Precision Marketing (Khara)

by **Zhol** on February 14th, 2015, 11:05 pm

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Zhol's arm pulled her a little closer. "If you carry on like that, I'm going to have to kiss you again," he teased quietly, letting his hand creep up Khara's back to wrap around her shoulders. He almost made good on his threat, and stole a kiss right then and there, but he could feel the discomfort in Khara's tensed muscles, and pushed the thought aside.

"I have more pinions than I need," he explained quietly. "Wind Reach feeds me, and gives me a place to sleep; the stables have everything I need to do my job; and where I come from, if you don't need it, you don't have it. Personal stuff, luxury items; that's just extra weight to carry around when the city movies, and I haven't -" He hesitated, struggling for the right words. "I'm still not used to staying still. I'm still not used to be able to have things. I don't have the urge to buy things for myself. I've never been able to before."

His fingertips crept upwards, brushing against the crimson wool of Khara's scarf. "Buying things for you though? Being able to give you the things that you want but can't get for yourself? I -" He hesitated again. "I like the thought of that."

His attention lingered on her for a moment longer, before his gaze turned back to Tordon. "A hatchet, then," he requested, waiting for Khara to indicate which one she preferred. "A sharpening stone too. That way we can avoid wasting any more of your -" He glanced towards Rayt, a myriad of insulting adjectives enthusiastically shoving their way to the tip of his tongue. "- distinguished colleague's precious time."

by **Khara** on February 15th, 2015, 2:10 am

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Khara couldn't stop the demure smile from forming on her lips as he explained why he was buying her things. It persisted even as the transaction finished and Tordon handed over the items, giving the both of them an amused look and a slight shake of his head as the duo stepped away from his stall.

It only took a few steps for the tension that the blacksmiths' spot within the market had created to begin fading away. True, they weren't entirely in the clear, and there were still quite a lot of people to try and navigate through, but as far as Khara was concerned the worst was over. After she stowed the new hatchet and sharpening stone within her pack, Khara quickly entwined Zhol's fingers with her own and wrapped her other arm around his.

"Thank you, not just for the things, but for coming with me," Her golden eyes fell away from where they had stubbornly looked to his once more. "I know you normally work on the market days, I'm just glad you didn't this time."

It was almost selfish in a way, she thought. There suddenly hadn't become a single place she could think of where she wouldn't want Zhol to join her. Even the baths had become a bit of a shared experience - though they did try to keep from looking at the other as much as possible, out of some lingering respect for each others privacy and comfort. While Khara knew he would willingly be anywhere she asked, she still felt a bit guilty for using up all of his free time.

"So, where to next? I picked the first place. Now it's your turn."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on February 15th, 2015, 2:43 am

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"Well, things have changed," he countered, not entirely sure why he felt so embarrassed admitting it. There shouldn't have been any shame in it, admitting to the one you loved that the thought of being anywhere but with her made your chest clench. It was bad enough that as an Avora, Zhol was afforded more days off than she; no matter how carefully he aligned his work days with hers, there would always be days when she was working when he was not. But the reverse? The idea of him at the stables, missing the opportunity to spend one of her precious few rest days with her? Never. That was the promise that Zhol had made to himself. There would never be a day when anything in the cosmos stopped him from sharing every possible moment with Khara that he could.

"I don't have to pretend anymore. I don't have to pretend that I don't want to spend every moment I possibly can with you." His fingers gently tightened around hers. "If I could go the rest of my life without ever letting go of your hand, I would."

His ears turned decidedly pink as he heard those words tumble from his lips, but he didn't regret any one of them. There were so many things he had stopped himself from saying to Khara these last few seasons; now he had no cause to, and he'd made a promise he never would. Yes, some of them were embarrassing, some of them sounded like the sort of things that a man such as he shouldn't say; but they were the truth, and as much as it made him blush to say them, it was a relief every time that he did.

