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 Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:47 pm
He was sleepy, and feeling lazy for all the work he had to do.
The day was warm, and he was part cat. Quite a large part of him fancied climbing up to some roof to lay out and sunbathe for the rest of the day - but he squashed that part down.
It would have been nice, though. As it was, he was too comfortable in the casual dress he wore, with the new cargos and t-shirt his thin shield against the rays of the sun. He was picking through the flea market today.
He may or may not have been looking to get something for Quinn for a certain special day. It wasn't all that special, he reasoned. Really, Quinn probably wouldn't expect this - but he browsed anyway, gaze sifting over various wares. Leather items like belts and bags and purses, ceramic plates and dishes and jars -- even hilarious knock-offs of legal merchandise from video games and television series he had never played nor seen.
But what really caught his eye was the glassware. Several booths sported intricate items that puzzled and amazed him with their complexity. He could even see several men blowing glass right then and there, molding the molten material into colored and twisting dragons and snakes and other fantastical creatures.
He wondered if Quinn would like a glass snake dyed like the rainbow, for a necklace. He scowled, turning away from the booth and shoving his hands into his pockets - the jerk didn't deserve it.
He checked the pricing nonetheless.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:00 pm
It was a nice day. And, as such, Zyanya was in a lovely mood. She'd left early in the morning after finishing her chores and feeding Daniel - intent on avoiding her mother as much as she possibly could. Their relationship hadn't been the strongest lately and, truthfully, she was pretty sure if she'd seen her before she left....Well, her entire day would have gone to hell in a hand basket. So, instead, she'd made her way to Middling with a bit of money in her pocket - she'd gotten it from babysitting the Perez children earlier that week - intent on making the best of her day and finding herself something pretty.
Yectli was, as per usual, enjoying her 'seat' draped around the girl's shoulders. Comfortable, and queen of her domain with the sun raining down on her and keeping her a pleasant temperature. Asleep. Typical, really.
The glass blower had caught her attention too, of course. How could it not, with the colorful snakes and the beautiful complex work that came from it. Brown eyes traveled to the young man who also seemed to be admiring it as well. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked with a small smile, hand coming up to stroke the coral snake's head. It was definitely unusual for anyone to have a coral snake - considering how poisonous the bastards were - but she didn't seem perplexed at that at all.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:19 pm
His ears perked up at the voice, looking over at the one who had interrupted his intent consideration of quality versus price of the glass object.
She was a pretty girl, young, probably a local; though strange for having a snake wrapped around her neck, he couldn't say much to the contrary - he'd seen far stranger.
"Ee't ee's," he admitted, giving the pretty little glass snake a frown. Very pricey, for a flea market. "And very v'ell made. Probably too much for the occasion I am thinking of, though."
Quinn wasn't the type to remember anniversaries, anyway. Vale didn't know why he was bothering - one week, two weeks, a month? Did it really matter?
To him, maybe.
He turned back to the girl, smiling slightly. "But definitely not as pretty as the snake you have, there." Bright, vibrant colors - he didn't know what type of snake it was, but it was easy to see that such a creature was quite rare to find in the City nowadays. "V'hat ee's her name?"
Was it even a girlsnake?
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:57 pm
"What occasion?" Zyanya asked, finger continuing the comforting strokes to the reptile's head. "And are they really expensive?" A frown touched her lips as she scooted to peer at the prices. More than she could afford. "I was hoping to get one."
Ah well. She could deal with getting something less expensive to cheer herself up. It wasn't too much of problem. Though it did get a bit tiring to be poor. Sigh.
Yectli's eyes opened at the compliment, forked tongue slithering out in pleasure. Ooohhh yessss, missstresss. Yectli likessss thisss one.
"I'm sure you do," she muttered to the snake, shaking her head before turning her attention to Vale. "Her name is Yectli. She likes you."
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:21 pm
"Just an anniversary," he shrugged. Most people probably waited for at least two months, three - Valeriu wasn't sure he and Quinn had that long. It was just the nature of the Game.
He smiled wider - little girls were cute, thinking they could talk to animals. Tepin and Mr. Slinky, this girl and her snake. It was really endearing.
"I am glad to hear that. Ee't ee's not every day I get to see such a dazzling animal," he answered politely. No, not every day at all. Truth be told, seeing her bright scales reminded him all too much of the jungle. Living in the City was like sometimes living in a large, colorless box of concrete compared to the garden he knew had once existed, if what Tezcatlipoca had told him was true.
He was hit with a pang of longing. He wanted to go back, every day - live there the rest of his days and build a new world away from this place. He could construct his own buildings, his own city, bring the people he cared about to hide them away there--
Mentally, he shook his head. That world didn't exist anymore, as real as it had been to him.
Still, it was nice to see such an animal here.
"V'hich one did you v'ant?" he asked, curiously. There were dozens there, and so many colors.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:34 pm
"Anniversaries are worth it." Zyanya offered with a nod of her head, "Mama saved up three months of allowance to buy papa his present." Heh, like hell she'd ever, ever, do that for Rafael. Anniversaries. Well, maybe she would be lucky and never have one of those. "Well, if you love the person anyway." There, amended. Anniversaries were only worth it if you loved them. Otherwise it was a sad occasion.
