Mazerine froze for a few moments after bracing herself by grabbing Douken's shoulder, as a result of his moving to steady her.  Her skin ran hot, only partially from the heat of the steam and water, mingled with the embarrassment of her mishap as well as the accidental contact with him.  She glanced up at him for a few brief moments, the short amount of time feeling like an eternity.  "I didn't mean… I wasn't…." It seemed as though she had some difficulty finding what words it was that she wished to speak, given the situation she had gotten herself into.  "What I meant is that I seem to be making a fool of myself left and right with you," she said quietly.  "I'd rather neither one of us was cursed if I am to be honest,"  she said, attempting to laugh and clearing her throat as she regained her footing and he let go of her.  She turned away from him briefly as he moved a bit away from her, silently cursing herself.

Need to be more careful, you're going to get yourself into a situation you won't be able to get out of, she thought to herself, splashing a bit of water on her face.  But admit it to yourself, Mazerine, his arms felt rather lovely wrapped around you when you slipped…  She shook her head unnoticeably, forcing herself to think otherwise.  She turned back around, giving Douken an incredibly awkward grin as she reached out to take her cup back from him after he refilled it with wine.  She sunk into the water a short distance from him, an awkward silence permeating the air between them.  She gulped down some of the wine and set the cup on the edge of the basin, dropping her arm back into the water.  She felt the strength of the wine as it coursed through her system.  It seemed that it was, indeed, rather strong as she was beginning to feel the effects already.

A glance toward one of the high windows gave way to the fact that the storm had not entirely let up, but Douken had not been wrong in his assumption that it was beginning to let up.  The sky was still a dark and ominous color, especially dark for the time of day (she assumed it was at least midday by now).  "I think you're right about the storm," she said, idly splashing some water around herself before reaching up and taking another drink, making a face as she gulped down a much larger amount than intended.  "For safety's sake, we should at least wait until dark - but I doubt there are many ships leaving the port in the dead of night," she said with a bit of a frown.  "Either way, my suggestion is early, early morning… sneak back into the tavern and get our things, then rush to the port and get on the first ship out," she suggested, shrugging her shoulders slightly.  She drained the last sip of wine out of her cup set it back down, leaning back against the edge of the basin for a few minutes in silence as she basked in the relaxation of the water.

It seemed that the heat of the water and the steam in the air sped up the process of the alcohol in her system because when she opened her eyes she found herself feeling a little loopy, and looking at Douken through the haze that lingered above the water between the two.  Her memory flashed back to the very recent occurrence of his steadying her when she slipped, and she felt a rush of heat to her head, making her feel just a tad bit dizzy.  She stood up rather slowly, the water dripping off of her form which was partially obscured by the steam rising from the water, which at surface level came just below her navel.  "Getting a bit warm," she explained, moving a bit closer to him to climb back out of the recessed basin.  

She padded barefoot across the stone floor to a large stack of fluffy towels and robes, grabbing one of the robes and wrapping its around her body without bothering to dry herself first.  She walked back over to the basin, the robe loosely tied around herself, and sat on the edge, dipping her feet in, her legs dangling close enough to Douken to bump into his arms. "So.  We talk about all this magic stuff, and family history and relics, etcetera, etcetera… do you have any hobbies?  Do you like to read?  Paint?  Drink?  Are women a hobby?" she asked, the wine making her rather chatty.  "I figure it might be nice to know something about the man I'm likely to travel with - considering we've already shared a bed," she said, nudging him slightly and giggling quietly.  "Tell me aaaaanything about yourself that might be interesting… I'll share a bit more of my history with you if you want!" she concluded, sliding the jug of wine towards herself and filling her cup, offering to top his off as well.  

Douken watched her pull herself out of the bath before taking herself over to the offered towels and robes, her shadowy figure taking one and covering herself with one of them. As she did this, Douken used this moment to slip into the water fully, allowing his hair to get soaked instead of steamed before rising once more, his white mop now scattered upon his head. It was not a massive issue to really handle, outside of Mazerine's long hair, as all h really deeded to do was a slight brush at most to see once more.

When she returned back to his side, she only stepped into it to keep her feet wet as she rested near Douken, asking a bit more about him while her face glowed a bit of a red. Okay… Dwarven wine can make us drunk fast… he took mental note of before thinking more about the question. Time away from work or abilities, and more about him in a casual sense… Well, he enjoyed being outdoors and exploring, hence his work, but he doubted she would really take it as a bit of an answer. After all, when you are in a city, you are not looking for relics or hidden treasures.

