Runelords 16.3 - Girl Talk

The next morning, Luna crossed paths with Shadliss in the hallway. She glanced up and stopped her, “Shadliss.” The young woman regarded her politely. “Can I have a second?”
“Sure,” she said, crossing her arms and looking at her expectantly. 
Luna led her over to one side, keeping her voice low. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to ask something of you.” Shadliss regarded her seriously as she continued, “If you could, please don’t talk about anything regarding...inhumanness, to Aldern. I know you know, everyone knows, that none of us are human, but, Aldern really hasn’t been undead for very long at all, and he’s really uncomfortable about it. He’d be upset if he thought people knew, because he’s trying very hard to hide it, and he doesn’t...identify, as not being human. So please don’t mention it to him.”
Shadliss nodded reasonably, “Sure, of course. No problem.”
“Thank you,” Luna said, bowing her head. 
The two stood awkwardly for a moment, eyes glancing about, the silence punctuated by the sounds of heavy coughing and moaning coming from upstairs, before Shadliss offered, “So...I saw you packed up your stuff. I was serious, you know, right? You really don’t need to leave. I don’t care, really.”
Luna played with the sleeve of her elbow, looking away. “I just...I make people uncomfortable, and that’s fine, I understand. I just…”
Shadliss cut her off, shaking her head, “No, seriously. Yeah, I was kinda weirded out at first? Because it’s like, I don’t know…” she thought for a second before continuing, “It’s like you were sharing a bed with a friend, and then you found out she was gay? And that’s fine and all, normal and everything, but at first you’re like “woah” and it’s a bit awkward? But when you think about it again for a few minutes, it’s like “ok, yeah, whatever”, and it’s fine again.”
This explanation made Luna pause, blinking. Eventually, she replied, “I...guess? Ok…” She thought about that for a few seconds before adding, “I can...answer any questions, or things, if you have them. I’m...guessing that Virgil didn’t really explain things well. Or gently.”
“No. No, he didn’t,” Shadliss replied dryly. She gave a snort of derision, before shaking her head, “But that’s ok. I don’t really have any questions or anything.” A keening wail came from upstairs, and both of them glanced upwards instinctively. “...So, um...you, still want to go shopping?” she offered.
Luna’s eyes drifted down from the ceiling, and she looked at Shadliss for a second before replying, “I think if it will get us out of the house and away from Khyrralien’s screaming, it’s a great idea.” Both women smiled.
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“Ready?” Shadliss asked over her shoulder as Luna made her way to the door. “Hey, you aren’t wearing your scarf!”
Luna grinned shyly, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger. “Yeah, I kind of hate wearing it? It’s annoying, but I have to cover my teeth. But we’re all sharing this magic hat?” she pointed to the floral fascinator that pinned back her bangs, “It makes disguises. So I’m wearing it instead.”
“That’s a disguise hat?!” she said, looking at it enviously. “Ugh, I’d die for one of those! Anyone with money has one. Especially in the rainy season, so no one can see the mud or rain if it gets on you. I’m pretty sure everyone has one around here; it’s like, everyone looks way too good.” She pulled on her shoes as she asked, “How much did you pay for it?”
“I think Virgil just found it somewhere?” she replied, shrugging.
Shadliss replied with shock, “What!? Really?! Where does he get these things?!” She frowned a bit, “And why didn’t he tell me he found a disguise hat?”
Luna pressed the tips of her index fingers together, twisting them back and forth as she said, eyes rolled slightly, “I think because the rest of us kind of have...more serious disguising needs? And he couldn’t explain that, and then you’d get upset because he wouldn't be able to say why we needed it more than you?”
Considering this, Shadliss made a thoughtful expression. Finally she shrugged, “Yeah, I suppose.” As she shrugged on a shawl, Romeo, who had been sitting on her shoulder, shifted back and forth out of its way before returning to his comfortable position. “Can I borrow it though? Not, like, now, but later? I just want to try it out. I’ve heard it can make any outfit you can think of.”
Luna smiled slightly, “Sure.” Shadliss returned the smile tenfold.
The two women walked down the streets of the mercantile district, hiding under their umbrellas and ducking from store to store to avoid the constant rain. The poignant discomfort of their earlier interactions had spurred both women to try harder than before to get along, and they both were pleased to realize that they could commiserate happily on a variety of subjects pertaining to fashion. They cheerily went from one place to the next, comparing styles, colours, accessories, shoes, and complaining about what the humidity did to their hair.
