[ P ] Hop Through The Flowers (Basket Bidding)

The four bunnies looked so small beside some of the other hauls, but Edric felt bad for the girl who had only managed to catch two. His knight's heart wanted so badly to give her all four of his rabbits, give her a chance, but this was a contest. He knew it would be no use to hand over his rabbits, so he watched her entry with interest, how she held herself with fierce pride, despite being the underdog. The first bid on her haul was the winner. Edric sighed with relief before realising that he still had to weather his own stage entry.

With a deep breath, Edric marched forward, his head high, the four bunnies held by a single leg each dangled from his maw. Gently, he set them before himself. the sound of the bid caller becoming little more than a drone in his ears as he stared out at the dispersing crowd. His heart beat so loud in his ear he was sure he would go deaf from it's persistent rhythm. Finally, a wolf called a bid on his bunnies, and his eyes lifted with shock, staring wide eyed at the handsome male that had raised his paw. Black, red and white playfully curled about the man's limbs, his eyes shone a stunning lavender hue. Edric thought back for a moment on the strange woman with her pink eyes. This place sure did have a few unique people, he thought with wonder. He offered an awkward smile to the male and wandered off the stage, having to backtrack to pick up his bunnies with a sheepish grin. He would move to the side with his prize to meet the bidder. Wait, Edric paused. Didn't the competition involve a lunch date? Edric balked, his breath catching in his throat. He'd forgotten about that particular point and now he'd waltzed his merry way into what was bound to be a forced interaction on his end.

@Alexei

art & code by bean

Alexei didn't even know why he'd come. Well, a bit of a lie. He had stumbled into the event with no real clue of what was going on. He'd heard through some whispers around the Redwood of Eleanor's Day. But he was still very new to Rionnach, and its cultures. Lexi followed ebbing life at the core of the forest. It wasn't far from his own den he'd made in the Redwood before the winter had come. How he ended up in the Basket Bidding contest, that's what he had barely any thought about. He saw Grigori enter the tent and, with little more of a completed thought, rounded inside the place to find him. But what he'd stumbled upon it wasn't something he'd ever expected. He'd never really seen anything like it. It took him a minute to grasp what was going on before he saw... his friend? What were they? They'd slept together a few nights and talked some mornings. Alexei had even opened up to him about his nightmares, but... it'd been long since he'd seen the man or heard from him. Grigori stepped onto the stage and Alexei quickly made his bid. He was surprised to be met with Aryth's voice. And even shocked to be outbid by the professor. In somewhat shock, Lex sat within the crowd; head spinning. It wasn't until the crowd quieted and he remembered where he was that he made another bid. Honestly, it was a desperate grasp at not looking completely dumbfounded - and another emotion of wanting to get the heck out of here. Meeting eyes with the man with four bunnies on stage - he gives a small wave from the stage and Lex gives a weary smile. It takes the man a moment to get off the stage, seeing as he has to go back for the rabbits. It gets a small chuckle out of the nervous red man. Soon, the event dispersed after a few more bids and the shuffling of paws. Now, apparently, it was time for them to go on a lunch date. Alexei's eyes peeled away from Grigori as he looked to the man he'd bid on. Alexei took a deep breath. A lot of this, wanted to make him run. But, he knew he had to stay. He had to try. He couldn't go another year on his own. Lex found his footing and made his way over to the other lost looking wolf. “Hey... I.. Uhm, lunch date. Right?" After fumbling over his words for a moment, he grasped them with a stutter. He cleared his throat and sheepily smiled, “Sorry. I don't do this often. Alexei Veteris." He admitted. Then again, he didn't think this kind of thing was common. Maybe a yearly event. He hadn't been here long enough to know. But, at the end, he introduced himself with somewhat of an awkward curtsy with his paw. It was never his style to know what to do in these sort of situations. Then again, he'd never been introduced to something this tame before. “Speak and be heard."

