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The marketplace is loud and noisy and full of people.
Siffrin wanders off, content to let Odile do the purchasing as she always does. Sometimes Mirabelle or Isabeau do the shopping, but it's usually Odile who takes over. Something about her 'having more common sense than the rest combined,' not that Siffrin's about to disagree.
Hm. Sensible. Sen-si-ble. Making so much sense. Responsible with cents. There's a pun to be made in there, Siffrin just knows it.
They decide to let that joke stew in their mind for a bit before trying it out. Sometimes a joke needs to be put on the back burner to work itself out. Then, later, Siffrin can tell the others if an opportunity presents itself.
A glimmer catches his eye.
Siffrin turns to see a big jewel sitting in a store's display window. Wow - that thing is huge. Is it real?
He takes a step closer and squints at it.
...It's shiny, alright. Whether it's real or not is hard to say. Maybe Odile or Isabeau might know, but they're busy buying their own things. There's no tag visible, either.
Siffrin considers the store, then glances around. The marketplace is really, really noisy. It would be nice to get a break from all the people, and a quiet jewelry store seems like a nice place to spend some time in.
They push open the door and step inside, a soft jingling announcing their entrance.
Ooh. There's something shiny everywhere he looks! Siffrin takes his time, looking at each display.
Some displays are arranged by shades and types, while others stick to a theme. There are gemstones carved to look like animals, even mythical ones. There's jewelry, such as earrings for all sorts of occasions, brooches, and necklaces. There's even wooden carvings that fill a small shelf in the back.
Siffrin stares at those for a while. Wooden carvings... They haven't done any carving since they left the House. They don't remember the last time they did it, really.
He picks through the carvings, weighing each one in his hand and admiring the neat marks and smooth curves.
There's a bear that sort of reminds him of Isabeau, big and bulky but friend-shaped. A fluffy dog... like Mirabelle. Siffrin looks for one that reminds them of Odile, but it's hard. He finally settles for a bird carved from a very dark-colored piece of wood.
And Bonnie... A fish catches their eye, carved mid-splash with all of its scales. Siffrin can almost imagine the sculpture glimmering in the sunlight.
It's only when Siffrin has a handful of wooden sculptures that they realize - whoops, they don't have enough money to buy all this. Or, well, they do, because being a savior of Vaugarde should come with some benefits, but Siffrin doesn't really feel comfortable spending this much at once on unnecessary things. Doing odd jobs can only cover so much - something he knows from experience - so it's best to have savings when possible.
...But. But these sorta remind Siffrin of their family, and. It's nice to have things that remind them of their family. They don't have anything else from before, after all - not the drawing, not the picture, nothing.
Siffrin counts how much it would all add up to in his head, then considers that against how much he's got saved.
...Just a little bit.
Just a little selfishness is okay, right? It's not, not really, but it doesn't hurt anyone but himself so.
Before he can second-guess himself, Siffrin takes the carvings to the counter.
The shopkeeper immediately reaches out. "Hello! Found everything okay?" she asks, picking up the sculptures to examine them.
Siffrin nods, smiling. "Sure did."
"Good, good." The shopkeeper puts the bear down and looks up, then does a double-take. "Oh! That hat, and that eyepatch... Are you one of the saviors of Vaugarde visiting the town today?"
Oh. It seems the news spread pretty quickly, even though they only arrived today. That's how it's always been, though. Vaugardians are a talkative bunch!
...Siffrin is tired of... something. But they don't want to lie, so they just nod.
The shopkeeper beams at him. "Here, take these on the house then!" she says, practically shoving the sculptures into Siffrin's startled hands. "Thank you so much for saving Vaugarde! Really. I'm... really grateful."
Siffrin nods again, flustered. "I'm glad you're okay," he manages, gloved hands cradling the carvings carefully. Is she really giving these to him for free...? "Are you sure you don't want me to -"
"No, please, take them. It's the least I can do to thank you," the shopkeeper says firmly.
It makes Siffrin feel warm. They... really regret not being able to get all the souvenirs from previous loops because of how stupid they were being, but this is... a nice start.
"Thank you," Siffrin says quietly.
The shopkeeper waves and smiles as he leaves, his pockets slightly heavier now. A bear for Isa, a dog for Mira, a bird for Odile, and a fish for Bonbon Bonnie.
It feels a little like carrying pieces of their family with them. The thought alone makes them smile.
It takes Siffrin a little while to find their family again. The marketplace is loud and full of people, which makes their heart rate go up a bit. Siffrin's been getting used to people again, after the long quiet of the time-frozen House and the monotonous peace of Dormont, but it's still stressful.
Fortunately, Siffrin is very good at navigating obstacles. They bump into a few people, but no one minds too much, and eventually they make their way back to the square.