As they looked through a selection of saris, Shadliss' eyes glanced towards a particularly well-built man passing by. She whistled low to Luna, grinning suggestively and whispering, "I'd like that for my birthday." Luna's eyes lingered on the man, and she grinned; Shadliss smiled wider, "Yeah, you know what it's about."
"Yeah, I wish," Luna rolled her eyes. "I don't exactly have dating prospects."
"Oh, don't even give me that," Shadliss giggled. 
Luna raised an eyebrow, “What?”
Shadliss grinned coyly, and asked in a sing-song voice, “What about you and Mr. Fo-o-xglove? You’ve been a-a-wfully close lately.” Luna himmed, looking like she was blushing, fiddling with her hair. The other girl nudged her elbow, “Come on, what’s the story?”
“I don’t know…” Luna played with her hair. “I...maybe? Maybe something?”
“Come on!” she goaded. “You’ve been spending all day and night with him; don’t think I don’t notice! If I’m friends with the girl who landed Foxglove, I want to be able to brag about it when I get back to Sandpoint.”
Luna raised an eyebrow, “That’s...a thing?”
“Oh yeah,” she grinned. “A lot of women were super upset when they heard he got hitched. I mean, not only is he loaded, but he’s young, hot, and actually goes to Sandpoint. What other rich, eligible, attractive guy goes to Sandpoint? He’s practically a celebrity: every girl wanted him for themselves or their daughters.” 
Grinning slyly, Luna asked, “Including you?”
Shadliss returned the smug look, “Well, yeah, who wouldn’t daydream about it? But I never bothered: way too much competition. And, from what I’m seeing, I’m guessing it wouldn’t have mattered anyways.” She smirked, “Apparently, he goes for the fair-skinned foreign girls.”
Luna had to laugh at that. Shaking her head, she said, “Hey, I’m not that foreign. I’m from Candelana.”
“Get out, you are not,” she replied good-naturedly.
Rolling her eyes, she conceded, “I’m from an island called Columbia, off of the northern coast of Candelana; it’s only about a week by boat from Sandpoint. But my parents were from Ortega, if that makes you feel better.”
Shadliss’ interest had been caught on another topic though, and she replied, “Ooh, an island! What’s that like?”
“Heh, imagine Sandpoint, but with water on all sides and no travelers.”
Her face fell. “Oh my gods, that sounds awful,” she said with no trace of overstatement. “How can you have no travelers? Sailors have to be going in and out all the time!”
Luna shook her head, “Really tight border control. They let people dock, but not actually disembark if they aren’t from the island or don’t have pre-approved clearance. Basically the only way we get new faces is when people have kids.”
“Wow, that sounds terrible. What is it, like a military fort?”
“No,” Luna shook her head. “It’s...more like a commune where the founders really wanted privacy.”
“Totally boring,” Shadliss declared before grinning, “I bet you really want Foxglove to take you away so you can live in his castle in the city.”
Luna chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t know. I never really thought about leaving Columbia before. It’s home, right?”
“Ugh, as if,” Shadliss said. “Getting out of Sandpoint is all I’ve ever dreamed of.”
Still grinning, Luna replied, “That why you didn’t run screaming when you found out about Virgil?”
“I considered it…” she said with an air of flippancy, “but, really, he’s hot, he’s loaded, he travels, and he’s got manners. What else could you want out of a guy? Yeah, it’s weird and all, but I figure I might as well get what I can out of it before he goes back to Hell or whatever.”
“I think you can get more than that. Like someone who isn't slime. Or an idiot,” Luna smirked.
“Come on, like Foxglove’s any better!” she retorted good-naturedly. “He’s been coming to our store and throwing parties in town since I was like, three. He’s good-looking, definitely, but he’s certainly not the brightest star in the sky. And, I don't know what goody-two-shoes you've been going out with, but Virgil doesn't even rate next to some of the skeezy men who've sailed into Sandpoint. Sheesh, we'd be lucky if half the sailors and traders were as polite as him. I really don't get what your issue is."
Luna sighed and grinned, “I guess. Well, if you like smarmy cads, he’s got you covered.”
She playfully smacked Luna’s arm, “Rich smarmy cads. Who know how to wine, dine and dance." She grinned suggestively again, "Among other things.”
“Pfft,” she laughed, “yeah. Yeah, that too.”
Category:Rise of the Runelords