Just Not His Day (Rista)

[Eoin]

30th of Summer, 511 AV Confidently, a boy lifted the pot to a tilt, the lid slipping and sliding from beneath his freckled hands. Eoin widened his eyes in fear, having supervised the Yasi’s progress in making soup for a great deal of his time already and dreaded to spend more. Quickly, he removed the container from the youth’s hands, careful to clamp the lid shut to avoid spillage. A narrowed gaze followed as he placed the pot gently on to the counter surface before darting upwards to challenge those moss green eyes. Normally, Eoin didn’t find helping the Yasi’s too troublesome, for they were young and quick to learn. His patience was an asset when it came to the more difficult personalities, but never had he encountered a boy that strummed so aggressively on his nerves. “Why’d you do that old man?” A prepubescent voice rang through the air, causing quite a bit of commotion all on its own. The Avora mentally sighed, his composure unfaltering still. “You were holding the lid too loosely. The soup will spill.” His voice exposed little of his mild irritation, particularly being as straightforward as he was. “Pah,” The Yasi disagreed, “I could handle it on my own. You know Chef Davoid is eyeing me for her next apprentice don’t you? I know what I’m doing, and besides, you didn’t actually see anything being spilt.” Like most males his age, the boy was arrogant and argumentative, traits most grating to Eoin. Nonetheless, he ignored the Yasi’s protests and merely re-demonstrated the proper grip to secure the lid in place. Then, in an attempt to play to his ego, he added a “Show me how it’s done” for some much needed pressure. After a bit less hardship, the recipe was finally completed. Thank the gods that it was only cold melon soup, one of the quickest and easiest soups to make. Now that his role was also finished, Eoin gratefully passed the Yasi over to another chef to assist her in kneading dough before going off to help a chef name Fenil. This one was a character just like the last, but enormously more pleasant company than their young aid. Fenil was able to create conversation from thin air, weave them into conversations as easily as a Symenestra does with silk, an ability that seemed unfathomable to Eoin should he possess it. When the Avora neared the other, the man greeted the new presence with a slow, charming smile. “What a handful, I feel for Ula. Glad you didn’t send him to me at least.” He chuckled lightly, before returning to his cutting. Eoin only smiled briefly in response before the two began to work harmoniously to prep for the Chef’s stew. Together, they were able to finish in a little more than half the usual time, leaving the man enough time to finally head down to the Courtyard of the Sky for a short visit to the market. This eventually leads to the current situation with Eoin on one side of the booth and a sexist book seller on the other, neither willing to budge from their opinion. Not that the man could tell this Vantha woman greatly disliked men, for he simply thought she disliked him and thus, was unwilling to haggle. A blank book cost little, but this one was particularly well made with intricate designs decorating the leather cover, the pages thick enough to not show ink on the reverse side. However, he disagreed with the price of a book that should value 6gm maximum but retailed at 10gm. Despite lacking any sort of strict, frugal tendencies, Eoin was not about to give away money where it was not necessary. “Like I said, 10gm or no deal.” She replied, an evident smirk plastered over her face, eyes shifting accordingly to a deep purple. He simply stared back, determination mixed with a bit of incredulous emotion, lips already taut from the few words exchanged earlier. “The workmanship is not worth 10gm. 6gm is the highest.” It was a reasonable price considering the item in question, but made little sense to her shaking noggin. “Do I have to make me repeat myself? Or can you not get that through your thick skull?” She retorted, picking up the would-be journal in one hand, flapping it for emphasis. “10gm.” Eoin gently furrowed his brows, mostly in confusion of her obvious hatred, thinking only of how this day was not going to play out nicely no matter what he did.

