Swilla looked down at the raccoon girl, trying to keep up with what she was saying. The Coldscales gave her a quizzical look before letting out a loud laugh. "Man, ya need to slow down a bit," he said to Morgan, flashing her another grin before taking another bite from his turkey leg. "Besides, if ya are trying to avoid people and keep a low profile...hangin' back against the wall with your hoodie up is not the way to do it." He let out another chuckle as he shook his head. "Makes ya look like you are up to no good!"
He finished chewing on the turkey leg, to the point that only the bone was left. Turning to find a nearby trash can, the reptilian Beast tossed the bone lightly into it. "They call me Big Swilla by the way," he said as he turned to face the Steepescrambler. "What's your name?"
Morgan gave a nervous chuckle, "Heh, sorry. I, uh, tend to talk fast when nervous. Or when its quiet. Same thing really, heh." She grinned as she finished before letting out a sigh. Big Swilla was just being courteous, she wasn't in trouble. That was a relief.
Morgan's eyes tracked the bone's flight into the trash before she refocused on Big Swilla. It was a good shot. His name also sounded familiar, he was known in the Freehold, though she was unsure what he was known for. Best to be respectful, right? She gave a quick bow of her head before continuing. "Its nice to meet you Big Swilla. I'm...Morgan. Um, I kinda have kept getting myself in trouble by...well being very stupid. So I figured: hide in corner prevent problem. Thoooough from what you said, I guess I didn't think this through too good."
"Nice to meet ya Morgan," said the big bad croc, offering the other Beast a grin. While the gesture was a friendly one, the Coldscales' grins always appeared a little menacing...even if he didn't intend them to be. "So you got yourself in trouble for being stupid, huh?" Swilla scratched the site of his head as he asked the question, giving Morgan an assessing look.
"You tried not being stupid? That should work, right?" he said to her, clearly trying to be helpful, even if his words may have been taken as insulting.
The beast had to push down her instinct to run upon getting a nice look at Big Swilla's choppers. She was certain that, whatever his durance was, the reptilian Lost was not the prey. She did manage to keep her head though. As for his advice, it sounded rather sound and valid to the little beast. Following said advice, well that was another matter.
She rubbed the back of her head while responding, "Well I am trying. To not be stupid that is. But, the books that are supposed to help are kinda hard, heh heh." Those books were really hard to read. Oh sure, she could just read the answers but that would defeat the purpose, right?
She gave a look around then continued, hoping to change the subject. "So, um? My stupidity aside, can we chat about other stuff? I'm still pretty new to town so...maybe talk about places I should know about? Or, if, you know, you have any suggestions for making...all four sovereigns not pissed at you anymore, that'd be nice."
Swilla raised an eyebrow just slightly at Morgan's response to his advice. "Have ya tried askin' someone fo' help with reading 'em books?" he asked the Steepescrambler. "There's some pretty smart folks here in da 'hold, I'm sure someone wouldn't mind helpin' ya out." He gave her a little shrug after saying those words, his eyes looking around the room for a brief moment.
"Well, you obviously know about the Four Seasons," he said as Morgan tried to change the subject, offering her a quick grin once more. "Asides from this place, there are a few other spots owned by members of da 'hold. Missus Rosemary has a restaurant here in the hotel, called Fresh Tastes...and lemme tell ya, its got some awesome grub!" The Coldscales paused for a moment, considering other places of interest around the Freehold. "Spartan owns a bar called Da Forge, they've got live music and stuff there. Terri's got her store, Treetop Fashions and mah Queen owns an antique shop called Treasured."
The big bad croc glanced over at the buffet for a moment, perhaps wanting to snack on something else. After all, a turkey leg really wasn't all that much for someone his size. "As far as not making the Monarchs mad, well...I guess follow the rules of da 'hold and keep a low profile," he finally said to the other Beast, giving her another shrug of his massive shoulders. "I find it that if you help out around here and ya don't fuck up, people treat ya real nice."
Morgan nodded along while listening to what Swilla was telling her. She hadn't heard of Treasured before and she was in no hurry to visit the Forge. As for asking others for help with reading...she supposed she was a little too embarassed to do that. She coudl just ask around she supposed, it made sense. The not fucking up advice though...little late for that.
"Heh heh, well a little late for the not fuck up thing. Done that already. I keep hearing about Fresh Tastes from everyone I talk too. I probably shoudl visit it soon. M-maybe if I apologize to the Sovereigns for my being a dumbass it would, well, help? Your, uh, Sovereign is the really scary Ice Lady, right? Would apologies work on her? And, um, do you know if the Forge has big parties regularly? Apologizing might help but...well Spartan scares the Hell out of me. I-I'm sure he's nice and that my first impression making me think the worst...but my instincts scream that he'll squish and eat me." She gave a shudder as she finished. It was probably stupid...but she had already claimed to be not smart anyway.
