He flushes in a way that she hasn't seen before and it takes an awful lot of willpower not to tease him for it. But he looks like he's about to bolt at the first chance he gets, and she's not about to let him run off when she's actually enjoying herself.
So she graces him with a subject change, her attention drifting back to the wares around them--and pointedly off of him. "Tell me about her. What kind of things does she like?"
This may actually be the worst thing. Not only is he embarrassed as hell, but talking about her like this, when she's not here, it feels too much like talking about her being gone.
"She's..." He keeps looking for a way out. "She's a Mom, you know?" He says, like an alien would know. "She likes things about her family, that remind her of all that and of home. Like stupid jokes, or growing her fruits, or cooking new foods. She likes people and being around them. Doing what she can for them. She likes sappy movies... cute animals... and sunflowers..."
This is getting hard to talk about. He trails off and doesn't bother to try picking it back up.
"I don't... really know what a Mom is," she points out with a small amount of hesitance. It's not entirely the truth. She remembers bits and pieces of a mom that isn't hers. One that never existed. But she's not sure if that's what human moms are supposed to be like, or just how she was made to think of them.
"I don't know about any of that other stuff, but sunflowers... we could do that, I think. Come on--" And she'll take him by the elbow to lead through the marketplace, so long as he doesn't yank it away from her.
He makes a face. Yeah, that was a stupid explanation. But it was one of the most apt.
He makes even more of a face, teeth grit like it's some unpleasant thing as she grips his elbow, and he almost does yank away. But he wants to find these sunflowers now too. Sunflowers from the moon that's... oddly fitting.
The moment she stops, then he's going to yank away. "What exactly do you have in mind?" He asks, then looks.
She doesn't stop until she's sniffed out the kind of thing she's looking for. There's a particular stall that she passed by earlier, not too far away. When she finds it again, she comes to a halt, letting him yank his arm away as her pleases.
"Something like these, maybe?" she responds, gesturing to the wares on display here. There's small pieces of crystal jewelry lined up in rows, each piece carefully crafted to resemble plants and flowers of some kind. And among all those pieces is a small necklace charm fashioned like a sunflower.
He frowns first, then his brows lift. "That's..." He reaches for that sunflower necklace. His pale fingers curl around and lift it up, letting it catch the light.
"That's actually not bad." He looks up, but doesn't speak to her. Instead he calls, "Yo! Rabbit!" Not the most charming greeting but-- "This for that?" He holds up a shell bracelet and points to the sunflower. The rabbit doesn't look entirely happy with the tone, tapping a foot and considering.
She watches the exchange with a small shake of her head. He's really not one for haggling, is he? The rabbit looks distinctly unimpressed, and she watches its little nose twitch, first at the boy and the bracelet, and then at her. She lifts a brow back at it. Is it looking to her to sweeten the deal?
She gives a bit of a shrug. "I don't have anything else on me, but I'll bring some cherries up next time we visit. That's the best I can do." That's an outright lie, but this particular rabbit doesn't know she has more bracelets in her pockets.
It seems to think about that for a moment, then nods, its ears flopping along with the movement. It holds out its hand for the shell bracelet.
He stares the rabbit down, like in lieu of manners, he can win the creature over in a stare off. If he waits long enough the rabbit will cave.
Only for her to cut in. He lifts a brow at her but manages to hide it before the rabbit looks back, and, to his surprise, accepts the deal.
He drops the shell to the rabbit's little paw, then snatches up the sunflower before it can change it's mind. It gets tucked into a pocket, a means to keep it safe, and he starts walking.
He glances back when he's sure she's followed and caught up. Then he asks, "Why did you do that? Go through all that trouble?"
She follows after the boy, making a quick getaway before the rabbit can rope them into anymore bargain for his wares. When they're a decent ways away, he speaks up, and--
Why did she go through all that trouble? She scrunches her mouth up to one side and shrugs. "It's not like I have anything better to do right now. And you seemed like you could use some help." A little bit of boredom, a little bit of sympathy.
She snorts at that. "Last I checked, you weren't some performing monkey. I can entertain myself." Just because she chooses that entertainment to be with him doesn't mean she can't direct it elsewhere if she's unwanted.
"By the way... I hope she likes the gift. Try not to just throw it at her. Wrap it up in something; it makes the surprise better."
It's pretty much the exact opposite of that one guy's reaction, way before. It's just flippant enough that it comes across genuine. He's going to let it go, just walk away and get back to what they're here for, when she goes on, and he turns part way back.
His mouth opens but nothing comes out for a minute. Then, "Right. Sure. I'll... do that or whatever. See ya around."
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pythianjudgment) wrote2013-11-02 10:30 pm
no subject
So she graces him with a subject change, her attention drifting back to the wares around them--and pointedly off of him. "Tell me about her. What kind of things does she like?"
no subject
"She's..." He keeps looking for a way out. "She's a Mom, you know?" He says, like an alien would know. "She likes things about her family, that remind her of all that and of home. Like stupid jokes, or growing her fruits, or cooking new foods. She likes people and being around them. Doing what she can for them. She likes sappy movies... cute animals... and sunflowers..."
This is getting hard to talk about. He trails off and doesn't bother to try picking it back up.
no subject
"I don't know about any of that other stuff, but sunflowers... we could do that, I think. Come on--" And she'll take him by the elbow to lead through the marketplace, so long as he doesn't yank it away from her.
no subject
He makes even more of a face, teeth grit like it's some unpleasant thing as she grips his elbow, and he almost does yank away. But he wants to find these sunflowers now too. Sunflowers from the moon that's... oddly fitting.
The moment she stops, then he's going to yank away. "What exactly do you have in mind?" He asks, then looks.
no subject
"Something like these, maybe?" she responds, gesturing to the wares on display here. There's small pieces of crystal jewelry lined up in rows, each piece carefully crafted to resemble plants and flowers of some kind. And among all those pieces is a small necklace charm fashioned like a sunflower.
no subject
"That's actually not bad." He looks up, but doesn't speak to her. Instead he calls, "Yo! Rabbit!" Not the most charming greeting but-- "This for that?" He holds up a shell bracelet and points to the sunflower. The rabbit doesn't look entirely happy with the tone, tapping a foot and considering.
no subject
She gives a bit of a shrug. "I don't have anything else on me, but I'll bring some cherries up next time we visit. That's the best I can do." That's an outright lie, but this particular rabbit doesn't know she has more bracelets in her pockets.
It seems to think about that for a moment, then nods, its ears flopping along with the movement. It holds out its hand for the shell bracelet.
no subject
Only for her to cut in. He lifts a brow at her but manages to hide it before the rabbit looks back, and, to his surprise, accepts the deal.
He drops the shell to the rabbit's little paw, then snatches up the sunflower before it can change it's mind. It gets tucked into a pocket, a means to keep it safe, and he starts walking.
He glances back when he's sure she's followed and caught up. Then he asks, "Why did you do that? Go through all that trouble?"
no subject
Why did she go through all that trouble? She scrunches her mouth up to one side and shrugs. "It's not like I have anything better to do right now. And you seemed like you could use some help." A little bit of boredom, a little bit of sympathy.
no subject
"And has that boredom been sated or am I supposed to entertain you now?"
no subject
"By the way... I hope she likes the gift. Try not to just throw it at her. Wrap it up in something; it makes the surprise better."
no subject
His mouth opens but nothing comes out for a minute. Then, "Right. Sure. I'll... do that or whatever. See ya around."
He starts off, the barest wave behind him.