Let's Go Shopping pt. 2 (Moritz x Evalynn)

by **Evalynn Frostfawn** on May 16th, 2022, 4:55 am

Eva followed without much resistance, enjoying the quick little walk the two had towards the outpost entrance. At first, she was a bit cautious of where they were going as, once again, it was an area she hadn't been to, however she put some trust in Moritz knowing where they were going. She would occasionally glance up at Moritz to study him only to have their eyes meet and she stares into those instead. He was a really baffling individual to Eva, to be the first one she actually found attractive enough to openly confess feeling to so quickly. It was even more baffling that her feeling was reciprocated back and not rejected immediately. Either way, Eva found it refreshing to have start growing.

The pair came across a large door within the jungle and Eva found out was their destination. Her brow furrowed as it was something suspicious, a strange door that was supposed to take them to the outpost. She had heard of magical items and the such, but actually seeing one was a bit wild. Moritz led them inside and shut the door, closing it behind them before opening it again after a couple of breaths. Having her hand taken by Moritz, she smiled shyly before returning the gesture by lacing her finger with his. But the feeling was overtaken when they stepped out the door.

What ended up greeting Eva was something she was once again, amazed by. Thousands of doves lined the walls, all fluttering about and cooing to the newcomers. A few people were walking through the area, entering and exiting the doors and handling the doves in the area. She was in awe until a man greeted them immediately out of the door, seeming very familiar with Moritz.

"Oh, hello, thank you." Eva smiled and took the map, looking over it before up at the recently introduced Paul. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I think I have a pretty reliable guide judging by how you greeted him." Eva smiled and looped her arm with Moritz's, squeezing it gently and leaning close. "If I ever need anything when I come alone, I will definitely come ask you." Eva smiled and allowed Moritz to lead the way. If he did, she would then pull out her shopping list from her money pouch and look it over.

"Okay, so I made something super simple on this list. I didn't know if it was needed, but I have it." Eva showed the simple list to Moritz. On it was simple clothes, toiletries, journal, backpack, and some makeup. She wasn't expecting much in the way of coverage for her scar, but anything is better than nothing. Especially since her homemade concoction spilled all over her pack. "oh, but there may be other items I may find, to which I will look at. Just a warning."

WC: 479

.

by **Moritz Craven** on May 16th, 2022, 8:16 pm

Continued from here

Moritz gave Evalynn some time to take in the sights and other sensations, knowing from his own experience how big of a shift ones first visit to the outpost was. Though, he had to admit, it was a bit less of a shift for her since they were going from Syka to the Outpost where at least the temperature if not the humidity were similar. More of a dry heat than a wet one, he honestly felt it was easier being in the Outpost, whereas with the wet heat of the jungle walking out a door or even inside the wet heat seemed to invade and go everywhere.

For him he had gone on his first trip from Lhavit to the outpost, which had a cooler climate even without Morwen as it was atop a mountain, certainly much cooler compared to the heat of the Outpost. Though, being fair, he also reasoned the heat of the Outpost had helped him adjust better to the heat of Syka, since before coming to the place seasons ago he had never really been in a hot climate at all. Of course, when would he having never left Lhavit until he finally ended up in Syka, not counting his trips to the Outpost.

As the door was shut behind them after they left the Dovecote someone else entered shortly after to go home he assumed, and it was not long before another totally different set of people came out and passed them by in their more modest exit of the place. Still Moritz made sure to tug Evalynn along at least far enough to get them out of the way, not wanting anyone to trample or run into her on their way in or out.

Holding her hand in his grip he tried to make sure he did not grip her to tightly or loosely, not wanting to seem like he had a week grip but also not wanting to hurt her.

Moritz watched as Evalynn met and greeted Paul, a nice enough man he had gotten along with and had various talks about both the divine and economics. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and was not one to murky things up by being confusing or elusive in his meaning.

Sadly the two had to part hands so Evalynn could take the offered map and look it over, something that needed both hands. He soon smiled again hearing the woman's words about him being her trusty guide, which felt especially nice coming from her. Moving back over to him rather than holding his hand Evalynn sort of clung to Moritz side by looping her own arm through one of his, which put her right up by him. This ended up putting a bit of blush on his face in reaction... Or perhaps it was just being out in the sun not moving... Though he felt the more he stayed in contact with her the more he got used to such contact. Perhaps like anything else it was a muscle one worked out and improved until it went from being a weak little thing not used to be worked to being strong and firm.

