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 Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:38 am
 xaawopost oneIt was an odd sight, which was why Xaawo was drawn to it at all. Sitting outside a—public kitchen? tavern? fire pit?—was a lone Yaeli woman, her wares laid out in a semi-circle in front of her. Even from this distance, everything appeared handmade and used, two of the more interesting qualities an item could have.
While this wasn't treasure they needed to dig up or race to claim, some of it was bound to have value. If nothing else, it would all be terribly fun to look at.
"That woman," Xaawo said, waiting for Howth to catch sight of her himself. "We should speak to her."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:39 am
 howthpost oneA handful of weeks had passed since the sky wheel incident, and Howth was relieved by the fact that nothing had changed between them. Absolutely nothing. Not a thing.
He was thinking of home when she drew his attention outward, but it wasn't your average wistful daydream of times long ago. He was glad to be distracted from it.
"If you'd like," he replied. It was strange to see someone from Yael this far north, but no less likely than the pair of them. Howth followed behind Xaawo as she moved closer with a level of determination that he hoped wasn't intimidating.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
xaawopost two"Good day!" The woman grinned at them once they got within earshot, calling out with a wave. "It's a treat to meet travelers as far from home as I am."
Xaawo responded with a nod and a small smile. "We're always looking for unique treasures, and yours promise to be easier to obtain than our usual quarry." She examined each of the items with a bit more gravitas than they probably deserved.
The first was a necklace that might have once been quite fancy, but had now been run a little ragged. Four of its gems were missing, replaced by smooth river stones. Second was an Oban coin, shiny and gold. Xaawo lingered on it. Back when she had disliked attracting stares, she had wanted to travel to Oba, but she'd never made it. Maybe now was the time. A floppy spitorog toy rounded out these initial offerings. Cute, but not what she was looking for.
"See anything interesting?" The woman leaned forward, spreading her hands over the items.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
howthpost twoThat was the problem, now wasn't it? He didn't see much of anything anymore, not past a certain distance, at least. It was monumentally frustrating for someone who had made a career of searching for the undiscovered to not be able to discover anything. It had been an issue he had been meaning to fix. Howth took in a breath, searching for the words to ask.
He doubted this woman crafted spectacles. Why would she have any on hand?
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
xaawopost three"Do you happen to have any spectacles?"
She picked up the coin, weighing it in her palm. If Howth wouldn't ask, she had no problem doing so.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
howthpost threeHe supposed it really was that simple. Howth followed Xaawo's question with a nod. "I've been having trouble seeing things that are far away for a while now, so I'd like to at least try some. If you have them, of course."
The woman brightened, rummaging in a giant bag at her side. She pulled out two pairs of spectacles, holding one in each palm.
"I can't guarantee that either of these will work for you, since they're made for their original owners, but you're welcome to try. My name is Inalda, by the way. It's nice to meet you both."
"Howth. And Xaawo." He gestured her way. "I've heard about the tests Yaeli do to perfect vision correction. I would be curious to go through them myself. Someday."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
xaawopost fourThe two pairs of spectacles were quite different in size and shape, and Xaawo reached for the pair she deemed weirder first, gently plucking it from Inalda's hand.
"Here."
She perched them on Howth's face, hooking the stems behind his stubby ears.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
howthpost fourHowth blinked hard, trying to focus on anything at all, but the world was even more of a blur than it was normally. He quickly reached the conclusion that this was not the pair for him and lifted them off of the bridge of his nose with a shake of his head.
"I would be better off as I am than I would be to keep those."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
xaawopost five"That is probably for the best. Something about them... they don't fit your face."
She took the spectacles from Howth, temporarily sticking them in the breast pocket of her coat. Xaawo grabbed the second pair and held them out to him. These were the ones she had wanted to see and she hoped they did him justice.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
howthpost fiveHe did too.
Howth hadn't thought to consider his appearance while wearing the spectacles, but now it was all that was going through his head. He reached for them, turning them over in his fingers and examining them closely. They were round and fashioned from metal, a bright copper that was a close match for his earrings. That was a good sign, he supposed. With a mildly belabored exhale he put them on, expecting the world to go blurry, but it sharpened instead, and Howth felt his eyes widen.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
xaawopost sixShe noticed the difference immediately. Howth's expression clarified, gaining an acuity that she had never seen before, despite his tendency toward intellectual pursuits. He looked scholarly, like he should be a professor at that Academy he had run from. She smiled.
"How are they?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:40 am
howthpost sixAmazing! Astounding! Miraculous! He could see clear down the street, could even read a sign he probably wouldn't have even seen before.
"This is wonderful!" They didn't quite fit, digging into his temples a bit, but that would be an easy fix to make.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:41 am
xaawopost sevenShe glanced at Inalda, amused to see that the other woman was as taken with Howth's wonder as she was.
"I'm glad." Xaawo's smile persisted, small and proud somehow, like she had done more than ask a stranger for some eyewear. "You look handsome as well, so that's another point in their favor." She moved closer to the Yaeli, idly searching her pockets for some money.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:41 am
howthpost sevenAbsolutely nothing had changed. Howth did his best to smooth the stupid smirk from his face as he approached Inalda.
"These are truly amazing." He wondered if Geian academics had tried their hands at creating spectacles of their own while he had been away. Another reason to visit, he supposed. "We'll definitely take these," he gestured toward his face, "And the coin."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:41 am
xaawopost eight"Both pairs," Xaawo added, pulling out the ones she had stowed away. Looking to Howth, she said, "I'd be curious to take the second pair apart, even if the lenses aren't suitable for you." She had no idea what they might use the resulting pieces for, but that would be part of the fun.
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