[025] OOM - Marketplaces and other places

[tristranthorn]

The distinct smell of greasy fair food wafts in the smokey, heated air beneath the tents of the marketplace while the continuous chatter and bartering never ceases around them. It is a very busy, and very lively atmosphere and hardly a soul would notice you unless you were close enough to a stall with what might be assumed interest in one of the stall-keeper's products.

As it is, Tristran and Yvaine are taking a turn about the marketplace, hand-in-hand, walking past the gadgets and baubles with a detached sort of interest. They have more important things to think about - mainly to do with one another.

Now, this is not to say they won't have an enjoyable time at the market, of course. In fact, one can be certain that the two of them have never had more fun than they are having right now.

Comments

[an_evening_star]

The star glitters. Which, really, isn't all that odd for stars in general - but it's bright and cheerful and so very not Yvaine that it would be embarrassing if she could bring herself to care.

They're tucked in close and the noise barely registers, their voices low and the star still sporting a smile that borders dangerously close to the utterly ridiculous territory. And possibly also teetering on the edge of disbelieving - but she isn't particularly inclined to admit to that one.

"I do wonder if your mother successfully found elephants," she muses, head tilting to one side, and lips curling further - somehow she doesn't doubt that she did.

[tristranthorn]

"Probably," Tristran answers, turning his gaze from a rowdy bunch of folk squabbling over what appears to be a very old book.

"And she's probably on her way to Stormhold castle with them, already." He wouldn't be surprised in the least.

[an_evening_star]

"In charge of a kingdom," she groans, forehead thunking rather unceremoniously against his shoulder. "She wanted us to be in charge of an entire bloody kingdom."

An amused breath of air, sound muffled slightly by the material of his coat.

"She cannot be serious."

[tristranthorn]

He laughs, lightly patting her.

"I wish she wasn't," he replies amusedly. "But that's all right - we got out of it, didn't we?"

[an_evening_star]

"For now," she allows, and then pulls back slightly to slant her gaze up at him with a grin. "Though I am thinking that if she were privy to our previous success rate she'd change her mind very quickly."

Anyone remotely sensible would, anyway.

[tristranthorn]

There is more light laughter as he wraps an arm around her.

"I'm not sure whether to be glad she doesn't know, or whether we should have told her," he says, before shrugging. She'll be fine, though. He is quite certain that his mother seemed at least half-pleased to find that she would be ruling the kingdom for a bit.

[an_evening_star]

"We can always save it for later," she replies pragmatically, cheeks brightening involuntarily at the contact. "In case we need to escape our eventual royal fate."

The very idea of it - the fact that there will be a later, a later with the both of them - still hasn't quite sunk in properly. She's certain, however, that she will be glad of it when it does. It's just a matter of figuring out what to do with herself in the meantime.

Though staying right where she is does sound rather nice.

A grin, "Shall I call you 'Your Majesty' now?"

[tristranthorn]

"Only if I may call you the same," he teases, feeling possibly as happy as he's ever been.

Even the musty smell of strange Faerie-folk and their oddly smelling foods could not bring him down. In fact, if he could sing, he probably would.

It is likely a good thing that he can't, otherwise this may be a very embarrassing series of events for the young man.

[an_evening_star]

She would probably like it anyway. It's all rather pathetic, really. (She'd roll her eyes at herself if she wasn't too busy being pathetic at the moment.)

"I don't think that it suits me quite as well, Prince Charming," she drawls, shaking her head amusedly and bumping his side with her hip as they walk - gaze catching momentarily on a stall of moving statues, small stone animals tumbling across the display.

[tristranthorn]

He laughs again, eyes slowly going to the statues as well, idly half-watching them as the other part of him watches Yvaine.

He's so pathetically deep in this thing called 'love' that he has absolutely no means whatsoever of getting himself out - and if anyone tried to help him, he'd refuse them anyway.

[an_evening_star]

The star's hands flutter upward almost defensively, backing up almost into him - which only makes her flutter nervously a bit more - when her gaze catches the attention of the stall-owner, who brightly quotes prices as she mumbles out a hurried excuse and snags Tristran's hand.