"You said that you needed a new bowstring, right?" Zhol answered, strategically evading having to make a choice of his own. It wasn't an unwise choice though, all things considered; unsettling as an encounter with blacksmiths might have been for Khara, Zhol was certain that kindly old Vincent would help carve away at the knot of market insecurity that Khara was clinging to. "I want to pick up a few things from there too. I think the archery stall is over -"

He peered over the heads of the Inarta crowd, but a smile formed after a few moments, and he gave up on his efforts almost immediately. "I have no idea," he lied, "I am hopelessly lost. Luckily -"

He brought Khara's hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss against her fingers.

"- I'm holding hands with the world's most beautiful game scout. Which way, milady?"

by **Khara** on February 15th, 2015, 9:03 am

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Khara didn't mind that Zhol still blushed around her, especially when it was accompanied by some sort of small confession that he wouldn't have told her before. It would have been rather hypocritical if she did, anyway, considering just how often it was that she found her neck and cheeks challenging her scarf for what had the more noticeable color. She wondered idly if there ever would be a time when Zhol complimented her that she would be able to hold onto some semblance of composure. Today certainly wasn't going to be that day.

With her lower lip pulled inward by her front teeth she glanced from where he had kissed her hand to his brilliantly green eyes and back again. Oh sure, she knew he wasn't exactly telling the truth about not knowing where to go - the Stained Glass Gallery wasn't nearly large enough to allow one to get lost in and even with the overwhelming throng of other Inarta, Khara could still clearly make out most of the other stalls from where they stood. She'd allow the little game though, especially with the way her insides squirmed when he called her the term she had only learned that day. Somewhere in the back of her mind a stern voice mockingly warned, Gods' sake, Sparrow. Get a hold of yourself. But the wash of giddiness that came over her knocked it away before it could be heeded.

Of course, that too was short lived as the girl was accidentally, though rather roughly, bumped into. The woman, either a well off Avora or an Endal - Khara couldn't be certain - gave the smaller Chiet a disdainful glance but thankfully said nothing before she moved on. It didn't entirely throw out the good mood that Zhol's playful suggestion had put her in, but it did bring her back to focus on the fact they weren't exactly there for the simple fun that market day could bring and the general unease that she had temporarily been distracted from edged it's way back into her consciousness.

"Right," Khara said, forcing a smile that she genuinely wanted to express along with the bit of determination in her voice. "Bulls Eye it is, then."

Her fingertips tightened around Zhol's once more as she lead him through the crowd, doing her best to avoid making any contact with the others there. Steps were taken lightly, sudden shifts in her shoulders or a quick step to the side taken to keep herself from brushing up against anyone. It became a game of sorts, though not entirely a fun one.

The stalls in the Winter were varied, the smaller indoor space requiring that some be swapped out for others on different weeks. You generally knew ahead of time which would be there, though, enough so that you could either make arrangements to go yourself or have someone else get an item for you if you needed something in particular. The swapped out stalls were harder to locate, often switching places with each other each time they appeared within the Gallery. Other stalls, like the Hot Hammer and Bulls Eye, though, were always there and were always in the same place. It made finding the archery stall easy, at least, even among the general chaos the indoor space could cause.

Just as predictable as the Bulls Eye's location was the sight of the one attending the stall. Khara was never quite sure what to make of Vincent. He'd been around back when she had been tiny and had first attended the market and the hand she had been holding had been her mother's, and aside from maybe a head full of greying hair, the man didn't look all that different in the ages she had known him. His demeanor hadn't changed all that much either, a combination of stern, kind, curious, and far too all-knowing to be innocent. It left Khara often wondering if him and Val got together and gossiped about everyone in Wind Reach over tea.

He was finishing up selling some arrows to a hunter as they walked up. No sooner had the pinions been put away than he rounded on the both of them. "Ah, the horse boy and the game scout, about time you two made your way here."

Definitely been talking to Val, Khara couldn't help but think to herself as she sheepishly looked away from the master archer.

