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 Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 7:08 pm
Eloise wrapped her shawl rightly around herself against the bitter winter wind. It was a gift bestowed upon her from Lady Sara-Anne and she was infinitely grateful for it. Aimes was much warmer during the winter than her old home, but it’s wind still had a bite to it that one couldn’t ignore.
Nose red, cheeks flushed, the tiny maid scurried her way into the marketplace. Things were needed for dinner and it was her job to fetch them. Snuggling into her shawl a bit more, the tiny woman darted her way around people, clutching her tiny basket close to her body as she did. The magic bottle that was always on her body sat inside the woven carrier, a tiny blue blanket over it. She wasn’t sure if bottles, or the things inside of them, got cold but she took the safe route anyways.
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Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:58 am
After a long trip, Aimes' indoor bazaar was finally in sight. Rail was glad to see it. People were streaming in and out of its doors and after the carriage ride to the docks, the boat ride (that left him a little be nauseated thanks to the choppy waters), and then the walk here, the apothecary was assured that it would be quite warm. He could do with a brisk warm up, a hot drink, and even a moment to sit down right now. With destination in plain sight, he was eager to get inside those walls, however his company was dragging her feet.
Meryl was in awe of the city as well as the rest of the trip she and her Guardian had just taken. Unlike her papa, the girl seemed to have that child-only resistance to cold despite the plant nature of her being. Having been bundled up snug didn't hurt either, and while her father was so wanting to get inside, the blonde child holding fast onto his hand wanted to see everything and anything this new place had to offer. It was all so big and vast and busy and...Oh! There looked like so much to do!
"Papa! What's that over there?!"
"Th-that's a p-p-pub, M-Meryl."
"But it's so BIG!"
"Ev-everything's b-b-bigger here."
Although he was cold and wanting to leave the blustery streets, Rail had to smile as his daughter gawked at the building and immediately started to gabber on again about it and everything around it. Her enthusiasm was adorable.
"Ooh! That man's talking about baked goods! Can we go there papa? Please!"
"M-Maybe we w-will after," he made sure to stress the word, "we do our shopping, okay?"
"After?" Rail nodded, leading his daughter ever closer to the doors of the marketplace. Meryl looked away to the vendor calling people into his bakery, frowning a moment then nodding. After it would be. While the streets were exotic and new, her papa had regaled her with stories of the bazaar and all its stalls and Meryl was very keen to see what was there. "Okay, papa."
With that easy agreement, Rail smiled again and led Meryl into the crowd going inside the doors. While they waited for the line to move and allow them entrance, the apothecary made sure to stress again that his daughter was not to wander off, even if he let go of her hand. There might be times where he had to for some reason, but that didn't mean he was giving her permission to explore by herself.
"There's a lot of people here Meryl. I don't want you getting lost." Or worse, though Rail didn't hazard to think of that.
Finally they got through the doors and both people breathed happy sighs as warmth washed over them. Rail relaxed as he felt heat against his cheeks, already thinking on that drink and sit down, but of course Meryl was not on the same page. The moment her sigh of delight at the feeling passed, her eyes were wide and searching. Despite her small stature and the crowd she was quickly absorbed by the bazaar and all of its sounds, smells, and what meager sights she could see. She remained attached to Rail's hand - more by the man's grip than her own - but darted about his legs and attempted to pull him this way and that as she caught sight of something new between legs or around bodies. In all her twisting and wriggling and of course because of the thickness of the crowd, it was of no surprise that her eager excitement got the better of her and she finally bumped into someone. Or rather something, as the Dust knocked face first into Eloise's wicker basket on a quick turn to look around. Surprised by the bump, the little girl's scent changed from a happy and excited tangerine to the pungent, soured scent of lime.
"Oh!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:03 pm
The Morrow maid had been lost in her own mind. Stopping not far from the enterance of the indoor market, she took a moment to relish in the warmth offered by the mixture of the enclosed space and the combined body heat from the mass amount of shoppers. It seemed she was not the only one rushing about for supplies on this cold winter day. When the flush began to dim on her cheeks, the young woman began mentally compiling a list of objects she’d need to pick up for the feast Lady Sara-Anne had requested.
Her long absent husband was to come home that night and the socialable woman of the house had decided to throw a small soirée in his honor. Eloise had yet to meet the man, and as such, set out to make his welcome home meal the best she possibly could. First impressions were important; being a guest in his house meant it was twice so. With an estimate of fifteen guests, and the list constantly growing, she needed something that not only would satisfy all attending, but would make enough to actually serve them all.
