[Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5RY6ghJ.png[/img][hr][hr][b][colour=6f4a50]Event:[/colour][/b] Metropolis [b]|[/b] [b][colour=6f4a50]Location:[/colour][/b] Wánggǎng, ReTan[hr][hr][/center]

[b]Part 2[/b]

Maura quickly caught up to Kaureerah and gently touched her arm. [colour=C0C0C0]"If you don't mind, we would like to come with you to the waterfront. It's always safer to travel in pairs, and would feel much better if we were by your side,"[/colour] she said, smiling reassuringly.

As they began to proceed away from the others, Maura spoke up again. [colour=C0C0C0]"Also, this will give us a chance to talk privately about our plans and strategies without worrying about anyone overhearing us."[/colour] she added, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Maura paused for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing. [colour=C0C0C0]"Oh, and if there are any errands you need to run while we're out, I'm happy to help. We do speak some basic Rettanese, so we shouldn't have any trouble communicating,"[/colour] she offered, eager to be of assistance to her new companion.

Kaureerah had considered herself quite good in Avincian, unavoidable and rather thick Eeaiko accent aside, but Maura always made her second-guess. [color=DEB887]"Aur yoo... saum kend auf rooyel?"[/color] she inquired sheepishly after a moment. Most of this walk's purpose was to be able to speak candidly with Maura, so the 'fish-girl' figured that she'd might as well start out that way. She glanced about, though. [color=DEB887]"Or is there someone else with us?"[/color] Even as they drew some ways away from the inn, she was hesitant to say more until she had a better idea.

Maura's lips curved into a wide smile as Kaureerah asked about her status. [colour=C0C0C0]"Naturally, we are the Trade Princess of the Ensolin. As you are my friend, we will spare the formal introductions"[/colour] she replied, her tone playful. She couldn't resist teasing the Eeiako a little, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Maura then continued, her expression turning serious. [colour=C0C0C0]"No one looked to have followed us, but the Abdel will most likely check on me with magic to make sure things are okay. He does that now and then,"[/colour] she explained, her voice low. She glanced around cautiously, as if checking for any prying eyes or ears. [colour=C0C0C0]"It looks clear."[/colour]

[color=DEB887]"End aull he cen check ees where wee aur end ef wee're aukay?"[/color] Kaureerah sounded slightly anxious. [color=DEB887]"Eye doon't knoow mooch auf whaut tetheered aur cepeble auf, beyoond semplee heveeng launger renge, baut... Aubdel eesn't te oonly tetheered..."[/color]

Maura nodded enthusiastically as she explained Abdel's magical abilities, [colour=C0C0C0]"Yes, he's quite skilled with magic. He's helped us on many occasions with his abilities."[/colour] She chuckled softly as she recalled the meaning of the ear pinches, especially as he gives her three each time. [colour=C0C0C0]"The ear pinch is his way of checking in on us, it's a sort of code we have between us. We trust him."[/colour]

As Kaureerah brought up Yalen, Maura's expression became a bit more reserved. [colour=C0C0C0]"Yalen... he's a bit of an enigma to me. I don't quite know what to make of him. He can be dismissive toward me, most likely his fiancée's doing."[/colour] She paused for a moment before continuing, [colour=C0C0C0]"But I think you're right. As long as we don't go anywhere suspicious or reveal too much with it, we should be fine. And going to the docks seems harmless enough."[/colour]

Kaureerah nodded, seeming to take her peer's explanation at face value. [color=DEB887]"Eye sauppoose wee're sef,"[/color] she decided. They were headed towards the docks, but more the far edge of them, where the water wasn't quite so filthy. [color=DEB887]"Especieelly eef wee speek in Auvieenceean."[/color] She shrugged somewhat nervously. [color=DEB887]"Soo, whet ees et yoo waunted too speek weth mee ebaut?"[/color]

As they walked towards a quieter and more secluded area by the docks, Maura turned to Kaureerah and asked, [colour=C0C0C0]"I know we are both friends with Ayla, but I'm curious, why were you willing to trust me? Was it just because of our mutual friendship with her, or was there something more?"[/colour] She nervously tugged at her hair as she waited for Kaureerah's response. [colour=C0C0C0]"Or perhaps, did you want to become my friend too?"[/colour] she added with a hopeful smile.