"So, what can I help you both with?" Unlike Tordon who had seemed to focus more on Zhol, Vincent's eyes wandered between the two of them, eager for either one to speak up first.

"Just a new bow string," Khara instinctual spoke in a hushed tone that could barely be heard above the ambient sound of the crowd within the Gallery. She cringed a bit as she realized she had spoken in Nari. She knew Zhol wouldn't mind, but it still felt like she was keeping things from him all the same.

Vincent seemed to pick up on the flinch she gave and quickly glanced back to Zhol before a warm smile formed on his aging features. "Is that all? Easily enough done. Come, let me see..." His voice trailed off as he eyed the small Chiet girl closer.

"I didn't bring it with me," Khara guiltily admitted, knowing full well that Vincent had already come to the conclusion all on his own. She hadn't even thought of bringing her bow and for a moment panic struck. Did she need to run back to her room to get it? Was there a specific string that he would need to use and would she get the wrong one if she didn't have her bow with her?

"It was your mother's bow wasn't it?" Vincent inquired, the softness in his voice and the switch to Nari obviously meant to put the girl at ease. She mustered a nod before his smile broadened and a nod of his head accompanied him bringing a hand up to his chin. His eyes took on a distant look as he continued, returning to Common to include Zhol in on the conversation. "Self bow, short, oak if I'm remembering correctly. Hmm... not red, though, white. Nice little piece of work, surprised it's lasted this long to be honest, though. Must be well cared for."

His eyes settled back on Khara with renewed focus and she couldn't help but look down at her hands in response. Not as well as it should be, her mind guilty admitted, thankfully keeping it to herself.

When she looked back up, Vincent was comparing two lengths of thin string before he softly wound one around into a loose bundle. "Here we are. Linen; inexpensive, but don't let that fool you. It's not as susceptible to water damage as sinew or a few other materials. What with you scampering about Skyinarta and The Unforgiving all day whether snow, rain, or shine, this should last you for quite some time."

Khara once more went to her pack, both for coin and to carefully tuck away the new string. Vincent meanwhile returned his sharp gaze to passing between her and Zhol. "Don't tell me that's all you need, though. How about you, Endrykas?"

oocNote for grader: Another item I'm not quire sure on the pricing on - let me know what you think is fair! I might just end up rounding my finished purchases up by a pinion or two to account for any misc. unaccounted for charges at the end.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on February 15th, 2015, 4:06 pm

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Though the words were framed as a question, the look from Vincent's piercing gaze was anything but. There was no question there, only certainty: the insistent gaze of someone who already knew the answer, but was trying to coax it from the mind of an insecure student.

Internally, Zhol frowned, though he managed to keep the expression from his face. Was there anything he needed? He hadn't arrived with the intention of spending money at this stall, especially not after how much of his money Vincent had acquired last season. He'd been under the impression that there wasn't a single thing left for him to buy; what other archery equipment could there possibly be? But, the more he languished under Vincent's gaze, the more his insides squirmed at the absence of understanding, the more a slow kernel of realisation began to dawn inside him. Something that had been little more than a stray thought, something he'd been meaning to ask but hadn't found the opportunity, especially with his arm having been the way it was the last few days.

His eyes fled from Vincent's and strayed to Khara, though his voice was still aimed at the old merchant. "I need an extra archery target," he explained, choosing his words and his tone carefully, "I've been practising down at the stables on slow days at work, and -" His voice faltered, his explanation as much for Khara's benefit as for Vincent's. "- I was hoping that Khara might want to join me sometimes, so that we can practice alone, together, without needing to go to the actual ranges."

The severity of Vincent's gaze abated, his deeply cragged features relaxing into a smile that allowed a small chuckle to escape. "I've heard Hansi complaining about that little habit of yours," he explained, an amused note lacing his words as he pulled out a quill and paper, not bothering nor needing to ask where Zhol would need his purchase to be delivered. "Doesn't that petching boy understand that it's a horse cave, not an arrow cave?" he muttered under his breath, mostly for his own amusement, his best impression of the often gruff and foul-mooded stablemaster.

