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 Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:53 am
There was a playful gleam in Aleksi’s gaze as he felt the firm grip on his fingers, the young mage tempted to misbehave but realizing that it was best if he didn’t get a broken hand today. So once they ventured downstairs Aleksi let go of his companion to start browsing about the various wares, some of which were even in more sealed display cases while others were out and about on open shelves because they were not as rare or harmful as others. “Here’s a coin that’s enchanted to always flip on the side you want.” Aleksi teased lightly as he held up a velvet pouch. “I’ll probably keep this one actually.”
His head tilted thoughtfully as he registered Shierra’s words. “Oh?” He grinned teasingly. “I truly want to ask who would be your target for cursed objects but that may require another date to give us more time. For now let’s make the most of this shopping experience.” Another meeting would give them plenty of time to go over things, right? A chuckle left his lips before he moved around the room and glanced through objects. “Skeleton keys that can open almost any lock are over here. There’s some bags that can hold a lot more than they look like on this shelf, some can carry about your own body weight without you even noticing it. She even has poultices that can affect emotions and reeds to temporarily allow underwater breathing.” He gestured towards a few objects before turning and spotting a jewelry case with some unique looking pieces, one in particular that truly caught his gaze. Without hesitating Aleksi found himself opening the display, the young mage adept at opening such cases on his own thanks to a small ring of metal that he kept hidden at his belt. Thankfully Myrtle didn’t mind whenever he somehow came up with locked objects since he was good for the coin and somewhat behaved in comparison to other clients. The only time he had gotten in serious trouble with the older woman was when he was a teen and had tried to get into the locked area which had earned him a month ban from the shop and a load of chores to get back into her favor.
“What about this?” Aleksi held up a pendant, the silver chain hanging over his fingers with the centerpiece being an opal of dancing flames. “It’s a rare stone that glows like fire. Reminds me a lot of you so I would love it if you would accept this as a gift.” He smiled as he held it out towards Shierra for inspection. “Nothing truly magical, just precious.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:00 am
Shierra smirked and rolled her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind. No coin flipping contests with you. Use that on me and you'll be the one getting the cursed object." Another date? Her lips pursed slightly at the fact that her mind had immediately felt approval at the suggestion. But this wasn't a date.. right? "we'll see," she replied vaguely.
Thankfully, the descriptions of the mysterious objects was enough to distract her from saying something snarky. She paused at one shelf and gingerly picked up a bright blue blade. It almost looked to be made of glass! It was surprisingly lovely.
Speaking of which! She looked over as something was offered to her, brow rising with surprise. It was.. gorgeous. She had never seen anything like it before. She set the blade down and reached for the pendant, a hint of heat actually rising to her cheeks. A gift from him? Her gaze flicked up briefly to meet Aleksi's gaze, and then back to the pendant. "If you insist," she accepted lightly. "Thanks."
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 12:16 pm
A chuckle left his lips at the reaction. "Hmm, maybe I should have kept that one to myself." He joked lightly before watching her response to his suggestion, his gaze bright and hopeful since his offer wasn't immediately rejected. It didn't feel like Shierra would be the type to tell him right away but that purse of her lips told him that she was at least thinking about it. At least she was willing to accept his gift.
"It's yours then." He promised with a smile before gesturing around. "Feel free to take your time looking over anything else. I'll go ahead and secure this with Myrtle." As fun as it was to play pickpocket growing up with other merchants, Aleksi was not about to steal from Myrtle. The young mage looked back at Shierra once more before disappearing upstairs.
"Find a nice one, hmm?" The lightning woman tilted her head thoughtfully, a small smile playing on her lips as she wrapped the pendant into a velvet pouch for him. "Better not ruin that with your antics." She warned even though they both knew that she wasn't talking about the necklace.
Aleksi just shook his head at the advice though a grin did linger on his lips as he handed over coins to Myrtle. "I would say keep it on my tab but I know you don't like to keep paperwork." He opted instead though his gaze was thoughtful as he pondered the warning. Did he even try to keep someone who was surely just a chance encounter? A foreigner from overseas would surely go back to her life just as soon as he would find himself staying in Belrea. Those crimson eyes were so enticing though...Aleksi let out a soft sigh before noises outside caught his attention. "That's more of a ruckus than usual." He commented as he glanced towards the display windows.