[Rista]

It was wonderful beyond words to finally have a day off. It felt like she had been worked to the bones lately, and the memory of the ten day trip outside Wind Reach along with a small group of her fellow yasi was still too close for comfort. Even thinking about it was enough for her to feel week at the knees, and Rista was in too happy a mood today to want to spoil it. She strolled through the Courtyard with a slight smile ever present on her lips, jet black eyes darting all over the place as she moved from stall to stall. She had a decent amount of pinions on her, the result of two seasons hard work and strict savings, and today she wanted to use them up. Not all of them, of course, but some. The scent of sweets in the air was alluring and made her fingers twitch, but before she wasted any coin on edible things she was going to check through every single stall to see if she found something that was both useful and nice. She could take her time. Nothing was on her schedule this day, and aside from a gnawing suspicion that she had forgotten something everything was all sunshine and happy days. Syna seemed to smile on her for once, and it wasn't going to be wasted. The short girl inched her way through the crowd and allowed herself to relax. A vendor selling silk scarfs attracted her attention, but as she realized the price he wanted for one red one with gold-thread embroideries she quickly retreated with a firm grip around her pouch. 8 pinions! Sure it had been a beautiful scarf, but eight pinions? Probably it was supposed to be a bartering price, meant to be pushed down but still. If he wanted to scare girls away it was certainly a good price. Especially for something that didn't have a practical value. Rista shook her head and moved on, her head moving back and forth to spot something else that caught her interest. Cages with birds for sale made her frown slightly; did he actually think that he would sell any around here? Even she was perfectly able to catch a bird on her own to tame, and what was the fun if the animal was already broken when she got it? Besides, Rista was more interested in friendship when it came to things like that; if a bird didn't bond to her she just sold it; so far none of her catches had clicked with her. A sad thought in itself... Something in the hands of a vendor on the other side of the pathway between the stalls caught her attention. The young girl blinked and went a bit closer, eying the object curiously. Was it a book? It looked nicely made with interesting ornaments on the leather binding, and without really thinking it over she moved over to the stall. She didn't pay much attention to the people around her - there were so many, and she didn't actually know any of them. Instead she smiled towards the woman, for a moment just as intrigued over her shifting eye color as she was over the book. "How much do you want for that?" she asked, her fingers twinning a braid between her finger; it had escaped the knot at her neck again, but she barely noticed. "Ten gold mizas, my dear" the woman said with firm voice and seemed to glare defiantly towards someone before she returned to look at the short girl with a smile that seemed close to tender. "It's a fine piece, don't you think? Here, why don't you take a look? The leather was decorated all back in Avanthal, while the paper, finest parchment! comes from..." Rista received the book and flipped through the blank pages, only listening with half an ear to what the woman said. A mixture of longing and uncertainty mixed in her face, and when the Vantha noticed that she was biting her lip she paused in her rant, once again allowing her gaze to move away - who was she looking at? "Oh. It's a really nice book" Rista said and tried to hand it back, "but I don't think.. I can't afford ten. I don't have that much.." "Well, you look like a nice little girl..." the vendor hesitated, eyes now flickering back and forth with a thoughtful look. "You know what, if it's you I could go down on the price a bit. Say seven miza? It's a real work of art, that it is, and I can't go much lower." She didn't seem to notice that the little copper-skinned yasi tried to give the book back. Rista paused and blinked uneasily. She really wanted the book, but seven pinions were still too much. She only had ten with her, and if she wanted to do anything else today, then... "I'm sorry, but I..." "No? Oh dear, child you are a skilled one" the woman exclaimed and threw her hands out in a resigned gesture. "Very well then, I'll let it go for six, just because you're so cute." Rista opened her mouth to once again decline, but hesitated and gave the book a second look. It was pretty, a piece of art indeed and she could use it for so much. Write down the things she saw, interesting things she found out, and.. "Okay" she said quickly, before she had time to change her mind. The smile returned to her face as she dug into the pouch with her saved up money and picked out six of the stamped glass feathers that went for currency in Wind Reach. "I hope you don't mind Pinions" she said as she handed it over to the woman. "Thank you so much, I'll take care of it.." The woman wasn't looking at her even as she put away the money, and Rista found herself frowning as she clutched the purchased book tightly towards her chest. Who exactly was it that claimed so much of the vendors attention, even when she was doing business? The yasi looked around, her faze decidedly puzzled, and tried to take notice of the ones in her immediate proximity. There were lots of Chiet around, men and women in discreet clothing that mingled about, everywhere she looked she saw red hair and pale skin, and her eyes actually moved directly past the young man right next to her, searching for something outstanding as she was...

