The Claw Arms ((semi-literate walk-in)) New Announcement!

[Lunderly]

Having a seat back on her stool, Fiore listened closely as the little bear scampered off. A moment's hesitation slipped into her shoulders and tensed her upper arms. Would she be able to pay for repairs? Much less a brand new outfit? Her thoughts died away a moment when a somber soul found its way in. It was no use making this poor thing more weary than she already was. And so the woman resolved to lower her guard and smiled warmly.

"Hello there. I was hoping, if you have some extra clothes laying about, I might be able to do a little work to buy them from you. I don't currently have any money, you see."

Taking in the features of those two tone eyes was mesmerizing. Had this been the first time Fiore met such a person? The notion filled her with interest and she turned to her host.

"Or if you have some chores I might be able to help with, Rot. I'd like to give back in any way I can from what you've given me so far."

[Bone Clock]

At the mention of payment, Rot fought hard not to chuckle. "You needn't worry about compensation, my dear Fiore," he assured her as Morana fished in her pockets for a length of measuring tape. "This boarding house was built to supply any soul in need with what they require. Like the medicine from before, it's all on the house. But if you'd like you're more than welcome to help if you feel up to it. We're fixing the place back up after those Nails attacked before... they kind of made a mess of the place."

"Um, if I may...?" Morana asked and Rot stepped away so she could gingerly take the woman's measurements. "I've a wardrobe already made if you'd like to take a look. I-If you don't find anything you like, I-I can create something for you instead." As before, it was difficult for Morana to make eye contact and her stitched hands trembled each time she took a measurement before finally nodding and stepping back.

"One moment,," she said and scampered off to her own impromptu boutique in one of the ground floor rooms. During the sizing, Rot sat at the bar and took the opportunity to check his bandages and winced. The earlier catch had opened the wounds a little and there was a hint of blood threatening to seep through the bandage.

Wordlessly, he pulled his shirt up again and concealed the wound, not wanting to worry the poor lass before Morna came back with her arms filled with clothing for Fiore to pick from.

[Lunderly]

Fiore's mood brightened and she gingerly eased her bottom to the very edge of her seat. A place that aided any and all who came looking for it! What a thoughtful idea! It was such a shame that it had been attacked by such morbid creatures who sought to destroy it. Or was it the building they'd come for? The lass took a moment to recall what Rot had told her.

"Those Nails... Why did they-" When Morana drew near she drew her breath, unsure if the conversation would be suitable for someone so fragile. If Fiore didn't know any better, she'd have been sure the slightest wrong movement would have sent the poor thing zipping away. But when the measurements were done the willowed figure caught a glimpse of Rot. She tensed again and bit her lip.

"Was it them who did that to you?" Her nimble fingers gestured to those carefully enclosed wrappings. When Morana reappeared in the doorway the lass smiled once again. She slipped off the bar stool and knelt nearby, eyeing the garments.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to take something?"

[Bone Clock]

Rot's expression sobered a bit at the question of the Nails. His free hand briefly touched his sore shoulder again and he nodded once. "They have iron nails replacing their teeth and fingertips, hence the name," he answered. "One of them bit me and the wounds they inflict can take a long time to fully heal."

As Morana approached with her armload, she walked towards one of the empty couches in the lounge area and said, "It's perfectly fine with me, miss," before setting down the lot on the cushions. A slight blush tinted her cheeks and she allowed herself a bashful little smile. "I-It makes me happy to know that I can help others as well, s-so please pick out anything you like."

[Lunderly]

Fiore's amicable features darkened. The Nails seemed the sort who needed a lesson in manners. It was a shame Fiore had no means to teach them some sense. Instead of pressing further questions from her already pained friend she tried on one of her biggest smiles yet and turned back to the proprietor.

"Throughout all that's happened, you've taken the time to look after a stranger like myself. I don't think someone could be luckier to have found such a fine place. You've helped me acquire a name, fixed up my battered body and now..." She looked to Morana. "I get to have a lovely set of clothes! I can't thank everyone enough."

It felt a bit silly, taking up the time of a man who needed to be resting. Fiore quickly crossed the room and took a place nearby the clothes. In no time she'd selected a few articles and peered about.

"Is there a place I might slip into for a moment? To change?"

