Double Goblins, Double Trouble
Log Info
TL;DR
- Fidget surprise boops Irshya underwater
- Fidget tries to befriend Irshya because she's weird and stylish
- Fidget asks for advice on setting up a Magic Shop business
- Irshya offers to make a space within the TerRaCe for the business
- Irshya gets very friendly and gives Fidget a poolside massage while they discuss
The plan was formed, well it was more of a whim, an urge unsuppressed and allowed to run free in Fidget's disorganized todo list - she was told Irshya would be here today when she asked the staff in front, and Rune had said the gobbo tended to hide in the deep end of the pool, so she slipped inside trying to be sort of subtle, just in case the other goblin had heard that Fidget had been asking about her, and she walked behind another patron until she was just by the edge of the deep end of the pool, then suddenly - Fidget sneak attacks!
Diving into the deep end of the pool, doubtless right in front of a sign that encourages people not to do that, Fidget tries to surprise whoever might be, or might not be (she didn't actually verify Rune's claim), lurking below the water.
The bath area is silent, though everywhere shows signs of a recently cleaning. The tile floor has not a single spot or footprint, the towels are all rolled up and snugly stored in a cubby, the odd deck chair folded and set aside. Even the pool looks brighter, the water sparkling.
Diving into the deep end does have its potential dangers, though there is no one there to object. The water is pleasantly warm as Fidget finds the bottom coming up really fast.
It's the hair that gives it away. From above it could be missed, but from a side on view, the different braids tend to float at different levels. The pool-shark's bathing suit is a near perfect match for the paint on the pool's bottom and sides. Her own skin colour also matches nearly perfectly. Almost as if someone planned it.
She floats at the bottom, chin nearly touching. On her neck, little openings ripple open and closed, gills that allow her to stay underwater for so long. She appears to be... asleep.
Having not really thought about what to do if her plan was successful, Fidget pauses as she reaches the bottom, taking in the other goblin surrounded in floating braids - it's quite the sight! The gills certainly explains the ability to stay underwater indefinitely, even sleeping down here - that's a neat trick.
Fidget finds herself wondering how she got the fishy features, perhaps her parentage or some transmutation? -before realizing that unlike Irshya, she had limited air and should make up her mind and do something.
She discards biting the ankles immediately, not only does her unsuspecting victim have bigger and sharper teeth than Fidget does, but in some goblin cultures it's even considered rude and that would be a bad start to making a friend. She ponders tickling for a moment, but that is also a battle she would surely lose underwater, so she does the next best thing, and pushes off of the back wall to launch herself at Irshya and try to sneak boop the snoot.
The pool-shark moves slightly with the disturbances in the water as the other Goblin launches herself off the back wall. The snoot, as it were, has one feature that isn't usually seen.. the nostrils seal shut.
The snoot, a tantalizing target, is easily booped.
However, the pool-shark's eyes open, showing off pale white nictating eyelids. These flick open a second later, and dull red eyes focus in on Fidget. There's a moment's consideration, and then her maw opens, revealing shark-like teeth.
Then Irshya launches forward, looking to capture Fidget by wrapping hands around her waist.
A successful sneak attack makes Fidget beam at her own deviousness, but it is not long lived.
There's a moment of slight concern when Irshya's dull red eyes lock with Fidget's bright red eyes, and she grins nervously with normally-sharp goblin teeth, bubbles running up from the sides of her smile. Concern becomes alarm when the shark maw is revealed in all its pointy glory and she flails ineffectually in the water as she is grabbed, and she tries to protest but the water wraps her words in bubbles and steals them away. Perhaps mildly annoying someone in a situation where you can't escape them or speak to them was not the best of plans?
Fidget will find their situation /isn't/ so dire, as Irshya has shoved them to the surface. Leaving Fidget to float as the pool-shark sinks downwards once more. The explosion of bubbles and the fact that Irshya went underneath Fidget gives the sharkie one time to... hide again.
"Well, that was fun but also not very effective." Fidget muses aloud as she hefts herself up onto the edge of the pool. Clearly she needs a *new* plan. Perhaps...?
Fidget hops up and scampers off, taking a brief moment to recolour her swimsuit with a gesture of magic. She could only colour the whole thing one colour still, but a light pink would stand out better against her purple skin and black/red hair, she thinks. So pink it became.
Gone for maybe 3 minutes, Fidget returns with two well filled spirit glasses, and a flint sparker between two pointed teeth - if surprising and confusing someone doesn't make them a new friend, then try gifts. She spills some of the strong drink on the marble floor as she's setting things up, but in a moment, the drinks are ready, and on fire, and so is at least some of the floor where the drink spilled. Good thing it's marble! Placed on the edge of the pool, the glasses will flicker enticingly or perhaps alarmingly through the water.
It's not long before a little shadow can be seen, moving along the bottom of the pool. Her form is hard to see, but the hair, moving around, makes it very easy to see her.
She appears to pause, as if attempting to see what exactly is happening up there with the flickering.
She briefly blurs, before exploding out of the water, oriented to be 'standing up'. She lands with a light "plap" of feet slapping tile, her tail doing double duty to keep her from toppling over.
"Erm, hello?"
Beaming again at this new plan being more successful, Fidget waves, "Hi. I assume you're Irshya, the proprietor of this fine establishment?" Her words in a formality that's hard to tell if it's being affected sincerely or humorously.
She lifts one flaming glass to Irshya in offering, and says "You're weird and you've got style. Let's be friends!"
Irshya nods her head slowly in answer to Fidget's assumption. The blue-skinned Goblin begins to circle the other Goblin, eyeing her curiously. When she is behind Fidget, she moves closer, and Fidget might hear sniffing noise, and feel a light breath on her neck.
Continuing around, the poolshark nods and takes the glass. The drink is lifted once, and then quickly downed.
