Open Missing: Rune Stones

[Leda]

43rd of Spring The Flower Stand Early Morning Leda had taken a detour on the way to the Grand Bazaar. When she had woken up for the first time that day, she had found herself in a world without colour - a world where nothing around those who inhabited it had been coloured in yet. The sky had been white with a tiny white sun, the buildings grey, the rare person who passed her by, yawning widely, faces white and in grey clothes. You have to get up early to see a colourless world, a sometimes empty world where Leda's bright red blouse was the only dash of intensity. Now, the Sun was bright in the sky, which looked pale and newly washed - pale, baby blue skies smudging into a light lilac and puffed pink clouds like spun sugar. Still, as she was nearing the bazaar and merchants were bringing out their wares on all sides, the world still looked very peaceful. It was then that Leda caught sight of a bright wall. The brightest blushing of colour she had seen that morning. A wall of yellow and red and blue and pink and every colour you could possibly imagine. It was the flower stall which she had noticed in the past but now, more than ever before, it really stood out from anything else. Knowing she still had time before the crowds, before the customers, hit the bazaar, Leda swooped off to the left to look closer at the flowers. She had never really found the time before. A minute later, Leda was gently running a hand along the flowers. She cupped a salmon pink rose with gentle petals and leaned in to get a sense of its scent. It smelled nicer than it looked, she supposed. It looked a little small and almost crushed, less splendid than the flowers that surrounded it, but its scent was absolutely beautiful - like the sweetest, most natural perfume. Passing on, she ran her finger along the stalk of a large red and orange flower, which towered over many of the others. She looked around with a nod and a smile at the other flowers, wondering where the owner of the stall was. Leda had, of course, heard of Atta Sabot, an old lady with the apparent soul of a poet, from her acquaintances but never actually spoken to her. She leaned forward to look at another flower when the rune stones she had been carrying in her pocket fell out. With a small sigh, her attention was taken away from the flowers as she crouched down to retrieve the stones. She found most of them quickly enough but there were still three unaccounted for. With a little bite of her lip, Leda started crawling around on her hands and knees, wondering where they could possibly have got to. They must have lodged themselves in between some of the bouquets.

[Klaus]

Klaus was out for a morning walk. He did not get those often as his work keeps him awake most of the night. But this morning was different. The sky was clear and Klaus saw no need to wear his cloak for the time being. Instead, he wore his simple clothing, a shirt, pants and boots, and his Rapier at his left hip.

With his hand on the pommel of his sword, Klaus decided to take the long way to the Gates. His wandering was lazy as he moved here and there on nothing but whims and general curiosity. He hated the city when it was bustling with people, so now, with virtually no one around, he enjoyed the open air and relative quietness.

Had it not been for that quietness he never would have heard it. It was a small, high pitched noise that reminded him somewhat of money falling. It took him a few moments of spinning and looking around before he noticed the young woman, scurrying around on her hands and knees.

As he approached, he accidently kicked what he at first believed to be a stone. But something about it was different. Upon inspection, he noticed the small rock was inscribed with some sort of symbol. A glyph maybe? If that is the case, best to be careful with it. He knelt down beside the woman, his hand touching her shoulder gently to indicate that he was there.

"Excuse me ma'am. Is this yours?" he asked, his kind voice showing that he meant no harm. His left hand held out the strange, small stone to the girl.

[Leda]

Leda could have cried with frustration as she weaved her hand in and out, between the pots, seeing if her stones might have slipped in between them. She checked her pockets again, just in case the missing stones might never have left it in the first place, but they were decidedly empty and she returned with a small sigh and a frown to her search amongst the flower pots, hoping that the owner wouldn't find it too strange to find a woman scurrying around amongst her flowers. Really, Leda noticed very little of what was going on around her. After a minute, she kneeled up slightly and put a hand to her neck, looking up at the clear sky with a frown and was about to turn back to the task at hand when she felt a hand on her shoulder. With a jolt of surprise, she turned to look at the stranger and would have lost her balance if her right hand had not shot out to steady herself. How was it that she had not noted the man approaching? She usually had very good hearing. How was it that she had not noted him going as far as kneeling down beside her until he had touched her? In her haste to find her stones, she had completely let her guard down. "Excuse me ma'am. Is this yours?" She blinked twice, a little dimly, as if she had not heard the question though of course she had, still taken aback. Realising that he would think her simple if she continued staring blankly, she endeavoured to nod and smile. "Oh, yes. Thank you." She would have made a grab at it, but decided that that would look desperate and rude, so she gently picked it up and put it in her pocket, calmly. She smiled slightly, "You would not have, by any chance, seen the other two?"

