RP:Believe The Storm

Summary: Joel is making a deal for the mining company he works for until a metallic bird comes in to create catastrophe. When Joel almost loses the deal, Avalee comes in to calm the situation down. Joel thinks Henry, the metallic bird, is a toy and Avalee swears by storm that Henry is not. Either way, the story sounds ridiculous.

Shopping District

Joel stands outside a jeweler’s shop with a cart stacked with a few large, nailed shut crates. Attached to the cart is a small packing mule that also carries a single pack and canteen. In that single pack would rest personal luggage. A bold move on Joelenik’s part, but he knew that he would be spending overnight on the grungy island. The half elf had been talking to a ritzy high elf who seemed to be one of the managers for the jewelry store. A male high elf that was clad in expensive silks and golden chains. Very different to Joel’s attire that was padded leather, thick stubble, and mountainous aura. Certainly this half elf was not a beach goer with such layered attire. The haughty high elf looks the Xalious man up and down. “These four crates best be full of the finest quartz and perfectly tumbled or else you’re not getting a single copper.” Crude. Joel’s eye twitches for a moment at the behavior. An awkward wave crashing over him before he opens his mouth. “Uh, the boss man just told me to deliver. Derek of Obsidian Ridge Resources?” What a response. The high elf rolls their eyes before reaching down to pull out the bag of coins. “Tell your Derek that I will come for him if I open these crates and it’s garbage.” Joel blinks, but shakes his head as he moves to place the exchange in the pack on the mule, meanwhile he idly begins to unload the boxes of quartz.

Avalee wandered down along the shopping district with a carefree attitude to her steps pausing now and then to glance at the different stalls. Ava stopped just down from the jewelry shop at a stall selling odds and ends. A broken seashell, random assortment of buttons, little pieces of unknown items, and other items that seemed to hold no purpose. A small bowl of assorted stones holding the interest of the woman. It was the sound of the exchange between the jeweler and the stranger that caught the attention of her companion, Henry. The little bird sitting on the woman’s shoulder was no ordinary creature as he was made entirely of pieces of scrap metal and magic. Stretching out his wings, a mix of gold and copper metals, he glided off Avalee’s shoulder and onto back the mule whose pack was just filled with the payment from the high elf. For being made of various bits Henry was not heavy, no more than any other small bird of prey.

Joel was in the middle of stacking the crates just outside the shop’s door paying no attention at all when the mule felt the soft landing of the tiny metal bird. Or was it soft? Or itchy? Or cold? Startling nevertheless, the donkey began to buck its hind legs even though the creature was ever so tiny. The last single crate on the cart topples over causing Joelenik to panic as the wooden slats break causing clean, clear crystalline to scatter along the ground. “Whoa, Rocco! Crap! Agh!” The miner panics and momentarily does not know what to do. The high elf, however, watches the whole catastrophe. “I will -absolutely- be taking back a quarter of that coin, Mr. Kriskas! These quartz are -soiled-.” Joelenik looks puzzled at the unbelievable retort from the jeweler. “You’re joking, right? These stones come from the -ground-! Are you delusional?! They can easily be rinsed and retumbled if scratched!” The high elf marches straight to the bucking donkey and tries to reach for the pack where the coins sat. “I don’t have time for that peasantry. Give back the coin you owe me and back to the mines with you!” What a sight of craziness from just one little metal bird.

