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 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 7:05 am
Aurick couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out. "I have no doubt." He'd seen the way she handled pushy customers first hand so Aurick knew she could handle his family. Now that she was busy fussing over the pot, Aurick moved to a water basin they kept in the kitchen. Normally it would be filled with fresh water every hour for hand washing; now Aurick used the cold water to splash his face and cool his skin.
"Just a dash of milk and two scoops of sugar." He lifted a rag and squeezed it until it was just damp enough to run along the back of his neck. Still craned over the bowl, he turned to look at her, "Seriously Harika, you need to take a break sometime. I appreciate everything you've done, but you'll run yourself sick at this rate." As if he were one to talk; Aurick was always the opener for the bakery and rarely did he leave before closing. With a final splash to his face, he stood up and tried his best to pat dry his skin.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 7:57 am
“Mmhmm.” Even if she had to come up with some ridiculous tasks or jump right into the midst of things when the bakery opened, she would find a way to avoid any suspicion. Aurick’s chuckle made Harika smile as she kept moving about the kitchen to pull in everything they needed for coffee. Following his request the woman dropped in the two scoops of sugar and stirred in the milk while Aurick splashed his face. Admittedly she may have reached up to rub at her eyes a couple of times but Harika refused to falter as she went through the process of making their drinks. If anything she wanted to show as much energy as possible in order to try and lift the mood a bit.
Carrying a cup over to Aurick, Harika simply laughed at his statement. “Maybe? I guess I’ll take a vacation when you do. We can just go somewhere together and keep each other away from work.” She teased with a light flush. Would a vacation together be considered asking him on a date? Even when she had playfully suggested it? Harika peeked towards Aurick as she waited for him to take the coffee, curious about what he would even think about the teasing comment. Would he ever consider a vacation? Not a date, of course! That would be silly to even think that he would think that way! But it would be nice to see him take a break for once as well. She wasn’t the only one who constantly worked, after all.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:11 am
Aurick reached for the cup and leaned back against the closest counter. He brought it up to his nose first for a sniff, then gave into a pleasant sigh before taking a drink. It put warmth back into his bones, but in a way that was soothing rather than distressing.
"I don't think I've had a vacation since I was in short pants." When he was younger he remembered seeing the ocean with his mothers and sister. As the years passed and their family grew the vacations started to slow. Bills piled up, expenses got tighter and it just faded from memory. He didn't regret it, though; they still made time for each other and that's what mattered.
Would that be inappropriate though? To go on a trip with his employee? It wasn't often that anyone outside of the family came to work in the bakery so Aurick wasn't entirely sure how to think about that one. It didn't sound bad though. He liked spending time with Harika and maybe...it wouldn't be so bad.
"Where would you go, if you could get away for a while?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:36 am
“Short pants?” Harika let out a laugh of delight at the description. “I’m sorry…” She began as she calmed down and tried to stop the lingering giggles. “That was an unexpected description of childhood.” She managed as she raised her own coffee to take a drink, glad that she hadn’t taken a sip yet before Aurick had said such a strange thing. Maybe it was simply a Belrean expression she had never heard before but for some reason it truly tickled Harika to hear it. There were simply so many words and phrases that she had still to learn since coming to this foreign place! Her island accent was subtle thanks to studying common for so many years, but there was truly so much about this world that she still had to learn.
“As for me? I’m not certain.” Harika tilted her head back thoughtfully as she leaned against the counter next to Aurick. “Maybe the ocean? I haven’t seen the ocean in a very long time. When growing up I would either wake up on the sea or next to it.” She smiled at the memories. “Those sunrises were always the prettiest, but I also think a cottage somewhere in the mountains would be nice. I’ve heard pleasant things about southern Belrea and I’ve yet to explore this country fully.” Harika’s gaze gleamed as she peeked towards Aurick. “Maybe it could be a fun goal to try and see how different the sunrises are from all over the place. I’ve seen the ocean, the desert and the city so now it’s time to try the mountains or someplace else. What about you?”
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 9:00 am
"You've never heard of short pants?" Aurick barked out his own laugh. "You know, those little ones that come to your knees. Kids wear them to class all the time." Some of the fancier academies made them wear the things as part of their uniform; his mothers just thought they were cute.
"You should come to the farm sometime." He took a long, lingering sip of his coffee and let it simmer in his chest before continuing. "Most of the ingredients we use here come from my family's farm in the country. We usually try to visit every autumn to help with the harvest and I can't tell you how many summers I've spent there. You could always get a cabin in the mountains nearby; a little privacy from the herd." He chortled.
What would a sunrise look like over the ocean? He'd seen some in paintings, but if he'd ever personally seen one he couldn't remember. "Me? I'd like to go somewhere on an airship; even if it is just to the other side of Belrea. I see them fly all the time, but I've never been on one." He wasn't sure if it would ever happen but it was something fun to think about~
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