[se] mama told me not to go

LIBBS

The brain is a fascinating thing. Can remember to take apart a six cylinder engine and put it back together? No problem! Can remember around 3,000 different car models and their years? Not a problem. Can conjure some magical math to make some toothpicks hold a bowling ball? Easymode.

Weaving a basket? Nope. It's game over. Time to commit sudoku.

That was Libb's day. While waiting for her 'sun-capturing' process to finish brewing, Libbs had been attempting another part of the festivities. That is making a basket, because what else are you going to hold the sun in? Besides, she eventually had to offer up all that tea to Safrin anyways, and she needed the basket for that. Tea was heavy, The problem was, Libbs was by no means a prodigal learner. And something about convincing grass to SIT NICELY IN THE LOOM was just an impossible task for the creature.

And nothing is more demoralizing then watching a small child perfect the craft in a few moments versus her entire afternoon only to make a replication of the Gordian knot? So, the defeated mechanic did what proper mechanics did. Find a bar nearby and get wrecked.

So, she sombered her sorry butt into the nearest bar, climbing onto the nearest barstool. She slapped down her misunderstood art, looking suspiciously like something you'd find in a high-priced abstract museum, and frowned. "Can I have something to drink please sir?" like the dejected puppy she was.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

People have been coming and going all day, and for the most part it’s been relatively easy. He’s kept to himself, kind of surveying the world around him, but when Haai notices the next person that arrives at the bar and slaps down a basket of sorts in an attempt of trying to put one together, well… The little trouble-maker can’t help but to drift from her nest up above where she reigns like a gargoyle, landing along the bar top before the girl with a thud, green eyes and dark fuzzy head lifting up with wings spread as she inspects the woman before sniffing at the basket.

Of course, the disrupt within the bond between him and the griffin is enough to capture his attention, and he rounds his way back from sliding chars back into their spaces, to return and investigate what has caused such a feeling. And of course, she’s getting into something she likely shouldn’t be. So once he gets there, he reaches for her with both hands, lifting the griffin and trapping her along one of his tattooed shoulders, before his steel gaze lowers to meet the girl at the bar and offers an apologetic smile in case Haai has ruined her work. “Sorry.” He offers, only just registering the question he’d heard floating in the air.

Squinting lightly by the way she’s spoken, he rumbles a deep chuckle. “What’re you looking for?” He asks, tilting his head, amusement clearly across his face. He doesn’t want to ask if she’s old enough to drink just yet, perhaps she’s come in for water?

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

Libbs rolled her head up from her arms, frowning a bit as she watched the magpie hybrid start fluffing at her, and investigating the creature. "Oh look, another pretty catbird." she mumbled thoughtfully, lost within her self-imposed misery. "Yeah, it looks tasty doesn't it? I bet it does. Looks like a bunch of leafy spagetti. Well, maybe I have a promising career as a chef. A chef for catbirds like you." She paused. "Arguably, you're really pretty! Are you.. part.. magpie? That's actu-"

Suddenly, with a large swoop, the barkeep captured the critter. Libbs blinked up at him from beneath her arm. "I dunno. Something to take the edge off the day. Maybe just an ale or a beer? .. maybe you have tequila?" she asked, contemplating precisely on what she wanted to drink. And you know, tequila was a good way to punish oneself..

She looked at the creation, and pushed it away with a menu that she had found sitting on the counter, giving it the most hateful scorn the lil' woman could make. She had not noticed yet his size, or even his presence really. She was more concerned about her own pathetic musings. That. And she forgot how often she was carded back in her old world.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

Haai practically preens at the attention the woman gives her, a slight huff of a howl leaving her maw briefly before Sunjata lifts her to his shoulder. In retaliation, the griffin digs her claws and talons into the skin over his chest, snapping at the earring in his ear before Sunjata mentally chastises her, focusing on the woman before him as though nothing was happening. Perhaps he just seemed fearless, but he couldn’t care less.

Her name did mean shark, after all.