[Eoin]

Of course, the man was still stuck on acquiring the book despite the woman’s strong desire against it, willing to test her patience against his. However, time was not on his side for Eoin only had a few chimes remaining, his obedience restricting what little leisure time he had. The amount of surrounding customers was generous, either from adjacent stalls spilling over or merely passing Inartans staring at the woman’s curious wares. They had much reason to, for the variety not only encompassed a large range, but were well crafted pieces. The natural gift of the Vantha in their etching was applied to all of her inventory, from delicate acorn-shaped bells to armour akin to those of the Sylirian knights, though they were a bit more for show than for battle. Eoin took to studying the pieces, in part to allow the vendor time to reconsider and to perhaps find a topic for conversation to win her favour. His eyes traced each line while imagining the meticulous process as vividly as his reasoning could offer. Likely, the patterns would have been tried on another substance first, and then somehow transferred onto the metal upon completion. Perhaps using ink, common or otherwise, that covered the metal that was to be raised, allowing the rest to melt away. He had read a bit on etching in the past and knew that acids were used, and figured that the metal’s surface would be exposed to it with the backing free, perhaps attached to some sort of string that could pull the piece away from the corrosive liquid. It seemed a straightforward process, but it is never wise to underestimate. Eoin decided that a specific question on etching would show some initiative in learning about the art, and be the first step to quelling the Vantha’s dislike. However, before he could act, a hesitant Yasi had squeezed through the crowds and began haggling for the very same book. The act itself wasn’t uncommon, but considering the numerous items for sale, it was simply unfortunate. The Avora watched with little change in expression as the conversation continued, his own presence brushed aside like a Dek’s own. His gaze drifted between the two females, catching sharp glares from one and peripheral vision from the other. It looked as though the youth was completely unaware of him, never shifting her eyes far from the Vantha’s bright irises or the lovely leather of the journal. Despite that, Eoin had no chance to interject, for the interaction simply sped past him. In fact, it wasn’t until he saw the pair of solid onyx staring past him that he found an opening. “Excuse me.” He hoped to first focus her darting eyes to the waiting Avora standing before her. “I was buying that book.” Only when the words were said did the irritation commence their pestering itch, biting lightly but unyielding in effort. His expression lacked discernable emotion aside from the pair of firm, green eyes staring steadily into hers. Mixed blood was uncommon in Wind Reach, but this wasn’t his first time encountering an example. Aside from noticing her seamlessly dark eyes and hair, Eoin thought little of her unique appearance, neither fixated nor unnerved by it. The vendor was a bit of a busybody it seemed, for she assured the girl that the man was not, sliding in a lightly dressed insult to boot. He felt a light boil in the pit of his stomach, but hid the growing resentment well, determined not to let the woman get the best of him. Instead, he centered his attention on the Yasi, ignoring the vendor who reciprocated the feeling by drifting over to another customer. “She refused to haggle with me, but I’d like to buy it from you.” He gave a shallow explanation for he saw no reason why the girl would reject the proposal. After all, it was only fair.

[Rista]