Kind of like magic in some regards, though he vaguely recalled Alric arguing that point when he brought it up on a prior discussion.

Taking a moment Moritz considered where they needed to go, and recalled the Bazaar. That place had most anything, if one knew how to find it. However before they got far Paul recalled something. "Well, if not me don't forget the Keiss are always around to help... Oh! And actually Moritz, I have something for you! Someone from Lhavit left it for you, didn't give a name, but I suppose they know I know most people and you are pretty hard to forget. Plus its just a small thing, so I said I'd hold it."

Turning around Moritz drew closer to the man, watching as he drew a small piece of cloth from within his possessions. However after a moment Moritz realized the cloth was not the thing, as he soon unfolded it to show a small piece of metal inside. "They said there was something 'inside it' it for you, seemed to think you would know what to do. Here you go."

Looking more closely at it Moritz realized it was some kind of tiny bag made of metal, or at least a representation of it. Nodding at Paul the man in turn said his goodbyes as he replaced his cloth in his things, before handing off to greet another newcomer to the Outpost.

Checking over his new item Moritz noticed it was another charm for his bracelet, and quickly added it on to said bracelet. Then focusing on the charm he tried to pull something out. When that did not work he tugged on it, and then after just imagined the thing inside falling out into his hand. A quill? Paper? Uh... Stone? A miza? As he thought of that a single gold rimmed miza suddenly appeared in his hand which surprised the Kelvic a bit. Focusing on the object he turned it over for a bit before realizing it was just a normal Miza. He then pictured it vanishing, but that did nothing. So instead he tried pressing it against the charm, only for it to disappear once more he assumed inside the object. Magic.

Though, only realiizing it now, he did not know who had given it to him... Someone from Lhavit, but that did not narrow it down. His mother? Kyra? Or some other party interested in him...

Pressing that thought aside Moritz recalled the woman clinging to his arm, and smiled down at her due to their differing heights.

"Well, shall we off to the hall of mirrors?"

In return the woman seemed to pull out a list of sorts, which turned out to be a list of things she wanted to buy. At that he grew a bit concerned... Had he brought enough funds. Or wait, was she planning to buy some herself? He had mentioned a stipend for clothing, but had not said anything about buying other things... Hmmm... Pulling her a bit off to the side so they were in the shade he went over the list with her, seeing what she was intending to get.

He was unsure where some of the items would be, and was also a bit less clear on what exactly she meant by toiletries. Clothing, clothing. A journal, some kind of blank book for writing. Simple... Did she also need ink and a quill? A backpack... Makeup... He was less sure on what specific kind of makeup, but he was sure there were places with it. The one really confusing him was toiletries, and reading over the least he pointed at this one with a confused look trying to work out what she meant.

"Ah well as my grandmother used to say, always best to go feet first without looking or planning, nothing bad ever happened to anyone for diving into a cave without looking inside first, bears prefer nice sunny glades."

Moritz while having spent a good bit of time looking at her eyes and face had not even blinked at seeing her without makeup covering her scar, simply assuming she had acquired it since they last met and not really minding it one way or the other. The thought of her having had it covered before and now uncovering it did not even occur to him, though since he was not blind he did notice it now.

Having looked it over Moritz spent a moment getting his bearings before tugging her along arm still wrapped around hers. Being tall he walked at a steady but fast pace, which would likely be quite speedy for a shorter legged person. Assuming she did not say something or ask him to slow down, at which point he would, but then he was not really used to walking with other people and so without being told he would not think to slow himself.

It would not be long walking though, only a few chimes, before they heard the bazaar. As usual the sounds came before other senses, but soon enough there would be sights and smells and things announcing the sprawling places presence.

Seemingly endless booth, tents, tables, people, wares, and more people constantly moving. Here holding her close was not just a pretext, but something actually needed to keep them together, though once they entered their pace would slow both to accommodate other people and also to give him to see wares. At the spot they entered into the main wares seemed to be pots and other clay items, though if Evalynn did not seem interested in anything Moritz would quickly steer them onward to the next section where they might find other goods.