The only problem with her little plan was the distinct lack of any idea as to what she could even possibly make. Which was why she was still standing in place, having unmoved since she entered, when she felt a bump against her basket. Startled, she glanced wildly for some thief that might be trying to steal her meager possessions—only to be met with the sight of a tiny child and a rather strong scent of lime.
The child was adorable. Short, curly, blonde hair bedazzled by orange-slice hair clips framed a chubby-kid face. A face that seemed to possess the most peculiar green eyes- the color of the citrus fruit she smelled like. Rather, her whole little-self seemed to look like she walked right out of a fruit stand and had she not first bumped into her basket Eloise would have been immediately endeared to the young girl. But she had bumped into her basket which had set off a completely different reaction in the brunette.
Her first thought was the child might be attempting to steal from her. Allegro’s siblings had left a strong impression on her mind and she was all too ready to box the child’s ears if she attempted to take her bottle from her. A second passed, though, and she realized her initial reaction wasn’t the correct one and she calmed her panicked heart. After all, she reminded herself, not all children are thieves. And really, the Lightner children weren’t so bad when they weren’t playing pick-pockets. Maybe she should just start leaving the bottle at home if she was so worried someone was going to take it from her.
“Are you alright?” She asked the child, emerald eyes softening a bit in concern. Regardless of the impact the other boys made on her point of view of Amies children, the maid still had a soft spot for them. They were easier to talk to than adults as a general rule and were more open to things they did not see with their eyes. Like magic and religion. Such things charmed the woman, especially lately. She’d give this little girl a fair chance.
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:42 am
The bump was nothing more than a slight tap, but even so, Meryl still raised her free hand to her forehead to rub at the offended spot. Eyes pinching shut as she did so, she was unaware that Eloise had turned to her until the woman's voice graced her ears.
"I'm okay!" The Dust child dropped her hand after saying that, eyes meeting the basket she had just bumped into before traveling up to see who owned it. She was surprised to see that the owner was short. Taller than she was of course, but still dwarfed in comparison to her papa. However, this notation was quickly dropped in favor of just gawking at the woman for her looks. Dark hair, green eyes, light skin; she was so pretty! Meryl's mouth made a small 'o' shape as she continued to look at Eloise, captured until a squeeze from Rail's hand brought her back to earth and made her stammer an automatic apology.
"I-I'm sorry!"
The squeeze from Rail had not come out of want to make his child apologize for her accidental run in with the woman next to them. Rather, it had been a check to make sure Meryl was still attached, and attached she was. However, the scent of lime did hit him and when he heard his daughter's apology, he quickly looked away from the stands he was trying to hone in on.
Like Meryl, Rail was surprised by the small stature of the woman whom Meryl was engaged in conversation with. Standing at a lofty six foot-two, the apothecary actually had to drop his chin to his chest to view the situation. No one seemed hurt...
"Meryl, what happened?"
Rail had to raise his voice over the noise in the bazaar, but Meryl didn't need to hear her father. She felt him shift next to her - turn in actuality - and when he did so, the little Dust's attention wavered from Eloise to him.
"I-I bumped into her! It was an accident, papa!" The Citrus girl had to raise her voice as well, but unlike Rail's, hers didn't carry so well. The apothecary had to stoop and even then had a hard time hearing his daughter when she reiterated. He managed to hear the word 'accident', however, and that made him frown before looking up at Eloise.
"It's really crowded here." He stood up straight again and then on tiptoe, looking over heads for a place that wasn't in the middle of a bunch of bustling bodies. There was one such place - a little alcove where there was a couple empty stalls - and Rail pointed to it. He wasn't the sort to just hear the word 'accident' and not get to the bottom of what happened. "We can talk over there!"