Avalee turned at the sound of the mule making a startled noise followed by the noise accompanying the create as it broke sending stones tumbling across the ground outside the shop. The small stones falling from her hand back down into the bowl. It was only when she noted Henry was making a metallic squawk while moving to snap his sharp little beak at the hand of the high elf as he reached to take coins back. Skipping over, Avalee came to a stop next to where her little companion was with the jeweler, placing her hand over his before the sharp beak of Henry could cause injury to the high elf. Inky black waves flowed around the little tan skinned woman dressed in a faded red and white skirts with dirty torn hem and a matching faded red crop top. Her facial features were that of a high elf, yet her mannerism did not seem to match her appearance. “Excuse, Sir. You seem to have dropped some precious crystals and should pick them up before they get dirty,” Ava spoke in a sing-song voice with a sweet undertone that didn’t match the mischief in those deep emerald eyes. A bit of bard magic woven into each syllable as it reached his ears changing his current mood in an unnatural sway. Taking his hand back the jeweler would holler in his haughty attitude to his shop assistant to get out here and assist him in picking up the mess all while the green-eyed lady sung soft sweet instructions to him to keep the high elf motivated to clean up the mess himself. Henry meanwhile had glided off the back of the bucking mule to land on the ground. Little metal feet hurrying across the ground after a loose crystal that had rolled near the feet of Joel.

Joel turned instinctively at the sound of a sweetened tone of voice and watched the interaction between the two high elves. The expression in the jeweler begins to shift to a calm one, and one that turns into the agreement of needing to clean up the mess. Joel watches carefully as the interaction takes play. A cautious gaze. The shop assistant scurries out before scooping up the stones and placing them in a nearby tin bucket. It seems that Joelenik was off the hook. Copper-tinged eyes glance down at the metal bird who is hopping after the small quartz stone at his boots. The feisty jeweler had gone back in the shop and the assistant remained cleaning up the rest. The air seemed a little lighter which caused the half elf to now relax. The miner could keep his job today, thankfully. A hand moves to rest on Rocco, the mule, to pat the creature who seems to be calming. Hesitantly Joel glances once or twice at the high elf woman. “Thank you. I’m sorry you had to get involved in all that.” Clearly he did not know that the bird belonged to the woman. He then peers down at the metallic bird. “I’m guessing you’re the culprit,” his eyes narrow, but he was not as malicious as he was curious about the metal bird.

Avalee watched the shop owner head back inside and waited until the door had been shut for a moment before she went quiet, letting the magic fused words ebb away. When she spoke again it was to reply to Joel for his thanks, “Oh, no. It is me who should be sorry.” The sweetness out of her tone the lady sounded like any other commoner along the shopping district. “I should have better paying better attention to Henry,” she added pointing to the metal bird hopping around Joel’s feet now. As she gave her explanation for why it was, she who should be sorry Ava tucked dark waves behind her ear that was not pointed in the least. From the short distance it would be hard to notice the scarring that formed the rounded curve to the ear to resemble a human ear. The jumping Henry had secured a crystal in his curved metal beak and was waiting for the man to turn his attention elsewhere so that he could try to scurry off with his stolen treasure.

Joel lifts his gaze back up to look over the stranger. He lofts a brow at her apology. The plainness in her voice again. His mouth twitches in amusement. “Henry?” She points and it clicks. The bird. The metal bird. “You’re in charge of the… toy.” Bad choice of words, but he was not snippy by any means. Just bad with words. He stares at, what seems to be a human, in his eyes. “Well, I probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist and I probably would have to work double hours to make back what was almost lost. Been chewed out by my boss before,” he shrugged. He glances at the bird who has the crystal in its beak. Joel pays no mind, however, and focuses back on the woman beforehand. “How…?” he points down towards the bird. Clearly he wants to know how this metal bird can function. Forget the chaos that just happened.

Avalee listened with her facial expression changing the further he went into his explanation of what would have happened from the mess Henry caused. If he had just scolded a child for misbehaving that was look that settled onto her features as she twisted a wavy lock tightly around her index finger. The twist was released when he called the metal bird a toy. Wide eyed she stammered over the words that came haphazardly out of her mouth, “He isn’t a toy! He is bird!” which was followed by a rather soft uttering of ‘and my only friend’ under her breath. Pointing to the ground with a stern look Avalee commanded the metal bird back, “Henry.” Her tone shifted with the single word; a powerful undercurrent laced into the single name. After dropping the crystal that now sported minor scratches from his beak Henry made his way back over to Ava making a small metallic squawk sound. Picking up Henry, she placed him back upon her shoulder while answering him, “When I was a little girl I collected metal scraps at the different ports the crew visited and then layered the pieces together. Sometimes removing and changed them around until he resembled a bird. Then there was a storm on the seas and lightning struck the boat and I screamed. When I woke, there was Henry tugging at my hair.” Avalee shrugged like the story she just told him was as the obvious way a metal bird came to be.

