Open keep it lit.

[Caelum]

Timestamp: 27 Spring 515 AV The first anniversary of Alements grand opening was celebrated with a party. Warm, fresh winds floated across the dock and sprawling patio to be ushered gently through the double doors to the upscale tavern. Caelum had propped them open wide to welcome in the day's last hour of light. A few days previous Caelum had it be spread about Riverfall that he was throwing a party, open to all, free of charge for one night only. It was his way of showing his gratitude to the people of Riverfall for their patronage that had allowed his first year with Alements to be so successful. All day he had spent worrying over the details, setting out spring's very first wildflowers in jugs on the patio tables and hanging up extra lanterns and even setting aside one corner of the main room with cards and dice for the gamblers. There was a stack of fresh towels on the dock for those who wanted to swim in the warming waters of Plunge Pool Bay and his infirmary was open as, well, always. Just in case. His guests were largely discouraged to enter the six-patient-bed room, however, unless he or another employee was with them. After all, there were probably more dangerous items stored in his infirmary than there were in his kitchen. The hand lettered menus that typically could be found on the tables and bar were nowhere to be seen, replaced instead with platters of fruit and cheese and others of honey pastries. Pitchers of wine, both the house red and white, were set out along with a collection of shining glasses for all to freely partake. A generous tea set was arranged on the end of the marble topped bar along with a selection of house crafted teas and miniature pots and cups. Sugar, honey, lemon, and cream waited to be selected. A small keg of ale was available at a nearby table, laid out with mugs and with more than one backup waiting in the ice house. Elise had talked Cadra into helping her with her dark hair and it spilled down her back in a riot of curls, held loosely together by a bright satin ribbon. She manned the bar in her favorite deep blue shift with an ivory and lace embroidered apron tied over it. She looked happy, and at home. For those who knew her story, this was no small triumph. Even Caelum's daughter, the four year old konti called Lillian, was present. She wore a saffron cotton dress, and flowers in her hair as she bounced from table to table, checking and double checking that everything was exactly as she wanted it to be. People were starting to arrive and Caelum was hauling an extra crate of Riverfall's famous wine out of the dry storage closet and into the main. He, of course, was in spring's colors now. The ruffle of his hair was antique gold and his horns a pond water green. Their brilliance was dulled down by his attire as, like usual, he had failed to go to any especial effort with his clothes and wore the typical worn riding leathers and linen tunic that was so normal as to be a trademark. The party was just beginning.

[Stye]

An owl with a four-foot wing span swooped in through the open doors, and sailed across the room, tipping this way and that to avoid hitting guests, hanging lamps, items on the bar, and whatever else posed a possible navigational danger. He came to a halt near the door to the back rooms, creating a minor gale as his powerful wings brought him to a standstill directly in front of the proprietor of the establishment. He shifted into his human form: a short, muscular, naked man with a bald head, heavy eyebrows, and unusually large eyes. Caelum was wrestling a crate out of the back room, but he stopped because Stye was now blocking his path. “Master Caelum,” said Stye, bowing slightly. “Sorry I’m late. Let me carry that for you.” He reached for the crate and was stopped by the expression on Caelum’s face. The room had become very quiet. Not many guests had arrived yet, but everyone of them was staring at him. He looked down at his naked body. “Ah … um … I’ll just go get some clothes on.” He squeezed past Caelum and headed to the store room, where he kept his official “bouncer” uniform. It was the fourth time since he had started working here that he had done the naked thing. Neither Caelum nor Evalin had said anything yet, but he figured it was only a matter of time before he was reprimanded. He sighed and started getting dressed. Clothes were such a nuisance.

[Evalin]

Pathetic...

Evalin sighed and rested her chin on her hand, lounging at a table near the back corner where the rays of the sun could not quiet reach her. Caelum was throwing a party for the worms of the city to come and rejoice in his financial success. It would have been humerus if it were not so annoying. Did they not realize that what they believed to be 'free' food and entertainment was simply bought on their coin? Truly mortals could not be spared even an ounce of pity for their insufferable ignorance.

Children will be children. Tsenrika's cold voice whispered through the recesses of the Immortal's mind, and despite herself Evalin smiled.

Indeed so they shall, but be they ever more insufferable because of it. She gently stroked the icy gem that hung around her neck, long black nails tapping softly against its surface before retiring to absently drum on the table. Despite herself Evalin had felt the need to look somewhat presentable, so she had dawned the black silk dress and slippers instead of her usual boots and dirtied robes. Even her staff and scarves were left behind, though she still wore the ring of bone on her right ring finger. Skin as pale as death, dark shadows beneath her eyes and irises the color of freshly spilled blood. In the end it did not matter what she wore, for there was little the nuit could do to hide her true nature. Then again, she did not care to.

When the kelvic soared in through the open door, with little mind to his surroundings, Evalin sighed, opening her mouth to reveal slightly pointed teeth and elongated canines. Shaking her head Evalin eyed Stye with a mixture of disgust and annoyance, yet it was not quite to the level that she felt the need to act upon it. So what if he felt the need to walk about naked, bare for all to see. In the end it might simply bring in more business for the tavern.

A simpleton is indeed the grandest form of entertainment. Evalin thought as her eyes switched to watch Caelum's daughter, the familiar hunger nudging the back of her mind.

And they need no compensation for their act.

Eyes of red flicked between Caelum and his daughter, pausing longer on the girl than the horned proprietor, Tell me Tsenrika... why is it we are here?

To celebrate a year of good business. The Irylid replied simply, Though perhaps that is not the answer you seek.

The Immortal shrugged and closed her eyes, Matter it not. For now the why need not be answered. This, all of this, is a means to an end. We can play house for a bit longer I think.

I see. What comes when the time for play is at an end?

The same as every place we go. Evalin opened her eyes, looking over the growing crowd with open disdain, We will sever our bonds to this place with fire and blood.

[Yra]

Yra dressed in warm colours, beseeching of Summer to dawn early, yet her 'coat' spoke of her fate as reserved to the crawl of time. She wore a belted tunic of finer quality than season's past and fitted pants that hugged her legs comfortably. Through the wear and tear of time, she'd needed to change her wardrobe. It satisfied more than her own eye.

As was often the case during the summer and autumn, Yra was accompanied by her violin. Through the winter, she had forgone the instrument and a smile for more concerning worries, but now that it had warmed and the sun had brightened from her subdued gaze, Yra could smile again. And she wished to lift her bow and play, even if for a moment.

She found one here as entertainment, although she feared it too poor for what she thought her employer could have if he had wanted. He hadn't even requested that she entertain; Yra simply disliked that the voices of Caelum's well-wishers clamoured together. She required reprieve.

Reprieve came for a moment with the arrival of the strange man-bird. The hush that had fallen during his show of skin offered Yra her opportunity, and she approached Caelum with her instrument close to her body, cradled like an infant in delicate hands, and murmured his name for him to turn his attention to her.

"Do you mind if I...?" Yra asked her employer, and brother in the sunlight, with a tilt of her crown to her own instrument. It would have been rude to go ahead without his permission. "I think I might be able to set a pleasant tune to go with the mood."

She offered him a smile then, knowing him to be busy. She expected only the barest of responses before he continued his business and she moved on to what her next task would be. She even kept her congratulations for his success to herself. He loved his work, his home, and his importance. Yra felt glad for him, but there was a hard line of bittersweet happiness that told her she had grown resentful. What kind words she could offer would taste too much like salt on her tongue. He didn't need that.

Yra needed to express her support in other ways, and for that she desired his direction.

Pricefine wool pants: 3.6 gm, burgundy linen tunic: .75 gm, emboidered leather belt: 1.4 gm, leather riding boots: 2gm.

[Hirem]

There was the strangest, queerest feeling of dismay that Hirem could not shake as he approached the Alements tavern as the last bell of the day passed by.

Frowning as he walked, the Benshira glanced up at the sky, wondered perhaps if it was not some delayed reaction to the onset of night. Perhaps I am just ruing the disappearance of another perfect spring day, he hoped, not wanting to admit the real reason that he was feeling uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, Hirem did his best to dispel his unease as he approached the large double doors of the tavern, smiling as he thought of how long these doors had stood in Riverfall's streets. One year today. For one year, Caelum has been able to chase his dream with Alements, serving his fellow citizens in a way I couldn't imagine attempting. Though it was not his place to be proud of the Ethaefal, still Hirem felt overjoyed for his friend's success. While it served as a painful reminder of the fact that he had still not managed to make his mark on the city in the same way that Caelum had, the Benshira forced himself to forget his own feelings and focus entirely upon the Eth's well-being. Today is Caelum's day. He's spent enough time worrying about the needs of others, healing those that come under his roof... today, he should be able to sit back, rest easy, and bask in the warmth of the community he has assembled here. Wrinkling his nose, Hirem brushed his hair back once before pushing his way inside the tavern.

Just as expected, the interior of the Alements was dazzling on this very special day. At first taken aback by the breathtaking colour on display throughout the tavern, even moreso than usual with the freshly picked spring flowers and mosaic of evening light filtering from the patio doors, Hirem squinted in order to make sense of the scene. After a few ticks of searching, he finally managed to spot Caelum hauling crates onto the main floor, currently in this Ethaefal guise with those distinctive horns of his catching Syna's light. Standing near him was another heavenly child of the Ukalas, a female that Hirem did not recognize. A new patron perhaps? Or an employee? Just a season ago, Hirem had been fairly confident that he knew the faces of every regular at the Alements tavern... but things had changed fairly recently, and he could no longer say the same with such certainty. And then, deeper into the tavern, shying away from the light, was... Evalin. Seeing her now, in the ebbing warmth of the day, brought a chill to Hirem's spine, his skin crawling as he remembered the way the witch's talons had raked across his flesh. A demon through and through, but a demon that I had decided to entreat with... I cannot feel disgust when I have decided to swallow the poison.

Most distressingly of all, Hirem realized after a few moments that wine and ale were in plentiful abundance throughout the tavern, all of it free for customer use. His fingers itched. He absently licked at his lips.

Not today. Not now. You will not dare do this in front of Caelum, in front of these people you are bound to. You will not dare.

Feeling like an impostor garbed in the skin of the Benshira Hirem, the man bowed his head and decided to approach Caelum first. Clearing his throat as he neared the Ethaefal, Hirem offered him a gentle smile. "My friend! The tavern looks wonderful!" Clapping the healer on the shoulder, the Benshira then showed Caelum what he held clasped in his left hand: a small, fractured bottle of glass, containing an extremely dark red liquid within. "Degtine," he explained, nodding his head. "You brewed that first tincture for me with a small shot of this, remember?" Of course, Caelum hadn't mentioned that it was degtine that he had added to the brew when Hirem drank it, but after getting much more experienced with the alcohol available in Riverfall, the Benshira was able to track the flavour accurately. "I found this in the Warrens... one of the last bottles one might find, I believe?" The seller at the Warrens had mentioned that degtine was a drink particular to a western town called Denval, sadly destroyed as a result of the Djed Storm three years ago... Hirem wondered whether the name Denval meant anything to Caelum. Brushing the thought off, he passed the bottle into the healer's hands and gave a final nod. "I wish you the best with this evening of yours. I'll leave you to your preparations."

Discomfort thick on Hirem's mind - I cannot linger near this man. I cannot linger near this man's wine. I must stay away from the drink tonight. - he walked away from the proprietor and glanced about the tavern, searching for other familiar faces. Then, when he realized that there weren't any, he took a deep breath... and approached Evalin at the very back of the tavern. It was sad, extremely sad, that he found himself resorting to this when the party was supposed to be about merriment and celebration, but the Benshira felt much better putting distance between himself and the festivities. "Evalin," Hirem murmured as he sat opposite the witch, managing to conquer what revulsion he felt as he neared the corpse-like woman. Just be calm, be calm and keep your wits about you... if you do not give in to fear around this woman, she will have nothing to threaten you with. "You're here to enjoy the party?" He asked, trying to ease back in his seat and offering long glances to the centre of the room. "I never imagined you would have fun at something like this. If you, uh..." If you had fun, was the unspoken question. Biting down on his lip, Hirem elected not to keep prodding the witch, and instead turned his head to face the tavern floor. A quiet, if sad, smile bloomed across his features as he watched the patrons, purposefully avoiding giving a look towards the alcohol.

Ledger :

Degtine: -20 GM

[Gwin]

Gwin had arrived early at Alements, given it was in the immediate neighborhood of the Blue Gem overlooking Plunge Pool Bay. She’d peered into the room, noting food and drink absentmindedly, before returning outside and sitting down at the edge of the docks. Towels were neatly stacked nearby, inviting patrons to swim and enjoy the warming temperatures. Gwin, however, took care to remain at the edge of the party. Before long she’d unpacked her violin and started to play a soft tune to herself.

With the arrival of spring, reversed personalities of many Rivarians had slowly worn off. The Akvatari had returned to her usual melancholic and detached nature too, but she was even less inclined to make contact with others. Perhaps as a consequence of her overly social behavior during the past seasons, she felt an overwhelming desire for solitude. Despite that, Alements had become something like a regular hangout for her. Two seasons had proved to be more than enough to form habits. There she was.

Without music, the party had sounded awfully quiet, almost oppressing to the Akvatari. Although she’d played more than once under those glass windows, for some reason she didn’t dare to intrude now. Instead she sat just outside on the stone like a lonely troubadour, sending a playful yet subdued improvisation out into the beginning night.

Other patrons were arriving as her fingers and thoughts moved alike. First and most surprising, the secretive witch had appeared like a bad omen. They had acknowledged each other, but Gwin had shied back from addressing the one that had claimed her services. The creature seemed out of place at such an occasion of joy, more than that, but who was Gwin to question her… While Evalin settled inside, she remained.

Next came a statuesque woman that the Akvatari recognized as the poor soul she’d ripped from the sea last summer. She seemed more solid, rooted in the world she’d been cast into so violently. A reassuring sight. She was also carrying a violin. Perhaps the time had come for them to play together… Not yet though. Not yet. Let the night ripe first.

She also noticed the deeply troubled Benshira she’d led into that same tavern with her music. Hirem. He approached just when she took a short break to listen to echoes and flex her fingers, so his broad form disappeared inside without noticing her. Three familiar faces. Laviku, how many people had the tides sent her way lately! It worried Gwin, it even frightened her a little. This wasn’t her place. If home existed for her, it’d certainly be Abura! Zeltiva hadn’t been her place just as Riverfall wasn’t. If the witch hadn’t tied her so cleverly, the Akvatari would’ve fled the city already. Waiting had stretched her nerves thin. The only thing she could do was lift the bow and play. And she’d lose herself until someone pulled her back into the present with friendly words.

[Ataraxia Koilos]

Ataraxia chewed thoughtfully on the bit of his briar pipe as he entered Alements, noting that he was neither too early nor too late to the celebration; after all, the customers were just starting to move in.

"Strewth, I'd be a madman fer not coming here fer ale on the house," Ataraxia's single eye glanced here and there, noting with approval the tasteful decor and balanced fragrances whilst he muttered to Kyrie, "Best find a table out of the way, don't want to get caught in the crowd - we know how much you hate crowds, eh, Missy?"

Said feline merely yawned and re-positioned herself on his shoulders; he chuckled and moved to a side table, sitting down and allowing her to step down gracefully from her perch onto the waxed wooden surface. She settled herself down after a few seconds of exploring the table, sniffing curiously and nibbling at the wildflowers that were the centrepiece of the tables there.

The half-blind man hummed snatches of half-forgotten sea shanties as he examined his pipe for any damage caused by his habitual chewing, then removed a small wooden box from his backpack, taking out a worn satchel and savouring the odors of the tabacco within.

The soft, sighing strains of a violin reached his ears, interrupting his appreciation of a newly-found favourite brand of tobacco as he searched for the music's source, registering the Akvatari's presence outside with some curiosity before returning to his task at hand.

"That's the stuff, Kyrie, Vin's house blend - better than the cheap ones we had on that boat," he took a few pinches of pipeweed and slowly trickled them into the bowl, filling it to the brim before he noted his companion's imperious stare at him, "Ye'll be wanting some food, eh?"

He placed his pipe down, taking care not to spill any of the tobacco already placed within. Taking a small platter of fruit, he tasted a few pieces to ensure that they wouldn't be too sweet for Kyrie - only the best for his lady, as he would say - and placed the remainder in front of her.

"Here ye go, lass, all nice and tender."

He returned his attention to his pipe, tamping down the tobacco with his pipe tool and repeating the procedure twice before placing the mouthpiece to his mouth and sucking through the pipe; he nodded with satisfaction when the stream of air felt right.

It was only then he realised that, as he patted his pockets and rummaged in his backpack, he had left his flint and steel in his apartment.

"Ah, damned thing."

He growled, raising his head and glancing about for something to light his pipe with. Kyrie paid him no heed, choosing to slowly chew on a grape. He observed only lanterns - lanterns lit by fire from within, but there was no easy way to access the flame.

"I'll be back, Kyrie, just lookin' fer a light. Be a good lass, dinnae mess up the flowers or eat the rest of m'supper."