"Nothing good by the sounds of it." Myrtle glared towards the door before handing Aleksi a strange key. "Take the basement exit through the cursed storage. I swear if you touch or take anything though..." She warned him with a scowl as the group got closer. "I can take care of them."
"Alright." Aleksi frowned but nodded as he took the key and started downstairs. He knew it was best not to argue with Myrtle after all. He was especially thankful whenever he opted to close the door behind him just in time for the shop door to open with a bang. "We saw Aleksi come in here! Where is that b*****d?! Oh, yeah. Most definitely a good thing he went with Myrtle's suggestion.
"Shierra. We'll be taking a detour out." Alek grinned towards Shierra and held out the bag for her to take. "It's the quick tour of the cursed room. If you have anything else that you were going to buy then I'll pay Myrtle back so just grab it and let's go." He didn't even looked panicked, just more like he was eager to move on with their little outing. Beneath all of that there was a small knot of worry but that quickly dissipated once he heard the first bang and swear of one of the men who had tried to barge into Myrtle's shop. Yep, he was definitely not as worried about her as he was getting involved into a fight himself. Thankfully the key opened the heavy oak door without much trouble and Alek found himself starting forward so that they could walk through the strange room, its presence somehow heavy despite the organized space of cabinets and locked displays.
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 5:09 pm
Shierra contented herself with looking along the shelves while Aleksi vanished back upstairs. There was so much to look at. She could have surely spent at least an hour just perusing the options. There was a flower made of glass that seemed to glow with a light from within that caught her eye. Kyril would love that. A shawl heavy with beads that rattled when the fabric was shaken hung on the end of another shelf. Either her mother or Ari would enjoy that for dancing! She could probably find something for everyone right there.
She looked over when Aleksi returned, brow cocked as she accepted the pouch. They were leaving already? "But I'm not done.." she pouted. As intriguing as it was to know they would actually be going through the cursed items room.. grab and go? That didn't sound right. "You don't know how big my family is. I'll just come back later if you're in such a hurry." The distance clamor reached her ears, eyes narrowing as she turned back to the door they had come through.
"Aleksi.." she murmured in warning as she followed after him into the darker room. Heavy locks and thick glass... the objects in this room were clearly different than what was out in the other room. "You piss of that lady or someone else got a bug up their butt?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:22 pm
“Sorry.” Aleksi actually looked apologetic when Shierra protested. “I promise we’ll come back soon enough.” He assured her before the noises from upstairs seemingly got more violent and increased. Though it still didn’t sound like Myrtle was the one crying in pain and honestly Aleksi had to offer a prayer to whatever spirits there were for the idiots who had even attempted barging into this particular shop. Thankfully though Shierra had followed him and once the door to the cursed storage closed behind them the young mage found his steps slowly slightly, his gaze curious as he looked over the various displays before going back towards Shierra.
“A lot of someones with far more than bugs up their butts.” Admitted Aleksi with a slight chuckle. “I’m not a fool though. I would never dare piss off Myrtle which is what they’ll be regretting soon enough.” His gaze skimmed over the displays once more, his expression thoughtful as he balanced the desire to try and investigate more of this room and the realization that he should probably get out of here with Shierra before the trouble escalated.
“Well this was our speed tour, I suppose.” He let out a soft sigh as he located another door and gestured towards it. “Myrtle was kind enough to offer us a chance to explore more of the city without getting involved in a fight.” Whatever those guys had didn’t make sense to Aleksi. Truly though had he pissed off someone lately? Hm… there was that one girl from the other day or those guys that got frustrated whenever he outdid them in front of that crowd or that one guy that wanted to get in his father’s graces to perform in the next play but Aleksi totally embarrassed him instead. Okay, so perhaps there were a few options for him to pick from and honestly Aleksi didn’t want to linger on any of them.
Of course whenever he opened the door though there had to be at least three of the crew waiting around the back in case Aleksi tried to escape. Of course. Aleksi let out a sigh as he noticed two lightning men and a woman just lingering around the back with various objects in hand. “Must we?” He let out another sigh before glancing towards Shierra. “If you want to go wait somewhere I can meet up with you again.” There was a swear as Aleksi raised his arm and blocked a flying object, a wince crossing his features before he pushed back. “Rude.”
“Like you don’t deserve it, brat.” The girl cursed at him, spitting on the ground before raising a club. “Nothin’ to end your life but that pretty face of yours could use a good beatin’ for the show you performed yesterday.”
Ah, yes then this definitely had to be related to that gang he embarrassed yesterday. Who knew that stopping a con in the middle of the market to protect a lady’s purse could make a group so bitter? Aleksi scoffed at the idea before moving in front of Shierra, his gaze narrowed. “Really could have picked a much better time but I suppose it’ll be best to resolve this now. Shame that you’ve ruined a good time though.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 5:15 pm
Shierra sighed heavily. As willing as she was to get into a tussle, this was her vacation! The noise upstairs would hopefully stay up there and leave them alone.
She wiped a bit of dust away to see into one of the displays, eyes landing on an excessively glamorous bracelet. It was utterly obnoxious to look at, but difficult to look away from at the same time. Thankfully, the reminder that this was a speed trip managed to pull her away with a shake of her head. Probably for the best. "Yeah, let's avoid the fights. For now, at least." She followed after Aleksei to the new door, and had to stop short to keep from bumping into him.
Go wait? She peeked over his shoulder... Who was that? A small smirk rose though. "Lover scorned?" she teased Aleksi lightly as she stepped back. Oh, there was more than just the woman. The fact that he seemed to be using himself as a barrier to block her from the others.. perhaps this was a bit more serious than a bit of bickering.
She pursed her lips and idly popped her knuckles. Go wait.. As if. "You still owe me tickets. Can't have you getting your face kicked in before that."
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 2:26 pm
"Only for you. It seems I'll have to scorn a lot of interests since I found someone worth keeping. Hope that's not a deal breaker in the future." Quipped back Aleksi despite their precarious situation. He was impressed even more when Shierra stepped up to help him and a chuckle left his lips despite the glares from the trio in front of them. Did they spend the time to fight or just avoid this situation entirely? He debated it before blocking another flying projectile, a sigh leaving his lips as he noticed the arm of his jacket getting torn by the sharp wood. Another trip to the tailor.
"Enough of that chitchat. I came here to roughen this pampered jerk up." Grumbled one of the more brutish looking lightning men, his own knuckles popping as he took a step forward. "Like some girl is gonna change this. Get your pretty piece out of here unless she wants ta see you lookin' black and blue, Aleksi."
"Alright." Aleksi shot the group a look and held up a finger as if chastising children. "One moment. I owe the lady some tickets." He pursed his lips before browsing in his jacket and actually handing over a small cloth with his initials. "Just tell them I promised you two tickets. I can find you at the show."
"Did...did you just let him hold you back?" The girl groaned at both of the guys. "He's a pampered and pompous a*****e because his father has all the money as a playwright! Just get him already."
"Well, hmm. Do you trust me?" Aleksi found himself asking Shierra in the moment as the goons started rushing forward. His other hand had gone into his pocket and while they rushed towards him the hybrid was already preparing to toss out some spark powder for dazzling effects so that he could grab Shierra and run.
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 12:16 pm
Shierra's brow cocked with startled amusement. "Cocky little shite. Guess we'll find out." She ducked her head as the projectile bounced off of Aleksi's arm and over her head.
'your pretty piece.' Ooooh. Shierra's eyes flared slightly and zeroed in on the offending speaker. "Not gonna be so amused when this 'piece' tears you a new-" Her threat was cut when Aleksi turned and handed something to her. Was he doing this now? It wasn't tickets though. A cloth... She raised her hand and shook the cloth pointedly in Aleksi's face. "I'm going with my sister. If we show up and they don't let us in, you better find a nice dark hole to hide in for a few days." Somehow, she believed that it wouldn't be a problem.. but that didn't mean she had to show it.
Her gaze rose to the duo now rushing at them. Time was up. She felt the heat flaring defensively at her fingertips, but even she was reluctant to let loose in the shop. Too many nice things and heck if she was going to set off some cursed object for a guy she'd just met! "Trust? Only as far as I can throw you!" she snarled, though a grin curled her lips playfully as she grabbed his free hand. Aleksi clearly had something up his sleeve, and she was curious.
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:36 pm
Aleksi definitely was much more of a lover type than a fighter even though he would be very interested in witnessing Shierra putting her skills to the test against this group. Aleksi grinned at the thought even though he knew that he wouldn't be witnessing any spectacular fighting in this particular instance. At least not if he could help it. He would just have to mourn the opportunity and hope for another marvelous fighting scene in the future should he meet Shierra again. "Look down." The whisper was soft enough for Shierra as Aleksi took the chance to act. His fingers curled over her hand and Aleksi simply saluted the group before letting the spark powder loose, the explosion causing a blinding light and allowing him to quickly tug Shierra after him through the familiar alleys near the shop as screams and swears erupted from the group they left behind in the chaos.
He couldn't help but to laugh with exhilaration as he jumped over several obstacles and dodged around corners for a good ten minutes before letting go of Shierra's hand finally. "I think we're good." He managed after catching his breath, the young mage grinning towards his partner as he wiped some dust from his pants. "Sorry if you really wanted to get more deaths on your record, but I truly did not feel like ruining my outfit today." It would be hard for that group to track him down here in the upper district that he had led Shierra into. They were up high around a short path that wrapped around an upper level and allowed them to see the canals below, the water shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight.
"I suppose it's for the best if you return to your lodgings so that you can attend the play tonight. It's one of my father's best writings which hopefully means you'll enjoy it." Aleksi admitted with a small smile at the admission. "Perhaps I'll see you there once I take care of those lingering goons. Myrtle will gladly let you into the shop again once you've been there, especially considering everything." Myrtle would probably be super nice to Shierra and just give him a firm lecture while complaining about him to his companion should she opt to visit the shop again with or without him. Either way Aleksi had a good time today and hoped that the last run hadn't ruined everything for his chances. Not like he even knew what he was hoping for exactly. Aleksi's gaze gleamed as he glanced over Shierra, his appreciation for the foreigner obvious especially after the day that they had spent together. "Thank you for the lovely day." He managed as he quickly leaned over and placed a kiss on Shierra's cheek before backing away a few steps for his own safety's sake. "Take a right up the path and you'll be back in the main markets. I'd linger around but it's best for me to get back out there and take the attention of that crowd elsewhere." Aleksi gave a playful wink before waving again and turning the corner, the young mage humming a light tune as he continued on his way to prepare for his next encounter.
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:10 pm
Shierra lowered her gaze to her feet, and still winced at the sudden light that exposed every corner of the dim room they were in. If only she'd had the time to actually look, but she was practically yanked off her feet a split second later. She found her footing easily and was quickly running after Aleksi with a laugh. Any trouble she had gotten into before had required either sneaking around to escape or, usually, just finishing the conflict where she stood. A fancy trick like the spark powder was a refreshing change. Quick, surprising, and efficient.
She was panting softly by the time they finally slowed down, a smile still tickling her lips. Who would have thought that she would find something so interesting over here during a visit? "I suppose I'll just have to let my body count remain as-is for now," she said with a snort.
Ah, but the fun was over for now. Her brow cocked at the mention of Aleksi's father. Had he mentioned that before? Dang, it felt like it had been ages since they had first begun chatting back at the theater. "I suppose I will see for myself. If you're anything like him.. it should at least be a littler interesting to watch," she teased lightly. As much as she was looking forward to an evening out with her sister.. she couldn't help the prickle of hope that Aleksi might actually show up there.
Absolutely ridiculous, Shierra!
The kiss pulled her from her thoughts. Indeed, her arm tensed up with the impulse to return the affection with an indignant smack, and she smirked at Aleksi's instinct to back away quickly. "If you're really brave enough to show up.. my sister and I will see you at the play."
Once Aleksi was around the corner and out of sight, Shierra let out a breath and shook her head. Definitely interesting~
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