aefenglom | She sings! She dances! She can help you pay your taxes!

She sings! She dances! She can help you pay your taxes!

Name: un: Taru
Date: Feb 13th
Format: Video

_{[When the feed connects there's nothing to be seen other than a standard sized, wooden chair in the middle of a meagerly furnished dorm room. Soon however a rather petite figure comes into view, one with a cute face and rather large, pointy ears. She can't be more than three feet tall by the looks of it and once she's clambered atop the chair she's left standing on it, only to thrust her arms dramatically in the air for a big wave, a high pitched voice following the action.]}

Hullo! I'm Tataru Taru but just Tataru will do. Twenty one summers old and at your service!

_{[That's right, she's just fun sized. Her arms drop to her sides as she continues.]}

Now I know I haven't been here for very long, but I realized rather quickly that not many here have heard of Lalafell. No I am not a Fae, nor am I anything but a fully grown lady - we Lalafell are simply a small, youthful race - and quite successful might I add, especially when it comes to trade and magic.

_{[She gestures to herself, pointing to her chest.]}

So, for those curious Monsters and Witches out there, not only am I a Lalafell lady but I'm almost a whole Yalm in height. Quite tall!

_{[And she's proud of it too. Now that that's out of the way...it's time for The Hustle.]}

Anyroad, since I've to make a home for myself here and have only found part time work...I wanted to offer my services! Surly tax season is creeping up on everyone, yes? Keeping track of finances and spending, either business or personal, is my specialty! I'm also a very skilled seamstress. If there's something you need made I can sew it! Cooking? Cleaning? Mining? Juggling? Entertainment in the form of song and dance? I can do it all!

If you've any questions don't be shy! Send me a message or come say hello when I'm working at Precogstitchin' or The Sly Seadog! Hope to hear from you all!

_{[With a smile and big wave she's hopping off the chair, only for the feed to cease a moment later.]}

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[Henry may not know what he's doing socially and as a human, but he does know his way around the magical block. His knowledge of Monsters and beasts is about his only other area of competence, as well as an unhealthy repertoire of what ways to die are the worst.

Turning to her pile of goods, he easily locates the nails. She came awfully prepared, he first notices: there's all kinds of stuff he wouldn't have thought to grab. Honestly, the only thing Henry thought would be necessary would be some wood planks and nails, but it makes a lot of sense why she'd bring along all of these other things. A tarp, for example, is an ingenious idea.

He reaches for that next, and he lifts them up to her in his hands before suspending them in the air, sending them her way.]

Theeeere you go! See, we're gonna be like a well-greased wheel! I didn't think it'd be possible to get my roof fixed...

_{[She may not say it out loud, but the novelty of floating like this and being given a challenge to overcome is extremely fun. It can be seen in her face as she snags the box of nails and plucks one out, taking one of the corners of the tarp and tugging on it to unravel it. She's pretty much working in zero G right now and it makes the whole task at hand all the more approachable.]}

We are, aren't we?

_{[So far things are going pretty smoothly? Yeah. This is good. Right away she begins to hum to herself, working at a surprising pace as she starts hammering nails into the tarp. It's almost dizzying to watch her as she goes about her business and soon enough the tarp is firmly secured in place. Glancing back down at Henry she tucks her hammer back into the belt she has around her waist.]}

Pass me the roll of tape, will you?

[Her radiance doesn't go unnoticed by Henry. In fact, it's contagious, and his perpetual smile takes on genuineness at her eagerness. He nods as he passes her the tape, doing just the same as he did with the planks and nails.]

You're so fast, Tataruuuu. Am I gonna have to pay you? Because you're like a pro, and I feel kinda bad for not doing SOMEthing in return...

[He does, really. And simply teaching her magic doesn't feel adequate, since they already have other arrangements in place for that exchange. He looks a tinge worried.]

Maybe I could... Oh! I could go run errands for you! You're a busy lady, aren't you? If you need a hand, I could even go out into the Wilde for rare stuff. What do you think?

_{[She wasn't thinking of payment since honestly she's kind of triggered by the fact he has a hole in his fucking ceiling but if he wants to repay her with a favour? Well it'd be silly to turn that down. From her spot hovering up by the patchwork in progress she tips her head backwards to look at him.]}

Well...you do pose a tempting offer. _{[She taps her chin.]} I'm not sure as to what I'd need from the Wilde at this moment in time but consider it a favour owed?

