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Quiet chirps and trills rolled up her throat as the aarakocra dutifully and happily cut gemstones for Quiln. An unthinking habit of hers, thoughtless expressions of contented joy at her task. Her Master had come in soon after she set up for the day and handed her a list for the day. It was a menial task, but she was the studentafter all. Though she should be approaching the end of herJourneyman-statussoon.

Just thinking about that made her feathers bristle with glee. The feathered raptor trilling under her breath as she swapped tips. Carefully eyeing the sketches the elf had given her before rolling the agate about. Finding the best angle to approach. Taking but the tiniest of chips with each pass.

It was careful work, but she loved it. Each time she coaxed that shine out of a gem was breathtaking. Then to see it proudly set in one of Master Quiln's pieces? What a thrill!

The whisper of cloth over scaled hide and light tap of fingers acrossthe wooden workbench drewher attention without startling. Kri blinking from behind the lenses affixed to her headband. A dragonborn stood by her worktable. Dressed in good, but simple, black robes. Sapphire blue scales polished to a shine matched only by the sparkle in her eyes. Harann Hilianot, cleric of Qatix the Sleeptalker, one of the handful of clergy responsible for the town's cemetery, took one look at Kri and burst out laughing.

"By the Dreamer, that always catches me off guard, Specs." Using her playful nickname for Kri, referring to how she drew and planned things out. As well as the goggles and lenses that often adorned her headband. Gentle hands brushed Kri's cheeks and pushed her lenses up. "There we go. Now you look less like a caricature." Scaled fingers lingering a second on those yellow-orange feathered cheeks before pulling away. "How are you today, Dear?"

Cheeks flushed hot, "Just working on polishing some new gems. Quiln got in a fresh batch, and while he's working on finer ones for cameos, I'm getting to polish and ready these."

A quiet noise lifted from her friend, "Been at this ten years and he still has you on basic tasks." She carefully picked up the agate that Kri had been working on and rolled it about in her fingers. Always keeping them clear so the aarakocra could see just where it was, before placing it back down. "Though I suppose you are also working on that super secret project. How is that going by the way?"

Kri's eyes darted to a container, "It's... going. Shouldn't be more than a few days until it's done. You know, just been too busy working on other... things." She trailed off, not wanting to go into too much detail about the hardship of the mechanism. Something she was quite literally inventing as she went along.

Harann's finger tapped her nose, "Top secret project, I remember." A sweet smile flashed across her muzzle. Movement drew her eyes downward, "Hey Goober," she purred at the construct as it peeked out from under the table. "Mind if I?" she motioned towards the cot that had been jammed against a wall.

"You don't have to ask each time, you know." Kri nodded, turning to watch the dragonborn as she sat. It'd been a couple years since Zumi, Kri's younger sister, had talked her into letting them set up a private little meeting spot here. Somewhere the others in town wouldn't see, and thus wouldn't judge, on the same-sex relationship. Kri had been certain that no one would really care, but her sister had insisted.

Zumi had walked in, asking if she could use part of Kri's workshop to meet with her girlfriend. 'Look at all the space you have' she'd said. Yeah, just look at it, she thought to herself as Harann sat down. What had once been a storage room, and still was in ways, had been converted to a small workshop once she became an apprentice. Not because Quiln was stingy, but rather because he just hadn't had an apprentice before her. As it was, the dragonborn's feet nearly touched the side of Kri's workbench as she got comfortable. Her tail coiling about an ankle to take up as little space as possible. Between the work space, crates, cot, and occupants, there wasn't a great deal of room left over.

Kri shifted her feet, letting them rest on the owlbear-like construct. Goober stretching against her with a soft wheezebefore reaching to nibble at Harann's toes. Harann smiling again, "I know, but only polite I ask," tapping the metallic beak with her talons. Leaning against the wall she drew out a book to read over as she waited. Kri wondering on what to say before she returned to her work.

It wasn't long before Harann's voice lifted. Quiet and soft in a soothing hum. Her aimless tune weaving about with Kri's unthinking chirps and trills. Goober soon joining the duet. Metal rasping against his pelt hide, his wheezing, accordion-like voice lifting. Heavy forepaw thumping the floor, Harann matching with a tapping of her foot. Kri joining as well, her bared talons ticking out a rhythm on Goober's hide. Harann's voice lifting into a wordless song, rising and rolling with the improvised rhythm while they waited.