At the request, he can’t help the accented rumble that leaves him of quiet laughter. “Ah I wish we had tequila.” He offers, a light glimmer of a smirk crossing his face as she tries to discard the scraps that Haai had taken interest in, as the griffin lurches forward to try and get at it again. “Go.” He tells the griffin audibly, lifting her then and setting her along the edge where bottles of wine and alcohol remain, somewhere near where she can climb back up to her perch.

“I’ve got ale.” He offers, reaching for a glass to fill. In comparison to some of the alcohol he had, ale would be mostly harmless if she indeed was as young as he thought she was. And once he was done filling it, he slides it over to her with a curious eye. “You doing alright?” An easy conversation, considering how she tried to disregard the pieces and looked somewhat defeated.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

"Ah, let her have it." she mumbled. "I'm probably just gonna scrap it anyways, maybe it'll make some nice tinder. Or I could tie a string to it. Make it a cat toy. It's already half way there anyways.." she muttered disdainfully at it, her gaze pointed and sharp as she looked at the creation through her messy, bangs. How the hell she passed kindergarten was beyond her. But on a positive side, she did remember she went to kindergarten. That was a plus.

She can't remember if she passed art class or not.

Her hand wrapped around the glass, and swung it to her face and just.. gulped a nice, tasty gulp. She licked her lips. The first gulp was always the BEST gulp. You try and fight her on it. She'll win. After a loud swallow, she placed the glass down, looking at the piece. "Nothing too bad. Just, you know, getting outclassed by five year olds on basic spatial understanding.." she muttered to herself moreso then him. After a moment, she turned to him, and suddenly felt very.. small.

Very small indeed. She took a small sip, hiccupping in nervousness. Because IN THAT MOMENT, her brain finally clicked, and realized that she did, indeed, look like a 12 year old. And that he could very well toss her out of this bar like a freshly made salad. Arguably. Very sexy! But that didn't change the being-turned-into-salad part.

"uh.. I got my ID.. somewhere.." she mumbled.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

He shakes his head to her, humming with a hint of laughter at the idea of it. “Ah, nah. She can suffer for it.” He says with another hint of amusement, a playful wink sent the woman’s way before he clears his throat and stands back a bit – as though he remembers he can’t quite get away with such playfulness anymore much to his disappointment. And he slides the glass towards her, stepping back to cross his arms along his chest, asking about her wellbeing.

And well, after she takes a deep drink of it, she tells him though it doesn’t quite make too much sense to him. And he can’t help the curve of his lips at that sort of thought process. “What were you trying to make?” A cock of his head, wondering where the… Mess,  if he’s being honest, was supposed to be heading toward. Something else, something put together and nice rather than the crumble spiral of material alongside the top of the bar.

But then she suddenly seems to be surprised, and his steel gaze flits from the material to hers when she tells him that she’s got her ID somewhere, his lips curving up fully in quiet laughter. They didn’t have things like ID’s in Korofi, but they did have cards of a sort to refer to ages and classes. A bit different, but a similar thing, and with it he shakes his head assuming she means something like that. “You’re good. Just don’t tell me you're fifteen and we’ll be fine. Deal?”

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

Libb's face flashed a bit pink, shooting a guilty look before looking down at the craft. How did he know?! No matter, didn't matter anyway. She was bad for the whole flirting. Or dating thing in general. So as long as she pretended like she didn't know what she did, she'd be fine. Right? He couldn't prove it. She was going to do the thing that Libbs was AMAZING at doing; ignoring it.

"It's supposed to be a basket." she admitted to him.

After a few awkward silence. "Come on. Laugh. Half of the kindergarten did. I apparently don't know how to tie knots. Let alone my own shoes guessing by that tragedy." she stated as she went for a second gulp, to drown the red growing on her face.

