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RESPITE FALLS - MARKETPLACE - AFTERNOON
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Xochi lands at the edge of the marketplace, her rainbow wings slowly folding down to her sides as she settles down, tail winding behind her. She slithers through, eventually stopping at Rhask's booth, looking through some of the clothing, seemingly seeking something in particular.
Jennica perks up from her trinket-crafting as she realizes someone is nearby. The cow looks up: "How, uh... how can I help you?" She then blinks at the very colorful sight of the coatl, but stands up regardless, smiling if slightly nervously. Not that smiling nervously is anything new to Jennica.
Xochi folds her hands in front of her and bows to Jennia, "Ah! I was seeking something... formal? Traditional? Something simple... I... have never worn such garments before. I was recommended to this booth to find Rhask? This is you?"
Jennica blinks, her nervous smile not exactly changing: "Oh! Uh. No. Well, Rhask is often here, works with us but well, I'm not her. I'm, uh, Jennica and -" she lifts a trinket in her hand: "I sort of make these, n-not clothes."
Xochi hums, "I didn't think you looked familiar. I thought she was more scaley, but you have some so..." She clears her throat slightly and bows, "Ah, my apologies! I am Xochi. I am retired? I just garden, and I do some volunteering at the clinic from time to time. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Jennica gives a small bow: "N-nice to meet you. But um yeah... c-can't really help with the clothing stuff, I'm no good with that..."
Xochi shrugs, "Ah, no worries then. I may be overthinking the need for an outfit anyways." She looks down at her currently naked form and shrugs. Not like there's much she needs to hide with clothing, especially not in this growing summer heat. She shifts over closer to Jennica's table and glances at the various trinkets. "You sell toys?"
Jennica glances at her trinkets: "Weell... I d-don't really think of them as toys. K-kinda too dangerous to be ones." She lifts a red-green ball of metal in her hand: "They are more like... emotional devices that help you in various ways. Like this one, it balances your anger and calm into a sort of productivity. You need both to get anything done, right? So I figured, there has to be a balance point."
Xochi blinks, watching the device carefully as Jennica lifts it up, "It... balances emotion? This is not any kind of magic I have ever read about. May I...?" She reaches out slowly towards the device.
Jennica nods with a more confident smile, now that she's demonstrating her craft: "O-oh, please!" She gently hands the trinket to Xochi, smiling: "I-it might sting as it sort of attunes to you."
Xochi gently takes the orb and cradles it in her hands, feeling a shiver run through her as it starts to take effect. "Oh! Yes! That is a strange feeling, isn't it?"
Jennica shrugs, smiling: "M-my c-craft kind of causes that. It's hard to say why, but... they work."
Xochi seems to gain a spark of indignation, the normally rather calm coatl's anger inexplicably rising, "You mean you don't know?! And you just test them on people like this! That seems irresponsible and dangerous! I can't believe this!" She sets the orb down, and as her hand lets go of it she blinks, "Oh gods! I am sorry! That was... strangely exhilirating! I don't think I've ever felt so angry!"
Jennica blinks and steps back from the coatl, then carefully picks up the trinket: "Oh. So... t-that one d-definitely... works. Sorry." She looks aside, ashamed.
Xochi frowns, feeling rather embarrassed as well, "Ah! I apologize! I uh... I do not think of myself as an angry person by nature."
Jennica hums: "W-well, me neither. B-but that well, that sort of encourages what little you have?"
Xochi ruffles her wings slightly awkwardly, "Perhaps that is an emotion best left unencouraged within me... Still, you have a powerful talent to be able to bring all that out."
Jennica blushes: "I-it's not much of a talent, b-but I'm making the best I can?" She lifts the trinket, seemingly unaffected by it: "Just making what the metal wants to be, emotionally."
Xochi peers back at the orb carfeully, "What the metal wants to be? It desires to be angry? You can understand its desires?"
Jennica shrugs: "Doesn't everyone?" She pauses. "Well, suppose not everyone. But it's easy enough. I just touch a piece, and have a hunch what it wants to be made into." She frowns: "The size I can work with is pitifully small, t-though."
