Active (1X1 Tea Party) [The Republic - The Winter Cottage in the foothills] - After the Tempests

[Irihi]

Conditions: Autumn in the foothills; an early winter storm has struck and buried the world in a blanket of white. The initial windstorm has diminished but it is still snowing.

Expected Duration: A couple of in-rp days. Maybe an IRL week or three.

Posting Rate: Likely daily with occasional pauses.

Goals: Cahron and Lauren get to know one another.

Lauren Lin
Lauren was cuddled up to Cahron underneath the comfort of her blankets, her back against his chest while his warm embrace soothed her. Her body was a little sore from the time they had shared together, with one of her hands entwined with his while the other rested on her stomach. As she rested her head on the pillows of her bed, she pondered on where their relationship would develop from there-on. Would they simply be friends with the occasional fling? Would they officially start dating? Was marriage--potentially even children--in the cards of their future?

While she wasn't sure herself how things would play out, she hoped that he would continue to be in her life. And an even bigger question came to her mind: When would she see him again? She recalled his confession about how he frequently traveled due to storms following his every move, and thus she had her doubts that he would come to visit her often. Still, she worried about whether or not their lives were compatible or not, and just the thought of his departure made her anxious.

"Hey, Cahron?" Lauren softly spoke up, checking to see if he was still awake. "I was wondering... what kind of life you were aiming to lead?”

Cahron Aether

​

Cahron lay on his side with Lauren’s back nestled against him. He had been dozing with hand draped over Lauren's side and clasped with hers. He stirred slightly at her words, waking to find that it had not all been some fantastic dream. This night had truly been one to remember, leaving him tired and spent, but feeling a little proud, with all his--and, he hoped, her--desires sated.

”Hm…?” He made a noise that was muzzy with sleep. It was an important question Lauren was posing. ”One with you.” He said, impulsively. It was not an unserious answer, but it was an incomplete one. Cahron came fully awake and aware, considering her words, and his thought on them, more carefully.

Lauren was beautiful, inside and out. He knew only a fraction of her past, her history, and her trials, but Cahron thought he was good at reading people, and Lauren was a book he couldn’t put down. The person he’d seen struggling with her own loneliness and fear, yet still immediately anxious to lend a hand to others in need; that was a personality magnetic to Cahron. There was much more to learn and love about Lauren Lin, and Cahron felt it was a worthy lifetime pursuit.

Then there’s dat a--- He grinned to himself and gave the woman in his arms a squeeze. Lauren’s body was as much a playground wonderland as her mind, and Cahron had thoroughly enjoyed using his own taunt and toned flesh to put hers through her paces. Cahron was not sure why, but every one of Lauren’s scars, every bit of machinery melded to skin and bone, was artwork in his eyes.

Cahron held no small measure of trepidation; he’d never felt this way about anyone before. Certainly he’d written lovelorn ballads, and a few of them were even decent. He hadn’t realized, until today, that he had been writing them--playing them--for Lauren. But saying so was coming on very strong. Cahron wasn’t sure he was brave enough to say what he was really feeling.

But she had been brave, he thought to himself. Lauren had not hesitated to confess her own feelings. Is she thinking the same thoughts? He wondered. Well, if Lauren could be brave, then she deserved a lover who could be as well. ”I said I loved you, and I meant it,” Cahron said. ”So the kind of life I want is one where you come with me, or I go with you.”

Feeling playful, Cahron tried to roll Lauren to face him. It took some doing, but he clambered atop her, locking her shoulders and hips then using his own bodyweight to roll her over, hoping to elicit a giggle from her. Cahron wasn’t as accomplished a wrestler as his sister, but he knew the basics enough to get them both thoroughly tangled in her sheets, until they were wrapped up and nose-to-nose. ”I’ve got you now, my girl.” He purred and pecked her on the cheek.

”I’m not going to trap you,” he said, even though he had done just that. ”I don’t have to be in your bed every night, or have you in my room every morning--come to my every show, hear me make my every song a song for you--but, I’m not going to lie; I want that.” He looked away from Lauren for a moment as he continued speaking. ”I mean, you’re isekai--you’ve seen worlds I can’t imagine, you know things I’m not sure I could ever comprehend.” Cahron’s voice grew a little wistful, and a little uncertain. These things were true. He was just a traveling bard in a medieval society. Lauren’s prosthesis-- crude machinery of a low-tech world to her--was incomprehensible “magic” to him. When she talked about the technological marvels she had had a hand in creating, Cahron sometimes felt insignificant and ignorant.

The Aerial’s gaze returned to Lauren’s. “But I’ll try, if it means I get to be with you.” There were a whole lot of thoughts, fears, worries all wrapped up in their differences. Cahron didn’t really want to think anymore about them. He wanted to have fun. He wanted Lauren to have fun. “I’ll try, if it means I get to do this to you.” The grin that spread across Cahron’s features was as mischievous as what his hands were doing, as mischievous as what the rest of him did as he burrowed down into the sheets and blankets binding their bodies together.