"If I took the time to enjoy myself… I would say I would play a few hands of cards. A simple joy as you try to outplay your opponent, whether it be through a bluff or through luck. Outside of that… eating foreign food." After all, when you are out exploring the world, you may as well see what they have to offer. "I may not be that much of a cook, but its great seeing what they have to offer. Let's see… last time I was in Nisshoki, I found a meal of a rice meal pocketed inside of an egg omelet. Really simple, yet good."

Still, he could not help but agree to what she was saying about things getting too warm. Not only that, but his toes were staring to prune up as well. "I think its time to get things drained out," he thought out loud before standing up next to Mazerine, his naked body close to her as he stretched his waist a bit before heading to the taps and sealing the magic that let the water flow, filling the air quickly with near-silence outside of the stirring of water before Douken's steps through echoed through. Kneeling down, he turned a plate hidden within the water before the water levels quickly lowered, flowing out of the drainage, leaving mere remnants of what was in there before and the steam that came with it.

Stepping himself out, Douken headed over to the towel area and, instead of a robe, took a towel and wrapped it around his waist before heading back into visible view of Mazerine. Looking up through the window, he said, "If we give it another moment, we could be clear to leave without much of a punch… unless you think its too risky with them about."

As Douken stood to stretch, Mazerine dipped her head to one side, stifling a giggle as she caught a decent view of his form rather up close and personal.  She could not help but glance back through her peripheral for one more look, before standing up herself and moving about the room as Douken drained the water from the basin.  She wandered to one of the coal burners, checking her clothing - it had dried nicely and felt toasty warm.  She wandered to where he had laid his out as well, finding the same situation with his.  As she stepped back over to her own, she discarded the robe and dressed once more, relishing in the warmth of the fabric and leather.  She toweled off her hair, it now falling in loose waves around her face as it was still rather damp.

Glancing over to Douken, she saw that he had now wrapped a towel around his waist, and she wandered over to him, listening to his suggestion.  When the room fell silent again, she listened for any sign of the storm outside - they had been in the bathhouse for a rather substantial amount of time, but it seemed the late-day sun now began to shine through the windows.  "As comfortable as that bed looks, I don't know that I want to spend an entire night here," she said, glancing over at the fancy bedding and the canopied bed that sat in one corner of the room.  "Might not be night yet, but we may be safe to head back to the tavern.  We can have some food brought up - I don't know about you, but I am absolutely famished," she said.  It was not far from the truth - but she honestly wanted to eat something to stave off the strength of the wine they had been drinking (and also because she had full intentions of taking the remainder of the decanter with her).  "Probably not safe to sit in the common areas tonight - but if we head out at first light we should be able to catch a ship to the mainland, no problem… I've got plenty of silver for a cabin, as well," she said.  The journey to the mainland didn't take more than a few days, at most, but having a cabin would grant them a safety net if by any chance the men who she took the map back from happened to board the same ship.

She waited for Douken to dress again, at which time a glance out the window made her feel that it would be safe for them to head back.  She grabbed the decanter of wine on their way out, and as they exited the gnome at the counter gave them a knowing look, as if she expected something else had taken place in that room.   

As they walked outside, a small smattering of rain still fell, but it was nothing compared to the torrential downpours of the night and day before.  They made it back to the tavern without incident, making enough of a pit stop in the common area for Mazerine to secure food and drink to be brought up to them.  Within moments of them making it back to the room, a knock sounded at the door - two of the barmaids: one carrying a tray filled with different meats and cheeses and bread, as well as one carrying a tray with two cups and a wooden pitcher of water and decanter of wine (potentially much less potent than that which they had been drinking previously).  

Some time passed as the two ate and drank a bit, the sky outside the windows darkening as the sun set.  They made idle conversation as they relaxed, prepping for their journey the next day.  At one point, Mazerine took out the map and showed Douken a string of strange text written on the side, in a language she had yet been able to decipher.  She explained that it was whatever activated inside the ruins to keep the guardian from attacking whoever carried the map.  She then went over a bit of the layout of the map, and what her plan would be once they arrived.  After that discussion, she rolled it back up and tucked it away, suggesting that they worry about business once they were on the ship to the mainland.