WC: 1,486

by **Evalynn Frostfawn** on May 17th, 2022, 11:50 pm

As the pair started to make their way towards the Bazaar, Paul ended up calling Moritz back over to receive something. Eva allowed Moritz to leave by letting go of his arm and watching over curiously. After waiting for a brief moment, she also walked over and peeked around Moritz, catching a glimpse of the item he received. A piece of metal, wrapped in cloth, rested in his hand. To Eva, it looked like something for decoration on a shelf or maybe something to hang on a bag of sorts, but then Mortiz attached it to his bracelet and turned it into a charm. Evalynn was now very curious as she came around and watched her crush fiddle with the piece, seemingly trying to make it do something. But while he did that, Eva found that he had a numerous other charms on his bracelet as well.

She wanted to touch them and examine each one, but she was then taken in by the miza suddenly appearing. A sound of surprise came from her before she looked up at Moritz and noticed his smile. Almost instantly she felt a tingle run down her spine followed by a slight flip of the stomach. She clung to his arm and held his hand, closing her eyes for a spell and taking some breaths. Once she was calm, she proceeded to show Moritz her list before he started leading the way again. She didn't take much notice in the way he spoke at the moment, even though his last bit of words really caused her some confusion. Instead, she rubbed the back of his hand and paused when her fingers brushed over something.

Lifting his hand, which basically swallowed hers, she found a small star embedded on the back. She took a moment to look at it before she realized she was slowly trailing behind her guide. She chuckled to herself and picked up her pace, reminding herself that Moritz was tall and therefore had a long stride. It wasn't something she had trouble keeping up with, but this time she was wanting to enjoy her time with him. She was about to say something, but she was interrupted by the sudden amount of people that came around. And then the sounds and excitement of the area

Once again, it was something Eva had never experienced before. Not that she wasn't able to, but a crowd of people many there was a high emotional toll. And usually when emotions are swirling around, Eva could get affected by them. She felt a bit cautious of the area, but also wanted to let herself feel comfortable and explore the area a bit more. Looking up at Mortiz, she gave a bit of a smile and looked back to the surroundings around them, noting that they were in a pottery area.

Eva took a bit of a look around, not expecting to find much of anything that she needed, just delving into her favorite pastime of window shopping. She didn't linger on any particular item until she came across a clay cooking pot and stopped. It was big enough for a two person meal, and hearty enough to keep for awhile, and looked to be very well made. Eva lifted the pot and checked the bottom before finding it satisfying and looking at Moritz with eyes that said, I'm getting this.

WC: 565

.

by **Moritz Craven** on May 18th, 2022, 9:09 pm

While Evalynn seemed interested in the charm he had received, she seemed more surprised when she saw the apparent magic involved in it. Of course by this time Moritz had seen quite a few magic items, even having one embedded in his body, and so was not overly surprised by it and its workings. It seemed to work, he vaguely knew what it did, and so that was good enough.

His reaction was simply to smile down at her clinging to his arm, gazing once more into her eyes. He had the sudden urge to pull her in close and wrap his arms around her, but seeing as they were there to do something that did not seem the best time...

Soon enough they reached their destination of the bazaar, and Evalynn seemed a bit more timid at the sudden explosion of sensations. It had been a lot for Moritz as well when he first visited, but had eventually come to realize that this noise and bustle was just how the place of trade was.

Moritz watched silently as Evalynn looked around, slowly guiding her through the wares and giving her a chance to look around more closely. He did not think there was anything on her list here, but still gave her a chance to take in all of the wares.

In the end she did seem to find something she liked, suddenly pulling him aside and to a stop near some kind of pot or dish or perhaps a pan. Moving over and picking up the item Evalynn seemed to inspect it slowly, before making a face at Moritz. Seeing as she had stopped and was not putting it down he assumed that meant that she wanted to get it, but he was less clear on what the face was supposed to mean. Was she trying to say something... With her eyes? That just confused the Kelvic further. Regardless, he felt he figured out things from other bits even if he was confused by her face speaking.

In response to her apparent interest and possible first purchase Moritz simply shrugged and waited watching, giving her the chance to work out a deal with the owner of the stall. Looking over she seemed to be a tall woman with dark hair, but nothing else really stood out too him.

With that Moritz would stay on the side until the transaction was completed, helping to lift or hold something if asked to but otherwise staying silent and watching. Once that was done if it seemed Evalynn was ready to move on he would continue on their loop of the market, which would slowly move from the current pottery items to baskets and other wicker things. After that was eventually storage items, such as harnesses, satchels, pouches, rucks, and back packs near the end of the section.