Summary;
Cahron does pillow talk.
Followed by an attempt at doing some more naughty stuff with Lauren.

II-CinderRadcliff-II

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

Lauren smiled a little upon hearing Cahron reconfirm his love for her, feeling him try to turn her around to face him. She had adjusted herself as well to make things less awkward and uncomfortable, though it did mean that they were now ensnared in her bed--her chest pressed against his. Her face blushed a little at his words prior to receiving a kiss on her cheek, though his comment about how he wouldn't trap her seemed a little contradictory to their current predicament.
"You already have, you doofus." Lauren playfully teased, though she was quick to wrap her arms around him. Though... I don't mind. Lauren had though, though she had no opportunity to voice that particular thought as Cahron voiced his desires. Perhaps she hadn't realized just how much he thought of her, but hearing him speak about his desire to be in her life and for her to be in his... She felt genuinely glad that they had met. She had only visited Otenzel to try and gather information as to whether the Madman still lived or not, and he had only arrived to meet up with his sister Miiya. It felt as if fate had brought them together... But she knew better than to believe that their futures were set in stone, especially as she knew about the infinite multiverse from her previous life. At the mention of how he believed that he would struggle to comprehend the knowledge she grew up with in her previous life, the gears in her head started turning. She wanted him to know the true wonder of the world she had come from, though mere words would never truly convey the entirety of her previous life. And there were aspects of living in this world that still seemed strange to her as well, and concepts that she struggled to fully comprehend.

As Cahron mentioned how he wanted to try and make things between them work, she gave a slight nod of agreement - her eyes gazing into his. He had spoken up again moments later and tried to retreat under the covers to get frisky, though Lauren was quick to let him know that she had enough intimacy for now. Besides, her gaze indicated that they had something that needed to be discussed.
"Maybe a little bit later Cahron, I'm still feeling a little sore currently. Besides, I want to talk about something important." Lauren softly stated before giving him a brief kiss on the lips, gradually slipping out from under the covers and grabbing the towel she dried herself off with earlier to cover herself up. Grabbing her clothes from the side of the bed, she walked towards the door of her bedroom and looked back to him and gave him a slight smile. "I'm going to clean myself up a little bit, though once I'm done we can talk out in the kitchen."

Without another word Lauren walked out of the bedroom, heading straight for the bathroom to wash the sweat off of herself.

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether

​

Propping himself up on an elbow, Cahron watched Lauren walk out the door with a smile on his face. Then he fell back on the covers with wings splayed. ”Whew!” He hadn’t been completely sure that he was going to be able to follow up on the promise Lauren had begged off.

After a few moment, he rolled off the bed, hunted down enough clothing to be semi-decent, and padded out to the kitchen.

As he passed the bathroom and heard the sound of a shower running, Cahron took a moment to look around the cottage. The winds had quieted but the snow was still falling thickly. Dull gray stormlight was filtering in the windows. It could have been any of the daylight hours, but it felt like mid-morning to the Aerial.

Cahron, like most Aerials, had poor low-light vision, so he lit a lamp when he entered the kitchen. Figuring Lauren had done supper so he ought to handle breakfast, Cahron found the appropriate supplies and started preparing a simple meal.

The Aerial was used to travel, so finding that Lauren’s larder stocked perishables was a treat. Cahron fried up part of a side of bacon and a few sausages, but he waited--keeping the oil in the pan hot--until the smell of bacon brought a damp-haired Lauren out of the bathroom to investigate.

Opening the door to the cooler part of her storage, Cahron made his feathers louver with an audible rustling. He jumped back in feigned shock. ”--Lauren!! W-what… are… THOSE!?!” He cried, a stricken expression on his face as he pointed to a basket of eggs.

Cahron gave it a moment, maintaining his perfect stage expression of shock and dismay, observing Lauren’s reaction.

Then he laughed. ”Just kidding!” He chuckled. ”We don’t hatch from eggs.” He hoped that the elf wouldn’t take his bird-based joke the wrong way.

Because he had a LOT more of them.

Deftly cracking a pair of eggs with one hand, he fried them in the leftover bacon oil before stacking up a protein-filled pair plates and ferrying them over to the kitchen table. ”Sit! Eat!” He encouraged.

Settling in next to her, he grew a little more serious. Lauren seemed like she wanted to discuss impactful topics, and he wanted to segway into them for her. There were a few things on the Aerial’s mind. They probably weren’t the world-shaking topics Lauren had to talk about, but they were more serious than jokes about his avian nature. He started with an apology. ”I hope this isn’t overstepping.” He motioned to the meal. ”I mean, this is your house, and I’m sure making myself right at home.” His gaze met hers and a serious expression settled onto his handsome features. ”Lauren, really I want you to tell me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable--you can even tell me if you hate my dumb bird jokes--so long as you let me down easy,” smile overrode the seriousness for a moment, “can you do that for me?”