Meryl craned her neck to see where it was Rail was pointing, but through the waves of people she was unable to see nothing but legs, coats, and the occasional bag or purse. She could barely hear Rail and couldn't ask him where they were going once he started leading herself and the woman towards the place he had spied. As he did so, the Dustling turned to look at Eloise, offering an apologetic smile. Her papa could be a little silly at times.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:11 pm
Thanks to her shorter stature, the young maid was able to pick up most of the words coming from the small child- few as they were. A small smile came to her lips as she realized the child posed no threat to her, or her bottle, and nodded her head. “I’m glad you’re okay!” She shouted back, in order to be heard over the loud din of people surrounding them in the marketplace. “Accidents happen! It’s perfectly o—“
Her reassurance was cut short as a rather tall man tuned into their conversation. Eloise was alarmed at first, having failed to notice their hand-in-hand link. It didn’t help that the man was the size of a tower in comparison to her. Where he had to dramatically look down at her, she had to crane her neck backwards to look at him. The man’s blue eyes and freckled cheeks made him seem almost warm and welcoming, where his height and dark hair made him seem intimidating. At first glance alone, the Morrow girl couldn’t tell if she felt content in his presence or alarmed.
The choice, however, made a sharp turn to alarming when he suggested they leave the crowded areas. Why did he want them to leave the area? The little girl apologized. Everything was okay! Was he mad at her? Did he think she attacked his child with her basket or something? Eloise, far more accustomed to dealing with women and children than men, felt her stomach twist at the idea of trying to force conversation with one. Days like these made her wonder if her decision to move to Amies was a wise one.
It almost seemed like a backhand to her height, the way such a tall man stood on his tiptoes. If she attempted such a feat, she’d probably be just even with his chest. Certainly not tall enough to actually see anything worthwhile. He seemed to find whatever it was he was looking for, however, as he soon began towing his child away in a direction he claimed they could talk in. For a brief second, she wondered if she could get away with not following him. Beg off getting lost in the crowd or not realizing he intended for her to follow as well.
Those hopes were dashed at the sight of the child’s apologetic expression. Feeling a little condemned, Eloise hung her head and followed after the tower-of-a-man and his tiny daughter. Her feet felt heavier and heavier the closer they got to the alcove she figured he was gesturing to. When the people around them had completely dispersed and the cacophony of sounds had dimmed enough for them to hear each other, Eloise’s nerves jumped to the forefront. “It’s okay! It was an accident. She apologized!”
Maybe if she just blurted it out from the get-go, he’d let her go on her merry little way?
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:44 am
The closer they reached the area with the empty stalls, the thankfully less noisy it became. The alcove itself had a little bit of echo and the crowd wasn't completely silenced, but it was better than nothing. Meryl could see a little better, Rail could hear, and that's what mattered - especially when the woman they had led out of the pack immediately spoke up.
"I heard her say she was sorry, I just wanted to know what happened." With his ears now able to hear the shorter woman and his daughter, he would be able to get down to brass tacks. He wasn't mad, wasn't even annoyed, but he did just want to know what had transpired for the record books. Accident or not, he just wanted the truth and looking down to Meryl with his placid gaze, he waited. "Meryl?"
"Aww papa..." The little girl scuffed the toe of one rubber boot on the hard tile floor, feeling much like Eloise in that moment. She had apologized, the lady she had accidentally run into had even said as much, and the Dust didn't see what more had to be said. But that was her papa for them - more than a little serious when it came to getting the whole story about things and keeping things down for reference. Still, the sooner she spoke up, the sooner she knew Rail would relax and let the poor lady she had bumped into on her way. "I was looking around and I just bumped into her basket."
As she spoke, Meryl reached out to Eloise's basket, putting her hand on its wicker side and giving it a pat. With the sound of the crowd dimmed over where they stood, the Citrus girl could hear something glass clink against something else inside as she did so.
"See? I didn't damage it or nothin'!" And she wasn't hurt either, quite the opposite in fact.
Rail was...rather impressed by his daughter's explanation. Impressed and surprised, given the girl was usually so imaginative about how things got a certain way - the mud on her clothes came from going toe to toe with a giant, the stall door was left open because it was a makeshift barricade against the onslaught of snow golems, and the reason his supply of twiggy herbs were in a pile on the floor was because she had been looking for a suitable wand and figured the ones on the bottom would be the right length. With no imagination thrown in he was secretly a little let down, but still proud that she had come out with it so undoctored. Of course, he was unaware she had been so forward was because he was being silly.