When a voice was heard real close to her, Rista brought her gaze closer to herself, and finally spotted the person that was the interest of the Vantha woman... Her eyebrows flew up towards the hairline in slight surprise - had he been standing there all the time? - but just as soon her expression shifted to a slightly more closed up one. She furrowed her forehead in a slight frown, and the hands that held the book squeezed it tighter towards her chest. "I'm sorry if I butted in" the short yasi said slowly and looked the young man over with slightly narrowed eyes. "But I didn't notice that you were buying it; you didn't seem to be that eager about it." A stray glance were sent to a nearby stall, where the sound of loud voices broke through the murmuring crowd as the vendor was surrounded by two customer that each bartered on the top of their lungs. They were loud, they were visible, and no one in their right minds would think about stepping in and interrupting them. This person on the other hand... She had a hard time placing his status. His voice suggested that he believed himself to be above her and that was well and good - he was older than her after all, and like most people he was more than a head taller - but was he chiet, or avora? Probably not Endal, not with that dekish short hair and the simple clothing... and besides, he didn't have that commanding air about himself that she expected from the eagle riders. The girl chewed her lips slightly and toyed with the two rings that were pierced into her lower lip. She wasn't really interested in selling him the book. She was happy with it, the carving was exquisite and she could have good use for it... but if she refused to let him buy it from her and he got more irritated than he already sounded, then he could just order her to give him the book, and she would have lost six pinions for the trouble. "I'm not really sure.." she mumbled, trying to stall for time so she could think the suggestion over more closely. There had to be another way to do this. "If the woman refused to sell it then it was a bad thing, but... Are you sure that you're just not good at bartering?" It sounded snobbish from someone who didn't have the first clue about how to do it; it had been the Vantha who had done the job, Rista had just been hesitating and not at all thinking that she would actually buy the book. She wasn't really aware of how her words came out though, the yasi was more concerned with finding a way to keep the book and avoid the anger of the red-haired man. The day was way too good to be wasted on petty quarrels, Rista didn't want to anger or be angered by anyone...

[Eoin]

ooc :

Wow, the layout is all over the place. You might have an open tag somewhere that's causing this, otherwise I have no idea what's going on...

Her words were carefully chosen, as they should be, a stark contrast between the youth wreaking havoc in the kitchens. Already the burdensome aid became a faraway memory, his irritation cooling to comfortable warmth. He was aware of the difference in their castes, but thought little of it, treating her as an equal and hoped she would reciprocate the motion. However, her comment on his eagerness did catch a bit too much attention, drawing out his inexperience in expressing his thoughts. In the end, it was merely a prick to his ego and nothing more. “I was giving her time to reconsider.” Feeling the need to justify his demure actions, Eoin spoke with frank honesty, finding his reason acceptable and not strange in the least. She responded with slight movements from her eyes, though it was difficult for him to see that she was in fact looking elsewhere with their endless appearance. Even without following her gesture, he could hear with clarity that grated his eardrums, the squawking of nearby customers. With his ears distracted, her muffled words were easily missed, melting into the sea of shouting voices. Either way, Eoin needn’t be particularly observant to see that she did not want to accept his offer with such a protective hold on the journal. Then, like a true Inartan child, she went straight for the heart of the problem without fail. Eoin mentally recoiled, uncomfortable with the light shining upon his inadequacies. Communication never came easily to him, for the boy of the past had no one to speak to. Words got him by for he wielded them reluctantly as a healer would a sword, executing the basics with an amateur’s skill. She was right to suggest his lacking talent in bartering, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Irked, but steady in delivery, he decided to give specifics on the matter. “She was unreasonable, and did not listen.” Recounting this to another only served to dredge up the sound of her sharp tone, a memory all too fresh. His eyes were a firm, muted green sharpening gradually as he spoke. “I did my best.” Wishing to move the topic away from himself, Eoin redirected her attention to the current problem with swift but timely follow-up. “It is only fair that you sell it to me.” He reasoned aloud, the barely there edge of his voice smoothing to straight lines. The Yasi was hesitant still, but his patience was as stubbornly strong as a Nuit’s eternal pursuit for true life. He would not let the book go for anything, nor would he exercise authority over the girl to retrieve it. Thus, he fought to win it through sheer persistence, and left his lightly dressed argument as is.

[Rista]

It was encouraging that the man didn't seem to be overly irritated at her. It made it so much easier to try and defend her case, and to be perfectly honest the young girl found it a bit amusing to see how her random words managed to hit the spot without even really aiming. The shadow of a smile passed over her lips, a brief flare of humor over the situation, but she quickly swallowed it down so he wouldn't think that she was laughing at him. She wasn't, not really... A faint sigh passed from her instead as he once again asked for the book. So much for stalling, she still didn't have any ideas on how to get out of this situation with a notebook and some honor still in possession. Black eyes regarded the red-haired young man, took note of the slight awkwardness with which he spoke, the stubborn look in his eyes and the honesty that almost oozed from him like res from a Reimancer... He really wouldn't just take the journal away?

