Woman Talk Over Archery [Izzy x Eldar]

Lori had been quick to react only because she felt she was being threatened, and as far as nerves went she was now a wreck despite not acting like it. Now she simply surveyed the scene and lowered her bow but did so very slowly in case one of them was angry enough to try coming at them. Just her luck that someone DID get up and try rushing them. Instead of firing an arrow, shockingly, she swung her bow around and knocked him across the face. "That should teach you not to act foolishly." she muttered. She hoped they wouldn't be in too much trouble for what they'd done, but soon her thought process meandered back to her shop, and the fact her precious little dragon was probably not very happy and being left alone.

Well, now that things seemed to have calmed down, she looked back to Siofra and at least attempted a smile. "Shall we go back so you can finish your pie?" There was also the sinking feeling that Yaya would be tearing the place to pieces from anxiety, but she hoped that the little dragon could be somewhat patient and wait for her to return. "Provided the little one hasn't done irreparable damage in our absence."

"I'm a bit wet behind the ears I guess you could say. I only just recently took my mother's position in the unit, so I'm trying to get accustomed to it. I'm sorry that I'm not up to par yet." Lourna tried her hardest to make everything work, but there were occasions where she just couldn't do it by herself. Thankfully things had calmed down in recent weeks, and she actually had time to plan her schedule, much less actually breathe. When the elf smiled, she turned and walked back over to her shop to prop the door open and let in some fresh air. She was also sorely tempted to send the rest of the pie off with her visitor as a gift. Perhaps that would be her way of saying 'thank you' for the advice at target practice.

She wasn't all that shocked to hear Yaya still pawing at the door, but she had figured the little dragon would have long since gone back to sleep. When the door opened, the first person to be greeted turned out to be Siofra, and THAT was the shocker. "Siofr-ra!" she piped as she ran in little circles around the woman's feet. There was just something about elves that would forever prod at Yaya's curiosity, maybe it was their innate use of magic, or maybe it was just that they looked like the perfect people to cuddle with. More than likely it would end up be the latter. "Pretty!" she exclaimed as she rubbed against her leg much like an affectionate cat.

"I practice as often as I can, usually at night after supper since by then I've closed up shop and the rest of my daily duties are done. I know I don't act properly like a soldier worth her salt, but I'm improving every day!" she assured her superior, for fear of being punished. When Yaya hurried back behind the counter to nap, Lori scanned over a list and glanced about the room. "Starting to get used to my schedule I think. After first being given this place everything was a wreck, from the house to the store to my practice routine. Guess it just took a little time for the shock to go away." Things were still taking their sweet time in fully cooperating with her set timetable, but the odd hiccup was a good thing for her managerial skills.

"Don't suppose business ventures are all that interesting to you, are they?" she asked looking back up with a small smile. Everything had been accounted for and all sales matched up thus far. It was a good day aside from the brawling that'd just been suppressed outside. There was also the tantalizing question of just what in the world make this elf smile. Seemed like she didn't smile much at all and it was starting to get a bit unnerving. "Other than pie, is there anything else you especially like?" she ventured to inquire.

"Oh, w-well to be honest I'm not quite sure, what with all that's gone on lately. I'm finding that most of what I make here tastes good, but my favorite fruit is the peach. Apparently they either don't grow around here or they aren't in season, I'm hoping for the latter." She'd never really thought about the things she liked, they were just there and most simply learned about those things by watching her. "I'm afraid my answer is likely not satisfactory, but I don't know how to express myself very well. Nobody has ever asked me that question before." Nor would many people ask her that in the future it seemed. Lori didn't want to appear hurt by that fact, but deep down she was disappointed that she wasn't up to speed like the rest of her generation.

"Surahnian girls tend to marry early, and at eighteen I'm starting to get rather old, or so I keep hearing. I wish it weren't true, but that seems to be the case." She knew the elf was far older than she appeared, and began to wonder why 20 was such a big deal. She mixed a batch of sourdough and set it aside to rise before smiling to herself. "There is one thing I'm quite sure I like, having a family. If I didn't have my mother I don't know what would've become of me after Racksom."

Lori turned to face her guest with a hopeful shine to her eyes and leaned against the counter. "I'm already slightly suspect for the fact I've yet to marry and have children. Some girls my age have toddlers clinging to their skirts when they come in here, it's almost laughable looking at how the rest of the island seems to operate." Hearing her tell her to do what made her happy caused her to pause on her way to check the dough. "I don't very much enjoy the idea of war to be honest, it makes me feel a bit sick. Not to say I won't do what's asked of me, but it doesn't sit well with me." She felt it went against the principles of her religion as well, but that was a live can of worms waiting to happen, so she refrained from saying more on the matter as she kneaded the dough.