"Okay," Rail released his daughter's hand for a moment to pat her on the head before turning to the woman and giving her a light and equally apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, I could barely hear over there and like I said, I just wanted to know what happened." Meryl wasn't a troublesome child, but everyone got into a bump now and again. This bump was an accident and it looked like no hard feelings on the part of the woman who had her basket accosted by his daughter's forehead. In fact, she looked a little eager to depart.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:38 am
Eloise felt almost chastised when the dark haired man first spoke. It reminded her of when she was a child in the temples. When the children would get into fights- as children often did- if she ever tried to speak out and claim her innocence too soon, she’d be told to shush. Then the other child would get to speak up first and it never seemed to fail that the first child to speak was the child most believed. As a result of this feeling, the maid shut her mouth quickly, her teeth giving an audible ‘click’ under the speed and force she used behind the tiny gesture.
Thankfully the tiny blonde’s story was the same as what she would have told. It abated the fear that the child would tell her father that some mean and strange random woman beat her forehead with a basket. She nodded her head, eager to agree with the story. If their stories matched- which it did, since it was the truth- then she could get out of there sooner rather than later. Rail, she had decided, was much more intimidating than he was comforting.
Sharp emerald eyes watched as the child’s hand reached out and patted her basket. The clinking sound had her eyes widening as she fought back the urge to remove the blanket she’d tucked around the bottle to see if it was okay. “Yes,” She agreed, swallowing thickly. “Didn’t break my bottle or anything.” Eloise was fairly certain on this matter. After all, Allegro had stated that he felt a breeze surrounding her from her tiny bottle. Surely if this child had broken it, they’d all know by now? Just to be sure, the hand that wasn’t holding the basket reached inside and patted the object nestled there. Nope. Not broken.
Reassured her treasure was fine, the young woman turned her attention back to the older man who was apologizing to her. A blush came to her cheeks as she darted her eyes away. He was certainly older than her and if the way he clothed his daughter was any sign of his status in life- he certainly seemed to have a higher social standing than her. Oddities were abound in Amies, it seemed! Not the least of which was the way people willing conversed with her as if they were on the same page as each other in life. Aevah be praised! She had no idea how to handle these situations!
“It-it’s perfectly fine,” She stammered out, her eyes locked on her slipped cased toes. They were suddenly very fascinating things. Giving a short bow to the man, she continued; “N-no one got hurt, thank Aevah. …Accidents happen.” Especially, Eloise noted, where young children seemed to be involved. They had a natural penchant for finding trouble or getting bumps and scraped knees. This time around, it seemed neither citrus scented child, maid, or bottle was injured, however.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:02 pm
With the other woman's words on nothing being broken, Rail smiled a little brighter. No bumps, no trouble, and nothing broken. Good, very good. Meryl however, at Eloise's mention of the bottle, was curious and a little perplexed; and she made it known unabashedly.
"A bottle? That's a funny thing to have in a basket!" With the conversation turning from the bump to the bottle, Meryl's limey scent turned back to sweet tangerine in almost a flash. Her eyes lit up as well, looking at the blanket-covered wicker and trying to imagine what sort of bottle could be in there. A milk bottle was one idea, but it seemed funny that one would bring milk to the bazaar.
At his daughter's inquiry, the apothecary sighed lightly and again patted his daughter on the head before retaking her hand.
"Meryl, be polite." He squeezed the hand he held gently but with meaning - it wasn't polite to stare. His eyes only stole a glance at Eloise's basket as they passed before resting on the short woman before him. Once he looked at the woman again, his mind gave him a kick that told him introductions hadn't been made. Normally he wouldn't have since this seemed to be a passing thing, but since this was a little more extended, it wouldn't hurt. With his smile still light, Rail bowed his head politely back at Eloise, squeezing his daughter's hand so she could follow suit.
"I've forgotten my manners; my name is Rail Howell. This is my daughter Meryl."
Meryl didn't reply to the gentle chastise when her father spoke it. She had only been curious after all. Her curiosity made her a little deaf to his introductions, as her attention was on the basket and guessing what was inside if not milk. The squeeze on her hand did make the Citrus Dust pull her eyes away from the thing, but her father's introduction made her bend her covered knees in a little curtsy. She kept her eyes on Rail's face, waiting until the man raised his head before she popped herself up with a little hop.