Summary;
Cahron makes breakfast.
As a joke, he pretends to be aghast that Lauren eats eggs.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

Lauren had walked into the bathroom and set her clothes on an empty shelf, hanging her towel just outside of the shower itself and stepping inside. She was glad that her cottage was built atop of a hot spring, as she really only needed to buy the parts she needed from Widersia and have the plumbing installed to be able to shower like in her previous life. Even better that she had readily available access to hot water. As she turned the handle and stepped under the water she felt her body start to relax, feeling the warmth of the water washing away the sweat from her body. Although the hot water helped to relieve some of the soreness in her body, the scars across her skin still ached as the water from the showerhead fell upon her skin--the pressure from the water spraying against her skin triggering the sensitive nerves near her scars. Still, the slight pain in her skin from showering was more than manageable. The fragrant smell of soap and hair wash filled the shower as she properly washed her hair, her hands careful to avoid tangling up her hair or letting her hair get caught between the points of her prosthetic hand. Her mind wandered into her imagination as she tried to envision her future with Cahron, though with so much still left to learn about him she found it difficult to guess where things may lead... Though her mind was more preoccupied with one potential future she had her doubts would ever come to pass. As she finished up in the shower she turned the handle of the shower off and grabbed her towel, patting herself down and drying her hair as much as she could before getting dressed for the morning.

Lauren cracked open the bathroom door to find that the low-light of early morning had crept into the cottage, her feet carrying her towards the kitchen where she could hear Cahron making breakfast. She paused before rounding the corner as she placed a hand on her abdomen, the feeling of hunger paired with anxiety and uncertainty. She had told him that she wanted to discuss something important, though the thought of food in her stomach temporarily pushed away her fears for the moment--rounding the corner and catching a whiff of the bacon and sausages he had sizzling on the stovetop. She immediately noticed his feigned expression of shock and horror upon seeing a basket of eggs among her supply of food, a little bit of a subtle smile forming on her lips at his attempt to get a reaction from her. Once he had dropped the act, had cracked open a couple of the eggs, and poured their contents into the pan to make fried eggs to eat; she walked over to him and hugged him from behind.
"I know you were joking." Lauren replied rather simply to him, her brief hug from behind ending as quickly as it had started as she walked over towards the table. As Cahron brought the food to the table she had just sat down, watching him adopt a more serious expression. Her smile gradually faded as well as she listened to his wonderous voice, speaking his mind and asking her to let him know if his actions or jokes crossed her boundaries. His concern about accidentally crossing an unestablished line helped ease her anxiety a little. "Feel free to use the kitchen as needed, I'm only uncomfortable with letting strangers help themselves to the food I have stocked. If you cross a line I'm uncomfortable with I'll be sure to let you know." Lauren reassured Cahron, though now she had to talk about where they want to be in life. "As for what we need to talk about... I feel that we need to talk about life goals, and whether or not we will be able to make things work or not. More specifically... About what will need to happen if Eins is still alive, and on where we stand on having children."

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether

​

Cahron was nodding along with Lauren’s words until she mentioned children. That topic caused Cahron to nearly choke on his eggs. Coughing a bit, he took a swig of water to help clear his throat. “Ha, you don’t mess around, huh.” He grinned at Lauren, his eyes watering from getting a bit of pepper up his nose.

“Well, first of all--as my sister would say--’frett that guy’.” Cahron opined on Eins. “I mean, I don’t know if you have any lingering attachment to him--and it’s fine, understandable, if you do.” Cahron said. “But I don’t, and--from what you said, I bet the feeling is mutual.”

For a moment, and just a moment, something about the Aerial’s devil-may-care attitude changed. He seemed to tighten with an unusual tension. Cahron was an easygoing will-o-the-wisp for most of life’s, trials, tribulations, and upheavals. The same was not true when it came to threats to his loved ones. The Aerial’s brow furrowed for a moment as he considered if he wanted to tell Lauren a part of his past that wasn’t quite as carefree as he made most of it seem. Not now. He decided. Cahron kinda wanted to get to her second topic, not obsess over Lilith’s former lovers. “I’d like to avoid him, and if we can’t do that, then get rid of him.” He said, trying not to mutter the words too darkly. “Can you use magical items? Maybe we could commission an item that would let me carry you.” His expression brightened. “It’s almost always better to fly off than bother fighting with miserable I'm uncultured. Plus I’d love the chance to take you flying; two birds one stone, amirite?” He said, and decided not to talk about just how--if flight didn’t work--they could make Eins go away. If Lauren wanted to return to the topic, Cahron had some ideas, but the Aerial was in a hurry to get to the fun topic.

“As for kids; well, wanna fuck around and find out?” He couldn’t help himself. He had to crack a joke, accompanied by a comically-delivered suggestive double-eyebrow raise.

