Opal Moon and Silver Fur (catalyst and Diana)

Oh! She hadn't meant to suggest Dyami's home was smelly, though it did smell of old wood and smoke and dust. As if someone hadn't been there for quite some time. Which was perfectly natural and adding mint would liven it up perfectly well! At least it seemed he did worry about while he was off, leaving Oralia feeling pleased and a tiny bit flushed.

"This is a beautiful table setting, indeed," Oralia agreed with a bright smile. It was no lie. Dinner at the castle was always in a grand dining room with a table so long and wide that it was absurd. And that was if her parents and guests weren't too busy to attend dinner at all.

There was that pang in her stomach again and her smile almost faltered, but Oralia reigned it in hopefully before anyone would notice.

"Where shall I sit? Should I help with serving?" she asked quickly.
 
Mansi beamed. Every once in a while, she felt too lazy to set the table. After all, it wasn't that hard! But she did enjoy helping her grandma, and sometimes she would place flowers or herbs on the table to make it look pretty. Which is what she did tonight for their guests, and Ori seemed to like it!

"No, you sit," Mansi said. "Next to me!" She patted a chair before disappearing in the kitchen with Kinshra. Dyami took a spot across from Ori.

"Elders and kids eat first," he explained to her. "Then it's pretty much free for all. If I had manners, I'd let you go first since you're the guest." A smile quirked his lips. "Which I will. Kinshra is the one person you don't want to piss off here." Upset the apothecarist who could easily sneak in an herb that gave you the runs? No thanks.
 
Oralia was more than happy to take a seat where Mansi instructed. Little ones were always delightful, and Oralia was likely to get the sun for her if she asked for it. Resting her collected bundle on her lap, Oralia sat patiently and gave Dyami a nod.

"Elders and children first, yes. That is fair," Oralia agreed. It made perfect sense to her, for in a family home you'd want to be sure the little ones were well fed and your elderly were cared for. Of course, she didn't think Kinshra looked the type to ever get surly with anyone, so she sincerely doubted the older woman would have too much of a fuss at Dyami if he misbehaved.

Regardless, it did make her smile.

"You say you are such a surly wolf, but you've been mostly kind to every lady you have seen thus far. I do not think you are so ill-mannered at all."
 
"I think that's the first compliment you've given me," Dyami said as he crossed his arms - almost triumphantly. "I'll take what I can get from a woodling."

Soon after, Kinshra appeared with Mansi in tow. The gifted flower was tucked in her hair. She hoped Ori would notice she wore it as she sat beside the stranger. As the guests stood, Dyami gestured for Ori to stay put; he would get their dinner plates while she became acquainted with everyone. The elder was gracious enough to wait until everyone had their food before she started with the questions.

"Dyami mentioned you might want to work for me," Kinshra said to Ori. "Seems you already have a bit of knowledge, which is good, but, uh... how long you planning to stay? Only asking 'cause I would hate to see ya leave so soon. If you pass training." She winked.
 
Oralia took the opportunity to put one of her flowers in her own hair, giving Mansi a bright smile before she turned to reply to Kinshra.

"I am unsure how long I might stay in this village," admitted Oralia. "I must have time to rest, and time to think of the future, and then it must be safe enough to travel. Or perhaps to get replies to letters..."

That idea had just occurred to Oralia in the moment, and it had definite promise. If she could discreetly send letters about assistance to the officials of other countries, she might be able to get things moving in her favor without even leaving Kosogaria until it was vital. She even shot a glance to Dyami to see if he thought the idea was a good one.

"...I will of course work at whatever is necessary while I am here!"
 
Dyami met Ori's stare, but surprise reflected from him.

"Letters?" Kinshra repeated.

"To her relatives," Dyami clarified naturally. "Anyone who might've... survived the Rukae."

Kinshra waved her hand. "Sore subject, I get it. Well, I could certainly use the help, Ori. And I'm sure Mansi would love the relief of responsibility."

Mansi giggled. "I could help teach her! Can't I, Granny?" Kinshra would eventually come to realize that Ori gave Mansi more motivation to help in the gardens.

And so it was decided. Ori was free to start whenever, even the next day if she so pleased. Dyami wasn't totally opposed to it seeing as how he didn't make the best tour guide, but he wasn't sure if Ori wanted a second take. He didn't know why she would. After finishing eating and having friendly conversation, Dyami and Ori helped clean up before they were ushered out of Kinshra's home. She was friendly, but she loved her home being her home.

Once they were back at Dyami's - er, he supposed it was their home for now? - place, he took a moment to covertly smell around. It didn't stink - of that, he was sure. Maybe it just wasn't what Ori was used to? She probably grew up always smelling the roses.

... He guessed she could make the place smell however she wanted. Whatever made it easier for her.
 
Of course Oralia's first task upon returning to her temporary new home was to hunt down a roll of twine to make little bundles out of her collected herbs and flowers. She made quick work of it (certainly hinting that she had experience with such things) and went about hanging bundles near windows or tucking them into whatever containers she found convenient.