"It's nice to meet you!" Greeting aside, Meryl nodded in agreement once Eloise repeated what she had already told her papa. Like the dark-haired woman said, accidents did happen. With apologies and all that out of the way, Meryl didn't feel so bad anymore. No one had gotten hurt, nothing had gotten broken and her papa - as silly as his little lead around was - wasn't upset. So far so good and the day had not been ruined! All was well now, if not still a little discombobulated with how noisy and packed with people this new place was.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:42 pm
A small giggle escaped the woman at the child’s statement, not finding it rude at all, but rather a little amusing. She tried to stifle the sound as her father berated her but the amused smile was impossible to get rid of completely; especially when the child was so blatantly trying to get a peek at the object inside her woven carrier. Even Rail, himself, seemed a tad bit interested, she noted as she watched his gaze flicker, even if only for a moment, to the object in mention.
Her amusement, however, was cut short by the aforementioned man’s voice.
“Oh!” Eloise’s hands fluttered uselessly in front of her as the man brought up forgetting his manners. Suddenly, the woman found herself unsure of what to do with her limbs or body as he bowed his head to her and his charming daughter gave an adorable curtsy. In Sara-Anne’s manor, the Morrow girl was little more than moving decoration; something that dropped off food when it was ready and took plates when the food was gone. She rarely was introduced to anyone, nor did she actively introduce herself to anyone. “Oh, my. Well, it’s an honor to meet you, Sir Howell.” To Meryl she offered her own little curtsy. If only to avoid making the little girl feel left out. “And to meet you, Miss Meryl.”
Standing up straight, she smiled a bit shyly. “My name is Eloise Morrow,” she offered in greeting as she simultaneously lowered her arm in a discreet, casual manner letting the child get a good look inside at its contents without, hopefully, being too obvious to her father. The blue blanket had been jostled off of the bottle and its bright green sheen was visible to the young woman. The forever swirling presence inside of it seemed content to swish lazily against the side of the container. She eyes darted to Meryl to see if the girl would take the obvious bait and as she did so, she finally managed to catch a waft of child’s chronically changing scent.
What was that? It was so sweet, so opposite of the bitter smell before. “Tangerines?” The tiny woman questioned, without much thought. Her eyes immediately fell onto the child. “Didn’t you smell like limes but two seconds ago?” In her bemused state, it failed to connect to her that her questions might seem prying or rude. “What an interesting scent you have!” How, indeed, did someone go from smelling like one fruit to another? And without a bath, even! It was a very curious thing! “How do you manage that?”
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:30 pm
When Eloise giggled at her statement, Meryl beamed. Her papa's chide hadn't been said to berate the child, but instead simply to say that it wasn't nice to tease strangers, and she knew this, but was still happy all the same that the woman was in the same boat as her. This happiness only grew as Eloise introduced herself and called Meryl "Miss". Never before had she been given such a title before her name and it tickled the little Dust, making her giggle behind one hand.
Like Meryl, Rail found some amusement in the title he was given, but that came after a little surprise. Coming from a small town, the most he had ever received before his name was 'Mister'. 'Sir' was quite a change, but then again there were bound to be quite a few in this city compared to the place they were used to.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Marrow. And again, sorry for leading you over here like that."
Rail was taken up in conversation now - even though it was just beginning - and thus didn't see the covert way Eloise dipped her arm. From her short height, Meryl saw the basket lower quite plainly and with a secretive little smile raised herself on tiptoe to peer into its depths. The action was really unneeded by the child, but regardless, when Meryl looked in, her eyes immediately landed on the Breeze bottle. In just as much time, the Dustling was captivated by it, for its pretty green color with that ribbon of black and also for the odd feeling she knew what it was yet had no explanation for it. It felt somehow familiar to her, but she couldn't say how. Even if it didn't though, she still found the thing pretty.
Eyeing her father to make sure he didn't see, Meryl took a step forward, reached in, and took the bottle in her free hand. She was surprised with how light it was and also by the curious way it made her sleeve just slightly ruffle in its presence but that only endeared it more to her. It was such a pretty thing; familiar and yet so strange! Definitely not milk however, and she dearly wanted to ask the woman where she got the pretty bottle. Rail had many glass jars and bottles and things at home but none like this!
Looking back up at Eloise, Meryl was about to ask just that, but the petite woman spoke up first. When the questions were asked, Rail's mouth opened to speak but he was stuck. He had learned little about the Dusts from another Dust child months ago, but since then had not come into contact with another or a human who had one of their own who could explain more than Oxiin had. Despite that, Rail new Meryl wasn't human and thus he wasn't sure how those who didn't would take to the idea of a non-human being in their midst even while living in a world where unicorns and werewolves were common. His first thought was 'not well' and the next was 'she'd think we're crazy' and so he stood there, stuck and trying hard to find a good reason as to why.
