Shopping for Supplies [ended]

[Vyn]

Hmph. Everyone in this well to do lot had their heads too far up under their own tails to recognize greatness when they saw it. They saw nothing but Red and Royalty, but there was far more to Ophelia than just a well off Spade. Of course, those in the higher courts and the vast majority of those in Corvistowne did too, but the mass majority of the 'Beautiful People' saw only an eccentric doe from Corvistowne while the lower ranks spent more time throwing catcalls than making proper use of their brain.

To Ophelia, a noted nihilistic who preferred to get by on what she could gather within her town, the gaudiness she encountered on these rare outings was just as disgusting as the people who occupied it. Of course, the majority of those who encountered her considered her recent experiment of just about the same lot. Different people, different opinions she supposed...but regardless of the person or the opinion, she was nevertheless frequently reminded of why she preferred her quiet little shamble over all of this.

Too much politics, far too much.

Without speaking a single unnecessary word to those she found 'unworthy', Ophelia lifted up her bags of supplies with her tail and turned smoothly to begin the long journey back home.


It would seem as if the return journey would give her no problems, that she'd be out of the city in no time and at least be back in the wild world beyond...right? Wrong. She could see the city gates coming into view, the sentinel tower looming up ahead and then she felt a solid weight crash into her. The slender doe gasped aloud in her surprise, feeling her balance slip thanks to how her tail was already weighted down with her supplies (and of course she would not think to drop those delicate bottles before allowing herself a hard fall). She hit the ground with a painful thud and an even more distressing chorus of shattering bottles, a shattering which caused the troublesome youth which had started all this to turn tail and flee before Ophelia could even get a proper look. Brat.

(Grumpy Ophelia FTW<3)

[FlyingPanther]

Being commissioned by the Queen himself had put quite alot of pressure on poor Silvanus. His eyebrows were constantly furrowed in a worried expression since his meeting with the Queen. This was an oppertunity of a lifetime, but it was also possibly the last thing he would ever do. The thing was, he wasn't sure if he wanted this oppertunity. He was just a simple rambling man, he had no desires for high rank or wealth. He simply wanted to go where the wind took him, where his heart took him.

He had been in Capital City for the better part of the day, looking for gold and beautiful jewels to make the set of rings he was commissioned to do. He wished he could go to Villa en Miir, where they truely had beautiful rubies that he could probably mine for himself, and pick the most beautiful of them all. He had some good friends there in the Ruby mining buisness, strangely enough, but they could do nothing for him. He didn't have the money to get there, and he didn't have the time to get there on foot, even on four legs. The pickings were slim at Capital City, and it looked more and more like he would have to come back again, though he had managed to find gold for a bargain price. Not THAT much of a bargain, as most precious metals had a standard price, but it was a bit less expencive then usual, and he took the oppertunity to buy it. It was actually really good gold, and he felt fortunate that he was able to get it before anyone else...but still he found himself without any Gems...

His thoughts where disturbed as he left the city by a grunting sound and a thud, and then the patter of scared feet. He shook his head a little, realizing he was more inside himself then he was in the world around him. He had been walking without watching his surroundings. Now that he was back in the real world, he survayed the scene.

A terrified young Club was running away from what looked to be a tumbled Corvistowneian, straight towards him. He gathered that the boy had somehow caused the creature to fall. His anthro form made it easy to grab the boy by his sholder, and even though the boy struggled, he gave him a stern yet gentle look. "Where are you going in such a hurry? I didn't hear you say sorry." he said softly to the terrified boy. It was obvious he had no idea why Silvanus had stopped him. He after all wasn't involved in the little mishap, and he thought that probably he shouldn't have entered into the situation, but Silvanus was a man of niceties, and it simply didn't do for the boy to run off without an appology. Besides it looked as if the other had taken quite a bad fall.

He stode over to the other with the boys sholder in hand, gently but with purpose dragging him. The boy stopped struggling, and he looked embarrassed. Upon reaching the bundle of whoever it was, Silvanus realized it was...a doe? She was not in bipedal form, but instead strode on four legs, and she...seemed different. Perhaps she was part doe part reptile of some sort? Mixes were rare, but not completely unheard of. He looked down and asked "Do you need any help M'lady?" He let go of the boy, and looked at him, as if daring him to try to run away, and as if asking him to help her up. The boy picked up her sack of now broken bottles, and Silvanus could see the remorse in his face. Whatever happened it seemed he was genuinely sorry. "Don't you have something to say to the lady?" Silvanus asked the once frightened boy, and the young one gave a quiet sorry before setting down the bag and running off again. Silvanus rolled his eyes, then looked over to the strange doe. He offered both hands, asking once again if she needed any help, though not verbally.