"Keep complimenting her and she'll not want to let me leave your company," Zy laughed, listening to the snake's thoughts in her head. "She's a Coral snake. Extremely poisonous. You're lucky she likes you." Beam. Oh, dear. A ten year old with such a toxic creature...Heh, wouldn't Vale be surprised?
"That one." she answered, indicating to a very pretty teal colored snake wrapped around what appeared to be a piece of polished jade. It was a small piece, and fit on a chain - but it was fitting, at least to Zyanya. Squinting at the price, she winced. Ouch. She only had a bit in her little pouch. "I think I will save up for it."
And she would, too. There was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do when she found something she wanted. Determined little thing that she was.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:12 pm
If you love them?
He paused at that. Did he-? No, no, it wasn't at that point, not yet. Of course not. They'd only known each other for a little while, certainly not long enough for anything like that to develop.
He chuckled, turning his thoughts away from that direction, "I suppose I am very lucky." He certainly wouldn't want to be bit by the snake, that was for sure.
He looked back at the crystalline figures. No. Their relationship may be a serious one, but it wasn't...it wasn't like that. Real relationships weren't like that, not like what he'd been thinking of. It was just one week - one silly little week. High school students had lasted longer than they had so far.
It was ridiculous of him to care so much about one single week.
Pulling out his wallet, he laid the money down. He had plenty squirreled away, after all - if he wanted to, he could splurge like this for a week and still have enough left over to buy groceries. He would never do that, but...he wanted to feel like this day hadn't been a waste of pointless effort.
Moments later, he handed Zyanya her prized little snake with a smile and a ruffle of hair.
"Here. Girls are meant to be given pretty things. Ee't ee's my gift to you."
Speaking of girls, he had another pair of little ladies to buy something for, while he was out here. And Quinn, Quinn...
He could save the present. Until a real anniversary came by. Yes, his reasoning agreed with that, as he paid for the rainbow-colored little glass snake - that would work. He wasn't stupid for buying it now, after all, right?
Right.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:26 pm
"You are." She informed him, matter-of-factly. However, when the little snake pendant was offered to her, brown eyes widened. "You..." she began, mouth gaping a little bit. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are such a kind man." Spanish spilled from her mouth rapidly as she thanked him. And then Zy did something very out of character. She hugged him. Hard.
Nobody ever got her anything. Ever. The only thing she'd ever really been given was the necklace around her neck and the pearls on the top of her head.
"Will you put it on me?" she asked, looking up at him with plain adoration. Chalchiuhtlicue was harping in the back of her brain about trust being earned too easily - but Zy was drowning her out at the moment. Player or not, he was kind.
Misssstressss you are sssquishing me.
"Oh!" Arms immediately recoiled from the man and she frowned, stroking the snake gently, "I'm sorry, Yectli."
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:48 pm
He laughed. He didn't understand the words coming out of her mouth, but he got the gist. Especially with the hug. It was worth it to see a girl smile.
"No problem," he answered, kneeling down to carefully hook the necklace around her neck, standing back up approvingly. "Ee't fits you, very v'ell."
He was making a terrible habit out of spoiling girlchildren rotten, he knew. But every time he saw them, he just wondered - would Sydni be like that, when she was older? Playful and outgoing, or polite and sweet? It was impossible to turn them away, knowing that his own little sister could grow up to be so much like each and every one he met. So of course he'd want to make them all smile.
He safely pocketed the other trinket he'd bought, utterly determined to ensure that no harm would come to the little snake unless he fell flat on his face.
"Ee't v'as very nice talking to you, little miss. And ee't v'as very nice meeting you, Yectli," he added with a smile. He could play along. "Take care, da?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:47 pm
If only Vale knew...That he really wasn't playing along at all. Yectli really did seem to like him, though. And Zyanya was pleased with that - even if the snake liked most people so long as they weren't a real threat.
"Si. Thank you so much again. I would like to know your name, at least!" It would be a shame to have met such a nice player and to not have a way to address them if she ever saw him again. And a part of her knew she would see him again. Hopefully it was in pleasant circumstances as well.
"And..." Her hands came up, carefully pulling out one of the feathers tied in her hair, offering it to him. "It's not much, but here."
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:33 pm
"Valeriu; my name ee's Valeriu," he supplied helpfully.
Though his eyes widened a bit at the offering, looking embarrassed enough to wave off the favor. But he smiled, and accepted it, because to do so otherwise would be to offend the girl.
"Thank you, miss. That ee's very kind of you. I v'ill take good care of ee't."
He knew - children and feathers, even little things like pebbles or mood stones, they took that seriously. It was a nice feather, too - in good condition. He'd keep it that way.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:01 pm
Don't you dare give him your name!
"My name is Zyanya." she returned, "It was very nice meeting you, Valeriu. May...our next meeting be just as pleasant." Such a cryptic response to the male's name. "I'll remember your kindness. I hope you remember mine!"
And, before he could respond, the girl turned and disappeared into the crowd, trying valiantly to ignore the cursing of her Goddess the entire way.
Maybe Tlaloc wasn't the only one having issues now. Shouldn't have been so quick to gloat, Chal, darling.
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