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes glancing back to Zhol. "Just one?" he enquired, "Or will you be needing a third for your Symenestra friend?"

"Not this time," Zhol shot back, a little surprised at the unexpected confidence and assertion that his voice had adopted. "I think you've had enough of my pinions already."

Vincent's eyebrows climbed, but his eyes seemed far amused than insulted. "Well now," he mused, still a note of chuckle in his voice as he glanced in Khara's direction. "Quite the effect you've had on our Mister Endrykas, little one."

The old hunter's gaze lingered on Khara for a moment longer, and suddenly his withered features seemed to become heavy, the fresh weight tugging down at his expression. The smile faltered; the twinkle in his eyes subsided. "That'll be eighteen then," he said to Zhol, but his gaze didn't deviate from the game scout as Zhol fumbled out the right amount of glass currency. A sigh was added as the old man's fingers closed around them.

"Practice often," he said quietly, his words clearly meant only for Khara. "Become as good as that bow remembers your mother being."

by **Khara** on February 15th, 2015, 9:49 pm

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All Khara could do was nod mutely in reply but it wasn't until they began to leave that she realized she actually hadn't visited any of the ranges in quite some time. Every attempt that had been made had been met with a flat out refusal of her body to cooperate. She'd get within a few steps of the tunnels leading to Fletcher's Corner and it would suddenly feel like her clothing was too tight, vinati constricting around her chest to drive the breath right out of her. Practicing at the ranges had been one of the few things that Khara had always made time for and she couldn't ignore the stab of guilt that came as she glanced back towards Vincent as they made their way through the market.

The thought lingered even as they neared the glassblower's stall. Stopping there wasn't on the list of required things to do that day, but the beautiful works that were displayed were always something that Khara made time for. Even if she felt off this trip, it was good to do something that was part of her usual market routine. Still, even as her eyes wandered among the intricate and beautiful glass sculptures, vases, and other baubles, she couldn't quite shake off what the master archer had said to her.

A glance was given to Zhol as she looked away from the various beads that always had a habit of catching her eye. "You still want me to shoot with you?"

Khara felt an apprehensive tug of emotion that made her blink far too many times than was appropriate as she looked back to the beads. A small strand of them managed to distract her enough so that she could continue.

"I didn't think you'd want to after... You know." A soft shrug of her shoulder was given. She tried not to think too much about the last time her and Zhol had visited one of the ranges together. It had been before, and they hadn't parted on the happiest of terms and within bells she had ended up at his door, broken and sobbing. Things were different now, of course, but Khara couldn't help but wonder if the simple thing she had tried to share with him was now as ruined as she feared it might be.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on February 15th, 2015, 10:14 pm

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Zhol's throat turned into a sun-baked riverbed, stubbornly refusing to allow him to speak. An uncomfortable attempt to swallow was made; even if he could have spoken though, he had no idea what he could possibly say. Of all the things she could have said, of all of the ways she could have framed her question, her words brought with them a reminder of how utterly he had let her down; how badly he had failed to protect her; how if, had he just stayed with her a few moments longer, none of what had happened in Fall would have transpired. He knew that Khara didn't see it that way; he knew that she'd argue with him if he even suggested it; but it twisted in his gut like a knife.

I didn't think you'd want to, after you let that happen to me.

Zhol drew in a careful breath, and let his eyes close for a moment, picturing the way the flow of air into his lungs would make the flame of the candle - the way he imagined his emotions, and soul - flicker and dance. He held his breath until the flame became steady and stable, and willed his emotions to match. The techniques his brief forays into meditation had taught him were meant to provide focus and control for his reimancy; but perhaps they could help hold his grief and self-hatred at bay for a few moments as well.

