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Depending on how the two of you like to split your duties, it may be more or less frequent for you or your beloved to shop alone. Most of the time you don't have to worry too much, they're an adult! They know what they're doing.
Until they creep into your shared quarters one evening, oozing both excitement and guilt as they hide the results of their errands behind the door. "MC, you wouldn't believe what I saw for sale in the market today."
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Julian
- He's standing almost like a soldier, chest bared and feet braced for your reaction, arms folded under his cape behind his back
- "What did you buy, Julian?"
- He's not ready to answer your question. "I have it in good faith that it may one day prove essential to saving someone's life."
- He's really getting into character now, and you're beginning to worry
- "What did you buy, Julian?"
- "A rare instrument necessary to my practice! A scientific breakthrough! Behold!"
- And with a grand flourish, he pulls out a feat of engineering that seems to be an obscure medical instrument. Fair enough
- "So what does it do?"
- You watch him deflate like one of those car dealership tube men at the end of the day
- "... I don't know."
- "And how much did you spend on it?"
- He clutches it to his chest protectively. "Does it matter? I'll figure out a way to use it eventually! Maybe it pairs well with leeches!"
Asra
- You can't tell if they're grinning or grimacing, but their dimples are out and they're almost sparkling with excitement
- "They had so many options, MC. I've never even heard of most of them before!"
- He can see your eyes widening as Faust tips over the duffle-sized bag behind the door, slithering over the piles of packages that pour out across the floor
- "How much did you spend, Asra!?"
- "Not as much as I could have, and only my own money. They had sample packs!"
- Now that their secret is out, they're excitedly unwrapping every bundle and disappearing in a mountain of paper and twine
- Faust seeks refuge on your shoulder and the sheer diversity of smells filling the room are making both of you a little dizzy
- Small bottles of perfumed oil, tiny pots of lotion, mini candles and twigs of incense cover every surface of the room
- All the candles and incense are lit. Every tester is being applied in random patchwork
- He got over 50 new scents and he is thriving
Nadia
- She feels a little guilty for going without you, but she's so excited to have been part of your world like this
- She went to the central marketplace
- And she got everything suggested to her
- Because who would know better than the people selling what she needed to get?
- Two menservants are bringing in the multiple bags she brought back in the carriage while she goes over each thing with you, excitedly repeating their sales pitches
- She's halfway through the second bag, telling you all about her new gilded mop holder when you finally interrupt
- "Nadia, my love. How many things did you get?" You're holding your breath, hoping the question doesn't burst her bubble
- "Oh, nothing extravagant. You should see the shipments that come in for palace events! We'll go back together, my darling, and we can do a proper shopping trip then."
- You do go back together, and this time you steer clear of the salesmen taking advantage of her inexperience
Muriel
- He's peeking around the door of the hut, and you can tell by the set of his eyebrows that he is embarrassed and has no regrets
- You smile up at him, walking over to greet him after his trip into town
- And the door swings a little further open to reveal his cloak, stuffed to the brim with something that keeps cheeping
- He's got the squirming mass wrapped protectively in his arms, slowly kneeling to lower it to the ground
- And from the depths of his clothing burst a tidal wave of baby chicks, spreading out to cover the yard and sending the chickens already present into a ruffle of squawks
- "Muriel, how many are there?!"
- " ... twenty-four. The pet shop had them with the kittens and puppies and," he pauses to peek at your face, "chickens are different. They wouldn't be happy in the city."
- The ground is yellow. Inanna has turned into a sulky, wolf shaped jungle gym. Muriel watches quietly. "Did I do the right thing?"
- "Yes. But they are your responsibility."
Portia
- You see the way Pepi perks up and Portia moves to guard the giant paper bags she's holding, and that's how you know it's food
- You pick Pepi up to protect the goods and take a closer look. The two bags are each nearly the size of your beloved's torso
- "Portia, what small army are we feeding!?"
- She drops them on the table, flicks a stray crumb from her sleeve, and deflects Pepi's swipe at the pastry that tumbles out
- "Ok so don't be mad, I may have overspent just a teeny little bit, but she was a traveling baker from up north! And I had to try some!"
- "And then?"
- "And then we started talking about baking, and she gave me a discount so I tried one of everything, but I didn't want you to miss out so I got two more of everything for us to eat together!"
- You're not sure what to say. It's a lot of food
- You end up inviting the Palace bakers to enjoy it with you (they'll be able to really appreciate the technique) and eating lentil stew for the rest of the week
Lucio
- You're having flashbacks while he fidgets in the doorway. This used to happen every time you let him do the shopping alone
- In his defense, nobody ever taught him to budget. His job was to hunt his food or eat his rations until the old Count took him in
- But you two have been working on it together, and he's gotten pretty good at making and sticking to a list and limit
- Which can only mean one thing:
- "It was so shiny, MC. I know I made an oopsie, but look at it! It goes on my arm!"
- It's a jewelry piece that he's clipped to the grooves on his gauntlet. It's not that big, so you can't see how it's an oopsie unless ...
- "Is that an emerald? Is that real gold!?"
- He nods excitedly. "Don't feel bad, MC, I got you one too! Now we match!"
- It's beautiful, but, "Lucio, where did you get the money for this?"
- "Next week's budget." He sees your face and grabs your hands. "But don't worry! I did the math, and I already found a job to cover it."
- This man is going to be the death of you