1X1 with arvanien

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil’s eyes glittered madly as she smiled up at Arion. “Really,” She said sincerely, “I haven’t enjoyed being around someone like this in a long time. “Giving a bubbly laugh, she added, “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” Basil’s compliment wasn’t just idle chit-chat or meaningless. Like her brother, it took a lot to impress Basil, (though she was much less hypercritical than he was). Arion was truly unlike any other person she had ever met before. His bright personality and adorable charm had attracted Basil since the first time she laid eyes on him. Even though they had only just met, she knew that she was falling for him.

Basil giggled a bit as Arion called her ma’am. Of course, she thought that his politeness was sweet, it was only that she found it a bit funny that he called her ma’am and miss Basil. After all, Arion appeared to be a little older than she was. “Why yes you may, sir” She said, purring the word ‘sir’. Basil grinned up a him crookedly as she continued in a fake aristocratic tone, “I would like two cups of black coffee and a pain au chocolate, if you have one of course. And your coziest booth for two please”. She couldn’t help but give a bubbly giggle at herself. Though Basil was a noblewoman, she wasn’t stuffy at all and it was hard to imagine her as such. Returning to her normal voice, she said cheerfully” Oh, Arion? Would you like a pastry or something with your coffee? And do you take cream and sugar in your coffee?” Her eyes sparkled wildly as she beamed up at him. As she smiled up at Arion, Basil found herself lost in his gaze once more. Though she always loved the cozy ambiance of The Teakeeper, it’s warm, inviting atmosphere seemed to fade into the background .

Juniper

Juniper beamed as he heard Celeste’s adorable giggle. He absolutely loved her cute laugh, it made everything seem just a little bit brighter and more cheerful. The Howler couldn't belive how lucky he was to meet a girl like Celeste. It didn't matter to him that she was a Quell anymore. She certainly wasn't like the librarians and other Quell Juniper had meet. Maybe she doesn't care that I'm a Howler? He thought, a happy warmth growing in his chest. After all, if Celeste was afraid of him or simply didn't like Howlers, she wouldn't have been chatting with him for this long, right?

At her question, Juniper gave a slight shrug. " Most of our books were stolen from the human world or from Quell. You see... most Howlers don't really see the need for books other than ones for recording things like marriages and scientific journals. We don't really have fiction books the way Quell and humans do. I suppose that's why most of us don't know how to read. I'm rather lucky to be able to read, to be honest" He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. But, it also saddened him a bit to talk about it. The idea of not knowing how to read was a tragedy in his opinion, though Juniper couldn't stay very sad for long. " Our stories and history are passed down by word of mouth," He explained, perking up a bit more, " Every night in my villiage, Howlers gather around the campfire to sing and tell stories and things. We may not have very many books, but we do know a thing or two about a well spun tale!" Juniper chuckled warmly, his eyes lighting up happily at the memory

[arvanien]

Arion

Arion smiled, looking away for a moment. He couldn't believe she thought so; it seemed impossible that she would think him amazing. But he could tell that she was being sincere, and he both appreciated it and was astounded at it. "Uh...thanks," he said shyly. Basil had a way of making him feel flustered all over again. "Basil - I really enjoy being with you too. Honestly, I don't think I've ever felt like this with anyone else before." He said, just as sincerely. Okay, now's a good time to shut up and focus.

He couldn't help but grin widely at her accent. It was making his heart melt and the butterflies in his stomach he thought he'd digested come back to life. "Consider it done, ma'am," Arion said, mimicking her accent so horribly, it was weirdly funny. He quickly prepared the coffee and took out a pain au chocolat, all the steps second nature to him. "Oh, don't worry about me! You can order anything else you'd like; it's on me," he said casually. There was no way Arion was letting Basil have to pay at all. He suddenly thought of something, and took one of the cups of coffee he just brewed and deftly began to pour steamed milk into it, using it to make a pleasing, intricate design on the top of the coffee. He presented the cup to Basil along with the warm chocolate pastry with a smile, hoping she liked latte art. Only right after he did so, did he notice that the design he made for her was that of a heart. Arion turned red and almost ducked under the counter. Of all the designs, how did I accidentally make that one? He groaned inwardly. He forced himself to keep a straight face, picking up his own cup and walking out from behind the counter to join her.

