[GrayGriffin]

[The warnings in the topic may not show up, but are very likely to depending on how this goes. Also, as another note, all mentions of abuse will most likely be in the past only.]

It had been very difficult to find a proper outfit for Ajor to wear to Jawan. Mein, the newest addition to the household, insisted on having some special kind of fish that she claimed would be the best fertilizer for her plants. And she also insisted that it had to be as fresh as possible. Despite Huul pointing out that the time it took for them to bring the fish back would probably end up outweighing any advantage of getting it fresh, she had insisted strongly, and Ajor had been perfectly willing to capitulate. Neither her maid outfit nor her shirt-and-skirt combo were quite proper wear for the sea breeze, so she was now wearing one of Langlin's old outfits. The amulet around her neck now stood out quite distinctly, and Huul was worrying about what, exactly, would happen if someone brushed against it. Sure, Ajor looked perfectly human now, a lovely, curvy female with long black hair and baby blue eyes, but that only intensified his worries. Ajor, however, didn't care.

"Ajor," he hissed angrily. "Don't dawdle, and stay by me." She had been peering curiously at the various stalls they were passing, but he was headed for one closer to the shoreline. If Mein wanted the best, he might as well go the whole way.

'So-rry, Huul," she replied, quickening her pace to walk alongside him. He sighed. Hopefully they would be able to get all this done without incident.

[34, 34]

[Freezair]

((Hope you don't mind me bringing Hector along. I need to get these two bros out into the spotlight.))

The two men walked alongside one another, and yet slightly apart. The blonde-haired, broad-shouldered man on the left was tall. The righthand man, with his slicker hair, had more sloping shoulders but was even taller. They kept in sight of one another, and hummed in place of conversation. They looked across at one another from time to time, to make sure their companion hadn't drifted out of sight. Those times they did it at the same time and their eyes met, they flashed brief, tight smiles beneath sad eyes.

The taller man pulled himself to a stand just outside the beach, selling t-shirts and other beachy knickknacks. The shorter's eye-flicks caught him and skidded to a stop. He backed up, as the grossly tall fellow hunched over the wares and ran his fingers along a set of seashell sculptures.

"...Hector."

"Don't worry. I'm coming, Hal," the tall man said. "I'm just not used to the beach, is all. Where I--well, you know. It's landlocked, mostly. I don't get many chances to... to, y'know. I just want to browse."

"I just--" Halvard's eyes ran over his brother's lumped-over back. "...Of course. Go ahead." Halvard skimmed the collection of googly-eyed decorations and air-brushed T-shirts. Perhaps he was a bit biased against these decorations--he had enough handmade trinkets of his own, but those had been lovingly presented to him by her daughter, made with the shells she'd scavenged herself from her surfing trips. Danica would have loved to come along today. But the way Hector had said the phrase "I want to talk to you," he clearly meant it in the "Where no one we know is around to overhear" sense. So, here they were. No Peppermints, no children, no Jade. No one but them. And a thousand other tourists, but if they overheard their babble, what did they care?

For all the good it had done them. They hadn't gotten much talking done. All they'd said so far were crunchy footsteps and tragic smiles.

Halvard's eyes drifted off to the nearby seafood market. "...Hey... Hector. Do... do you want to go get something to eat? I... I know a good place."

[GrayGriffin]

(No problem. Also, you'll probably have to initiate them meeting. jsyk)

Huul frowned as he stared at all the seafood stands around them. The crowd was already bad enough, but the smell. Ugh!

"Ajor, stay close to me," he ordered. Yes, he had already said that, but he felt it bore repeating. "Do you have the picture Mein gave us?"

"Yes. It is in my pock-et."

"Get it out. I want to look at it." She complied, pulling a slightly crumpled piece of paper out of her uniform pocket and handing it down to him. He stopped for a moment, and she did too, as he stared at the image.

"Do you see anything like this?"

"Not yet. I am sor-ry."

"Don't apologize for that."

"Sor-ry."

