Sea Breeze

Member of Harvest Season Bank Balance: 7,500 G

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

For a moment, Iluka didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t help but stare at him before taking the hat with a small nod and smile. “Thank you.” Him giving up his hat was not what she expected from him asking, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was a real gentleman act that’s hard to come by these days - a small act like those women only see in movies now.

A short, quiet chuckle escaped from between her lips as she placed his cowboy hat on her head. She knew that this did not suit her at all, yet, it was quite comforting. The small amount of rain that it kept off her head did make a big difference for her comfort level. But… She looked up towards the cowboy to see that now his head was getting uncomfortably wet as he no longer had something to cover himself with. Maybe later I can convince him to let me make him some tea.She didn’t get the feeling from him that he was the type to hang around, but it’s the least she could do.

As quickly as he started walking, he stopped. Confused, she looked up at him with a slight frown unsure about what the problem could be. She hadn’t done anything wrong, unless this guy was extra sensitive about something or perhaps it was his hat? Honestly, she could never tell what he was thinking when he rarely shows an ounce of emotion. A smile painted itself on her face as she was relieved that the simple introduction was the reason for stopping. “Well, Vaughn, thank you for accompanying me today,” she replied, taking his hand in hers.

Vaughn grunted his acknowledgment. “Not a problem.” He said as he continued forward.  He blinked a little bit at the chuckle….was it because of the hat? He assumed so- after all, it wasn’t necessarily her style, he was sure, but she was glad that she had accepted it from him. There had been too many times where people refused to accept things just for the sake of seeming nice.  After introducing themselves and removing his hand, he nodded. “Sure thing…not like I got much to do now anyway.” He said, turning around again as they made their way now towards the mystical looking place they had seen across the river.  “Speakin’ of nothin’…what brought you here anyhow?” He asked curiously, even if it was none of his business. If they were going to accompany each other, he might as well try to make some form of conversation. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

“A day like this would have probably been better spent inside, don’t you think? I mean, if you have nothing to do, why be out here?” After speaking, she realized that she was also out here because she didn’t have much to do either. As much as her stubbornness told her not to admit it, it was better that she did. Didn’t need him walking away now. “Though,” she paused, reluctantly, “I’m out here for a similar reason.” 

“Just a little travel.” Iluka adjusted her new hat to give her something else to do. She was so used to walking with her sister with linked arms and whatnot that she almost didn’t know what to do with her hands. It could also be that the lack of conversation and personal intrusion made her uncomfortable. She was usually the one to ask blunt and sometimes rather personal questions. If there was something to know, she wanted to know it. “With an extended time off, I took the opportunity to travel for something other than work.” She smiled. “I almost said you know, but you wouldn’t. You travel for work.”

[seashore-tea-blog]

Spill the Tea || Open

“Aringa! Please come again,” she said with a smile as a group of people left her shop. After cleaning up after them, Iluka made her way back behind the counter to make herself a bubble tea to sip on between customers. A sigh escaped from her lips as she stood there in thought. She loved making drinks, obviously if she didn’t she wouldn’t have opened this shop with her sister, but sometimes the days can be slow. There are times when they occasionally get an entertaining customer of two, however, most of the day consists of those who prefer to quietly drink their tea. There’s no fault in that, everyone deserves their time. Iluka only wished that more often than not a more upbeat person came in to keep her company. 

The chime of the door’s bell echoed in the shop, snapping the owner out of her thoughts. “Welenga!” She greeted, walking around the counter to face the customer. “How can we help you today?”

[je-suis-le-nez-blog]

There were few things in life that Klaus enjoyed more than a drink (usually alcoholic), and he’d had this particular shop recommended to him multiple times. Enough times that he might have thought they were sending out viral advertising - really, it was just very good business. Good work deserved high praise and common conversation, after all.

The overall feeling of the town was very tropical, which astounded him immediately after coming from such cold weather - and to find the shop he’d been looking for out on the water? He felt in that moment a little embarrassed that the place might be more suited to a date night than an old bachelor out for a daytrip.

He ducked through the entryway, only slightly as he cast his eyes up to the bell then to the girl who he could only assume was the waitress. He reddened for a moment, put on the spot with such eager service and a word he didn’t quite understand.

“Ah– yes, hello. I was just stopping in for a drink,” he smiled, lifting his hand up to his face to brush away the red in his cheeks as he glanced around the shop. “Are you open just now–? Am I early?”

