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 Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:10 pm
 Juno wasn’t normally on market duty -- the bakery owners didn’t think him quite experienced enough to deal with the Oban crowd, what with being as odd-looking as he did. But the girl who usually tended their stall had gone off on a sea-side trip with her boyfriend, and after making some fuss about it they finally accepted that he really was the only one left they could count on to do the job. He was an odd one, sure, but he took to the market like a fish to water, and he wasn’t half as stupid as the other boy who did their delivers -- a benevolent but downright thick-skulled Oban named Nuk.
So, Nuk was left to handle all the deliveries, and Juno had the comparatively cushy job of manning the market stall.
He loved every minute of it, of course. It wa busy, with lots of yelling and haggling and the constant threat of hungry thieves… but none of this fazed the half-breed, even though he had only been living in Sulburi for about a week. He fielded questions, rebuffed low-balled haggling offers and packed bread-loaves into baskets of housewives, house servants and curious wanderers alike, whistling to himself in the few short lulls between customers.
It was during one of these lulls that he spotted her -- a tan girl with blue hair. In that instant, he almost understood how some people might feel when they saw him… but of course, this girl was much prettier. She had a delicate sort of face, sparkling golden eyes, and such an elegant curve to her back that he had a hard time tearing his gaze away. Gosh, but… if only she’d look his way! He tried to catch her eye through the crowd, lifting a hand and beckoning her forward.
“Hey, Miss! D’you fancy something sweet? I’ve got a fresh-baked honey roll, soft as a cloud, and all it’ll cost you is you telling me your name. And that’s no trick, I swear it on my life!”
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:16 pm
Oba wasn't home. Oba was a prison.
The only reprieve Aaricia had was when she went to the market. There, no one paid her too much extra attention. Sure, there was a guard who followed her everywhere, but he kept enough distance so that she didn't feel utterly smothered. And, on trips without her father, she could take her shawl off from over her hair for a short time. With her long braid hanging free, she was far more comfortable. Others didn't appreciate her hair like she did, but it was her link to her mother, and her own insignificant rebellion to her situation.
Usually unwilling to meet anyone's gaze, she was focused on the products she was looking through. However, her eye couldn't help catching sight of a blueish arm waving about. She looked up in the hopes of seeing a Zenan native... Well, it wasn't a Zenan, but the young man was a fellow hybrid... and looking right at her.
Blinking with surprise, she looked around briefly to see if someone else had the merchant's attention. Looking at the baked goods spread out, she cautiously walked closer. "Is it.. my name you want? For the bread?" she asked hesitantly. The bread certainly did smell wonderful... but her opinion of Oba was that nothing came without strings attached.
While her father's "propriety" lessons urged her to keep her gaze down in front of her male counterparts, she couldn't help looking over the man's face curiously while waiting for his reply. He had such a nice, free smile and set of blue eyes to match... It was a nice change from the curious and irritated looks she was used to from around here.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 10:28 am
As hard as he’d been trying to get her attention, when she finally did turn to face him he found himself at a bit of a loss. Now what? She was looking right at him, with those pretty honey-hued eyes, a bit confused and understandably cautious. There was, after all, a whole lot of cat-calling going on in a place like this, and for a second Juno was mortified to count himself amongst them.
But no, no, he wasn’t anything like that. He wasn’t just eyeing as nice set of hips (as nice as hers were) and calling out for the heck of it. He… really did want to know her name. And where she came from. And if she lived nearby, or if she came to the market often, and… well, hold on a second, maybe he should wait and see if he hadn’t completely scared her off. Maybe he did have a chance, at least, because she was looking right at him, and not avoiding his gaze like most girls did when they received some unwanted attention.
“Yeah.” He shrugged again, keeping an easy smile despite some self-doubt (well gosh, it wasn’t his fault, it’s just that a guy like him didn’t always do that well with women). “If it’s anything as pretty as you are, it’ll be worth it. Hm? But if you don’t like sweets, there’s lots to pick from.”
He gestured at all the baskets that surrounded his stall, each one holding a different type of bread. The honey rolls he had mentioned before were a favorite in the marketplace, shiny with their sweet glaze but soft and pale on the inside. But there were also little pillow-shaped buns stuffed with custard, a twisty knot of dough studded with dried fruit, and various savoury buns, along with all the usual loaves and flatbreads for the dinner table.
“I’m Juno, myself. I don’t usually get to work in the market, so I’ve… never seen you around.”
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 12:47 pm
Brow cocking curiously, Aaricia gaze shifted repeatedly between the man and the bread. Pretty? A warm blush colored her cheeks, her eyes returning to rest on the man's face. He.. thought she was pretty? Well, he was a hybrid, so it made sense that he wouldn't mind her blue hair. It was nice to hear without it being followed by a creepy stare...
"Juno.." Chewing her lip, she peeked over her shoulder to where he escort was off on the other side of the street. Well, if he wasn't going to make a fuss... She turned back to Juno and gave him a smile; it was small, but still her first real smile in quite some time. "My name is Aaricia. I think I would like a honey roll." She clasped her hands together and shook her head playfully. "I could say the same of you, that I've never seen you around either."