Once done, she paused in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips admiring her handiwork. At least in her opinion, the place seemed a little brighter and more homey with all the fresh flowers. She'd have to collect more for sure!

Then... Oralia found herself at a loss of what to do with herself. At the castle after dinner she'd have been ushered off to evening lessons before getting bullied off to an early bed. In the woods Oralia never had a moment to breathe as she'd be hunting for food or a safe place to rest for the night. In the here and now, what was there to do? It's not as if she could raise an army in one night!

"What do wolves do in the evening before bed?" she decided to ask. Learning about village life would be valuable, especially if she were to stay there.
 
As Ori made quick work of sprucing up the place with pleasant scents, Dyami occasionally glanced her way. For the most part, however, he busied himself with tending to other small tasks. Might as well join in the chores, no? His place had become admittedly dusty while he was away. No doubt his mother had kept an eye on things, but she could only do so much.

He was in the middle of detangling his hair with fingers when Ori's question rang. Pausing, he looked at her, the way she itched to do something. A slow smile of understanding crossed his face. "Whatever they want, woodling. If you're bold enough to offend me by enjoying the company of others, there's the tavern. Might not be the liveliest tonight, but there's almost always dancing."
 
This seemed to pique her interest immediately.

"A real tavern?" she asked with a subtle bounce on her feet. "With drinking and bards and adventurers?"

Oralia paused only long enough to tap her fingers against her cheeks and run through pros and cons through her mind. Spending time in a local community space would absolutely help her getting to know everyone in the village, and perhaps even stay up to date in news from people who pass through.

And not to mention dancing sounded so lovely! Did Dyami even know how to dance? Oralia regarded him with a curious squinty-eyed look. He didn't seem the sort at all.

"Yes, I would like to see the tavern!" she decided out loud, not waiting on him to respond before she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door.
 
Dyami snorted. 'Drinking and bards and adventures? What is this, a storybook?'

Wait, why was she looking at him like that? Oh, crap, did he say that out loud? Before he could ask, a tiny hand pulled him forward. Or, tried to - he didn't move an inch. "Excuse me, I didn't say I would go with you." He pulled away only to cross both arms across his chest. "You want to go tonight, now?"
 
Oralia might've comically fallen on her rear with his lack of movement, and when he pulled his hand away to cross his arms she mirrored his expression. Frowning severely as she rest her hands on her hips.

"Of course, I would like to go tonight, now," she responded. There was that hint of an imperious tone in her voice, that belied her royal blood and how little anyone had ever told her no.

But after a moment her expression soften to something more thoughtful as she reconsidered.

"...if you are tired, I could go alone." she said aloud, mulling it over. Perhaps after a busy day, a man didn't want to go out chatting with locals or dancing with bards. Maybe as well, she should also get used to doing things on her own. Dyami would not be with her forever.

"Yes. Yes, I can go alone." she decided with confidence. Oralia gestured at him with a finger. "You may rest early and sleep easy!"
 
Dyami wasn't sure where the change of heart came from. Maybe it was the pompous attitude that yet refused to leave Ori, or maybe it was the sudden confidence that, as far as he could tell, was responsible for her survival thus far. Surely, she'd be fine by herself at the tavern. While many were wary of strangers, especially in times of war, people seemed to like her. She'd have no problem making friends, chatting their ears off.

... Chatting...

Yeah, no. No way was he letting her go alone.

"I'll sleep easy when you're tucked in a bed yourself," Dyami replied as he nodded to the door. "After you."

And it seemed the tavern would not disappoint the young woman. Warm light and a hot fire kept its handful of regulars happy. If that wasn't enough of an invitation for passersby, a pleasant tune from a stringed instrument and muffled chatter sure helped. Dyami held the door open before following Ori inside. Joyful greetings from the bartender and a couple guests had Dyami give a nod and wave in response before moving to an empty table. "You want somethin' to drink?"
 
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Oralia hid her relief well that he'd decided to go with her, finding that no matter how brave and independent she knew she needed to be, it felt so much better knowing she wasn't all on her own. The whys were all there in the back of her mind, lurking in shadows waiting for that moment she wasn't fully occupied to creep out and remind her why she was so alone. Leaving the princess with the simple determination to fill every waking moment with new experiences and hard work so that she might never have to think about it again.

The tavern turned out to be exactly what she hoped. A warm and cozy distraction, filled with a delightful array of new things!

"Yes, a drink is a must," she agreed with Dyami's suggestion, leading the way directly to the wooden topped bar to hop herself onto one of the stools.

"Greetings tavern tender!" she chirped cheerfully, only to quickly pause and remember that she was supposed to be minding her words carefully. To not be so proper in her way of speaking. ...and perhaps her order too should not be so proper. At the castle she might request a glass of warm wine or sweet juice, but did they have wine in tiny taverns?

"Hel-lo," she corrected, trying to match the casual way Dyami and his mother tended to speak. "I would like a.. very not expensive ale, I think. Very cheap and not at all fancy. Please."
 