WC: 476

by **Evalynn Frostfawn** on May 19th, 2022, 11:05 pm

Every time Moritz would look Eva in the eye, she would melt and smile. However, when she tried doing a cutesy look by using her eyes at Mortiz, he gave a shrug and watched, waiting for her to begin the purchase. She was hoping he would help her buy the item as a little nervous bug had crepts up on her when she faced the seller, but she was on her own right now to get the experience. With that, Eva set the 2 quart cooking pot down on the counter and gave a polite smile.

"Hello, I'd like to buy this pot, may I ask how much it is?" The woman gave Eva a quick look before turning her attention to the pot and giving it a once over glance.

"Ten silver." She said, getting a look of shock and doubt from Evalynn. The woman picked up on this and doubled down on her price. "It's made by a master craftsman, selling it cheaper would be an insult."

"How is that so? I've seen the same pot for cheaper at other shops." Eva questioned, knowing that she had not been anywhere else or even seen this pot before. But the thought of having to buy a cooking pot for two gold, especially one that looked extremely basic made in her eyes, was outrageous.

"You must be mistaken, the pot is sold everywhere at the same price. You'd probably find it at an even higher price than how cheap I'm selling it here." The woman was unconvinced by Eva's words as she started reaching for the pot. "But sine you believe you can find it elsewhere for a lower price, you can go ahead and do that." At that, Eva quickly placed her hand on the pot before the woman could grab it and gave a nervous smile.

"No, no. If you insist on it being more expensive in other shops and this is a discounted price then I suppose two gold is a good deal." She slid the pot closer before opening her coin purse and pulling out two gold Miza's. She placed them in the woman's awaiting hand before taking the pot and sulking her way back to Moritz.

"I don't think I should've paid ten silver for this pot, but I also really want the pot." She gave a bit of a pout and pursed her lips, playfully nudging Moritz as they moved on. She casually browsed the other items that they passed, not paying too much attention to any of them at the moment. She could always come back and buy them once she had a steady income, but right now things were limited. Instead, she struck up some smalltalk with Moritz. "Hey, I was wondering, what is that star for on the back of your hand?"

As she was asking this, Eva took hold of said hand and brought it up. Her touch was soft and gentle as if she was holding something delicate. She looked at the thumb sized star and couldn't quite make out a color yet, but she thought she may have caught a glimpse of a pinkish hue? One she was done looking at his star she looked up at Moritz and smiled as he answered.

WC: 545

Item Bought :

by **Moritz Craven** on May 21st, 2022, 2:13 am

Moritz silently watched the exchange, seeing Evalynn try to negotiate the purchase. Outwardly he saw some problems with her negotiation however. Namely, she seemed to really want that pot. And the other person knew it. Plus when they insisted the price was fair, she just agreed with them. She had clearly been bluffing, and so the seller had called her on it by saying she could go elsewhere... At which point Moritz assumed they would continue to look around and try to compare prices. After all, this was not the only place selling such wares, it was a bit market with many people selling many goods. Even the same goods.

And so he was surprised when instead of doing that, not going off to compare prices, she instead agreed with the seller. Had they been bluffing or inflating the price? He was not really sure, having not bought such an item before, but he had a feeling in his gut she had not gotten a good price.

He was not sure why though, and he could not really put his finger on why he thought that. Perhaps as an outside observer to the negotiation seeing both parties he was more aware of things and able to discern something? He wanted to say something, but he knew his curse would not allow him to.

Perhaps, he reasoned, he was getting better at observing and understanding people? That also seemed a possibility.

When the deal making was over and Evalynn passed over the money in exchange for the item Moritz cringed a bit, but once she returned to his side and they got moving again he let the point go. He could not really tell her otherwise, and so what was the point... Plus the exchange had occurred, so it was too late.

At Evalynn admitting she overpaid for the pot but also saying she just really wanted it Moritz shrugged, rebutting with a answer as she snuggled against his arm while they moved. Of course his words were twisted by his curse, and a odd string of words came out in the form of a tale.