Suddenly an impish smile began to spread over her lips, and the blackness of her eyes began to glitter and sparkle with mischief. This situation was interesting, and Rista wasn't going to waste it. She let go of the book with one hand and waved it slightly with the other, as if to really make it clear that she was the one who had it right now.
"You want this book that much?" she asked, the tone of her voice mild and slightly teasing. "Then I have a suggestion for you, if you are willing to hear me out. Give me some company on the Market today, lets try and have some fun, and in the meantime you can try and find something else that I might want. If you can, I'll give you the book, even if the other thing is worth less than the six pinions I bought it for... What do you say?"

It was a bold suggestion and there was a huge chance that she would get a sharp 'no' as the young mans patience ran out. Though, it might be worth it if he actually agreed. Just the simple prospect of having some nice company was enough to make a small flutter of excitement tickle her stomach. Something told her that this person actually was really nice, and with the painful hope of someone that was almost like an outcast among her own she couldn't help but wish that she would be proven right... Conveniently enough she chose not to think over the fact that her teasing could ruin any chances of actual benefit from that kindness.

oocI think that fixed it.. there was indeed an open tag, a random 'center' that shouldn't have been there at all.. thanks for telling ^^

[Eoin]

Her lips curved into a brief smile, disappearing and reappearing with an air of mischief. Eoin could make no conclusions about her elusive expressions, and merely stood in wait, watching as she demonstrated her possession of the book. It was unexpected from the Yasi who was once cautious, now playful, the change so sudden that it gave the Avora mental whiplash. With his mind thrown for a loop, his body reacted instinctively in its absence, the right eyebrow stretching just a hair higher to her suggestion. Actually, it was more of a deal, and perhaps, a challenge as well. If it were not for her gentle introduction to the idea, Eoin would have been quite a bit more annoyed with her redirection, another opportunity to stall for time. He would have missed the purpose of the subtle topic switch before, but having opened to his senses to the world after a few, long years, he felt as though he could almost keep up with others. It was a bit of a rush, and edged on overwhelming. His eyes were still used to the hollow, winding vision of the tunnels, unable to take in the light of Syna and Leth so easily. Seeing others for who they were would come with a price, and the man dreaded to face the evils of others around him, if he could not even face his own demons. Despite Eoin’s unshakable belief that the book belonged to him, he found the proposal pleasing and a great deal more fun than anything he could ever come up with. Aside from his pretend adventures as a child, but he outgrew that long ago when reality began to age his mind and body, gagging him with rags soaked in bloody urine and vile feces. He could never return with such stains, the place forever lost to him. It would be nice to spend some time with another, not pressured by responsibility or depended upon, though it would be in his best interest to fulfill her demands to get what he wanted. The book was not forgotten, but now it was not alone in his thoughts. “I will accept that.” Eoin was motionless, only his lips seemed to move for his eyes never left hers. Tension was minimal in his tone, for the man was still a bit miffed by her tactics even if he did look forward to the Yasi’s little game. This girl was beginning to remind him of Vala, who also loved to use strategies to divert his attention and to manipulate. For a moment, Eoin dreaded his agreeing sentiment as he was not looking forward to meeting another erratic female. There was enough of that to last a lifetime from the women in his life already. However, she was still young, and perhaps he would be proven wrong in his assumptions despite the quick settling of his judgments. Thus, he continued, the words tepid as he leaned away from the barely aggressive sting of his words. “What is your name?” His gaze was kind, despite the otherwise stony features. Eoin then proceeded to lead the way, walking toward a few emptier booths for a better view of the items being sold, expecting the younger Inartan to follow. His stride was slow but purposeful, arms swinging with heavy grace. Already the Avora was on the job, eyes scanning over the tables with care, looking a bit awkward with brief fixation on each item. They soon neared a booth littered with glass creations, the baubles organized from the smallest glass bead to the largest figurines, left to the right. Logically, he began with the side closest to them, admiring the craftsmanship of a Wind Eagle figurine briefly before moving toward the other end, as it was worth much more than 6 pinions. “You like that one?” He lifted his chin to meet the vendor with a small, polite smile. “It is very well made.” The middle aged man grinned proudly in response, indicated the price and confirmed Eoin’s suspicions. It was much more than 6 pinions. When the Yasi asks for his name, he would turn to face her with that same frank expression and reply quite simply. “Eoin.”