Kaureerah blinked. She had never really considered friendship a formal arrangement. It was just something that happened. [color=DEB887]"Eye doon't traust yoo eny faurther then eye cen throo yoo,"[/color] she giggled, [color=DEB887]"Baut eye rautheer like yoo."[/color] She shrugged. [color=DEB887]"Yoo strike mee es smaurt, soo eye feegoored yoo hed en ideea een letteng heem goo."[/color] She twisted jauntily on the spot, smiling conspiratorially. [color=DEB887]"Ees te feesh goorl wraung aur ees shee right?"[/color]

Maura grinned at Kaureerah, pleased by the statement as she winked.  [colour=C0C0C0]"Well, thank you, Kaureerah. You can throw me very far. We'll take that as a compliment."[/colour] But then her expression turned serious.  [colour=C0C0C0]"However, we have a bigger problem on our hands. I can't shake this feeling of unease about everything that's happened to us since we arrived in ReTan. It feels like we're being used as pawns in some sort of political game. Wu Long's words keep ringing in my ears - the people of ReTan like a good demonstration. What if that's all we are to them? A way to show off their power and make a point?"[/colour]

She paused, waiting for Kaureerah to respond before continuing.  [colour=C0C0C0]"And that's not all. We don't even know if this Hui character that Mr. Bao works for is a real traveller agent. It could all be a false dilemma to throw us off the real trail of what is happening here. That's why we need answers. And importantly, you with me, Kaureerah. You've shown that you have a good heart, and we have the smarts. If we work together, we can make a real difference here."[/colour]

Maura's eyes gleamed with determination as she looked at Kaureerah.  [colour=C0C0C0]"What do you say, partner? Are you in?"[/colour] She held out her hand toward her.

[color=DEB887]"We aur a tool et best,"[/color] Kaureerah agreed, [color=DEB887]"End eye doo naut like eet."[/color] They were closer to the water now, more or less walking alongside it. Kaureerah nodded along as Maura spoke, trying not to interrupt her. She was [i]not[/i] losing her mind! She had been thinking much the same things. [color=DEB887]"Een my... faurmer line auf woork, I hev hed... deealins weth te Trauveeler."[/color] She shook her head, now. [color=DEB887]"Hee es extreeme, but naut eevel. Whaut heppened tooday shoowed noo cere faur theese peepool."[/color] She took in a breath of the dry terrestrial air and it struck her how much she missed the water and how much she hated the two-dimensional movement of the world of humans, hegelans, and yasoi. [color=DEB887]"Eet es au treeck aur e trep. Eye em soore auf et."[/color]

Truth be told, she did not fully trust Maura. Life had taught Kaureerah not to trust anybody, and this one seemed self-serving, but if their interests aligned, then... She reached out and shook the girl's hand. [color=DEB887]"Yoo saun oof e betch. Eye'm een."[/color]

Maura's smile grew wider as Kaureerah grasped her hand, and the two stood there for a moment, savouring the feeling of their newfound partnership. [colour=C0C0C0]"Yes, an Alliance between the Beach and the Sea,"[/colour] she repeated, feeling a sense of excitement and determination welling up within her.

As they talked, Maura kept an eye out for anyone who might be watching them, but the coast appeared to be clear. [colour=C0C0C0]"We sneaked out here last night to get a better look at the port situation,"[/colour] she said in a low voice. [colour=C0C0C0]"We noticed a spot over there that's fairly covered and hidden. We suggested to our friend that we should meet up there tomorrow evening."[/colour]

Her mind raced with possibilities as Kaureerah mentioned her experience with the Traveller. [colour=C0C0C0]"Do you know of any code words or pass phrases?"[/colour] Maura asked eagerly. [colour=C0C0C0]"We came up with one when we were challenged, but maybe there is an older code, and that might check out."[/colour]

As they approached the clearer water, Maura turned to Kaureerah with a playful grin. [colour=C0C0C0]"Fancy a swim together?"[/colour] she asked, unable to resist the temptation of inviting her new friend for a dip.

A warning prickle invaded the back of Kaureerah's mind. [color=DEB887]"Pess phreses?"[/color] she asked, [color=DEB887]"Eye waus herdly eenvoolved enaugh too bee geeven te keeys too te auperetion."[/color] She offered a weak chuckle and shook her head sadly, dodging further engagement with the idea. Maura had spoken very harshly and not particularly truthfully about the Traveler earlier. If Kaureerah was not precisely an ally of his, then she at least had mixed feelings. Maura... she would have to get a bit more of a read on, even if the girl's intentions were good. They found an area towards the end of the docks, in a sheltered lagoon. The water was not as clean as Kaureerah would have liked, but it would do. She dipped her toes in and it was [i]cold[/i], but not unbearably so. She took a few steps in and turned, sliding into a crouch as she did so. [color=DEB887]"Whaut doo yooo knoo ebaut te eeaiko?"[/color] she asked probingly, but friendly enough.