From there, Siffrin goes to the general store, where he figures Odile is probably still shopping.
He's right. She's browsing the food now. Maybe she saved the perishables for last? They usually stock up on dried foods and stuff that lasts, but it's always nice to eat fresh food when they can.
"Hi, Odile!" Siffrin says cheerfully.
She turns and looks down at him. "Hi, Siffrin," she says, eyebrow raised. "I was wondering where you slipped off to."
"Did you need any help?" Siffrin asks.
"...Hm. Well..." Odile glances at the shelves again, then shrugs slightly. "Sure. I've been trying to decide between cabbages and bell peppers for vegetables. Which one do you think we should get?"
Oh, a new question! With choices! Siffrin's first instinct is to wonder which choice to pick this loop before remembering... haha.
Hopefully he can break that habit soon.
Before Odile can notice his change in mood, Siffrin quickly says, "We should get the bell peppers! I hear they're a HOT commodity!" Ah. Whoops. That pun kinda just slipped out.
Thankfully, Odile just smirks. "Nice try, but you might want to work on that one," she says, grabbing the bell peppers. "Now shoo - go bother one of the others. I have to pay for these now... It would be nice to get a 'thanks for saving the world' discount, our travel funds are getting low..."
The last part is mumbled to herself as Odile walks away, leaving Siffrin standing in the aisle. The wooden carvings feel heavy in his cloak pockets.
Of course. He got free stuff, but none of it was useful like actual food and supplies. Why did he do give in to the impulse of buying useless things? What if Odile buys the supplies and it turns out the town is out of gratitude? It could be his fault.
You're catastrophizing again, he thinks. Don't be silly! You're not that important.
Siffrin breathes in, and out.
...Well! That's enough of being out and about for one day. Time to head back to the inn!
Siffrin makes their way back to where the whole gang is staying, using alleys and side streets to avoid running into too many people. It's a nice inn. They can smell the soup from lunch when they open the door to walk inside.
The innkeeper greets Siffrin with a friendly smile. "Hey, savior! You're staying with one of the others, right? That big fella from Jouvente?"
"Sure am!" Siffrin says, smiling back.
"Here's your key. Sorry it's not free of charge, but meals are included if you're interested," the innkeeper tells them. "Anything else?"
Siffrin shakes their head. "Nope, that's it!" they say, taking the key gratefully.
It doesn't take long to get to the room. The key is clearly labeled for the third room on the second floor. The stairs don't creak when Siffrin climbs them, even though they're old and wooden; he doesn't think twice about it.
Siffrin reaches for the door handle before hesitating. Should they knock first? Maybe, if Isabeau is back. But they doubt it. There's a lot to do in town, and Isabeau's always been very social.
They turn the key and open the door. The room's empty, as expected.
It's lonely.
Which is silly, because Siffrin had expected that Isabeau wouldn't be back yet. And he isn't! So they were right.
Siffrin shuts the door and sits on the bed.
The mattress dips beneath their weight, but only a little. It's surprisingly firm. Still better than sleeping on the ground, but only a little.
Madame Odile has her own room, of course. And Mira and Bonnie are sharing. Just like old times.
Just like that one night Siffrin relived over and over and over and
Siffrin dips one hand into their pockets and grips the bear. Running a thumb over the carved fur and the bear's snout is comforting. Siffrin wonders how he would've carved a bear with his own hands. Would he have remembered to include the scruff around the neck? Would he have gotten the nose to be so smooth?
It probably wouldn't have come out so well. Siffrin doesn't remember carving a bear before, but it doesn't seem quite so simple.
Or maybe it is? Maybe he can try it sometime. There's plenty of wood in the forests, and they'll be traveling again sooner or later. And if Siffrin has carved a bear before, it would be nice to try and remember it, even if it's just through muscle memory.
A knock on the door interrupts Siffrin's thoughts.
"Hey Sif! You in there?" Isabeau's voice says, filtering through the closed door.
Siffrin sits upright. Yes. Yes, they're in here. They just hadn't expected Isabeau to be back so soon. Or... hm.
Actually, now that he's looking out the window, the sun's moved a bit from when he'd last looked at it.
That's... not great.
Siffrin calls out, "I'm here!"
"Oh, good! We're gonna eat dinner in Mira and Bonbon's room when we're all ready!" Isabeau says. "See you there!"
By the time Siffrin gets to the door, no one's on the other side of it. Isabeau's gone ahead, it seems.
Siffrin clutches the wooden bear in his pocket a little tighter. Dinnertime it is, then!
Siffrin's looking forward to seeing what Bonnie's cooked up tonight. They always manage to surprise him nowadays, which is... a really welcome change. Just the thought of it makes Siffrin smile.