Celeste

Celeste's pulse quickened as she saw Juniper beam happily. She thought he had a beautiful smile, but the smile was only a bonus to his vibrant personality. Juniper was far from the wild animal she thought members of his race were. She appreciated that he didn't treat her with the slightest hint wariness or coldness; he was doing the exact opposite to tell the truth.

She seemed a little saddened learning that Howlers didn't write many books. But she brightened up as he mentioned how they related stories. Storytelling was an interesting art; one that she loved. Celeste wasn't an expert storyteller, but she greatly appreciated others' possession of the skill, knowing that it was important even if they had a plethora of books and written manuscripts. "Wow, really? That is amazing! I would love to hear them," she said, just as interested in it as he was. "I take it that you learn the skill well at a young age?" Celeste would also have liked to visit the Howler camp in peace, though she knew Arion would want to come, too. And his presence wouldn't exactly be welcome there, considering he was one of the most feared fighters among the Quell.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil gave a bubbly giggle as he imitated her fake accent so terribly. My stars, how is he so cute?! She thought, stifling her giggles. Her emerald eyes danced with a merry sparkle that hadn’t been there before. It was funny to see this side of her; Basil never opened up like this around anyone other than Arion.
“Really? Thank you, Arion” She said, beaming up at him. With a cheerful laugh, Basil added in a haughty voice, “I mean, thank you, sir” It was awfully sweet of him to do all of this for her. Basil didn’t mind paying in the least, after all she had been the one to invite him to get a coffee. She watched him happily as he fixed their coffees. Basil didn’t know it but she had an adorable lovesick grin on her face.

As he returned with the coffee and pastry, Basil’s eyes widened in delight as she took her cup. “Aw, thank you!” She beamed up at Arion, touched by his sweet gesture. A little impishly, Basil stood on her toes and lightly planted a kiss on his jaw (but was careful not to spill his coffee or her own). Her cheeks were bright red as she pulled away, though she quickly hid her blush by taking a sip of the coffee. She didn't know what exactly gave her the courage to actually do it, but Basil didn't regret it.

Juniper

“You’re right about picking up on story telling a young age. Howler children learn about our ancestors through the stories we pass on. It’s sort of an inherited trait I suppose.” He chuckled warmly, looking back up at Celeste, “ I don’t think anyone can tell a story better than a group of Howlers around a campfire!” Juniper said, though not meaning to gloat. It was more of a friendly tease than anything else.

Juniper’s eyes lit up excitedly as Celeste mentioned that she would like to hear some of the Howler’s stories. “You would?” He asked, “Would you like to hear them tonight? I know my village would welcome you with open arms.” Juniper was sure that now that the war was over, the Howlers would allow a Quell in the camp. After all, most Howlers were a bit more accepting than the Quell could be. It was true they were fierce warriors and could seem wild, but the pack shared an almost familial bond. Anyone who was “accepted” into the pack was treated just like family, where everyone was equal.

[arvanien]

Arion

"Anything for you, ma'am," Arion grinned, looking at her fondly. The merry sparkle in Basil's eyes was so devastatingly adorable, he quite forgot everything around him except for her. He smiled happily as he saw her delight, glad that he added the touch after all. The exquisite latte art served at The Teakeeper was a special that usually cost more, but he wasn't going to let her pay a mite. As she kissed him, Arion's heart hitched and started hammering uncontrollably. It was a sweet and simple gesture, but he blushed furiously and almost dropped his cup. Somehow, his awkwardness was inexplicably cute as he put his coffee on their booth's table and hid his face in his hands in a very flustered way. aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHH!

Celeste

"Really? That's such a neat custom! Mostly, it's the older Quell who are good at storytelling," Celeste smiled, locking gazes with Juniper. She couldn't help it; there was something attractively intriguing about his eyes.

Celeste's eyes lit up as well, and she beamed at his offer. "I would love to come to your village! I've always wanted to see it in peace and not war. You're so kind, Juniper." She smiled sincerely, her eyes sparkling. She loved the easy way Juniper talked, the look he got in his eyes when he was passionate about something. He really was someone special. They had almost spent an hour talking, yet it had seemed like just five minutes. And the prospect of hearing Howler stories by a campfire? No Quell had probably had the opportunity to do so in centuries.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil jumped in surprise as Arion let out his yelp. She looked up from her coffee with wide eyes, “Arion?” She squeaked worriedly, “Are you okay?” Her first thought was that he had spilled his hot coffee on himself. Though, seeing his mostly full cup on the table, a perplexed look crossed her face. Why did he scream? Was it the kiss? Basil bit her lip, giggling a bit at Arion’s flustered reaction. She hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable or anything like that, but his awkwardness was strangely adorable to her.