"I'm happy to have Sinyaya, very happy indeed." It happened to be at that moment that the aforementioned dragon ran across the counter and ended up under the blob of dough that'd been getting tossed about. "Oof!" She squirmed and squeaked, eventually wriggling free of the cold, almost slimy pile of goo that she tried to run under. "Yaya!" started Lourna as she set her hands on her hips. "I thought I told you not to sit on the counter when I'm kneading dough!" She pulled small bits of what would later be bread off her little companion and cuddled her in her arms. "Why don't you go sit with Miss Siofra? You won't have to eat the pie, just sit with her and be good alright?" With that being said, off Yaya ran to sit beside the elf as Lori got the bread ready to go into the oven. "Dragon-proofing the entire place isn't such a smart thing after all, since she's getting to be quite big in such a short amount of time."

"If it were to end tomorrow? I suppose. . .I suppose I'd rest a lot easier at night for one thing. And for another I'd likely get out of this city and really see the rest of the island. Can't imagine why previous generations want to destroy the magic of this place, it likely wouldn't be the same without it." Turned out she was right, she just had no idea. Yaya crept over and sat by the counter quietly, only to curl up and go to sleep. Therefore, Lourna moved her to the back room and came back to fiddle with something. "If it were all to end tomorrow I don't really quite know what I'd do with myself. Traffic in the marketplace would certainly go through the roof and I'd have my hands full around here, most likely."

"The Festival of Life is just around the corner too. Lots of trouble to follow as well." she remarked with a wicked smirk. "Believe it or not more people end up married because of that festival than any other circumstance you can imagine. It's like a downhill sort of slope, lots of youth my age end up drunk, girls have to identify the fathers of their children, then marriage etc. etc." she rattled. "It's how most of our children come into being at any rate. Father used to mention how he met my mother, it was at the Festival. He made her blush every time! Though I guess I can see why, since it was soon after things died down that they found out about me." Mentioning it herself she felt her face heat up, and she knew she was blushing. "Will you be celebrating this year?"

Why hadn't she found someone...? "I suppose you could say I'm specific about who I'll settle down with. I'm not so good at talking to men either, so that counts against me." she replied with an embarrassed smile. As her guest inquired about the Festival more, she relaxed and forgot her earlier nerves. "It's a celebration revolving around children from 1 to 21. Our previous homeland was destroyed by a plague, and many of our people didn't survive. Many of our youth were among the dead, so for them to survive is now a great blessing. But yes, you might call it a "coming of age" for those around my age. For little ones it's just a time of eating sweets and being told by their parents how much they're loved. There is usually lots of drinking involved and more music that any sober person can handle." This year in particular was going to be nerve-wracking, as her mother was forcing her to take time off and celebrate.

"I'm not quite sure what I'll end up doing, but mother is making me take time off from work this year. I may just find someone if I'm not careful!" she joked. "You're sure to love it though, it's lots of fun!" By the time Lori got around to taking time off, Yaya would be accompanying her and she'd be the size of a hunting dog or perhaps a bit bigger depending on how fast she grew. Said dragon purred and rubbed against Lourna's leg, earning a bit of petting before going off to nap for a bit.

Lourna broke into a fit of laughter, simply out of joy for the first time since Racksom. "Who am I to refuse?" she replied as she settled back down. It was when she looked at the space under the counter that she noticed a wrapped box, presumably left by her mother since she knew of nobody else who would leave her gifts in random places. "Well now, seems mother dropped by last night and stuck this here." Curiosity at its limit, she carefully opened the box and her face instantly turned red once again. "This might be a gift better suited to you, Siofra. You've more worth showing off than I do." To bolster her argument, she presented a red and black ensemble in three pieces: a black and red skirt made of satin and adorned with gold and beads, a red bustier that (much to her horror and surprise) left most of the midsection exposed, and a long jacket with full bell sleeves that was made to go over the top and partly cover the skirt.

"My mother seems to think this will help. . .I'm not so keen on it myself. . ." In point of fact she was still bright red at the idea of wearing it at ALL much less in public at the festival. Heaven forbid anyone see her in this, her reputation would likely go out the window! She decided to fold it back up and put it in the box before anyone else saw it. "I do believe the physician was right in saying she'd lost part of her sanity."

