"Ok, leave them in there for the next... Forty minutes?" I question, double-checking my recipe book and clock before securing the hatch on the oven door. Grabbing a loaded tray, I head out back and shift the materials on it back into their homes or new ones. The tray comes back to my hands and falls to my side. A couple times it bounces on my outer thigh and the back door happens to open as I leave the storeroom.
Bandages and a beak under the cover of a black cloak walk in.
I smile, "Welcome back!"
"Mmmm." is all Nin seems able to manage and he locks the door.
"I haven't got anything on, but, if you're hungry, I can get started on a late lunch or dinner?" I ask, noting how he's already getting undressed and putting things into the washing machine. A small bag of bounty clinks onto the side and my focus goes back to him.
"No, don't worry, go at your own pace," he tells me before stretching out a series of pops and sudden shakes, "Ah..."
"I would've thought you'd be more limber after a job like the one you went on." I remark, going over to help him with his bandages while he opens up his shell. It's all closed up, like he's been compacted for some time. Snaps caused by bulging muscles go off right beside my ear while I am finishing up with his right foot.
"Bear in mind I spent more time travelling to a part of the country I've never been to before. I can probably give all kinds of tours for the top of Thrurstradtur but I am useless down there." he explains as I come up to pass my gathered pile onto him. My eyes narrow slightly upon noticing the slight tint of purple on the fabric.
"She didn't try anything, did she? This was an actual job?" I ask, just to make sure that this whole thing was actually something that amounted to well, something. He sets everything aside and stretches one final time.
"She pulled some of the same stuff she did back when she first forced me into this." Nin groans before he walks off out to the front of the shop. He comes to a stop, his eyes lingering on my suit of armour which I've yet to find a proper place of storage.
"Well, I guess there's no point in hiding it, but, uh... I've gone back to Suhurlodst to..." I start to explain, walking out to meet him and shuffling close so I can look at my beat-up armour. Nothing's broken, but, the paint and coating could really do with a reapplying.
He doesn't seem to have anything to say.
I open my mouth awkwardly, getting back to where I left off, "I went back to Suhurlodst and got my armour and I've been training with Baltanthan and Seigunfrei. I'm hoping to become a better fighter, or, at the very least, more independently capable in defending myself."
"I guess that settles why you're covered in marks." Nin notes quietly between a chitter. I almost smile when he delicately strokes the edges of one of my bruises. I even manage to force down my wincing just so he can see a slight rise at the edge of my lips.
"I know I don't exactly have the authority to dictate much in this situation, but, I will be coming with you the next time one of these jobs happen. Or, well, I would like to..." I tell him sternly and I think confidently at first, though, it becomes clear that I am not all that sure about my convictions. Taking a slight step back, my hands come together without rising any higher than my hip bones. Fingers squirm under my grip and against each other.
"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" he asks me, turning my way fully with a stone-set pair of eyes. I nod slowly at first, picking up the pace near the end with a shaky nose breath and blink.
"Yes, this is what I want to do. I want to be able to help you and... Look, alright, the shop will be fine, in fact, you have come home at a good time, I'm preparing one big final batch of deliveries and you can help!" I start to say at first only to shift the topic away from what I wanted to remark about my place in comparison to Larishazza. I know I don't matter enough to Nin yet to be able to say such things. Even then, I can't see myself in any optimistic future being able to say a thing without resistance.
"I should be able to help, yeah. Inerish made it clear that she has a couple of things to do back at the Gnomon so I should be free of her for the time being. Worst case scenario, I only help you partially." he tells me and I smile and nod, some help is still better than none. Depending on how things work out as well, I can still have something good come out of this. Not being able to go and help Nin will give me more time to train with Seigunfrei and Baltanthan.
Oh, wait, actually...
"Nin, the other two should be coming by later, you should pop down and say hello." I tell him, hopping a little at the thought of having a table packed with my friends and loved one.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
His brow rises, "What other two?"
"Seigunfrei and Baltanthan, maybe Lorreabry which would make it three, I guess." I answer, mumbling towards the end with a head-rubbing hand and aimless stare.
"Mmmm, I had a feeling that this was his handiwork." Nin remarks, one of his fingers gently scratching at the scrapes on my armour's chest area. A steady, gentle rattle comes of it, like a less musically-inclined xylophone.
"He's been getting me into shape, I think I am learning well but it's only been a few days of this. I suppose I've been lucky he's not too busy and that Baltanthan is basically on a school holiday so long as he's working towards his upcoming exam." I tell him, recollecting my time with the pair barely.
"Exam?" Nin questions, his hand reaching into the socket where my talisman is still slotted. He practices taking it in and out, finally offering it to me rather than putting it back in. Though, while I want it kept there, I instead smile and accept the talisman from him like I did all those years ago. Mouthing a 'thank you,' I put it back on, swishing my hair out from behind once the cool chain is around my neck.
