( by fangchun15 ) | edit

Closed. | Caelistus.

              “ Oh no, I couldn’t possibly — ”

              “ Don’t be silly, Giotto! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here selling my apples at all, would I? ”

              “ C’mon, just accept them, Giotto. At this rate, we’ll be here all day. ”

        G.’s voice is low in his ear, hand warm where it grips his shoulder. Giotto tilts his head to the side slightly in acknowledgement, smile widening when he sees that Maria doesn’t do anything more than blink at G.’s sudden appearance. He laughs softly, raising his hands in defeat.

              “ Alright, alright, you win. ”

        Maria’s smile is smug when she hands him the small sack of apples. Giotto wants to talk a little longer, but G.’s right, they still have things to do and the sun isn’t getting any higher. After making sure that she and her family are alright, that nobody was giving them any trouble, did he begin to make way further into the market. It’s bustling as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. ( It sickens him, that abject poverty and human suffering is treated as normal fare, that those in power and wealth are only interested in maintaining the status quo. He’ll change things — he doesn’t know if he’ll succeed, but if he can make things even a little better for people, shouldn’t he at least try? )

        They navigate through the crowds without too much trouble — people here know him, but they also know G., and with the redhead looming at his shoulder, there’s a little more space around the pair than if Giotto were to go out alone. The rest of the afternoon goes by without a hitch, visiting a few more stalls, checking up on anyone who’d had trouble with any lowlife thugs. Somewhere along the way, Giotto gets presented with enough fruits and vegetables for at least four meals, despite his protests ( he’ll just pay them more next time, he resolves ).

        His stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, and he laughs sheepishly when G. hands him his wallet and pushes him off to get them both something to snack on. There are plenty of stalls selling food, but he’s caught the scent of a heavenly smelling meat pie, and won’t settle for anything less.

         It doesn’t take long for him to track it down, and his stomach growls again as if in anticipation. But he also feels the slightest unease, and at first he isn’t so sure what could be causing it, until his eyes alight on a young lady. A young lady of means, what with the fine, extravagant dress she’s wearing, patterned with delicate, lovely florals. His eyebrows hitch up momentarily — it isn’t that her presence here is an earth shattering surprise, but that she’s here at all, seemingly alone? Without at least a friend, or a bodyguard? Sure, it wasn’t as if aristocrats would be murdered in broad daylight around here, but that didn’t mean there weren’t other dangers. Pickpockets were just one, but if she got mugged or kidnapped for ransom before she could return to wherever she was staying —

        Aaaaand he should probably stop thinking and actually go ask her if she needed any help, if he was that worried. His stride is calm and body relaxed as he approaches her, but before he’s close enough, a child sprints past her, nearly knocking her over, but Giotto doesn’t miss the flash of quick fingers, and barely gives it a thought before chasing after the kid.

              “ Hey! ”

        The kid weaves through the crowd, attempts to dart down an alley, but Giotto’s been running for half his life ( trying to find something to run to ), so it’s easy to catch up, easy to catch an arm and a shoulder, their brief struggle culminating with Giotto sitting on the kid’s legs, pinning his arms to the dusty road. His hand is still clutched around the young lady’s coin purse, still closed.

              “ Get offa me! Wha’s yer problem!? I wasn’ doin’ nothin’! ”

        The kid is squirming around, but being pinned face down wasn’t doing him any favours. Giotto’s deceptively small frame still had enough strength to keep G. pinned down in their mock fights, even when the older boy wasn’t holding back. The kid looked to be a couple years younger than him, and Giotto felt a small pang of guilt, but…

        “My name is Giotto. You shouldn’t be stealing,” not if you’re so obvious about it, he thought tiredly, “not when you could’ve been caught by someone who won’t care if you’re a kid.”

        The kid snorts beneath him, unamused. “S’not like she needs money. Why d’ya even care? Yer not her bodyguard. I betcha don’ even know who she is.”

        True, but Giotto couldn’t just overlook theft when it occurred right in front of him. It was a clumsy attempt too, since she would have noticed it immediately. “Why are you stealing?” he asks instead. “If you tell me, I’ll let you go.”

        There’s sullen silence, and Giotto wonders if he’d resume his efforts to escape, but soon enough he gets his answer. The kid ( Lucas ) needed money to buy medicine for his ailing sister, since whatever money his mother made always seemed to go to his absentee father. His words are bitter and angry, but Giotto can still hear the hurt lurking beneath it. It’s enough to convince him that it’s true, but he still can’t let Lucas steal from the lady.