Basil set her coffee cup down and grabbed a napkin from the table. Very gently, she reached over to uncover Arion’s face from his hands. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you” She apologized, offering him the napkin “Here, you have a bit of lipstick on your cheek” Basil smiled at him, her cheeks still a bright pink. She sat back in the booth and took a sip of coffee happily in hopes that Arion could collect himself a bit more. Like everything made at The Teakeeper, the coffee tasted heavenly. “mmm” Basil hummed contentedly under her breath.

Juniper

Juniper was in awe once again of Celeste’s stunning blue eyes as he met her gaze. He loved the way her eyes lit up so attractively whenever she was happy or excited. It made his heart beat just a little faster as she beamed at him.

“Well then, it’s settled!” Juniper said cheerfully, “I’ll take you to my village tonight, if you like?” He had been so focused on their conversation, he hadn’t realized how long they had been talking to each other. Though, Juniper loved every minute of speaking with her. Celeste’s intelligence and bright personality made him love being around her. He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly at her compliment, “Kind? Nah, it’s really no trouble! I’m just glad that you’d like to see it.” He said humbly, “My village is hard to compare to a place as lovely as Solodin.” Even though the Howler village was very different from the lavish Quell city, it was still beautiful in it's own way. Juniper was sure that Celeste would love it as much he did.

[arvanien]

(Omg, I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean to say that Arion screamed out loud! He was screaming internally because he was so flustered; that's why it was italicized and not in quotation marks. I'm sorry for the confusion!! 😩 [Though, I loved Basil's reaction ^^])

Celeste

Celeste beamed excitedly; she could hardly believe that this was happening. "I'd love to! I'm really looking forward to it," she said cheerfully. "Howler customs are something we Quell don't know much about, so this is quite an opportunity." Celeste commented sincerely.

She smiled back, clasping her hands in her lap. "I'm sure your village has its own unique beauty, apart from Solodin. I've never lived for long periods of time aboveground in the forest, but it must be quite something." Celeste had only caught brief glimpses of the village, and it had been during the chaos of battle while it was on fire, ransacked, or hidden by trees. She was sure it was a lot different in peace. Everything was.

[rubyrocketboots13]

( Oh! I’m so sorry I misunderstood! It’s no problem ^^ I’ll fix that rn)

Basil

The blush on Basil’s cheeks was impossible to hide, even though her face was mostly hidden by her coffee cup. She didn’t know how Arion could make her so flustered like this. Her mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, though she was strangely warm and happy. Basil shyly looked past her coffee cup, unsure how Arion was going to react the kiss. It surprised her to see him covering his face with his hands.

Basil set her coffee cup down, worried she had acted to impulsively. “Arion? Are you okay?” She asked quietly. Basil bit her lip, trying hard not to giggle at Arion’s flustered reaction. She hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable or anything like that, but his awkwardness was strangely adorable to her. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…” She apologized, looking over at him. Basil took a napkin from off the table. Very gently, she reached over to uncover Arion’s face from his hands. “I’m very sorry, I just wasn't thinking," She apologized, offering him the napkin “Here, you have a bit of lipstick on your cheek” Basil smiled shyly at him, her cheeks still a bright pink.

She sat back in the booth and took a sip of coffee happily in hopes that Arion could collect himself a bit more. Like everything made at The Teakeeper, the coffee tasted heavenly. Though she barely seemed to taste it at the moment because her thoughts were still a messy blur. Great, what must Arion think of me? I should have thought before I acted She thought sadly, And what will Hawthorne say about this if he found out? I just kissed one of his closest friends! Basil thought, wishing she could smack herself for her stupidity. Her gaze wandered over to the other Quell in the restaurant and she had an even worse thought. What if someone saw and this turns up in tomorrow’s gossip columns? After all, both Basil and Arion were well known in Solodin. The gossip columnists would just love to get something on the noblewoman’s personal life. Even an innocent kiss in public could be blown way out of proportion just for the newspapers publicity.