"My grandfather used to say, if you want a good deal always tell someone how much you want something, and then just take the first offer they give. He was well known for his purchasing prowess, he once bought a broken shovel that caught his eyes for the sum of five hundred gold mizas, three fish, and a loaf of bread my grandmother was in the middle of using for dinner. They went hungry that night, but by Dira he got the shovel he wanted."

As far as Moritz knew he had no grandfather nor grandmother, and if he did he did not know anything about them let along tales. Plus the tale was absurd even to his mind, since it was clearly an outrageous thing to do in a deal, admittedly though not too far off from what Evalynn had done... Had his mind somehow collected what she had done and some other facts and turned it into an absurd story? As for the broken shovel, well clearly that was far too much to pay for a dozen shovels, let alone one broken one.

The more Moritz felt he had a handle on his curse, the more such odd things ended up coming out of his mouth. Was there some logic to it? He often tried to work it out, but generally felt he ended up wanting.

As he finished speaking he returned he playful nudge by bumping his shoulder against hers softly, the same smile on his lips as had been there since she returned to his side, a bright pink hue coming over the star in his hand and seeming if anything to brighten in hue to an even higher shade as they touched hands and she examined his hand by pulling it up and caressing it.

He was thrilled by her touch, but a bit surprised when she suddenly brought up the star embedded in his hand. Having had it there for awhile he had grown accustomed to it and honestly forget the thing was there. For a moment the gem turned a more turgid grey color as he was lost in thought on how to respond, but as he smiled and met her eyes in a deep gaze and felt her touch on his hand it soon returned to a bright pink once more.

In truth he did not really know what it was or how it got there, simply having had an odd dream and woken up with several items missing and the star embedded in his hand. Likewise he had also gained other abilities related to it, such as summoning a sand gauntlet and weapons, though for fear of hurting her he did not present these features just yet.

Instead he tried to explain that, and had another fanciful tail run from his lips.

"Ah, well you see, it was a blessing from a star. One night deep at night without even a moon, only one star lit my way home. I was heading along a beach, when I heard a voice, and saw something falling from the sky. When I went to look I found a star had fallen from the sky, and it was dying. As I grasped it with my hand and it wined a lonely wine, in its death throws a sense of contentment came over it at not being alone, and its spirit leaving its body managed to pass through me. As it did, the tiniest bit of its essence was left behind. And that is how I ended up so blessed by a star. Because of that blessing it can still light my way and shine in cadence with me as the remnants of the star remember the moment of our contact."

Moritz would tell his tale, as with most things he said, int he same nonchalant manner, making it quite hard to tell if he was being truthful or not or if he was joking. Of course since he was in truth trying to tell the truth but having his words twisted by the curse he was not really trying to lie, and so technically was not lying... At least not purposely or with any intent.

With a grin on his face and pressed up beside Evalynn Moritz would peer at the woman while not watching their path, glad once more that he had Okomo eyes with excellent peripheral vision and so could see much better what was going on beside him than a pair of human eyes would allow, even when not directly looking in that direction but gazing at Evalynn. Of course in payment for that his vertical vision was less sensitive and a bit limited compared to a humans...

Assuming Evalynn did not want any more potted goods Moritz would lead them on, going from the pots and potted goods to other storage items of leather such as harness and pouches and eventually packs of various kinds. If that still did not tickle Evalynn's fancy Moritz would lead them on to the next section, though from where he was he could not see what differing goods would be in the one after that. Likely something or other of interest to the woman though.

WC: 1,225

by **Evalynn Frostfawn** on May 21st, 2022, 10:48 am

"Well, if that isn't the biggest sounding tall tale I have ever heard." Eva eyed Moritz with an doubtful look while he told his story, also not believing such a person would pay so much for a broken item. She had to admit that she may not be very good with knowing what a good deal is or not, but she knew Moritz was lying on this story. However, she continued talking as she looked up at him. "But thanks for letting me know I'm just as bad with money. I'll definitely try harder on my bartering."

She smiled to herself some, feeling a bit relieved that Moritz could call her out on mistakes she had made. Even though it was a weird story, she felt like she could relate to it and wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. When she took hold of his hand and mentioned his star, Eva found that he looked a bit surprised. Was the question really that off putting? Maybe she caught him by surprise as it wasn't something he expected. Either way, she glanced back down to his now bright pink star and back at him. She listened intently to his story, this one sounding more believable in the way of a dream than the last one. She felt like it was a way for a deity to come to a being and bless them with a gift, though Eva didn't think that's what this was.