[Vyn]

Ophelia was slowly righting herself when she was suddenly made aware of Silvanus's presence and, suprisingly, he was toting the clumbsy club that had been the cause of Ophelia's spill. Typically Ophelia would've scolded the Club, perhaps even forced him to replaced her broken supplies or do a little work for her to work of the damages done, but instead she found herself focused on the buck who had brought the boy back. Well well, people still had manners it seemed. It gave Ophelia enough cause to resist her temper and instead dip her head in acceptance to the boy's appology before he dashed off into the crowd once more.

"Ah, hm... A hand, or two, would definitely be helpful."

There was truly only so much a lady could do with hooves, but she survived well enough on her own. Especially with this nifty tail, it happened to be very good at handling things more needing in percision. However, it wouldn't be good with handling the broken bottles adorning the inside of her bag. Perfect.

"Some of the bottles have broken. If you could put what hasn't broken into the second bag, I'd be much obliged; sir."

Ophelia was typically a proud sort, not one to lower herself to anything below a face card and even then only because she had little choice. Yet, as she found often again, one simply couldn't compete with one who had already obtained their bipedal form. And what a handsome bipedal form he had too! As she awaited his answer, Ophelia found herself studying the handsome Avington male before her more and more intently. From his markings to his build, this chivalrious stranger was definitely a nice package.

(Eck, not feeling all too hot >_> hopefully that's not too awful X_<)

[FlyingPanther]

[OOC: I'm sorry for such the long wait between replies V_V;. I never ment for it to be like this. Life has been really cruel lately, and has been zapping me of inspiration to post...or really do much of anything. I hope the following post isn't to terrible X_X;.]

He had ment to offer to help her up, as he knew how terrible a spill was in deer form. It was in those cases that he usually turned anthro just to push himself up. It wasn't impossible in deer form to pick yourself up, but having an anthro form was certainly an advantage in that situation. Especially, as in this case, if you were holding things when you fell. He watched the female right herself, already beginning to pick herself up. Once again he layed out his hands in strategic places, so that if she noded, he could easily help to pull her up. But she needed help elsewhere, particularly with her broken things. He shakily drew his hands away...just in case the female wasn't stable, he didn't want her to fall again mid-gettingup.

"Most certainly..." he said with a small smile and went over to the two bags that had fallen, slowly picking out the dangerous broken glass from each bag, then putting all the bottles that weren't broken or cracked into the cleanest bag. His back had been to her as the boy had placed it a little ways away from the doe, and his tail swished very slowly from side to side in concentration. He stood and handed the bag to her once she had stood, it's contents much lighter then it had been before.

He gave a small furrowed smile. "I'm sorry, most of your bottles got broken, or wouldn't be good to use, these are the only ones safe. I would buy some for you, but alas, I am afraid I have no change to spare." This last bit seemed to grevance him quite a bit. He hated not being able to help when he saw an oppertunity to, but in reality, he should probably be more concerned about himself. The Queen waiting for no man or woman, and it had been a couple days since he had seen him. It would be wise for him to get a move on as quickly as possible. But he wanted to make sure the female was ok.

He began to realize a certain jealousy in her eye...or maybe it was something else, as she looked at him. He couldn't quite understand at first, then he flushed red, completely embarrassed. "Oh dear, how rude of me..." he put the bag of gold in his antlers, the handles hanging and the bag swayed slightly along with his small antler adornment. He quickly morphed into his Stag form, giving her another weary smile. His mother had always taught him that it was extremely rude to show a higher form when another did not have one. It was like speaking another language in front of someone who didn't understand it at all. It simply wasn't done, and was very rude.

Trying to make amends for his mistake, he offered her a greeting. "My name is Silvanus. So sorry to be so...rude." Truth be told, he wasn't exactly certain if the female didn't have an anthro form, but he suspected she didn't...or she would have probably changed into one to pick herself up, like he usually did, and probably would have done the bottles herself. He had picked up a rather proud vibe from her...

[Vyn]

Even with Silvanus looming nearby to assist her up, Ophelia awkwardly found her way to her feet on her own. Prideful? Oh yes. It would be that very pride which caused her to look at Silvanus's bipedal form with appreciative envy but not with undue jealousy. Of course she would gain her own in time, she fully planned it to be so, and that eliminated any need for jealousy. So he was one of the lucky few born with his, or he had simply been ambitious enough to earn it first.

That was reason enough to admire this male, not huff about like a child.