And waited.

...and waited.

Not that Kri particularly minded. She'd always enjoyed Harann's companionship. Though it wasn't hard to get along with the dragonborn. She was perfectly happy just sitting with Harann, didn't matter if they were improvising music, talking, or if she was just keeping the journeymanjeweler company.

"You three are rather noisy, you know." The music stopped, Kri hunching a bit closer to her worktable as Zumi entered. Kri and her sister looked very similar, though where Kri's coloration was more a yellow-orange trimmed in black, Zumi tended for more red. Not surprising that they were so close, since they were from the same clutch. Though she had hatched a full day before her sister had. Where Kri's outfit was more utilitarian, slacks and a tunic meant for daily work, her sister wore a more flowing gown.

Fingers brushed along Kri's neck, "Sister, I'm surprised you haven't fixed his voice box yet." Stepping around, she flashed a smile at Harann as the dragonborn stood. Neither Kri nor her sister were particularly tall, standing several inches blow the more common races. Harann absolutely towered over her partner though. Nearly two foot taller, the sapphire scaled female leaned in to meet the feathered raptor in a kiss. Their cheeks rubbing as Zumi stepped past and lowered herself to the cot.

Kri felt a slight flash as she watched the couple settle on the cot. "Goober is fine how he is," came the quiet rebuttal. "Besides, have you seen what Jacques charges for a new accordion?"

"I think it gives him character." Harann draped an arm about Zumi's shoulders, "He wouldn't be the same if he sounded like a songbird." A quiet sigh lifted, "Or as close to a songbird as an accordion can be." She cast a sidelong glance as the raptor settled against her side.

Before Harann could ask about what kept her, Zumi arched with a soft trill, "Sorry for making you wait," She twisted to look up, planting a kiss on the end of Harann's nose, "Keeper Raul demanded a full inventory."

There was Harann's always ready smile, "Oh it's fine, Quill." Using her pet name for the more academic aarakocra, "I got through my devotionals and chores early so I slipped out the side door. None of the other clergy will miss me, not with how dead things have been at the graveyard."

Kri snorted, then hurriedly tried to fix the scratch on the gem.

Zumi cast her a scalding glance, "Don't you encourage her." An overly dramatic sigh sounded as she arched into the dragonborn, "Keep up with those jokes and I'll have to report you to the high clergy for your sins against humor." Leaning up, she kissed Harann again. The little pecks turning into a soft, sweet embrace.

Harann smiled as she broke the kiss, "Oh no, I'm gonna be punished." A deep, thrumming purr lifted from her, felt more than heard. The embrace deepening briefly, "Maybe I could talk you into spanking me instead." Zumi wrinkled her nose playfully. The pair starting to chide and be cute together. Kri tuning them out as she fell back into her work at hand.

They were sweet together, at least that's what Kri had always thought. She felt a twinge of jealousy that her younger sister had so readily found someone. Not that she couldn't, but she'd never met anyone that had interested her. Well, not in the way that would make her want to fawn over them the way that Zumi and Harann did each other. She did wonder what it'd feel like though. To be that close to someone. Suppose it really didn't matter. She had Goober to dote on. Though he did tend to be cold at night.

"What? Do you think I stole something?"

Zumi's whispered hiss snapped her back to the couple. Her eyes widening, attention seemingly focused on the gems before her.

Confusion rang through Harann's voice, "What? No, I was just asking if Raul suspected someone was stealing anything." The cleric had pulled back and was looking at the bristling academic. "It just seems that he has been calling for inventory... every week or so now. Right, Kri?"

"I mean... I thi..."

Her sister bolted to her feet, feathers going flat as she bared teeth; "Don't bring her into this." Feathers bristled as Kri hunched towards her worktable.

Confusion turned into anger, Harann surging to her feet as well, towering over both aarakocra. "Can't not bring her in, we're all in each other's laps." Her hand went wide, Kri ducking under the swing. "I was just asking about your day and you're leaping down my throat. You'd think I brought up Serk again."