[Rista]

The mischievous smile dissolved into a wide grin of honest happiness when the man agreed. Rista took a deep breath and suppressed the desire to squeal in joy, but other than that it seemed impossible to hide what she was feeling. Her face was like an open book and feelings crossed over it as swiftly as they replaced one another in her mind. Her head felt a bit light at the victory and as she fell in beside the red-haired person she made sure to keep the book in a firm grip. Oh, she was aware that it was only because of the journal he even considered agreeing to her daring suggestion, but even so the yasi wasn't going to feel down. This was exciting, more so than anything that had happened to her for a long time.

Choosing to ignore the slight edge to his voice as he spoke, the girl gave up her name quite easily as she leaned in to look at the figurines in the stall. "I'm Rista. They're nice, very nice actually, but I'm not sure what I should do with something like that. It's too pretty for the room I have right now, and I'm not at all sure where I might be ending up... My fate will be decided this year after all."

She smiled as she said it, but anyone who had grown up in Wind Reach should be familiar with the anxiety the last year as a yasi could bring. Especially for the ones who hadn't been picked out by Avora already, or had something in mind that they would want to do.
Those were glum subjects though, and the dark-haired girl wanted to have a good time this day. Firmly pushing any similar thoughts to the back of her mind, she looked up from the glass sculptures and asked for the name of the man, and nodded appreciatively when he answered.
"It's nice to meet you, Eoin. Thanks for playing along with me, I really appreciate it."

Straightening her back again, the girl gave the glassware a final look and then shook her head apologetically. "Very pretty, but nothing I want all that much. You'd have to find something slightly better.." The kindness in his eyes didn't go unnoticed, and Rista did her best to return it with politeness. It wasn't her strongest point, she was too straight forward a person to refrain from saying what she wanted. Instead she tried to make up for it with warmth, of smile and voice and an undying interest in the things he thought to show her. Heck, she probably owed him that after dragging him along. A slight hint of guilt passed through her mind and left a trace of red on the copper-tinted cheeks as she waited for him to decide the next stop. Hopefully he wasn't forsaking something important to humor her...

[Eoin]