His charming manners and rare kindness was yet another one. As he apologized for her broken wares and extended the bag to her, Ophelia smiled wryly and took the bags with her tail before sliding them into the leather satchel slung around her neck. With the lightened load, they wouldn't be nearly so troublesome to carry there.

"I figured they had, you've no need to apologize for it... You've lent far more than enough of your kindness and your time, I wouldn't ask for your coin as well."

As Silvanus shifted forms, most animals would've been far more comfortable. They would've been on familiar levels and Silvanus would have had the respect to 'lower' himself back to theirs. For Ophelia, it was hard to tell if he'd made the right decision or not. Her eyes darkened a little, he was just as handsome like this but somehow this felt more degrading than peering up at a bipedal. That was his power in the city, he should make use of it and not adjust himself to her level.

It was respectful, yes... Ophelia saw the importance of the gesture and would have done the same, but she was Ophelia and in her opinion she didn't need to be treated in such a way.

"It wasn't rude at all. You were going about your business in town, your bipedal form is undeniably much more useful...you needn't have changed for me." She shifted, bowing her head slightly to show her appreciation. It was the least she could do, even if she felt the nicety was unnecessary. "I appreciate the gesture though, Silvanus. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, I'm Ophelia."

Anyone who had traveled through Corvistowne had probably heard of her at least in passing. Her work was well known and she was something of a small star there. It was a reason to good reason to have such strong pride despite her low form and common ranking. Not to mention it explained the oddity of her appearance and the reasons for her purchases.

[FlyingPanther]

Ophelia's eyes betrayed more then she thought, and Silvanus was exaggerating their meaning slightly. Now he felt very nervous, the dark look in her eye as he changed forms didn't go unnoticed. He felt the intence need to scratch the back of his neck, a small nervous habit he ha picked up as of late. Silvanus usually wasn't a nervous guy, thought between getting a commission from the Queen and unintentionally insulting someone, he had alot to be anxious about. He cursed in his mind. He had put the bag of jewellery supplies on his antlers...so he couldn't toss his head back and itch his neck. He settled for picking up his right hind hoof and itching his side for a moment before putting the foot back down. Guh...that didn't do anything for him...

"A pleasure, Ophelia." he said dipping his head slightly. He had never been to Corvistowne. Truth be told, he had never felt comfortible around the residents of that region. It was an embarrassing truth, like realizing you were slightly racist, or just felt uncomfortible around another race you didn't see often. He didn't like this about himself at all, but he supposed...that if he was ever going to kick the feeling of unease around Corvistowne-ians then he would have to face them.

"I have never been to Corvistowne, though I hear tales of it's....eccentricity." he said with a hopeful smile. He really didn't need to offend the female again, but he wasn't sure how to proceed. He tried not to stare at her scales, though they were as blaring as her markings. Such a beautiful doe...but why scales? "Are you a mix breed?" he boldly asked, and a split second after really wished he didn't.

[Vyn]

Ophelia was quite nearly tempted to laugh. This handsome 5 of Hearts was so bashful that it brought a smile to her maw. Did he really fear his mannerisms troubling her? She lived in a town full of mad men, few there cared for the properness of manners. Yet, as she had stated before, Ophelia couldn't help but find his chivalrous nature endearing. After all, very few could support this dying tradition so well as he did.

Dipping her head in return, Ophelia once more found herself studying the handsome Avington before her. Nice build, nice coloration, nice antlers... All around a good package of a buck, but that did her little good. She needed an assistant not a mate and so she smoothly turned her attention from his body to his words.

"Hm, yes...I suppose eccentric would be a fitting word." Ophelia said this with a vast amount of content and even a little pleasure; quite proud of her unusual but never boring city. Slowly the female glanced down at herself, appreciating the scales adorning her shoulders before lifting her gaze up to Silvanus once more. "No, I'm not a mixed breed. I would say I'm another piece of Corvistowne eccentricity and my own greatest success. I'm a chemist, one of the best you'll find in Corvistowne, and my passion is for genetics. As you can see, I've done some successful work in splicing."

[FlyingPanther]

Silvanus wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous. Granted Corvistowne-ian's always made him nervous, he had heard tales of the region's people luring others into their labs to experiment on them, and that was enough to scare anyone out of their mind, but there was something more to this nervousness. He was nearly as nervous as he was having met the Queen, and that certainly didn't make any sence. While the fact she was from a certain region scared him, she didn't emmit some sort of aura that should make him as nervous as he was now, like the Queen had done. No, really...she seemed quite nice. He couldn't figure it out. Maybe he really was just this frightened of Corvistowne-ians? Or maybe he was just anxious about this commission.