[Sigrun Dominic]

OOCHello! Hope you don't mind me popping in

The sweltering heat of the citadel was no match for the cool shade that surrounded the Flower Stand. The thousands of multicolored plants practically swallowed the stall whole, giving it a cool, sweet-smelling atmosphere that could make anyone fall into a distracted, relaxed daze. No wonder so many people were drawn to the place. Sigrun yawned softly, chewing on her lower lip as she sat slump on the wooden chair in front of the stall, the heaps of flowerboxes covering her lithe little form, their shadows rendering her invisible to those who stood in front of the shop. She chewed on her lower lip and smiled, half-asleep with a slip of paper laid over her eyes; their order form for the day. Atta had been gone since the early morning to collect flowers from her fields outside of Syliras, and the young blonde had to come to work in order to watch the stall and perhaps attend to a few customers. Her booted foot was pressed against the wooden stall's tabletop, the hind legs of her chair leaning backwards as she resumed a reclined position. She had muted the world around her, the sounds of the few people that dotted the streets of the Nettle District were distant and faint, and all she could hear was the quiet. Her little paradise was shattered by the sound of small, hard objects clanking against the rocky floor and the wood of the stall. Sigrun almost fell backwards in surprise, but immediately tucked her foot underneath the tabletop's ledge and pulled herself forward, only to end up bumping her head on the table's edge. The young blonde groaned, her knees hitting the solid floor as she struggled to wake herself up completely. "Excuse me ma'am, is this yours?" She was about to call out to whoever disturbed her, but found her thought process to be interrupted by the sound of a male voice. It came from the other side of the stall, and seemed to be crouched down. Sigrun began to crawl out from under the table when she noticed one stone wedged in between the flower crates. "Oh, yes. Thank you." She was busy pinching her fingers through the crates, trying her best to pry out the glistening stone, when she recognized a second voice. Who was that? She sounded terribly familiar... "You would not have, by any chance, seen the other two?" "I-I got one," Sigrun called out, her voice echoing from underneath the table, sounding a little bit forced as she was struggling with the trapped gem. After two more firm tugs, the young girl managed to pull out the gemstone, although the sheer amount of force that she'd put into pulling it out had led her to hit the back of her head on the table. "Ow, shykes," she hissed, "not again." Sighing heavily, she quickly stood up and brought her palm out to the front of the stall, grinning triumphantly. She winced, her eyes squinting as her free hand rubbed the back of her head. Sigrun was too busy tending to her bumps to notice that the people in front of the stall were probably still crouching on the floor, looking for the rest of the gems. "Here you go. Sorry, Atta's not here at the moment, she's out collecting some more flowers. I'm her assistant, so if you need—" Her smile faltered for a moment when she recognized Leda. Sigrun's eyes widened, her jaw slackening. "Leda!" she exclaimed, turning briefly over to the man next to her, immediately assuming that he was her companion of sorts, "wh-what brings you here? Do you need a bouquet?" She realized that she hadn't inspected the gem a little more carefully. Slowly, the young blonde loosened her grip on the stone and eyed it carefully as it sat on her palm. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Was it a different sort of currency?

[Klaus]

A hint of a smile breached his face as he shook his head.

"I'm afraid I do not."

Klaus stood, his left hand on the top of the pommel of his sword and his right stretched out to the girl.

"Please, m'lady. A woman as beautiful as yourself should not be groveling around the ground."

At least, that's what he would have said. In his mind, Klaus had it all figured out. He was going to help the young lady to her feet. Then he would find the other missing stones for her, and afterwards, strike up a wonderful conversation. His plan was perfect. But it would seem the Gods did not like his plan, as just before he opened his mouth to speak, a voice rang out from behind the flowers.

"I-I got one!"

Petch it all! he thought to himself. Nothing ever seems to go right. But he kept his smile on his face and stayed, ready to help the girl up. As a gentleman, he should...right?

Klaus's mental badgering was once again interrupted by the newcomers words. As she spoke, Klaus took in the new girls appearance. As she was sitting, it was difficult to tell her height. He inwardly admired her long, wavy hair, and her aquamarine eyes. While her eyes were not as dark as his own, Klaus found the eyes to be the most beautiful thing about a woman. And this one was no exception.

"Leda!" the girl exclaimed upon seeing the kneeling woman.

Leda is it? Klaus thought briefly before the new girl turned to him. For a moment, their eyes met. She would have seen a cheerful face. If not one of slight confusion as Klaus had no idea what to do in this situation.

[Leda]

With a smile, Leda accepted the man's offer of helping her up and gently slipped her hand into his. Then she heard her name yelped and turned around, recognising Dominic. "Dominic! Oh, well... I..." she stumbled slightly, standing up awkwardly and took a moment to regain her balance, "No. No. I don't actually need a bouquet." Nor can I currently afford to spend money on frivolous items, however much I want to, but Leda didn't say that. "I was drawn by the colours. The shade of blue of this flower is exactly like the Suvan Sea, not the Sea you see here, in this port, but the Suvan Sea in the South, where it is furthest away from any land. It's really very blue." She blew a strand of hair which had fallen in her eyes away impatiently before continuing. "Anyway, believe it or not, I haven't actually visited the Flower Stand yet... but it really is beautiful. I don't believe that there is any place so colourful in all of Syliras and, in the early morning, it really stood out like a vibrant beacon. Then I dropped my rune stones and I thought I had lost some, but now I have only lost one. Thank you." She held out a hand to receive the stone. "I had forgotten that you worked here." Leda turned back to the man. "Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Leda, though I feel you might have already gathered that." He had very blue eyes, much like the Suvan and the flowers she had indicated actually, and he wasn't the usual handsome, muscular type. Rather he had an interesting face and an interesting face remained appealing long after the typically handsome face had become boring. She remembered reading somewhere that, "After a certain degree of prettiness and symmetry, one pretty girl is as pretty as another." and wondered how far that applied to men.

[Sigrun Dominic]

Sigrun chuckled as Leda explained her reasons for being at the Flower Stand. The young blonde strode over to the front of the stall, bobbing up and down with each step like an excited child. "You sure about that bouquet?" she grinned, a gesture that she only saved for a few people, "I'm sure I could get you a discount!" It was a joke, of course, but if given the permission to do so. Sigrun would be glad to give the fellow Svefran a little snip off the top of the price list. Call it favoritism, but the young blonde trusted Leda not to be the type to abuse others. Sigrun accepted the young woman's outstretched hand with her own, gently placing the gemstone on her open palm and then gesturing towards the blue flowers that she had been referring to. "They're called balloonflowers, I think," she said, picking out a large, tall, blooming one, "one of my favorites, actually, precisely because of what you said." But instead of continuing, she watched with smiling eyes and a knowing smirk as Leda turned over to the young man and introduced herself. Sigrun held back a giggle. "I thought you two knew each other," she stepped in, the gracious amount of sunlight that blessed the Flower Stand illuminating the three of them. The pool of milky gold light enveloped her as she entered their circle, filling in the parts of her that had once been dimmed by the shade behind the stall. "You can have this," she smiled sweetly, handing the flower to Leda, "something to remind you of the sea, at least, while it's still blooming." For a moment, she felt like Atta, handing out flowers to people on special, certain occasions. Somehow, the old woman knew who to give a flower to, who needed their day brightened, as if she was naturally attuned to the lives of those who pass by her stall. Sigrun then turned over to the young man and looked up to gaze into his eyes, only to be shocked by how blue they were. "Err," she grinned, a little taken aback by the color of his irises, she holding out her hand for a shake, "hi, I'm Dominic. Which I'm sure you heard."