_{[Sounds fair, right?]}

Wood next, please.

_{[She's finished taping all the edges down, to ensure it's watertight.]}

[The wood's passed along to her with some fumbling on Henry's part.]

Yeah, we can make it an "I owe you" kind of deal. I'm not scared of going out into the Wilde, so I'll go, no matter how far or how treacherous. Not even the promise of having my fingers torn off my hands will scare me! I make it a policy to kill anything that wants to take my fingers, anyways.

_{[Switching out the tape for the plank she takes it with a breathy thanks before turning her attention back to the task at hand. She's still very much listening though, even if she might look a bit silly, what with the way she's using pretty much her whole body to keep the wood in place as she starts to hammer away.]}

I rather you keep all your fingers, Henry.

_{[She may only have known him for a few weeks thus far, but she's grown a little fond of him. Unlike others here he was one of the few to not question or balk at her size or what she was. He treated her the way any Eorzean would - not as a child but someone his own age.]}

I'll think of something.

I'll keep 'em so we can still get married. Promise!

[Speaking of treating her as her age... HENRY?? He giggles.

Anyway, he doesn't seem to mind how she does her work — use what you have, yeah? Without asking, he offers her some assistance with that wood with a spell, lightening the wood and sticking it in place with magic alone. At least that way if she loses her grip, it won't fall on her.]

You just say the word and I'll nab it. 'Cause I, um, appreciate this. It gets a bit drafty sometimes...

_{[Ah, so that's where his mind went as soon as she mentioned fingers, huh? What a charmer.]}

That's right...you can't wear a ring if you've no fingers.

_{[The assistance is much appreciated when he lightens the load she holds up with her body, finding it much easier to nail the board in place when she's not struggling with it.]}

Drafts are the least of your concerns. You could end up quite ill so you're quite welcome, Henry.

Well, you know what they say. It's the winter chill that lands you ill. Drafts are chilling down to the bone.

[Good thing he hasn't fallen ill yet! Her work's fortunately almost wrapped up. He could easily hold her up there for longer, but he'd feel bad if it was a super lengthy process.]

So when'd you learn to do all of the stuff you listed in your post? It was so much, that I don't even remember it all! Seamstress, miner, singer... If I had a resume that strong, maybe I wouldn't have been stuck in the military. [A pause. Diversion:] Nah, who am I kidding? I TOTALLY would have! Hee hee!

_{[How one may be better than the other she isn't sure. Bone-chilling drafts are just as unpleasant as winter chills, after all. His question and admission of his own employment in the military gives her a quiet pause before she speaks up again. Being stuck in the military and thinking there was nothing else you were better suited for were two different things.

Considering Henry's magical resume though and his interests she can't exactly say she's surprised.]}

In different places over the years, born out of the desire to make myself more useful or to have a new hobby. I learned to sing in Ul'dah, where I'm from. Mining as well. As for sewing, using a needle has always been a hobby of mine, but I really honed my craft while seeking refuge in Ishgard.

[He categorizes her talents based on how she sees them, and mining and singing are sorted into things that she sees are useful while sewing is something she thinks is fun. That gets a smile out of Henry.]

Since it's your hobby and all, I bet you're amazingly talented at it. I don't doubt that for a second. But I bet you're good at everything you do. I mean, look at you!

[Her motivations are remarkably similar to Henry's, and he nods to indicate that he has more to say.]

A lot of the stuff I learned was so that I could be worthwhile, too. If you can't pull your weight, you're dead weight, right? Aside from sewing, are all of your skills for being useful, too?

_{[If you can't pull your weight, you're dead weight.

If only he knew how deeply she felt that statement. It really had been the case for her, hadn't it? With the massive debt her family had ended up with Tataru had to work to help pay it off from a young age. Childhood had been cut somewhat short in that regard. A child helping to support her family had simply been the reality of her situation and she wasn't alone in it either.

If she didn't pull her weight she would've gone hungry.

Even when it came to working for Minfilia she felt very much the same way, always wanting to go above and beyond and do more, as if she needed to compensate for something she lacked.]}

I think all skills are useful to have - why have them in the first place if they aren't? Even if they may not be useful to others they can be to you in some way.