STOCK ➤Kati H. on Dawnthieves ART ➤Amphi

@Edric

Still reeling from his own fumble, Edric was barely listening to the man before him. The word "date" entered his head and he sputtered, choking on his own saliva. That was a word he knew, not that he had ever participated in anything like it. Rafiel had spoken of his own encounters before, and now Edric looked at the man before him in slight confusion. Wasn't a date meant to be... romantic?

Edric took a moment to soak in the man's name before offering a bow. "Pleasure to meet you, Master Veteris. My name is Edric Zyphear." He smiled awkwardly. "I uh... I haven't done anything like this either, so I suppose we are even. Should we find somewhere to sit?" Edric averted his eyes from the salty smelling male. He reminded him of the sea, and if he was entirely truthful, it made him feel a lot more relaxed than he normally would feel. The knight glanced back at the crowd for a moment, watching it disperse before returning his gaze to the man before him. With a nod of his head, Edric lead the man a little ways away from the bustle of the crowd, while keeping them in view. Sitting under the shade of one of the redwood trees, Edric lay the four bunnies down and nudged one closer to Alexei with a smile. "Have you been to the festival before?" The knight asked, doing his best to appear friendly and not like his normal introverted self.

@Alexei

art & code by bean

This was one of the rare times that Alexei had interacted with the public in Rionnach. He'd been to Eleanor Square in Castle Stuart once or twice. The first time he'd been there, he'd been superconfused and amazing all at once. It was amazing to see so many in one place. Where he was from, there had been nothing like that. Every night they all gathered for dinner, but it wasn't anything as large as crowds. It made him anxious. Which was easy for something to do with Alexei. He was naturally nervous. Insecure, a trait he acquired from his mother. The slightly reddened man had never seen such a crowd in Redwood either. He hadn't been here long, two seasons as most, but still. It was quite a sight to see. In front of the other, Alexei straightens himself a little and tries not to appear to be stealing glances at the stage - as if Grigori had just been there and Alexei had missed it. 'Pleasure to meet you...' Edric's voice calls him back to the conversation, bells ringing to bring a ship back to land. The man's lips wrinkled into a small smile and a sheepish laugh fell from his lips as he was called 'Master Veteris.' “Oh, uhm," His voice clashed with Edric's and the male quieted himself. The oak man with four bunnies introduced himself as Edric Zyphear. “Edric, please," He stole the silence in between them before it could be filled, “You can just call me Alexei. Or Lex. Either is fine." The title of 'Master' felt odd to Alexei. He'd never been in charge of anyone. Not even really himself until he'd been truly set free. The tiny smile played in between the man's black lips, giving a gentle nod to the Knight as he offered for the two of them to move and sit. It was good to be reassured that the both of them had never done this before. It was their first time doing something together.. and that meant that there'd really be no judgement. A weight was lifted from Lex's shoulders. As they exited the tent; his violet eyes took once last glance at where Aryth and Gori had left together, then let his steps become weightless as he follows in wake of his "date". They found a nice spot close to the bustle of the crowd. Murmurings of the public could be heard. As well as the soft laughs of young couples and children as they experienced the festival, and new things, all together, for the first time. Alexei's ears tilt when he is asked a question and he hums, sitting down underneath one of the large, red trees. “No, actually. This is my first time here... It is my first year in Rionnach." He admitted, feeling no reason to hide anything or fear what the other might think of him on something as casual as a lunch. He leaned his head down and sniffed at the bunny, pulling at its fur to get to the meat. He glances up through his eyelashes, “What about you? Have you ever entered the contest before?" He asks, trying to make small talk, and somewhat learn about him. He could always use new friends. “Speak and be heard."

STOCK ➤Kati H. on Dawnthieves ART ➤Amphi

@Edric

The man before him seemed humble and even withdrawn to Edric. Someone who seemed to feel similarly to the knight himself, even though he would find it difficult to refer to the man by his chosen name, and not in the stiff, formal way he had been trained to. By now, using the formal titles was second nature.

