Welcome to Gaia! ::

A week was a long time to wait when you've already been waiting for years for something to happen. She could finally move on from this wretched place that was nothing but awful memories and boring inn work. Away from all the suffocating crowds. Maybe they'd find a little secluded spot besides the ocean to live, surrounded by beautiful scenery open to the sky, instead of these treetops that made her feel like some giant was trying to close her up into a box. How so many of the Shifters lived up in the branches, suspended so far above the ground still made her nervous. She'd be glad to be away from that, as well.

But first, the last of the money needed to be scrapped together. Kayde had a few jobs left that he thought would put them over their goal. He was off doing that, now. Elka suspected he had also took more jobs just to make sure they really would be prepared by the end of the day. That left her alone today, with nothing to do but wander the streets in search of some amusement. She was tired of laying about in bed reading books. There had been plenty of that done as her hands healed from the broken glass caused by the earthquakes weeks ago. She thanked the Goddess that the world had been still ever since than.

Ahead of her, for the past five minutes, was a man who was moving very oddly. He kept looking around him as he he expected someone to be following. A few glances around herself showed no other suspicious fellows on the street. During one such glance around her, Elka just barely missed him turning into a side alley. Despite the dangers of going down one of these alone, her curiosity was peaked, increased beyond the normal threshold by her sheer boredom. Was he up to something shady? Would she find something exciting back there? Maybe it was something she could report on and get a reward, to better help them get more money for the trip. Kayde had already taken into account the fact she'd want to buy some Matori furniture. If she managed to get even more money, she could really buy something fancy.

Nearing the entrance to the alley, Elka leaned against the wall in order to peer around it, trying to pretend like she was just resting here and not also doing something suspicious. She watched as the man approached a woman no older than herself sitting at a table. On the table, Elka could see many different bottles of varying liquids sitting there. The man picked up one and handed the woman some coins, before turning around and leaving. Ducking around the corner, she waited until he had passed her by, walking back down the street where he had first come from. No one else seemed interested in the alley, so she slid around the corner. Now she alone faced the table. The young woman looked up at her and smiled, putting Elka at ease. She approached.

"Hello, darling. Looking for something to spice up your life?"

Elka's golden eyes widened. What did she mean by that?

But before she could respond, the woman continued.

"I have potions to help your love life." Here she gestured with a hand towards a row of pink and red bottles, all with a little heart drawn on the paper. How corny. "Though a beautiful girl like you I'm sure doesn't need them."

"I most certainly do not," Elka replied, holding herself up straighter. She had the best man anyone could ever want, so devoted and kind to her.

The woman smiled once more, turning over a thin bottle with a green liquid inside it, brushing off a bit of unseen dust that clung to the sides.

Elka instantly raised a hand and pointed at it. "What is that one?"

"Ah," the woman breathed, picking it up by two fingers on the thin spine. "This one allows accelerated growth of hair." Also not something she really needed. Thick curls cascaded down her back, held half up by a black bow perched in the back of her head. Not that she needed any kind of potion. Leaving this seller would mean going back to mindlessly wandering around the city in search of anything to waste away her time with. So, instead of leaving right than, Elka continued to question the lady about every single potion. The woman's service skills were superb, and she indulged the Ice woman for as long as she wished to stand there and ask questions. Eventually Elka ran out of potions to ask about and left to walk the streets once more.