The room grew physically colder. Harann's eyes widening as she realized that she'd just dropped a fireball in the room. Zumi's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously. Her feathers started to stand on end as the raptor ground her teeth. Harann opened her maw to say something but Zumi cut her off with a sharp gesture, "Do NOT." She whipped about, tail knocking almost everything off Kri's worktable before cracking into Harann's side.

Harann looked to Kri with a panicked expression. Kri tilting her head slightly towards the door. Harann mouthing 'sorry' before hurrying out after, "Zumi, wait!"

Quiln entered the room a moment later, the tall, lean elf gazing down his sharp nose at Kri. Watching the saurian as she sat on the stool. Legs pulled tight to her chest and arms wrapped about her as she shook quietly. "You know," his voice came out nearly musical in its indifference, "I could always say they have been disrupting my customers." He leaned against the door frame and lifted his cup of tea, "Give them a chance to argue somewhere other than your workshop." A slow sip, "Which they seem to be doing a lot of these days."

Kri sniffed, wiped her snout on a sleeve, and slunk off the stool to start cleaning up the mess. "They're just under a lot of stress." Her voice was cracking, "Seems like she gets in later than I do some nights with all the extra inventory he's making them do. Then the talk of Harann's pilgrimage..."

A low hum came from the elf as he watched Kri fishing aboutunder a cabinet. Reaching into one of Kri's kits, he drew a slender rod. "Raulhas mentioned something of the sort." A tap drew Kri's attention to the offered tool. She flashed a quick smile, using it to grab at the jar. Quiln stepping back, watching as she rearranged her work space. "He seems to think someone is skimming a little. Can't decide if it's inventory or books." If anyone knew what Keeper Raul was thinking, it'd be his longtime friend. "I keep telling him that he's just paranoid, since he seems to trust all his workers, but..." he took a sip and looked over Kri. "You wouldn't have heard anything would you?"

"No sir, she doesn't like talking about work beyond the barest of grumbles."

Quiln let out one of his thoughtful hums, "Then how about your work? I trust you were doing that without being distracted too much by the clandestine tryst."

Feathers leapt up before laying flat in embarrassment, "No trysting, but yessir I did." She opened the box to show off the cut and polished gems. Holding her breath as Quiln ran his fingers through the gems. Letting each spill across his fingers before selecting one to examine under his loupe.

He leaned in closer to her lamp, then held it up to the window. "JourneymanKri," he rolled the sapphire, "if you continue to hold your breath, you will soon match this color." He offered a wry smile, "Very good, but then I expect no less of you by now. As I've said before, you are ready for the rank of a Master." He inclined his head towards the mechanical Owlbear still under her workbench, "The Guild would even take..." the name game out as a sigh, "Goober, as your Masterwork." At the sound of his name, the owlbear squeezed his way out from under the workbench, stretching his head towards the elf. Quiln giving the mechanical head a rub.

Kri breathed easier, "I would feel bad if I turned him over as my project." Her eyes darted towards a box, half-covered by a rag and shoved against the wall.

Quiln didn't have to look towards it, "And how goes your super secret project?" Her sigh was enough evidence. "I see. Well," leaning out of the room, he drew another stool in. How convienent another one happened to be just outside the room. "Show me and perhaps I can help." He situated the two seats to his liking, "Though I gleefully admit, you are my betterin these clockwork devices. Another pair of eyes can never hurt."

She happily popped the box open to reveal a trio of pocket watches. All sharing similar design language, though two seemed to bear more intricate engraving. "So I am having issues with it keeping the proper time." Planting her rear on the stool, the aarakocra quickly disassembling the watch and laying its parts in a precise pattern atop the work surface. "It works fine for a few hours, but then they'll start to drift after a little bit. Upwards of twenty seconds a day."

Kri lay with her head on her hands, staring at some point past the watch. Watches actually, since three were sitting before her. Each one counting the seconds at a steady rate. Feathers twitching ever so slightly with the steady ticking. It was starting out good, but they always seemed to. Then, over time, they would start to drift apart more than she liked.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tap.

She blinked, eyes focusing on the watches. "Tap?" She ruffled curiously and sat up, angling her head, "Shouldn't be tapping. Why are you tapping?" Narrowing her eyes, Kri leaned in close, "Which one of you was it? Fess up!"

Tick. Tock. Rap tap.