[seashore-tea-blog]

She quickly eyed over the man who walked in. He was tall and pale. which gave away that he wasn’t a local, and had these striking green eyes that stood out against his dark hair and fair complexion. Needless to say, she could tell that he traveled a large distance to get here and travelers were her favorite types of customers. Usually, they’re the ones who like to try a little bit of everything off the menu and start up conversations about anything - just the kind of thing she was looking for today.

“You’ve come to the right place then!” With a smile, she grabbed a menu off the counter and walked the older gentleman to one of the many available tables. “We are open. You just happened to have come during our slower time. I hope you don’t mind that.” She placed the menu on the table and a simple setting for him before stepping to the side to allow him to sit down and get comfortable. As he did so, she began to speak again, “I’m very glad that you decided to stop here during your stay in Lulukoko. I know my teas will add to your experience and not disappoint.” Everyone had always said her confidence was one of her best looks. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

An animal trader? Iluka was surprised to hear his response, although it did make sense of his way of dressing. His attitude didn’t lead her to believe that his occupation would have him dealing with animals that required a large amount of attention and, at times, affection. Then again, if he spent most of his time around animals it could explain why he doesn’t talk much.

She brushed her hair off her shoulder and nodded while following him. “A little.” Stuck in her thoughts before, she didn’t notice the slight breeze that accompanied the rain giving her a slight chill and goosebumps. However, now that he brought it to her attention it was all she could think about. If she wasn’t bothered by it before she figured that by the time they got to the pond, she would have forgotten about it again. What’s the worst that can happen? A cold?

“I apologize for my rudeness.” She quickened her pace for a short time in order to walk next to him. “My name’s Iluka. I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

He looked to her for a moment and raised an eyebrow and sighed as they walked. He took his hat off and handed it to her. “Here.” He muttered. “Ain’t gonna do much, but it’ll at least keep your head a little drier.” He said, almost scoffing. He wasn’t about to let this woman suffer in the cold rain, either. 

He began crossing the bridge, thinking about this and that as he heard her introduce herself, then stopped and turned around, the typical emotionless frown on his face. “Name’s Vaughn.” He said, holding out a hand to shake. He may not be the nicest person around, but he did value some manners of sorts. If they were going to go to the strange mystical looking place across the way, he didn’t see much harm in introducing themselves. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

For a moment, Iluka didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t help but stare at him before taking the hat with a small nod and smile. “Thank you.” Him giving up his hat was not what she expected from him asking, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was a real gentleman act that’s hard to come by these days - a small act like those women only see in movies now. 

A short, quiet chuckle escaped from between her lips as she placed his cowboy hat on her head. She knew that this did not suit her at all, yet, it was quite comforting. The small amount of rain that it kept off her head did make a big difference for her comfort level. But... She looked up towards the cowboy to see that now his head was getting uncomfortably wet as he no longer had something to cover himself with. Maybe later I can convince him to let me make him some tea. She didn’t get the feeling from him that he was the type to hang around, but it’s the least she could do. 

As quickly as he started walking, he stopped. Confused, she looked up at him with a slight frown unsure about what the problem could be. She hadn’t done anything wrong, unless this guy was extra sensitive about something or perhaps it was his hat? Honestly, she could never tell what he was thinking when he rarely shows an ounce of emotion. A smile painted itself on her face as she was relieved that the simple introduction was the reason for stopping. “Well, Vaughn, thank you for accompanying me today,” she replied, taking his hand in hers. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

❀Paycheck❀

E A R N I N G S : +2,000G for having one job.

E X P E N S E S : [ N O N E ]

New total: 7,500G

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

Iluka stood in silence for awhile. She had never met someone this quiet before and it honestly made her feel a little awkward. Should she say something? Should she leave him alone? The latter seemed to be the one he’d choose, but walking away after a short conversation would make her feel even more awkward than she already does.

Moments passed and she grew tired of being quiet. Iluka figured that the best way to keep what’s left of this conversation going was to ask a question. So what if he’s not comfortable with it? I’m not comfortable with standing here when there’s perfectly good company around. “What is it that you do? Unless you’re a farmer, which you don’t look like one, I’m not sure why the rain would be much of a bother.” She didn’t trouble herself to look at him while asking, certain that he wouldn’t look back at her. As she waited for his response, she let her eyes follow the path of his to across the river. The first thing she saw was the large tree that stood firm and looked as if it has been growing for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. If someone wanted to they could probably live in there comfortably. Next was the pond next to it that seemed to have its own aura as if it were alive. It was truly captivating.

