here he was: a friend, but no longer one he remembered, as odd and mismatched and fragmented his memory had become. this was a face he thought he would see, a scent he faintly remembered (though, as all things were, had been polluted by time) though not while he was in this position, behind a counter and his palms around his hourly cup of tea, trembling slightly as he swallowed thickly, and quickly pulled up his mask; thankfully, he had only looked over his shoulder, and half-turned so that the unmarred side of his face was shown.
“a-ah. i apologise. i thought it was someone i knew.” the lie was easy, practiced. there were suryans who had come and gone and some of them he knew, or had heard of. the group of people who belonged to the latter almost often had him wishing for something to calm him down. at least now, he had it, though he couldn’t drink it for as long as the mask obstructed him from doing so.
“was there anything you were looking for, sir? a scent for yourself, perhaps…or a present for someone important?”
“For a moment, I thought perhaps my reputations precedes me.” Shin chuckled, shaking his head as he browsed the wares. “I’m here for a present for someone important who had drifted far apart from me. I heard you’re a near magician with scent, could there be a gift to tell her of my unwavering determination for her? If I may so shyly ask.”
The general looked towards the merchant with a kind smile on his face, anticipation evident within his eyes. His fingers reached towards a fabric band on his wrist that was stained dirty, once colorful colors were faded, dusted with grime, stained with blood. In fact, threads seemingly were frayed. Despite it’s appearance however, it seemed very well taken care of, if not, such a delicate band would have long perished.
“She is someone I had grown up with, and I’ve promised to marry her. The king of Surya had agreed to the wedding, however...” Shin chuckled bitterly. “It seems like the time I had spent away formed a gap between us, perhaps it might be the blood staining my hands, but she shy away from my touches now and it hurts.”
Blinking, Shin shook his head and laughed. “I apologize. Somehow you give me a very comfortable presence, almost as if I’ve met you before at some point in my life. However, I’m quite aware this is our first meeting, Merchant.”