While Rail fumbled around in his own head, Meryl was not surprised by the questions and instead beamed as happily as anything, turning side to side with the bottle still in hand. She didn't know she was a "Dust" but she knew she was kinda special all the same. That was something to be proud of!
"I've always been able to do that! Papa said it's a...ah...a talent!" Yes, a talent. It was how Rail could explain it to himself and his child when she had asked the first time she had realized she released various fruity scents. It wasn't the best explanation, but it was the only one the apothecary had on hand when Meryl had questioned it. For now, it worked as a suitable one here too. "I can smell like lots of things like oranges, limes, and lemons!"
Meryl could not have sounded prouder about that fact.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:47 am
Eloise offered a benign, albeit shy, smile and nodded her head. “It’s alright,” She murmured, her voice still soft with lingering nerves. Truth be told, if little Meryl had been her own daughter, she probably would have done the same. As such, she really couldn’t hold it against the man, even if the action had at first startled and alarmed her.
The young woman shifted her weight just a little as blonde child peered into her basket and was prepared for the light change in weight from her basket as tiny hands reached in and took the treasure from its hiding place. From the corner of her eye, the maid could see the gleam of light catching on the bottle and the fascinated expression on the child’s face. The look was enough to relieve the mild fear Eloise had at letting the child hold the bottle. Surely, if she was so interested in it, she’d take care not to drop it?
Bottle in hand, the fruit-scented child began to sway back and forth, the tiny glass causing a ruffling in her sleeves now and again. Eloise watched the pair- for she considered her little bottle as much of a child as Meryl herself- with curious eyes, listening as the animated one between them explained that her changing scent was something of a talent. A talent? What kind of talent was changing your own scent? Eloise glanced at Rail with an amused sort of expression. That was a kind of bold-faced lie only a child would believe.
…But she wasn’t the only one with a talent, was she? Her changing scent reminded her of Allegro and the way he glowed every time he went into the shade. It was a passive sort of ‘talent’ that he possessed, and he had actually seemed entirely unaware of it until she brought it up. He was so accustomed to it, it never bothered him. Was Meryl’s scent kind of like that?
No, she dismissed the thought almost immediately, if that were the case, the child would have to be something of a magical being, like the sunshine boy. …Like her bottle. And, really, what was the chance of a dust-baby randomly bumping into her like this out in public? It seemed highly unlikely.
Eloise knelt to the child’s height, a friendly, though confused, smile on her face. “That’s a very special talent,” The older woman agreed. “Can you change it on your own?” She asked, curious if it was some sort of uncontrolled happenstance or if she was able to pick and choose a scent and when it changed.
All the while she tried to convince herself that Meryl wasn’t a magic-child. Even if magic was the only way she thought her ‘talent’ could be explained. Normal—no, human—children couldn’t do such a thing. There had to be some other explanation, but she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Especially if Rail didn’t know about children like Allegro. What if he honestly thought his child was just very talented, and was otherwise unaware that it wasn’t a common ability? She’d hate to be the one to burst his oblivious bubble. After all, that bubble didn’t only affect him; it affected the sweet little girl in front of her, as well.
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:08 am
When Meryl spoke, Rail's jaw immediately closed and he looked down at his daughter again. As with her retelling of the incident that took place just a few minutes before, he was amazed that she wasn't spinning her words into a clever tale or excuse for why she smelled the way she did. With that amazement however, came a little concern. This woman - for what he knew at the moment - was an every day civilian. Surely 'it's a talent' would sound far too strange...at least until Rail saw the bottle cupped delicately in his daughter's hand.
The one Meryl held was minty green in color, but the shape, the yellow plug at the top, and the black ribbon around its surface were all too familiar. It was exactly like the one that Meryl had come from. Differences aside it was the plain truth. Furrowing his brow slightly as though that would help him see it better, the obvious question rose up and rested on Rail's tongue. He started to pose it, but Eloise's motion and question and Meryl's response stopped him from speaking a word just yet.