Ataraxia clamped his teeth on the end of his pipe and stood up from his chair, walking across the tavern floor in search of an employee to 'accost'.

He ducked his head as an owl narrowly avoiding colliding with his head, then forwent muttering insults under his head in favour of checking that the tobacco had not fallen out of his pipe. Once he had reassured himself, he turned in the direction the owl had flown at and noted

Snatching a mug of frothing ale and taking a large sip, Ataraxia moved towards the horned individual, judging him to be the owner of the establishment, seeing as he was the only Ethaefal in sight.

"Guid evenin' to ya!" He raised his voice, hoping that Caelum would hear him.

"Sorry to trouble you, m'lad, but could ye direct me to a light somewhere so that I can have a nice smoke?"

He gestured towards the pipe - still in his mouth - and smiled sheepishly.

[Caelum]

OOCThere is no official posting order. Have fun and post when you please. When the owl flew in, Caelum smiled to himself. He eyeballed his employee's flight trajectory and performed a wise step backwards so as to allow Stye plenty of room to land. The corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement as the owl transformed into a man, naked and trying to be helpful. Accustomed to the company of kelvics, the healer was unfazed. “No, it’s alright. Get some clothes on first,” he chuckled a little and then turned, crate in arms, just in time to flash a warm smile at Yra. “That’s a good idea,” he told her, nodding to the violin cradled and precious in her arms. He felt her desire to express her support and approval in a way that was unique to her, and it only deepened his smile. If he caught a whiff of the rest, one would never know it by his face. “Your music is lovely and could only add to the party, no? Something pleasant and if people seem inclined to dance, lively too. Thanks, Yra.” Caelum shifted around once his fellow ethaefal seemed satisfied with her course of action and stepped to slide the wine crate onto the far end of the bar near the kitchen door. Hirem was flashed a familiar, friendly smirk when he arrived and he curved about to face him, feeling the quiet current of the Benshira’s desire for alcohol when he patted his shoulder. Caelum opened his mouth to offer Hirem a drink when the bottle of degtine was pushed into his hands. He looked down at it with clear surprise and unexpected pleasure swiftly warmed over his face. “Where did you find this? Hirem, thank you. I’m almost out of it and.. Thank you.” The bottle of the Denvali brew was held carefully and the ethaefal seemed uncharacteristically flustered, but perhaps in the best way. Hirem’s thoughtfulness had taken him entirely off guard and though his reaction to what outwardly seemed a simple if heartfelt host gift was perhaps a little deep. Denval indeed meant something to him. Meant a lot. “Thank you,” he said again even as the Benshiran wandered off. The proprietor was still wrapped up in his thoughts over the bottle of degtine when a stranger approached. “A light? Of course.” A rueful chuckle dusted the back of Caelum’s throat as he considered the grey-haired Ataraxia with a friendly if rather intense curiosity. A tilt of his head in bid to follow and the ethaefal curved lazily around on his heel to carry the degtine with him through the kitchen door. He held the door open to the main room with a prop of his bootheel and collected up a candle stub from the catch-all box on the shelf to offer to his guest. “Help yourself,” he invited and gestured toward the smoldering hearth. The ethaefal proceeded to slump comfortably in the doorway, caught on the threshold between company and privacy and looking both ways before he settled his attention on the new patron. The degtine bottle was turned around in his hands. “I’m Caelum. Welcome to Alements. What’s your name?” Meanwhile, Lillian finished arranging a centerpiece to her liking and with a wrinkle of her nose in the direction of Evalin she darted after her father.

[Stye]

Stye kept his “work” clothes in the storeroom: Black pants, dark gray short-sleeved shirt, sandals with straps that that wrapped around and up his ankles. He had thought for some time now that a black bowler hat sitting atop his bald head would give him a real bouncer look, but given the sad state of his finances, he had to settle for the unadorned bald look. He paused at the doorway leading into the main room to survey the evening’s guests. He liked to know who was there so as to anticipate possible trouble and defuse it before it turned into something ugly. Evalin was there, of course. Evalin was always there. He had nothing against Nuits as such. Stye was a live-and-let-live kind of Kelvic. Except where slavers were concerned. But there was something about Evalin that set his skin crawling across his back whenever he was around her. And he was around her a lot; she was his immediate superior at Alements. Yra was a mystery to Stye. An Ethaefal like Caelum. Yet different. Where he was friendly and outgoing, and somehow made everyone feel like part of the family, Yra was moody and stand-offish. But she was not likely to cause problems. Unless some sailors who didn’t know any better wandered in, had a few drinks, and started hitting on her. In that case, Stye would get to earn his pay. Even Stye could tell that Hirem was a troubled soul. But he seemed to be a sincere person, and unlikely to be a source of trouble this evening. Unless he drank too much. That would be a different story. The one guest Stye didn’t recognize was a grizzled looking one-eyed man with a cat. Who carried a cat around on his shoulder? Was the cat a Kelvic companion? They made for a peculiar pair. Stye decided he had better find out who they were. The sound of a soulful violin floated into the room as Stye made his way toward the table occupied by the bearded old man and his cat. That would be Gwin. He had noticed the Akvatari on his way in, but had not stopped to speak with her. He should have. He liked Gwin, even if she was moody and given to long spells of melancholy, as though she had lost her way in the world. Or maybe it was that very melancholy that drew him to her. He too wandered through the world in search of that part of him that was missing. He stood in front of the old man and his cat. “I will be begging your pardon sir,” he said. “My name is Stye, an employee of this fine establishment.” He turned his head slightly so that his large, unblinking eyes rested on the cat. “I believe we have not met before?”

[Rosela]

E
E
Doing her best to hide her waddle, Rosela moved slowly down the street, preceded by her enormous stomach and mind mostly the work she had waiting for her the next morning. She’d spent part of her day preparing a small gift for the man who’d been so helpful with her pregnancy, and she wanted to make a point to come and congratulate him as one entrepreneur to another. Dangling from one hand at her side was a burlap and twine-wrapped package containing two black aprons: one waist-high and non-gendered, the other full-length and with a small, feminine ruffle around the collar, both with ‘Alements’ embroidered painstakingly into the corners in sunset orange. She knew he had more employees than himself and the young woman who tended bar, but she’d only actually met the two of them.

A little more time than strictly necessary was spent planning her evening wear, finding a nice balance between formal and casual. Alements was a hot spot of activity and as always, she needed to be a living advertisement of her style. She’d broken out the fine, blue and white patterned cotton for a sleeveless dress that tastefully accentuated her stomach and was long enough to hide her ankles. To protect against the mild chill, she paired it with a plain white bolero – an abbreviated vest.

An Akalak with two large burlap sacks thrown over his shoulder passed her, and she saw his gaze linger on her stomach before glancing briefly up at her face. She ignored him, but smiled secretively after she passed. She’d long since given up being self-conscious about her obvious pregnancy, and since the early spring when the whole city seemed to turn over to the right side of the bed, the child inside of her was raising her status than she thought possible. True, her ankles were swollen, she was constantly battling her weight, and she’d give anything to be able to sleep on her stomach again, but she could see the physical change come over someone the moment they saw her stomach. If she’d had a choice in the matter, she may have chosen to keep the child inside her for a little longer.

She took another moment to rest just outside Alements, disguising it as a nonchalant glance out at the sunset. It was a lovely evening, gloriously welcome after the hard winter. If she could, she’d try to snag a seat on the patio. Pushing through the door, she shuffled around a man with a pipe dangling off his lips and looked around for Caelum. People were everywhere; food and drink were everywhere; and she nearly forgot the gift in her hands over the sudden need to stuff her face. Taking a deep breath, she tore her eyes from the food and realized Caelum was practically right next to her by the doorway.

”Oh! Sorry,” she added quickly, realizing he and pipe-man had been talking. ”Really quick – present! For you. Congrats.” Slipping the package into the chair, she winked once and began slipping back. ”Love the new colors!” She hissed as she waggled her fingers at his horns and retreated towards the food.

Swinging by the food, she popped a single cube of cheese into her mouth – just one, she promised herself – and belatedly spotted Hirem talking to…Evalin? He looked nervous, somehow, and she felt immediately defensive. Evalin herself looked done up in fine black silk, and Rosela wondered if she was mildly underdressed. Gravitating towards the familiar faces, she smiled through growing discomfort as she approached. ”Hello, you two. Why over here in the dark? Don’t you want to watch the sun set?” Without the cocoon of her shop around her, something definitely seemed off about Evalin, and it wasn’t her dress. ”…I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” One hand moved unconsciously to rest on her stomach.
E
E