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 5:53 pm
Cornetified arrgh sorry i forgot to put this one back into my posting queue, totally didn't mean to blank out on you for that long!
“Juno…” She repeated pensively, and for whatever reason the sound of his name coming from her lips made him feel a little… nervous? Well, no, it wasn’t quite nerves, but it was some other odd little feeling going on in the pit of his stomach. Then she told him her name -- Aaricia -- and he broke out into an easy grin. Because hey, at least she wasn’t running off screaming. Or calling him out as a creep.
“That sure is a pretty name. Here. This is the best-looking roll of the bunch. Not that I’d go on comparing its looks to yours. A bun’s a bun!”
He handed her one of the bakery’s famous honey-buns; a puffy pastry that sat nicely in the palm of your hand, pleasantly bubbly but weighed down with a layer of sticky honey-glaze. It was golden-brown and shaped perfectly -- he’d made sure not to pick out any of the ones that had an odd glob of dough baked to the side, or anything like that.
“Well, like I said, it’s not often I get to work the stalls. Mostly I work inside the bakery, helping keep stock and things like that. Do you live nearby?”
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 1:11 pm
Juno's smile seemed so friendly and free... Aaricia couldn't help feeling herself relaxing a little bit more. She took the bun in both hands, looking at the sweet confection with wide eyes. It looked absolutely delicious. "Thank you."
What would it be like to work in such a business? It sounded challenging and fun. The last question made her press her lips warily. "Nearby, yes. Unfortunately." Blushing at the slip of her tongue, she took a quick, delicate bite of the bun. Her eyes lit up with delight almost immediately. "This is as delicious as it looks," she praised with a small smile. After a moment, her smile went bashful again. "Was my name truly worth this?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:44 pm
“Unfortunately?” Juno quirked an eyebrow, not sure what that was about. Was she slipping in some subtle remark about how he was annoying her, because he was ‘unfortunately’ close to her residence and hence she couldn’t avoid running into him this one time? It seemed an odd jump, given that she seemed altogether very friendly to him (and gosh, didn’t she just have the brightest smile?).
That smile brightened even more when she bit into the honey bun, making Juno feel an odd sort of swell in his chest. It was just a sweet bun, but… it was nice to see that she liked it.
“Glad it suits your tastes! They’re too sweet for some, but we’ve got lotsa other treats for those folks, salty and spicy things and all that. But these are the best-sellers, and I can hardly go a day without nibbling on one myself. I’m sorry… did I say nibbling? I meant scarfing one down all in one go.”
“My name’s Juno.” He beamed when she asked him. “So… you gonna tell me what’s so unfortunate about living nearby?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:14 pm
Aaricia giggled , inspecting the bun in her hands. "I will be glad to take more of these if no one else wants them," she said playfully. Imagine hiding a few of these in her room~ "Perhaps even help you- um- scarf them!" What a funny way to describe eating.
Brow rising at his question, her eyes darted away with a mix of bashfulness and sadness. "I apologize. I did not wish to seem rude." Fighting a small mental battle, she glanced around at the crowd before sighing. Her eyes locked onto the sweet bun, thinking of home. "I hail from Zena... and I miss it." To put it into the simplest terms...
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:42 pm
He had the sweetest laugh -- light and airy, but no so airy that it lost substance. It put a real sort of brilliance in her eyes, and Juno almost had to pinch himself to keep himself from drifting off at the thought that he had brought her this laughter.
“I’d be glad to have your help any day.” He grinned, hoping that didn’t sound… well inappropriate.
“You weren’t rude!” He shook his head then when she apologized, sorry to see her gaze hung downwards as it was. Her shoulders were sloping down as well, rejected and sad. “I’m just being nosy, that’s all. But Zena… I mean, I can see you’re from there. I used to live in Sauti… this hair colour’s familiar.”
Juno reached up for a moment, as if to touch a lock her her hair -- then pulled away, thinking better of it. She was glancing around all over, so maybe she had some reason not to be seen with him. This didn’t strike Juno as all too odd, for the markets around here were filled with all sorts of characters, and he’d already met lots of folks who would prefer to go unnoticed.
“Are you gonna visit soon? I think I’ll swing by Sauti once I save enough to buy my cart. Say hi to my mom and all that. Feel like I oughta, after the mess with my father.”
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:57 pm
He was from Sauti? Aaricia closed her eyes. That was right next to Zena. She had gone through there briefly, on her way to Oba. Not that she got to do any sight seeing while passing through. She'd been in a state of shock for most of that trip...
It was probably for the best, but she didn't notice the hand reach for her with her eyes firmly down as they were. Visit..? Her eyes started to water, but she blinked quickly to chase the tears away. What would her father do if she cried in front of everyone? Mother... She took another bite of the sweet bread to distract herself for a moment. "No... I do not know when I will return to Zena," she said softly. Once her tears were under control, she raised her face again. Head high... "I'm sure your mother would like a visit, if it has been a while," she offered with a small smile.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:40 pm
Cornetified aari's growth is lovely! <3 sorry i wasn't able to wrap this in time to help you with the growth.