"Khara," he said quietly, and waited until her eyes found his before he spoke again, his own shimmering with sadness and insistence. "The only reason I started to learn in the first place was because of you. I wanted to -" His voice faltered. "I thought that if I could shoot, if I knew how to use a bow, then it would be a small step towards being the kind of man that -" He glanced away, his gaze exploring the ceiling, expression grimacing at the stupidity of his past self's line of thought. "- that you would want to be with. I don't -"

He stopped himself. His hands sought out Khara's, taking hold of both of them, his thumbs stroking across the backs of her fingers as his eyes struggled their way up Khara's body to find her eyes again. They stopped before completing their ascent, partly hesitance, partly distracted by her lips, his body urging him to forego words and show her without them how badly, how desperately he wanted to spend every waking moment with her.

"I want us to do everything together," he almost whispered. "And if it is not with you, then I -" He managed to find her eyes, finally. "I would rather die than pass up the opportunity to share more of my life with you."

by **Khara** on February 15th, 2015, 11:14 pm

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"No dying," she said with mock sternness. A soft laugh left her as Khara gently squeezed his hands. It died away and her eyes fell as a small flinch as she considered telling him what was floating about in her head. No secrets, she reminded herself.

"It means a lot to me, you know? All of it does. I'm just not used to having someone think I'm worth so much as you do. It's kind of like..." Khara fumbled for some sort of way to explain it and as her eyes wandered from their hands back to the glassworks at the both. They settled once more on the beads, lingering on those that looked like molten fire had been captured within them. While it sounded very strange even as she thought about what she was going to say before it came out, it still seemed the best way to express what she wanted. "Its like the beads here. I really like them, I always come and look at them and I would love to have some because they're really pretty but I don't think I ever will, you know? They're not meant for people like me. It was the same with you. I could look and could day dream, but you were never going to be... Y-You were my friend and even that seemed too much to ask for. Still seems like too much."

Khara tugged her lips to the side slightly, not entirely a frown or a pout, or even a look of concentration so much as a combination of all three. It seemed silly when she said it like that, but it was true. She wasn't good enough for him as far as most in Wind Reach would be concerned, but at the same time she couldn't help if that sentiment may have gone the same way considering that many still considered Zhol an outsider.

"Good things don't happen to people like me," she admitted softly before tugging her attention back to Zhol. A smile was forced the same as she made herself make eye contact with him again. "But somehow it did. I just do not want to crush my luck."

Another uncomfortable laugh and the smile returned to her, far more genuine this time and she slowly slipped one of her hands away from his but let the other linger within his gentle hold.

"Okay, no more talk of sad things. We still have a market to survive." And with that she tugged him towards their next location, even if she was dreading them - the clothing stalls.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on February 15th, 2015, 11:43 pm

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"Wait -"

Zhol let Khara lead him away from the stall before he began to resist, not violently, but pulling gently on her arm the way a reluctant horse pulled back against their reins. Thoughts swam through his mind as he processed what Khara had said; quietly, he resolved to find a way to shatter the backwards concept of reality that had made itself at home in Khara's mind. Too much to ask for? He was nothing. He was a Dek from Endrykas, only perceived as anything other because of some cultural mistake here in Wind Reach. He was a failure at everything he tried; a disappointment to everyone he knew; a fraud; an exile; not even good enough to earn the favour of a Strider; and she was the one who felt undeserving? She, the kindest heart and purest soul of any person that Zhol had ever known?

As she turned to face him, his eyes sought out hers, searching for more of the lies and cruel deceptions that her mind insisted on telling her. He wanted to tear down each and every falsehood, to disprove each and every one, to fight against them with all the ferocity he could muster, until every negative notion that Khara had ever thought lay bleeding and dying at his feet. He would, in time, find a way to help her see herself the way that he did; even if it took all of his days, he would find a way.

