[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/250324/b71cf5ab5cebec9b4e857200f7c42a8b.png[/img]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/250324/dc185f5e06aa08f3af9fbb79b4040da5.png[/img]

[color=EBA536][b]Location:[/b][/color] [color=E579FF]Top Deck[/color]
[color=E579FF][b]Race:[/b][/color] [color=EBA536]Dark Elf[/color] & [color=E579FF]Human[/color]
[color=E579FF][b]Class:[/b][/color] [color=EBA536]Artificer[/color] & [color=E579FF]Rogue[/color]
[color=EBA536][b]Interactions:[/b][/color] [@Tae] Meiyu
[color=E579FF][b]Mentions:[/b][/color] 
[color=EBA536][b]Equipment:[/b][/color]
[hider]
[color=EBA536][b]Scratch[/b][/color]
Medical bag
Tinkerer's kit
Arcane spindlelock (shortened) musket
Spindlelock pistols x2
Hand axes x2
[color=E579FF][b]Val[/b][/color]
First-aid bag
Tinkerer's kit
Spindlelock pistols x2
Steel daggers x2[/hider][color=E579FF][b]Attire:[/b][/color]
[hider]
[color=EBA536][b]Scratch[/b][/color]
Dark brown, knee-length coat
Black waistbelt
Grey button-up shirt
Dark brown trousers
Heavy leather boots
[color=E579FF][b]Val[/b][/color]
Off-white shirt
Red ribbon tied around left arm
Brown hooded coat
Brown trousers
Leather boots
Goggles on her head[/hider][color=EBA536][b]Gold:[/b][/color] 70
[color=E579FF][b]Injuries:[/b][/color]
[hider]
[color=EBA536][b]Scratch[/b][/color]
NA
[color=E579FF][b]Val[/b][/color]
NA[/hider]
[/center]

[color=EBA536]“Meiyu Sadai Xian.”[/color] [color=EBA536][b]Scaerthrynne[/b][/color] repeated the woman’s name, slowly and loudly. The latter for Vallena’s benefit, the former for his own. Each syllable came off of his tongue with clinical, mechanical precision, as if he were analysing every minute sound in his mind before saying them aloud. [color=EBA536]“Nice name,”[/color] he remarked, taking another bite from his sandwich. He swallowed and continued with, [color=EBA536]“Very Yuan-ti. It’s got a good flow to it. Better than some names I’ve heard, at least.”[/color]

Meiyu’s remark about how people rarely asked for a name, and that those who did, regretted it, didn’t pass his ears unnoticed, but he decided not to delve further into the matter. Everyone had their own secrets and their own mysteries. Scaerthrynne didn’t need to go uncovering every single one. He couldn’t deny that his curiosity was piqued, however. This lady certainly was interesting.

He turned to Vallena. [color=EBA536]“There’s your answer,”[/color] he said to the girl. [color=EBA536]“Are you even going to use it?”[/color]

[color=E579FF]“Nope!”[/color] She didn’t even try to pretend otherwise, looking at him, then at Meiyu, with a satisfied smile wide on her face. [color=E579FF]“Riddles is Riddles, like how Scratch is Scratch.”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“Huh.”[/color] Scaerthrynne raised a brow, his expression more quizzical than annoyed. [color=EBA536]“What’re your reasons for asking me to ask her in the first place, then?”[/color] Before Vallena could reply, however, Meiyu spoke.

[color=7DBC89]“Eat up, little matchmaker. Life moves fast when you’re trying to orchestrate romance.”[/color]

A deep flush came over Vallena’s cheeks. The toes of her boots tapped against the counter as she kicked her legs, the fidgeting a sign of her nervousness at being found out. [color=E579FF]“W-What?”[/color] She squeaked and looked down at her plate. A skittish giggle bubbled from her lips and she scratched her neck. [color=E579FF]“I didn’t– I mean, I’m not orchestrating anything! I’m not even good at music! I was just curious, is all!”[/color] She hesitantly looked up at Meiyu, her smile now mostly-sheepish. [color=E579FF]“I-I like your name, by the way! It sounds really pretty! Like what Scratch said–”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“I didn’t say that,”[/color] Scratch interjected. [color=EBA536]“I said it sounds nice.”[/color]

Vallena went on as if he hadn’t said anything. [color=E579FF]“–And it’s really different! I mean, compared to other names I’ve heard before, at least. It’s…”[/color] Her brows scrunched as she tried to think of a word. [color=E579FF]“It’s…Exotic? That’s how that word is used, right?”[/color] She glanced at Scaerthrynne, and got a shrug in response. That was good enough for her, and she continued, [color=E579FF]“But I’ll still call you ‘Riddles’! N-Not that I don’t like your name, it’s just, um, not easy for me to remember. Like Scratch’s name. It’s really long, you know? And weird. So I call him Scratch!”[/color] 

She paused. And then added simply, [color=E579FF]“Names are hard.”[/color] 

Scaerthrynne chuckled and shook his head. Vallena had a nickname for just about everyone who passed through the Stormrider, with the exception of Gears. It seemed that, in exchange for possessing a head for medical and engineering knowledge, she gave up her memory for peoples’ names. Luckily, things worked out in her favour more often than not. So far, at least. 

