[Podvrak] A Little Help Here?!

[Ethan Malaghas]

34th of Searing, 4622

Ethan looked helplessly at the man in front of him. Chest height, but flecking his shirt with saliva as he raged soundlessly at Ethan. A cart of late summer pumpkins was upturned on the road, half of them hideously smashed. Ethan looked down at them in distress. That was going to cause this man's family a lot of hurt. He couldn't sell those now, and the smashed ones were really only good for soup. Ethan had accidentally bumped into him crossing the road, and...well...being deaf was sometimes both a boon and a curse. He was helplessly trying to sign to the raging produce seller in front of him, but the man was having none of it.

"Look if you'd just let me help I-" Ethan began, his hands lifting to sign out the words. The man slapped them away and pointed a finger at his face. Ethan looked around. He needed someone to help him translate. This was a hell of a predicament, and he didn't mean any harm. He tried to step around the man, to attend to the cart, but was blocked by the angry little grocer. Ethan looked at the upturned cart in concern. The longer those laid in the road the more of them would be smashed and the more damage would be done. He bit his lip. He hated doing this.

He picked the grocer up by the armpits and, with a grunt, set him aside. Ethan carefully turned the cart back onto its wheels, and began picking up and brushing off the pumpkins. The grocer was still screaming at him; he could feel the vibrations if he sent out a little feeler with his magic. If he worked hard he could pick out the words, or define the sound a little better, but he really shouldn't be using his magic. Best to keep its usage low, and only keep it for....well...preventing incidents like this.

"I'm terribly sorry, I really am..." Ethan muttered in embarrassment, blushing.

[Podvrak]

¤

Podvrak found himself in Nivenhain tending to his own books in the shack he called home in the Low Quarters. He hated being a nameless but somehow still got along just fine despite not having a proper title in Lorien yet. To tell the truth, he was more fond of Tyrclaid or Radenor over Lorien, but the scholarly pursuits in his heart and old bones called him to this desolate and mean place. Mean indeed, he had stopped in town on a grocery trip looking for some goods to get him by between now and when he returned to Shattige Mulde, his new home. Hopefully he would get along there and be able to bring his bookshelves and other belongings to a shack perhaps in the peaks of the town. It wasn't a glamorous retirement but there he found himself.

That was when a crash and the yelling's of someone grabbed his attention, like a dog sniffing out its target he lumbered to where the hubbub was. A small, very small compared to Podvrak, man was shouting obscenities' in the native language-- unfortunately Podvrak could not yet understand. Pumpkins were strewn everywhere and he sighed as the damage was rather bad. Before he started helping he assessed the situation. He did notice the man doing something with his hands and recognized it as sign language. Another language he didn't know but the interaction began piquing his interest more when it became intense with the man signing picked up the tiny angry shop keeper and set him aside. He helped the other man return the wagon in place and patted the angry man on the back, saying in common,
"He's deaf. Your shouting cannot be heard by any other than, well,"
Podvrak looked around slowly while chewing his cud and looking directly into the much smaller man's eyes. Around them had gathered a host of Nameless and upper crust alike all watching the show.
"The group you've caused by acting out your scene. Is there any way I can help?"

[Ethan Malaghas]

Ethan felt someone else grabbing the cart to help right it, and saw a flash of fur and horns. He blinked, and almost dropped the cart when he saw what it was. He stared, acutely aware in the back of his mind how damned rude it was, and gaped a bit. The minotaur was just a little shorter than he was, but still just as large. He had never seen such a creature before! Gods, wasn't he pretty? What a lovely melding of man and beast. He was like something out of an old storybook. Ethan was struggling to read his lips, however. He wasn't used to the mouth shape, and he squinted a bit. Oh gods, he was being rude again wasn't he? He shifted nervously from foot to foot, flinching when the grocer hit him. Lightly, frustratedly, but still.

"This stupid lunk!" the grocer swore at Ethan. "He just walked out into the street like he didn't see me! He just toppled right over the cart like some idiot! I don't care if he can't hear, he can see can't he?!"

Ethan blushed. "I didn't see.." he spoke, and signed while he did so. "I'm a bit tall, and that cart hits me about middle height, and I just didn't glance down.."

"Idiot!" the grocer snarled. "I want him to cover the damage."

Ethan fiddled with his hands. "I've only got a very small amount of money, and I do need employ-"

The grocer glared, but seemed keenly aware of his noise level now that the minotaur had pointed it out. He huffed angrily. "If you're poor, why don't you give me that jacket then? That's worth a fair bit." The man held out his hand for Ethan's wool jacket, and the other took it off without hesitation. Ethan was clearly uncomfortable, and just wanted the angry little man to go away. He stood shivering, and the man tossed the jacket on top of his cart and hefted it, moving away from the damaged pumpkins.

Ethan bent down and picked up one that was just a little cracked, sighing and brushing dirt off of it. "Thanks for trying." he told the Minotaur, signing with one hand. He spoke as he signed, clearly used to people who heard, and had very little of the typical deaf inflection in his voice. He'd lost his sense of hearing later in life.

