Signed, Sealed, Certified

"Sorry that the fog is uh hiding all the things I wanted to show off to you.", the Gobbo says, sounding irritated with the current state of the weather.

"I mean, maybe the theatre district wouldn't be as fun for you as it is for me, but there's the Colosseum and the Fire Lodge, places full of warriors. The Gardens and the Market district are popular too.

Acedia giggles lightly, disappearing in and out of the mists. She grabs at one of Thea's hands, tugging her towards some steps leading up. "It's just in here!" The Gobbo throws her weight at the doors, shoving them open with a bang!

Theadosia follows along after Acedia with a big grin, reins of her horse, Lydia, in hand. The massive beast needs only move slowly to keep up with the pair, and her horsey eyes look unimpressed by the sights and sounds. After all, she's been here before.

Thea, however, is agape in wonder, in spite of the fog. It's almost like she's a country gal spending her first time in the big city (Spoiler: she is). She sends Acedia a grin at her first comment, "Well, shucks, Acedia! Gotta be careful with those words, there! That sounds like somethin' you'd say in a steamy hot springs scene! Speekina, there any public bath places in the city? I've been travelin' a while, and the road leaves smells on ya that aint the most pleasant?" She lifts her arm up, gives a sniff. She mutters quietly, "WHEW. Smell it through my armor even."

She gives a shrug as they approach the Adventurers' Guild, tying Lydia up to a post and giving the old girl a reassuring pat on the face before getting tugged off into the building. "Whoa! Slow down there, cutie! I might fall on ya accident-wise, and I'm not sure if yer little body would survive that!"

Acedia turns to face Theadosia, her eyes saucer wide. Faint pink spots begin to appear on her cheeks. 'Uh.. erm. I meant the city... Yes, there are a few bathhouses, one is only a few streets away. The TarRace. Has a great bar, loads of food, and the baths are in the back. You can get a massage, and your clothes laundered."

The Gobbo leans in to sniff at Thea a moment, and wrinkles her nose. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected, running around in heavy armor in the sun. I get it... I frequently bathe, and I clean my armor just to avoid smelling too strong."

She snorts and giggles. "I would be alright, don't you worry about me."

Theadosia gives a laugh at that, "Yeah, I don't doubt yer tough. You've prolly bin out in the world a while. I... Well, I guess I am like that frog at the bottom a the well in that famous metaphor, but now I am finally out, ya know? There's just so much ta see and do, and there's great people ta meet ta boot! Present company included, a course." She gives a nod, and you bet she'd tip her hat to the gobbo if she had one. "And here we are! At the place where adventures begin.... WHOOO YEAH! I'm EXCITED!" The armored warrior lets out a hoot, throwing a fist in the air and probably drawing the attention of those around.

Ace snorts and chuckles, hiding her mouth with her hand. "You've got people to do and things to see?" The Gobbo holds up her hand a moment. "It's not all that exciting right now. It's basically forms you gotta fill out and sign. One attesting to your sanity, and another attesting to your willingness to throw yourself in harms way, so to speak."

"Then, of course, naming all your next of kin so that they can report your untimely demise, etc, etc."

"Then... you gotta wait around for jobs to show up."

Theadosia shoots Acedia a saucy grin, "Well, things ta see sure, but I reckon we should save that other one for after my first job, yeah, cutie?" She sends the gobbo a wink. "Gonna hold ya to that date after."

Thea gets thoughtful, "I mean, yeah, I spose that makes sense... It can really try someone's sanna-tee to do boat loads a paperwork." She shivers, "Ehn. Gotta do what ya gotta do, eh?" She starts heading over to the front desk like she were approaching the last boss room of a dungeon.

Acedia follows along at Theadosia's side. "Hah, why wait on the first one, though? I mean, just sayin' that if one wishes to do such, it doesn't really require a job. Yanno? As for dinner, okay, that would be fair to wait and wait what? Date? Eeep." The Goblin laughs lightly.

"Hmm, well, I think is it meant to chase off some people, right? If the paperwork scares you, then monsters will be so, so much worse. And if you can't acknowledge that you might die, well, they don't want you out doing dangerous things."

Theadosia gives Ace a sheepish grin, "Ah, I'm sorry, gal. I can be a flirt sometimes, but I don't mean no harm. Sometimes I just say some things. You can juss ignore 'em, if'n ya want. Ma mouth's gotten me into trouble more times than I wanna count. Still, practicin' with... Er... Nevermind." She was probably about to say something about how she's a cunning linguist after all that practice, or something equally as crude. The world may never know.