Could it potentially be that she was a doe? The only other doe that he had seen as of late was the Queen's assistant...and she was way out of his league. Was his masculine needs getting the better of him? He thought about that for a moment as she smiled and bowed her head politely. The truth was that she really wasn't his type. Corvistowne...and covered in....scales. That wasn't exactly the discribtion of Silvanus' dream girl, but there was something...he had to admit. Underneathe the scales lay a beautiful doe. He did have to admit this, that under her serpentine exterior, he could see the doe that she had been before her experimenting. Was he really this shallow? That something like scales could deter him so badly? He nearly sighed aloud. The truth...would always be that Silvanus had always been a little shallow when it came to mates....or even....other things....

But why the hell was he thinking about her as a mate? This certainly wasn't the time to think about anything like that. His masculine needs did really seem to be getting the best of him at the moment. He chocked up his nervousness to it, and pushed the notion out of his head. After all, he had barely met the lady! "Quite successful, I would say. I nearly mistook you for a mix breed. You must be very good at what you do." And there was some truth in his words, though complimenting others on things they were proud of was an automatic for Silvanus...even if the things they were proud of were a little...unnerving.

[Vyn]

Ah yes, Silvanus knew how to stroke Ophelia in all the right ways. Her work in genetics was her pride and joy and she wore it with a lack hesitance of hesitance best chalked up to a mild amount of arrogance. No, she wasn't among those snooty face cards in thinking she was better than everyone else but she did have a considerable amount of self-esteem; a lacking thing among so many 'commoners' such as herself.

"Thank you, Silvanus." She smiled lightly, gently inclining her head to the handsome 5 of Hearts as she attempted to at least display some form of humility. No one like a pompous idiot and, despite herself, Ophelia was finding it rather easy to like this charming fellow. He had an easy personality, one that Ophelia felt few could dislike, and he wasn't at all hard on the eyes either. "I'm the head chemist in Corvistowne as well, I'd hope I'm good at what I can do."

With a brief but smug grin, Ophelia shifted the conversation off of herself (gasp!) for once and instead aimed her interest onto Silvanus.

"I've never been to Avington, either, I fear...though I hear its nice. Would you say the rumors are true?" As she spoke, her amber orbs slowly scanned over him as she took in his details once more and from a less disgruntled opinion. What a charming male and, oh... What was that? A trinket she'd overlooked. It was an odd habit of hers, to be fascinated by oddities, and his fascinating ornament definitely caught her eye. "That's a very nicely done piece of gold working there, I might add."

[FlyingPanther]

Silvanus' eyes opened a little wider then normal at the news she had presented him. "Head Chemist! Indeed, you must be marvelous at what you do if you are head chemist of a whole town which is known for their inventors! It is quite an honor to meet you, m'lady." and Silvanus was just as impressed as he sounded. There was no hidden meanings in any of his words, no jealousy, just what was said. Though on some inner level Silvanus did wish that he had achieved some sort of greatness, it was hard living after such a great jeweller as his mother exsisted, espeically when everyone expected him to follow in her footsteps. Even the Queen seemed to hope that he would make something of himself. But that was not Silvanus' passion. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what his passion really was. He just wandered from place to place...enjoying what nature had to offer to him.

At the mention of Avington, something happened to Silvanus' eyes. It was subtle, yet not, at the exact same time. As if something had switched on full force for a second, before settling itself at something much more to his normal gaze, an echo of the force shown. It was as if a memory had been triggered, and his eyes became dull. The blue sparkling in his eyes dimmed to something reminicent of an overcast sky over the sea. He smiled all the while, "I have not been back to Avington in some time, but if it is how I left it, it is probably one of the most beautiful rural areas this world has to offer. Do you enjoy nature, Ophelia? I do not mean to be rude, but I've always seen Corvistowne-ians enjoying a more Urban life..." He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He seemed to have a very stereotypical idea of what Corvistowne-ians were like, and if he wanted to ever feel less paranoid around them, and if he did indeed want a friendship with the doe in front of him, he had to have a better understanding. It wasn't going to be easy however, as it seemed their strange looks and ways would always put Silvanus off slightly.

Silvanus then turned his attention to the trinket dangling from his antler, as if he had been scarsely aware of it's exsistance at all. Again the look in his eyes said something was not right, but a smile rung true through it. "It was a piece by my mother actually. She was a very famous freelance jeweller amoung the courts. She wore this as a pair of earrings, however when she passed I made one into a small trinket for myself. One of the first things I did not under her guidance actually." he smiled a little wider, flicking the charm with a finger, and it chimed softly.