“No wonder you keep looking over there. It’s so pretty!” She took this moment to face him as she came up with a plan. Now that she has an acquaintance in town there was no way she was going sightseeing alone. “We should go check it out!” Iluka paused to let him think about it, but spoke again before he could answer. “You wouldn’t let a young lady who’s never been here before travel alone, would you?”

Vaughn continued to look ahead, though his eyes narrowed a bit as he flashed Iluka a brief glance for a moment. Perhaps any other time he might tell her it was none of her business, but, considering it had been several days since he had much conversation, he figured it couldn’t hurt too much, at least.

“No, I ain’t a farmer. I’m an animal trader of sorts and help ship ‘em around different places and round ‘em up and all that and make sure they’re cared for on the trips over to often farms and ranches and whatnot.” He replied a bit despondently. “Can get messy when you’re trudgin’ through mud and all that with animals that usually ain’t too happy to be in the rain.” He said with a short nod.

Her comment about the area ahead surprised him a little bit; he had been so focused on looking over there, he didn’t really register that he must have been obviously staring at the beautiful area across the way. He bit his lip slightly- he must have looked like some kind of idiot. 

He was even more surprised when she came up with the idea for the both of them to go over there. He honestly would have said no, but his mind was too curious about the almost spell-binding allure the  little area had, and he supposed now he had an actual reason to trudge on over there now that this lady had asked him. He frowned a bit at her last comment and rolled his eyes a tiny bit. Cheeky. He thought to himself, then stood up, brushing his pants off a bit and simply nodding. “Reckon I wouldn’t.” He said with the vaguest semblance of a smile, before looking to her for a moment and starting to walk.  “Aint’cha a tad cold with the rain soakin’ your hair and whatnot?” He asked, looking behind him to be sure she was coming. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

An animal trader? Iluka was surprised to hear his response, although it did make sense of his way of dressing. His attitude didn’t lead her to believe that his occupation would have him dealing with animals that required a large amount of attention and, at times, affection. Then again, if he spent most of his time around animals it could explain why he doesn’t talk much. 

She brushed her hair off her shoulder and nodded while following him. “A little.” Stuck in her thoughts before, she didn’t notice the slight breeze that accompanied the rain giving her a slight chill and goosebumps. However, now that he brought it to her attention it was all she could think about. If she wasn’t bothered by it before she figured that by the time they got to the pond, she would have forgotten about it again. What’s the worst that can happen? A cold? 

“I apologize for my rudeness.” She quickened her pace for a short time in order to walk next to him. “My name’s Iluka. I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[seashore-tea-blog]

“I think the rain adds to it,” she commented, holding her hand out in front of her to watch the raindrops hit her palm. “Seeing them fall on the river and make the small ripples and splashes can be quite calming.” She turned around to face him and with his hat tilted up a little more than before, she could get a somewhat better look at him. His eyes were a similar purple to hers - which surprised her - and his fair-skin and silver hair only made them stand out more.

‘Everywhere I been lately.’ She repeated in her mind as she began to let her thoughts wander. From those four words she guessed he was a traveler or someone who liked to travel. It must be nice to be able to go to so many places whenever, but also tiring. Does he have a home or live from inn to inn? He didn’t look as if he talked very much, which only made her more curious. It was only while standing still and thinking these thoughts that she began to really feel the drops of rain hit her skin and roll down. She didn’t mind it at all, in fact, it made her feel like she was back home. It was raining there before she left and although she knew it was going to rain here, an umbrella was out of the question. Maybe that was because she felt like she was still home in a sense. Whatever the reason, the rain was welcomed. 

Iluka turned to him once more to say something, but stopped herself. Instead she brushed her wet bangs off her face, adjusted a few places on her skirt that were beginning to cling to her skin, and turned away again. “We’re lucky it’s only a little rain. With thunder, we wouldn’t be able to say out here like this,” she finally let herself say. Sensing no change in the sky’s aura, she smiled. “It seems like the weather has no intention of thundering either.”