Maura's lips curled into a gentle smile as she addressed Kaureerah. [colour=C0C0C0]"Asking was worth a shot. It appears the phrase 'We are a traveller, and we travel where we are needed' will continue to live on in its infamy."[/colour]

Maura contemplated the question while beginning to remove her clothes, revealing her underclothes. As she thought about what she knew of the Eeaiko, a mischievous smile played on her lips. [colour=C0C0C0]"Well, according to popular lore, the Eeaiko are the gorgeous maidens of the sea with voices sweeter than honey. Sailors are said to be lured off their ships by their beauty, only to drown in the waters."[/colour] She couldn't help but smirk wider. [colour=C0C0C0]"As for Kaureerah, it's rumoured that she's the fairest of them all and has the biggest death toll."[/colour] She chuckled, clearly not taking the myth seriously, as she moved from her chair and splashed into the water before her, playfully enthralled.

[colour=C0C0C0]"But in all seriousness, we don't know much about the Eeaiko, despite being granted a Kelp Forest in Glaskum. We've heard that they are communal and often work together for their greater good, and that they communicate in a shared song. It does sound beautiful, doesn't it?"[/colour] She smiled at Kaureerah, hoping she answered somewhat correctly.

If Kaureerah smiled appreciatively at the first part of Maura's response and made some joke about being a shipwrecker, her face fell at the second. She dunked her head underwater, feeling so good, so [i]natural[/i], and just... thinking. These were old wounds she was going to reopen. [color=DEB887]"Eet es troo te saung of te eeaiko es beauteefaul, baut naut aul vooices aur welcem."[/color] she shook her head. [color=DEB887]"When wee beeld toogeter, wee sher aur ideeas, baut wee oonly sher soo faur. Eef peepool thenk yoo stoole en ideea, yoo are autcest."[/color] She smoothed her hair back in the cool night air, breathing in and out. [color=DEB887]"Naut joost yoo baut yoor entire femely, foor tree geeneritions. Yoo leev autside auf soociety. Yoo may naut veeset the hoomes auf yoor betters. Yoo mey naut cauvet or merry yoor betters. Yoo may naut sher yoor ideeas. Yoo mey naut seeng in te saungs."[/color]

She dipped below the surface again for a second, only her eyes and the top of her head peeking out, before emerging. [color=DEB887]"Eye ren fraum thet end eye cennaut reetoorn. Eye em autcest end my cheeldren weell bee faur te nex tree geeneretions. Te oonly waun too cere, too try too aupleeft aus waus te Trauveeler."[/color] She let out a long sigh, wishing that the memories could both dissipate with it and that she could keep them forever and only the moments of pain when she realized she would never see home again would disappear.  [color=DEB887]"Eye em naut hees egent,"[/color] she assured Maura, [color=DEB887]"Baut hee ees naut my enemy end eye well naut betreey heem aunless eye heve e very good reesoon too."[/color]

Maura paid close attention to Kaureerah's words, but she felt lost and out of her depth. The customs of Eeaiko culture were completely foreign to her, and she struggled to grasp the implications of half of the things being discussed. However, what she could understand was the hurt and sadness etched on Kaureerah's face. So she instinctively moved over to the girl, wrapped her arms around her, and hugged her tightly.

[colour=C0C0C0]"We may not understand these customs,"[/colour] she whispered softly, [colour=C0C0C0]"but we are here for you, and we care too. Whatever you're going through, we want to help you in any way we can."[/colour] She held Kaureerah tightly, hoping to offer comfort and support.

Kaureerah... blinked. She was not sure why Maura cared so much about her suddenly, but maybe it was just... sapient decency. She thought of all the little conversations she'd had with humans over the past few years as she'd traveled their lands and learn their language. She thought of some of the Johns she'd known, and those who had come back repeatedly. Some had just been there for a good fuck and there was nothing to do about it but... her job, such as it had been. Others had been looking for more. They'd told her all sorts of little stories from their lives: their triumphs, their fears and their woes. They'd wanted her to care: [i]someone[/i] to care, and a few had probably even loved her, or at least thought that they did.

Most people were self-concerned, but they were essentially [i]good[/i] at the end of the day, Kaureerah had concluded, or at least wanted to consider themselves such. That's why Maura was hugging her. She returned the embrace and it felt good: different than the random men, some good, some bad, and most as lonely as she tried to tell herself she wasn't. The Swirl had been a sisterhood to the point there money became involved. then, they'd tried to sabotage her. Then, they'd decided they wouldn't part with a big earner. They didn't really care. Kaureerah was as she had always been: the entertainment. Everybody loved what she created, or the pleasure she could bring them, but she was no more than the vessel for it.

The Eeaiko's arms wrapped around her, Maura felt a sense of warmth and happiness. She was grateful to have a new friend and excited to learn more about Kaureerah and her customs. She is also glad to find someone who she can continue to trust and confide in.

