|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:43 am
Even after being in Matori for so long it was rare for Mina to get out for any kind of shopping. Her finances were nowhere near stable, what with the majority of her income based on any odd jobs she came across, and when she wasn’t highlighting as a crime fighter the young lady was doing her best to sleep. Today, however, was a special one. Hokuloa had been given a reward for her work with the takedown of a local thief and now Mina could afford some new clothes! She’d been wearing the same rotation of outfits since arriving and after the destruction of the inn…Well, she was in sore need of just about everything.
So now she just needed to see what….fifty gold could get her. Strolling down the main thoroughfare in a wide brimmed hat, the Hapuna took in the sights around her. She knew some of the shops; after all, some of her jobs had been for these businesses, but there was one near the end of the street she couldn’t remember. It was an odd stall, with a gawdy purple cloth thrown over the top. What was that all about?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:53 pm
What had he done to deserve such bad luck? His boat had sprung a leak during his morning fishing trip. Then a snapptrotter had bitten into his net and let all the fish out. Then he'd unknowingly walked in the way of a group of kids throwing rocks at a wall and earned a bruise on his face. Then one of his buddies had sprung a surprise attack on him, which was actually normal, but this time his shield snapped in two. Could something go right today?
Now in a most sour mood, he stalked by a strange stand that caught his attention. Potions? Maybe there was a good luck potion in there? ..At this rate, he would get a glass coated in the plague!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:27 pm
"Oh, Oly!" The closer she'd come to the stand the more she started taking in those mingling around it and a familiar visage caught her eye. Mina smiled up at him from under the brim of her sunhat only for it to droop once she really looked at him. "You look...exhausted." Rough would have bene too harsh of a word. Granted, she was only just realizing that he might not remember her, since the only time he'd seen her as Mina was during the earthquake so maybe she should have just kept walking. After all if she wanted to keep her 'alter ego' under wraps she should have been more careful.
"Looks like you've been through the ringer." The stall's vendor shook his head with a tut. It was a burly Matorian with the brightest shock of pink hair Mina had ever seen! Was he a hybrid, like Oly, or was it just a dye? "I might have something to help with that if you tell me what you're looking for." He motioned to the stall itself and it's various goods. While most of the vials looked like normal potions Mina couldn't help lifting one into the light-
-only to have an eye inside the glass turn to stare back at her. She squealed and very nearly dropped in her rush to get rid of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:45 pm
Oly raised his head with surprise. That voice.. oh! He couldn't help a pleased smile rising in return. Name, name, what was her name....? It only made him feel worse that she seemed to remember his after just one chaotic meeting. With a blink of confusion, he looked down at himself and snorted. Oh. Right. Of course he would bump into her while in such a state. The bad luck continues. "It's been one of those days," he replied apologetically while his hands rose to quickly comb through his hair and brush off his shirt to make himself a little more presentable. "You, on the other hand... look great."
Hopefully that wasn't too much.. He gratefully turned his attention to the vendor. Well, the vendor was certainly an eyeful. "Any chance you've got some luck in a bottle, or something to make me sleep until tomorrow so I can survive today?" He would prefer luck, but sleeping the day away would do the trick.
The Hapuna's squeal instantly put Oly on the defensive.. and he couldn't help but to laugh when he saw it was just a creepy bottle. "Sorry, I promise I'm not laughing at you. .It's nice to see you again."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:52 pm
Mina's hair lifted off the back of her neck as her cheeks burned. Her smile only grew, however, and the little Hapuna even stood a little straighter under his compliment. It was such a simple little thing, but...Well, after a few weeks of hardship it felt really nice.
That is, until the whole eyeball debacle, and then she was flushing for an entirely different reason! "I-I-It's nice. to see you again too." Mina slipped the battle back with the others and took a half step back to put a hand over her racing heart. Was it still looking at her? When she sought it out she couldn't even seen an eye at all in the mixture!
"I definitely have a few sleeping draughts, but a little luck might do you better." The vendor stepped back so he could look over his wares before plucking up a little round bottle. It's contents were pink, though far lighter than his hair and seemed thick like syrup when he flashed it toward Oly. "A few drops of this in your tea at night should help. There just might be some...side effects. Nothing major, though."
"Side effects?" Mina didn't like the sound of that.
"Everything has side effects." He waved a casual hand. "This just...may cause some balding, but at the very least you wouldn't be covered in bruises."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:07 pm
Oly couldn't hide his surprise. Was there really something that would help turn his luck around? He walked closer to the vendor, but froze when the topic of side effects came up. "Something to give you luck has side effects? That's a bit ironic." He raised his hand to touch his bruised cheek, and then it went further to touch the ends of his hair. "As tempting as that is, I was hoping for something to just get me through today. Bruises aren't anything new, anyway."
He glanced over to his company and smiled warily. "Have things been looking up for you since the quake? You said your inn had been damaged, and I didn't see you again after we separated."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:21 pm
"Just for today? Let me have a look..." The vendor sat his vial back down and started shuffling through the offerings.
In the interim, Mina casually browsed through the potions and tucked some hair behind a finned ear so that it wouldn't block her line of sight. "They've been...rough?" She gave a tense little laugh. "I've been staying with a friend at her family's animal sanctuary until I can find something else. I was actually able to get some time off to a little shopping today so that I can replace what I lost." She'd already gathered what was absolutely necessary, but the smaller things, her special trinkets, hadn't been as easy to gather. "Did I ever give you my name? I can't remember, but it feels rude since I know yours. It's Mino'aka; I go by Mina though."