He sighed. He really didn't want to ask anyone for help, but...

[35, 35]

[Freezair]

Hector followed along in Halvard's steps, head slightly down-turned. He let his brother's knowledge of the area pull them on. Halvard ducked and wove past the other stalls and browsing patrons, and lead them towards a corner of the market where the ocean smell became more pungent. Sharp smells, like boiled crab and aging fish, filled the air.

Halvard kept his head up, simply out of need to find his place, but he couldn't help but sympathize with his brother's slumped shoulders. If the feeling was mutual on both sides, they should have been able to talk it over easily, but...

He blinked. Up ahead, two figures were bent over a piece of paper. A map? Were they lost? Halvard put up his hand. Hector nearly bumbled into it before coming to a stop.

"Hold on. There's a few people up ahead who look lost. I'm going to go see if I can help them." With that, he broke away from his brother, and approached the pair with the map, or scrap of directions, or whatever it was they had that was leading them astray.

"Ah... excuse me. You two look a bit lost. Perhaps I can be of some service to you? I know this area fairly well, so perhaps I can point you in the right direction?"

[GrayGriffin]

Huul froze. Someone was talking to them. Why? There was a pause as he processed what he had heard. An offer to help-that didn't seem that bad on its own. And maybe whoever it was could help them find the fish and get out of here faster. He forced himself to look up.

"We're not really lost," he said. "We're supposed to be here." After a pause, he turned the paper so that Halvard could see it, but did not relinquish it. "We're looking for a fish that looks like this." Turning his head, he noticed Ajor's tensed stance. "Ajor, they're not a threat. You can stand down."

"Can I say why we need the fish?" she asked, each word stressed and separated.

He paused. "Yes, that is fine."

"Young Mis-tress needs the fish for her plants. The fish makes the plants grow," she recited.

[36, 36]

[I...um, didn't think of what the fish actually looks like. Just assume its appearance is kinda unique? Or you can describe it if you want.]

[Freezair]

Halvard waved his hand, and summoned his brother over. Hector lifted his head and followed. By speaking to someone else--someone they didn't know--Halvard had put them in the Public Eye, in a sense. And Mama hadn't raised him to be the sort of man who was slouchy and pouty in front of others. Even with all of the thoughts whirling in his head--the long years of silence, the worry, the knowledge of what Halvard had (and hadn't) been doing in all those years of exile, the still seemingly impossible knowledge that he was all right and stable--these people didn't need that weight put on them, too. So Hector did what Mama always taught him to do when he needed a smile, and thought of something funny. Like the last time he tried to cook. And he was able to smile.

"A fish...? To... make plants grow?" Halvard scratched his sizable chin. "I'm... admittedly not sure where you'd find such a thing. I don't recognize this species, but perhaps try a pet shop? They might have one of these in a Wood variation with some sort of powers over plants. But you'd be in the wrong part of town for that--"

Hector leaned over at the paper the girl held out, and laughed. His brother's face contorted in such genuine confusion--and such real desire to help, despite that confusion--Hector's smile made it all the way up to his eyes, and his voice defrosted. "You old dork. I'm pretty sure they want to buy this fish as fertilizer, not as a pet. Am I right?" He looked towards the man and the woman for approval. "See, Hal--look at the scales on this. See how it's kind of a duller color? And it's got lobe-shaped fins, too, not the fan-shaped ones most non-sentient, non-'pet' fish have. It's not your typical tropical fish. It's probably something from a colder climate, something that only migrates down to these waters to spawn. Probably full of fat that makes it a great fertilizer. Am I correct, sir and ma'am?"

[GrayGriffin]

Huul only frowned deeper. Another person? However, at least he seemed more informed about the facts.

"Yes, it is meant to be fertilizer. I don't know why it's a good source-Mein just gave us this picture and sent us off to the market to find it. I guess being fatty makes sense, though. Would it be buyable right now?" Mein was slightly more of a realist than Shawn, but he felt that being apprenticed to Langlin had done nothing for her practicality. "If it comes from so far away..." Part of his brain was freezing up. Deep inside his subconscious, there was a whispering. If we can't find it...if we fail our task...