"So, it was a gift from something." She spoke softly after he had finished his story. She gave the start another rub before looking up at him for a minute. She liked the way his eyes looked, found them pleasant to look at as they were unique and different. She stared a bit longer before breaking eye contact and looking away, feeling excitement and embarrassment welling in her. She took a few breaths before returning to looking at the wares around them.

The pair had migrated to a leather shop, where all sorts of expensive looking goods were at. They were all well made and displayed beautifully, making Eva stop for a few to examine maybe a sheathe or an assortment of pouches. But none of these was really what she was looking for, even the backpacks seemed a bit too fancy for her. She wanted something simple and plain, to match her profile of 'laying low', carrying a handmade pack made with leather would scream money in her eyes.

The next shop they traveled to had more of the same items the leather shop had, but at a much more affordable price. The goods also didn't seem to be made entirely of leather in ways of the backpacks. There were also some made mostly of cloth with leather as an accent. These ones interested Eva as she stopped and pointed to a pack, looking at what she assumed was the owner.

"Excuse me, how much for this pack?" Eva spoke, gaining the attention of a middle aged looking man with tired eyes. She glanced over at the bag, to Eva, then sighed.

"It's two gold missy, three if you want more leather added to the bottom to make it last longer." He shuffled over and picked up the bag, setting it on the table between them. Eva gave a smiled and grabbed her purse, frowning as she shuffled through it.

"Oh no, uh, I only have a gold miza and two silver left. May I buy it for a discount? I'll repay you next time I'm in the Outpost." Eva tried putting on some kind of sad expression and gave a bit of pout. The whole thing made Eva cringe, but she wanted to see if this tactic would work. And judging by how annoyingly tired the man looked, she figured it would have some sort of positive effect.

"Ugh, give it here! I expect the other eight silver the next time I see you in here!" He grunted loudly, catching the attention of a couple passerbys but not causing too much of a scene. Eva only smiled and happily handed over the rest of her money, snatching up the pack and grabbing Moritz to skitter away. Once they were far enough away, she stopped and giggled happily, doing a little happy dance as she put her cooking pot and what seemed to be another pouch of money in her new backpack.

WC: 738

Items Bought :

.

by **Moritz Craven** on May 21st, 2022, 1:12 pm

While in truth Moritz tale was fanciful and made up, apparently the odd tale struck some chord with Evalynn as she seemed to respond well to it in some manner. At least as far as Moritz could tell.

While immediately calling it a tall tale as in untrue, she then went on to say it told her something. Really that had not been his intent, to give her a valuable lesson, but if she took it that way he was not going to argue. Or perhaps, Moritz reasoned, he was getting better at working out his curse and how it would affect what he said. He tried to say she had overpaid and been ripped off, and then in turn he told a tale about making it positive for overpaying and getting a horrible deal without outright saying so... Which was both a lie and pretty much the opposite of his own thinking...

It did not always work that way, but often enough it did so perhaps he could work out from his curse how to speak on what topic to make something still clear. Though it would require this "sarcasm" thing that everyone seemed to think he was using... Where one said one thing, but meant another... It kind of confused him, but perhaps that was a path?

She also seemed to like the tale of the star, however in truth that story was entirely made up and false and had very little crumbs of truth. He had found a fallen star, which had been the originator of the star in his hand, but it had not been alive nor dying. It had just fallen, a somewhat magical chunk of divine glass. And he had found it alone out in a field, still lying in its impact crater. Oddly cold though, since he had thought a star falling from the sky would be hot for some reason...

Then he had ended up with a odd dream, and had woken with the star both shrunk down and stuck in his hand. How that happened he had no idea, though surely some magic by some party had been at work... But the truth was both much simpler and less interesting for the most part than his made up tale.

As they moved on Evalynn seemed intent on buying more things, finally coming to stop at a backpack. A earlier place selling similar wares did not quite seem her type, but another one with somewhat simpler items seemed more to her interest. When she finally asked about the price it ended up being quite similar to the first item she had bought, though on this item it seemed a bit more reasonable compared to a small clay pot.

This man seemed half asleep, as if he was about ready to go to bed. However he still seemed firm and true on his price, and overall more trustworthy than the last merchant talking of fine wares by master craftsman.

