Post by willowflower on Sept 10, 2017 17:23:02 GMT -5
Chiamaka chewed at her lip nervously as she nudged open the door of the bakery, the small handheld mirror digging into her palm. Warm air carrying the scent of cocoa and cinnamon hit her nose, and she pulled away to check the sign for the fifth time. Yep, Honey and Lemon - it matched the name Ari gave her. Still, uncertainty itched at her; what if she misheard? What if she somehow managed to misread the sign the last glance? Her thumb rubbed over the mirror as she toyed with the idea of calling Ari back.
But no - she could just imagine his irritated expression, his flat you’re already there, just go IN, and frankly that made her nerves jump more than walking into the wrong bakery. Inhaling, she nodded firmly to herself and pushed the door again. She hesitated, peeking in nervously, stumbling to the side as someone brushed past her to leave. Folding her arms around herself to make herself as small as possible, she looked around, wondering again why Ari asked her to come here - only to find her answer stuffing his face with a blueberry muffin.
She shuffled over to Ari’s table, gawking at the heap of baked goods. “Ari?” she said in a hushed voice to get his attention, before gesturing in befuddlement. "What are you doing here?” She even looked under the table to check his legs, and yes, the sea witch was wearing legs.
“‘Wat up, ‘Amaka?” Ari said around a mouthful of muffin, flapping a hand towards the chair across from him. “C’mon, sit, sit.”
Chiamaka looked around again before slowly easing into the seat, perching on the very edge. “I thought the princess was going to be here or something!” she whispered, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”
“Wow, so happy to see me, I see,” Ari said dryly, taking a swig from what would’ve looked like tea if not for the very obvious clump of kelp slumped out of the side.
“No - I - I didn’t - I mean,” Chiamaka stammered, “I just didn’t. Think you’d come, you know. On shore.” Her eyebrows furrowed as Ari picked up a brownie and proceed to carefully fold his lips around the entire thing. “I thought you. Said you didn’t like humans?” The last word drifted upwards in a puzzled tone.
“I don’t,” Ari said, or at least that’s what Chiamaka suspected he said through the brownie. He lifted a finger to signify that he needed to finish chewing before picking up a cookie and holding it out to Chiamaka. She couldn’t hold back a tiny smile at the offer as she took it, gazing at the gleam of the melting chocolate chips in awe as Ari wiped his fingers on the tablecloth.
“You were saying that you were epically failing to get your lady’s attention,” Ari said after several seconds of chewing. “So I, the incredibly generous and loving friend that I am, decided to step in and help you out a little,” he continued over Chiamaka’s sputtering.
“I - I wasn’t - I -“
“Oh, come on, ‘Amaka,” Ari said, leaning forward with a serious look in his eye. “The spell’s not permanent, you know. It’s only a matter of time before your body realizes something’s wrong and starts breaking down.”
Chiamaka looks down. “I know.”
“If that princess is the real deal, then you need to get your shi - your stuff together, and kiss her already,” Ari said sternly. Chiamaka pretended not to notice his near-curse.
“I know. She is.”
There’s a moment of silence, then Ari leaned back. “Nice dress, by the way.”
Chiamaka looked down in surprise. She had agonized over the choice, liking the way the white stood out against her dark skin but nervous about the sleeveless straps. Her curls weren’t long enough to cover her shoulders yet, and she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. “Really? You sure?”
“Yeah. Shows off your massive biceps.”
Ari smirked as Chiamaka squeaked and instinctively attempted to cover her arms. “Ari!”
“What? That’s good! Shows you’re strong! Maybe your lady likes feeling protected.”
“I couldn’t protect tablescraps from a bee,” Chiamaka said mournfully.
“Still. Muscles are good.”
Chiamaka was quiet for a moment. “Even. On a girl?” she said uncertainly.
Ari frowned, then reached over to punch her in the shoulder.
“Oof!”
“Of course, obviously. Shut up. You *are* a girl, okay? Don’t let anyone tell you differently,” he said so furiously Chiamaka felt warmth pool in her belly.