[Podvrak]

¤

Even despite the gestures the man spoke as if he could hear, which Podvrak found interesting. His ears twitched and swiveled around as the crowd tittered and gossiped before dissipating. The small man demanded the other's jacket and kindly, apologetically, the other man gave it over. It was not Podvrak's dispute and with his part in it finished, he turned to leave. With his back turned the bull man's large, shirtless, hulking form stopped moving as the other spoke his thanks to him. Turning to face him with deep, brown bovine eyes Podvrak said,
"Hmm. You're welcome."
In his gravelly, low growl. The grocer was leaving now and the crowd was all but gone, some were taking their time picking over the goods looking for worthy remnants. Podvrak didn't know how to speak to a deaf man that could talk, most he had met were dumb or he simply did not interact with them. While he could tell what the man was speaking previously was sign language.
'Perhaps Common Sign?',
Podvrak wondered as he stood there awkwardly for a few moments, trying to think of a way to maybe console him.
"Err. Well, sorry about that? He didn't have to be so pushy, but you have plenty of time before Frost to get a new jacket. Before the cold."
Podvrak found himself why he was apologizing to a stranger for their own mistake, but found it was the best small talk he could muster though it died lamely on his lips. He was frowning afterwards and looking to the other man with pulled in brows. He expected the other man to agree and likely retreat back home to tell his lover about his terrible day, he looked in decent shape compared to many of the dirty nameless in Nivenhain, perhaps his home was nice. A good respite to shake off a bad day.... Podvrak sighed and his tail swished. He had on no shoes, no shirt, and just a plain pair of black pants.

[Ethan Malaghas]

Ethan shivered, peering at the way the cow man's lips moved as he talked. He looked at the other man helplessly, and shook his head. He didn't understand him. "I'm sorry. I can't read your lips very well." he signed and spoke, rubbing his arms. It was so cold here...perhaps he should have sought his fortune in the south. He thought it was romantic to come up to the frozen north, to the snow. It had been so pretty in the caravan with a cup of tea, but on the streets with the chill biting through his clothing it was anything but. He looked at the minotaur helplessly.

"I don't really have anywhere to go. Do you know of a job...?" he asked, signing slowly and shaking out his fingers as the cold bit them and made them stiff. He really hoped the minotaur would guide him somewhere. "I know I'm not exactly the most worldly person but...I need a place to stay. I'm strong. I can work." He was rather unsure of what to do. Griscans were civilized. He could go apply to work somewhere and as long as he was professional and honest he would get a job. These people seemed...well, stuck in the history books compared to where he had grown up. He looked around worriedly. "Is it safe here?" he asked.

[Podvrak]

¤

So he wasn't able to read his lips very well. Podvrak thought about enunciating his words but thought the way he pursed them to be able to speak would only confuse the man more and possibly scare him. Instead he grit his teeth, listening and watching as the man signed in a language he didn't understand. Thankfully the man spoke as well so Podvrak understood the plea for help. He scratched his chin and let out a sigh, large horned head swiveling from side to side. A cry for help he couldn't ignore but he was only stopping in Nivenhain for a short time. Podvrak tried explaining this to him, shaking his head no, then holding up a single finger trying to shape the word "but" with his simple mouth. He signed towards a house and pretended to drink from a flagon.
"I will take you to a tavern to spend the night, we can talk more tomorrow?"
The words were said while hunched down trying to get face to face with the man, looking him in the eyes. Not searching but hoping they could be understood. Podvrak wouldn't lead him back to his own shack, not yet, barely room for the one man adding a second would be quite the task. But if he could get back to his home and meet in the morning he could bring his book and quill and perhaps they could write a conversation. Taking his hand and placing it back to his chin he then tried his best to mime 'writing with a quill'. It was something he was more than comfortable with anyway than speaking as his handwriting was quite nice, nicer than his demeanor. Podvrak felt like there wasn't much he could do for him considering his current domicile was in Shattige Mulde's Tavern and he was only in Nivenhain visiting his previous home to gather new books to read from his old stock.

[Ethan Malaghas]

Ethan brightened. A tavern to spend the night? It would be warm there! He nodded eagerly and rubbed his arms. This person looked very warm with his shaggy coat of fur but Ethan was getting quite chilly. He watched the bull as he mimed writing with a quill, and nodded eagerly. Ethan had very neat handwriting, and many who didn't know sign had to communicate with him through either writing or complex charades. Writing was always clearer. Ethan smiled, his eyes open and trusting. He clearly didn't think of any safety concern with wandering around next to a minotaur only an inch under his height.

"It's nice to have someone almost the same height as me around." he signed, grinning. Ethan had a wide, cheery smile. He tended to crinkle his bright eyes into little slits, and hunch his shoulders a bit as though pulling them up along with the edges of his mouth. "And don't worry, I'll find some way to pay you back for the room!" He added emphatically. He didn't want to appear ungrateful.