_{[But...she knows what he's getting at.]}

But if you want the honest truth of the matter...most of what I've learned is to make myself a more marketable individual. That isn't to say I don't enjoy singing or dancing or juggling for the sake of it, I do.

Edited 2020-02-23 07:15 (UTC)

[Henry hums; there's a shift in the air, but he's not sure what the matter is. He often says things that end up changing something without his noticing. When he compares her reply to the things he said, he wonders if she's upset that she had to learn things by necessity.

Singing and dancing and juggling are, after all, things one should enjoy. But it sounds like she's worked toward anything that turns profit. And she doesn't strike Henry as greedy... The only logical conclusion is necessity.

Of course, he doesn't expressly comment on it.]

Yeah. It's super cool that you learned to do those things... and I think it would be real great to watch you sing and dance for fun, sometime.

[Not for pay. Money is nice to have, but living off of nothing isn't.]

But trust me, if that was your goal, you sure nailed it! Nailed it as hard as you nailed my roof back together. You're really something! But it's nice to get to enjoy that stuff every once in a while, huh?

_{[She certainly isn't upset that she had to learn what she has over the years. For the most part she's enjoyed picking up new skills, especially as someone who loves to learn and push themselves. What she has been upset with is her apparent weakness and being prone to being on the menu for far too many monsters. After being kidnapped and at the mercy of others to save her time and time again, the desire to better herself has only grown. Her botched attempt at becoming an Arcanist had set her back a bit confidence-wise but here in this world she'd been presented with an opportunity to give magic another go.

She's determined not to fail this time.]}

It is, you're right, and I do! Trust me, I'm not one to pursue something that may make me miserable.

_{[She likes financial security but she's not going to sell her soul for it. The last of the nails she'd been holding are hammered into the plank of wood. So far so good.]}

And I'll gladly perform for you, Henry. I'll give you a private show sometime, if you'd like.

Whaaa...? Private? You mean, [He points a finger at himself, dumbstruck.] just for me?! ...Wow. Are you gonna sing me a song for Henry's ears only? Wonder what that would sound like... Probably full of the stuff that makes normal people blanch, hee hee!

[a a a aAAA Okay the joking is a bit of a deflection. What an offer! It's humbling, and Henry can't bring himself to outright say he doesn't feel he deserves such niceties from her. He looks a little embarrassed, bringing a hand to rub self-consciously at the side of his neck.]

If you want to, I won't say no.

_{[Henry...really? She's not even going to comment on that. Well, okay. Maybe she will.]}

I'll sing you a bloody ballad if that'll be to your liking.

_{[Okay she couldn't help herself.]}

Pass me the last plank of wood, please.

_{[Looks like her little DYI project is almost complete.]}

[Her promise earns an unabashed laugh, and he turns to her assortment of tools.]

Kay-o, one plank o' wood.

[There is goes, handed off to her instead of magicked. At the very least, his smile extends to his cheeks. Maybe there is a difference in his smiles...]

_{[Tataru's perceptive enough to notice the difference in his smile and it has her smiling in return, taking the plank off him to nail it in place. Once the last nail has been set in place she's sighing with relief, turning herself upright in the air.]}

There! Finished! It isn't perfect but...it's better than the hole you had before.

That's perfect enough for me. If I don't have any more puddles on my floorboards, I consider that a job well done.

[Henry eases her down from her levitation without a single movement, suspending her at just the height she'd need to place her feet on the ground.]

You're so helpful, I bet all kinds of people want to keep you around! Thanks a bunch, Tataru!

You're welcome.

_{[Down she goes, feet touching the floor as she relaxes with a sigh. A few rolls of her shoulders and she's feeling accomplished. Time well spent in her opinion.]}

I would hope they want me around! Now you can rest assured you won't end up soggy.

Don't forget that I'll make it up to you. Any time. Really. You could interrupt me in the middle of the night and ask me to kill someone, and I'll do it gladly.

[A casual nod. Henry...]

_{[Charming...]}

I'll keep such an offer in mind. I'm in need of heading out now, though, but I'll check with you soon to make sure it isn't leaking, alright?

[He gives her another nod, this time with more vigor.]

Thanks again, Tataru. Aaaand I guess I'll... tell everyone how great you are! And wait for you to ask me to do stuff for you.

[SHOULD he be paying her??? His thanks doesn't feel like enough...]

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She sings! She dances! She can help you pay your taxes!

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