology," he added, unsure how to describe Grey's... theories.
Myrtle turned them all out effortlessly. While her common was improving it still took a bit of effort to understand what people were saying. And Gene used such big, stuffy words so much she struggled more often than not. It was easy to drown them out.
Howell drew Gene's attention when he offered assistance. "I appreciate the offer, but nothing comes to mind. While I may not be able to move all that much I am able to fend for myself well enough," he said, demonstrating by turning to his desk which was covered in gifts where one such box rose up from the pile and floated over into his hand. He flipped over the lid and held it out to Howell, offering him a honey and rose flavored candy.
"Frannie has been managing the team during my time off and has some hired help to assist her. From what I've heard all is well," he shrugged. He was still rather curious about this newcomer that he'd yet to meet, but there would be time for that later.
Howell helped himself to the candy that Gene offered him. The flavor was one that Howell didn't particularly like. It had this aromatic quality to it that he didn't quite like, and the honey flavor was bitter for it. Not wanting to be rude though, he kept it in his mouth for the duration until it desolved.
"Yes! Quite! I was sad to see Carina and Percy go, but they have their own journey planned for them I suppose. I do try to visit them frequently, but with the weather and my condition, it has not been as frequent as I'd like. And you have it right- they are especially fascinated with the cosmos. You must have met Grey, their benefactor then? It was quite an honor to meet them. Did you know that- like Carina, Solosis - Deoxys are able to alter their cellular structures as well? Unfortunately, not much more is documented in all of the studies I've read on mythicals. Though it is a curious thought that perhaps they originated from Space and are not of our world. Wouldn't that be something?" Avner's wings flapped a little bit, but not with their usual gusto. It looked as though his feathers and even his hair had grown a little more white, and if one looked closer, they'd notice new wrinkles on the man's face.
"Ha! I did in fact. Meet them, that is. They seems quite the character. Truthfully I do not know what to make of them," Gene grinned as he floated the box over to Avner as well to offer him a candy before setting it back on his desk. From his point of view Grey was a nutjob at best, at worst... well, in his previous line of work it was not uncommon for those with more shady practices to participate in philanthropy. Could funding a rescue team be some effort to make themself look presentable while they... did whatever it was they were doing? Collect representatives of the stars or what have you? Perhaps Grey had been right about Gene, perhaps all this space nonsense was beyond him.
"Though I must say it is rather generous of them to provide such assistance to Carina and Percy. If they are from space I wonder what it is that drew them to the guild of all places," Gene mused aloud, wondering if Avner might supply him with any additional insight.
Myrtle gave a deep sigh, bored with Avner and Gene's stuffy grown-up conversation. She decided to make an abrupt exit and phase through the floor. Maybe Howell would join her, or he could sit and talk about this 'space' stuff or whatever. Either way she was gonna find something else to do.
Howell took immediate notice of Myrtle phasing through the floor. "It's good to see you're doing well now, Gene. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to go see what Myrtle's up to." But before he could get an answer, Howell was already making his exit, and went to follow her like a lost puppy. She probably went downstairs, right? At the very least, Frannie would be down there, and he didn't know her well so he could always talk to her, but Myrtle was cooler.
"Mmm, the base they secured was a lucky one, and I'm looking forward to them restoring the telescope. There are certainly strange things that occur in this world, such as portals through space and time and the dream world - but I believe there are certain things that can be explained well. That telescope would give us so many answers to questions asked for generations." Avner had gotten focused on talking and so he didn't even notice the other two really leave, that or he didn't care much. Most people usually left Avner's ramblings before it was too late. Since Gene was ordered on bed rest, he didn't have too much a choice but to listen to him go on about how civilizations throughout history recorded the stars to keep time, try to understand personality and even establish religions.
Gene chuckled lightly to himself. "Not at all, good seeing you Howell," he said as the other hurried to follow after Myrtle. He himself remained engrossed by Avner's history lesson. Some areas may have been more foreign than others, but it was a welcome distraction having someone to talk to, not to mention a mentally stimulating topic.
Myrtle meanwhile had in fact wandered into the kitchen where Frannie was currently baking.
"What's that?" Myrtle asked, eyeing the white glob Frannie was pressing into the table.
"Huh?" Frannie asked, seemingly startled but her hearing was far too good for that. "Oh, it's bread. Or well, it's going to be. I have to bake it first."