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Vaughn nodded a little bit, before smiling very slightly, but it left as quickly as it had come. He could agree with that; he actually didn’t mind the rain. It had just been so pervasive lately in his work, having to slosh through mud to get animals where they needed to be, et cetera, that it had become rather tiring to deal with. “Yeah, I s’pose you’re right. I usually like it- just been a real pain in my tail lately with work and whatnot and it not lettin’ up too much.” He said, sort of muttering it.  He blinked a little bit as he saw that she turned towards him, but then turned back away. Had she wanted to say something….? Huh. He looked up and nodded. “True enough….ain’t seen much of the thunder and all that, thankfully. It’d make my job a lot harder.” He muttered as he nodded again. Although he wasn’t particularly comfortable, the woman seemed to at least be mindful of other people’s space.  He looked off, brushing a little bit of hair out of the eye it always tended to cover due to its part, again staring at the area across the river. It really did look like a calming place to be, he could see a small pond-like area along with mushrooms that almost seemed to give off a glow of sorts. He could probably take a nap there, if given the chance. Wouldn’t be the first time he fell asleep outside. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

Iluka stood in silence for awhile. She had never met someone this quiet before and it honestly made her feel a little awkward. Should she say something? Should she leave him alone? The latter seemed to be the one he’d choose, but walking away after a short conversation would make her feel even more awkward than she already does. 

Moments passed and she grew tired of being quiet. Iluka figured that the best way to keep what’s left of this conversation going was to ask a question. So what if he’s not comfortable with it? I’m not comfortable with standing here when there’s perfectly good company around. “What is it that you do? Unless you’re a farmer, which you don’t look like one, I’m not sure why the rain would be much of a bother.” She didn’t trouble herself to look at him while asking, certain that he wouldn’t look back at her. As she waited for his response, she let her eyes follow the path of his to across the river. The first thing she saw was the large tree that stood firm and looked as if it has been growing for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. If someone wanted to they could probably live in there comfortably. Next was the pond next to it that seemed to have its own aura as if it were alive. It was truly captivating.

“No wonder you keep looking over there. It’s so pretty!” She took this moment to face him as she came up with a plan. Now that she has an acquaintance in town there was no way she was going sightseeing alone. “We should go check it out!” Iluka paused to let him think about it, but spoke again before he could answer. “You wouldn’t let a young lady who’s never been here before travel alone, would you?”

[seashore-tea-blog]

❀Paycheck❀

{Whoops! I forgot to post this!}

E X P E N S E S: -2,000G for Failure Tax {Oops!}

New Total: 5,500G

[seashore-tea-blog]

Spill the Tea || Open

“Aringa! Please come again,” she said with a smile as a group of people left her shop. After cleaning up after them, Iluka made her way back behind the counter to make herself a bubble tea to sip on between customers. A sigh escaped from her lips as she stood there in thought. She loved making drinks, obviously if she didn’t she wouldn’t have opened this shop with her sister, but sometimes the days can be slow. There are times when they occasionally get an entertaining customer of two, however, most of the day consists of those who prefer to quietly drink their tea. There’s no fault in that, everyone deserves their time. Iluka only wished that more often than not a more upbeat person came in to keep her company. 

The chime of the door’s bell echoed in the shop, snapping the owner out of her thoughts. “Welenga!” She greeted, walking around the counter to face the customer. “How can we help you today?”

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[seashore-tea-blog]

“I think the rain adds to it,” she commented, holding her hand out in front of her to watch the raindrops hit her palm. “Seeing them fall on the river and make the small ripples and splashes can be quite calming.” She turned around to face him and with his hat tilted up a little more than before, she could get a somewhat better look at him. His eyes were a similar purple to hers - which surprised her - and his fair-skin and silver hair only made them stand out more.

‘Everywhere I been lately.’ She repeated in her mind as she began to let her thoughts wander. From those four words she guessed he was a traveler or someone who liked to travel. It must be nice to be able to go to so many places whenever, but also tiring. Does he have a home or live from inn to inn? He didn’t look as if he talked very much, which only made her more curious. It was only while standing still and thinking these thoughts that she began to really feel the drops of rain hit her skin and roll down. She didn’t mind it at all, in fact, it made her feel like she was back home. It was raining there before she left and although she knew it was going to rain here, an umbrella was out of the question. Maybe that was because she felt like she was still home in a sense. Whatever the reason, the rain was welcomed. 

Iluka turned to him once more to say something, but stopped herself. Instead she brushed her wet bangs off her face, adjusted a few places on her skirt that were beginning to cling to her skin, and turned away again. “We’re lucky it’s only a little rain. With thunder, we wouldn’t be able to say out here like this,” she finally let herself say. Sensing no change in the sky’s aura, she smiled. “It seems like the weather has no intention of thundering either.”

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

The silver-haired cowboy huffed, tipping his hat down a little further than usual. He had come to Forget-Me-Not Valley to trade in some animals as requested, and sure, that happened…but it took much quicker than he thought it might this time around.  And now he stood in the rain off-side of a plantation. He frowned a little bit, and looked around.It hadn’t been his first time here, but it certainly had been a long time. And usually when he made trips here he had just been in-and-out, or he secluded himself back in the Inn. Perhaps he’d do that, but, it honestly didn’t sound too appealing at the moment. 