With a clouded head from the wine as well as lack of sleep, Mazerine stood up from the table where the two had sat for quite some time.  She stretched, yawning loudly, and reached over, placing a hand on Douken's shoulder.  "I need some rest if we're to have an early start tomorrow," she said.  "Thanks for putting up with all of the… well… everything, since last night," she concluded, a smile of thanks on her face as she gently squeezed his shoulder.  Her hand lingered on his shoulder for a moment before she dropped her hand and walked over towards the same side of the bed, slipping beneath the covers and allowing him enough room as well.

Morning came, the sun just beginning to rise.  Mazerine woke first once again, having somewhat cozied up to Douken in the night as a chill had blown into the room.  She gently nudged Douken awake, and the pair gathered their belongings.  There were no patrons in the tavern, which made it rather easy for them to settle up with the barkeep (who informed Mazerine that she had paid more than enough the day before).  It did not take them long to make it to the port, where they easily found a ship with a private cabin (thanks to a hefty payment of silver).  Within an hour, they were onboard the ship and they had been lucky enough to find one that had been about to set sail, and they left the port shortly after.  

Their cabin, unfortunately, was below deck, which meant that they had no windows, but only a porthole that looked out into the dark sea they sailed through.  Finally feeling as though she were able to genuinely relax, Mazerine spread herself out on the bed in the cabin, a bed much larger than that which had been in the tavern.  She lay on her back, arms and legs both stretched out.  "You would think after spending hours in a bath yesterday my muscles would be overly relaxed, but they're not!" she said, making a loud groaning noise as she stretched, before propping herself upon her elbows so she was slightly sitting up.  She kicked off her boots and they fell to the floor with a thud.  

"You said you like playing cards… don't suppose you've got a deck on you?  Or maybe you can conjure one up with that fancy rune magic you've got?" she said, giving him a quirky little grin.  "I mean, we're gonna be on this boat for a day or two, so… why not kill some time?  I'm not very good at playing cards, but you said you like it… maybe you can give me a couple of pointers?"

Mazerine was not shy with her silver. That was very abundant. From the fees she paid for the drinks at the tavern, to the private bathhouse that have them a complimentary strong wine, and finally getting a private cabin for their shipment to Adeluna, she was hardly shy with spending what Douken would call "more than necessary" silver to ensure their security, safety, and entertainment. Then again, it was clear the two lived much more different life styles. Douken was more of a common man, enjoying what he had and finding what he could use as Mazerine, while she did enjoy a roguish lifestyle, still had a comfortable backing to be able to support herself in a more well-off fashion.

However, it seemed the sum she paid did not let them pick up the fanciest room on deck. However, for all they cared about, it was something they could call their own for the trip and a bed large enough for the two of them without being so pressed up with each other. A bed Mazerine took her time to enjoy for the moment before the ship took off, though was not one to stop herself from complaining about her aches, having Douken chuckle as she set his bag on a nearby chair. "Well, I don't think Drawrven wine was much help," he chuckled. "I mean, if they make a wine that strong, image how strong a Dwarven ale would be." He was sure sleep was also a reason for her aches, but he did not speak of it.

"I got a deck," he told her, agreeing that they had time to kill before arriving to Areluna and dug into his bag to pull it out. Slipping the cards out, he gave them a quick shuffle as he brought them to the table, inviting her to take the seat over. From there, he showed her a very basic game: poker. An easy game that many people played during their off-times. However, he did play open handed for the two to show her tips. "See, in my case, I got nothing matching, so my best bet is to toss the entire thing, or at the very least keep my highest card, this case being my Queen," he told her during the early process until she started getting accustomed to play.

However, when it came to her feeling good with playing with a hidden hand, Douken placed a couple silver pieces on the table. "While all this can be fun and simple, its addiction comes from the gamble put into play. After all, you are trying to get the better hand. Or maybe, you know you have the worst hand, and thus you try and bluff your way out. Once the cards are hidden and the coins are on the table, mind games can be added into the mix. Mental magic, however, is banned and is an easy way to get you banned from your playing area."

Mazerine got up from the comfortable positions she had found on the bed and walked over to the table at Douken's invitation, interested in learning the game that he brought up.  She had spent enough time in taverns where she had watched people (mostly men) playing the game, piles of silver, gems, and other valuable items being piled on the table.  She had always thought it looked interesting, but had never partaken - she was not exactly well educated on proper card-playing techniques or the like.  While they played open hands, she tried to figure out what was going on, laughing at herself when she would be horribly wrong.  Eventually, it came time to play a hidden hand, and she knew full well she would lose, but wanted to play on, perhaps in an attempt to try to impress Douken with her quick learning skills.