Myrtle started at the dough skeptically, doubting that whatever this stuff was would actually turn into something edible. Instead she rummaged through the fridge.
Howell walked up to the table after flinging himself around the stairs in an excitable manner. There you are! His ears had overheard that Frannie was making bread. "Hm, you know, when I first came here and Lynne made bread, I didn't understand what she was doing. Where I come from, bread is flat and is used like a plate that you can eat. A lot of things here are different." His sense of smell caught a dull burning smell within the kitchen, but he was too polite to ask what it was. Surely someone else could tell if he could, right?
"I wonder if we'll host another party." Howell wondered aloud. It had been some time since a roaring party had taken place in the Thunderstruck base or in Chronos' mansion for that matter. He wondered if maybe Chronos didn't want anyone to come back, but he didn't know what for. It seemed like the Gala had been fun for most. "There have been so many foods I've never had before. I suppose that's the benefit of being on a Wayfarer team. You get members from all over the place." Howell attended to an itch on his back, staring idly at the dough. Staring at Frannie would be inappropriate, and staring at Myrtle would probably give his growing feelings away.
"Flat?" Frannie repeating curiously, her Loudred ears bouncing slightly as she turned her hear. "I haven't seen flat bread before. Unless... unless it's like pizza crust?" she asked as she continued kneading the dough.
Myrtle raised an eyebrow at Howell with a contemplative scowl. "Party?" she asked, not understanding where this line of thought came from.
"Oh, that sounds nice," Frannie agreed excitedly. "Do... do your leaders host a lot of parties?"
"Who's birthday?" Myrtle asked, not really following the conversation. The last party she'd been involved with had been Gene's surprise party over the summer.
"Yes! Like pizza, but without the stuff on top." He confirmed for Frannie. "I'm sure you'd like it." He said to both of them.
"They haven't hosted for a while. The last one was Ele's eclipse gathering. I'm not sure how often they have them, I just know they had one for the holiday last year. Our festivities were a lot quieter thanks to the Spiral." It was nice to have Avner's family around during those times though. They seemed to get along a little better then.
Birthday? "Oh, we don't usually celebrate birthdays. Sometimes we'll get each other a gift but nothing like a party. I think Ele's is next? Sometime at the end of the month. Mine's in April. ... Oh- wow, wait- that's coming soon isn't it?" He chuckled to himself. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. He forgot he'd been a part of the team for a year already. He'd come so far, gotten so strong, seen so many places. He even fought and befriended a legendary of all things. How could he top off this year he wondered.
"When are yours?"
"That sounds nice," Frannie agreed cheerfully. "Maybe I could make it sometime, if--if you have a recipe." She quiet enjoyed baking in her free time, though she hadn't tried anything new recently. It would be nice to experiment a little.
"Oh? You don't?" she asked, tilting her head slightly and her ears bouncing again as she finished up kneading the dough and adding it to a bread pan. "We always do, but we're uh... we're also a smaller team so maybe--so maybe it's easier?" she said, backpedaling in an effort to not sound like she was judging his team for not throwing birthday parties for all their members. "Charlotte's is next in--in just a few days actually."
Frannie checked the oven before dawning some over mitts and placing the pan inside, only passively listening as Howell continued speaking. As she rose back up she noted he was looking at Myrtle expectantly and she realized the last thing he had asked was for a birthday. But Myrtle didn't... did she know her birthday?
Myrtle turned to Howell as he addressed her with her usual angry expression, but her gaze tightened as if he had somehow offended her personally but really she was just... thinking. A birthday?
"October," she told him reflexively, not really knowing where the word came from. Especially when she was still learning her months. She knew a number was supposed to go along with it, but what was it? "October..."
"Thirtieth!" Frannie added hastily. "October 30th, right uh... before Halloween?"
Myrtle turned to look at Frannie then. From Myrtle's point of view Frannie looked a bit nervous, but not her usual scared, timid nervous. More like... guilty nervous. And when Myrtle looked to her Frannie only looked all the more uncomfortable, because Myrtle's usual scowl was fading away into a confused pout, like a lost child. It was a rare expression to see on her face.
"And uh... mine is in September," she continued on, eager to move past this moment. "And Emil's is in April too, so uh... so he'll be after Charlotte. So it's uh... it's a party every few months."