As they left the tent, Edric caught Lexi looking back over his shoulder. He glanced back too, catching only sight of the crowd slowly dispersing and wondered if there was someone else the rusty tinted male wanted to be with. The Zyphear couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for just a moment. In quieter moments, he would wonder what it was like to be wanted by others. Sure, Edric had his family, but he often veered away from making friends outside of his own code. It wasn't as if it was forbidden, it was just easier for the hermit to avoid unnecessary interaction.

Alexei's voice brought Edric back to the present and he looked up, his green eyes locking with the lavender orbs of his companion. "No, this is my first contest as well. My family is from outside of Rionnach, but our homeland was engulfed in flame." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. He lowered his head slightly, allowing the woven satchel with the dried daisy to slip off his shoulders and onto the ground. Out of it's interior he pulled a few sprigs of fresh mint and offered some to Alexei. "I find rabbit much more enticing with a little mint." He explained with a short smile. Edric took a sprig for himself, tucking it against his back teeth with his tongue before taking a bite out of one of the rabbits, allowing the fresh mint to mix with the gamey meat, his eyes closing for a moment in bliss. Swallowing he smiled at the man again. "Do you have a job? I have heard they are rather common, here in Rionnach."

@Alexei

art & code by bean

Everything about Rionnach was still new to Alexei. The events, the politics, even the sheer amount of wolves that seemed to inhabit the nation. He'd never been in a place that seemed to have so many connections. And everything seemed to work so differently here. Others moved around them, the vendors in the background shouting for couples passing to buy their loved one a new item or potion. It was interesting, but somewhat overwhelming for Alexei. He didn't know if he could fit in as well as his friend Baelfire, who'd grown up this way his whole life. He never seemed to feel anxious when there was a crowd. He moved through it easily. Alexei had to huddle close and keep his eyes on his paws or on his friend to keep moving. Lex looked down at the rabbit he had picked from the four and kept removing the fur from it. It'd been awhile since he had gone actually hunting. He preferred fishing. It was something he was good at - when he wasn't fearful he would fall in. It also kept him slim and his fur shiny, which wasn't a bad thing. He usually fished in smaller ponds or streams, which meant not tremendous catches, but it was enough to fill his belly. Alexei's ears turned to attention to his counterpart for the date that they'd been sent on. Lex's question had been answered; it was also Edric's first contest too. It made him feel a little better about the awkwardness, that it wasn't just him but the other man, too. And then, there is somewhat a connection through that both of them were from outside of Rionnach. Lex's lips almost formed into a smile, but then it was revealed that Edric's homeland was engulfed in flames. There was a flash of sadness across Alexei's face, as he did not know how to feel. If his homeland caught on fire... He shuddered. “I am so sorry, Edric.." Though words could heal nothing close to as big as a scar, it might have left. It's almost admirable how quickly he can move on from it, something as big as that, merely mixed into normal conversation. Alexei followed though, watching him sprinkle something from his pouch onto the rabbit. Before Edric even mentioned what it was, Lex's nose twinged at it. He knew the scent well. It manifested itself in Grigori's breath when he constantly chewed it. It engulfed his mind for moments, almost as if taunting him because he had not won Grigori in the Basket Bidding. He snapped out of it quickly. Grigori wasn't his, and he was here with Edric. He should be grateful anyone would want to go on a lunch date with him. He wasn't that interesting. And insecurity looked rather bad on anyone, right? “I've, uhm, never... tried it." He says, with a weak smile, “It gives me a headache." He confirmed, before he could be offered any, and took a small bite of his own food to say 'it's good enough as it is.' He glanced away as Edric chewed, trying not to focus on how now his breath, too, smelt like mint. 'Do you have a job?' Alexei glanced back at him after he was done chewing. Baelfire had mentioned jobs before, factions that he could join to help support the economy of Rionnach. He still felt like a stranger in the country and hadn't really found a profession yet. “Oh, no. I haven't found one. Not yet at least. I feel like there's so much to learn. It's hard to pick when... you don't know a whole lot." He managed a small chuckle, hoping that Edric could relate to there being a lot to learn about Rionnach. “How about you?" “Speak and be heard."

STOCK ➤Kati H. on Dawnthieves ART ➤Amphi

@Edric