Though being accused of being fifteen? She spat the ale back into her glass, and started coughing profusely. "Fifteen!? FIFTEEN!? I am NOT fifteen!" she waved an angry finger at him. "I am TWENTY thank you very much. I was actually gonna have my birthday in a few months here.. well, I thought I was.. okay, I don't remember my birthday but still!" she smacked the table, trying to fight between breaths. Eventually, she did start slowing down her breathing, using the ale to quell the choking by a bit.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

At the mention of the basket, his head tilts curiously at it. Well, it wasn’t a bad start really. And he nods to her in response to it but says nothing – focusing on where she’d tried to make it, how she’d tried to weave it – how he hadn’t quite known how to go about it either. But he doesn’t tell her either way, nor does he laugh when she mentions that he could indeed laugh.

He doesn’t, but a smirk does curl around the corners of his lips. And he leans against the bar somewhat, arms propping him up as he looks down to her from his height. “Hey, there’s some things I’m very good at, and some things I’m not.” He hums with amusement toward her regardless. He doesn’t tell her what those things he’s good at are, but it’s probably for the better that way.

Though he doesn’t expect her to get so angry, and this does cause him to laugh – a deep raspy rumble of a chuckle that leaves him while she gives her tirade. And he leans along the bar to get a bit closer to her height, giving her a bright grin. “Alright, pipsqueak. I believe you.” He offers with a small shrug of his tattooed shoulders – but if it’s a fight she’s looking for, he knows for a fact she won’t win.

A part of him almost wants to prove it to her, and so he does – relinquishing his hold on the horns that spiral from his head as he partially shifts into his nyala form, that very same grin along his face and the amusement in his steel gaze as he looks to her as though nothings changed, clasping his hands together where the light from the window glints from his wedding ring.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

"I am not a pipsqueak!" she shook a fist.. as.. she.. squeaked. Her lips pushed into a very deep pout as she folded her arms, staring him down. "I may be small, but I am fierce!" she shouted. Not really. But, you know, she had to redeem some level of dignity. And real talk? She probably would cower the second things got serious. She felt that was obvious on some level. She remembered having to 'stand up' to the guys at the.. wait.. huh? She frowned a bit.. a sinking feeling, but putting that into a different place for now.

Instead, it turned back into a pout. That was until he.. grew.. horns, and turned.. into..

Yep. That was too much. Her eyes went wide. Her mouth swung right open. Absolutely stunned, one could literally see her hair stand on end. Midrock on the chair, she lost balance, swinging backwards and landing on the ground with a large THUMP! "WH.. WHAT THE HELL. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR-. HOW DID YOU DO THAT." she shouted from the ground, her pants covered in ale.

That was freaking IMPOSSIBLE. Wait. "DID YOU SLIP SOMETHING IN MY ALE!?! You're an asshole if you did." she screeched from the floor.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

Oh, she shakes her fist does she? He hums along with his laughter once more, shaking his head to her. “I can tell.” He gives her a knowing look, though perhaps it’s a bit chastising or amusing, but it’s not long before he leans against the bar and the horns appear with his amused grin toward her. And he… Well, he certainly doesn’t expect her to freak out quite that badly. He leans back to look at her as she lands.

“They’re nice, aren’t they?” He asks with a tilt of his head, the tips of the horns golden and adding a few more inches to the top of his height. But at the question of whether he’s added something to her drink, he shakes his head. “I did not.” Another knowing look. “But you’re new here, yeah? A griffin is somewhat normal to you, and yet a shifter isn’t?” He questions as he goes to lean against the bar once more, hoping that perhaps she rights herself eventually. "I'm Attuned. Means I have different animals I can become."

In the meantime though, he does manage to refill her glass, setting it a bit closer to his side of the bar and pouring it within in a way that she can clearly see what’s gone in it.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

"HEY." Libbs waved one finger at him defensively from the ground. Her angry pout waivered a bit, watching him pour the drink with a careful diligence. He.. didn't put anything in it. And.. he did make.. a.. really good point.

Big. Oof.