She failed miserably at her attempt to show that she was a quick learner, throwing her hand down with a victorious little giggle - showing a two of clubs, a six of spades, a seven of diamonds, a ten of hearts and a king of spades.  "Got one with a letter - that means I win, right?" she asked, learning awfully quickly that it would most certainly not be the case.  The two then played cards for some time, Mazerine losing horribly the entire time, but smiling and laughing all the while.  When the pair had played through several hands, Mazerine stretched her hands out over her head, tilting her neck to one side.  Glancing toward

When the pair had played through several hands, Mazerine stretched her hands out over her head, tilting her neck to one side.  Glancing toward the porthole, she could see nothing but the inky blackness of the sea.  The candles lit in their room had begun to burn down, and she got up and walked to each one, using her fingers to gently reform the soft wax.  One of the candles went out as she did this, and with a hardly audible whisper, a small flame shot forth from her fingertips and relit the wick.  She turned towards Douken and gave him a little smile.  "I find my magic works for practical things as well," she said, as though she felt a need to explain her actions.

"So, you taught me something… maybe I can teach you something!" she said, a bit of excitement to her voice at the prospect.  "Back where I'm from - Endapano - the younger lords, before they make it to the Elder Council - they play a game in the pubs.  Of course, I was to be raised as a lady, so there was no way I was going to learn it - except for the fact that my older brother did not exactly like to adhere to the rules and traditions of our kind," she said, smiling fondly as she thought back to her brother.  "After my father would be gone to the Elder Council meeting, Marzanial, my brother, would take me to the pub with him.  He's only a couple decades older than me, so I was lucky enough to be included.  They taught me this game - I guess you could say it's where I got my love of drink from," she said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Before she came back to the table, she paused, making a bit of a face.  "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said, and without another word, she left through the door to the cabin.  It wasn't long before she returned, ten minutes at most.  She had a strange wooden barrel with a spigot and two wooden mugs with her, which she set in the center of the table.  "We just need one more thing," she said, as she sat down.  She whispered a couple of words in a foreign tongue and waved her hand, two very tiny wooden cups appearing next to the larger wooden mugs.  The openings of the smaller cups were not much wider than a silver coin that was used for currency throughout much of Revaliir.  Mazerine got back up and fished in one of her bags for a moment, coming back with a handful of silver coins and clanked them on the table.  

She took each of the mugs and filled them with the liquid that the barrel contained.  "You mentioned it earlier - Dwarven ale," she said, an impish glint to her eyes as she grinned at him.  "So," she said, setting a full mug in front of him and one in front of herself.  She pushed the two small cups between them, and a smallish pile of coins towards Douken.  "You take the coin, and hold it like this," she said, grabbing one of the silver coins and holding the edges between her pointer finger and thumb.  "And then you bounce it flat on the table, trying to make it in the small cup, like this," she said and proceeded to do exactly what she had described.  The coin landed perfectly with a clink in the small cup.  "If your opponent makes it in, you drink," she said, pointing at his cup.  "But, if your opponent misses, they drink," she said, grabbing another coin and bouncing it sloppily so it would miss the cup.  She grabbed her own mug and took a swig.  She made a face - it was most certainly the strongest ale she had ever tasted.

"It's a bit of a skill game, I suppose, but it certainly passes the time and makes for some fun conversation after a bit," she said.  "Question is - do you think you can keep up with me?  You might have bested me at cards, but I spent a fair amount of time with my brother honing my skills at this," she added, a glint of challenge in her smile.  

He couldn't help but chuckle at the ideas of a couple decades being so comparable to a couple years. Than again, it was not like she had a special power that granted her such a gift. She was simply of elfin blood, which somehow multiplied their lifespan to nearly eight times than a typical human. He had no idea how, nor did he know why. Ultimately though, he did not care. After all, it was not like he would ever have the power to shift it, and even if he did, such a dramatic shift would be a massive shock to the species as a whole. Sure, such shames do come from that major difference, but many had comes in terms of accepting it when the two races wed.

While she was gone, Douken was sure to clean the table, not sure what exactly she was gathering, meaning when she walked in with a keg on her shoulder, he could not help but stare as she worked, settling their little game. Clearly, this was going to be a bit more complicated. And a different type of gamble. Instead of silver, though, they were gambling their drinks. Would not be so bad if the content she picked up was Dwarven ale! And to think we had their wine not so long ago he thought as she filed up the mugs. If they were getting tipsy with a wine, then that would mean they should be expecting quite the punch.

And even though this was a part of the demonstration, Douken took a swig of the contest ale, though was taken quite aback to that simple gulp. Sure it tasted like any other ale, but damn did it have a punch! A skill based game… with a strong penalty! If played right, one person would have a clear advantage! "Well, it would be a waste to not play after all this time you took to set up," he told her before pushing aside five of the coins. "Mind if I take a couple test rounds?" He was not sure if only five would be considered cocky, but he did not want to waste so much time on practice. At best, he wanted to get adjusted to the game itself really quickly, just as he let her with the Poker.

Luckily, she let him get adjusted before the game took off, and just as he got her a ton with poker, she showed her skill with the game itself. It had only been dumb luck with the waves of the ship moving the small glass did she drink until the ale itself affected her own accuracy. Luckily, though, that meant the two were becoming worse and worse at an even pace.

"Alright…" Douken said, picking up another coin as his face was plastered red. "Myyyii go…" With a hard toss, mixed in with the ship bouncing upwards from the wave, caused the coin to fly beyond the table and towards Mazerine upper chest instead…

"Practice away! You're gonna need it," she said, giving Douken a bit of a grin as she issued her challenge. She watched him practice for a bit, but it was to no avail - it seemed he could hardly make it in the cup and she made it in almost every time - that is, until the ship rocked rather violently, causing her to miss. She took a large swig of the ale, feeling it warm her insides considerably within moments of swallowing. It seemed that they had hit a patch of turbulent waters, as her next few shots missed as well, and soon she found herself missing almost every shot and in quite a state of inebriation. She found herself giggling with each shot she missed and shouting out in excitement with each that she made.

When it came time for another of Douken's shots, she snorted in laughter as he slurred his words. The ship hit another wave, and he far misjudged his shot, the silver coin bouncing down the neck of Mazerine’s shirt rather than into the cup where he should have been aimed. She paused, taking a moment to process what had happened. She felt the cool metal as it grazed her skin, and jumped a little bit, a yelp laced with laughter bursting forth. ”Oh, you meant to do that, didn’t you!” she accused, pointing her finger at him. It was rather clear she was not upset in the slightest.

She undid the lacing from the neck of her tunic, pulling it down and exposing one shoulder so she could reach in and retrieve the coin. After she had, she bounced it off the table towards the cup in the middle, not bothering to lace her shirt back up. The coin knocked off the edge of the cup and she let out a shout of dismay. ”Well, what the hell,”, she said, and grabbed her mug, draining it rather than taking a drink. She clunked it rather noisily back onto the tabletop and made a bit of a face, scrunching her eyes closed. She laughed a bit when she opened them.

The ship rocked back and forth a bit more than it had been, and Mazerine, in her inebriated state, announced to Douken that it would make the game far too difficult to keep playing and that she was going to (with a few hiccups inserted here and there) get the map for them to look at. However, as she stood from the table to go and retrieve said map, the ship hit a very rough wave, and with her already uneasy footing, sent her toppling over into Douken once more. She landed rather unceremoniously in his lap, her face only a few inches from his.

She giggled quietly, trying to regain her footing, slipping slightly and forcing herself into an even more awkward situation. ”Sorry!” she said, her face turning an even deeper shade of red than her drunken state had already caused. Both of them in rather disheveled states, she reached up with one hand pushed a fringe of his hair away from his eyes. ”Your eyes are a really interesting color,” she said rather quietly, locking her gaze onto them for a moment, her hand lingering on the side of his face as she got lost in thought for a moment, her mind clouded both by her proximity to him and the liquor she had consumed.

With the instability of the ship being announced, Douken nodded in a loose agreement, taking whatever bit remained in his mug and finished the last couple gulps he had left over. "Thaat… was fun…. hard… but fun…" Douken told her, face red from the powerful ale the pair had consumed. It was definitely the strongest drink the pair enjoyed together…. No, the strongest he ever had in general. At least the ship agreed with letting the two enjoy the ale in the same way, though she took it in good fun with his missed shot. Her silly smile said so she accused him of such an event.

After all the fun, it seemed she wanted to make some final prep work for the job in the morning, considering the ship should land come dawn. However, unstable legs and floor were never a good combination, and a sudden wave threw her forward and into Douken, laying in front of him. Her answer for more stability was to straddle him in his lap, their faces close enough to feel her drunk breath on his cheeks as she caught her breath. Then her emerald eyes caught his azures, the two staring each other as they fought for breath.