For now though, he'd settle for driving those thoughts out of her head the only way he knew how. Zhol's fingertips gently brushed the hair from Khara's face, guiding it behind her ears, his touch tracing the curve of her cheek, and the slope of her jaw as his gaze swept over her, mesmerised by the oblivious beauty that he beheld. If he asked, she'd tell him not to; not here; not where everyone could see; but he didn't have the strength to comply with such modesty, didn't have the resolve to hold that urge at bay. So what if people saw? Let the whole world watch. Let the gods watch. Let the stars, and beasts, and all of creation watch if they wanted. He had hidden his affection for so long, too long. If everyone knew, then good. If they didn't know, then he'd climb up on one of the market stalls and shout until his words had echoed to every ear in the city.

"I love you," he whispered, as he brought his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and gentle at first, exactly as he had intended it to be, but with each moment that passed, his heart swelled, begging for the kiss to last longer, to melt deeper into her lips. The rest of the world, the rest of his body, the rest of everything faded away into a vague, peripheral perception, until the center of his focus wrapped around only his heart and hers. In the distance he felt a hand slide into her hair, cradling her head as the kiss continued; he felt another snake around her waist, coaxing her body closer against his, wondering if it were possible for him to kiss her enough that they would meld together, their souls inseparably intertwined so that he would never be apart from her again.

"I was always meant for you," he breathed, amid a gasp for air that his lungs insisted upon. His eyes couldn't have been more tightly closed if he'd tried; every effort made to shut out any part of the world but her, to cling to this moment a little longer. "And I will always be yours."

He drew back just enough so that, as he forced his eyes to open, he could gaze once again on the object of his deepest affection. A smile broke out on his face without invitation; his fingers brushed against her cheek again, as his lungs and heart struggled to calm themselves. "This isn't luck, or a dream. This is what real is now. This is what life is, for as long as you want it to be."

by **Khara** on February 16th, 2015, 4:14 am

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A protest had started in the back of her mind, not here, it begged softly before reason and undeniable longing silenced it. Why not here? Did she really care if anyone knew of how she felt towards the one the other Inarta called Outsider? Did she think it was wrong for them to be together? Considered herself beyond lucky, of course, but this wasn't anything to be ashamed of. Khara swore she could feel the judgmental gaze of an entire city on them in that moment and rather than try and retreat from it, it had been openly embraced, an arm moving behind Zhol's neck as her other hand softly ran her fingertips against his jaw before coming to rest softly against his cheek. A fleeting memory of the first of the Season when he had told her he liked it when she did such thing came to mind and was lost among the overwhelming sensation that the kiss brought on.

When it ended, it did so all too soon and the rest of the market came back into focus all too quickly. She didn't want to open her eyes, didn't want to see if anyone noticed them or what sort of looks they were giving them. Slowly she forced herself to do so and immediately felt a flush of heat as their eyes met. A slightly embarrassed laugh left her, halted by her usual nervous habit of biting at her lower lip. Her movements were slow as she withdrew the arm from his shoulders, trailed fingertips down his arm until their hands met again. The other slowly trailed off from his cheek and paused in front of her chest, hovering in the air for a moment before she timidly attempted the single grassland sign that Zhol had taught her. No sooner had she finished making the gesture than she was certain it was completely wrong and if possible the blush that had begun to form became all the worse.

"Is forever, okay?" She finally managed to ask, her voice soft and just as delicate as any of her motions. Immediately she felt foolish for saying such a thing, even more so for standing in the middle of the marketplace and asking him that.

Reluctantly she tore her eyes away from his and glanced over her shoulder in the direction she had been tugging him. They still had things they were supposed to be doing, but for the life of her, Khara couldn't figure out any reason why they should actually do them. They could wait, couldn't they? She didn't need a new pair of clothing, they didn't need to be here anymore, did they? Her head slowly turned so her gaze could meet with Zhol's again, trouble was she wasn't sure if he wanted her to tell them they should go or stay.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

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