As the two girls had their moment, they suddenly heard some commotion nearby. A group of Rettannese strangers were walking by and instead of leaving the girls alone, continuing along their way, they went towards their clothing on the shore and started picking it up while the girls were still in the water. Maura's voice rang out towards the group, [colour=C0C0C0]"放下他们! - [i]Put them down![/i]"[/colour] she exclaimed firmly.

That was when there was noise. Some creeps were stealing their clothes. The eeaiko whirled and gathered magic, releasing Maura. She began to undo the buttons on their clothes, pull their shirts up over their heads, and toss one's hat aside in a Kinetic grip. [color=DEB887]"Two can play your game or you can leave us alone!"[/color] she suggested.

The men thrashed and struggled and dropped their clothes. [b]"腥婊子!"[/b] (fishy bitch!) one shouted. The other flailed about, kicking Maura's rollerchair in the process, right towards the water.

As Kaureerah warned the approaching group, Maura translated for her, [colour=C0C0C0]"你玩你的，我玩我的，或者就别来烦我们"[/colour] She found amusement in the retaliatory magic that caused the men to undress. When they replied with something about fish, Maura turned mischievous, offering her friend a sly smile. [colour=C0C0C0]"He called us fish."[/colour]

She used her gift as she wiggled her fingers to attract the attention of a nearby gulbi. [colour=C0C0C0]"你想吃鱼吗 - Hungry for fish, are you?"[/colour] Once the unsuspecting creature came close, she used her kinetic magic to splash. The gulbi shot out of the water and slapped the man across the face before bouncing back into the water to swim away.  [colour=C0C0C0]"There's your fish,"[/colour] she said with a giggle.

As the other kicked Maura's rollerchair, she drew from it with kinetic, and made a stopper to prevent it from rolling into the water.

Kaureerah leapt out of the water, then, in more or less a single bound. She picked some of the downed clothes from the ground with magic. The others... she pinched the men's hands so they'd reflexively let go. They took flight almost immediately. [b]"巫婆!!!"[/b] (witch!!!) they shrieked as they retreated, among a rich tapestry of other insults. [b]"监护人会听到这件事的！"[/b] (The guardians will hear about this!) Then, they were gone, and Kaureerah stuck out her tongue in their wake, twisting to regard Maura and giggling. [color=DEB887]"Eye guess they doo naut like feesh efter aull?"[/color] she questioned aloud, with a mischievous smirk. In truth, she had concerns about what they'd said. What if they went to the guardians and told their own version of the story? Could it [i]actually[/i] cause trouble, or were they all hot air?

After the creeps had fled, Maura couldn't help but giggle with Kaureerah, despite the potential trouble they could get in for their actions. [colour=C0C0C0]"Maybe they're not fans of Yusheng,"[/colour] she quipped, noticing the worry on her friend's face. [colour=C0C0C0]"But if you trust me, I have a cunning plan."[/colour] Maura's face lit up with radiant glee. [colour=C0C0C0]"Perhaps they're fans of... Turtles."[/colour]

Using her binding magic, Maura began constructing an oval-shaped shell with rudimentary markings, with Kaureerah lending a hand. Together, they completed a hollow shell with the words [colour=C0C0C0]"王八 [i]- Freshwater Turtle[/i]"[/colour] written on it. Maura then stuffed the creeps' clothing inside the shell, positioning it so that it appeared as though a turtle's long neck and head were poking out, with little feet along the sides. She set the shell upon the water, just off the shore. The 'turtle' now given life as it is bobbing on the water.

[colour=C0C0C0]"Let them explain that to the guardians,"[/colour] Maura said, pleased with their little act of mischief. Though now hinting to her friend for them now to get out of here quickly.

[colour=0072bc][b]FWEET! FWEET! FWEET![/b][/colour]

The whistle blew repeatedly, signalling the approach of a converging group of Blue Guard. They were being directed by the creeps, who were covered in makeshift sheets and robes to hide their immodesty. One of the angry individuals even claimed to have been hit by a fish.

Upon arriving at the scene, the group searched for clues but found nothing unusual until they noticed an object floating on the water. It turned out to be a basket with garments protruding from it, and shaped it like a turtle. Poles were used to bring the basket closer and upon closer inspection, the Hanzi [b]王八[/b] were visible, and one helpfully identified the clothes as theirs. The creeps tried to explain, but it was becoming clear what had happened.

When one of the Blue Guards asked if the creeps had approached two women in this isolated area of the docks. The creeps stumbled with their explanation, but the evidence spoke for itself: they tried to prey upon the women, who held them off, then had taken their undergarments and left them in the turtle basket as evidence of their crime.

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