"Hmm, what is this called?", she wonders. "The TarRaCe should offer this, if we don't already." She peers at the other Goblin. "You have the advantage, you know I am Irshya. May I know your name?" Fidget tries to follow the blue goblin with her head as she's being circled, but the head only turns so far voluntarily. So once Irshya's right behind her, only the edge of big red irises can be seen trying to figure out what her new friend is up to. She twitches a little at the ticklish breath on her neck, and she smells faintly of some kind of perfume and ink, along with a strong whiff of poolwater.
"It's Goblin Firewhiskey. You take whiskey, and then you set it on fire. You can add some spices if you like, but the flames ought to be spicy enough. Just watch your hair if you're not currently soaked wet. And I'm Fidget. Wizard, enchanter, artificer (in training) and explorer!" She adds the qualifier in a notably lower tone than the rest of her self introduction. "Oh, and your bar does offer it, if you ask them between 3 and 7 times - I am still narrowing down the exact required number."
Irshya grins brightly at Fidget, "Well, that will be easy then. I'll see to it that staff understands what Firewhiskey is." She makes a motion of dusting her hands off. "So don't worry, they'll be quicker. They're good people." She bounces a little on her toes.
"So, why did you wish to meet me?", she wonders, before she begins to circle Fidget once more. "I am happy to meet you, I enjoy meeting fellow Goblins. Gotta stick together, right?"
"Well, from what Rune told me of your habits you seemed interesting." Fidget says, whipping her head around to catch the shark goblin as she reaches the other periphery of her vision, "But also, you're running a business here in Alexandria, and I'd like to do the same. Specifically, a magic shop. I've got a few things I need to gather first, mind, enough resources to actually build the things people need - but I also need to figure out what I need to do if I'm going to set up shop here, make lots of neat things, and get paid so I can make *more* neat things after that."
Irshya smiles, and moves to carefully slide an arm across Fidget's shoulders, the hand hanging down in front of, but not touching, the purple Gobbo's chest. "So... you want to set up a magic shop... Well. I am a cleric of Rada, one of his adherents, but I am not well versed in arcane works, or artifice. However... I do own a building. And... we could add some side buildings, right?"
The poolshark points at a few walls where things could potentially be modified. "And you know, I might be willing to do that. I could be convinced."
"Oh!" Fidget lets loose with surprise, "I had been thinking you'd offer me some tips, tell me who I needed to deal with, that sort of thing. But having a place to get set up would make everything so much easier!" Fidget adds wryly, "And I can be very convincing. I *convinced* these two guards to let me join an expedition into the Felwood just recently." she says proudly but coyly, "But, uh, keep that between us Goblins, right?"
"Oh, I see..." Irshya's hands go to Fidget's shoulders, kneading there a little. "I can certainly help you walk through the process. If you wish to go that route. Perfectly happy to assist. But yes, I am also willing to open up a space here for you. We get lots of adventurer types in here... you would get a lot of traffic... and anyone coming to visit you... might want a drink or two after. Win-win here, if you ask me."
Tightly wound is probably a fair assessment of Fidget's shoulder situation, as well as a lot of the rest of her. So she's initially a little squirmy to the kneading, responding with an uncertain "Oh, uhhh...hi." as she realizes just how close Irshya's gotten, but the touch is not unwelcome. "No, no, if you want someone to join you here, I'm all pointy ears. That solves about half my problems!" she says, clearly taken a little off guard by Irshya's approach.
"Goodness ... you're a bit tight up here. Are you under a bit of pressure? Stressed? I could help you loosen up a little." She grins. "Hiii. And I offer assistance because I like helping people. I'm in a position to do so, and I think I should help out. And like, I benefit too, right? So even better."
"Not more than usual. And I'm always up for some fun," the purple gobbo arches into the shoulder rub in approval, no longer uncertain about how friendly Irshya is being because, well, she's a new friend, right? And New Friend Irshya is good at this. "Mmm. All business meetings should be performed this way. Perhaps that's a market you can tap. Much more fun than stuffy people in suits around a table."
Irshya's thumbs stiffen then, mirroring each other as she begins pressing and kneading against knots in Fidget's muscles, starting with the neck and shoulders. The pool-shark is at least very friendly. "Oh gosh... I wouldn't want to massage just anyone really. It's harder for me to massage the taller folk. You, however, are perfectly sized. I don't need a step stool, and I am pretty sure you'll lay nicely on the massage bench and still give me room. And this is nice and personal... But I suppose meetings might go faster this way... hah, or everyone falls asleep!"
Fidget laughs, "It's not often I get told that *I'm* perfect sized. Though I did just learn a new spell that lets me be *pocket* sized and I am going to have sooo~ much fun with that when I get a chance to use it." Fidget shifts around a bit so instead of sitting cross-legged on the marble she can dip her feet in the water, and when those thumbs hit just the right spot, her feet wriggle. "Ooooh, I have needed this." she sighs, her muscles beginning to relax under Irshya's hands.
"Hah, well, to me, you are. Just how it goes, right?" Irshya laughs also, "I know that feeling of... new spell, can't wait to use it..." I hope it is going to be amazing. Just hope it makes your clothes pocket sized also, else that might be embarrassing when the spell ends."
The pool shark settles down behind Fidget, sitting cross-legged. Her thumbs start to move down Fidget's back, massaging and pressing into the muscles that flank her backbone.
"Getting caught without my nice clothes certainly would be an embarrassing moment. Speaking of which, if-", Fidget pauses to audibly enjoy a particular spot with a half-gasp, half-squeak, "If I'm going to be coming here often, I need to get, or make, a sufficiently amazing swimsuit. One layer, one colour? Only in emergencies, when it's required for my very stealthy plan to make new friends."
It was getting late, so cut off here