Chapter Text
Asra found themselves making their way back to Mother-earth’s, the herbal apothecary shop that was down by the marketplace. They wanted to stop by and tell the shop owner about how the cider had helped him with his flu before he left Vesuvia again.
Asra remembered being recommended to the shop by a man working in his stall when he was sick. When he found it he had been quite surprised to see that the little shop wasn’t too far away from his and his apprentice’s shop. ‘I’m sure I’ve passed the shop a million of times,’ Asra thought, feeling crestfallen. He and his apprentice got into a fight not too long ago (literally 5 minutes ago). They weren’t too happy about him leaving again, especially right after he’s gotten better. But he needed to leave, his feelings were getting the best of him again.
The fluffy haired individual checked their travel satchel, making sure they didn’t leave anything behind at the shop. Thankfully he hadn’t. The sign to Nymeria’s shop came into view, and he turned the corner, the wooden door right beside him. She looked through the glass to see the small woman at the front desk, shuffling some cards in her patchy hands. ‘Could those be..?’ Curiosity propelled them to the door, and once again the variety of earthy smells hit their nose.
Nymeria looked up at them, alerted from the door being opened suddenly, but as soon as she saw them she smiled a bright closed eyed smile. “Welcome back!” she said greets, standing up from her wooden chair. “You kept your promise,” she said, happy that he did.
“I did,” Asra replied. The magician noticed her attire, or rather her top. It was a lavender shawl-like garment that covered her breasts and hung off her shoulder. From where he was standing he could see rows of circular patterns all over the piece. It definitely wasn’t something he’s seen in Vesuvia before. “That’s a lovely top you have,” Asra said before correcting himself. “I’ve never seen something like that before.”
The curvaceous woman continued to smile. “Thank you. It’s something more common where I’m from,” Nymeria explained. “It’s a called a sabai, and the skirt I have on is called a sinh. You can’t see it though,” she continues, laughing at the end. “But enough about that. You look like you’re dressed for an adventure. Where ya goin’?”
“Oh! I’m just heading to Nopal. Just need to get out and clear my head for a little while..,” Asra replied, rubbing the back of their neck, their violet eyes looking down at the waxed wooden floor.
The 5-foot woman rose her eyebrow at him, wanting to know more about his trip and why he was suddenly so bashful. But she didn’t press him, it would be rude if she did especially since they didn’t know each other. “Nopal, huh? I’ve never been there before. What are you going to be doing out there all on your own?” she inquired, leaning against the dark wooden desk.
“Oh you know, just retreating to do some meditating, taking care of the succulents, basking in the rays of the sun,” they list, a small smile returning to their beautiful face. “That sort of stuff. And maybe I’ll adventure off somewhere further.”
Nymeria’s eyes lit up when he spoke about taking care of succulents. Gardening was her favorite thing of all time. Something about getting her hands dirty in the moist soil, smelling the fresh scents of the surrounding earth, and nurturing and caring for plants gave her a rush of joy. The young woman had tons and tons of plants back at her cottage, they were all her babies, and she took care of them every single day no matter how tired she was. “That sounds like fun! You talking about your succulents made me think of my plant babies at home. Need to water them today actually.”
Asra’s smile stretched wider. His smile is so bright and beautiful, making Nymeria feel oh so warm. ‘Oh you’re so precious,’ she thought to herself, finding herself melting a little.
“Oh yes, that reminds me! I came here to tell you about the cider,” Asra told her, remembering why he came here in the first place.
“Oh yeah! I notice how healthy you look now! You were so pale and tired the last time I saw you,” Nymeria said, relieved about how he was much better now.
“Your fire cider did wonders. It was pretty hard to drink but it helped my congestion and with my flu,” the magician explained, adjusting his colorful hat. “I just want to say thank you again. I’ll definitely be coming here more!”
“That’s awesome! Please do spread some good words about my shop!” Nymeria was beyond overjoyed about his words, and she wouldn’t deny that he made her heart skip a little, and unfortunately she can feel her cheeks starting to burn red.
Seeing the red on her cheeks cause them to grin a little. Asra really could tease her about it, but they really needed to head out. “I’ll definitely put in some good words for you, Nymeria,” they told her kindly. “Unfortunately I must go. I’d love to get to know you more though, so maybe when I return we can chat some more?”
“I’d love that,” Nymeria replies, smiling her wide beautiful smile. “You know where my shop is! I’m open pretty much every day except on Sunday. I’m usually at the Temple District and at home.”
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll see you soon!” Asra said, waving to her as he heads to the door.
“Can’t wait time see you again! Be safe, alright!”
Asra laughed softly. “I will, I will! Take care!” They heard her reply with a “You too!” and it made him smile even more. Nymeria was such a breath of fresh air, just an easy person to be around. She’s very sweet and caring, that much was obvious, and she’s a nature lover. The magician looked forward to meeting up with her again and getting to know her more. ‘A new friend.. I like the sound of that.’