Instead he wandered down the path of the river towards the waterfall- it seemed nice enough. He could recall maybe coming around here once before, but then again, his mind seemed to get things all jumbled around these days, with all of the different places he went to. 

He sat down, taking in the scenery. He always did love to take in scenery- it really was one of his pastimes when he wasn’t working. It relaxed him and seemed to help take some of the tension out of him. The land across the river looked like it had a particularly nice atmosphere- but like hell was he going to walk all the way down and cross the bridge again just to get there. He was plumb tuckered out already. 

Suddenly, footsteps came from the way he had come; he assumed someone else was coming to either enjoy the scenery or perhaps fish or something of the sort. He frowned, tilting his hat down a little more and didn’t even look in the general direction of where the footsteps were coming from. <i>They’re not here to talk to you, they’re just gonna walk on by….</i> He told himself, hoping this was true. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

With Tototara in charge of the shop today, Iluka took this as her chance to explore the neighboring towns. Having more than two days this time, she was able to go out and see the world for more than tea leaves and spices. It was exciting! It was also too bad that Siluka wanted to stay home during all of this. Sometimes she seemed a little too laid back for Iluka’s tastes.

Iluka had looked over a map of Bokumono before she left to help her decide where she wanted to stay first. She decided that the best thing to do was start from the furthest town and make her way back. That is, if she didn’t like the first town enough to spend all her days there. 

Not wanting to travel by train and ferry, one of the farthest towns was Forget-Me-Not Valley. She hadn’t heard much about this town nor has she seen much of it in anything. She found that funny considering the town’s name. Forget-Me-Not, she repeated in her head. I wonder where a name like that came from. As she continuously tried to come up with her own reasons for the name and did other small tasks to keep her busy, she almost didn’t notice the train had come to a stop for those going to Forget-Me-Not Valley. 

The town was charming in its own way and the residents were very friendly towards Iluka, giving a nod or wave as they walked by. While passing one pair of residents, she overheard them talking about the waterfall at the top of the river. A waterfall? I didn’t expect that. Hearing the chatter between residents as she passed was a great way to learn about places to go without having to ask and now knowing about the waterfall, she had to go.

The walk wasn’t bad at all as there was so much for her to take in as she went. The sights, the sounds, and the even the animals differed from what she was used to and made it all the better. When she finally arrived to her destination, she noticed someone else was there. He wasn’t dressed as the locals were, instead he looked more like a... cowboy? Naturally, that piqued her interest and she felt the need to start a conversation. 

“What a lovely place, don’t you think?” She asked, taking a couple steps away from him, facing the water. She knew better than to immediately sit next to him - she didn’t want to look weird or creepy.

[seashore-tea-blog]

A Stitch or Two||Candace & Iluka

[invisibledisaster-blog1]

seashore-tea:

❀ @invisibledisaster ❀ 

“Ludus, you are so lucky that I’m not home right now,” she mumbled as she walked through a new town with a dress in hand. “How did you even manage to do this?” Holding the garment up, she revealed a tear in the side. The dress belonged to one of Ludus’ customers who left it for sizing for a wardrobe she gave him to fix. Did he think he could break apart and put the piece of furniture back together with the dress still in it? There was no way for her to explain this, nor did she want to ask him to find out. 

“Alright, he said Sonata Tailoring.” The foreigner wandered around the unfamiliar town looking for the shop recommended to her. The only thing this place had in common with Lulukoko was that it was by the water and that’s it. After some time, she finally came across the shop Ludus had told her about. Whoever works here came highly recommended from a previous customer. “They better be right. This dress alone could buy out this whole shop.” 

“Haronga - no.. Hello? I was hoping you could help me. It’s an emergency.” Iluka took her time walking into the shop, looking around as she made her way to the counter. With mannequins and fabric everywhere, she could tell this was the real deal. And for what she traveled today, it better be.

Candace glanced up from her work at the sound of the shop’s bell ringing - a confusing word (it had been a word, right? Had she misheard it?) following it immediately after the familiar little chime. It was followed shortly after by a word Candace understood all too well, however: emergency. Candace paused, pressed her fingertips against her lower lip to steel her nerves, collected herself quickly, then rose to her feet.