"It is, isn't it?" The Dust child's orange-y tang only increased as her statement was agreed with and Eloise came down to her level. Meryl could boast that she never smelled bad no matter how sweaty, dirty, or warm she got and to the blonde that was a pretty neat thing, especially with knowing how stinky some things got. On that note, she would also complain that Rail still made her take baths, but Eloise's immediate question kept that from coming out. As well, it also decreased the pungency of the Dust's smell as she fell into pondering and then shook her head, looking down at the little bottle in her hands.
"I don't think I can. It happens by itself." She had to wonder why that was, but she had no answer for it. She smelled like oranges when she was happy, limes when she was apologetic or sad, lemons when she was angry, and on the odd occasion like grapefruit when she was scared or angrier still. That's just how things had always been and now that it was posed to her, Meryl did find it a little curious. Looking from the bottle, to the young woman's green eyes, back up to her papa; Meryl tugged on the older man's hand, looking for an answer to this puzzling puzzlement.
As before, Rail didn't have one. As Meryl spoke to Eloise, the man's furrowed brow had waned and he was instead watching the two mildly. He looked a bit startled as Meryl looked to him for her answer, but the apothecary could only shake his head and give her a meager smile.
"You're just special like that," was all he said. It wasn't what Meryl had been expecting (or wanting), but it would have to do. Gently he freed his hand from hers, wrapped it around the child's shoulder, and squeezed her briefly to his side. It was always a curious thing, but perhaps it was something to ponder at home.
With her father's reply, the girl could only look back at the kneeling woman and shrug once the hug came to an end. As soon as she did, she went back to looking at the bottle, holding it up to the light and watching as it seemed to glow in what window-light it caught. It really was a pretty thing.
"Excuse me but...Where did you get that bottle?" Not a dumb man by any means, Rail's question was posed to Eloise rather than his daughter. When the tall man spoke up, Meryl quickly lowered the bottle to her chest again, peering up at her father through her bangs and smiling as though to cover up the fact she actually had Eloise's possession in her hand. Rail returned that look with one of his own, but although the expression he wore looked a little tense, it was clear in his eyes and the way his lips quivered that it was meant to be somewhat playful all the same. He could trust her to be careful with it and besides, if Meryl had dived in to get the bottle, Eloise likely would have reacted as such. Since it had not come and the woman was looking right at the girl, then clearly it was okay with Eloise.
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:55 pm
Eloise nodded at the child’s agreement, a friendly smile on her face as a strong waft of orange scent came to her nose. A budding sense of guilt came over her as the child seemed to take her question with confusion. It was as if she had never contemplated controlling her scent before. She probably hadn’t, Eloise realized after a beat. If it was something you did all the time- was born doing- did you question it? She didn’t stop eating just to see if she could live without food, she simply continued to eat when her body requested it of her.
“That’s perfectly fine!” Eloise added on the child’s statement. “I was just curious. I wish I could change my smell like that. You’re a very special little girl,” she reassured, trying to abate not only her own guilt but the child’s curiosity. The young woman was fairly certain Rail would not appreciate a stranger having his daughter question things about herself. She obviously should have kept her mouth shut.
As the man shook his hand free of the girl’s hand to pull her in for a close hug, the maid rose herself to her feet. Her hands worked to brush off invisible particles of dust from her clothing to keep herself busy and her eyes off the pair- it was rude to stare. That and she was horribly embarrassed by causing the child’s questions. When she peeked back over the child was shrugging in a rather nonchalant way and it caused a small laugh to come from the brunette.
She would have said something else, something more dismissive about the scent, but the citrus child’s father spoke up first, questioning her on her bottle. The innocent it-wasn’t-me smile that came to the girl’s face was all sweet. “Oh…uh…” She licked her lips in a nervous manner, her hands finding their way to her skirts, fussing with them, twisting the fabric between her fingers. "I found it in a tree in my mistress’ manor.” She stated, and despite her nerves, she watched the man carefully- waiting to see if he showed a flash of recognition. Did he know what the bottle was? “A…breeze blew and knocked it out of the tree.”
She found her own words kind of funny. Allegro had already told her that the essence in the bottle was some sort of wind-related creature. He’d felt the breeze when he’d passed her and thought she, herself, was the dust child at first pass. “It’s a lovely bottle, isn’t it?” She inquired, her hands loosening their death grip on her skirts. She wasn’t about to admit it was magical if he didn’t know, but she had a feeling- for a hunch was all it was- that he knew exactly what it was. But if the child that was with him was one of the bottle-babies…what was her bottle? What was her essence? She doubted it was an organge…
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