[Klaus]

OOCSorry it's so short. Not quite sure what else to do lol

Klaus smiled at the girls, thankful to be included in whatever was going on at the time. He wasn't sure how long he could have just stood there awkwardly.

"My name is Klaus. Klaus Gar'mon. It's a pleasure to meet you." When the other girl introduced herself as well, her hand stretched out, Klaus took it gingerly. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Dominic."

Klaus admired the flower that Dominic gave to Leda. It truly was beautiful. Unlike his companions however, Klaus didn't compare its beauty much with the Suvan. To him, it was more like the midday sky. Calm and clear. After he was finished, he turned to Leda.

"If I may, the Glyphs on those stones...what are they for?" As a Wizard, naturally he was curious of other Wizards. Especially Wizards who carried a bundle of Glyphed stones. Klaus knew all too well the dangers of a Leecher and their practices. It was not uncommon to find one with a lot of small, Glyphed items like that. This, however, was only a theory of his, as she seemed healthy. But it was always best to be cautious.

[Leda]

"Balloonflowers?" Leda murmured gently with a smile, "What a strange name, but it rather suits them I think." It did, though there was nothing obviously balloon-like about the shape of the flowers, which were rather like a cross between a tulip and an iris but bigger and of a simple shade of blanket blue. She received the gift with surprise and pleasure, not sure how to respond. Her immediate first thought was to shake her head and refuse the gift with a thanks for the generosity, for she did not want to filch out on paying the money, but she could not help but want to have the flower. It would brighten up her dismal room, dark and pretty much underground as it was. "Thank you. Oh, and no. We do not know each other." That was a little self-explanatory and, she thought, unnecessary since it had already been clarified, but she was of the type to confirm people's statements. As he questioned the stones, she let out a little low chuckle. "They're not really glyphs..." she smiled, "They are rune stones, but not used for magic." She took a pause, hoping her next statement would not solicit his derision, as it did the ridicule of so many cynics, "I am a fortune teller." She wondered at him and the way he spoke. Could it be that he was a wizard? And, if so, would he have any skill in auristics? Leda didn't say anything at once. Although magic was not persecuted in Syliras, it was not exactly received with open arms and there were those who would dearly love the opportunity to avenge themselves on one who practised it. "You speak as if you know of magic..." she said, after a moment, picking her words carefully, "It's interesting." This could be dangerous territory so, in order to give Klaus the leave not to answer if he did not wish to, she turned to Dominic. "How long did you say that you have been working here?"

[Sigrun Dominic]

"They're not really glyphs..." Sigrun's facial expressions shifted from that of genuine curiosity and excitement. She eyed the stones that Leda had, her mouth slightly parted. She'd never heard the young woman utter that word before, and assumed that it had something to do with magic. "They are rune stones, but not used for magic." "Not used for magic?" Sigrun furrowed her brows for a moment, "so glyphs are only used in magic?" If she were to voice such thoughts she would've surely sounded like an idiot, and so she kept her mouth shut. She was aware that Leda was a fortune teller, and thus deduced that the runestones were meant for just that; fortune-telling. The young blonde's smile widened when Leda reaffirmed her occupation. "You speak as if you know of magic..." she heard Leda say, and turned to look at Klaus. "It's interesting." Sigrun was about to comment on her fellow Svefran's statement, but steeled herself when she was asked a question. She turned to Leda and dipped her chin shyly. "Since the first of Spring," she chuckled, "I strolled through the district and Atta handed me a flower as well." "Magic," she glanced over at Klaus, her eyes twinkling, "interesting indeed." She knew next to nothing about magic, but was severely interested in it. Her parents had always been against the very idea of practicing magic or allowing its presence or influence to be anywhere near their children, but it fascinated Sigrun, it made her wonder about the limits of nature and reality. "Anyway," she sighed, "it passes the time, I suppose, while I'm figuring out what to do next. I have an idea but..." She grinned, trailing off as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm just not sure."