Chapter Text
Asra:
You were walking in the market, looking for some herbs that you've run out. You were wandering among the busy market, commenting about how this is the seventh time you've run out of this herb this week, however, Asra didn't seem to listen, instead, their eyes wandered at every store until they stopped at the freshly baked pumpkin bread on your favourite stalls.
The two of you, without noticing it, got separated. Once they got out of the bakery, satisfied that they got the hot pastries for the two of you, they realized that you were nowhere in sight.
Their worry was rising every moment as he tried to find you amongst the crowd. Their fingers were moving until they felt someone lightly tap their shoulder.
"Found the friend!" Faust said as she was happily slithering on your left arm.
"There you are!" you said before quickly pecking their cheek. Once you moved away, you added, while playing with their hair, "I have been looking everywhere for you! Please pay more attention, I'll lose you for real once!"
They sighed in relief as they gave you the pumpkin bread they bought you. Later during the day, Asra gave you matching charm that would help find each other.
Julian:
You two came up with a genius idea to see what tea and saltybitters taste like mixed so you went to the marketplace to look for the ingredients. The marketplace was especially crowded that day since the new goods were arriving.
So it was no wonder the doctor lost you in the huge crowd. He couldn't believe his eyes. Just a moment ago, you were there, right next to them, and the next you're gone. He immediately started panicking, looking all over the place for you. Once he calmed himself down, he started to look for you in the shops you visited frequently, asking everyone if they had seen you.
The time passed and you were still nowhere in sight. He started to lose all hope until he saw a familiar person walking around, completely lost. He quickly walked towards the person, giving them a tight hug, "There you are..." he wrapped his arms around your shoulders, "You had me worried sick."
Your shoulder relaxed at his sudden touch, feeling safe in his arms.
"Where were you?" you asked, "I went to the Rowdy Raven and you-"
"Rowdy Raven?!?" he pulled you away, gently gripping onto your shoulders, "What were you doing all the way there?"
"Getting the salty bitters?" you said, gesturing to the bottle of the said drink in your hands.
"Weren't we supposed to get the tea first?" he asked, raising a bag with the dry herbs.
"Ohh..." you lightly slapped your cheek, "You're right..."
He couldn't help himself but chuckle, forgetting all of the stress he felt minutes before.
~* Epilogue *~
The two of you went home and made the said cocktail. After examining it, the two of you shared a worried look, before chugging the drink at the same time.
In the beginning, the cocktail tasted bitter, with the tone of alcohol and caffeine in it, but it was still drinkable, and neither one of you seemed to mind it. In fact, it seemed Julian even liked this weird combination, judging by the way his lips moved into a small smile. However, that face of satisfaction seemed to disappear as soon as the drink got to your throats. You spat the drink, looking for a glass of water to remove the acidic taste that was stuck in your throat. Julian, on the other hand, exaggerated a bit, with him spitting the drink and gasping for air, accompanied by the words:
"I'm pretty sure this is what Devil's piss tastes like."
Overall, the two of you decided to throw the drink away, not mentioning this incident ever again.
Nadia:
And once again, you've gone with Nadia for a walk through a marketplace, assuring her you don't need anything. The two of you have been chatting along the way, talking about some of the meetings Nadia has to attend this evening.
Natiqa approached Nadia, staring a little chat. You, however, didn't notice that she stopped and continued walking.
"Oh, I have just come from Prakra," her sister said, "There were travelling magicians passing by,"
"And?" Nadia asked, there have never been any magicians in Prakra, not that she can remember though.
"And they pulled off some magic," she stopped talking for a moment to draw a rainbow with her hands" and suddenly birds and colourful butterflies were flying all over their place."
"I suppose it could be rather interesting," the countess nodded after listening to her story, "I have never seen something similar, what do you think MC?" she turned on her left, but only then she noticed you were gone.
"MC?" she called out for you once again, with a clear tone of worry in her voice, "Have you seen her?" she turned to her sister who only shrugged in response.
"I didn't even know the two of you were together."
"Where could they go?" she wondered as she looked through the nearest shops for you.
