Sae wandered around the market. Her ears drinking in the morning news as everyone happily chatted away. She had taken the day off from the forge and was enjoying her freedom from swinging a hammer for a bit.
She inhaled deeply and picked up a deliciously spicey smell. Peppers and tomatoes and well cooked meat. She was drawn to the stall and bought a bowl without thinking too hard about it.
She found a bench and sat down to eat contentedly. A pair of large birds flew overhead, their fluted calls making the moment even more magical. She was happy for the first time in what seemed like forever. Her life had seemingly been one disaster after another and now she didn't have to live the thief life. She had a real job that she absolutely adored, she made her own hours and was her own boss.
After eating she continued to wander, letting her whim decide where she would go.


Eventually she came to an apothecary and curious at the interesting smells wafting from it she opened the door. A set of horns rattled when she stepped in.
Kind of a neat alternative to bells she thought. The proprietor looked up expectantly.

"Can I help you?" She asked politely.

"Not really, I'm just wandering around is all." She drifted about the store, noting the smells and textures of the items.
It was all neat and very niche. Fish and sea monsters adorned most of the jars that held the herbs.
She found some tea and some sage with which she could purify her home and brought it to the counter.

After purchasing her plant matter Sae left the shop but decided to visit again soon. It was far too interesting in there. She was also really excited to try the tea. She waltzed up the road, intedning to walk into whichever shop piqued her interest.

She paused when her eyes landed on an alk woman with fuzzy feelers. Sae blinked. THat must be one of those fancy legendary people, she thought. The woman was very pretty. Sae hoped against hope that he would also be that cool one day.
She even smiled at the woman who smiled sweetly back.
She continued on, popping into a few different shops and picking up a new book and a new blanket that had a beautiful bright geometric pattern and some of the softest fabric she had ever felt.

As she shopped she kept thinking about that lady with the neat feelers.

What would her trait be if she had one? She didn't have feelers. Her trait would come from her ancestry, so matorian or zenan.
Popele from zena usually got ice style traits and she wanted to forget about zena and its existence on tendaji. The only thing there for her was pain and repressed memories, and cold which she had never been that fond of anyway.

Which left matorian traits, unless the spirits would reward all of her efforts with a trait she did not like. That would be quite unfortunate. Perhaps when she thought the time was coming close she could pray extra hard to the gods. She was still young so this whole scenario was a long way off yet.
Perhaps she would get big fin ears or her crystals might change color.
She thought that getting bright markings on her dark skin would be kind of neat. Maybe a bright blue or two or some lime green with spots. That sounded fun and more importantly beautiful.

She admitted to a touch of vanity. But come on look at her face! Who wouldn't like what they saw in the mirror. It was a good thing to like yourself so long as she didn't lord it over others.
She hoped she did not get webbing or ice crystals. Bah, that would be annoying and pokey and flappy and she did not want either of those.

She wrinkled her nose up cutely in distaste.
She looked up at the sky meditatively, unconsciously stroking the extra smooth fabric of her blanket. Which she should really get home before something awful happened to it.

Recently she had been thinking about getting her own place, the troupe would still be a part of her family but well it felt crowded now and she wanted more freedom and to be less of a burden to them all. Tisia was always dramatic, though she had healed well from the illness that had laid her low. It had scared them all especially her brother Tymat.

Kellye had walked back and forth until the healer came and Sae had quietly read to the girl for hours, trying to help sooth her in her own way. It had fried her willingness to talk to other people for a long time and she had had to force her words out at work.

They better not think to steal her blanket.
820