"I suppose you're right. I was worried about my reputation but I suppose age makes up for that!" She did frown slightly when she called herself scary. "What man in his right mind would be scared? The only thing to fear is a woman losing her husband to you!" Inside the box, along with the scary outfit, was a note that specified that she was only to wear the jacket if it got too cold otherwise. Peachy. Yaya didn't seem to mind the gift, in fact she kept rubbing against the soft fabric and purring, like it was going to be her new bed. "As much as I'd love to let you lounge about on the skirt, Sinyaya, my mother would be very displeased about it. I have no choice but to wear it."

"Looks pretty!" she squeaked as she reached up to paw at Lourna's side. "Both look pretty!" Apparently if she couldn't she make it into a bed, she was going to see the girl wear it, to prove that it did indeed have another higher purpose. She hadn't any idea that she wouldn't be out enjoying the festivities with her cuddling caretakers, and it would be a very sad night each time they went out. "Yaya can go too?" she asked trying to be cute.

Having been nudged into the side room to change, she did take a while to get dressed, simply because she had little idea of how to put any of it on, and had only just figured it all out when Yaya sneaked in to check on her. "I couldn't figure out how to get into the skirt, it had so much added on that it was difficult to figure out." After another minute of fiddling and Yaya making sure she was actually going to WEAR the dress, she walked back out feeling more embarrassed than before. "Mother seems to have forgotten that I'm not too pleased with my figure, this is a nightmare!" she half-joked. The little dragon meanwhile snuggled up to Siofra. "Want to go too, please. . .?" she begged. She wasn't used to being alone for very long, and certainly wasn't used to Lori going out without her.

"No I'm afraid you can't come with us tonight. Perhaps another night I can take you out and let you run around, okay?" With a sad whine the dragon nodded her head and trudged off to the back room to wait for sunset so she could chase the occasional rat that would get into the shop. "Bye bye Lori and Siofra." she said quietly. Darn guilt-trips, babies knew how to use those too well in Lourna's opinion. "Perhaps you'd like to change into something more festive before we brave the grand event?" asked the young baker. Not to say the woman wasn't nicely dressed, but celebrations usually involved over the top attire. "Not to say you're not dressed fabulously, but it IS the biggest event we've had since his Majesty's coronation."

"Men and boys alike are going to drool over you." she remarked kindly. In the time she'd taken to change, which hadn't been that long really, Lori had drawn on the artistry skills she used to decorate cakes and applied it to body painting. "I think I did the painting right, but the shine in the paint with the paleness of my skin proved to be a challenge and I might have made a mistake or two." she admitted. "I'm ready as I'll ever be regardless of paint malfunctions!" It was a little tough to smile over it, but she was excited all the same. She wasn't quite sure what would happen, but it was worth venturing out to see. A servant fussed over her hair for a moment or two and hurried back out of the room. It was after that occurred that she realized her friend had deliberately left her jacket in the shop and likely wasn't going to let her go back and get it.

Time to hope the weather was fair. Music could be heard outside and as the younger of the two women moved to the door, she froze and started a debate with herself. Moments later she forced herself to open the door and brave the strange looks she knew she'd get for her attire. "Don't let me run into Atoro, please." she muttered making a small sign to the Willow Mother. "What shall we do first?" she asked.

Not so surprisingly, she got quite positive reactions to her dress, and somehow it made her feel better knowing that. "I. . .I guess mother had her reasons for making me wear this getup. Food and drink is a good place to start." Dancing would likely commence after that, if someone dared ask. General festival things would be dispersed in between. "I've never really had native food, don't guess it's much different than what we make here." She suddenly lit up and glanced at her companion. "You'll actually get to try some of my savory baked goods tonight; I worked out a deal with some local vendors and they're serving some of my bread and rolls here."

She watched some of the younger teens sit around trying to look like they were worth noticing and rolled her eyes. "Kids, who can figure them?" Upon taking a moment to pause and look at them, they didn't seem all too happy to be there. "You'd think they'd be having fun at something like this." Then again most didn't look of proper age to celebrate to the fullest, but they could at LEAST be dancing or playing a game! Something in one of the food stalls kept distracting her and she brought back two bowls of it for Siofra and herself. "I think it's vegetable soup, but I can't tell just by smelling it." She knew each serving was paired with a sourdough roll, but that was about it.