“But seriously; that’s a hell of a topic for breakfast conversation, Lauren.” He grinned, indicating he was game for the challenge. Cahron found that he liked thinking about having children with Lauren. The idea of the woman sitting across the table from him bearing his children was putting a twinkle in his eye. Still, there was a LOT to unpack about that topic. They probably weren’t going to get much past scratching the surface. He had another urge to short-circuit the whole conversation and just say something like Let's do it. And that thought caused his feathers to louver involuntarily.

But no, he could see that another joke that wasn’t really a joke probably wouldn’t go over well with Lauren. She was a planner; probably that was how she invented all those fantastic machines she had told him a little about. She wanted to make serious plans. And, yeah, Cahron had to admit to himself I owe it to any future kids to take them seriously. “Well, I’m not supposed to.” Cahron broached the subject seriously. “Aerials’ aren’t supposed to do anything that would lead to a stunt-winged hybrid. I’m not sure that’s really how it works, but--if we were on Aerie, the Clan matrons would definitely forbid us.” He went on. “I’ve heard rumors, though, that it’s all-or-nothing. The genes for these,” he twitched his wings out to quarter-spread; all that he could safely span without knocking things over in the kitchen, “are Mendelian and dominant; if they get passed on, our kids have wings. If they don’t, they don’t.”

Cahron knew a decent amount about genetics, mainly because of the restrictions of the Clan matriarchs. His parents were outcasts by [mis]fortune. He was one by choice. As a full-blooded Aerial (who had not violated the tenets of Aka-Aar) he could rejoin the upstanding members of the Aether clan. His mother would forever be outcast due to her amputated wings. His father was an excommunicated heretic and was cursed to both exile outside the Weyrs and imprisonment on Aerie. But the Clan Mothers could go fuck themselves if they expected this child of those they persecuted to live under their thumbs.

“So I’m not really worried about that. To be honest, I’d not given it much thought, otherwise,” he said. “I never met anybody I’d want to bear my children,” Cahron liked thinking and saying those words, “until now.” He fixed his gaze on Lauren, and tried to move his thoughts away from the fun parts of making babies. “I have no idea if I’m parent material.” He shrugged. He didn’t want to say the same about Lauren; that was really her choice, her decision, not his. “What do you think?” He asked, meaning to determine her thoughts on kids in general--and kind of disbelieving they were having this conversation after so short a time together.

Yet Cahron was thinking seriously about it now; or at least starting to. He figured he couldn’t do much worse than his own father; who had been around for perhaps a year of his life, and none of Miiya’s. It wasn’t really the man’s fault, but that didn’t keep Cahron from blaming him for it. Those unhappy thoughts prompted him to say: “I wouldn’t want kids if I couldn’t be around
for them.”

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

Lauren watched Cahron nearly choke on his food after she had dropped what she wanted to talk about, a brief look of concern flashing in her eyes - though it just as quickly gave way to relief once Cahron had cleared his throat. As she started eating she listened to what his thoughts were on 'The Madman' Eins, and she couldn't agree more. While she knew from Lilan's memories that he was once a good person, she knew that the machine now filling his shoes was sadistic and evil to its core.
"Agreed, hence is why I refuse to call him by his name... From the memories Lilan had of him he was kind and caring, and I think that she'd sooner believe him dead than turned into the mechanical monster his body became. As for me... He had lost his humanity once he lobbed his own head off." Lauren coldly stated her thoughts on Eins, without an ounce of sympathy for him in her expression. Although she hadn't seen the moment where he had done so, gradually replacing his own head seemed too risky and uncertain for him to have performed. Besides, seeing as he replaced every other part of his body with machines, it made more sense to create a new head from scratch and program it--as it would have allowed him to later replace the parts meant to keep flesh and bone alive. She nodded her head at Cahron's question about potentially using a magic item, seeing as being able to fly away would be better than running away on foot. Though she also couldn't deny wanting to feel the experience of flying.

Lauren nearly choked herself at his joke, managing to swallow with the help of some water. With a couple of coughs she listened to his thoughts on children, having a few of her own thoughts about raising children. She had thought about it in her previous life - though as she was single and dedicated to her career at the time, she never gave it much thought. But now she was sitting next to someone she had intimacy with, with unfamiliar feelings and desires lingering in her head and heart. She listened to his concerns--about the Aerial's customs, about the potential genetic issues, about his own parenting ability--and took hold of his hand, taking pause from eating to look him in the eye.
"I had never really considered it myself before now, -" Lauren started with an honest answer to his question. "-though I hadn't really needed to think about it until now. I was single in my previous life, and as I was focused on my career back then I had no time for romance. I hadn't seriously considered romance in this life either prior to meeting you. Though now..." Lauren paused as she flipped his hand over, looking down at his hands as she massaged his palm with her thumbs. The thought of bearing his children made her feel a little uncertain, as she wasn't sure if he was the one for her. Maybe she could try jumping into this without thinking, and maybe it would work out... But she didn't want to raise any child she chose to bear in poverty. And while she made ends meet for now, she couldn't guarantee she'd be able to once children were thrown into the mix. "Now, I believe that I would like to start a family. Obviously not right away. I want to make sure that we mesh well together, that one of us has a steady income, and that I've met the rest of your family. I'll also need to make sure that he is dead and buried. Regardless, I would like to start a family at some point, though whether or not it'll come with complications I'm not sure of." Lauren finished as she resumed eating what was on her plate, leaning over towards Cahron and resting her head on his shoulder.