"Alright, what about this one!" When the vendor returned the potion was a blue-green that match Oly's wardrobe perfectly. "It's a guaranteed cure for bad luck that only lasts a day." He smirked. "It's a love potion; best kind of cure all for bad luck is a kiss from your sweetie, right? Drink this and the two of you won't be able to get enough of each other. You may sleep for three days afterward, or maybe it's four?, but you'll need the rest anyway."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:40 pm
Oly's brow knit with concern. "Sorry to hear that." Too bad there had been so much going on that day. If he'd been able to help her out... "Ah, Mina! That's what it is." Had he known that? He.. wasn't sure. She knew his name though. "Hey, if you'd let me, I can help you out with anything you need to buy. Give me something good out of this day."
He perked up as the vendor pulled out another option. "Just for the day. Exactly what I need." Wait, a love potion? Oly's cheeks heated up hot when a certain moonlit figure came to mind. Totally unrealistic. Then Mina started to ease into the picture.. Gods, he barely knew her! "I.. guess that.. that won't work for me either," he murmured with a bashful laugh, keeping his gaze away from Mina lest she see the surface-level interest in his face. "Single as can be, right here..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:18 pm
"It's alright, really. No one was hurt when it fell so that's what matters." Did she miss the dresses that she'd managed to keep from home? Terribly. Matori design wasn't horrible, but they were expensive and Mina wanted at least a few pieces from her homeland. "I can't let you do that, Oly. It's really sweet of you to offer, but that's too much."
Ah, but here was the vendor...with...his...potion? Mina felt as if she were shrinking into her own skin. Oh spirits! A love potion?! Well, Oly was cute...but that sort of thing was too dangerous! And yet, what if he looked at her like some of those men in the street performance she'd seen the other day...No, no, it wasn't right!
He was a virtual stranger!...but what a story it would make...
Stop.
"W-what about a potion for me then?" Maybe a distraction from anything unsavory on Olokun's end? "Do you have anything that can help my hair shine?"
"This right here will help it to shine and grow!"
"...And the catch?"
"...It may...turn pink..."
"So it isn't natural!" She gasped, her eyes going straight to the vendor's own hair. His cheeks darkened and she cleared her throat. "I mean...I don't think pink is really my color."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:54 pm
That wasn't quite the luck he was looking for today, but eventually... With his face still burning, Oly turned to look through a few other potions. So there would be no help for today. He couldn't help being disappointed after getting his hopes up. Of course there were two luck potions that he couldn't use. It really would be better to just go home and hide in bed then.
Of course, the shocked outburst made him turn to eye the vendor's hair as well. He stifled a chuckle and grabbed the closest potion within reach to pay attention to. "At least not that bright of a pink," he murmured out loud without thinking. If done the right shade... he pushed aside thoughts of Mina's hair and looked at what he was holding. He shouldn't be holding something so fragile.
"It wouldn't be any trouble. I'd be glad to help you out," he assured as he carefully placed the bottle of Fang Former back onto the shelf. This stall was not secure enough for many of these items! He raised his hand again to bashfully scratch at his jaw. "It'd be doing me a favor, really. I.. just need something good to come from today. But if you feel the need... maybe, when you're back on your feet.. you could buy me a drink at Tibb's Tavern in return?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 11:58 am
Mina turned her flustered face toward Oly, and bit her lip. Should she try it then, if he thought pink might look nice? Shaking her head, Mina looked back to the vendor with an awkward smile. "Sorry, I don't think I could ever change my hair color, even for a pretty pink." At least it was one of the less severe side effects. At best she could always wait for her hair to reach it's desired length and health before redying it? Oh, but what if she was pink for a year? She didn't think she could handle that.
"Tibb's Tavern, huh?" The vendor had a playful smile on his face as he looked between the two. "Do yourself a favor and try the cucumber crisps; they sound strange but they're so refreshing."
"That does sound good," And when she looked back to Oly her smile was genuine. "All of it. If you're sure I would really appreciate the help."
"Then you can go out for a nice dat-"
Without so much as waiting for the vendor to keep talking, Mina reached over to start nudging Oly away from the stall. "I don't think we need anything today, thanks for your time, byyeeeee!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:59 pm
Oly couldn't help his broad smile rising. Thank goodness! He could do some good, spend time with a pretty, and brave, girl, and get a drink out of it later if she remembered him! "I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure. ..Feels like my luck's turning around already." His words were followed quickly by a bashful laugh. How corny that must have sounded...
He looked back at the vendor and started to give a polite wave. "We'll be sure to try them." The immediate nudging nearly got another laugh, but he was just as eager to get away from the awkward conversation. "I think that guy's drunk a few too many of his own merchandise," he said playfully to lighten the mood once they were clear of the stall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:44 am
"Have a good one! Tell your friends!" The vendor's voice faded the further Mina got from him. Still, it was hard not to hear the good natured laugh in his voice and her cheeks felt warm.
"Why did everything he was selling have a side effect? When I think of something happening I think maybe an upset tummy or drowsiness; not my hair changing color." She couldn't imagine that he did much business though if his product were legitimate maybe he did. Maybe they'd just walked away from the deal of a lifetime...
...or escape an arrow to the head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:40 pm
Oly stifled a laugh. "Pretty sure I'm not telling anyone I care about to visit that stall." Maybe someone that he was less concerned about their wellbeing... "Those did seem to be excessive as far as side effects go. At least he was upfront about them." Someone would have to be desperate to want to risk taking those.
Ah, but now he was going to have a nice evening trying to convince Mina to get whatever she needed. When someone loses their things but still takes the time to help others in a crisis, they certainly deserved help in return. Just not the kind of help with side effects.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
