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 Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:30 pm
Reina enjoyed the bustling life of the Oban marketplace. Her parents had needed a few things and the youngling had begged to come along. She loved exploring after all and the smells of the food stalls at the market were so heavenly. Even now she found herself sniffing the air as she walked after the smell of food. It was easy enough for her to slip into the crowd for a few minutes to check out the deliciousness that she was sniffing. Soon enough she found herself swallowed up by the masses and separated from her parents but Reina figured it was okay - she could meet them at the place that her mother had pointed out earlier. She was old enough now that it was okay to wander a little bit but only as long as she returned to the little square by the time the big sundial in the center of the market was at the fourth line.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:31 pm
Pajore had nothing compared to the wonder of an Oban city! There was color around every corner, gold as far as the eye could see, and so much red! Xenia was practically overwhelmed. She’d all, but begged her father to take her with him on his latest trip, and since it was supposed to be quick he’d agreed. Of course, convincing her mother had been another story entirely, but Xenia could be very persuasive when she chose to be. Now that she was here she couldn’t be more overjoyed.
Any reasoning of ‘expanding her maps’ or ‘bringing back supplies’ was out the window the moment she smelled spiced meats and saw armored beasts walking so casually down the street. The mousey little yaeli was brushed back more than once by the bustling crowd, which suited her just fine. At least they weren’t paying too much attention to the little outsider. Still, that didn’t mean she could ignore the other little shape in her view. At first she’d barely paid attention to the child, but after noticing that no one was coming to claim her Xenia moved forward. Maybe it was the big sister coming out in her, but something about it didn’t sit well with her. “Hi there cutie, you aren’t lost, are you?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:33 pm
Ooooh the stall with the fried sweets had to be close! Reina's mouth watered at the thought of the sweet spiced bread which she loved so much. Sometimes it was just in little round puffs to eat and other times they stretched it out like a stick and made it super crispy! She was so focused on the idea of the sweets that she nearly jumped whenever someone approached her. Oh! Reina's gaze widened in surprise as she studied the foreigner, "I'm okay!" She replied before quickly adding, "But are you lost? I don't think you're from around here, right?" She couldn't resist asking especially when the stranger was so different! Reina had never left Oba before nor had she been in the markets that often to really notice a foreigner with purple hair before! Matori and Obans she knew a plenty and even some from Sauti and Tale but the girl standing before her was different from all of them!
"Your hair is really pretty." She added as an afterthought as she grinned towards the stranger. Her parents told her to be wary of strangers but the other girl looked nice and she was so interesting that Reina thought it would be a waste to run away from her. Plus she was super close to the food stalls now and it would be a shame not to get something while she was here! Though she was kinda far away from her parents....the thought made Reina bite her bottom lip in hesitation as she watched the stranger.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:34 pm
“Oh, no, I’m not lost.” Xenia smiled. She had to resist the urge to reach out and tossle the little girl’s hair - dreads - like Alfina. The act would seem a little odd coming from a stranger, though, so Xenia kept her hands to herself. It was so hard though; this little Oban child really was a cutie! “Just passing through and wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t see anyone with you, but you know you can probably go to one of those guards if you’re ever really lost, right?” She motioned to a few armed guards near the back of the marketplace. They didn’t stand out too much, but as a foreigner Xenia couldn’t help being hyper aware of them.
The little girl might not have been lost at that moment, but if Xenia knew kids like she thought she did it would only be a matter of time. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point they would run off.
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you! I really like yours, too, and look, we have matching freckles.” Xenia held her arm out, flashing her speckled forearm. “Okay, well, since you’re okay, I’m going to go now. You have a nice day!”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:35 pm
"Oh okay." Reina frowned as she followed the motion towards the guards, "I 'spose." She replied quietly. Not like she didn't trust the guards but wouldn't that cause more trouble? They looked so serious that she didn't want to bother them. She studied the foreigner thoughtfully. If the older girl was willing to get the guards' attention then didn't that mean she was a nice stranger? She had to be! Especially if she had matching freckles as well! That surely had to be a sign that it woudl be okay to interact with her more. Reina decided that on the spot with a firm nod before reaching out for the speckled forearm, "Oh wait! If you're not lost then why are you here? Do you know about the really good food stall as well?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:36 pm
Xenia gave a half turn back to look at the little hand on her arm. Admittedly it had felt a little weird to walk away from a lone child, but for all she knew her parents could have been close by. With the guards around she’d just assumed the kid was fine, but now…”I came on a boat with my father. He’s here to do some work, and said I could come along. When the sun starts to set I have to go back to the inn, but until then he said I could look around so long as I was careful.”