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether

​

Cahron watched Lauren as he listened to her words. He was glad she really did not seem to carry a torch for Lilan’s ex. He did not understand, and couldn’t even guess, what it was like to live in someone else’s head. From what Lauren had told him, he knew she had many of Lilan’s memories and feelings. Maybe they would talk more about it in the future.

As Cahron listened to Lauren give a clinical analysis of just why she hadn’t--and when and how she now would consider--having children, he couldn’t help the grin that overspread his features. This woman is a planner. He thought to himself, not for the first time. It was unbearably cute--the way her pale eyes became unfocused, as if she was visualizing the future, or perhaps building a spreadsheet or checklist in her mind. Cahron was catching most of her words, all of her ideas, and he agreed with them--but he was really more captivated by the way her lips moved, the play of expressions across her pale brow and cheeks. He really wanted to lean across the table and kiss her; just right in the middle of her planning.

Be a disruptor.

But he didn’t because he didn’t want a swat, and he did want Lauren to know that he took her seriously. As much as his impulses were telling him to just go for it, if they were going to make any progress toward figuring out a life together--he was going to have to meet her in the middle and rein in his impulses.

Sometimes.

Like, later. Because when Lauren finished detailing her blueprints for a future, Cahron did act on impulse, lean across the table, and kiss her. “Yeah,” he said. Then he took her hands in his, and urged her to come away from the table with him. “Come with me.” He said, and took her by the hand, disregarding any protests she might make.

“I’ve been waiting for this, and I don’t want to wait any longer,” Cahron said. He wasn’t taking her back to the bedroom. Instead, he led her into the living room, and sat her down on the sofa, grabbing his lute as he passed the pile of his travel gear, still drying near the doorway.

Outside, the snow was still falling steadily from a morning storm-gray sky as Cahron arranged them comfortably on the couch, lounging in their bedclothes--well Cahron at least--with her legs draped over his, and his wings trailing over the back of the couch, as he tuned, strummed, and then played and sang her a soft ballad. The man had a voice to match his angelic appearance, and even seated and singing quietly in the lower registers his pitch was perfect and his music transportive. If Lauren was not enchanted, it was not for lack of trying or skill on Cahron’s part.

As he finished the love song, Cahron set the lute aside and whispered the last stanza to Lauren, acapella, leaning over, putting his arm over her shoulders and resting his cheek against hers.

So it was that the pair talked on that snowy morning. Cahron had more songs in his heart for Lauren, but between them he lounged with her and told her more of his life as a bard. Sometimes the stories were entertaining, sometimes a little melancholy, but all were meant to really open his life up to her. If Cahron were like Lauren, he would have thought of it as laying the foundation, groundwork, or perhaps taking a site survey so his elven lover could know what she had to work with. For the Aerial, it was just intimacy; telling her the details he didn’t share with anyone else.

Not all the details, of course. Not just yet, but the important ones. When he talked about hungry months on the road Cahron did not tell Lauren about starving because of remitting his earnings to his mother and sister. When he told her how he had fled his mother’s monomaniacal focus on education he didn’t speak of the crushing guilt that had dogged his heels at having abandoned his parent and (then five-year-old) little sister to selfishly chase his dreams. Those were conversations for a later time.

Cahron tried to paint an honest picture of himself for Lauren--at least how he saw himself and how he wanted her to know him--even if he wasn’t yet ready to delve fully into the darker and brighter parts of his past.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

As Cahron leaned across the table and kissed her on the lips Lauren was a little bewildered, her surprised expression quickly fading as she briefly locked lips with him. As he got up from the table and took hold of her hand she had barely gotten out of the chair herself as he pulled her with him, having half a thought of drilling her prosthetic fingers into his skull. But she didn't act on her impulse. Even if she should've done so, she was curious as to what Cahron was planning to do. The thought of what she believed he wanted to do made her blush, and a small part of her wanted a second go. It was only after seeing him grab his lute and sat on the living room couch that she grasped what he wanted to do, sitting on the cough and turning to lean against him as she rested her legs atop of his. As Cahron performed before her she gazed out the living room windows to watch the snowfall outside, the storm seeming to gradually ease up. She wasn't looking forward to having Cahron leave, though at least for the time being he didn't seem to be in any rush. Between his music and the improving visibility of the hillside just outside of the window she was feeling rather cozy now, and as he finished playing the first song and leaned in to whisper the last few lyrics into her ear she felt her heart nearly skip a beat.