Meiyu didn’t stay long at the bar, and left soon after Vallena finished speaking. [color=7DBC89]”If you find yourself in need of some potentially interesting conversation later, do feel free to seek me out.”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“If we meet again, I’ll do that,”[/color] Scaerthrynne called after her. He didn’t have a tankard or glass to raise, so he raised the last remaining bite of his sandwich before popping it into his mouth. There was little chance of their paths crossing, he had little doubts of that – the Stormrider was a large vessel. One could spend a week exploring her many hallways, service corridors, and holds non-stop, and only see a third of what she had to offer. 

But still, he found himself hoping that he would see her again. She was interesting. The way she spoke of the deadly art of poisoning, the way she carried herself – such as when she went from relaxed to ready for a fight in almost an instant – and the enigma surrounding her all told Scaerthrynne that she was someone who was very dangerous, whose line of work was likely shadier than most, and who had lived a storied life different from most. 

And thus, she was very, [i]very[/i] interesting.

Scaerthrynne kept his eye on her until her back disappeared into the crowd. Then, he glanced sideways at Vallena. [color=EBA536]“Matchmaking, huh?”[/color] He asked. The girl’s bashful look gave him the answer he needed. [color=EBA536]“Haven’t you learned anything from the last time you tried something like that?”[/color] 

[color=E579FF]“No? What happened?”[/color] Vallena looked at him, genuine puzzlement on her face. 

[color=EBA536]“I got punched in the knee by a halfling, Val.”[/color]

Realisation dawned on her face. [color=E579FF]“Oh! That was–”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“And before that, I had a very angry dragonborn coming after me.”[/color]

[color=E579FF]“Well, that was…It was just an experiment?”[/color] Vallena tried defending her indefensible position, augmenting her argument with a wide-eyed look of innocence. And it worked, Scaerthrynne had to admit. He huffed in a short, quiet laugh, and shook his head. 

[color=EBA536]“Well,”[/color] he said and turned around. [color=EBA536]“I’d take your failures as a sign to stop experimenting.”[/color]

[color=E579FF]“Aw, I was only trying to help, Scratch,”[/color] Vallena replied. 

[color=EBA536]“I know,”[/color] Scaerthrynne said, reaching over to ruffle her hair. She giggled and leaned into his palm. A smile, soft and slight, crept across his lips. Really, he didn’t know what was with her obsession with finding him a partner. It wasn’t as if he had the time or desire for one. Almost a half-millenium of life had given him his fill of that sort of companionship. It wasn’t as if any of them had ever ended favourably. 

[i]“I don’t understand you, Thrynne! Are you heartless, or just a Gods-damned cunt?”

“I’m sorry, Cutter. I’m sorry I ever asked this of you.”

“Goodbye, Scaer. I…I wish things could’ve gone differently.”[/i]

More unpleasant memories. Words only, this time, but still unpleasant. He willed them away with a shake of his head. [color=EBA536]“I promise you, Val, if that day ever comes when I decide that I want another person to worry about, you’ll be the first person I’ll turn to for help.”[/color] He gave the girl a mischievous grin. [color=EBA536]“But I don’t think that day’s coming anytime soon. Looking after you keeps me busy enough.”[/color]

[color=E579FF]“Hey!”[/color] Vallena protested, but laughed anyway. [color=E579FF]“Who’s looking after who? Where’d you be without me?”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“I don’t know,”[/color] Scaerthrynne replied. [color=EBA536]“Somewhere where I’m not getting punched by halflings, or hunted by dragonborn, or having to clean up after your messes, I imagine.”[/color] A soft chuckle left his lips. [color=EBA536]“You make me wonder, really. How’s it that in some things you’ve got a silver tongue, and in others, you have all of the subtlety of an un-aerodynamic brick?”[/color]

[color=E579FF]“I’m still learning! Just you watch, Scratch.”[/color] She huffed, then tilted her head at him. [color=E579FF]“Wait a minute…Aren’t all bricks not aerodynamic?”[/color]

[color=EBA536]“That, they are.”[/color] Scaerthrynne nodded to her plate. [color=EBA536]“You should eat up. Only a matter of time before we’re asked to go somewhere else. Probably on the ars– I mean, on the other side of the ship, with my luck.”[/color]