“You’d probably beat them up first,” she said, ducking her head with a grin.
“Damn right I would - sorry, darn. Anyway, back to the point,” Ari said. “I got tired of listening to you whine about how you still can’t talk to the princess - even though you’re a guest at the castle, how do you even do that, I don’t even know, but anyway, I decided to talk to her myself - which I probably should’ve done first to see if she’s good enough for you -“
"Ari -“
“She’s sweet, I guess, a bit ditzy though -“
“ARI -“
“So I told her to come here so that you two can spend a little time together,” Ari said, grinning so shamelessly that Chiamaka groaned and buried her face in her hands. Then jerked her head up to stare at him in horror.
“WHAT,” she whisper-yelled.
“Why do you keep whispering, it’s not like anyone’s li-“
“She’s here?” Chiamaka said in horror, looking around wildly.
“Well, not right now, but in like, thirty seconds, probably. If she didn’t get lost on the way here.”
“Oh my - wha - I -“ Chiamaka was panicking. Definitely panicking. Not ready, she hadn’t memorized any conversation starters or rehearsed anything in her head or -
“‘Amaka. Calm down,” Ari said, actually looking concerned.
“I’m not ready,” she whispered.
“Well, yeah, but think about it this way: do you really think you’ll ever be ready?”
Chiamaka stared at her hands. “…I see your point,” she muttered.
“You’ve got this,” Ari said. “You’ve got an awesome spread of the best bakery’s sweetest goods, an even sweeter personality, and nice arms.” He gave her a thumbs up. “Go get her!”
Chiamaka gave him a weak thumbs up back as he stood and swept past her, staring at the seat he just left with a flat smile on her face.
My best friend just set me up on a date with my crush, she thought wildly. No big deal.
((heya! :DDD so i set up a little scenario for them to meet :3 you can take control of ari if u want btw, he's like neutral ground ~ i was thinking the time period would be disney-esque, that timeless fairytale feel. as for magic worldbuilding, i think only a handful of people are masters at it, like ari, and magic sort of follows the fairytale rules, that every spell needs a specific contract with limits and rules - for example, the spell that's giving chiamaka legs has a time limit, only setting permanently if she gets true love's kiss.
but yeah!! sorry again for taking so long ;.; im really excited for this!))
But no - she could just imagine his irritated expression, his flat you’re already there, just go IN, and frankly that made her nerves jump more than walking into the wrong bakery. Inhaling, she nodded firmly to herself and pushed the door again. She hesitated, peeking in nervously, stumbling to the side as someone brushed past her to leave. Folding her arms around herself to make herself as small as possible, she looked around, wondering again why Ari asked her to come here - only to find her answer stuffing his face with a blueberry muffin.
She shuffled over to Ari’s table, gawking at the heap of baked goods. “Ari?” she said in a hushed voice to get his attention, before gesturing in befuddlement. "What are you doing here?” She even looked under the table to check his legs, and yes, the sea witch was wearing legs.
“‘Wat up, ‘Amaka?” Ari said around a mouthful of muffin, flapping a hand towards the chair across from him. “C’mon, sit, sit.”
Chiamaka looked around again before slowly easing into the seat, perching on the very edge. “I thought the princess was going to be here or something!” she whispered, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”
“Wow, so happy to see me, I see,” Ari said dryly, taking a swig from what would’ve looked like tea if not for the very obvious clump of kelp slumped out of the side.
“No - I - I didn’t - I mean,” Chiamaka stammered, “I just didn’t. Think you’d come, you know. On shore.” Her eyebrows furrowed as Ari picked up a brownie and proceed to carefully fold his lips around the entire thing. “I thought you. Said you didn’t like humans?” The last word drifted upwards in a puzzled tone.
“I don’t,” Ari said, or at least that’s what Chiamaka suspected he said through the brownie. He lifted a finger to signify that he needed to finish chewing before picking up a cookie and holding it out to Chiamaka. She couldn’t hold back a tiny smile at the offer as she took it, gazing at the gleam of the melting chocolate chips in awe as Ari wiped his fingers on the tablecloth.