Xochi shakes her head, "I cannot hear any metal. I have some small touch of magic, earned through years of study and practice. Enough to cast small illusions." She considers a moment, but shakes her head, rather than sharing any other strange things she may or may not hear from time to time. "I know little of these things, so it seems quite impressive to me."
Jennica sets the trinket down, her mood unaffected by it. "Well, m-maybe. People say it's impressive what I do, but... I d-don't know, I'm not sure..." She trails off, giving Xochi a weak smile at the end.
Xochi smiles in turn, "Well, if it brings you joy, I suppose it does not matter what others say about it. Pursueing your passion, this is what matters, I think."
Jennica smiles: "Y-yeah... i-it is what I enjoy, even if it is kind of silly. My f-friends think the trinkets are helpful, s-so that's what matters, r-right?"
Xochi nods, "I do wish I could have found such a thing in my own life. But I enjoy gardening, and helping others. ...A simple life. Perhaps a bit boring, but it suits me."
Jennica giggles nervously: "N-nothing wrong with boring. I r-ran away from my family to p-pursue my dream down here... to be a b-boring crafter."
Xochi laughs, "To tell you the truth, it is why I ran away to come here as well. It just took me a long time... Just to be a boring gardener."
Jennica blinks: "O-oh? T-that's a good thing, though, right?"
Xochi shrugs, "I have no complaints. Have you?"
Jennica blinks again, then slowly shrugs: "W-well... I d-do miss my family, but... n-no, probably not."
Xochi considers Jennica for a moment, seeming to grow a bit sad. "Ah, yes, well I suppose that is unavoidable, when one moves so far away. I... do hope you have found happiness here, Jennica."
Jennica nods slowly, then smiles: "Y-yeah... I think I have." She pauses. "H-how about y-you? Xochi, right?"
Xochi takes a deep breath in reflection, closing her eyes. "Yes. I think I have as well. A long journey to come here, but I have."
Jennica smiles: "W-well, sometimes as long as you get there, i-it's worth the journey, right?"
Xochi chuckles, "I think that is a lesson which I have only recently learned, but yes. All the sorrow is necessary for the understanding of the happiness you earn."
Jennica tilts her head: "I guess that's one way to see it, yeah... t-though if there are no more conflicts that get my girlf- er, friend kidnapped t-that'd be g-reat." She gives a nervous giggle.
Xochi 's grin turns slightly, but she nods. "...yes. That kind of conflict, I think we can all do without anymore of." She considers a moment, then switches the subject, "I do wonder if there are any emotions I am 'lacking' in which I could find better balance in myself? What other trinkets do you have here?"
Jennica looks aside towards her assorted pile of metal junk that could be generously be called 'trinkets': "Err, um. What might you, er, need? I kind of make these as feelings take me, s-sort of comes with the t-territory if you will."
Xochi 's expression brightens. "The anger was quite thrilling, but I don't wish to feel that way very often. Perhaps some other sense of excitement! I find a great deal of joy in flying, but I am not much of a risk taker?"
Jennica lifts a hand to her chin, then her still tail gives a bit of a wag as a thought occurs to her. She goes to her table, her hand wandering for a moment... "A-ha! This one." She picks up a small gray cube: "It should in theory do better with your courage to try new things." She pauses. "I-I haven't d-dared to try it on myself."
Xochi reaches out to cautiously take the cube, bracing herself ahead of time for a similar shock as the anger orb. "A bit more courage to open up and truly fly might be a good thing."
Jennica smiles: "I h-hope so. I k-kind of lack the stuff to do the f-flying with, so I wish you the best."
Xochi retrieves the gold cost for the cube and pays Jennica for it. "I shall let you know how well it works!"
Jennica smiles brightly as she has accidentally made a sell: "O-oh. P-please do."
Xochi stashes the cube away for now, planning to experiment with it a little more later, after the flight home. "I shall see you around, Jennica! Stay well!"
Jennica smiles and waves, unsure of herself but happy? Probably happy. Let's go with that.