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Rise had his forever-patient cheer on his face, mentally ticking down their requests. "The fruits are as sweet as the Swampmother made them," he answered chipperly, "but dried, and last much longer. Here," and offered a roughly torn piece of mango to Sorrel. "Try before you buy! As for fish, we've got some from the swamp, some from the coast. As you can imagine, it's harder to get fish in from the coast, so they're more expensive. Let me know which you would like." He thoughtfully regarded their mother, feeling a little bad about her weariness. Perhaps he'd offer her a sample too.

And another customer! A buck of rich, reddish hue, looking a little lost. Weep was busy now, maybe it was time for Fade to work her...magic. "Fade..." he called slowly, over his shoulder - sure enough, she came bounding up. "That one, please."

A golden yellow doe approached him, sent by someone who looked like he was in charge.

"Hello, I'm a bit of a food connoisseur, and I had heard about this place after the Games. I heard you had all sorts of things, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to see all you have.

I should probably also mention that I don't have much to pay you with except for recipes that I have come up with, would you take recipes in return?"

Red could already smell the smells that seeing Only Dreaming had distracted him from. Just from the smell, he could tell that he wanted a lot of things from this place. He really, really hoped they would take his recipes.

Red had never felt so invaded, but he knew some kimeti couldn't help their wagging tongues. He was irritated with her, but made sure his words didn't show it.

"She is an old acquaintance, clearly one that has forgotten me." He hoped she would be satisfied with that and leave it alone. If she wouldn't, well, he wouldn't give her any more and he would find a different kimeti to help him if he had to. "Even if the food would be here all day, I would hope not to be. Would you be able to answer my question about trading recipes? I have a few other questions as well, though those could probably wait until later."

Persimmon sauntered along after her adoptive aunt and uncle, pride in her step. Her family was, after all, the most beautiful, intelligent, and clever of all kimeti -- none more so in Simper's eyes than the two she was following right now. They had taught the pink-and-purple doe much growing up that her mother had not, and she rather idolized them.

Especially Doom. The doe was everything Persimmon wanted to be and more. She trotted up next to her "aunt" in the little procession the family made. "How did you hear about this place, Auntie Doom?"

Phlox was ... Phlox. He drifted in the wake of Auntie Doom, Uncle Gloom, and his siblings. Commenting or questioning was impossible; once the word had gone out, he'd fuzzily collected what he could and wrapped it up in a big old leaf.

And what he'd managed was.... berries. Mulberries, blueberries, a couple of things that looked kind of like cranberries but might have been rose hips, and whatever else had been on hand and, well, edible. There were a few good seed pods in there too, he thought, but it was entirely possible he'd eaten all of those already.

They were just... really, really good, those seed pods. Maybe he'd go back and get more, later. There were some pretty flowers there, too, but Phlox shied away from that thought and tighter to his Auntie Doom so he could hear her answer.

Chokecherry was impressively late. Whether or not anyone had told him about the little family gathering was up in the air: more likely than not, each one of his siblings would look at the other and shrug, I thought YOU had told him. Strangle had never been one for being on time, or appropriately dignified; once he'd shown up thoroughly sloshed on some of Mirebeat's fermented juice and had ruined an entire gathering.

But he'd make his way to the gathering with a spring in his step. His lips, face, and his legs up to the knees were stained with a rich reddish-purple dye: he'd been eating berries again, and Chokecherry never knew when to stop. If it looked good, felt good, or tasted good, he would eat or do it until he literally, physically, could not.

He glanced around at his siblings, moving up to them, and bumped into Persimmon -- a friendly bump of the chest, perhaps, by way of greeting. (Or maybe he was drunk again.) "What's going on?"

Fell's face slowly twisted as Fade's narrative quickly twisted into a fanciful redemption romance. He was just on his way to interrupt his colleague and rescue the poor buck when he saw...her.

HER.

And she'd brought reinforcements.

All thoughts of rescuing the poor buck vanished from his mind as his worst nightmare bore down upon the shop with a veritable squadron. Instead, he made a beeline for his boss, uncharacteristically barging in upon his business. "Riiiiiise," he vocalised urgently, a panicked, quavering whine in falsetto, "Riiiise, it's her. The one I told you about. Doom."

(TBC'd by Maxx tomorrow - sorry!)