[center] [img] https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180415/1eec6e9701f4270e592208988c670ad7.png [/img] [/center] [center] [sub] Bride of [color=5ec4b3]Kagan[/color][@ghastlyInc] and Sister Bride of Adorabella [@eclecticwitch] [/sub] [/center] [color=5ec4b3]”The Church thanks you. I’ll be sure to take the value of this off your husband’s tithe when I return home. I’ll see that he’s returned to be entombed by the end of the month.”[/color] The voices from inside carried out into the dusty world of the capital. All signs of the rain had been slurped up, leaving the ground dry and powdery once again The voices inside bid their formal farewells, all aspects of the friendly greeting pass. She heard footsteps heading towards her. She felt a large presence kneel beside her. [color=5ec4b3]”Bree. You did...”[/color] Horrible. He didn’t need to say it. But the pain was beyond anything she had ever experienced before. The fact that Adorabella had been able to take it with barely a grimace was... unbelievable. [color=5ec4b3]”It’s done. I’ll give you a few seconds to collect yourself. After that we’ll head back into the market.”[/color] Bree nodded, sniffing and wiping away the tears still on her face. The pain hadn’t lessen at all in that time, her back still screamed in agony and she felt herself fantasising of the freezing rain from the night before. Her steps were a little more unsteady as she pulled herself up from the ground, using Kagan to support her. Releasing his shoulder, she took a few shakey steps towards the Jarvem’s storefront window. The grime from the outside giving it just enough reflection that she was able to see where her tears had caused her make-up to smear. Very carefully she started wiping at the corners of her eyes, vaguely listening to the conversation behind her. If it was anything like what she’d heard inside the shop, well, that was better left unheard. Reaching to tuck a piece of a hair behind her ear, she felt her shirt slip up too far. A moment of horror filled her as her chest was exposed for a second before she dropped her hands back down by her side. The shirt wasn’t going to return to the way it was before, the skin was still much too tender for that . But she wasn’t a fan of the idea of walking all around the capital where every worry risked exposure. She eyed Kagan in the reflection of the glass, an idea slowly forming her mind. After another moment, she finally returned to Kagan’s side taking his arm and holding it with both of her’s like a shield in front of her. -------------------------------------------- The street became more congested as they headed to the heart of the market. The tiny street vendors from before paled at the wears of the market center. The inventory was of a finer quality, the merchants reeked of wealth. The opened aired aspect of it just added to the chaos. There were a few actual shops to enter, but something told her that anything she’d request from those places would be out of the question. There were voices shouting everywhere, trying to draw the right client. The smell of animals, spices, cooking and perfume clogged the air. People rushed passed. There were too many people around to avoid be bumped and brushed. All the activity caused Bree to hold tighter to Kagan’s arm, less she get seperated and vanished forever. Despite the brand on her back, she was still leery of what Kagan had said before. There were more Gems here as well. The merchants seemed to always have one or two on hand, although their Gems had a worn look to them. Wary and exhausted. There were a few who had clearly been rebanded. They were left with huge ugly scars as the new master tried to cover the mark of the old one. The gems in the streets seemed a little better. Younger, more alive. While gathering her barings, she was content to watch and learn the way of this market. The merchants seemed just has happy to trade goods for gold as they were for chickens. At the far end of the market, a huge crowd had gathered, but it was too far off for Bree to see what it was that was being sold. Soon, the flash of brightly colored garments drew her attention. She always made sure that Kagan was ‘close enough’ before diving in, but this was her element. Many of the cuts of shirts were out because they covered her back. Some merchants were skipped over because of their shoddy craftsmanship. Others held promise until they lied about their wears “[b]Purest Gnorktha silk[/b],” “[color=E9967A]If that is Gnorktha silk, then I’m a drakkan[/color],” she muttered just loud enough for Kagan to hear. “[color=E9967A]Gemmenia or Drakka, a merchant is a merchant,[/color]” she muttered. Pulling her hand away from the garment as though it personally offended her. The first black top she could find she slid eagerly over her head. It held an aura of modesty, neck high in the front and wide open in the back. A few other shirts followed, good for a day or two. Bree felt as though she had just started to come upon quality items when Kagan held up a hand "[color=5ec4b3]...That’s enough. We're clothing you, not half of Drakka.[/color]" A frown crossed Bree's face as she reluctantly pulled her hand away from the pile of clothing she was about to dig into. Back home, shopping was an all day ordeal and ended with more bags than she could hold. She hadn’t really given Adora much mind throughout this ordeal, more or less figuring that the girl was up to something either mortifying, embarrassing or similar. The trio slowly moved out of the area, the clothing vanishing and making way to other areas of the market. Passing jewelry, bound books, foods, everything. The market was vaguely categorized by what the seller had in stock, but it seemed more like a guideline than an actual rule. Yet, there was nothing there she particularly wanted. She was picking up glass jars with a aura of lackluster. When a voice called out to her. “[color=seagreen]Why frown darlen’ when someone could be falling in love with your smile[/color]?” Came a kind voice. It was a Gem, one on the cusp of her midlife and by far one of the oldest Gems Bree had seen in Drakka. She had a bright smile, hazel eyes and a mass of dark brown curls that fell in a flurry around her. The drakken that was with her was on the young side, despite his size, he gave off a distinct ‘teenager’ vibe and lacked the bulk that the full grown drakken typically had. He was tipping backwards in his chair that was set up behind their booth. Every other area in the tent was filled with cages “[color=seagreen]Highland Jerhounds[/color],” she said cheerfully, giving a sweeping gesture towards the pups. “[color=seagreen]They might not look like much now. But soon they’ll be giving horses a run for their money[/color],” She pulled out one of the pups, already the size of many full grown dogs from back home. They were black and brown and had huge paws. “[color=seagreen]They are masterful hunters, fantastic guards, kind to children and incredibly loyal to their mistresses[/color],” Bree had never owned a ‘pet’ before. Sure there were horses and the Lamay House had some mouser cats. But she had never felt the urge to own one herself. They were loud and messy. But the woman’s excited face made it seem like...an idea to consider. She opened her mouth to agree to the deal, just like she would at home. But she wasn’t at home. She couldn’t just...just get a dog anymore. “[color=E9967A]Kagan…[/color]” she said, getting his attention. She tilted her head, glancing at the huge puppies. [hider=TLDR] -This place is horrible and everything hurts. -The market is market like. \ -Can I pleaseeee have a puppy? Like...five of them? [/hider]