Big Swilla gave her another shrug. "Ya didn't break the pledge, did ya? If ya didn't, then it can't be all that big of a fuck up," he said to Morgan, offering her a reassuring smile, which may have worked directly in opposition of what he was trying to achieve. But hey, he couldn't help having all those sharp teeth! Blame his asshole Keeper for that...
"But yeah, you should really try the food there. I'm telling ya, its like nuttin' you ever tried before!" he said to the Steepescrambler, his predatory eyes glancing back at the buffet once more. "Or you could just grab somethin' from the buffet. Its all cooked by Missus Rosemary anyway." The Coldscales licked his lips once as he said those words.
"I think that if ya apologize sincerely for whatever ya did, and ya are respectful, then it will be aight," said the crocodilian Beast, trying to reassure the little one. "Yeah, Queen Byeli can be a little intimidating, but she won't do nuttin' bad to ya if ya are nice and polite like. As far as Spartan goes, I know him to be a good man, he cares a lot 'bout the safety of the 'hold." He let out a low sounding chuckle at the idea of the Summer King eating people.
"Nah, he isn't the one ya gotta worry about," said Swilla in response to her words. "I'm pretty sure Spartan don't eat people! And yeah, the Forge tends to have a lot of concerts there, so just keep an eye out fo' da flyers and stuff." With those words, the big bad croc looked down at the raccoon girl and flashed her another grin.
"You'll be aight lil' Morgan," he said, patting the top of her head gently with one massive hand. "Just try to slow down when ya talk to 'em, ok?"
"Be polite and talk slower? Right, have to do that, but how?" She put on a thoughtful look as she tried to think up how to address the talk to fast problem. Through fear my words acquire speed, mind acquires sluggishness, and there is no warning. Beer equals calm. Nonono, did that before and pissed off the witch. Bad plan. Coffee? Er, no words can go to to fast. No no. Turkey? Turkey slows you down but not dampen mind, right? Eat turkey then apologize? Whole turkey or cold cuts? Can't afford whole so cold cuts. Solution! While thinking this rather quickly she mumbled the keywords of her thought pattern: "Beer? Coffee? Turkey? Turkey." She seemed to perk up a bit after she had come to her conclusion.
She looked back up at Swilla and gave a nod to confirm she understood. "Right. I think I got it. Heh, and have to make sure to stop butting in where I shouldn't." She had some confidence in her stance now. She had a plan and some ideas. And Swilla. Wait? Didn't he say, "The Ice Lad--er Queen Byeli is your Sovereign? Your Winter? You, well, don't seem, uh, heh, no offense. You just don't seem, well. You're friendly and nice. You don't seem like the hidey hidey type. I'm probably thinking of stereotypes too much aren't I?"
Swilla gave the girl a quizzical look as began mumbling random words, raising one of his eyebrows just slightly. "Turkey? Yeah, Missus Rosemary's turkey is quite good," he said to the Steepescrambler, not sure of what she was actually mumbling about.
When Morgan actually spoke up again, the Coldscales blinked his eyes and stared at her blankly for a moment. It didn't take long for him to burst out into a bout of laughter. "Yeah, you are stereotyping and that won't really get ya too far with folks," he said to her, shaking his head slightly. "The Spring Court doesn't have a monopoly on being friendly, ya know?" With those words, he flashed her a quick grin. "And not all of us hide in the same ways," he added, giving her a quick wink.
She looked up at the larger beast and blinked in confusion. How'd he know I was thinking about turkey? Can he read minds?! Wait, I'd have felt a contract if he did. Maybe--maybe he does it without a contract?! ICP, ESP, LSD, whatever its called? Or--oooor you were talking out loud stupid. Yup, we are not smart at all. She chuckled and looked down, hoping to hide her embarassed blush at her foolishness.
She gave a cough into her fist before looking back up. She should apologize for her courts comment, "Heh, I'll have to give the buffet a try later I guess. S-sorry about my rude mistake. The, uh, only other Court I've met was in Chicago. Never met any Winters there but the others I did meet...they kinda mixed the stereotypes with a dash of mobsters." She shuddered at memories of the Lost in Chicago. She would never visit them again if she had a choice. She should have expected the courts here to be different.
That was something more to think about. "Heh, guess there are different ways to be your court...didn't actually think about that. Well. Since the stereotypes are wrong, can, please, maybe you tell me what the courts in town are like?"
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