Turning back around fully, Xenia moved her arm just enough to slip her arm out of the little ones grasp and take her hand instead. “So what are you doing out here if you aren’t lost? And what’s this I hear about a really good food stall?” While food did sound delicious she was still more than a little concerned about this kid. “Your parents aren’t going to be mad that you’re talking to me, are they?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:37 pm
Reina's gaze widened as the older girl spoke, "A boat? How was it? You had to cross the ocean right? It's so big!" She couldn't help gushing before a light flush decorated her cheeks. Her Mama said that she sometimes spoke a bit too freely but Reina couldn't help it. Just thinking about that type of journey set her heart a flutter! It had to be so exciting to travel so far! She had never left Sulburi but one day she planned on traveling to see the ocean. She had heard about it in stories and it sounded amazing!
Her flush grew as her hand was held but Reina took it in stride. The other girl just seemed so nice that Reina already liked her, "I am exploring. I just have to be careful like you. So maybe we can be careful together?" She grinned up towards the foreigner, "I have to be back in the main square before the light strikes the fourth dial but I'm big enough now that I can see the market for myself....as long as I stay in the areas that are open like this." Maybe a bit of a stretch on the truth considering her family probably wanted her closer but the allure of the delicious smelling food had simply been too much! How could she resist?
"It's a great food stall that's up ahead! They have really good spiced bread that's super sweet." Reina gushed before the next question had her pausing, "Oh." She blinked, her lips pursing as she tried to imagine how mad her parents would be, "Do you think that they would be mad? Did you do something to upset them because you seem really nice to me.... I can always tell them that I made a friend and I'm sure they would be happy! Right?" She flushed as she glanced towards the other girl, "My name is Reina and I would like to be your friend if that's okay with you."
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:38 pm
Xenia broke into a grin. “Really big. As big as this whole marketplace and maybe even bigger!” It had certainly seemed that large, at least! It was her first time on a boat that big and when you got over the initial sea sickness it was really impressive.
“Being careful together does sound a lot better than being careful alone.” At least that way Xenia could keep an eye on her until the girl’s parents eventually came for her, right? It wasn’t as if she had any big plans for the day, anyway; all the shops she’d wanted to see she’d seen yesterday. Today was just about exploration and maybe having a little local would prove helpful. “Okay, so we’ll just watch out for the fourth dial and be back here. Got it.” Good, a solid plan. She would stick around til then and hand her off once Xenia was sure it was safe. She wasn’t sure about Oban customs, but letting a girl this small wander around on her own just seemed strange.
“No, I don’t think so. The worst thing I’ve done is take my sisters hair ribbons.” Really, though, at this point if Kitya wasn’t used to something going missing then she didn’t know what to tell her. While she had an entire wardrobe full of anything she could ever want there was just something extra daring about toting a little something that wasn’t hers. On a smaller scale, naturally; nothing as big as outright theft. “That sounds great, Reina. My name’s Xenia. How about you lead the way for us?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:39 pm
Reina nodded excitedly, "Yep!" As long as they made it back before the fourth dial her parents wouldn't be too upset that she had wandered away! Reina was confident in her ability to make it back and even more confident in her parents' ability to find her at the main square. It kept her from worrying too much and allowed the youngling to stay calm rather than panicking about the separation. Plus, she had made a new friend who was really cool looking! Talk about a fun day so far!
"Oooh. My sister would definitely fight me over that." Giggled Reina quietly, "Though neither of us are really good at wearing ribbons often." They would more likely fight over some of the animal figurines that the girl had started collecting since their first playdate at the palace. Not that she would admit to such a thing since apparently mentioning she was in the palace often could lead to trouble. At least that was what she had been told before. Bouncing as she learned the foreigner's name, Reina tugged Xenia after her. "It's just down this street and around the corner towards the right. Trust me you'll smell it soon enough!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:40 pm
“Mine just get lost in my hair anyway,” Xenia laughed. Most things got lost in there! Once she’d even bought this beautiful head scarf thinking it might be a way to tame the curls, but once tied around her chin it had only succeeded in choking her.
She followed along, happy enough just to let the little one do her thing and bounce. It made her miss her younger siblings all the more. “You said you had a sister, right? Do you get along well with her?” That seemed important, she thought. Sisters should always try their best to get along, especially when they were little. It was also kind of a game to imagine what Reina’s sister might look like. She’d seen so many varieties of Obans that it was hard to pinpoint a look. Would she have darker skin or lighter? Flaming red hair or something closer to black? “Is it just the two of you or do you have other siblings?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:42 pm
"Do you find things sometimes in there if they get lost?" Giggled Reina as she glanced over at Xenia's wild curls once more, "They are really pretty though." She admitted softly again, "Does everyone in your family have purple and curly hair like that?" She glanced at her deep brown dreads thoughtfully. What if she had purple hair? Wouldn't that be cool? It was one of her favorite colors after all.