If it were not for the red in her hair and the cut of her words, he would almost believe the girl to be a Vantha of some kind. It was the pull and push of her copper skin, rather than the swirls of vibrant colours, that revealed her fleeting emotions. Eoin was left far behind, unable to keep up with the Yasi’s energy, and felt his age more than ever. If it were not for the rarity of elders in their community, perhaps he’d feel less distant from Rista, who seemed like more of a budding child in his mind despite her womanly appearance. When she did reveal her age, he grew curious, but had filed his questions away upon spotting an open stall. “Do you have a mentor in mind?” Eoin inquired, his gaze gentle and unwavering, respectful rather than intrusive. Having never engaged in much conversation with his peers, he knew not how common it was to have a goal at that her age. His own experiences were a bit of an anomaly, for the Avora had never been like most other Inartans and regretfully, only shared but a few characteristics. It was both a fortune and a curse. By lacking the weaknesses associated with their people, he was a shining beacon in a brewing storm. However, his own failures were incomprehensible, his childhood riddled with criticisms of his quiet demeanour and almost disgusting kindness toward the lower castes, despite Eoin’s best efforts to hide his involvement. It was not so much for the whispers, but for the Deks, Yasis and Chiets who may succumb to further harassment from unwarranted attention. Simultaneously, it appeased his guilt, for the man was hardly a saint. However, Rista did not appear to be particularly worried with her expression lit with a smile, and so he reasoned that perhaps she may be an ambitious or confident type. It may seem a bit early to judge, but first impressions seemed to be the only impressions that the man draws from, an ignorant belief that the natures of others were as simplistic as his own. Eoin didn’t have to hear her input to know the figurine was out of the question, considering their limited budget. Despite his inclination for practical items, he was an appreciator of beauty and longevity, and was more than willing to spend what he could save on objects of refined artistry. Mentally, he jotted down a reminder to take a second look at the figurines later, before moving to the less expensive end of the table. Lined up systematically, some of the glass beads were as large as a strawberry, others as small as a pea. The latter were made into delicate bracelets, and the medium sized beads into necklaces, some tapering to the fastener with beads shrinking in volume. Jewellery was not his strong point, but whether the man knew it or not, he had a naturally refined taste. It did not take long for him to narrow his choices down to two items: a semi-transparent, green glass bead used to close off a braid, and a long necklace lined with pale blue oval and circular beads that closed at the front with a larger cerulean stone. The first was much more practical and less obstructive, with small, elegant swirls of white and shades of green, but his eyes were drawn continuously to the lovely composition of the necklace. Rather than make a choice, Eoin decided to give Rista the opportunity to voice her opinion, for she knew too little about her tastes to make an accurate assessment. Meeting the vendor’s gaze, he gave a brief smile before taking hold of the first item, the dewy green bead, and held it by her crimson hair for comparison, his eyes following. The two matched well, a soft green against a harsher red, the transparency making the transition between the contrasting colours seamless. Bringing the bead forward, he dropped it in his palm and held it far enough for her to see. “This matches. It’s not too pretty for you.” He commented, completely unaware of the importance of his wording. Eoin had meant that the two were equal, her beauty and the bead, and neither would overshadow the other. It was an attempt at bringing a smile to Rista’s face, but his thoughts translated poorly outside of his mind, sounding as though he was implicating that she was unattractive.

ooc :

Creativity is at an all time low , I hope this post didn't show too much of that. The pictures are the closest representation I could find of what I was thinking of.

Green bead

Blue necklace

[Rista]

She glanced up at him at the question, the smile turning a bit wry but was still visible where it perched on her lips; edgy, but also slightly humorous because she understood the improbability of her dreams coming true.

"Oh, I don't know" she said and pushed a dark braid behind her ear. "I'd like to be taken in by a hunter, if possible, but the more skilled ones have already chosen both one and two apprentices. The less popular ones are taking their time choosing because they know that none will be able to say no, but it's becoming quite clear that I don't fit whatever requirements that they have. I've been asking around the stables too, but they don't really need any more hands. And then there's of course the fledglings... But the odds aren't too great."

Rista shrugged and made a slight gesture with her hand as to wave the problem away. It wasn't that it was unimportant - her future literally depended on the events that followed this year - but it wasn't something she really wanted to bother someone else with. Her rising or falling wasn't any different from that of any other yasi, and she didn't really have anything to complain about. Not yet...

Instead of delving further into the matter, the young girl followed along with Eoin as he moved towards the smaller objects on the table. Watching with interest as he scrutinized the beads and necklaces, she felt how a strange warm sensation slowly began to warm her from within. It was slightly tickling, somewhat heavy and very comfortable, and it was so uncommon that she at first didn't recognize it for what it was. Then, as she stepped to the side to let the young man forward a bit more she realized. Oh. She liked him. Actually liked, similar to how she had liked her twin brother when he was still alive, the chiet that had raised them, how she had liked some of the older yasi before she realized what they were truly like. It was a warm, slightly fuzzy feeling that didn't seem very reasonable, and while she at first felt wary of it, it was so pleasant that the dark-skinned mongrel for a moment began to let her guard down.

It wasn't hard to see why she was so easily affected. Despite all the cocky confidence and pride, Rista was in essence a very lonely girl. She didn't have many people to talk to, even fewer to open her heart to, and she had become scarred in many ways during her years in the yasiry. She had become used to cold glances, hard words and being ignored, almost to the point where she thought that it was how it was supposed to be.
And then she met Eoin, who not only humored her bold request but also payed attention to what she said, talked to her like she was someone equal, and he had been nothing but kind to her. Not that long time had passed since she discovered his presence, but already the short young person was warming up to him at a rapid pace.

Adding to that, she was also a woman in the making. Still young, she was definitely not oblivious to the fact that she was growing up. Like all other girls she had her dreams and hopes, they were just so much more painful in a place like this when she stood out from the norm and drew the attention of everyone - often in a negative way. To now have the undivided attention of this person, this man that even though he was so much older than her still looked at her like she was worthy of bothering with... It couldn't be helped. It really couldn't, not more than Rista could help that her cheeks reddened slightly when Eoin picked out a bead and held it up against her hair to see if it would fit. For a fragment of a drop she was almost certain that she could feel his hand touch her cheek, or at least the warmth of it.. maybe. For another fragment of time her smile trembled slightly until she got control over it, and her attention was painfully divided between the bead of choice and the green-eyed man as he held up his palm to show her. Still smiling, she looked up at him when he spoke, smiled when he said...

Not to pretty... for you. Between two heartbeats it was as if the girl froze. The color faded from her face at a pace so slow it was visible by naked eye. Not breathing, not moving an inch the meaning of the words sunk in, her interpretation of what the word surely must mean. The smile faded on her lips, the glittering mischief died out and was replaced by naked, unshielded pain. Not pretty enough to wear something else. Not good enough to decorate with truly beautiful things. Not worthy.

Somewhere at the back of her mind Rista registered how the vendor hissed slightly in faked compassion and tried to make his clumsy customer aware of how poor his choice of words had been. A part of her mind tried to comprehend the situation, tried to understand just what Eoin had meant to say; a third fragment of thought laughed hard at her as she mentally recoiled from the unexpected blow; she should have been expecting it. It was bound to come, sooner or later. How could she for even a second believe that anyone would.. that he would... that he might be..

Humiliation. Pain. Those weren't feelings that Rista handled very well. Ever the pessimist, her immediate reaction was to give in to them and wallow in the sensation of hurt that had replaced the warmth within, and now could be felt twice as much due to the contrast. It wasn't mortal, the wound he had accidentally caused, but it was oh, so bitter. Rista wasn't one to swallow the insult either. Fourteen years of defending her pride and honor had honed her instincts close to perfection, and the reaction, if now slightly delayed, was swift and hard and completely blind to the fact that she wasn't dealing with someone of her own caste right now. Anger boiled up from within, rose like magma from the core of the mountain and filled her up, shielded the wound. Barely a half chime had passed, her silence had been long but not too long, and unless he had payed close attention to her face and the shifting emotions it would seem like an instantaneous reaction.

Her right arm rose almost by its own, her face, still rosy from the excitement that now crumbled around her like shattering glass, hardened, and in a swift motion the hand flung out with open palm, swung with all the strength she was mighty, out and up towards the left cheek of the young man. There was no real thought behind it, only raw emotion too strong to be contained, of pain and sadness and hurt feelings. She shouldn't have expected anything, but even so she had, and with the instincts of an animal used to be kicked at she reacted by lashing out at any perceived insult, real or not.

Should the blow connect, and even if it didn't, Rista would then attempt to take a step back, pain and anger mixing into a look of hurt on her face. "Save your jewelry then" she'd say, the voice suddenly low and hoarse, feral almost because of how her throat thickened. So silly of her, to feel like crying from such a small insult. Small, but seemingly well aimed.. "Better keep it until you find someone prettier that can bear it better..." With her choice of words it now became obvious how she interpreted his words, should the vendor have failed to make Eoin aware. Oh, she practically fumed with indignation. Too angry to leave without an apology, too pained and humiliated to want to stay, her small frame trembled with barely contained emotions, unable to decide what to do next. So much could end up shattered, and it all depended on the next action of the clumsy young man...

oocPhew, now that was unexpected. I knew she'd do something after that slip of tongue, but that she'd react like that... Seems like I have a little drama queen on my hands xD
I didn't even notice that you were having difficulties, m'dear, so no need to worry. And those pictures are lovely.. ^^