Once Nadia made sure she hasn't left any of the nearby shops unchecked, she stopped for a moment to think where you could have possibly gone. She would've most likely continued to run all of the possible scenarios of what could've happened to you if Natiqa didn't show up with you, who has been nibbling on the fresh pastry.
"Don't worry, Dia," she said as she pets your head, "This little troublemaker was just hungry."
Months after that incident Nadia would still tease you whenever the two of you would go to the Market.
"Now, now, don't get lost because of some pumpkin bread."
Portia:
Portia had to go to buy Nadia something to mend her headaches, and you decided to tag along. As always, Portia would chatter with you, only stopping her small talk when she would see something interesting.
As she was 'debunking' one of Julian's many unusual stories, you were being pickpocketed. You've realised what was happening a bit too late, as the thief was already running away. When Portia saw your pouch in the stranger's hands she immediately started to run after them.
"Get back here, bastard," she shouted as she sprinted towards them.
The thief had soon realised that taking your pouch was a stupid idea since Portia was a lot faster than what she looked like. She quickly caught up with the thief, punching them wherever she could. The guards quickly noticed that something was going on, and they immediately took the thief away.
"That idiot," Portia said in between gasps, "I hope he gets what he deserves, am I right MC?"
She gasped for a moment, waiting for your answer, but she didn't hear it.
"What's wrong, Pepi got your tongue?" she turned on her left, but you were not there. At that moment, she realised that you most likely couldn't keep up with her speed, so she ran back to the place she has seen you last time.
As she was running, she noticed you amongst the crowd, asking some people if they've seen Portia.
"Oh, there you are!" she stopped sprinting and walked to you, "Don't worry, I got my pouch back. Come on now, let's go for that medicine."
The two of you bought the medicine for a surprisingly cheap price. Later on, the two of you spent the evening in peace, with you making Portia pudding as thanks, with her rambles about how her legs are sore here and there.
Muriel:
After many pleas and annoying beggings, you finally made Muriel go out to the market with you. He was a bit nervous since the marketplace was quite crowded that day, so he was surprised when he accidentally bumped into one lady, making her drop all of the goods she had bought.
With constant apologies, he helped her collect the dropped stuff, being careful not to ruin anything again. When he was done, he looked over to you, however, you weren't there. He straightened his posture and started looking for you, being too shy to call out to you or ask anyone for help. Eventually, he hid in one of the back alleys, imagining the worst scenarios.
What if someone hurt you? What if you got lost? What if you abandoned him because he just can't keep up a simple conversation? What if-?
His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a certain magician giving him the tightest hug ever.
"Where have you been?" you asked, pulling away from him to put on a scarf you've bought for him around his neck, "I just saw this one and thought it would look great on you. Do you like it?"
He touched the sky blue scarf with his fingertips, still, a bit confused from everything that has just happened. After a couple of seconds, he responded with a small nod, returning the hug.
Since then he would always hold your hand wherever the two of you went together, not letting you go out of his sight.
Lucio:
The marketplace was loud and cheerful this lovely evening and it seemed like the two of you were the centre of that noise. Of course, Lucio enjoyed this attention and couldn't stop himself from talking about all of his great battles to the shopkeepers who clearly couldn't care less. You, on the other hand, were not so keen. So when the chance to sneak past him occurred, you quickly did so, wanting to see what that newly opened shop is selling.
After the thorough monologue about one of his earliest battles, Lucio turned away from an uninterested shopkeeper, looking for your reaction on his marvellous story. Needless to say, he looked shocked when he saw you missing. He shouted for you, storming out of the shop, hoping to find you. The guards that were walking by were immediately appointed to find you. For hours he has been looking for you, checking every shop in hopes to find you.
After many failed attempts to find you, he assumed the worst, you were kidnapped. He stormed back into the palace, ordering every guard to drop whatever they were doing so that they could find you.
It was then when the servants informed him that you have long returned to the palace.
You came to the store Lucio was in to find him still talking about his journeys. You knew you had no time nor will make him stop rambling, so you went back to the palace, leaving a crimson cape you bought him on his desk before you went to sleep.