[Day 13, EA] Like Teardrops in the Acid Rain

[Reo]

Any hopes that Reo might have had of chasing down the strange figure that had attacked the camp, the downpour of rain had put an effective damper on. The rain also meant that he couldn't properly work on anything by the fire, meaning that there was little to do. In spite of all that, he could feel a pull of a smile as he sees Ninube going by.

"Hey, want to get out of the rain?" He pushes the flap of the tent, motioning to her.

[Ninube]

"Sure, thanks." Ninube slides in and sits down. "What'cha been up to?"

[Reo]

"I've been testing some of the plants that we have found along the trip. In fact, I have one for your library." Reo scoots back on the bunk, making room for his clanmate. He pulls out a small jar, shaking it. "Odorless, colorless, and just sniffing it made my joints lock up. We...would keep this under the "restricted section""

He smiles at Ninube. "How about you?" Reo pulls out a skin of wine, offering it

[Ninube]

Ninube considers it. "That is interesting." She takes the wine. "Thank you. I found a piece of an old blade. It was strange. A different way of forging. Wu of the Dragon was there when I found it. He seemed pretty interested in. I've already given it to Reiko and let her know Wu is offering his help in learning about it's truth. I think we could do great things with it if we discovered how to make it ourselves." Ninube shrugs. "Even if we have to share it with another Clan."

[Reo]

Reo shrugs a little. "It's not ideal, but at a certain point, we would need to branch out a bit."

The archer leans back a bit. "I was going to investigate that strange thing in camp, try to see where it went but well..." He gestures to the downpour outside.

[Ninube]

"Talk to that blind woman, Haka. She knows about spirits and from my understanding, it was some sort of spirit. Just don't use her name, or tell her your own. She's.... well, you'll see."

[Reo]

"Huh, thanks." Reo takes the wineskin back and takes a glug.

"Do they have those spirit things where you're from? I can't say that I had ever heard of any close by, and death was never a stranger."

[Ninube]

Ninube shrugs. "I don't think so. I don't remember much of the village I was likely born in. I got ran out when I young, but old enough stealing got me more food than begging." Ninube shrugs. It was what it was. "That Haka lady, I think they have a gate to a different spirit realm and now one follows her hoping to devour her soul when she dies. That's why she doesn't like using names."

[Reo]

"That's rough." Reo nods, familiar with the perils of tribe life. "You grew up."

Yeah she did. Stoppit!!!

"Ok, that's weird. I'm a little glad I am not running strange shit like that. I see plenty in the natural." Reo shakes his head. "What do you do when you're not scouting? You mentioned thieving...you look quite nimble." Reo pauses. "Shit, that was the wrong thing to say. No judgement here. I would have tried, but I would have been crap at it. I can admire that skill."

[Ninube]

Ninube for her part noticed nothing. Such social cues were still a little beyond her. And wondered why it was the wrong thing to say. She was quite nimble. "Well, I was thief. Right up until I got caught stealing from the Spider. Reiko gave me the choice. Join or face my punishment. I decided to join. I stopped being a thief then."

Ninube thought about the question. "I dunno. I never really had time before to worry about things besides survival. I have been trying to learn things. I am realizing how much I don't know. So, I guess I have been exploring things. See what I find interesting, and what I don't. What about you? What do you do when you're not serving the Clan?"

[Reo]

"Heh, that sounds exactly like the Reiko I've seen out here. It's good to know it's not an act."

The next part made him pause. "Honestly, I've never really had extra time. Amara pretty much adopted me and surviving on our own at the edges of the village took most of our time. I never really had time for much else. I've... actually enjoyed studying the strange things out here. Other than Amara there's precious little worth going back for. No one wanted to interact with the old crone and the odd cripple: tolerated instead of liked and it got worse when the Crane took over. I think their aesthetics were offended at the idea of marrying into that situation."

[Ninube]

"Their loos. Our gain." Ninube giggled. Wait. What was that? She clears her throat. "Well, it sounds like we have that common. The studying. I traveled to much to particularly know or care about how the tribes changed as they joined the Clans." She considered something. "So, are you going to bring this Amara to Spider lands when we get back?"

[Reo]

"I guess this stuff is working." Reo takes another swig of wine and hands the skin back. "I'd offer her to join me, but she can be stubborn. She was the one to put up with raising a moody resentful kid and take zero guff. She was more of a mother than my actual one. I think she would fit in fine, but she might feel obligated to stay. I just... can't stay there. Not when I've seen so much else. People who are just..."

Reo pauses. "Never made me feel like I was less. Also" he chuckles "full of beautiful women."

[Ninube]

Ninube blushes again and waves the wine away. "I am good. Thank you." Awkward silence. "Well, maybe you can convince her to visit, or bring a Clanmate or two to with you just to show her how we're better place for her than the Crane."

[Reo]

"A visitor wouldn't be a bad idea. I ought to gather any belongings and tie up things before I leave rather than vanishing without her knowing if I'm dead or alive" Reo taps his chin in thought. "And sad as it is to say, I would likely need directions to Spider lands as I haven't been there."

Reo looks her over. "Would you join me?"

[Ninube]

Ninube blushed again. Why? She didn't understand. "Well, um. Yeah. I, we can probably go see her before heading to the Spider lands."

[Reo]

"Good. I'd be glad to have you." Reo pauses, brow furrowing. "Though she will likely tease me resentfully for bringing a woman home. She joked about me going off to find one, and I insisted that I wouldn't."

[Ninube]

"Um. Yeah." Ninube hoped she wasn't too red. "Well, apparently, she has good, what's it called? Foresight?"

[Reo]

"Well, she's be talking about a wife. Or a lover." Reo starts to sputter. "Not that I wouldn't be glad if you were, because you're clever and have vision, and I mean I think I let slip that you're really, really pretty."

Reo's mouth slams shut, and he realizes that the pair of them are blushing.

[Ninube]

Ninube is at a lost for words. Somehow, this is scarier than the thought of going into Jigoku itself. After an awkward moment has past. "Well, who knows what we might be by then?" She shrugs. Not sure if that was a good thing to say. Should she call him handsome? Was that the right thing to do? He was handsome. Can't some sort of demon attack now?