Howell was surprised and delighted that someone was interested in learning more about his culture. He was always up for teaching people about life in the desert. "I'll have my mom send me a copy of the recipe!" He said excitedly, his tail snaking back and forth, but the scowl Myrtle gave him caused it to come to a stop. A moment of confusion came to him and his brows raised. Did I say something wrong? It was hard to tell sometimes not knowing the language super well, even if he was catching on quickly. Maybe it upset her to hear that they didn't celebrate birthdays? It was a little sad, Howell could agree, but it would be very difficult to give everyone such special treatment all the time, especially when the team's work had them split and scattered and far from home quite often. It was then he saw the benefit in small teams being more like a family unit.
"Right before Halloween." He repeated. That must be the holiday that many celebrate during the Fall Hills. He recalled seeing Jasper's fancy masquerade outfit once when he showed it off. A costume party sounded like a lot of fun. Howell's tail went back to snaking while he began to think of what kind of outfit he would wear.
"Oh!? What day is Emil's?" Howell perked up. It was always entertaining to know if someone shared the same day. "Mine's the 13th. Some people say it's unlucky, but I don't really think that it is."
Frannie's nervousness and Myrtle's unease settled as Howell went on and the awkward moment seemed to pass.
"Emil's?" Frannie repeated, as though she might not have heard correctly. Which was silly when Whismur has impeccable hearing. "We uh... we celebrate on the 8th. Emil grew up in uh... in the wild, and said they didn't really--didn't really have birthdays or uh... calendars. But Charlotte knows a lot about birthdays and the uh... the stars? That are watching you when you are born?" Frannie repeated, not completely understanding the concept herself. But she was always happy to listen whenever Charlotte talked about it. "She's pretty sure his birthday is April 8th and--and he seemed fine with that." Maybe she should have just used the same excuse for Myrtle as well instead of making things awkward. After all Charlotte had done the same for her as well, but Frannie had been too caught up in providing an answer other than 'she doesn't remember because she's dead'.
"Wow really!? That's neat. Do you think she could tell when I was born?" Howell blurted with excitement. "Er- uh- would she if I asked?" Although the supernatural was not something Howell believed, he was curious to know more about how this Charlotte could look at someone and just declare it so. Maybe Emil would have rather been a September or August born. Couldn't he have chose if he didn't know?
"Did I hear more talk of stars?" Avner asked, finally making his way down after Howell and sparing Gene to his rest and other duties that one could manage from the bed. "There are plenty of fables revolving around them aren't there? I'd say I've always been much more interested in their science and observation, especially the way they are perceived to shift. It makes navigation a tricky thing you know." The old bird gave his cane an assured tap as he waddled into the area.
"Oh! Yeah I don't see why not, she really likes star signs so--so I'm sure she'd be happy to share," Frannie told him. She left out the part about how she had gotten both Frannie's and Gene's birthdays wrong. After all that was only two people right? Being born right before Halloween certainly sounded like a good time of year for Myrtle.
"Oh, Avner! I didn't--I didn't realize stars interested you so much," Frannie said as he joined them. "It's too bad Charlotte's not around, she knows--she knows a lot more about stars than I do," she explained with an awkward smile.
Myrtle sighed, rolling her eyes. She'd left Gene's room to escape this boring talk of stars or whatever but it seemed it followed her. So again she chose to leave, making her way to the basement door and heading downstairs to her room.
"Ah yes, well- the stars have been a strong part of my life. I was a navigator once upon a time. I would love to meet Charlotte sometime. She sounds like a well educated lady, or at least an enthusiast." Avner finally worked himself up to try one of the cookies that Frannie had made, complimenting her on her skills. "I do appreciate this kindness you've offered us. You are such a bright and wonderful young lady, quite the fit to be a leader." He recalled her timid nature and fear in the dungeon of Timoti's ancestors, but still he found her admirable for sticking it out on such a difficult mission. "It's not an easy thing being a leader. You should be proud of all you've accomplished." He winked at her with a cheeky smile.
Meanwhile, Howell quieted down and his demeanor seemed to droop along with his tail ceasing its playful wag. He had hoped to interact with Myrtle more, but she seemed to be avoidant of him. Maybe she didn't feel the same. Maybe she thought he was following her and didn't like that. "Hey Frannie-" He interrupted, having really not paid much attention to the exchange she'd just shared. "What does Myrtle like?"
