UnofficialZebFanclubPresidentAndCEO says:
Zeb didn’t even flinch at being addressed as a lady (though maybe it was lost in all the more generalized nervous flinching) not to mention he looks very… effeminate.
Though his self-expressive choices are none of your business you wonder if he’s hiding something
Kudos 77 says:
Play it cool, the engineer brigade probably hasn’t heard of what happened on that ship yet. Just relax and make sure to tell Zeb that he was mis-gendered.
Yeah, that stuff is Zeb’s business, not yours. Kind of adorable, in like a pathetic and helpless kind of way.
And who knows, maybe word hasn’t gotten out yet; It’s only been several hours — or they just assume you’re dead. You can only hope.
Citridile says:
Maybe you can reassure him that the alternate route will be okay to go through since he wont be alone? Seems like the guards think its a safe enough of a path to travel
Bingobangobungo says:
try to calm Zeb down and tell him it is alright to take the backroads, and don’t make the soldier suspicious of you.
Holy says:
Tell Zeb that everything will be alright, surely the detour can’t be that bad. It’ll probably be much better to hide from any troops that may recognize you.
Zeb is just being jumpy; he looks the type to freak out just because his daily routine is slightly disrupted. You think maybe reminding him that a “scary hunter” such as yourself would be ample deterrent from whatever adorable vagabond may be lurking in a land where people let you walk into their homes.
Plus, your species are known for being renowned navigators. Getting lost? Not a chance, you think.
But just as you’re about to speak, Zeb asks, “S-sir…
“Sergeant. Don’t flatter me that much. Sgt Karvik is what they call me. And you?”
“Zeb! It’s Zeb. Yes, That’s me– Uh, Wh-what’s wrong with the road?”
“Nothing. Some important hoity-toity Ceveran spilled his coffee over a bump on their way to Vebruk. We came out here— didn’t find any bumps. So in classic cloud-muncher fashion, they insisted. Now we’re out here replacing this whole section.” He seems annoyed but talks like this is a common thing.
You add on, “My last encounter with those branchies made me want to throw myself straight into the sea.”
“Hah! She gets it!” The soldier lightens up. “But it’s fine, we enjoy the work. It’s just dealing with nobles that makes me want to shove dirt in my ears.”
gorysaint says:
Wasn’t the lightkeeper person Youvo talked about supposed to be on this road? Maybe ask the soldier if he’s seen them.
Your potential savior, right. You ask the soldier if he’s seen anyone resembling that person.
“Yeah, as we were setting up there was one of those Mandaskan types. Fire kissed fur, gold armor over a purple dress. Very tall. She looked to be having quite the day, but we didn’t disturb her under orders to stay out of their religious business.”
Well, at least It’s nice knowing you’re on the right path and have a clear lead to follow. But honestly, you’re really hoping that you could catch up with them before reaching Cohv. They could really help you sort this whole mess out, but the detour might complicate things.
Might be worth trying something to get you both past. Maybe to show Zeb you at least made an attempt, right?
differnet name says:
…It’s possible to remove the losses and make this a win-win. This machine is big and made of metal, which means it’s heavy. You don’t know much about roads, but you know gravel doesn’t like to stay together, and lose dirt tends to remain loose. But if you pat or push it down hard enough, you can make sandcastles, or in this case, an imperial road.
Instead of making the engineers pat down the road by hand, all they need to do is place a large slab of wood or rock over the loose rock, and then have the machine roll over it. The slab will distribute the weight of the machine across the road, pushing it all down like a big rigid blanket. The engineers get to finish the repairs quicker, and Zeb gets to go down the main road.
…
You explain using Zeb’s crank engine to sandcastle the rock into roading more quickly. Maybe have a slab of wood to ride across like a bridge to help compact it and get out of their way.
Karvik looks at you for a second, “Hmm. You know we can do that. In fact, I’ll even crown you the honorary sapper! No, That idea is so ingenious that I might even recommend you for a prestigious spot at the University of Oxcot!”
“We know what soil compaction is and we have better tools than this hunk of junk. Don’t tell us how to do our job. I already got a Ceveran talking in my ear all day, I don’t need a raggedy hunter from a different hemisphere in the other.”
You are quickly burning through any goodwill you have gained with the soldier.
His gaze begins to narrow, locking onto you, curiously. “Speaking of which, you got a name, Gmonanyan?”
Poll Concluded