[Bone Clock]

"Oh! Y-Yes, follow me, please," Morana responded at once, a little more sure in her movements after spending more time around Fiore. That still did nothing to relieve the ever-present nervousness that led her to walking face-first into a wall corner while leading the way to the same room where all the sewing supplies and the make-shift boutique were located. Her forehead bumped the wall but she toughed it out and continued on until Fiore was guaranteed privacy.

Back in the bar, Rot closed his eyes and sighed. He did need rest but he'd been bedridden for days and wanted to keep from going back to that clinic as long as he could. Add to that he;d spoken to someone who knew at least a little more about the place where Key was trapped... it still felt worthwhile even as useless as he was. The wounded man wasn't even aware he'd started to doze for a few minutes on his bar stool until Om gave a pinching bite to his bare foot and jolted him awake.

"Ow! What was that-" he started and stopped, sighing at the sight of the little red bottle Om was holding in his paws. Medicine to help fight off a Nail-inducted infection. "Guess It's time for my meds, huh?" he muttered and took the bottle before dry swallowing two pitch black tablets and dropping the bottle back towards Om. The bear simply opened his jaws and swallowed it back into his pocket dimension of a stomach and waddled off to who knew where.

[Lunderly]

"Oh dear! Please, be careful there!" Finding the seamstress pinning herself to a wall wasn't good, but Fiore had to admire the tenacity the young stitched up woman carried. With one last look back at Rot the two ladies were off and on their way to the boutique. "I'll try to be as quick as I can. Thank you."

After reassuring Morana the rust locked lass found herself quite alone in the middle of her own changing room. A minute ticked by before it turned into two. And finally, with a terrible shudder of breath, Fiore dropped to her knees. The clothes fell about her trembling palms, far too close to the blood soaked linen still adorning her frail self.

"I d- don't understand... Why does it hurt so much?" She whispered bitterly.

It is a process. We are not yet whole. We must hold on a while longer.

That windchime voice sailed amidst Fiore's thoughts. Soothing her, pressing her to continue on.

"Why can't I remember... When will the pain-"

Our soul is badly fractured. Bits and pieces lost in the Void. They are gone, but we are not. Trust in our self to make it through this.

With a slow nod Fiore assented, peeling away the cream dress from her body and exposing the bare skin of her back. And there, fluttering gently, rested two small wings. Their blood stained feathers hummed with a golden aura. One she eagerly concealed under a large black dress. Joining her new garments with white tights and black slip-ons, she stalked out of the room with a renewed smile and headed back the way she came.

[Bone Clock]

Rot was halfway in the process of stepping off his seat by the time Fiore and Morana returned. The stitched girl had a very pleased look on her face, happy to have assisted someone before excusing herself to go and attempt to repair the cream-colored dress from before. In the lounge area, Rot felt a bit of a blush creep onto his cheeks and he quickly cleared his throat before speaking.

"You look great, my dear," he said with a smile while concealing the slight pain he felt in his heart. The contract her locks made against the black of her dress brought to mind the memory of Key's own copper locks. Quickly he asked, "Er, would you like some food or drink? Anything you need is available here and we have an eccentric but skilled chef as well."

[Lunderly]

With a quick word of thanks as Morana departed, Fiore waved her goodbye and turned back to her host. It didn't take a superior set of eyes to notice that Rot's face had grown in color. And with it came a smile clear across the young woman's lips. She chuckled under her breath and stopped near his side.

"Thank you! And food would be great, actually. I can't remember when it was the last time I ate. Oh. I suppose that would be normal in my case." She poked a finger across her bottom lip and tapped it gingerly. "All the same, I'd love some. And to know more about you and your family here. If that's alright."

Adjusting the ebony garb draped about her frame, she twisted her attention around and about the interior.

"They're all so interesting! Do you think they'd mind all too much if I spent some time here? I'm sure we could use a little rest before we go... Well, anywhere."

[Bone Clock]

Now it was Rot's turn to smile warmly. "Of course," he replied and gestured to the whole building with his good arm. "We have a variety of rooms ready for use at any time, my dear. And as for food, I... oh..."

He trailed off as a very familiar orange tuft of hair moved silently from behind the bar. It moved back and forth carefully until finally a certain person with hair the same shade of orange as a pumpkin popped up with a grin on her face. The mere mention of the word 'food' seemed to have summoned the garden spirit who was now clad in what Rot could only guess was a combination of chef's smock and a medieval cosplay.