Before she could screech in frustration, the tapping sounded again, decidedly off to the left. Twisting about, she peered up at the window. Something stood out in the dark, unnaturally glowing eyes peering from the shadows as a heavy claw tapped at the window. Each tap making the room shake, the candles in her workshop growing dimmer. And dimmer. It leaned forward, nose pressing to the wavy glass. "KRIII," boomed the rasping voice. Lights snapping back to full to reveal a grinning blue dragonborn, "I bring wine!" Harann lifted a bottle. "Door's locked though."

"Yeah, gimme a tick." Tick, click. She gave the watches a glare, "Don't you start." Sweeping the trio up, she hid them away in the box. Legs creaking and popping as she stumbled towards the back door. "What time is it?" she groaned, fishing a key from her apron to unlock the door.

Harann stood on the other side, offering a sheepish smile, a bottle of wine, and a basket, "Saw your workshop light on, figured you were working late again. So I come bearing gifts and apologies for this afternoon. Can I come in?"

Kri shuffled aside, "Don't have to apologize."

The usually grinning cleric's expression drooped, "Yes I do. Not just because Zumi and I were fighting, but for bringing up... he who shall not be named." Kri's feathers flattened, mind racing back to Serk. He was an aarakocra that owned the mines several miles off.Despite being old enough to be her father, he had been Kri's first crush, first kiss, her first... well you know. Naturally it came crashing down when it turned out he'd wanted Zumi instead. After talking with Kri, trying to get to her sister, he decided why not? Though when he was done with her, the older male was immediately offering Zumi a sizable amount of money in exchange for 'favors' from her.

Kri waved her hand and locked up the door, "It's okay. I only cried an hour," she offered her best smile, trying to mimic the cleric's cavalierattitude.

Harann gave her a gentle bump as they wandered towards Kri's workshop, "You may be able to laugh about it, but Zumi still..." A sigh, "She did that thing you guys do, where you take off flying and refuse to come down. Last I saw, she was drifting about above town and ignoring everyone." Kri cleared the worktable, quickly sorting tools, odds, and ends into marked bins. "Think I saw her coming down around dusk, but I was having to take care of a few things at The Lucidium."

She gave a helpess shrug, "You know how she can be, better than me."

A snort, "Just because she and I have been dating doesn't mean I know her better than her own sister." Harann reached for one of the many mugs scattered about Kri's area. Checked inside, "Good thing I brought my own mugs." The cork came free with a pop, "So, when is the last time you ate?" Kri's hesitation was enough for her to tsk, "Good thing I know you pretty well too." She shoved a hearty pie towards the raptress. Sitting down with her own as she poured out the wine.

"I ate," Kri huffed, "around lun...fast," she muttered into the mug as she took a careful sip of wine. No sooner did her nose pick up the scent of that pie than her stomach clenched and growled.

Harann shoved the plate towards her with a heavy spoon, "Uh huh. Well then let's get something in you since your lunfast must have been small." She pulled her own towards her and breathed in the scent with a hungry growl. "I know I couldn't eat this afternoon so I'm gonna dig right in."

Being raised elbow-to-elbow with four siblings, two parents, and a grandfather conflicted with the higher brow manners Quiln had drilled into her. Kri had been fighting the urge to literally go face down in the delicious meat pie. It was only as Harann dug right in that she followed suite. Her hunger soon spurring her to dig in as she broke through the flaky crust and got into the hearty gravy, tender meat, and delicious veg.

While they ate, conversation turned to topics of the day. Some local gossip. While it was a large town, not a lot happened, so not a great deal of that. Harann soon guided Kri onto talking about her day, probing gently about her Masterwork. Which launched the raptress into a long-winded ramble about how her pocket watch wasn't keeping the right time. Going into detail about how she and Quiln had spent some time that afternoon going over it, checking the fit and finish.

By the time she'd finished her rambling, both of the potted pies were done and she was readily halfway through her mug of wine. Harann already pouring herself another. "Sorry," Kri mumbled into her drink, "Just so frustrated by it losing time."

Harann tapped her nose, "Don't apologize. You're passionate and it's cute when you get worked up." A low rumble rolled up her throat, Harann smiling with a slight tilt to her head. "I'd go ramble about my day, but you know the most exciting thing there. Other than that, it's just been replacing candles, burning incense, so on and so forth." She sighed and angled her head towards the bottle of wine, "Say, wanna get a game in?"