Lauren listened to both his songs and his stories of his life as a bard with vivid interest, and shared stories of her own from her brief time in this world. She talked in detail about how Eins had chased after her once she awoke in Lilan's body, having ran with little time to rest for three days before running into adventurers - leading them to be kidnapped alongside her once he had caught up. She recounted how she woke up in the depths of the ruins Lilan and Eins had called home, regaled how the adventurers that were kidnapped with her had helped coordinate their escape, and recalled the moment other adventurers had found their way into the ruins and fought against both the Madman and the various monsters under his control. Of the brief moment of respite she had shared with the others outside of the ruins, the sight of hundreds of monstrosities emerging from the crumbling ruins and pursuing them, of their inadvertent separation from someone she had grown close with - the thought of which had put her in a downcast mood. Ever since then she hadn't heard from Solaris, and she was convinced that they had died to the monsters Eins had created. She talked about the carriage she and those that remained of their group rode away from the hoard pursuing them, and how she hadn't heard from any of them since. Of the odd jobs she had worked to earn enough coin to get new clothes, and of the time in Shadowfen - and how one particular inn served a peculiar food. She spoke about the dungeon exploration she and a few others had joined, and of the different traps and threats that had awaited them. There was so much about the dungeon and those with her she had wanted to talk about, though she kept that part of her current life cut down to their encounter with a den of Owlbears and the bizarre library - the latter of which she only touched on briefly. Lauren ended her tale of the current life she was leading with her trip to Otenzel, knowing that Cahron knew how things played out from there.

As Lauren lifted her legs off of his she stood up, grabbing his hand and gesturing for him to leave the lute behind.
"I had been thinking about it, and I've been wanting to show you something." Lauren said with a hint of excitement in her voice, pulling him off the couch and leading him into the basement. As they both descended the stairs the light from outside shone brightly enough to dimly illuminate the basement, as the sight of various tools and metal parts were scattered across the workbench. There was an incomplete bit of mechanical engineering that she had been working on, the various pieces of metal coming together to form what looked to be part of a car engine. "This is my personal workshop, where I like to tinker around with machines. I've been working on recreating some of the technology we had available in my previous life, with my current project being to recreate the cars I remember driving. That said... actually getting the materials needed and building a car from scratch is easier said than done, hence is why I've only gotten part of the engine put together currently."

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether
​

It wasn’t easy to listen to the hardships Lauren had suffered since dying in her last life and becoming Isekai in this world, but he did anyway, trying to understand the workings of The Madman that was after Lauren. Maybe there was something in her experiences that would help them avoid him in the future.

Cahron was intrigued when Lauren said she wanted to show him something. The basement of her cottage was behind a door, and opened to a whole new world that he had no idea existed. The expansive space was awash in all manner of mechanical arcana that was incomprehensible to the Aerial. “Wow! You built all this?” He marveled as she showed him the partially-built engine, along with numerous other creations.

The closest Cahron had come to witnessing anything like Lauren’s tech was his aunt Sahar’s prosthetic wingtips. Those were gnome-crafted mixes of magic and clockworks; light and powerful enough to restore her flight after her pinioning. Though she was family, his aunt was known as the Dread Pirate Blackwing for a reason, and even Cahron had never dared to ask for a closer look at her mechanical wings, even though he spent a year on her brig.

As he examined some of Lauren’s creations, Cahron related a little of her story. “These are like the masterworks of the gnomes!” He exclaimed. “I can’t believe you made these!” He likened Lauren’s skill to that of the master craftsmen of the hidden city of Sharnn.

Even though Cahron initially found the mechanical devices incomprehensible, Lauren’s explanations made them comprehensible. Cahron did not have the experience or practice in understanding or visualizing hydraulics, mechanics, and kinematics, but he liked listening to Lauren share hers. He made a conscious effort not to let her physical presence distract him too much as she explained, demonstrated, and then tinkered with her machinery.

Tinkering with machinery was different, but not totally alien to Cahron. When writing songs the Aerial was used to hours flying by while he focused on a constructive goal. There were many more moving parts to Lauren’s work than his. When a new piece of metal, a fitting, or a gear was needed, they would move from workbench to drill press, lathe, or metal mill to shape and mould the material in ways hand tools could not. Working on machinery was less repetitious than working on music, and all the more engrossing for it.

Of course, with Lauren present, Cahron could only stay engrossed for so long. As the morning slipped past noon and on into afternoon, the Aerial became less focused on the machinery and more focused on the machiner.

Finally, when Lauren was milling out the last channel in a cam, she would feel a light brush on her shoulder. If she looked over, she’d notice rapidly-retreating pinfeathers as Cahron refolded his wing with a sheepish grin.

