for ask-zagi /✫/ the assassin
It was almost noon. As the general time for lunch approached, Colette found herself slightly peckish, and a quick inventory of her refrigerator reminded her that it was time to pay a visit to Halo, the only local general store. While some would find the mishmash of groceries, medicine, and battle equipment rather strange, having separate stores in a village like Iselia would be impractical. And wasn't the store owner who knew you by name ( and every single thing you frequently bought ) part of the charm of small towns?
After making the ten-minute walk and purchasing a fresh loaf of bread and a small variety of fruit, Colette smiled and glanced backwards to say goodbye on her way out the door, attention focused on the shop owner. Consequently, she missed the first step of the stairs leading back to the main road, and almost bowled over an innocent civilian on her trip down.
Though her wings reflexively snapped out to catch her as she lost balance, a quick grab around the waist kept her upright, and she found her eyeline even with her savior's chest.
"I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I --" Trailing off as she pulled back to righten herself, she blinked when an unfamiliar face met hers with a smile that was a bit eerie for comfort. Was that a smile? Oh no, he was angry, wasn't he. He was probably a tired traveler stopping by the little mountain town, and she had all but plowed him down. Quickly retracting her wings, she took a step back; while not afraid, staying in the space bubble she had accidentally, violently invaded probably wasn't going to help his mood.
"I-I'm really sorry. I'll be more careful in the future. You're not hurt, are you?" She shifted her groceries to one arm and rummaged through her bag with the other before extracting a little red gelatin. "Would you like an apple gel?"