However, Libbs was not one to back down. At least not yet. Her willpower and ego had yet to take the beating yet, and she was beginning to taste the salt from being the butt of a joke. Oh! So she pushed her lips together, making a very awkward frown, and she stood up, staggering a bit, because the gods know she had the dexterity of a one legged zebra and coordination of a blind sloth. She pushed the stool back up, and hopped back on her 'throne', swinging her body around and letting her legs dangle.

"I was told there was gryphons here. I was NOT told there was shifters here! Jigano said NOTHING about that." she proclaimed. The silence hung for a second. Because realistically, it was completely, and totally possible that he may have, and she didn't remember. And since she couldn't confirm, she felt bad about lying about it. ".. okay, he may have told me and I may have forgotten because.. reasons. But that doesn't change the fact that I didn't know.. be it ignorance or stupidity is irrelevant!"

She then tapped the side of her forehead. Yeah. That's right. Can't make fun of her if she made fun of herself right?  So she happily took the mug, and sipped away at it, oddly proud of herself in that moment. At least for now. Self loathing and humilation will probably sink in about 5 hours from then, when she was going to bed. As it should.

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

The mention of Jigano has his lips curving into another sort of amused look, while he taps a finger along the surface of the bar. “Ah, Jigano.” He begins, a quiet hum of laughter leaving him as he shakes his head to that. But it fades as she goes onto a tirade that even he finds to be a smidge awkward, leaning back from the bar to clean out a glass and fill it with water for himself – doctors orders of not drinking, after all, regardless of how much he really wants to.

“You’re new. There’s a lot to learn.” He winks to her, passing it off. He’d known essentially nothing as he arrived. And if it hadn’t been for Phoebe telling him of it all, he’d likely be just as ignorant as she when she saw it. “I arrived from a world where none of this was possible, so I get it. But I asked a goddess to change me into one of the Attuned and she did.” Shoulders rise and fall in a shrug.

“Not so much ignorance as it is… There’s a lot to take in, huh?” A softer curve to his lips at that. A nicer one at that – that he doesn’t blame her and he too was in that very same situation, albeit a year ago now, but it was something.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

LIBBS

Libbs pulled the glass closer to her chest, rocking it on the edges as she kicked her feet idly. She pushed a hand into her messy locks, pushing her hair up from her eyes so she can look down into the golden ale, eyes somewhat lost in the traces of foam still left in the glass, following a bit of condensation trailing down the glass. She sat the glass back flat.

"I mean.. I suppose you're right. I think honestly, that's the truth. It is a lot to take in. And it's hard, because I don't remember a lot. I get glimpses sometimes, but I don't remember. And I.. I have nothing to go by, cause I can't compare it. I don't even know what I used to do. And in that, it's kinda hard to learn about what's going around you- when you don't even know what's going on in yourself. So it's kinda like getting sucker punched." She paused.

"I think that's probably why the stupid basket has me bent out of shape so much. It's just another thing I gotta learn. And I think for right now, I'm tired of learning. I just want my brain to pause." She took a good solid gulp of the ale, letting the flavor roll in her mouth for a moment. "But, that's what bars are for.. right?" Her face flashed into a silly, chipper little smile.

She paused, thoughtful. "How'd ya get a goddess to give you animal powers?"

one lil short quote goes here!

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

She begins to calm, and he pulls up a barstool to sit across from her on his side of the bar, steel gaze watching her face as she speaks – understanding glimmering within his gaze. “I remembered everything of my homeworld, so I can’t relate to you on that. But maybe now is a good time to try and see what you like now? Without influence?” A curious tilt of his horned head, arms folding along large forearms as he looks back to the attempt at a basket and she continues on.

“I’m not good at building baskets either, but we can try to make one here if you want? Learn together, chat, whatever.” A soft smile given her way – because it doesn’t matter either way to him, he could care less. And he’s supposed to be on bedrest anyway, so the break might be worth while in the end after all.

The question of how he got a goddess to give him the power, he smiles a bit brighter, a bit more devilishly at that. “I just went to a shrine and asked. Safrin showed and made me Attuned.”

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA