Wolf's Heart:
Lannister walked around Telrunya City, a list in his hand. Some supplies he needed for the sanctuary were easier to come by in the city than in the smaller villages, especially when he needed a large variety of things. This happened more often now with the uptick of harpies who now resided with him. He had a half brother, Velvet, who worked in a bakery that he would sometimes visit on these trips. Lannister had just finished seeing him, and had a pastry to show for it. He took a moment to sit down on a bench in the main square before he would get to work on his list.
Tartara:
Today was like any other day, nothing particularly called her out of her home aside from the sunshine and chirping of birds. But Mirobell was a social thing, and the day just looked so beautiful! As she walked along the street towards the town square she took a deep breath of fresh air. Was there anything better than this? Maybe the jeweler would have something new today or the baker a fresh loaf.
"The sunlight is bright,
Shinning on my face,
Just another beautiful day,
Walking in the Guardians grace."
The angel softly sang, her voice sweet and pure. A few pae looked up in curiosity before going back to what they were previously. It was just Mirobell. She did this daily.
"Soft breeze and dandelion glow,
I will take things nice and slow.
Today I'll make the most of life,
Walking in the Guardians grace."
Wolf's Heart:
The city sounded so much different than life at the swan sanctuary. There was no bird squawking and whistles here, there was a sort of white noise where there would usually be quiet. It certainly made him appreciate his humble home more. As he sat on the bench, enjoying his pastry, a sound cut through everything else. A song, quite a bit different than a bird song. Lannister could appreciate the music, song had a way of communicating with more than words, and of course Lannister himself had a little bit of music in his blood. He couldn't help but hum along. The fae looked to see where the song was coming from and his eyes landed on the purple angel. He thought of saying something but Lannister didn't want to interrupt her singing. Instead he smiled politely at her as she walked by.
Tartara:
As this was her daily routine, the familiar faces blurred past her as she walked. So a certain red fae who she had never seen before stood out. At his polite smile, she flashed one back but didn't stop her walk or song.
"La La la, la di la.
Oh on this glorious day
La la da, di la da.
Let it be as it may."
The song drifted off to silence as she came upon the store she wanted to go to first. Happily stepping in, she called into the glass shop. "Hello- it's Mirobell! I'm here to collect my commission for the flowers." Was this shopkeep going to hide from her again? She gave him 2 big bundles of fresh cut assortment of flowers for a new set of glass cups!
Wolf's Heart:
The sound of the singing disappeared, probably drowned out by the noise, and Lannister finished the snack he had gotten from his brother. Now it was time to get to work on his list. Thankfully, he didn't feel like he had to rush back to the sanctuary like he used to. The harpies could keep the swans safe while he was gone, and he could breathe easy.
Lannister needed an assortment of things: mostly food items and a few tools and materials to make some repairs. As he made his way to the metalsmith, his mind filled with the words of the song the angel had been singing earlier. He mindlessly walked as he hummed along to the song in his head, turned into a building and found himself staring at glass instead of tools.
Lannister frowned. Had the metalsmith moved, or was he in the wrong place? He was about to step out and investigate the doorway when he heard a voice. It was the girl who had been singing down the street earlier. Lannister didn't believe in coincidences. "Oh hello, I just heard you singing." He pointed back out to the street."Did you make up that song yourself?" Talking was not one of Lannister's specialties, too much time spent with swans.
Tartara:
This shop keep had already given her the slip twice, she wanted her glass! The angel took a breath to yell again when a shadow cast over her. "Oh?" She turned. It was the lovely red fellow who smiled earlier! "Ah! Yes, actually. Was it terrible?" She giggled lightly, looking a little apologetic. "No one ever gives me feedback on my songs, the regulars mostly ignore it now."
Wolf's Heart
"Oh no!" Lannister shook his head rapidly. "Not at all, the singing was beautiful and the song was really catchy." He wasn't going to admit that he would probably be singing it for the rest of the day. "I don't know how anyone can ignore that, I guess they're too busy to appreciate a good thing." Lannister poked his head around the shop. This wasn't where he was supposed to be, but he didn't want to seem like he had been following her either. "Huh, where's the shopkeeper?" He noticed.
Tartara:
At his praise the angel smiled brightly, pleased that someone found enjoyment from her tune. "Thank you. It was already a wonderful day, but you've made it even better."
At the mention of the absent shopkeep, she sighed sadly as she placed a hand on her face. "That...might be my fault if you're looking to buy something here. I'm a bit of a florist, and I made the mistake of taking an commission as payment before getting the product..." She cast a look over her shoulder as she said the next part, letting her voice project a little so that any listening shopkeeps could hear. "And I haven't seen him since. I hate to think he's avoiding me, but it is a strange coincidence." The light frown on her face made it apparent she certainly did not think it a coincidence at all.
Wolf's Heart
His smile widened that he might have made her day better with his poorly assembled words. "Oh..."Lannister frowned as she spoke. "That doesn't sound good." He walked around, peeking around the corners to see if he could figure out where the shopkeeper was. Surely he wouldn't be hiding from her, right. "What on Telrunya did you order?" He shook his head, not seeing the shopkeeper without maybe going into the back.
Lannister wondered if he should intervene. "Uhm, hello?" He called out, his voice deeper than before, trying to make it apparent that he wasn't the angel. "I need to purchase... Something." Lannister glanced around for a reasonable excuse, but none of this belonged in a swan sanctuary.
When the shopkeeper appeared, Lannister grabbed a nearby glass vase, "Yes, I would like to purchase this for my grandmother, the goddess Venus, but you should probably help this young lady first, she was here before me." It was a truly special occasion that Lannister was dropping the god card. It wasn't something he typically flaunted.
Tartara:
Mirobell shook her head in agreement. "Right, you'd think that I ordered something grand for all this mess. They were cups. I've been stuck rewashing the same 2 glasses since I accidentally dropped my others." Honestly was almost more trouble than it was worth, but she was really tired of only having 2 cups!
As the red fae suddenly called out, her eyes widened in surprise. What was doing? Was he trying to help her?
Sure enough a small demon poked his head out at the promise of a sale. But the color soon drained from his face. Venus as a grandmother?! But that would make him...oh no. He woodenly turned towards the angel as he realized he had been had. "Y-y-your flowers were wilted!"
The shopkeep actually came out! "Clever." She murmured under her breath before addressing the underhanded owner. "Wilted?! You liked them just fine on delivery. If you had issue you should have told me then and I would have taken the flowers or renegotiated." The nerve!
"But I-" His eyes darted back to the fae. He didn't know how much divinity he had but he certainly had friends in high places. This situation was unfavorable for him. "...yes. Just a moment." He disappeared into the back to grab a box that had been shelved all week. When he walked back out, he handed her the box. "Still too much for flowers." He grumbled.
Wolf's Heart
When the shopkeeper argued back about wilted flowers, Lannister realized it might not have been his place to step in, not knowing the whole story. He argued to himself that the situation needed to be resolved either way, and it wouldn't resolve if the shopkeeper kept avoiding the angel.
He took a step back to let them handle things, setting the vase he had grabbed back down, and gathering the rest of the story. "Appreciated," Lannister affirmed the shopkeeper as he finally retrieved the goods for the angel, "A difficult lesson in thinking things through before you commit and honoring your word."
Tartara:
The shopkeeper looked rather stiffly at the deity, swallowing his words and his pride by nodding. "Please, uh. Say a good word of my shop to your family? Or. Just not saying anything at all is fine too." He nervously, giving one last look at the angel before disappearing into the back again. Mirobell opened the box to quickly check its contents before looking over at the red pae. Her face lightly blushed. "My hero. I'm sorry you had to see something so embarrassing from me, what a terrible first impression." She grimaced. He didn't even know her name. "I'm Mirobell. I don't suppose I could pay you back for rescuing me with a meal?"
Wolf's Heart
"I'll give a good word," Lannister assured the shopkeeper, he couldn't be mean. He also couldn't just buy a vase for grandmother, despite his demi status he lived a simple life.
Lannister smiled and laughed at Mirobell's reaction. "Don't worry, you had already made a first impression with your song. He wasn't treating you fairly, although I'm sure you could have handled it on your own." He turned away from the angel and frowned at the doorway to the back, he had meant to ask the shopkeeper where the blacksmith was.
Lannister turned back to the female, Mirobell. While the meal wasn't a necessary thanks, it did seem like a nice excuse to spend time in the company of someone who didn't have feathers... Or at least not as many feathers. Lannister was thankful he didn't need to rush back to the sanctuary. "I'm Lannister, and that would be great."
Tartara
The angel smiled gratefully at his kind words, the fae seemed to be a real gentlepae. "Thank you for saying so. In any case I doubt you'll be forgetting this for a while." She lightly giggled while turning to walk out of the store.
"Lannister. Did you need to stop by anywhere beforehand? The cafe is open for a while." With all the excitement she forgot he probably was out and about for a reason.
Wolf's heart
That giggle, no, he didn't think he would be forgetting this anytime soon. Lannister followed Mirobell out of the glass shop. "I am in the city running errands, but there isn't a rush," that felt nice to say, "I can take care of them afterwards." Perhaps he could figure out where the blacksmith was located while they were making their way to this cafe she had in mind. "The cafe a favorite place of yours? I don't usually eat in the city, except for the bakery, one of my brothers works there."
Tartara
"You're in the city for errands...so you're not from here? It must be fate then that we've run into each other today of all days." Not to mention quite fortunate, as he had cleverly fixed an issue that had thrown her for a loop. With a happy nod she made a right outside the door to keep walking down the street. "Of course! I'd be ashamed if my meal of gratitude was bad, so I'm picking a sure win. They have sandwiches and soups, but it's their fruit juices that keep me coming back." She grinned at the admission, like she just imparted a great secret. "Your brother...does he look like you? Perhaps I've seen him. That would be a small world." She thought of the bakers she had seen, trying to imagine a red fae that looked like Lannister.
Wolf's Heart
Lannister shook his head in response to her question. "I... uh... Have a swan sanctuary down below." He smiled at her mention of fate. It certainly seemed like fate that he had mistakenly followed her into the glass shop. "That sounds wonderful."
"Oh yes, he looks a great deal like me, just less yellow." The red color of the mother they shared, the female Lannister hardly knew, was unmistakable.
Tartara
Did she hear right?
Swan sanctuary?
The angels gaze snapped over to him as she gave a little gasp in surprise. "Swan sanctuary? Wow! You really are a gentlepae. Saving animals by day and silly angels in your spare time." While her tone was slightly teasing, her expression was warm and her eyes bright. Other pae might find it a strange job, but she genuinely admired it. He was fascinating and kind.
"Hmm...does he perhaps...have some blue instead of yellow?" She confined her guessing of his brother as they made another turn onto a quiet street. 3 stores down held a quaint sign 'The Moniaire Cafe'.
Wolf's Heart
Lannister blushed, he didn't want to seem like he was bragging, especially after he had just thrown out the whole demigod thing with the shopkeeper earlier. He was really just a normal fae, and Lannister really wanted her to think that too. He was relieved to change the subject to his brother. "It sounds like you have been to his bakery then," Lannister responded, confirming that his brother did have some blue to him. He followed her into the cafe.
Tartara
"Oh no." The angel quickly corrected as they stepped inside. "I'd break my neighbors, Nana Trilly, heart if I did such a thing. She bakes me bread weekly in exchange for a small flower bouquet to brighten up her kitchen window. But I've passed by your brothers shop and have been tempted to hide a loaf home." As she had spent her entire life in the City, she was well known by her neighbors and had built a relationship with them.
"My favorite seat is open, what luck." She suddenly exclaimed, nodding her head towards a table by the largest window of the shop. It looked out over the street to pae watch and enjoy the sunlight. "Do you have any other siblings? I grew up an only child myself."
Wolf's Heart
A quiet smile spread across Lannister's face, "That sounds really sweet, I can understand why you haven't gone in." Mirobell had been praising his ways, but she had a gentleness to her as well.
"This is quite the spot you have," he admired, taking a seat across from her. Lannister snuck a peak out the large window, it was so nice to be soaking in the sunlight, the sanctuary was heavily shaded.
Lannister couldn't help but laugh at her question about siblings. "Sorry, my family is... Large, and complicated. I have quite a few siblings by my mom and dad, probably some I don't even know about. I was raised by my brother, a different one, for the most part the only child until his kids came along. Not that you wanted my whole life story."
Watching Mirobell across from him, the sunlight hitting her pale purple color made it seem even more vibrant. With whatever role fate had in bringing them together today, Lannister couldn't help his quickly growing admiration for her.
Tartara
She felt a warmth bloom in her chest and face at his compliment, as it had been unexpected. She had been called sweet before - she did have a rather sunny disposition - but it felt really nice from him.
"I love it, I like to watch the occasional pae that walks by and wonder what their life is like. Everyone comes from somewhere, you have no idea what you don't even know." She giggled while sitting down, feeling the warm sunrays hitting her face. "Like yourself. I never even knew there was a sanctuary for swans. And I almost forgot you mentioning your grandmother to that shopkeep! I admit I don't know too much about Lady Venus and her family, I'm sorry." Mirobell bashfully admitted. She should have known that the family was so large, but she had never been to one of her famous parties, and life in the City was so Guardian centric they just didn't talk about them much. "But your other brother must be amazing to take in his sibling in place of your parents. It's nice that you have some wonderful connections to your brothers." Visiting one and being raised by another. "And I don't mind hearing your lifes story, should you want to share it. You're not boring in the slightest." Giving him a sincere smile, the waitress came by with the menu's.
Cute as a button little thing, the menu's half the size of her. "Here's your menu, our special today is tomato soup with our signature 3 cheese grilled sandwich. Would you like to start with a drink? Water, juice, coffee?"
Wolf's Heart
Lannister smiled, "Most don't know of it, it's away from the main trade routes, and off the maps." That was somewhat intentional, as Lannister still didn't know what had been harming the swans but he didn't need to share that whole story over lunch.
He was somewhat relieved that she didn't know much about the Venus side of his family. Lannister had a more serious view of love and relationships than what that side of his family was probably known for. "Don't worry, it's not really as much of my life as I may have led that shopkeeper to believe." He looked down at the table somewhat shamefully that he had used the information in such a way.
Relief as the waitress came by for their order. "Hmm, you said something about the juices," he spoke to Mirobell before letting the waitress know which juice he would like to try.
Tartara
Mirobell was intrigued by this sanctuary that was off of maps and hardly known. Would it be too much for her -a stranger- to say she hoped to see it someday?
"To be fair, the shopkeep lied first by pretending not to be there. And it was to essentially steal my flowers. You fibbed to save a damsel in distress." The angel giggled before picking up her menu. "I even thought it pretty clever."
Mirobell then turned her attention to the waitress and ordered herself a mixed juice before looking back at the menu. "Do you come to the City for errands often?" Maybe they'd see each other again.
Wolf's Heart:
Lannister chuckled as she excused his behavior and the concept of stealing flowers was a bit silly to him, who lived in the jungle surrounded by flowers, although he was sure it wasn't as simple as that. "I'm sorry if I treated you like a damsel in distress, I'm so used to taking care of others and resolving conflicts."
Lannister didn't browse the menu, the special sounded good and he didn't want to be overwhelmed by all the options. "Maybe twice a moon cycle, it makes my job a little easier to come here. I was a one-fae show for a long time, but I can't do everything." Although Lannister could certainly consider coming up to the city more often for other reasons.
Tartara
"Not at all, I didn't mind. I'm really quite grateful." She tried to reassure the fae, as it seemed he was rather conflicted about the whole thing. But the way she saw it, he had nothing to be ashamed about.
"Twice a moon cycle, that isn't much." She mused aloud before realizing it wasn't just a a thought. The angel blushed. "Ah, I mean it doesn't sound like you get a lot of free time." As the waitress came back, she ordered herself a sandwich meal.
Wolf's Heart
Lannister made an uncomfortable face, but Mirobell was right. He didn't make a lot of time for himself, Lannister was far too busy to feel lonely about it, but he was painfully aware of the missing piece in his life.
"Yeah, I really don't come up here often enough to enjoy company like this." He responded. Lannister ordered himself the special. "You run your own flower business? Do you get to do things like this often? Lunches with new friends, I mean." It was him trying to be less obvious about asking if she was seeing anyone.
Tartara
Mirobell smoothly slid her menu to the side, looking up at Lannister through her long eyebrows. "Well... whenever you're in town, if you find yourself wanting some company I'd be happy to lend my time. I have many more places just as fun as here." She smiled so wide it reached her eyes, pleased she finally had an opening to slip in that she'd like to see him again.
"I do run my own flower business. Looking at a self made business lady." She giggled a little at the boast. "It's really not that much. The city provides me a home, and my flowers pay for my day to day needs. As for taking new friends to lunches..." She tilted her head as if thinking hard as the drinks arrived.
"You're the first."
Wolf's Heart
Lannister's heart leaped to the front of his chest. Mirobell's openness, her smile. It was entirely possible she had only meant it as an offer of friendship, but Lannister found himself hoping that wasn't the case.
He nodded along as she spoke about her life in the city, truly interested. His mouth parted when she said he was the first, surprised, relieved, he wasn't sure what he was feeling, but he realized he didn't know how to respond to it and he quickly grabbed the juice cup and shoved it in his mouth. "Wow, you were right about this," he said genuinely, but perhaps over enthusiastically.
He had just met her, he couldn't be so smitten already. Unless it really was fate that has brought them together, maybe this was just how it worked when you met the ONE you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with. Lannister wanted to smack himself for thinking such things about someone he had just met, but he was the demigod of marriage, he couldn't help but think of 'the rest of his life' when it came to love.
Tartara:
His reactions were a fairly easy read - and he was adorable. Was he that excited to make a friend?
She was rather excited to meet his acquaintance herself as she was enjoying the atmosphere of being in good company in her favorite cafe. The sun warmed her face as it set aglow her soft hair, just as it accented the bits of yellow on Lannister. Were all Dieties so fetching? "I'm telling you, best juice in the City. Or at least it is the best of the four places I've tried."
"So tell me, what do you do at a Swan Sanctuary?" The angel asked curiously. He had asked about her flower business, and she was equally curious about his.
Wolf's Heart:
Lannister smiled softly, noticing the way she seemed to light up in the sunlight. He was very aware that he needed to slow down so he took his eyes off of her and stared out the window to do some of the paeple watching that Mirobell had talked about. "Four places is a lot, I will take your word that this is the best." Lannister agreed as he slipped at the juice some more.
"There's a lot of bird poop and feathers that accumulate, it's not very pretty. I'm mostly trying to keep them safe, I bring in some extra food for them so that they don't have to go so far to find food."
Tartara:
The mood was so warm and comfortable.
And then she coughed on her juice at talk of swan poop. "W-what?" She managed out as she grasped for a cloth wipe. It was obvious that it would be part of the work, but to say such a thing while eating..."Ah, excuse me." She spoke while wiping her mouth. How embarrassing of her. As of on cue their sandwiches arrived, and she took the minute to regain her thoughts. "So did you find them all? Are there a lot of stray swans?"
Wolf's Heart:
Lannister flinched and looked at Mirobell again as she reacted to the swan poop. "Ah, I'm sorry." That was incredibly un-demigod like of him. It was normal life to him, he didn't even think that it might spoil her meal. He made a note to himself to be more careful in the future. Although if she couldn't handle something like bird poop... Lannister was surprised when she pressed on.
"They are pretty rare, which is why I have to protect them, but the population is growing." Lannister decided it was best not to go into detail about the productive breeding seasons.
"Wow, the stuff I get from my brother is good, but I haven't had anything like this in a while," Lannister exclaimed as he eyes his sandwich, he hadn't even taken a bite yet.
Tartara:
She smiled good naturally at the fae at his apology, taking it in stride. He said he didn't get out much, it was adorable in that way how he was awkward in some situations.
"It's probably in part due to your excellent care." Mirobell complimented, fully believing he was making a difference. Seeing how dedicated he was to the job, how could he not be? The angel then picked up her sandwich to take a bite, and did a small happy bounce of her shoulders. "Mmm! I'm telling you, they're the best around!"
Wolf's Heart:
Lannister smiled and blushed at the compliment, taking a deep breath. "Thanks," he said somewhat shyly. Lannister practically melted into the already melty sandwich. "So where about is your flower shop?" Lannister asked in between bites. "I'd like to visit sometime." He was more interested in making sure he could see Mirobell again than in flowers.
Tartara:
Chewing and swallowing, the angel lit up at the offer of visiting. "It's nothing grand, just a little stand in the market. I'm open most days in the morning and evening." The sun wasn't as harsh during those times so easier on the flowers, but that was shop talk.
Finishing up their meal, Mirobell of course insisted on paying for it in it's entirety as it was a thank you for his rescue. But when it was time for goodbyes she felt a little sad. "I'll keep an eye out for you, so don't be a stranger, ok?" She spoke while holding her box of cups and standing from her seat.
Wolf's Heart:
Lannister noticed the way she lit up when he asked about the flower shop and his heart hoped that it was because she really wanted to see him again too.
"Are you sure?" He asked about her paying, he felt bad, but in the end he thanked her and promised himself he would get the next one. "I'll see you again soon, I promise." Lannister assured her, truly meaning it, before parting ways to get to work on his shopping list.
Tartara:
She certainly hoped he'd keep his word, offering a shy nod before exiting the cafe. "Goodbye Lannister." Mirobell spoke sweetly, giving one last farewell wave before she started back towards home. She needed to put away her cups and start prepping to open shop later that day. But what an exciting day it had been!
She was looking forward to their next one together.