"It has to be here," said Ajor, her voice becoming even more stilted and sharp. The nervousness that the possibility of failure stirred within Huul was much more visible in her. "We have to find it. We were told to find it."

[37, 37]

[Freezair]

"Oh. You were looking to buy a fresh fish, then." Halvard's tanned face lit up bright red. "Well. I admit, I don't prepare fish often at home. I usually leave the cooking to my employer, and he's not a fan or seafood. I usually go to the restaurants here when I want some fish... so I'm afraid I don't know many of the fresh stalls." Halvard slumped slightly. Perhaps he couldn't be of help after all. He wasn't a biologist. Nor was Hector. Perhaps normally he wouldn't have given up so easily, but today he just seemed to be in one of those moods...

But Hector, at least, seemed to be more willing to give things a try. "May I see that piece of paper?" he asked, and, providing they'd let him, he'd gently borrow the sheet and take a good, long look at the paper. "Hmm... Yeah, it definitely looks cold-water, but lots of cold-water species do migrate to more open oceans to spawn or look for food. It could be in season right now. We should ask around to see if any of these merchants knows the fish, and knows where we might find someone selling it. Have you been trying that? You seemed like you might have just gotten here, the way you were talking, so maybe you haven't had time yet. Hal? Do... do you at least know the way to where most of the fresh fish merchants are?"

"I do," Halvard admitted with a nod. "They're right near most of the restaurants, because most of them go to the local fishers for their suppliers. They're a little ways further down this market, though. I... suppose we are going to go that way, then?"

[GrayGriffin]

Huul did hand over the paper, but somewhat reluctantly. At the mention of talking to people, his brow furrowed. "No...it's pretty distinctive in appearance, so it should have been easy to find on our own." He paused. Were these two suggesting accompanying them? Part of him really didn't want to, but he didn't see any polite way out of this.

"I guess we can head that way," he continued. There was another pause. "Ajor, remember what to say?"

"Thank you," she said, bowing her head deeply. Huul sighed. "Ajor, that last part's not necessary."

"It is," she insisted.

[38, 38]

[Freezair]

"You have to know how to shop these markets," Hector said. "I grew up in a pretty big merchant city... sometimes they don't always have all the merchandise up front. You have to ask. And even so... more pairs of eyes means we can look more efficiently. That is, providing you wouldn't mind the hel--er." Hector's eyes slid sideways over to Halvard's. Offering to help these people would put a damper on their lunch plans, without a doubt.

Halvard heaved his shoulders and let out a long, slow, hiss of a sigh. "No... it's fine, Hector. I don't mind helping these people. If they wish us to, I have no problems with looking for this fish." Of course, if we were going to be helping these people after all, then perhaps we could have at least had one or more of my children--no. He sighed again, though the reason would not have been obvious to anyone else. It's not good to be ungracious to Hector, after all. He and Hannah only want... It's not unreasonable for them to want to be with me, and check up on me. It's just... I'm not always the best with words. I don't know what to say... Well, maybe I can lose myself in helping these people, and that will loosen up my lips.

But they looked so lost themselves. It wouldn't be fair to these poor strangers if they got dragged into my family drama... I'll just try to go along with whatever Hector wants. I'll try to be kind to him in that way.

[GrayGriffin]

Huul raised an eyebrow. So the other one didn't want to do this either? He supposed that meant he could easily send them away now. But the one who offered to help seemed quite eager...and he admitted that he knew nothing about shopping this kind of market.

"We could use your help," he said at last. "It's our first time at a fish market." He paused. "You're helping us, but we don't know your names. That's rude of us. So can you tell us?" He paused again. "I'm Huul, and she's Ajor." Ajor didn't say anything this time, but merely straightened up, preparing to fulfill whatever duty needed to be done.