              ( right and wrong — for a brief moment he hates that people still have to scrape at the bottom of the barrel, that they need to resort to hurting others for their own gain. if wishes were horses, but. )

        In the end, he offers his own coin purse in exchange, though he doesn’t really give Lucas much choice but to accept. It probably didn’t have as much as an aristocrat’s purse, but it was all he had to give. When he finally let Lucas up, the boy had given him a weird look, before sticking his tongue out childishly and hopefully running back home. Giotto sighs; he’s tired, suddenly, but there’s a young lady to find and a purse to return.

        The whole ordeal couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes at most — hopefully she would still be in the general vicinity of the market. Rolling his shoulders, he ignored the cracking of his bones, heading back to the stall where he’d last seen her. His stomach growls again, almost angrily, but it’ll just have to wait.

        Thankfully, thankfully, he finds her. “Excuse me, Signorina? I believe this belongs to you.” He lifts the purse higher, a sheepish grin on his face.

          A loud scuffling noise was present behind her, so one swift turn around and she flinches automatically at the incoming kid running straight at her. A light shuffle brushes against her and feels a slight lift near her purse, not deft enough to go completely unnoticed. Ocean blue orbs widen, but any verbal form of opposition falls in silence when she simply watches the person run away, kicking up dirt in their leave. ...So young, thin, and frail looking.  

        Without much (or at all) of a panic, the young woman merely dips her hand into her purse to feel- Ah yes, it is gone: the small coin purse that she carried along with her on this small journey, despite not having bringing much in fear of- well, this.

        The only thing she feels then is the way her shoulders drop. Eyebrows furrow and lips purse tightly, hating how even young children has to resort to things like this to survive. 

        The Valenti daughter had already tucked the thievery away in the corner of her mind, an act in which she normally deems inexcusable by general circumstances. But this? This is one she finds to be understandable. Even without a reason, Elena believes these people need the money more than she does, more than her family, and the other aristocrats who bathe in it.

        The one thing the young woman happens to regret right now would be missing the chance to buy food for the pair she had intended to give to. Upon the thought, her attention is back upon the two and there is.. What is.. What is there to do for them? It would be too long to go back to get money or anything for them and... If she goes back to the manor now, surely they wouldn’t allow her easy passage out again. Not after running away.

        With a slight downwards tilt of her head and cascading blonde strands over her shoulders, Elena quickly examines her clothes and accessories. Perhaps she can sell a ring or her bracelet. That should get her a good price since it was originally bought for a pretty hefty price. And it isn’t of such an attachment to Elena. But even if it was, she would still sell it. For she could buy new jewelry, but she cannot buy someone’s life back.  

        With a firm resolve, she sets foot on uneven dirt ground to find a place that would buy the adornments or accessories. While pacing down the marketplace, her eyes actively scans the surrounding for any potential place. 

        It takes her several minutes under a persistent blazing sun until she stops by a decent looking jewelry stall. The gems don’t exactly shine very bright, and it isn’t hard to doubt the authenticity of some of these items. But the aristocrat doesn’t hold many options at the moment. Just as she sets one foot ahead-

        A gentle voice calls out to.. her? The blonde woman gracefully turns around to face the person who seems to be addressing her, for her deep blue eyes meet with golden amber. 

        A beautiful color that not only engages but captures her attention. It’s shine further compliments the golden blonde hair that reminds of the warmest sunny day. Even his sincere smile, wide and dashing, frames his appearance perfectly in an impression that all seems so.. bright-- Though the object in his hand seems to be of primary intention, one her attention finally lands upon. 

        “ Ah! “ she exclaims in a short outburst but catches herself quickly with a hand that darts up to cover her mouth. After it drops, it clasps the sides of her dress like her other before bowing in a polite, refined curtsy. 

        “ Thank you so much, signore. You have my utmost appreciation. ”

        Though it is first and foremost a form of manners, Elena couldn’t truly express the entirety of her feelings in simple words. This is someone who went through all the trouble to return what had been lost to her, and to not have kept it for himself. Selfless and noble. But she sees just by merely looking at this young man, that he is of a very kind virtue. 

        “ But.. the child? Is he.. in good health? Was he in urgent need of money? “ the young woman asks with a small polite curve of her lips but the concern is deeply laced in her tone nonetheless. 

        While speaking of money, Elena straightens up and opens her coin purse to pull out a good amount to offer him without any hesitation. She only hopes he would not somehow take any offense to this.  

        “ This is a token of my thanks and apology for causing you trouble. Please do accept it. I would offer it all but.. I would really like to buy food for the.. less fortunate. “ 

        “ Also, I apologize, where are my manners? I’m Elena Valentini, it is a pleasure to meet someone as kind and gallant as yourself. ”

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by fuu_and

cr: flower ring by saku

ceciliewinter:

( by cocoaloco ) 

went to the waterfall today ig: @kkoc.h

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