I'm a little less than sold

ira

If asked, she would admit she blames herself somewhat. Not for what happened, not anymore, but for not seeing the signs before it was too late. But that is so much easier now when she looks back on it all, being in a whole different position in her life and it all of course is so clearer in hindsight.

Being with Uldren is a whole world of difference and only in a good way, even if the genuine care and affection coming from him had overwhelmed her for a while. It still does, in a way, but it only makes her want to be around in his company even more.

She returns to carefully pick some of the plants in front of her, glancing at Uldren while listening and huffs softly with another small laugh. "Not sure you can do much more than being your charming self. Either he accepts that you're great, and if he doesn't..."" She gives a small shrug and sends him a smirk. "Doesn't really matter in the end, since I'll be with you anyway as much as I like. As much as you like too." The smirk grows more into a playful grin, before she looks back to the plants in the water.

She stands up to stretch out her back as well and looks through the plants she's collected so far. "It's gonna take a lot of plants to even make a dent in those bills. Really hoping I can get back to all the jobs soon so we can get this sorted out already." She rolls her shoulders and rubs the back of her neck with a quiet groan while turning her face up towards the light rain. "But maybe... When everything's settled and all that, maybe I can actually drop the diner and we'll still be fine." It is indeed a dream for her to safely be able to drop the day job and still manage.

So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

Uldren

That’s the truth of it, too, isn’t it? Regardless of whether or not her father approved, she was an adult. She could make her own decisions. Even if he didn’t end up liking Uldren, what difference did it make if she told him she was moving out? It’s not like he has the authority to keep her there, like some princess in a tower for the rest of eternity.

“True enough.” Uldren hums a soft laugh, content to let that conversation lie where it does, picking a few more plants as her playful smirk blooms on his face all the same. “Hopefully the meds work sooner rather'n later so ya can.” He admits softly – knowing that she wasn’t a fan of being unable to work and help support her living with him. Uldren doesn’t mind either way, though – simply wanting what was best for her.

“S’been slow for me this Drenak. Though I think it’s ‘cause of the tram being down. Barely any tourists to scam.” He huffs a wistful sigh, dramatically looking up at the sky just as she does, letting the soft rain collect onto his face.

I wanna get stuck between your teeth like cotton candy
So you remember me, darling

ira

She really doesn't like being unable to work, or not doing much in general. The day job she would love to be able to drop, however, but it might not mean her days would be much calmer. Perhaps she could try to get some more proper rest, at least, but the rest of the time could be spent either hanging out more with Uldren whenever he had time for it with his own work, or she could roam around on even more explorations in the city. Being more or less grounded by illness was very frustrating.

"Saints, I hope so too. They've already started helping quite a bit, but I should probably wait until the whole treatment is done. Especially while this is a problem too." She gestures at the algae in the water. Even if she felt alright enough, she still doesn't want to risk taking herself out too much and be hit by something new. Especially since the medicines currently made her more open for other things as well as an unfortunate side effect.

His comment about no tourists to scam makes her huff a soft laugh and she glances his way without turning her face away from the rain. "Well, here's to hoping all that gets sorted out soon. You get tourists to scam and I get tourists to drink every lasti out of their pockets." A mischievous grin plays on her face as she kneels down to collect some more plants into her container so they at least can get a few lasti from this at the end of the day. "How many more of these do you think we can take in one go?"

So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

Uldren

Uldren understands the frustration she feels, nonetheless, and it certainly isn’t something he’s going to hold against her. Drenak was his slow time, too, he’s just lucky enough to have saved enough to help his sister make the rent so that they weren’t going to lose the place. That and his landlord was surprisingly understanding – not a common thing to find down here in the Drench.

“That’s a good idea.” He offers her with a soft smile, nodding his agreement. So long as the medicine had ran its course, it should work out in their favor, and with it? A healthier start to the beginning of the new year provided it did anything against the algae that was forming. A fact that he still hopes that the Platers have something to do with.

At least for now, he can offer a little dramaticism and playfulness when it comes to his hidden scams, flashing her a brighter grin despite the rash that lingers on his neck. “Yeah, here’s hopin’ we get them for every dime they’re worth.” He flashes her another amused smile before standing up straighter, peering at all the plants in his container before looking over at hers.

“Bein’ honest, I think we’re probably good here. Don’t want the boxes to be too heavy.” Especially in both of their states.

I wanna get stuck between your teeth like cotton candy
So you remember me, darling

ira

She is grateful to have had a decent amount of savings put away to make it through this Drenak, especially with being unable to work at all. However, she knows there will be a lot of hard work ahead in the near future, but it can't be helped. She will just have to push through it until everything has settled. And hopefully, all their work with eels, bugs and whatever else will soon show some good results as well in dealing with the pesky algae.

She returns Uldren's smile with a playful one of her own, amused by both their ways of making money. Not that there is much scamming going on in her work, but one could certainly claim there is a bit of deception sometimes to make people more willing to part with their money. Especially when it comes to the Plate tourists.

"Won't fetch us very much, but it's better than nothing. Something in the right direction, at least." She says with another small smile as she looks over what they have gathered, before carefully pulling the gloves off to hang them over the edge of her container before picking it up under one arm and walking over to Uldren. "About the tram, though. Wonder what's up with that. Heard that it might be stopped on purpose, but just feels a bit like a lockdown on top of the current one, you know? Now people can work even less and we've still got bills to pay." It's a confusing situation, one she hopes will be sorted out soon enough.

