[SE] Trivia Night

I have never feared the storm

Sah sipped his own drink with a grin, "I'd love that. I'm often here to visit friends, but most of the time, I'm home in Halo." Talyson would throw a fit if the Wild Thunder went too long without visiting him and Alys. And he would never deny Lilly the chance to play with her best friend, Boreal.

Sah wasn't a stranger to sharing a meal with people he was unfamiliar with. To survive in the tundra, you had to look out for each other after all. But it was a unique experience for it to be happening at a restaurant in a different region. As a group of waiters and waitresses came around and gave all of the participants a free appetizer, he found that he didn't mind the unexpected encounter.

"So, what does bring you to King's End today? If you don't mind me asking?"

Sah

Soh grinned in response: she always liked to make new friends! At least, once she got past the initial fear and distrust that seemed to run rampant in her mind these days. "Oh, I haven't spent much time in Halo," she said. "I've been a few times, but they weren't very long trips. I'm afraid I'm not much for the tundra." Besides, she wasn't sure that she'd met many Halovians who liked her very much - Tal being the exception, and he'd moved to King's End since then. Deimos had seemed to tolerate her, back when she was the Heart of Stormbreak, but others, like Hotaru, had seemed to treat her with something like distaste.

A free appetizer appeared, and Soh politely waited to see if Sah would take some before helping herself. "Well, I thought I might see a friend of mine, but he wasn't home, so I thought I'd stick around for a while and check out some of the changes since last time I was here," she explained. "I'm a cartographer, so it's always important to stay up to date with my maps."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

When Sohalia didn't reach for the food after a bit, Sah took a portion of the appetizer before nudging it towards her to take whatever she wished. "The cold isn't for everyone." He chuckled, "I'm not much one for the heat except for a specific shift, but I've been trying to adjust more to it. I have a feeling at least one member of my family might end up moving to Torchline at some point. I'll take snow over sand any day." Even if his fyrhund shift loved the heat, mixing lava and sand probably wasn't the best choice. Better to adapt to the warm weather in his true form.

"A cartographer? Impressive. What's that like? I'm a hunter and I've had to rely extensively on maps when I've been exploring new places." There were many times that he could simply wander, but when he had to get to a specific location, Sah always brought a map. Just in case. When he first came to Caido, he'd spent many nights memorizing and reading through maps of the different regions to try and get a grip on his new world.

Sah

After Sah had taken a portion of food, Sohalia helped herself, nibbling daintily on the appetizer as she listened. She could certainly agree that the cold wasn't for everyone. She liked a bit of snow as much as the next person (it was pretty when it fell), but to live in it constantly? No, thank you. Torchline was much more her speed, with its warmth and beaches and sun, but it was Stormbreak that held her heart. Not that she was going to get into that with a near perfect stranger.

"Oh, it's lovely!" she said of her profession. "I grew up in the Hollowed Grounds, but after my guardian died, I just wanted to travel. I started sketching the areas I went to, and then I got some advice from a friend that I should sell my maps, and so one thing led to another, and here I am." She smiled. "They're unique - they're all annotated with notes about the area, the flora and fauna, and so on. So a bit more than a simple map. I try to keep them as up to date as I can. I don't have all of Caido yet, but one day..." Realizing she was rambling, she paused. "How do you like hunting? I've never tried, myself."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah didn't mind listening to Sohalia ramble, smiling softly as she went on. It was always wonderful to hear people passionately talk about what they loved. Not only did it make them happy, but it was often a lesson for the naturally curious hybrid as well. Today was certainly one of those times. He'd never heard of annotated maps, but they sounded fascinating. "An annotated map? That sounds like functional art." There were plenty of collectors who liked to hang maps on their walls. A map with notes and sketches from the creator was probably a priceless treasure to them.

The Wild Thunder's smile grew, "I love it. I've been hunting all of my life, and it allows me to explore and provide for the people that I love at the same time." It also fulfilled an instinctual drive that had followed him from his world and been newly bolstered after hybridizing. "I've also found that you end up meeting a wide variety of people. Some, especially in Halo, are out there for food and furs to stay warm. But others are hunting to collect materials for quests, medicines, or crafting materials. I've ended up teaming up with such people multiple times and then splitting the spoils." There were also times were competition occurred, but he'd rather not dwell on that.

Sah

"You could call it that," she agreed with a smile, thinking of some of her clients. "I do have some collectors who find that my work fits in well with their collections. But they're helpful for explorers, too. And hunters, I suppose. I don't usually ask a lot of questions." She thought of her shop in Stormbreak, and her heart hurt for a moment as she considered the dust and decay that had been there when she'd last visited earlier this season. Without her, it had fallen into disrepair. She supposed she should be glad it hadn't been condemned by the city yet and resold. At least she could still reclaim it, when the time came.

She listened to Sah's description of his work, going perhaps a bit starry-eyed as she imagined it. "It must be fascinating," she sighed dreamily. "Meeting people was one of my favorite things about traveling when I left the Grounds." And she'd never considered that hunting could mean more than just stalking prey. Clearly there were other things one could hunt down. "What's the most interesting thing you've hunted?"

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah nodded, "It truly is." At her question, he hummed, tilting his head. "That's a difficult question. The most challenging would have to be a void-infected ursur. But the most interesting?"The hybrid thought for a moment, "Maybe when the Monster Hunter's Guild went after a landshark." He gestured as he spoke, trying to explain the hunt, "We had to stand and ride on rafts on dry land so that when the shark disrupted the terrain, we didn't fall. And to protect us for when it tried to come up from beneath." Sah hadn't thought about that fight in quite some time. Even if he had limped away with a bitemark scarred into his skin.