Or was it a wolfish grin? Lauren might or might not have noticed, but Cahron had been sneaking increasingly-bold glances at her over the past hour or so, especially when she did something like leaning over workbenches with her clothing falling or stretching just so .

The aerial, for his own part, had been trying to catch Lauren’s notice. Their impromptu work session hadn’t suffered for it--he was mostly an unskilled gofur anyway--but he was gofuring awfully close to her, or doing a little preening and strutting when he thought he might catch her eye on the way to retrieve a certain size and thread of nut or bolt.

Summary;
Cahron listens to Lauren’s history.
The two of them explore her workshop and then engage in a several-hours-long tinkering session.
Cahron learns that he enjoys working on machinery, but not nearly as much as he likes thinking about working on the machinist.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

Lauren took great pride in her engineering knowledge and her skills with machining different parts, and as such she tried to explain how the engine she had been working on was supposed to work. The engine was a very commonly component in the vehicles Automatilis manufactured called a rotary engine, the central shaft of the engine having a cylinder with four hydraulic adjusted panels dividing the engine chamber into four sections. The idea behind the engine was that--aside from an initial push to start up the rotary engine--the fuel injected into the engine would keep the central shaft perpetually spinning, with the four sections of the engine constantly switching roles based on what position they were in the engine. The bottom right section took in fresh air, the bottom left compressed the air and added fuel, the top left ignited the fuel to power the vehicle it was attached to, and the top right vented the emissions - each chamber going through the same four steps in order repeatedly. The mechanics behind it were still fairly understandable as it more or less acted like a water wheel with extra steps, though she had to stop herself from starting to ramble about the typical usage of the engine and the lengthy history of innovation that had lead up to it. She showed Cahron some of the other machines she had created; A grain mill with various gears and a handle, a sewing machine, a couple hand guns with empty clips - though the largest of her machines resided near the door of the basement leading back outside. It consisted of a couple segments of wound copper wire and a large gear with multiple magnets attached to it, with wires connecting the segments of copper together in a sequence. It was an electromagnetic generator, though it was still a work in process due to magnets being hard to find and copper being expensive.

After quite a few hours of showing Cahron the machines she worked with and explained how they worked, she proceeded to make some more progress on the rotary engine. She swiftly got to work as she grabbed some metal she had smelted down at the blacksmiths, the tools she had available coming to life as she used her [Fast E] [Motorized Rollerblade Heels] to rapidly spin a shaft connected to the machine she needed to use. Making electrical motors required materials too expensive to buy, so for the time being she relied on one of the many features Eins had installed into her limbs to act as a substitute. As she worked more of the rotary engine was put together piece by piece, though the cylinder that was supposed to connect to the central shaft had to be saved for a later date due to lacking tools advanced enough to make the hydraulic systems required. She was too focused on machining the parts she needed to really take notice of Cahron's shenanigans up until he started being more blatant about it, trying to pay it no mind as she continued working. Unfortunately for her, the pinfeathers Cahron had used to brush against her shoulder make her flinch to avoid the ticklish sensation, the sudden movement making her prosthetic hand move enough as to get caught in the tools path.

She could almost feel time pause as it took her a moment to process what had happened. She quickly backed away only to find a large gash had been cut into her prosthetic hand, though it seemed as if she hadn't lost any functionality as she moved each of her fingers. The moment of relief that washed over her had just as quickly turned to seething anger, her head turning to look at Cahron as she gave him an unsettling expression - her head tilted eerily to the side as her cold gaze locked onto his eyes. The motors in her heels came to life as she slowly rolled towards him, pressing her hand against his chest and pushing him up against the basement wall. Hard. If her gaze didn't make it clear that she was pissed, the cold and lifeless anger in her voice would.
"Never pull that stupid stunt again." Lauren bluntly stated as she held her prosthetic hand to his face, running the metal of her hand along his cheek as the sharp edge of the freshly cut metal left a paper thin cut on his cheek. Lauren averted her gaze from his before quietly walking up the basement stairs, practically slamming the door shut behind her before looking at the metal gouged out from her prosthetic.

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether
​

She’s cute when she’s angry too. Cahron thought, irreverently, as Lauren stormed off, slamming the basement door behind her. He ran a finger along the cut on his cheek, absently tasting the iron tang of blood as he thought about what had just transpired.

“Guess she doesn’t like horseplay in her workshop.” He observed to himself, then wandered over to the mill where they had been working. He couldn’t power the machinery without Lauren, so finishing the component was going to have to wait until Lauren cooled off.

Cahron felt bad about damaging Lauren’s priceless prosthetic. At the same time, he couldn’t help the tiny twinge of satisfaction he felt; that was an indelible mark on The Madman’s machinery. His mark. If there ever came a chance to rub his nose in it--considering the horrific shit Eins had put Lauren through--Cahron would jump at it, no matter the risk.