[39, 39]

[Freezair]

"Hector and Halvard Henderson," Hector said. "We also have a sister named Hannah. Our parents are named Harry and Hedwig... I guess they figured they'd better keep a good thing going." Hector smirked.

Halvard stuck out a hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Huul and Ajor." Just like Mama had taught them, he thought of something funny, and his faced brightened. It really was involuntary like that. But his body language, he suspected, was still probably a bit down-trodden. And the girl, too, was not entirely welcoming. She looked stiff and concerned, like she too had something secretive to fret about. It looked like it was just one of those days all around. Maybe these two were siblings in the middle of some spat... Or not.

"Now, you know the layout of the market better," Hector said. "But I know the shopping secrets a bit better. I've... uh. I've spent more time at home." Halvard tried not to wince, and Hector's expression suggested that he wasn't entirely pleased with his word choice but didn't know any better. "So. Hal. Where would you expect a fish merchant selling somewhat rarer fish would be?"

Halvard scratched at his mop of blonde hair. "Oh. Upstreet a bit, I think. Some of the more upscale stalls are there, away from the wharves a little."

"Less fish smell," Hector noted. "Ah, but they're not as close to the source. Not as fresh. For more common fish, I wouldn't trust 'em as much... But for the rarer stuff, they probably have good freezers to keep the rare catches fresh. Let's motor."

[GrayGriffin]

Huul paused. "Ajor, you shake his hand," he said at last. Ajor extended an arm stiffly, grasping Hector's hand and moving it rhythmically up and down. The illusion should have been able to simulate the feel of a normal human hand, albeit one with stiffer skin than normal.

"Motor?" she asked.

"I think it's slang for 'go,'" replied Huul.

"Why do they say 'motor' when they can say 'go'?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," admitted Huul. "But I guess we should head in that way."

[40, 40]

[Freezair]

Halvard stared at the mechanical motion of the girl's arm, and peered at his own hand after she had let it go. He had noticed that her motion was not entirely natural. From here, she looked human enough. But what species was she, beneath that human skin? Could she be the anthropomorphic form of one of those robotic species? He'd heard of them, Scorpinches and Khalmars and Rabbots and more... Could she be...? Or was there something else to her robotic movements? But she also seemed confused by Hector's language choice. Would a robot be programmed to understand idioms and slang? His gut said they would, but he wasn't sure. And Hector was expecting him to lead the way. So he strode past the others and took off, down towards the richer end of the docks.

The smell of clam chowder and beer-battered cod filled his nose, as he strode past the blue-painted shipwood restaurant where he had initially intended to take Hector for lunch. Rich and creamy, sweet and yeasty, with a pleasant fish aroma strewn throughout... His mouth watered at the mere thought. But they were after a fish that wasn't for eating. He blazed past the hawkers until the seaside road wound back towards the land. He turned away from the wharves and up the sand dunes, into the grassy area above the waterline. The stalls here tended more towards kitsch, like the kind Hector had been perusing, but there were a few advertising rare fish and catches of the day and other uncommon ocean salvage. Hector would know where to look.

But at first, Hector seemed to have his mind set on being a friend. He made chit-chat with their guests: "So, you two haven't been shopping much here, have you? Me neither. I'm here for the first time with my brother. He was showing me the sights. Are you two tourists, or did you come here specifically for that fish?"

((Dang... I've gone and made myself hungry. And I just ate.))

[GrayGriffin]

"We don't really do tourism," muttered Huul. "Errands are enough of a chance to get to see things for us. We just needed to get this fish. The sooner we get it, the better." Quite frankly, the place was way too noisy and dirty for him, but he decided not to say that part out loud.

"You do not need an errand to go to a place?" asked Ajor slowly. She was vaguely aware of the concept, but not as something that applied to her. "Errands are the only reason we go to a place."

Huul paused, then looked at Ajor. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he could try taking her somewhere just for the sake of going. If she was going to throw off the shackles of servitude, he needed a way to encourage her, to show her that her old worldview was flawed.

And yours, a small part of his brain whispered.

[41, 41]