"What about yourself? Which location or place did you enjoy mapping the most?" Caido's regions, the Wilds especially, were complex and unique. Each presented its own challenges and Sah could imagine some were easier or more interesting to map

Sah

Sohalia raised her brows. A Void-infected ursur didn't sound appealing in the slightest; her own run-in with a normal ursur had been terrifying enough. And though she wasn't one to crave combat, she had to admit that the battle with a landshark sounded fascinating. She'd have been interested in observing that one, even if it would have been nerve-wracking to witness. "That sounds scary," Soh admitted with a small smile, selecting another piece of their shared appetizer and popping it into her mouth. But she supposed that it was Sah's profession, so he must be used to such things.

As for herself, she hummed in thought. "I think my favorite is the Oerwoud," she said. "I've mapped almost all of it, and it's got so much variety. It's also where I found my companion." Tarak wasn't one for crowded restaurants and had elected to wait outside, hunting mice in alleyways rather than follow his bonded into an impromptu game night.

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah sipped his drink before nodding, "It was. A few of the rafts were destroyed, and some of us ended up in serious danger. But we were successful in the end, and everyone got home safe." Injured and rattled, but safe.

The hybrid listened closely as Sohalia spoke, "I love the Oerwoud. I've received multiple hunting commissions that required me to go there. I can imagine it being a fun place to map." The forest always seemed to throw something new at the hunter and as a result, it was certainly never a boring trip.  

He perked up at the mention of a companion. "What's their name? I have two wolf companions named Lilly and Pad." The duo was just outside of the town, hunting and roughhousing while their bonded ran his errands, and grabbed a meal.

Sah

The longer they chatted, the more relaxed Soh got. If anyone ever wanted to abduct her again, all they would need to do would be to sit with her a while and make her lower her guard; if Sah had ill intent, he would have been well on his way to doing whatever it was he had planned. Fortunately for Soh, the hunter was a kindhearted soul without an agenda.

"His name's Tarak," she said proudly. "He's a griffin - I think he's a mix between some kind of parrot and an ocelot. Anyway, he preferred to go hunt mice or something instead of coming to dinner, but I'd be happy to introduce you sometime." As for Sah's companions, Soh offered a grin. "I love their names. I can't imagine having more than one companion; Tarak is handful enough! What's it like?"

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah smiled softly as he noticed Sohalia began relaxing. He'd noticed her initial wariness towards him, and it was a relief that he'd managed to prove to her that he wasn't a threat. Especially since she seemed so young, maybe even Soleil's age. It hinted that something terrible had happened to her and the realization made the hybrid's heart hurt.

A griffin. So, Sohalia was an Attuned. How fitting. "Tarak, huh? I'd love to meet him sometime." He'd only met a handful of griffin companions before, and their variety of shape and form always blew his mind.

Sah was all too happy to talk about his companions. "Thank you. They're a fun pair. I know Lilly would love to meet you. She's practically made it her life mission to befriend everyone. Pad's far more antisocial." He chuckled, "It can be rather hectic, but wolves are always happier in packs. Lilly and Pad get along like siblings, and each brings a different kind of joy to my life." While Lilly was warm and energetic, bringing light and laughter. Pad was quiet and grumpy, but reliable and protective. He loved them both dearly.

Sah

Tarak, having sensed that he was being discussed, had managed to sneak his way through the restaurant and currently sat beneath the table, his tail twitching as he waited to be noticed. Sohalia snorted as she realized where he was. He was a vain little creature, that much was certain. "You're in luck," she told Sah drily. "He heard us talking and couldn't help but come to show off." With that, Tarak leapt into a free chair, regarding Sah with shrewd gold eyes. He was a mixture of sapphire blue feathers and brownish-black fur, with just a hint of bright yellow around his beak. Pretty, but in a strange way - one wouldn't necessarily have expected this particular combination to be so fitting.

As Sah discussed his companions, Soh found herself listening keenly, her head propped on one hand as she considered what it must be like to have not one, but two companions. That they each had their own personalities made perfect sense, and Soh was sure that it was an adventure having to juggle them. "They sound lovely," she said warmly. "Tarak sounds like a mixture of the two. He's not particularly social until he gets to know someone. Then I think he likes them better than me."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah watched curiously as Tarak joined them. The bright blue against the more subdued colorings of a feline was jarring but captivating. The light above the table made the griffin's markings almost ripple.

He kept one eye on Tarak as Sohalia described him, lips curled into a soft grin."Thank you. They certainly keep me on my toes." The third that would join them soon would bring his own blend of chaos and sweetness to the group.

The Wild Thunder tilted his hand so that it was palm up in case Tarak wanted to sniff. He didn't reach out, however, not wanting to alarm or offend the companion. "Aren't you a gorgeous one? It's nice to meet you. I'm Sah."

Sah

Tarak, vain and aloof, did at least offer the courtesy of inspecting Sah's outstretched hand before clicking his beak in a manner that might have been approving. The little griffin turned on the chair, offering his back for scratches. If Sah complied, he would arch into the touch, not unlike a happy house cat in the ways he received affection.

With Tarak having joined them and the meal drawing to a close, the pair chatted a bit longer before parting ways. It was nice to meet someone new, and Sohalia was pleased to find that she thought she might have a new friend. Despite her initial reservations, Sah seemed like a genuinely nice man, and she didn't have so many friends that she could afford to turn down a new one - especially with all that was soon to come for the Luminary.

fin

Sohalia