Reina pursed her lips at the question before nodding, "I do! She's all freckly like me but with scarlet hair." Gushed Reina, "She likes adventures like me and we often play at being warriors together cause our parents are really strong fighters." At the last question she shook her head, "I don't have any siblings other than my sister. What about you? Do you have a really big family?" As she threw out the questions towards Xenia they were getting closer to the food stalls, the heavy scents of bread and grilled meats and sweets tangling together in the air.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:53 pm
Xenia reached up with her free hand to wrap a few curls around her fingers. Getting them to latch on was the easy part; trying to pry her fingers away was less so. "Everyone on Yael has purple hair, just different shades. My mother's hair is darker than my father's but not by much. His is curly, not as much as mine, though, and so is my sister's." She had to wonder if Kieran had grown his hair out if it would look like hers. Maybe it was a lot curlier than she knew!
"Warriors? You're a little on the small side now, but I'm sure if you keep working at it you'll be the toughest in Oba." On the inside Xenia was screaming. Children playing warriors?! Kitya and I wrestled all the time, but what kind of militaristic training were Obans giving their children? Was it just a family thing or a cultural expectation? Were all children taught to fight?
Maybe it was because of her more passive, patient parents but Xenia found the idea appalling. Still, she tried not to show it; after all, this wasn't her country she was just visiting.
"Let's see; I've got my older sister, Kitya, she's like me but her hair isn't as big and she doesn't need lens to see. Then there's Alfina and Coalan. They're my younger siblings and they're just about as big as you."
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:03 pm
"Oooh that's amazing." Reina nodded, "I think it would be so cool if I had purple hair!" The youngling beamed, "I got brown hair but a lot of people I know have crimson hair. Not that I don't like my hair but my sister definitely teases me about how much brighter her hair is." Reina made a face before shaking her head. Maybe if she didn't wear dreads she could at least have curls? But she liked her hair this way too...it definitely was a dilemma!
"Thanks! I think Mama would have liked for us to play other things but I love adventures. Those stories are my favorites so I wanna be strong and go on one someday." She grinned towards Xenia, "Kinda like how you got to come to Oba when you're from so far away! It's fun, right? I could only imagine how awesome a ship would be." If she was really strong then she could protect herself while she travelled! That seemed to be the best solution to everything - at least that was the youngling's logic. If you had a good weapon then who would bother you?
"Ooooh. So you have a big family." Reina smiled as she skipped ahead before pausing as the word 'lens' registered, "So you mean it's not jewelry? You actually need those to see?" She blinked in surprise. She had seen something like those before but not often enough and definitely not on anyone so young! Curiousity took hold of the youngling as she stopped walking and studied Xenia, "How does that work? Do you really go blind if you don't wear them?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:39 pm
Being on a ship was really fun so Xenia had to commend her for that. She couldn’t say whether or not that sort of play time activities was okay but at the very least it was starting to make sense. “They’re a lot scarier than you think they are. Especially when the giant fish swim by. I saw one that was as big as our boat and I didn’t want to come back out for days.” That part, unfortunately, was the truth. She’d seen a huge fish from over the hull and when she tried to explain it words failed her. The Captain seemed like he was already used to yaeli ramblings but he should have been a little more concerned!
“Sort of. It might get bigger once my Uncle has more kids but our house is pretty full all on its own.” The smells of freshly baked bread and spiced meat were so heavenly. Just how much further was this place anyway? “Oh, no, I just can’t see very well without them. I wouldn’t be completely blind but I would have trouble reading and seeing your face”
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:43 pm
Reina actually gulped at the description of the fish, "That's pretty big." She managed before shaking her head. Nope! She would have to face one someday and would not be afraid! She probably wouldn't want to come back out for a few days either...Reina shivered at the thought. Could a fish that big really exist or was Xenia just messing with her?
"So it's like trying to look underwater. I opened my eyes beneath the bath once and it was all really blurry. Oh! The food stall is right there! Do you smell the spices and bread?" Bouncing on ahead she led Xenia towards the food stalls. Soon enough the smell of fresh cinnamon and bread mingled together as she tugged Xenia towards a stall towards the right. It was crimson in color with a sign decorated with a large bun, 'The Sweetest Spices'. Not the best of names but the food was amazing!
[Reina 8]
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