Herbalists' Cache Tomorrow, I'll switch the beat to avoid yesterday's dance

Its okay! I have 20 active threads with Ibis so any break is welcome LOL.

The stranger towards which she spoke rose up in a wave, and while Ibis had considered him large like Okeanos, he was actually quite a bit more dense and intimidating. The rumble in his chest was unmistakable too. The way he moved to shield the smaller body while fixing a hard glare upon the doe-eyed girl made her very nervous; she did not know how to react to such brazen hostility, and shrank back as if he had managed to lunge close enough to strike at her. His deep voice sent a wave of alienating energy through Ibis, but she pivoted her ears towards him to show she was listening and heard the warning there.

As she opened her mouth to respond the body that was being protected—a little girl it sounded like—moved behind him and Ibis glimpsed their face. They seemed more open to Ibis' presence; going so far as to plead with their protector, at which point Ibis looked to the stalwart man again. Although her rabbit-heart thundered in her chest she tried to relax her posture and her expression, tried to make her smallness more obvious (as if that would help; this warrior was at least four, maybe five times her size—) and eventually let a thin smile creep across her face.

The child seemed adamant that they accept her help; she hadn't offered much yet, and truthfully wasn't sure if there would be room enough for these lost souls, but as always Ibis would try her best to fit everyone together and make it work. If that was the route this abrupt meeting took. The girl—Lainie—introduced herself and seemed pleased with the prospect of help, even if her protector was not.

The quakes have stopped and the food is getting harder to find, but a group of survivors has gathered at the marsh. There are all kinds—younger like me, more experienced like you. We're all invested in surviving the winter. Ibis explained with a preternaturally level voice, unlike what she'd previously employed during other moments like this; she was learning, and in her fright had tempered her emotions so as not to rile up the stressed man further.

My name is Ibis—it is nice to meet you Lainie— here she smiles to the girl but isn't sure if the expression can be seen beyond the broad-shouldered giant protecting her. When she looks back to the man she closes with, —what may I call you, sir?