Kri perked a bit, "Dragon chess?"

"Hells no, we both know you're better at that than I am." Harann fished a box from her basket. Flashing a grin as she opened it to reveal tokens and a deck of cards.

Feathers drooped, "Oh come on, you know how bad I am at Ante." Even as she said this, she was clearing a play area on the table. She wasn't bad, but she did have tells that Harann could readily read. Zumi was much better at it than she was, keeping her face stony most of the time.

"Better than you let on," came the rumbled purr. "Hey, Goober you want in?" a wheezing mumble, "Alright guess it's just you and me, Kri."

It was getting late, but she wasn't terribly tired. Plus she knew Harann well enough to read that the dragonborn was wanting a bit of company tonight. A few games of Ante wouldn't hurt, not like they ever played for real money. "Alright, but I'm gonna get some tea going." There was a kettle and small stove in her workshop, warding off the winter chill. Checking the pot, "Out of water... Harann..." she put on her best big eyes. The cleric sighing, smirked, and with a muttered prayer, the pot began to fill. "Thank you. Goober, could you go get some more firewood?" The mechanical creature groaned, stretched, and ambled out to get some firewood from the stores while the cleric dealt a hand.

As expected, it was good fun. Hand after hand passing by with little notice of the time. Both splitting their attention between the tea, wine, and snacks the cleric had. The night growing later and later.

Kri was idly shuffling the cards, waiting for Harann to come back from the privy. Humming quietly to herself and swishing her tail when the dragonborn came back soaked from head to toe, "Well, you know how it was cloudy all day?"

She leapt up, "Oh no, here get those off you before you catch a cold."

Harann, who had a bit more to drink than Kri had, giggled and swayed as she helped strip her robes off. "If you wanted to get me naked, could've just asked. Would've at least suggested Strip Ante to work up to it." Kri felt her cheeks flush a bit, but she was used to nudity. Largish family and a small home meant that she'd seen every member of her family naked at least once. Harann didn't have anything she hadn't seen before, she reminded herself.

"Well, if I had, then I'd be the one naked. Not you," she flashed a smile and tapped the taller female's nose. Turning to hang the soaked garments up by the stove.

Arms wrapped around her from behind, drawing her back into Harann's larger form, "Naked and wet." That purr shaking against her back as Harann gave her a kiss on her neck, a squeeze, and sat her back down. Dropping to the cot with a sigh, "Getting back to my room is gonna to suck."

Kri huffed, "Nonsense, you're staying here." She cast a sidelong glance at the cot. Plenty big enough for either one of them individually, especially with the slight modifications she'd made to turn it into a kind of daybed. Though for the pair of them it would be a tighter fit. "Quiln's said it's fine if I sleep here sometimes, especially when I'm working late. There's blankets and pillows under the cot. I can sleep on the stool and you can have that."

That brought a frown to the dragonborn, her voice dropping with a growl, "I am not going to make you sleep on a perch while I take the bed." She scooted to the side, "I'll sleep sitting up if I have to."

Again, having grown up in the situation she had, sharing a bed wasn't unfamiliar. Though it would be the first time she'd shared one with Harann. Since that hug had gotten her clothes wet... a quiet sigh slipped from the raptress as she stripped down. The cleric perking up a bit as she watched her friend strip down to just a loincloth. Neither female sporting any chest coverings, since there was nothing there to cover.

Gray eyes watched as she shut the workshop door and took a seat beside the dragonborn on the cot. Both stretching out some and uttering yawns, the late evening and wine starting to catch up to them.

"You are really cute, you know that?"

The admission caught her off guard. Feathers puffing out with embarrassment as she looked over, finding herself almost nose-to-nose with the larger female. "Just cause I look like Zumi, and you..." she huffed, "Are drunk."

Lips split into a smile, "I am. Two bottles of wine in good company will do that." Two split among them, though Kri knew her limits were far below what the dragonborn's were. She drank enough to feel a pleasant buzz, and not much beyond that usually. "But she's fiery, she's like autumn leaves. You," large hands cupped her cheeks. "You are like the sunrise. All yellow and orange and beautiful. Makes me just want to..."

And then Harann kissed her.