Juniper

Juniper gave a warm laugh, “You’re pretty lucky then! I think you’re the first Quell who’s ever been officially invited into our village.” He smiled at her, his eyes glittering happily. Juniper thought that it was amazing that she wanted to learn more about Howlers. He still couldn’t belive how lucky he was to meet a girl like Celeste. Most Quell didn’t really have much of an interest in understanding the Howler cultures.

“I suppose it does have it’s own beauty,” Juniper agreed happily, “It my not look like much to outsiders, but it is home” He gave a warm laugh, though he was sincere. His village had been through a lot over the past centuries of war. It had been destroyed by Quell and rebuilt countless times, but somehow it still thrived. To anyone who wasn’t a Howler, the small camp looked very humble. There were no tall, lavish buildings like in the human and Quell cities. But, the Howlers still took pride in their village. It was sort of a reminder of how resilient the Howlers were.

[arvanien]

Arion

Arion looked up, his face still pink. "Yeah, I'm-I'm fine," he nodded a little bashfully. He looked surprised by her apology. "No, no, you're perfectly fine! I just...it was a bit unexpected," he explained awkwardly. "It's okay, really. I don't mind at all." Of course I had to mess things up. But...why did she do that? Does this mean...? He abruptly shut of his thoughts, shoving them to the back of his mind.

He slid into the seat across her, taking the napkin with a quiet thank you and absentmindedly wiping at his face. To break the awkward silence, he nervously asked, "So, is the coffee okay?"

Celeste

Celeste laughed merrily along with him. His laugh was just as contagious as it was adorable. "Yes, thanks to you! I still can't believe it. I've always wanted to visit your village in peace." She beamed. "You see, I've had the impression that all you guys do is hunt, fish, and make mischief in general. There obviously has to be more than that." Her eyes sparkled with good humor. "When would be a good time for you?"

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

Basil was relieved that he wasn’t upset. Usually, she would have never had acted so impulsively, but something about being around Arion brought out a different side of her personality. Basil smiled up at him, blushing faintly, “Alright”. She couldn’t help but notice his adorable bashfulness. Somehow Arion was just as attractive when he was flustered and a little awkward. Though, Basil hoped that they he would feel a bit more comfortable around her. She didn’t want him to inadvertently make him nervous.

Basil nodded at Arion’s question, glad for the change of topic. “It’s absolutely heavenly!” She said sincerely,” But then again everything here tastes marvelous.”. As she smiled up at him, the excited sparkle returned to her emerald green eyes. Every time she looked at Arion, the world around them seemed to disappear.

Juniper

Juniper gave a warm laugh at her impression of Howlers, “Really? That’s how Quell see Howlers?” He sounded more amused than offended about it. Juniper found it genuinely hilarious how wrong the two races were about each other. “I mean, we do fish and hunt and things, but you’re right, there’s a lot more to Howlers than just those things. I suppose we all have wild misconceptions about each other.” He chuckled, his eyes sparkling amusedly. Juniper thought over her question for a second, “Will a little before sunset look for you? I can meet you at the entrance of Solodin.” Juniper offered. He wanted to walk her to the village before dark because it could be a dangerous walking through the forest alone after dark.

[arvanien]

Arion

Arion smiled at Basil, starting to feel more at ease. "I'm glad you like it!" He said, "We have a thing where every drink is 10% off on Monday mornings from 6:00 am to 7:30 am. Then again, if you come while I'm here, anything will be 100% off for you." He grinned, taking a sip of his coffee. Arion's motive wasn't really to incentivize Basil to see him, he knew she and Hawthorne already had a cook at their home. He simply wanted to treat her.

Arion met and held her gaze, the gold in his hazel eyes glinting in the warm light. His heart sped up as he noticed the excited sparkle in her green eyes. Dαmn, how is she so adorable? She's literally perfection...

Celeste

"Most of them, I suppose," Celeste nodded. "You're right, our two races are so disconnected from each other after centuries of war. Hopefully that will change soon. I mean, look at us!" She giggled suddenly, her eyes sparkling goodnaturedly.

"That would work out perfectly! I'm looking forward to seeing you there," she smiled cheerfully. Just then, the delicately crafted lamps hanging from the vast ceiling of the library all began to turn on gradually, lighting up the whole building in a matter of several seconds. Celeste looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten.