Closed Something Fishy-ish(Vayl)

[Dolce]

19th of Summer 514AV The man had been very pushy, standing atop a crate yelling at the people who walked past. He had been loud too. Pushy and loud, Dolce didn't like him at all. But she stopped to listen to the man as many others did to listen as the man peddled his wares whatever they may be. Dolce listened to the man talk about the lack of fish due to the 'thing' in the lake. So far she followed what he was saying, but still found him suspicious. Even more so when he spoke of his wares. A fish...supplement? What the hell...? How did you supplement fish and with what? She didn't trust this man. Nope. Not one bit. It surprised her even more when people started buying this whatever it was for ridiculous amounts of money. She shook her head in disbelief. Stupidity was running rampant. Nobody really asked what was in it, they just blindly bought it. Now walking home she looked at the container of gelatinous goop. She had irritated the peddler with her constant and persistent questions. To shut her up most likely he sold it to her much cheaper than he was to the others. Dolce grinned as she thought of the man shooing her away. She was proud of herself. "I'm home!" She announced as she closed the door to the home she shared with her master. Dolce always announced herself when coming home or leaving. It was a habit that had carried over from her previous life. She removed her shoes by the door, "Get a look at what this peddler was selling. He called it a fish 'supplement'. Although he wouldn't say what is in it... I kept pestering him and he gave me quite a bargain on this goop." She placed the container on the table and stared at it jiggling the container every so often. The contents wiggled and Dolce made a face.

[Vayl]

x

The only sign that Vayl was in the room was a dirty mop of greyish hair and a leg popping over the side of his hammock.

The image showed no sign of changing as Vayl replied in a monotone voice.

"Its either a con or fish oil. Kill a fish, cut its skin and hang it up, oil seeps out." a hand appeared over the side of the hammock and traced a lazy circle, as if that illustrated his point somehow, before the illustrating finger paused. "Well, that's at least what I overheard from two fishermen."

"Why are you bothering to tell me this Dolce?" he muttered tiredly. He wasn't irritable, just bored. Boredom made him into a sloth-like creature, and he simply hadn't been bothered to leave his hammock all day, despite the fact it was several bells until sun-down. If Vayl looked white and corpselike when he was awake, he looked like death incarnate right now.

Sighing melodramatically, Vayl stretched before half falling, half flipping out of his hammock. Rising to his feet Vayl paced over to Dolce, which for his height was only three steps.

"Les-see this stuff then." Vayl muttered, one hand scratching his scalp while the other rubbed one eye.

While he spoke his gaze switched slowly to Dolce, looking down at her in her totally innocent ecstasy of examining this fluid. A tired smile crossed his face exposing a fang that gently bit over his lower lip. Despite his state he always found room to be affectionate to Dolce. He rested a hand on her head, patting it softly, before peering down at the liquid.

"Well.. doesn't look like fish oil."

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Dolce]

Dolce pouted at Vayl's lack of interest. "I'm TELLING you this because this stuff isn't oil! I don't know what it is! But people were buying tons of this stuff!" She jiggled the container again watching it wiggle. "Eww, look how it moves!" She did a strange dance away from the goop as if that would help. Only to sneak back up to the table and nudge the table wiggling the fish supplement again. Staring down the strange goop she felt a hand on her head, "Told you it wasn't fish oil. I think... it might be alive...and watching me." Dolce wiggled the table leg shaking the table and Dolce's new interesting find. She bolted from the table again, just to sneak up on it again. "Should we kill it?" she innocently asked Vayl. "I'm sort of afraid to open it up, let alone eat it. What if it's poisoned with something?" "Have you ever seen anything like it? You said that there are strange things to eat in Kalinor, have you seen anything like this there?" Dolce honestly had no idea what to make of this goop. "I should of had the vendor eat some. Just to make sure it was safe..."

[Vayl]

x

Vayl wasn't really listening to what Dolce was ranting on about, he just sat in a happy daze while he watched her be unbelievably innocent and cute. Eventually when a long silence began to draw out, Vayl blinked and dragged himself to the present, tearing his eyes away from Dolce's face in order to not creep her out.

"Ah uhmmmm... Well, I could try some if you like. After all if I can't poison it I'll cough it back up sooner or later." Vayl jested with a youthful smile on his face, his fangs poking out just a little bit. Vayl turned suddenly mock serious, almost comically so.

"And hey speaking of eating I haven't seen you eat in Bells! Get something down your throat now!" he order Dolce with overt authority to the point of jesting.

"Ooooh" Vayl's voice turned mockingly evil. "Perhaps I should give you this poiiiiison to teach you for wasting your money on it?"

You could see the barely contained laughter in Vayl's eyes, yet his voice seemed icy serious. Oh how Vayl loved toying with people, whether it be friends or enemies.

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Dolce]

She pouted at Vayl she knew he was teasing her. But she'd show him! Yes she would, "Fine! I'll eat it!" Dolce stuck a hand in the goop and shoveled half of the blob into her mouth at an alarming rate. She made a face. "Urk...Gah!" Dolce found it horrid. The aftertaste worse than the initial tasting. She shoved the container at Vayl, "Eat up, that's your half!" Dolce was still making a face with one eye squinted and her mouth puckered. She groaned finally giving in to her confused tummy, "I don't recommend eating it that fast.....or breathing while eating it....I'm....Imma go lay down." Dolce slumped out of her seat and made her way to her bed and flopped over own to it with a groan. She knew a chastising was coming from Vayl for her gluttony and acting like a child. Dolce covered her head with a pillow. Yeah, she deserved the lecture but he HAD to go easy on her with this stomachache. "I don't think my stomach knows what it is! It's not registering it as food." Maybe she'd get a cuddle or two out of sympathy. A Kelvic could hope, right?

[Vayl]

x

Vayl chuckled melodically as he half enjoyed, and half worried at Dolce's suffering. Turning to the container Vayl unceremoniously downed the liquid, before closing one eye and making an odd face.

"Bleh, its bad, but it has nothing on badly prepared bruka." Vayl shook his head as if to clear it. "I should give you a taste of it some time" he muttered, seemingly no longer affected by the taste of the supplement.

Glancing over with casual ease Vayl looked at Dolce. "That stuff really didn't agree with you huh?" he muttered perching softly next to her, he lowered an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her towards him softly, hoping it would help.

"That will teach you not to accept meals from total strangers eh?" Vayl smiled a toothy grin before smiling more paternally and hugging Dolce a little tighter.

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Dolce]

"Yeah." Dolce groaned, "Bruka..." Dolce's stomach flopped, he'd feed her Bruka? From the sound of it the experience would be unpleasant. Dolce herself had been looking high and low for a decent Bruka recipe. "W-what's this Brurukaa made with and how is it made." She'd play dumb, maybe he'd enlighten her enough to help her figure out how to make it. Her master deserved to come home to a meal he could actually eat and enjoy. "I-I was just trying to find something cheap that you could digest. Y-you're too skinny Vayl! I worry about you more than you know! You eat so very little, sometimes I worry t-that..." Her voice was getting warbly. "That you... won't wake up one morning!" She gave him a stern look. "How would you feel if it were me not eating? The same way right? You'd be worried out of my mind! I.. was just trying to help..." She sighed her face still burried in the pillow, she didn't want Vayl to see her cry.

[Vayl]

x

Vayl paused in thought, his unique frown crowning his lavender eyes.

"Bruka? Well its mostly berries and plants and whatnot, we don't eat meat too often, but the main ingredient is my venom which is, ah, dangerous as you can imagine." a slight smile crossed his face, for some reason he found the danger amusing.

"But its ok, I eat when I'm hungry, I'm not starving myself.. uh that much."

Vayl then frowned with genuine concern when Dolce hid her face.

"Ugh Dolce, are you ok? Did I say something wrong?" Vayl moved swiftly and quietly to the bedside and started stroking Dolce's hair.

"No shh shh its ok don't worry love." he said without realising "Its ok, I'm here I won't starve to death, I promise I will eat more ok?" Vayl smiled reassuringly, trying to cheer Dolce up. He could never forgive himself when she was sad, it was always his fault too.

Always his fault.

Vayl sighed and looked away, the stroking hand slowly coming to a halt as his internal thoughts made his mind drift. All he ever seemed to do was bring pain to people. First his mother, then Redd, now Dolce..

How could he ever change that?

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Dolce]

"That much... I can count your ribs!" She sat up her eyes were red but,"Teach me to cook it! I've looked high and low for a decent recipe. I'm starting to think I'll have to go to Kalinor to get it. I want to be able to cook you a good meal when you come home! I know it's blood based with mashed tubers, egg yolk, cream and a mix of spices including bay leaves and garlic. But, the measurements and preparation and what kind of blood base? I want to try and make it for you." She touched his cheek,"Don't get all sulky, Vayl. I'm not sad, just worried." She hugged him. "If I try and make it... give me your honest opinion. Promise me! I'll get better with every try!"

[Vayl]

x

Vayl perked up, as if he honestly believed Dolce could cook a decent dish of Bruka. He suddenly started reciting a list rapid fire of how to cook bruka.

"Wekk first you need made tubers, mash those, egg yolk, cream spices like bay leaves or garlic. For dessert just blend up a ton of fruits and stuff. Dairy would be a welcome treat, and meat is a bonus also, but if you're going to use it I will have to hold it in my mouth... well kinda." Vayl babbled on and on talking about seasonal varients and his favorite spices, before suddenly pausing mid sentence.

"Well, does that answer your question?"

Beads if sweat dripped off Vayl's pointed nose. Obviously the recital was as tiring on him as it was on Dolce.

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why