“You were saying that you were epically failing to get your lady’s attention,” Ari said after several seconds of chewing. “So I, the incredibly generous and loving friend that I am, decided to step in and help you out a little,” he continued over Chiamaka’s sputtering.
“I - I wasn’t - I -“
“Oh, come on, ‘Amaka,” Ari said, leaning forward with a serious look in his eye. “The spell’s not permanent, you know. It’s only a matter of time before your body realizes something’s wrong and starts breaking down.”
Chiamaka looks down. “I know.”
“If that princess is the real deal, then you need to get your shi - your stuff together, and kiss her already,” Ari said sternly. Chiamaka pretended not to notice his near-curse.
“I know. She is.”
There’s a moment of silence, then Ari leaned back. “Nice dress, by the way.”
Chiamaka looked down in surprise. She had agonized over the choice, liking the way the white stood out against her dark skin but nervous about the sleeveless straps. Her curls weren’t long enough to cover her shoulders yet, and she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. “Really? You sure?”
“Yeah. Shows off your massive biceps.”
Ari smirked as Chiamaka squeaked and instinctively attempted to cover her arms. “Ari!”
“What? That’s good! Shows you’re strong! Maybe your lady likes feeling protected.”
“I couldn’t protect tablescraps from a bee,” Chiamaka said mournfully.
“Still. Muscles are good.”
Chiamaka was quiet for a moment. “Even. On a girl?” she said uncertainly.
Ari frowned, then reached over to punch her in the shoulder.
“Oof!”
“Of course, obviously. Shut up. You *are* a girl, okay? Don’t let anyone tell you differently,” he said so furiously Chiamaka felt warmth pool in her belly.
“You’d probably beat them up first,” she said, ducking her head with a grin.
“Damn right I would - sorry, darn. Anyway, back to the point,” Ari said. “I got tired of listening to you whine about how you still can’t talk to the princess - even though you’re a guest at the castle, how do you even do that, I don’t even know, but anyway, I decided to talk to her myself - which I probably should’ve done first to see if she’s good enough for you -“
"Ari -“
“She’s sweet, I guess, a bit ditzy though -“
“ARI -“
“So I told her to come here so that you two can spend a little time together,” Ari said, grinning so shamelessly that Chiamaka groaned and buried her face in her hands. Then jerked her head up to stare at him in horror.
“WHAT,” she whisper-yelled.
“Why do you keep whispering, it’s not like anyone’s li-“
“She’s here?” Chiamaka said in horror, looking around wildly.
“Well, not right now, but in like, thirty seconds, probably. If she didn’t get lost on the way here.”
“Oh my - wha - I -“ Chiamaka was panicking. Definitely panicking. Not ready, she hadn’t memorized any conversation starters or rehearsed anything in her head or -
“‘Amaka. Calm down,” Ari said, actually looking concerned.
“I’m not ready,” she whispered.
“Well, yeah, but think about it this way: do you really think you’ll ever be ready?”
Chiamaka stared at her hands. “…I see your point,” she muttered.
“You’ve got this,” Ari said. “You’ve got an awesome spread of the best bakery’s sweetest goods, an even sweeter personality, and nice arms.” He gave her a thumbs up. “Go get her!”
Chiamaka gave him a weak thumbs up back as he stood and swept past her, staring at the seat he just left with a flat smile on her face.
My best friend just set me up on a date with my crush, she thought wildly. No big deal.
((heya! :DDD so i set up a little scenario for them to meet :3 you can take control of ari if u want btw, he's like neutral ground ~ i was thinking the time period would be disney-esque, that timeless fairytale feel. as for magic worldbuilding, i think only a handful of people are masters at it, like ari, and magic sort of follows the fairytale rules, that every spell needs a specific contract with limits and rules - for example, the spell that's giving chiamaka legs has a time limit, only setting permanently if she gets true love's kiss.
but yeah!! sorry again for taking so long ;.; im really excited for this!))