Dyami should've known Ori would take charge and lead the directly to the bar. The bartender, a young woman around Ori's age, looked slowly from Ori to the werewolf accompanying her.

"IIII'm not very inclined to let her ingest any more alcohol," she warned. Before the two newcomers could respond, she continued, "And what're you doin'? Haven't seen ya here in a while."

Dyami raised his brows and nodded towards Ori. "Showin' her around. She wanted an adventure."

The bartender snorted and looked towards the other woman. "Sure, if ya consider beer breath and occasional raucous laughter an adventure. Can I get you some water instead?"
 
"I haven't had any alcohol yet," defended Ori with such a look of offense, followed by a slight confusion and a moment to turn away and cup her hand at her mouth to see if perhaps their dinner meal had contained some spirits she'd not been aware of. Satisfied her breath didn't smell of anything improper, the princess decided she'd must've just bungled her vernacular again. Learning how to speak the way they did clearly was going to take much more practice!

"I meant I would like to drink what everyone else drinks, nothing special or strange," she explained, at least for now dropping her attempts at matching the accents.

That said, she then tilted in her seat to see if she could spot this raucous laughter or drinking adventurers. Taverns were meant to be filled with stories and dancing and old coots in corners plotting journeys!
 
The bartender looked between from Ori to Dyami, who simply shrugged. With a side smile, Tasha held her tongue and in just a few movements gave Ori a mug of their most popular brew, a lighter hued ale. It wasn't their cheapest, but it was a safer bet for someone who didn't seem like they knew what they were doing.

"Enjoy," she told Ori. "If yer gonna be here a while, the name's Tasha, sweetie." She then handed a glass of water to Dyami before being called by another guest.

"First impression?" The werewolf asked Ori.
 
Immediately Oralia took to taking a hefty swallow of the brew, twisting her nose a bit at the taste. Not finding foul, but perhaps a bit hoppy and a little on the... tangy side. Her palette was far more used to sweet fermented wines and light airy cocktails. This meager fair was something she'd need to get used to, however. The princess had no intentions of letting her former station lend her to spoiled tastes. Adapting was paramount.

"It is not as boisterous as I was expecting for a den of wolves," she admitted. Not that the tavern was without charm. The plucky music was soft and charming - something no doubt relaxing for a long day of village work. She also liked the atmosphere of lounging people. They seemed joyful and relaxed, friendly sorts even for strangers.

There was that slight pang in her stomach that things here wouldn't stay this lovely for much longer. Danger was on the horizon for all of these people, and their happy tavern could be burned to the ground.

She tried not to think about things that hadn't even yet happened.

"Is there ever dancing?" she asked Dyami with some curiosity. Already eying him with plots to see if he could be swept up into dancing himself.
 
  • According to Plan
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Dyami watched Ori take what seemed to be her first taste ever of a brew. There was the smallest shift that betrayed the unpleasant taste, but not unpleasant enough to entirely write off the drink. Dyami smirked slightly to himself as he took a sip of his own drink.

At her disappointment, the werewolf shrugged. He did warn her.

... But why did he feel her eyes on him? Why was she looking at him like that? ... Oh, no.

He would pretend to be oblivious.

"If you go out there," he motioned to an open space across the way, "I'm sure others will dance." His eyes turned back to Ori, curious if she would become shy. "Might wanna ask for a... livelier tune, though."
 
Oralia tilted her head considering the suggestion, but ultimately felt demanded requests for a change of music was completely unnecessary.

"A skilled dancer can dance to any music, this is quite fine," she replied with confidence.

Not one to let a drink go to spoil, she took several fast deep swallows of the hoppy brew until her mug was good and empty. It warmed her cheeks and her ears, even making her blood rush warm too, but it was an overall pleasant feeling. She slid off her perch to hop out to the clearest area of the floor, and as promised showed Dyami exactly how to dance with the slow music.

The princess could not seem to follow a beat or a rhythm, but she certainly didn't seem to know that. Wiggling her arms and her shoulders to some tune that surely had to be in her head.

"Quite easy, see!"
 
She... she considered that dancing? Skilled dancing?

Dyami covered his mouth as a smile crept in. He leaned back against the bar counter, crossing one leg over the other as he watched Ori move to a song that the musicians certainly weren't playing. They shared looks amongst each other, not of judgement but amusement, happy someone was engaging with their tune. And who was Dyami to judge? Whatever Ori did, she did with conviction. He could respect that.

Others in the room looked to the young woman dancing, but they seemed content to simply watch or ignore. Ori's energy was infectious, however, and the song changed to something that matched. It wasn't long after that someone joined, then another, and another. Pretty soon, a small group was dancing with Ori.

"You should go dance with her," Tasha suggested to Dyami.

"You know I'm not much of a dancer."

"Ya used to be."

Dyami looked at Tasha and she shrugged in a "just sayin'" manner before he looked back to Ori. She wasn't skilled, but it was rather charming.
 
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