"He's trying to join Exceptional House, so practising with us is going a fair way to helping him develop." I explain and Nin nods once, his eyes lingering on my armour before he makes his way up the stairs.
"I'm going to go get myself sorted, I'll be back down later." Nin explains and I nod.
"Oh, and I guess I'll explain some other things when the others arrive!" I call out to him, speaking up as he turns the corner. One hand comes back my way and it waves down. Huffing a little, I take it as his acknowledgement and get back to sorting out my deliveries. Popping into the kitchen and reaching my sugar cabinet, I take a couple of bags with me and plonk them onto the counter.
I have a quick look at my hands and wipe them off with a soggy cloth. Grabbing a couple of other things, I head one final time back behind the counter and get started mixing some batters together. Eggs crack and sugar is whipped in with them, creating a soft, fluffy mixture made up of thousands upon thousands of tiny bubbles. Large amounts that get on my hand are wiped back into the bowl but little bits end up on my tongue.
Delightful!
Grinning at the sweet spicing I mixed in prior, I grab a bottle of milk and poke a hole into the foil cap. Pouring the contents out close to the bowl so it doesn't splash back up, my other hand grabs a soft-headed spatula. While one mixes in the warm-memory-making liquid, the other scoops up what is trying to cement on the edge of the bowl. I turn around and up at my clock to make sure they haven't been in there too long.
Noting how little time has actually passed, I turn back around with a shrug, glad no one's in here. If there was, I'd have to giggle and laugh, explaining away why I turned around until they smiled back. Thankfully, no one is here but Nin who is upstairs. The backdoor knocks.
"Weird." I remark at the timing of it and I set down my tools to go and check who might be back there. It can only be Seigunfrei and Baltanthan, but, I've told those two it's fine for them to knock on my front door. At least then I can see who it is!
"Hi, Liadanann!" Lorreabry greets with a cheery wave and smile before she comes in for a hug. Returning the favour as gently as I can to mind my dulling wounds, we shuffle aside so people can come in.
"I've told you lot that you can use the front door..." I remind the trio and I close the door again once Baltanthan is in last like usual.
"I did tell them that." he mutters with his usual, misery-seeming expression. Giving him a little shoulder rub, I pat him further inside whilst Seigunfrei already gets to putting on an apron.
"I just like going through the back." Seigunfrei smiles and upstairs sees some noise and my eyes widen.
"Uh, everyone, mind your gazes for the time bein-" I start to warn before Nin already comes into view. His front leans over the bannister, the slight shadow he's under not helping with making his features identifiable.
Seigunfrei gives a wave but the other two are a lot slower in their responses. Baltanthan eventually manages to get a quick gesture off and he's quickly with our friend so he can help him bake. I walk up to Lorreabry and reach for her forearm, its hair noticeably raised. Nin's chittering seems to be all the more notable in this awkward quiet.
"...H-Hi, Nin. How have you been?" Lorreabry manages to get out before she conducts herself as if there's not a problem.
"Good, you?" he asks back.
"I'm fine. I'm... Sorry, I'll just go help the others." she tells him before hurrying off. Noting Nin's return to the upstairs, I go up after him and stop him from going into his room just in time.
"What was that about?" I ask, not sure why Lorreabry would act like that, she's aware of what Nin is. She's known for a while.
"I'm not usually strolling about like this, Liada. She probably just got a little too rememberful about what occurred some time ago." he explains and I start to nod.
"Oh, right... The uh, kidnapping." I mutter, recalling how jittery she got in that conversation I had with her about it a little while ago. I didn't mean to stumble into the topic but somehow it ended up being about how while she's fine with Nin, she doesn't like seeing his hands or anything. I found it out at the time, but, I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to my friend.
"I should have some spare bandages somewhere, don't worry, I'll get changed." Nin explains and I feel the need to combat it.
"She's your friend and this is your home, Nin. Don't feel forced to do things like this!" I tell him, grabbing his hand with mine.
"Liada... I hate to break it to you, but, I was raised to wear clothes. I may have a special slot for my widger but that doesn't mean I don't still feel the odd bit of weirdness walking about naked." he explains to me and I can't help but look down at the sealed-up section of his crotch. Of all the places to pop open, this area has not moved a bunch. I wonder what I can do to make it?
"Y-You know... It's my home and shop... I could..." I start to say, moving a finger towards my top and slipping my shoulder out of it. That same finger places its claw-like nail next to a bra strap and I tease the fabric.
"Now you're just being silly." Nin goes with the smack of his tongue and my smile grows, pushing up my blushing cheeks.
"We got a lot of silly fun to get back into our lives and you owe me five." I joke, giggling on the way away and letting my tail smack his front up a bit.