“I can help you,” she said gently, moving behind the shop’s back counter dutifully. Her grandmother had been out all morning, but Candace wasn’t too worried about that - she’d been told to expect it. She’d also expected the shop to be a little slow while grandma Shelly was gone, but she didn’t especially mind stepping in to do cashier work on her behalf.

Candace had offered to help the customer before she’d really taken the time to look up at her, however. She was immediately struck into dumbfounded silence by the woman’s appearance once she’d glanced up— and accidentally swallowed the question that had been on the tip of her tongue. She reminds me of Selena, came her immediate nervous thought— but there was no indication this person was related to Selena. Not immediately. Some people just chose to wear revealing clothing like this, right? And some people apparently had both the confidence and the body to pull that sort of thing off.

She was bright pink and flustered by the time she forced herself to speak.

“What c— can I— I mean, um. What’s wrong—?”

[seashore-tea-blog]

Iluka was thankful that someone was here, but if they could actually help her was still in question. If this day could get any worse it would happen that this blue-haired girl was only watching the shop. 

“I’m in need of a repair,” she answered as she placed the dress on the counter. “It’s extremely delicate and expensive. Unfortunately, a very irresponsible person was left in charge of it and it was neglected.” She shook her head at the thought of it. “If the owner sees this she’s going to flip!”

What if she can’t fix it? What if they don’t have the right fabric or thread? On top of those thoughts, she was also a bit nervous about this girl’s abilities. It wasn’t that she doubted them, entirely, more than she didn’t know this shop and what they dealt with. What if they weren’t familiar with this style but took it anyway for the business? It was a risk that she didn’t have a choice but to take.

[alice-in-funland-blog]

Sweet Tea | Iluka + Alice

@seashore-tea

Alice tried to keep her head up as she looked through her list. She clicked her tongue in disapproval. Why was she the one that had to do this? She had people for this, but of course they all conveniently disappeared when she called for them. 

“Insolent children,” she scoffed under her breath. She merely wandered around, attempting to find what was on her list, but she knew she was going in circles. With a grumble of frustration, she pushed passed a woman. 

“Watch it,” she snapped. “I don’t want your filth to get on my clothes.”

[seashore-tea-blog]

So this is Sugarleaf Valley. Iluka thought as she made her way around the new and unexplored town. It was very different than what she was used to back at home, but that’s half the experience when traveling. Why go somewhere new if it’s just like where you’re from? That defeats the purpose in her eyes. She’s all about adventures. However, this trip wasn’t about exploring places and adventures. This trip was about exploring new flavors that her and her sister could incorporate into their menu, which could turn out to be an adventure.

As Iluka was walking, she noticed a young woman headed her way. She didn’t pay her much attention figuring that since she saw her, the stranger saw her too. Guess not.

“Gominga, I-” she started before the other barked at her. “What’re you talking about? For someone who wasn’t looking you sure have an attitude.” Iluka placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her brows as she spoke. She was known to get a hot-temper, but usually Siluka was there to bring her back down - not this time. 

[alice-in-funland-blog]

“Excuse you?” Alice shot back, placing her own hands on her hips and glaring harshly at the other woman. “You bumped into me, obviously. I knew exactly where I was going,” she scoffed.

Alice rolled her eyes, tossing some of her hair over her shoulder. “You aren’t even worth my time anyway,” she stated coolly, her temper coming down fairly fast. “I mean, look at your clothes. Obviously you were raised in a trash heap.” She put a hand over her mouth and laughed to herself. “If you were brought up properly then there wouldn’t be this issue.” 

She turned on her heel, not seeming to pay much attention to the other now. “Actually, you can make it up to me. Since you’re so clumsy you have to know where everything is here-I bet you’ve fallen through every stand at least once. Tell me where I can get these things and we’ll be even and I’ll forgive you…maybe.” She smirked.

[seashore-tea-blog]

“How dare you insult my native clothing! Not only are you terribly rude, but you’re also terribly ignorant.” Iluka turned her face away from the young woman to dismiss her. “And our outfits aren’t all that different, besides the cultural aspects. I guess that makes you raised in a trash heap as well.” She usually wasn’t one to insult someone, but the nerve of this one! She’s wearing a similar style of clothing with a cropped top and a skirt, so what’s the real difference? Her culture? This stranger may look well to do, but her actions and choice of words to others show how uneducated she is. 

Iluka raised an eyebrow and looked over the other, unsure of how she came to that conclusion. Does it look like I’m from here? She thought. How will I know where anything is? “I don’t see what I have to make up for and even if I did, I can’t help you. I’m not from here.” The foreigner turned around and was going to walk away when she sighed. This wasn’t how she was raised to treat people - no matter how much they spoiled the mood. 

“Though I guess we could find everything on your list.” She turned back around to face the stranger again, a forced smile pulling at the ends of her lips. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

❀Paycheck❀

E A R N I N G S : +2,000G for having one job. +500G for updating Biography and Heart Levels page. +500G for updating Character’s Info in the spreadsheets.

E X P E N S E S : [ N O N E ]

New total: 7,500G

[seashore-tea-blog]

A Stitch or Two||Candace & Iluka

❀ @invisibledisaster ❀ 

“Ludus, you are so lucky that I’m not home right now,” she mumbled as she walked through a new town with a dress in hand. “How did you even manage to do this?” Holding the garment up, she revealed a tear in the side. The dress belonged to one of Ludus’ customers who left it for sizing for a wardrobe she gave him to fix. Did he think he could break apart and put the piece of furniture back together with the dress still in it? There was no way for her to explain this, nor did she want to ask him to find out. 

“Alright, he said Sonata Tailoring.” The foreigner wandered around the unfamiliar town looking for the shop recommended to her. The only thing this place had in common with Lulukoko was that it was by the water and that’s it. After some time, she finally came across the shop Ludus had told her about. Whoever works here came highly recommended from a previous customer. “They better be right. This dress alone could buy out this whole shop.” 

“Haronga - no.. Hello? I was hoping you could help me. It’s an emergency.” Iluka took her time walking into the shop, looking around as she made her way to the counter. With mannequins and fabric everywhere, she could tell this was the real deal. And for what she traveled today, it better be.

[alice-in-funland-blog]

Sweet Tea | Iluka + Alice

@seashore-tea

Alice tried to keep her head up as she looked through her list. She clicked her tongue in disapproval. Why was she the one that had to do this? She had people for this, but of course they all conveniently disappeared when she called for them. 

“Insolent children,” she scoffed under her breath. She merely wandered around, attempting to find what was on her list, but she knew she was going in circles. With a grumble of frustration, she pushed passed a woman. 

“Watch it,” she snapped. “I don’t want your filth to get on my clothes.”

[seashore-tea-blog]

So this is Sugarleaf Valley. Iluka thought as she made her way around the new and unexplored town. It was very different than what she was used to back at home, but that’s half the experience when traveling. Why go somewhere new if it’s just like where you’re from? That defeats the purpose in her eyes. She’s all about adventures. However, this trip wasn’t about exploring places and adventures. This trip was about exploring new flavors that her and her sister could incorporate into their menu, which could turn out to be an adventure.

As Iluka was walking, she noticed a young woman headed her way. She didn’t pay her much attention figuring that since she saw her, the stranger saw her too. Guess not.

“Gominga, I-” she started before the other barked at her. “What’re you talking about? For someone who wasn’t looking you sure have an attitude.” Iluka placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her brows as she spoke. She was known to get a hot-temper, but usually Siluka was there to bring her back down - not this time. 

[seashore-tea-blog]

An Apple a Day || Open

[seashore-tea-blog]

“They have good taste.” She commented with a smile. “I make them all myself.” The neighboring towns never failed in helping Lulukoko attract foreign attention and Lulukoko never failed to do the same in return. Each town was vastly different from the other making travel between the three a new experience every time. There was always something to see and do that wasn’t done the previous times and talking to the locals always served as a treat.

Iluka nodded, handing over a tea shop menu to the redhead. “Have a seat while you look it over. I’m sure it’ll be more comfortable if you put the bag down.” The redhead was looking around as if she wanted to sit and honestly, drinking tea while standing in front of the counter was a bit awkward. Iluka would know, it’s happened before. However, if that is something she’s is accustomed to then there’s no changing it. 

“Since it’s your first time here, if the first tea you try isn’t to your tastes then you can get another one on the house.” Making it a point to give first-time customers a good impression of their shop it a main priority of the twins. A good impression can lead to a returning visit and more customers! 

[gotta-ramble-on-blog]

Nami glanced up at the owner— cocking a brow at her advice on taking a seat. But despite herself, she sat down obediently - setting her bag down on the floor by her feet. The nudge had been all she’d needed to allow herself to relax a little, apparently— and to put herself in the proprietor’s hands.