When she said she only had a few Mizas left on her he wondered if she was truly that broke, or if she had simply not brought money with her or much of it as she had expected Moritz to buy things... That could also be the case...

In the end though they seemed to come to an agreement, and she promised to pay the remaining amount when she was here next with more money.

As she quickly grabbed Moritz arm and tugged him away however and moved at a quick pace even for Moritz normal walking pace the woman stopped and laughed, taking out another separate money pouch which seemed to have money still in it within the pack along with her new pot...

Watching as she danced about quite pleased with herself it took Moritz a bit to work out what had just happened... She had lied. Frowning he thought this over while growing a bit stiff bodied next to the celebrating woman, the star on his hand growing a murky brownish orange hue.

He was not really sure how he felt on that. And while he was fine with wheeling and dealing, getting the best offer by various means... Telling a tale in the spirit of mercantilism was fine and expected. All part of a dance between the two parties. Besmirching the others goods, insisting on a higher value, quibbling over small details, even planning to go and shop elsewhere... Here she had just outright lied and made a promise she clearly had no intention of keeping. And that was he felt not right. Lying for no other reason than to save some coin, and at the loss of the other party.

If she tried to walk off further Moritz would stand firm like a stone in place, meeting Evalynn's eyes with a firm expression. Looking from her face, to her money pouch, to the new backpack, and back to her face with an attempt at a stern and disapproving and perhaps even intimidating glare. Though how successful he would be at this in the eyes of another person was less than clear.

If in the end Evalynn did return to the man, perhaps having surprisingly found the additional funds, and paid the amount owed, Moritz would wait till they had walked off before giving her a smile and leaning in for a soft kiss on the cheek.

WC: 897

by **Evalynn Frostfawn** on May 21st, 2022, 2:22 pm

Once Evalynn had finished situating her bag and making sure everything was pretty well fit into it, she stood up and tossed the bag on her back, smiling at Moritz. However, he wasn't smiling back and immediately she ended up dropping her smile and looking concerned and confused. Why was he glaring at her like that? What did she do wrong? She was trying to figure it out until she noticed that his eyes were looking at her bag on her back and the money purse she had now hooked onto it. A brief pause of thinking happened before she figured out what he was trying to say.

"Are you saying that what I did was wrong? I thought I'd try using another way to negotiate the price down." Eva was a bit defeated in the loss of her victory and pulled her bag around to grab out a single gold miza. "I really was going to pay him back after we finished shopping, just thought I'd try to save money since I didn't know how much I would have." With a bit of a sigh she turned and walked back to the vendor, disappearing into the crowd for a bit. After a moment, she came back looking even more defeated and rubbing her head. "I feel like a child again, getting bonked on the head and scolded like that. He also said he wouldn't take the coin, but gave me an intense scolding instead."

However, her saddened mood changed when Moritz gave her a kiss on the cheek. She was surprised, as her eyes immediately darted up to him before she covered her face and looked away. Emotions soared quickly from the surprise reward and her eyes would be flashing all sorts of colors if she uncovered her face and opened them. Her ears burned a red color, and if Moritz looked closely enough he would see her trembling with happiness. This was not the outcome she was expecting from doing something that seemed to go against his principles, but she was not going to deny it either. And if Moritz decided to move them out of the way of the busy area, she would follow with her face still covered until she calmed down. After a bit of time though, Evalynn did finally calm down and uncovered her face to look up at Mortiz.

"That was surprising, I wasn't expecting it at all. Also, I'm sorry for having lied to that vendor. I really did think it was just another way of haggling and figured if I came back later to say I got more money it would all be fine." But as she was saying it, the plan did not sound as appealing as what she originally thought. She sounded deceitful, which isn't something new to her, but it was not something she wanted to show Moritz. And then secondly, it sounded just plain random and weird. What shopper would come back to a vendor to pay them the rest of the money? Did she really look that trustworthy? Either way, she looked at Moritz and bowed her head as a form of saying sorry.

Once the air was clear between the two and all apologies were accepted, Eva then took the lead and led them towards some brightly colored stalls. The stalls here had one area of gorgeous looking glass works; from bowls to beads. And another area of wooden works of the same type. Eva spent a bit of time just admiring the work before moving on, arriving at the next stall with a sudden wide array of scent. Here, three women ran the stall, each one selling a specific item category. One sold cosmetics, one sold scented products, and the other sold hygiene items aimed towards women. When they saw Eva approaching, they all gasped and flocked over, admiring her skin as they lifted her arms and touched her face.