It was then she began to lean forward; her eyes flickering closed as she pushed closer. In a simple moment, their lips met, bodies pressed close to each other… and yet neither side fighting it. After all, the strong ale affected each other in different ways. To Douken, it was she who went for it, and he would not be in a proper mindset to really deny her for her own safety. As for Mazerine… well, he could soon feel her body slumping over a quick moment to break their kiss away… an accidental kiss. Instead of getting embarrassed or flirty with the moment, the ale had conquered her and caused her to pass out as she laid on him.

"Alright, alright," Douken muttered, Trying to work her into his arms as he fought to get up. "Time for bed." Douken was not as safe as she was when it came to the waves, as only a couple steps forward, a stumble back, and another strike from a wave, he found himself falling backwards, Mazerine landing on top of him. It was going to be exhausting to get them back up and into the bed in the room… but they had their own private space… and the rocking of the ship was already relaxing as it was… rocking the drunken Douken to sleep with Mazerine in his arms as she rested on him like a blanket…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The loud bellow of the ship was quite an alarm to the pair as it announced their arrival to the kingdom of Adeluna, causing Douken's head to scream in pain as he stirred awake. "Ugh…" he groaned as he looked up at Mazerine. "First stop before we head out: the medicine shop…" He muttered under his breath, holding his head as the crew above got ready to land.

Mazerine's eyes opened to darkness - the candles had all gone out in the room, and the inky water outside the porthole offered no light.  For a moment, she struggled to determine where it was she found herself - though she shortly took notice of the steady rise and fall of Douken's chest which she was laying upon, and one of his arms draped around her.  Her eyes widened for a moment as she realized her situation and positioning, wondering just how she had ended up where she was - but her mind was still far too clouded from the ale to comprehend exactly what was going on.  With that, she nuzzled her head on his chest, coming to rest in the crook of his neck, his arm still around her, and she drifted back off to sleep.

-

Mazerine woke as Douken stirred beneath her, though she did not open her eyes immediately, perhaps giving off the illusion that she was still asleep.  The last memory that flickered in Mazerine's mind was of the boat lurching her forward into Douken's lap, and of her eyes locking with his own. The thought to kiss him had crossed her mind - after all, she did find him attractive and the ale only strengthened that fact, but her stability had wavered and made the choice for her, making her lean forward and press her lips against his in an awkward albeit rather intimate motion. After that, her mind went blank, as she had once again fallen asleep - or perhaps passed out would be a better terminology - though this time in a much more awkward position than the last.

She was not able to keep up the illusion for long, as her eyes opened slowly when Douken began to speak.  Her own head swelled with pain as well, and for a moment she fought the urge to once more snuggle back into him (he was rather warm, after all).  However, after a moment, she slipped herself out from under his arm and scrambled up into a standing position, immediately moving to reposition her tunic and lace the neck cording back up.  "I agree," she said rather quietly, her face a dark shade of red.  She busied herself with gathering her things and packing them back up, as it was clear that they were about to make port and disembark the ship.  She felt a strange twinge in her stomach as she moved to the table, scooping up her silver that they had used the night before and returning it to its satchel, a few more fleeting memories of the night before sneaking back into her mind.

She shook them off as best they could, and the pair packed up their belongings.  Just before they left the room, Mazerine locked eyes with Douken one more time, and for a brief second, she felt the same clouded intensity she had felt the night before.  Great, she thought to herself. Just another thing to make this task all the more complicated… She cleared her throat and turned to head out of the room, as the ship had docked and they were now going to be allowed to disembark.  Fortunately, her back was to Douken and it allowed her to hide the tiny smile that had crept onto her lips.

Once they had deboarded, it didn't take long to find an apothecary with the exact medicine they were desiring.  Mazerine dipped in and bought some, leaving her things with Douken.  She emerged and gave herself a few drops before offering it to Douken to do the same, and after she had stashed it away, she looked to him, finally speaking to him for the first time since they had exited the ship.  "Well, we need to get supplies before heading out… I've got a general idea," she said, an awkward tone to her voice.  It seemed as though she were avoiding making eye contact with him, and also avoiding the elephant in the room about what had taken place the night before.  She found herself wondering how much he remembered from the night before, and what his thoughts were on it… but this was not the time to bring that up, nor for her to worry about it.  "If there's anything specific you'll want for the journey, now's the time to make sure we get it," she said, and the two made their way towards the shops to gather whatever supplies they would need before heading out into the wilds in search of the ruins.