Thea turns quickly to the attendant, and explains why she is there. The attendant hands Thea a feather pen and the documentation, and points where to sign. The procedure takes a little longer than usual because Thea insists on reading EVERYTHING she is signing, looking for footnotes, and asking clarifying questions on vague wording.

After that's all done, Thea gives a sigh of relief, "Whooo. I looked a bear in the eyes once when I was in my skivvies and unarmed, but paperwork always seems to be scarier, ya know?"

"Oh no, it's okay. I'm not used to people... flirting. With me, I mean." Ace chuckles, and remains at Thea's side while things are read through, signed in triplicate, stamped, numbered, encabulated, sealed in an oversized enveloped, with that getting stamped and signed.

"NEXT!"

The Goblin snorts. "The real question is... were those skivvies shat in?" A little fist bumps at the taller woman's hip.

"You think that paperwork is scary? Wait til tax time!"

Theadosia raises an eyebrow, "Whadaya take me fer, a egg hen? That's an AH-PER-TOONity right there! Ye ain't lived til ye wrastled a bear, Ace! Course, I din really win, an I had to beat it off with ma sword, but that was like, a year or two ago. Prolly could take er down next time!"

Thea gets a little serious at the mention of the three-letter T-word. Her accent drops as she suddenly speaks succinctly, practiced, precise, "Taxes are the bane of a merchant's existence." She wipes her brow before dropping right back into her normal drawl, "Least that's what Momma says. She dun have a high pinion o government control."

Acedia giggles, and hugs at Thea's arm. "I find it hilarious to have wrastled a bear... was it surprised? I mean it probably was when the sword beatin' started. But like... I can imagine a dumb face from it. Uurrrrh?" The Gobbo makes a cross-eyed face, lips scrunching up. "And then you're just like... wham wham wham..." She pantomimes beating something with a sword."

"Wait... you beat it off?" Her eyebrows waggle. "Careful how loudly you say that, lest the Crimson Pen paints you in an unflattering light."

The Goblin snorts. "Taxes are the bane of everyone's existence."

Theadosia guffaws, "I mean, whatever ya have ta do ta get a bear offa ya, you know? But don't worry yer pretty little head none: it was a Momma bear, and I camped out too close to its cave. 'sa shame, really. Coulda used a bear skin rug. Or maybe I coulda worn it on my head like one-a those gawdy lookin' cape things."

She waves her hand dismissively, "But naw. Ya don't kill a momma bear an' 'er kids. Bears are a," She scrunches he eyebrows as she says the next part, "Ness-us-ry part o the eeko-logical system. R whatever that means. Makes it so the boars don't wreck our crops r nothin."

Thea looks around, "So is there a job board round here, or do they juss kinda holler the jobs out and it's first dibs?"

Ah, yeah... no good killing the momma bears, then all the daddy bears get grumpy." Ace snorts and giggles. "Your mother is a wise and learned person. Uh, did she nag you out of the house?" Another snort from the Gobbo.

"Uh, well, there is a job board. And sometimes people run in, all in a panic, screaming for help and throwing gold at people. Sometimes the city comes in, looking for adventurers."

Theadosia waves her hand, "Aw, Momma's strict an all, but that's cuz I had a lot o stuff ta learn. Let's see here. Momma needed to teach me gee-nair-ic blacksmithin and money stuff, Papa wanted to teach me about mining and ores an all that, Mom said I gotta learn how to make a proper sword, and Mum had me workin on armorsmithin... I fixed this armor and sword up maself, ya know?"

"And then a'course Da made sure I knew how to USE the sword and stuff when I was old enough. So I had a lot ta do. I really only had the one day of the week to run and play with the local kids, so... Yeah. I had a lot to learn and only so much time to learn it, ya know?"

The Gobbo's eyebrows slowly rise up, confusion wiggling into her expression. It grows thoughtful, and she counts on her fingers.

"It... sounds like you re trying to tell me that you have five parents." Ace rubs at her cheeks a little, and tugs on Theadosia's arm, leading her towards the door.

"It sounds like you had an interesting home life... any brothers or sisters?"

Theadosia allows Acedia to lead her toward the door as she answers, "Ah. Yeah, I mean, I got lucky enough to have five parents who loved me and wanted me to be happy. I mean... Da passed. Rest his soul. But he's still with me, ya know?"

She shrugs, "I mean, it woulda been great to have siblin's, but Pa was infertile cuz a somethin' to do with the mines, and Da was hardly around 'til he got injured, and... Well, there are cer'n things that ya need to do ta make a baby that Da really wasn't able to do after that." She makes a pelvic thrust motion. Very classy, Thea. "But yeah, hey, could you show me to a good inn? I... Actually haven't booked a room anywhere yet...."