Lost in thought, Ahni wandered through the Marketplace. It was, for the most part, a familiar setting, so getting lost wasn't a big deal anymore. Carbuncle -- the neon foxlike critter Sivanna had taught her to summon so long ago -- tagged along at her side, yipping and chirruping at practically everything. The pair had just rounded the Fountain when something caught the half-elf's attention: the wailing of a young child.
Emerald irises shifted to gray as she peered around, looking for the poor child. Luckily, the child hadn't lost her parent -- the mother was squatting in front of the little girl, patting her hair gently and trying her best to calm the little one down. The girl couldn't have been older than six, with long sandy-blonde hair tied in pigtails. She sobbed and sobbed, despite her mother's consoling.
Ahni hesitantly stepped toward the two, muttering softly to Carbuncle, "Be good, aier*..." The summon huffed as if to say, what makes you think I wouldn't? Ahni, of course, paid no attention. The mother looked up at the half-elf and gave her the kind of embarrassed look that most first-time parents give strangers when their child decides to act out or generally cause a scene. Ahni tried to smile reassuringly. Honestly, it came across as terrified. She usually tried to steer clear of children. They were cute and all, she just couldn't handle the rambunctiousness or moodiness. Carbuncle, on the other hand, opened a Rift somewhere off to Ahni's left and promptly hid.
"What is wrong, little one?" The half-elf asked quietly, bending down just slightly to be at the girl's eye level. The child rubbed one eye with a balled-up fist and sobbed harder, prompting her mother to wince in embarrassment.
"Sh-she lost her favorite doll," the mother said after a while. She continued to pet the little girl's hair. "Come on, Gemma, we can go look for another --" The girl, Gemma, interrupted her mother with a sorrowful wail. The mother's face flooded with what appeared to be every single drop of blood in her body, and it seemed she was at her wits' end.
Ahni frowned apologetically and ruffled a hand through her messy hair. What to do, what to do... "Would you... would you like a present, little one?" Unfortunately, Ahni had never heard of the dangers of accepting presents from unknown people... but neither had the mother. The little girl sniffled and peered up at the half-elf. Ahni tried her best to look approachable and friendly, even offered her hand out to Gemma.
"Y-y-y-you have my dolly?" Big chocolate-brown eyes gazed at Ahni.
The half-elf frowned slightly and shook her coppery head. "No... I am very sorry, little one, but I do not have your doll," she sadly replied. Of course, this made the little girl start to sob again, which made her mother -- and Ahni -- flinch and fidget. "I do not have your doll," Ahni quickly continued, "but... but I have something else you would like! S-something pretty!" Gemma sniffled once more, before a chocolate eye peeked out at the half-elf from behind a balled-up fist. Ahni had gotten her attention.
With a faint smile to the girl's mother, Ahni put one hand behind her back and drew out a flower. It was her favored gift, a purple daffodil. Gemma's eyes lit up immediately as she reached toward the beautiful flower. "This flower is special, little one," Ahni explained. "It will stay as pretty as you want... for as long as you want. It will never wither unless you wish it. You do not even have to give it water!" She smiled brightly at the little girl, whose puffy eyes shone with excitement and glee. Ahni heard the mother audibly sigh in relief.
Gemma took a deeeeeep sniff of the flower and gasped. "It smells like... cotton candy!" She sniffed again. "The green kind!"
"That is the best part!" Ahni squeaked happily, tiny hands on slim hips.
The mother stood slowly, a smile on her lined face. "Thank you so much for making my daughter happy. I really appreciate it." She then started to fumble around in her overly large purse. " --owe you?"
Ahni blinked, turning emerald irises toward the woman. "Amin hiraetha?** Err... I am sorry? I did not hear what you said." Coppery head tilted quizzically.
The mother pulled a small satchel from her purse and smiled at the half-elf. "How much do I owe you?" She repeated, slower this time, the satchel lifted ever-so-slightly in case Ahni still didn't understand.
Ahni waved her hands frantically in front of her, eyes wide. "Oh-oh no, I could not... I really could not charge for such a thing! Really, you do not have to pay me, arwen en amin***... " Carbuncle suddenly reappeared from his Rift at the mention of money. (He especially liked sparklies.) Gemma was too focused on her flower to notice the teal critter, or she probably would have begged her mother to take him home.
The mother stared at the half-elf, confused. "Why don't you sell them?"
* = Little One
** = I'm sorry
*** = My lady
Emerald irises shifted to gray as she peered around, looking for the poor child. Luckily, the child hadn't lost her parent -- the mother was squatting in front of the little girl, patting her hair gently and trying her best to calm the little one down. The girl couldn't have been older than six, with long sandy-blonde hair tied in pigtails. She sobbed and sobbed, despite her mother's consoling.
Ahni hesitantly stepped toward the two, muttering softly to Carbuncle, "Be good, aier*..." The summon huffed as if to say, what makes you think I wouldn't? Ahni, of course, paid no attention. The mother looked up at the half-elf and gave her the kind of embarrassed look that most first-time parents give strangers when their child decides to act out or generally cause a scene. Ahni tried to smile reassuringly. Honestly, it came across as terrified. She usually tried to steer clear of children. They were cute and all, she just couldn't handle the rambunctiousness or moodiness. Carbuncle, on the other hand, opened a Rift somewhere off to Ahni's left and promptly hid.
"What is wrong, little one?" The half-elf asked quietly, bending down just slightly to be at the girl's eye level. The child rubbed one eye with a balled-up fist and sobbed harder, prompting her mother to wince in embarrassment.
"Sh-she lost her favorite doll," the mother said after a while. She continued to pet the little girl's hair. "Come on, Gemma, we can go look for another --" The girl, Gemma, interrupted her mother with a sorrowful wail. The mother's face flooded with what appeared to be every single drop of blood in her body, and it seemed she was at her wits' end.
Ahni frowned apologetically and ruffled a hand through her messy hair. What to do, what to do... "Would you... would you like a present, little one?" Unfortunately, Ahni had never heard of the dangers of accepting presents from unknown people... but neither had the mother. The little girl sniffled and peered up at the half-elf. Ahni tried her best to look approachable and friendly, even offered her hand out to Gemma.
"Y-y-y-you have my dolly?" Big chocolate-brown eyes gazed at Ahni.
The half-elf frowned slightly and shook her coppery head. "No... I am very sorry, little one, but I do not have your doll," she sadly replied. Of course, this made the little girl start to sob again, which made her mother -- and Ahni -- flinch and fidget. "I do not have your doll," Ahni quickly continued, "but... but I have something else you would like! S-something pretty!" Gemma sniffled once more, before a chocolate eye peeked out at the half-elf from behind a balled-up fist. Ahni had gotten her attention.
With a faint smile to the girl's mother, Ahni put one hand behind her back and drew out a flower. It was her favored gift, a purple daffodil. Gemma's eyes lit up immediately as she reached toward the beautiful flower. "This flower is special, little one," Ahni explained. "It will stay as pretty as you want... for as long as you want. It will never wither unless you wish it. You do not even have to give it water!" She smiled brightly at the little girl, whose puffy eyes shone with excitement and glee. Ahni heard the mother audibly sigh in relief.
Gemma took a deeeeeep sniff of the flower and gasped. "It smells like... cotton candy!" She sniffed again. "The green kind!"
"That is the best part!" Ahni squeaked happily, tiny hands on slim hips.
The mother stood slowly, a smile on her lined face. "Thank you so much for making my daughter happy. I really appreciate it." She then started to fumble around in her overly large purse. " --owe you?"
Ahni blinked, turning emerald irises toward the woman. "Amin hiraetha?** Err... I am sorry? I did not hear what you said." Coppery head tilted quizzically.
The mother pulled a small satchel from her purse and smiled at the half-elf. "How much do I owe you?" She repeated, slower this time, the satchel lifted ever-so-slightly in case Ahni still didn't understand.
Ahni waved her hands frantically in front of her, eyes wide. "Oh-oh no, I could not... I really could not charge for such a thing! Really, you do not have to pay me, arwen en amin***... " Carbuncle suddenly reappeared from his Rift at the mention of money. (He especially liked sparklies.) Gemma was too focused on her flower to notice the teal critter, or she probably would have begged her mother to take him home.
The mother stared at the half-elf, confused. "Why don't you sell them?"
* = Little One
** = I'm sorry
*** = My lady