"Whoa! Excuse me, please stop! Let go!" Eva was freaked out at the sudden approach and tried to escape, only to be pulled back with more firm grips. Her eyes filled with a pleading look as she stared at Moritz. "Uh, help? They have a grip on me."

WC: 703

.

by **Moritz Craven** on May 21st, 2022, 3:30 pm

While Moritz did not speak, it looked like Evalynn was somewhat well versed in the silent stare, and so got close enough to his meaning by his look of disapproval.

While he was all for negotiation and getting a deal, what she called negotiation in this case just seemed something else entirely. A straight lie, a promise given without any intent to keep it. She made the deal with the promise of paying later, with no intent to do so. That in his mind was wrong. And while all lying was not inherently wrong, some hurt no one or even brought joy such as telling a interesting tale, this was not what she had done. It had been outside of making a deal, and just pure deceit aimed at harming another while helping oneself.

If it had been otherwise Moritz likely would have kept silent, but seeing as the woman was going about with him he felt he had to at least bring up how he felt about the topic to her.

In the end she seemed to try to explain away her deceit, but honestly Moritz felt it was not all that convincing. Even perhaps to her. She had lied... But actually did plan to pay the rest... So she was not lying... But she had done it to make sure she had enough funds on hand... So then she did not plan to pay it? But she did? Confusing did not properly sum up her explanation.

Once an agreement was made, a word was struck, he felt it should be kept. If he said he was going to do something, or promised not to do it, and then backed out on it, well then how would someone trust him? He felt if nothing else he was a man of his word, and followed through on things and promises. It was in fact how he had ended up in Syka.

In the end the woman let out a sigh and went back to the man, only to return chagrined and chastised. Still Moritz felt she had done the right thing in trying to make things right, and so had offered her the short cheek kiss to show his gratitude at her correcting course.

Rather than respond as he expected she covered her face and looked away from him, though he assumed from her blushing this was not from outright disliking the kiss or anger but perhaps from embarrassment. The more he stayed with her though and the more she approved of such things the bolder he felt, and the more he wanted to dote on her.

Rather than press the moment he looped his arm back through hers to keep her from getting separated and as a chance to press close to her side, waiting for her moment to pass.

Once it did she tried to explain things to him again, but in the end seemed to convince herself of how odd her own words seemed, going back on her earlier sentiment. Which, he felt, was all he could ask for. He had tried to get her to see his point, she had tried to make amends, and in the end she had some understanding. What more could she ask for?

The situation settled Evalynn tugged Moritz along and this time he went with her happily, continuing his escort of her through the market happily at her side. In the moment he did not think he wanted anything else.

With a few stops on the way they eventually ended up with a strongly smelling stall which seemed a bit overpowering to the Kelvic and left him wrinkling his nose a bit. It was not necessarily bad, but strong even among the press of people and their many smells.

However before he knew it several woman from the stall were rushing over, making noises and touching at Evalynn's face and manhandling her arms. Feeling protective and it being clear that she did not like it and wished for help, Moritz tried to help the person he was guiding without thinking much.

Sweeping himself around Evalynn with a motion of his wrist with the intention of putting himself between them and to keep her free of their prying hands, he pushed with his palm and knocked their hands away from her to loosen their holds before placing himself firmly in the spot blocking her.

He did not hurt or harm anyone, but managed to knock their limbs away and work as a momentary wall between them. Then without thinking he took another another look upon his face which he hoped was a bit scary. Where earlier his look had been mild displeasure and lack of approval now it was displeasure with a hint of anger and annoyance. He also lowered his head a bit and looked at them with his Okomo eyes cast downward, something a similarly horned creature might do before headbutting with their horned head. Of course being in human form some of this was lost.

Not thinking he let out an audible and sharp "aaaaaah" sound, something that was not quite something a human would normally make but also not too far from the sound an Okomo are even a riled goat might make. He hoped his intent was clear enough, he was escorting her and he did not want them manhandling her person if she disapproved, which she clearly did.

WC: 903

Closed Let's Go Shopping pt. 2 (Moritz x Evalynn)