"Come on," she says, cheeks bright. She's rather terrible at this whole thing, really. "Somewhere else - all these people."

[tristranthorn]

"It is a little crowded, isn't it? Probably moreso than it was earlier, too."

Tristran nods, willingly allowing her to pull him along.

"We could go back to the Slaughtered Prince, if you'd like."

He'll let her pull him anywhere, though. Oh, fools in love.

[an_evening_star]

They all wouldn't be so terrible if they weren't so enthusiastic about everything - she doesn't exactly know what she's supposed to be saying in response and it makes her feel ridiculously flustered.

"We may even have a room still," she replies, and the look that she casts back over her shoulder is nothing short of completely innocent. "I may not be precisely certain how much I paid for."

Hopefully this whole love thing carries over, yes?

[tristranthorn]

It does.

He merely raises his eyebrows at that, wondering just how much money she took, and not particularly minding in the least bit anyway. (Not that either of them will ever have to worry about expenses, them being royalty and all.)

"Well, let's find out then, shall we?"

[an_evening_star]

Knew that whole royalty thing had to be good for something.

The love thing can cover everything else.

"And," she adds brightly, affected innocence sliding off in favor of a decidedly more Yvaine-esque grin. "If you check your pockets - I may not have returned the key."

She pauses for a moment and takes his arm when he catches up, "Accidentally, of course."

[tristranthorn]

"Oh?"

He pats his pocket on cue, and smirks as he joins her once more. Right - so just how far gone had he been, anyway?

"Ah, of course."

That's a whole lot of love covering things.

[an_evening_star]

Pretty much sleep-walking - and that's being rather generous, all things considered. Sleep walkers don't generally need to be carried.

She arcs an eyebrow, tilting her chin imperiously.

That last bit was almost sarcastic. She's impressed.

"Are you implying that I am a thief, Tristran Thorn?"

[tristranthorn]

"Never," Tristran returns innocently, then half-laughs. "What's mine is yours - you could never really steal from me."

It seems whatever possible humour and sarcasm he's picked up is definitely a result of too much Yvaine-time. Not that it's a problem of any sort.

[an_evening_star]

Strangely, most people might tend to disagree.

Not that sarcasm isn't a good look for him.

"You're being ridiculous again," she points out helpfully, even as she flashes a rather helpless and entirely stupid grin back at him.

[tristranthorn]

Ah, and it's the same grin that makes him feel very weak on the inside - in a completely useless manner, too.

"Am I?" he inquires as they pass the innkeeper (who nods gruffly in their direction, proving that yes, they still have paid time on their room; just how much did Yvaine pay the man?) and begin to climb the small staircase. "I'm sorry."

He doesn't sound very sorry at all.

[an_evening_star]

(Obviously she didn't pay him enough to get a room on the lower floor - bloody stairs.)

She pauses on the middle stair and turns with one hand braced on her hip - the sarcastically drawled, "Liar." coming out with a great deal more of a squeak at the end than she would have preferred as she catches sight of the entirely unapologetic smirk on his face.

Oh.

Somewhere not precisely where it used to be, she's certain that her heart skips a beat.

[tristranthorn]

Oblivious to that, Tristran helps her up the steps as best he can, hands bracing her at the waist firmly enough so she could even lean more of her weight on him if she so wishes.

Still, all things considered, she's been getting far better at climbing stairs than she used to be.

"Almost there," he says, encouragingly.

[an_evening_star]

He shouldn't be allowed to make her head that scrambled and then be perfectly fine. It's just not fair.

And she doesn't stumble at all. Really.

"That -" she swallows, eyes squeezing shut for a moment as she reminds herself - quite forcefully, really - how to breathe. "That's good."

[tristranthorn]

Perhaps it is not fair, but sadly - that's life.

He makes a hmm-ing sound as they finally reach the top, then he lets go of her.

"I can't say I remember where our room was," he says, looking down the hall at several closed doors.

[an_evening_star]

She sways on her feet once he lets go, lost for a moment, before she shakes her head to clear it.

"Might be because you weren't particularly awake at the time," she murmurs once she's recovered. "Possibly."

A laugh and she points.

"First one on the right."