"Gooood, afternoon! I'm Holli Ween, chef and garden spirit extraordinaire!" she announced with much stylish posing and even trying to flex her skinny arms. "Whether it be the classiest and tastiest pumpkin or the classiest and tastiest meal, I am an expert in both. Behold my glory!" Rot simply watched in surprised amusement as Holli took a moment to juggle a large mushroom, a whole squash and a head of lettuce before tossing all three out the nearby window. Unseen from Rot's perspective was the quick dive catch Alma made outside the building.

"So! What'll it be, lady?" she finally asked, producing a notepad and pen from nowhere.

[Lunderly]

Poor Fiore nearly jumped from her skin as a voice blossomed forth from beyond her line of sight and from behind the bar. She whirled about, rusty rose locks flying, and set her gaze upon one of the greatest surprises of the inn yet. Mouth agape and amber eyes wide, the newcomer did little more than bawk at Holli as she produced tricks aplenty and sent random vegetables hurtling out the window.

"That.... That was just splendid!! Bravo!!" Clapping her hands over and again, Fiore stepped up and over to the bar once more, raking her gaze over the chef extraordinaire. "May I please have... Oh, what shall I... Can you make a nice salad? Would that be alright?"

Those eager copper orbs drew from Holli to Rot and then back again.

[Bone Clock]

Rot simply smirked and nodded to the request while Holli locked eyes with Fiore and froze. Ever so slowly, her mouth twisted into the biggest smile she could possibly make before tossing her pad and pen out the same window without the same resulting catch on the outside. "Can I make a salad?" she echoed, still grinning. "Can Alma sing a note so high she can shatter glass?!"

"She can," Rot quickly answered with one hand up in a halting gesture. "Please don't tell her to do that again, we just replaced the windows."

Holli gave a dismissive snort before turning back to Fiore and giving a very eager nod. "You betcha I can make a salad, missy, plants happen to be my specialty. Well, that and these!" From behind her back the bizarre chef whipped out a pair of shining steel cleavers and raced off to the kitchens, letting out a ululating war cry until she was out of earshot.

Rot chuckled again and shook his head. "She's been away for a while and insists on doubling her daily 'eccentricity' quota," he joked and made a very gentlemanly gesture of helping her into her seat again as from outside came the distant notes of a wordless melody being sung by Alma.

[Lunderly]

Again, Fiore's mouth was left hanging loose as she was led back to her seat. Everything and everyone in the establishment seemed to live their lives to the utmost level of intriguing! Her chest swelled with excitement and her attention darted over to Rot.

"She's spectacular! And it's such a shame that windows cost money to fix; I'd love to see Alma perform such a unique trick. Are they always like this around here? So happy and welcoming? And where did Om come from? Has everyone always been from The Claw Arms?"

Fiore's outburst quieted and she peered out toward the window.

"Alma's voice... She really does have a lovely singing voice."

Settling back onto the chair, the lass was quick to notice she'd wept a bit beneath her bandages. It was hard to remember that, in all this, she was still hurt. And the notion sobered her otherwise merry mood.

[Bone Clock]

In all the excitement, Rot was oblivious to Fiore's injuries as he himself seemed lost in thought. A small smile was still on his face as he spoke. "We all come together from different walks, in a way," he said, gazing towards the open window as well. "Alma and I were reunited a couple years ago and after some time we migrated here. This was once an old abandoned building but we fixed her up into the boarding house you see today. Holli was already here before us, she lived in the pumpkin patch out back and she insisted on being employed as the head chef and gardener. We even have a physician with an interesting medical background, although she's getting rest at the moment."

It was then he noticed the somber look the lass wore and his eyes fell to her bandages and he winced sympathetically. "I'll make sure she'll be available to help you out, if you'd like," he offered, his tone calm before he fell silent and listened to Alma's song, drifting in and out of earshot as she wandered from place to place.

[Lunderly]

"I just seem to be taking up everyone's time, aren't I?" Fiore admitted, but not without the fragile appearance of a grin. Her shoulders sagged and hands slipped between one another. She leaned forward and looked to the countertop, her ears honing in on Alma's soft melody.

"I really would like to help give back to everyone here, though. In whatever way that I can. I don't... I don't want to get your hopes up, but perhaps soon I'll remember more about the void. About how to help you get there or to release your friend."

The thought of someone trapped beyond that veil of black was terrifying. And images of those feathered wings dancing among the shadows helped to settle her back into the present. The very ones that now belonged to her. Fiore lifted up her hand and let it settle near her right shoulder blade. The very act made her wince.