“Really?” This is the first time she’s ever been offered a satisfaction guarantee deal in a café. That seemed like pretty good business to Nami, and her expression evened out once more— into something closer to color me impressed. She pondered the offer for a moment and scanned the menu, her eyes roaming over names both familiar and unfamiliar. Some of these must be regional variants. Some of these she knew she enjoyed, but probably would prefer a new experience.

Finally, Nami nodded to herself as she arrived at a decision.

“If you can pick one out for me, I’d really like that.” She turned an even stare on the woman behind the counter, satisfied with her choice as she handed the menu back. “Anything you think I’ll like. I’d really appreciate it if I could try something you think I might never have had before. Something you make special.”

[seashore-tea-blog]

“Will do♪” she answered, taking back the menu already thinking of possible teas to make. It would be hard to determine something this young woman hasn’t had as she looked to be one to travel often. Iluka decided that her safest bet would be to give the redhead a more tropical tea and hope for the best. The worst that could happen is that she’s had it before. 

The kitchen was full of fresh and dried tea leaves, powders, fruits, and a variety of other ingredients to satisfy the range of drinks and dishes served here. Iluka wanted to choose something that she knew most people didn’t tend to order only because they wouldn’t know how it tasted. An easy way to miss out on some of the best things. Something that’s still in season would be best. She quickly gave the fridge and pantry a quick look over before deciding on a passion fruit bubble tea with pearls. It’s a tea I would enjoy. She’d probably like it too, then.

It wasn’t long before Iluka was out with a tea on a tray and a smile on her face. “A passion fruit bubble tea. A tropical favorite.” She placed it on the table and waited for the young woman’s reaction. Has she had it? Does she like it? Of course she’ll like it. She thought to herself. I made it.

[seashore-tea-blog]

Familiar Faces || Nadi & Iluka

[seashore-tea-blog]

Iluka acknowledged his request with a nod and immediately took out the tea leaves to begin. The faintly sweet aroma quickly filled the tea house as she mixed the leaves and water together, producing the bright green drink everyone is used to seeing. The vibrant color led the sisters to make this one of the few teas served in a clear cup as to not hide the natural beauty and refreshing feeling it gives.

Placing the tea tray on the table, she took the cup plate off and put it in front of the customer. “I hope you didn’t mind the wait. I take pride in making everything from scratch.” Although he’s been here before and has never said anything, the place was a little on the empty side and people from outside Lulukoko were known to get impatient at times. Some wanted quantity over quality, but Iluka is always quality when it comes to her drinks. 

“I’ve been curious,” she started. The thought to walk away and leave him with his tea was an idea, but there was no one else in the tea house and a little conversation never hurt. “Do you have work here? You come often enough to have business here, but not so often to live close by.” 

[illumxnadi-blog]

      .❀. He shakes his head as he takes the cup she placed down. “Nah, not at all. I prefer it that way, really. Nothing beats great quality.” And as if to emphasize that point, he takes a sip of the tea in that moment, and gives a small noise of contentment as he listens to the waitress’ question. It was rare that she’d stop for chit-chat like this (honestly, he doesn’t think this has ever happened before), but – he thinks as he glances around the empty shop – he guessed she must have been bored enough to try and start conversation with a boring guy like him.

        “Mm, I have a few jobs I do in this place, yeah.” He sets his cup down, resting his chin in his palm as he stares up at the woman. “I’m a landscaper, so people contract me to tend to their plants and gardens and all that. And I don’t live here, no.” 

        Nadi pauses then, as he realizes he has nothing else to say. This was the part where he asked her something, right? It wasn’t like he could shoo her away, or ignore her in her own shop. Ahhh, this would have been so much more simple if he was in the middle of work right now. “…What about you? You’ve had this shop long?”

[seashore-tea-blog]

A landscaper, hm? He must be good if he comes out here for work. Maybe I’ll hire him to clean up around the house. Not much to do, but could still use some love. She let her thoughts wander on the possibility during the momentary silence. This could be the perfect time to start the garden she always wanted right outside her shop and she wouldn’t have to worry about the upkeep. Siluka would like that, too. She’s too lazy laid back to do the work but she’d enjoy the colors. 

“Oh,” she almost didn’t hear him ask. “Yeah, my sister and I have been running this for the longest time. It’s the perfect way to do what we like without getting in each other’s ways.” She chuckled. She wasn’t kidding though. She makes the drinks and Siluka makes the meals, there’s no need for their paths to cross until it’s time to put the items on the trays. Don’t get them wrong though, they’re very close, but good customer service is easier when they don’t have a clustered kitchen and bar. 

“I also must say for not having lived here at any point, you caught onto our language pretty well.”