So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

Uldren

Once things start to get in order, Uldren knows deep down that they’ll figure it out. He knows he always has, and with Ira being a born and raised Drencher, he’s inclined to believe that she’s been brought up that way too. Even still, it’s part of the reason why they’re out here in the first place – getting plants for any extra lasti that they can, just to make it a little bit easier as time goes on.

“Yeah, see, ‘xactly.” He teases her, pointing a gloved finger in her direction with that bright smile again. He, too, is careful when he removes the gloves and slips them over the edges, using the insides of them to pick up the container if only to prevent his hands from coming into contact with it that much more.

He sidles up beside her as they start to head back, turning back the direction they’d come from as he remains squinting ever so slightly into the light. “Yeah, I dunno about it. I’m sure we’ll find out what kinda stint it was soon enough. ‘N maybe somethin’ll come of it.” He murmurs, surprisingly thoughtful about it for a few brief moments, before he shakes his head. “Maybe there’s a deal goin’ on for those down here that rely on it to make their rent.” He doubts it, but again, Uldren can be a bit too optimistic at times.

I wanna get stuck between your teeth like cotton candy
So you remember me, darling

ira

She is confident they'll figure things out as well. Perhaps her having to more or less raise herself since she was a kid comes with some benefits, having to figure things out for herself to make it work. While it now could make it difficult for her to ask for help and comfortably accept help from others instead, she is learning to get used to it and between the two of them, she's sure they'll make things work. So far there hasn't been any clashing of opinions either, which really is a breath of fresh air for her from all the daily arguments she's otherwise used to.

They start walking through the mud and shallow water back towards the edge of the fields and Ira briefly tries to figure out the best way to that warehouse they need to drop the plants off at, while nodding thoughtfully at what Uldren has to say about the tram situation. "Maybe, yeah... Just hope it's nothing that will stir up too big a conflict. Suppose we'll hear if something big happens, with the apartment being close to the station." She wants things to get better as much as the next person, but if this indeed was some scheme of the Drench Kings, she's unsure she wants to get involved in it. Perhaps some would have opinions on that, but she doesn't care. Sometimes she doesn't mind keeping her head down and playing it safe for her own sake and for those she cares about.

Shaking her head at it, she leans closer as she walks and gives Uldren a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Oh well, our biggest problem right now is to get these plants safely to that warehouse, which seems easy enough. Then we can go say hi to your eel friends." She flashes him another playful smile with a soft laugh, the returning thoughts of her actually being able to move in with him brush the worries about other matters away for the moment. After everything else lately, she much rather focus on the brighter details as much as she can.

So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

Uldren

He leaves her to the guiding to find the warehouses to drop them off at, content to simply hold the container to make sure he won’t drop the plants that will hopefully give them enough lasti to bolster the rest of the season.

He nods to her comment, though, humming a thoughtful sound. “Hard to miss it some days.” He agrees, flashing her an easy smile that shifts toward a dramatic wince. “Sometimes it’s loud as shit when you’re trying to sleep.” Comes the added sigh.

Her nudge to his shoulder though has Uldren flashing her a brighter smile, nodding in agreement — wholly looking forward to seeing the eels and how they were doing. “Yeah. Hope they’re doing well. If nothing else at least we could get some food with the lasti from these, I think, so not a whole loss.” They’d come out of it with something.

I wanna get stuck between your teeth like cotton candy
So you remember me, darling

ira

She takes them away from the water-filled fields and soon they are on a somewhat dryer road leading where they need to go. At least it shouldn't be too far of a walk with having to carry the precious plants, which she hopes are in an acceptable condition. She thinks they look just fine, but she has no idea how picky whoever will be paying for them will be.

Uldren's dramatic wince has her roll her eyes with a smile. "Hasn't been too bad so far. Though if you ever can't sleep, just give me a nudge and I'm sure I can keep you entertained." She teases with a grin before looking very innocent for a brief moment, until the amusement creeps back to her face.

They come closer to the warehouses and Ira starts looking around for the the number 14, nodding at what Uldren has to say. "Sounds like a plan. And yeah, hope those scientists are treating the eels alright. At least they seemed happy in the pools when they were released, from what I could see. Not that I'm an expert in happy eels." She smiles a bit at it, and then finally spots the place they're looking for and starts walking towards it. Eager to no longer having to carry the container around for much longer. Even if they had tried to wash the plants off, the algae still clings to everything and she really doesn't want to have to be exposed to it longer than necessary.

So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand

Uldren

A rumble of a laugh leaves Uldren at her amusing comment and temporary innocent look, exhaling a small sigh in agreement as he sidles up beside her with the container in hand. “Entertaining or tiring out, either way.” He flashes her an equally amused smile, before turning to follow her down the path of the warehouses, looking around each one rather than at the numbers like Ira does.

He doesn’t know what number they’re searching for, so he’s more than content to simply follow along until she finds the one they need.

“I don’t know what makes eels happy either, but I wanna guess that having clean water prolly doesn’t hurt.” Especially when everyone else was having to deal with having to boil their water, prevent as much exposure as possible, dealing with the rashes and sores and sickness.

Distracted, he realizes they’re walking toward a spot in particular, and he perks up as he readjusts the container in his hands. “This it?” He asks? Looking up at the number on the warehouse as they approach.

I wanna get stuck between your teeth like cotton candy
So you remember me, darling