Frannie's eyes widened like saucers, stunned into silence by Avner's praise. He thought she should be proud? That she had accomplished a lot? She gave a shaky smile in response, tears welling in her eyes, touched by his words.
"That's... that's very kind of you," she said, wiping her tears away. She knew not what else to say and was grateful when Howell changed the topic.
"Myrtle? I-I don't think... I mean--I mean she liked training? And knives?" Frannie offered hesistantly, unsure what sort of answer Howell was looking for.
"She doesn't really... doesnt really open up a lot. I'm not sure I've ever seen her happy," she admitted, he ears drooping slightly. "Was there... why do you ask?"
Meanwhile Myrtle was in her room, taking a few swings at her sandbag and listening for footsteps. She figured Howell would follow her like before. Where was he? Didnt he know silently leaving the room was how cool people said you should come with? Ugh. But instead of doing anything about it she just punched the sandbag harder.
Howell's face reddened when Frannie questioned his intentions. It would be so easy to lie or shrug it off, but he was raised to be better than that. However, exposing his feelings was never an easy thing, as he had often gotten teased about it, and so he still remembers the way people would act. They're my feelings and they matter. "I think I like Myrtle." He said bluntly. "I'd like to get her something nice, or make her something." He started picking at his sharp teeth.
Avner's eyebrows rose with surprise, but he remained silent. For once. Instead he now took the position of observer, wondering with curious intent about what Frannie would think, both as an individual and a leader.
Frannie's ears rose, stretching forward reflexively as though she could somehow re-hear the words by pressing closer. Her mouth fell open in surprise while the corners turned up in an excited smile.
"Oh! You d--I didn't know Myrtle had--that's so sweet!" she settled on finally, glancing to Myrtle's door and then away. Myrtle was always so cold and standoffish, Frannie was happy to hear she was managing to make friends, or something more, after living here for some time. Maybe she was finally finding where she fit in here.
"W-well um... she seems to like plants a lot. She started keeping a small garden last year but-but she hasn't started a new one yet. Maybe you could-maybe you could get her a plant to put in it?" she offered. "Or uh there's-there's always the knives?" Myrtle really liked knives.
Howell greatly appreciated Frannie's subdued response, and any tenseness he had shown slinked away down his shoulders to the tip of his tail. He was happy to see that Frannie wasn't object to his feelings, even encouraging. It made him feel good to know she approved of him, especially when he was so hard on himself.
"I think it would be nice if you made something for her, certainly. You could craft the handle, you've been practicing whittling for a while and you're fairly good at it." Avner pointed out.
"But I can't forge a blade."
"Ah- you could go see Ignis. He made Jasper and Fiona's rings, and I think Jasper is working with him on something bigger as well."
Howell glanced from Avner to Frannie, raising one of his red brows inquisitively. "That wouldn't be too much would it?"
"Well, you also have Maeve, Lynne, and Timoti to consult in the plant department." Avner reminded him. "Why don't we go home and think about it for a bit together. Gene should get his rest and Frannie seems busy." All the time they've spent in this cozy little abode has reminded him of his home in Portsmouth. The last he'd seen it was when he'd recovered his family, it being blown to pieces and soaked inside and out by heavy rains.
"A-a-uh..." Frannie stuttered as she tried to figure out if he was asking whether Frannie thought it was an appropriate gift because it was a high quality, homemade, heartfelt present or because it was a sharp object in Myrtle's possession. "Do you mean too much like-like... I think she'll love it! And she-she has some experience with daggers so-so she shouldn't have any issue with um... with using it, or anything," she explained, trying to cover all possible answers. "Or-or the plants are always a safe--I mean always a good option too."
Her high-strung energy seemed to slump just a bit in relief as Avner suggested they consult with the rest of their own team and leave her to what she was doing. Not that she didn't enjoy them stopping by, it was always nice to see a familiar face! But she was unsure of the answers she offered in regards to Myrtle and was happy at the idea of not needing to give any more. Hopefully she was right, right?
"It was-it was very kind of you both to stop by," she smiled awkwardly, not sure what else to say when visitors decided it was time to go. And then her eyes widened, "Oh! I mean let me-let me see you out."