“I guess you’ll go when it makes sense. I mean, no rush, you know? It’s not going anywhere. That’s sort of the good part about home, I guess.”
She lifted her face upwards once more, her back straightening the way it had been when she had first approached. Without knowing what it was she was battling through, he couldn’t help but admire her resolve.
“Oh, I’m sure she will. I haven’t even been able to send her a message or anything, you know, what with her moving around all the time, and not having anyplace I can send it. But I’ll find her when I get there, I know all the routes.” He shrugged and reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, feeling like perhaps their conversation had gone as far as was comfortable for a casual encounter like this one. He didn’t, however, want to see her disappear into the crowd with no guarantee he’d see her again.
“Will you, uh… will you come by here again? To the market?”
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 3:17 pm
"I am sure Zena will be there," she assured with a tiny smile. Home, though... Home might not be there anymore, for her. Not knowing was the worst feeling.
"Then she will definitely be ready for a visit from her son," she agreed further. "I do hope that you find her swiftly when you do go back." The thought of moving around a lot had seemed unfortunate to her. She much preferred having a place to stay. She knew that many Sautians had the life of a wanderer though, so it didn't surprise her to hear that.
With the questions, she cocked her head slightly. "I don't get to come out as often as I would like, but I do try to make regular trips through." She looked down at the bun in her hands, and then back at Juno. Would he still be here? "I will be sure to bring some extra money next time, so that I might be able to purchase a few of these from you." She blushed lightly and lowered her gaze with a small smile. "I do not believe my name will be able to cover more buns; nor should I expect it to. You've been most kind, Juno." Stereochrome <3 I don't mind continuing this rp to count for Juno if you want. Halfway done anyway!
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 5:36 am
There was a moment of silent sadness in her. Although she agreed, the thought that Zena wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon seemed not to bring her much comfort. Juno, still very much a random stranger at a market stand, wanted to do something else to reassure her… but came short on ideas. It seemed like a very personal matter, and this whole situation was just about the opposite of discreet.
The market bustled and swelled around them. He had to pause the conversation with her (holding up a hand apologetically) to sell some bread to an Oban family, reaching over to drop three big round loaves into their basket. After collecting the money and slipping it into the pouch he wore at his hips (one had to be careful about money in a place like this), and turned back to Aaricia.
“Oh, gosh, well that’d be nice. I mean, not the money, I mean between me and you it’s not like it goes into my pocket anyway -- it’s all for the bakery, I just get paid a daily wage. But if you’d just come by to visit, that’d be nice. And I mean… uh…”
His stomach dropped a little at the thought of what he was about to suggest, but he steeled his nerves and carried on.
“Well, if you want to meet on my day off sometime, that’d be nice too. We could walk around the market together, instead of, you know, you standing there in the sun.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 8:07 pm
While the Oban family was tended to, Aaricia took a bite of the bun and looked around. This was turning out to be a surprisingly pleasant trip, despite her overall depressed attitude. Juno was one of the first truly friendly faces she met here in Oba. It was so much nicer than the stoic expressions of the guards and the false compassion of her father.
Listening to Juno, her cheeks heated up steadily. She didn't want to get comfortable in Oba.. but with Juno standing there, saying how he would enjoy seeing her again... perhaps it would be okay to allow friendship around here..? After all, what would Frik say if he could see her now? He wouldn't want her to avoid friendly faces.
On his time off?! Walk around with Juno just.. together? For fun? Cheeks burning now, her eyes slid away bashfully. She couldn't see her father allowing such a thing. He kept such a tight line on her. Yet... she wasn't a youngling anymore! Taking a deep breath, she smiled softly and nodded. "I think I would like that, very much," she replied. "When is your next day off?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 3:44 pm
He noticed the girl stiffen a little at his suggestion, and cringed inwardly. Had he gone a little too far? Jeez, they’d just met, and she clearly wasn’t as used to chatting to strangers as he was. He wasn’t even sure how far off the mark he’d come. If she had been a pure-blood Oban noblewoman, saying what he had just said would probably have been the stupidest thing he could do, and not even worth the effort. But she was a hybrid, like him, and… well, it wasn’t that she was an ‘easier’ target or anything like that. It’s just that he felt some sort of connection, and he thought that maybe… well…
“I think I would like that, very much.” She replied then, and he tried his best not to let out an obvious sigh of relief. Or to punch the air in triumph. Either would be sort of embarrassingly inappropriate.
“That’s great! I’m free two days from now.” He answered quickly, knowing his schedule well (as hard as he worked to save his money, he lived for his days off). “And then four days from now, I only work early in the morning to bring in a delivery, so I could meet you that afternoon too. Are you free on any of those days? I could ask to switch around some days if you’d rather meet another time.”
Hell, he’d skip work if he had to. He had had a perfect record until now, and it couldn’t hurt to just miss one day, could it?
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