He had been very relieved the damage was just cosmetic, but he still figured it was going to be a long road to earning Lauren’s forgiveness. He had some ideas about that, but decided it was better to give her space for now. He thought about heading upstairs with a metal file, but decided against it. The cut on his cheek probably wasn’t deep enough to scar. Cahron wasn’t a masochist, but he didn’t hate the idea that maybe he could cut himself on the damage later, or maybe one of the other hidden--literal or figurative--edges of the woman.

Summary;
Cahron hides out downstairs gives Lauren some time to cool off.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

TRAVERSING SOMEWHERE

Lauren absentmindedly walked towards the couch to sit down, though her eyes looked at the lute Cahron had used earlier resting on the cushions. The intrusive thought of slamming it into the floor briefly crossed her mind as her anger lingered in her eyes, her mind clouded with the thought of how reckless Cahron had acted in the basement. And she couldn't deny that her anger wanted to see Cahron's expression upon finding his lute had been broken. However, she dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come, simply knowing that Cahron couldn't have predicted that she would have acted like that. It wasn't his fault she never mentioned herself being a bit ticklish. She grabbed the lute and gently set it off to the side of the couch, before laying down onto her couch and resting her head on one of the couch pillows. As Lauren took the time to cooldown she thought about all of the boundaries she'd have to set for Cahron down in her workshop, her thoughts expanding to a few other scenarios that might need to be clarified. Cahron not tickling her while she worked with her tools was sensible given what had just happened minutes prior, and could also be applied to while she was cooking in the kitchen. She had thought about both of them sleeping in separate rooms until further notice, though the thought gradually faded from her mind as she considered how it had felt having him beside her. As Lauren looked to her prosthetic hand she watched as her [Regeneration] kicked in, the metal that had been cut a little bit prior being filled back in. It took only a moment more to be fully restored to its previous state, and with it a sense of calm gradually drowned out her anger towards Cahron.

Once her anger had finally calmed down she slid off of the couch and got back onto her feet, looking out the window to find that the weather had finally cleared up. As she wondered about what she should do she paced around the living room, various thoughts coming and going as she struggled to decide what she wanted to do. A fleeting thought came to mind that gave her pause, as the memory of she and her mother looking at the night sky through a telescope came to mind. Without a second though she made her way back down into the basement and walked past Cahron towards the furthest corner of the basement, looking around for a little bit before finding what she was looking for. The telescope she had recreated for watching the stars at night. As she lifted it the legs for it clumped together and made it easier to carry, giving Cahron a brief glance and gestured for him to come upstairs before wordlessly walking back up the creaking steps. Her swift steps carried her from the basement steps to the door to her bedroom, temporarily setting the telescope down before looking to Cahron.
"I'm planning on heading into town to buy some things for tonight, so I'll need a minute to change. If you want to come with, you might want to put some warmer clothes on too." Lauren suggested rather plainly, with how her eyes skillfully avoided looking into his making it clear there was still some tension between them. She closed the door without waiting for a response, locking it behind her as she proceeded to change into warmer clothing.

---

Irihi

IN ISEKAI HELL

 

[Irihi]

Cahron Aether ​

That didn’t take long. Cahron thought, as the basement door opened again, just as he was finishing cleaning up. “Hey, Lauren, I’m s--” He didn’t get through even the opening of an apology before she had brushed him off and headed upstairs.

Cahron was not surprised Lauren was still upset with him, and he was pleased she still wanted him to come with her into town. His travel gear had dried off after a night and a morning inside, so he found a fresh[ish] shirt and pants, then dumped the dishes from breakfast in the sink to be dealt with later. It seemed like there wouldn’t be time to do them now, and he had some beginnings of an idea about maybe the two of them working together in the kitchen later. If he could get back in her good graces, that was.

Cahron had his flight jacket on and was just snapping shut the last rivet when Lauren emerged. “Hey… I’m truly sorry, Lauren. I shouldn’t have been so careless downstairs.” He tried his apology again, this time standing in front of her and trying to take her hand.

Whether she allowed him to touch her or not, Cahron would notice that the damage had been repaired. That was a surprise and a relief, but also a bit of a disappointment. God, this Eins character can build self-healing metal? Cahron felt a flash of anger, maybe even a little jealousy, at the man he’d never met. Why the hell can’t he just leave her alone? He thought, before quashing that idea and instead paying attention to Lauren.

Cahron tried to catch Lauren’s gaze, to get close to her so he could show his sincerity. “You’re precious to me. I’m going to make sure that I always handle you with care.” Those words could have been loaded with suggestivity, but Cahron was careful not to. “It’s going to be cold after the storm, are you sure you’ll be warm enough?” The low cloud cover when he landed had prevented Cahron from properly surveying the area, and he had no idea how far it was to town. The Aerial was used to the mountains and knew how quickly the dry air would lose whatever daytime heat it had gathered, after the storm, as the day waned.

Summary;
Cahron apologizes to Lauren and prepares to join her on a trip to town.