Joel’s mouth formed into an ‘oh’ at the immediate reaction from the woman. He holds up his hands defensively. “Okay, okay, he’s not a toy,” he might have taken a minor step back from the stranger. The breathy comment is only slightly pieced together in his slightly pointed ears. His ears were also hard to tell if he was elven or not. Only a small little point with the average human size of ear. “Henry.” He repeated Avalee’s bird’s name. Time to be careful with his words now. For his own sake, especially in Rynvale of all places. This was not the safest place to be and trust had to be limited, especially on the streets. When the story of childhood flows through the air, he sucks in his cheeks. Lightning. A metal bird made of scraps just automatically fluttering to life. Maybe this woman was crazy. Too much sun would do that to a person, right? Careful words, Joelenik. “Okay…” His tone might have indicated a slightly cautious attitude, but he quickly plays it off. “You’ve listened to the storm’s design with treasures it helped you find. And this one seemed to bring… life.” A little bardic ditty, even if he did not believe her. Joel would pretend. He, too, had some underlying bardic talent. Storytelling. Minor musical ability. He inhales sharply. “Well, good luck with yourself and… Henry.” He would kneel down where the clear crystal was dropped before picking it up and offering it back to the bird for keepsake. “What ritz-spitz guy doesn’t know, won’t hurt him,” he gestures to the jeweler’s shop. “To tinker with, of course. Since… this treasure has found you.”

Avalee offered an apologetic look when he held up defensive hands after her outburst over the term ‘toy’ used to describe Henry. She raised a brow as he described her story back to her in what sounded like a made-up story. Was that how her story sounded out loud? Did she sound as crazed as the drunken man that told wild spooky stories at night by the fire in the back alley? Refocusing back on the man she spoke softly, “That is rather ridiculous when you say it.” Henry let out a high pitched shrill of excitement as he took the offered crystal from the man, eagerly snatching it from his grasp. While he offered the clear gem over Ava reached to grab his wrist with her own smaller one, “I don’t know how to explain to it and everyone thinks I am crazy, but I promise I am not. The metals they…each have their own voice to them. I can understand them… they listen to me when I am near them, but not when I leave them.” Sighing, the flectomancer shook her head letting her hands fall back to her side. She’d never met another who understood her and doubted that she would. Turning she started back off toward the direction she had wandered from humming a soft tune just loud enough that others could hear it and gentle part to make a path for her in the crowd.

Joel’s face drops at her soft spoken words. So much for careful words from him. He is making her look like a lunatic, which is not the terramancer’s intention. If anything he was trying to make her feel better about something he did not understand. Then again, he did think she was slightly cuckoo before, but with her defeated atmosphere, he cannot help but wonder. “No that’s not what–” he is cut off as her small hand wraps around his wrist and he is thrown for a minor loop before she is sincere. No one believes her. Though, she is talking nonsense about hearing metals. Metals having a voice. Was it the same feeling he had with stone? The ability to shift rocks and earth? The man is at a loss for words and really bad with words that he does not have much time to respond before she is pulling back from him and wandering off. That simple hum echoing in the distance. She is too far away at this point that his response simply does not travel far. “What if I did believe you?” Though the question lingers in the air and he is left with Rocco and an empty cart. He looks around, as he knows he should probably head off as he has that bag of coins attached to the mule on a sketchy street. He grabs the reins on the mule before walking and tugging the mule the opposite direction. “C’mon, Rocco,” the mule “heehaws” before trotting alongside the miner and Joel disappears among the crowd wondering what Ava meant by metals… talking. Strange girl.