[SpringsSong]

Saldra
I am terrible at titles ;w;

It had been a long time since Saldra had ventured back into Lamenolai.

Things in her life had improved since meeting with the owner of a candle shop in this very city.  She'd gotten a place of her own, slipped away from her brother, and disappeared without a trace.  The bruises on her arms and shoulders had begun to clear, and she was beginning to feel more confident about herself.

She strolled down the streets of the city wearing a sundress, patterned in black and orange.  She'd trimmed her hair out of her face and had some more orange streaks applied to it, and her eyes gleamed as she walked up to the shop she'd entered so long ago, opening the door and stepping inside of the candle shop.

I wonder if she's even here now? Saldra asked herself, but after another few seconds, she drew in a deep breath, drinking in the scents of the candles.  A small part of her wondered if there were any new scents from the last time she'd been there, and she began to walk around the shop quietly.

[Middy]

Business had been going well as usual, more and more people had found her shop due to her advertisements and going to different shows or fairs to display her wares. Things were really looking up for her... business wise. Her personal life however, needed some work. All the dates she had been on never clicked, or they just weren't her type. Then she kept getting sick, and with no one to really take care of her well... loneliness just set in.

So, she buried herself in her work, socializing with those who came in to buy her candles, soaps, and incense. She had even branched out her wares to include spa supplies which had become an instant favorite with the locals due to the unique and exotic scents.

The bell on the door alerted her to a new customer, Maeva put on her best smile and came out to greet them, then stopping still to see who it was. "S-Saldra? Is that you? Oh my, I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been!?" she wanted to run over and embrace her she really did, but a simple greeting would be best for now.

[SpringsSong]

Saldra smiled when she saw Maeva come out to greet her, and that smile brightened at the recognition in the other woman's voice.  She walked closer to her, her olive eyes bright.

"It's certainly been a long time, hasn't it?" she asked, a small giggle behind her words.  "I've been quite well, actually--I have a place of my own now, not all that far from the city.  And, well, my bruises have started clearing up, too," she added, indicating her arms with a smile.

"How have you been?" she asked, debating on whether or not to embrace the other.  After a moment, she elected to wait for the moment.  It had, after all, been some time since she'd seen the other woman.

[Middy]

Maeva's eyes lit up at the news, giving Saldra a soft loving smile, "That's such great news Saldra! I am so happy things have looked up for you!" she gave a giggle and moved closer to Saldra. Right now, she didn't care if her actions were sudden, she just needed to express her happiness in seeing her again.

So, she brought Saldra into an embrace, just happy that she could see a friendly, familiar face again. "I've been so worried about you Saldra... in her excitement, she totally forgot to answer Saldra on how she had been.

Maeva pulled away, a little embarrassed by her sudden actions. "Oh! For me? I've been doing okay here, business has picked up a bit and I'm seeing new customers. So it has been quite optimal here. Just... well, more than I can say for myself, but I can pull through my personal problems-- you did, so that has given me confidence."

[SpringsSong]

Saldra smiled as she wrapped her arms around the other woman, not seeming to mind the gesture at all.  When Maeva said that she'd been worried about her, she looked away slightly, a sheepish look on her face.

"Y-you were?" she asked, slightly taken aback by the admission.  "I-I... I'll admit, I've... never had someone actually worry about me... at least, not that wasn't my aunt or her wife," she said, smiling a lopsided smile.  As Maeva answered her question, she listened intently.

"I noticed some of your new spa products," she said, her head inclining ever so slightly.  "I take it those have been selling really well?" she asked, and then, her expression changed ever so slightly at the mention of her personal problems.

"What... kind of problems, if you don't mind my asking?" she asked.  "Maybe... maybe I could help you, in some way?  After all, you did help me, so..." she said, her voice trailing off to leave it open-ended for Maeva to reply.

[Middy]

"Oh the spa products? Yes, they have been quite popular with the folks around here. Sometimes I wonder if I should just expand and sell everything that smells good," she smiled warmly, but then sighed about anything relating to herself. "The thing is, my health wasn't the best for a long time. I was in and out of hospitals for awhile there, but it seems like that has cleared up. Nothing to really worry about," even though there was.

Maeva didn't have the heart to tell Saldra exactly what was going on just yet, not until she had confirmation of her diagnosis. Nothing life threatening thankfully, but it was enough to cause worry.

""Ah, how about we talk about something a bit more positive now. Like... anything you fancy here? Do you have a significant other? You know, just anything that comes to mind really. I'm open to chatter."

[SpringsSong]

Saldra offered a chuckle at Maeva's comment that she should just expand and sell "everything that smells good", but her expression turned somber when she mentioned her health.  In her experience (which wasn't so much hers as her aunt's and her aunt's mate), being in and out of hospitals was never the greatest thing.

"Well, hopefully it stays cleared up," Saldra said hopefully.  When Maeva turned the topic of conversation to more positive things, Saldra offered a smile as she looked around the shop.  "Well, I have been wanting some things to make my new home feel... well, more like 'home'," she said.  When Maeva's question of a significant other registered, Saldra offered a half-hearted chuckle.

"There's no one in my life like that right now," she said, shaking her head.  "Mostly, I've been working on my carved candles--selling the ones that look mostly decent, and re-melting the ones that could use a little more work.  I've gotten better since the one I showed you all that time ago," she said, remembering the orange-and-black candle she'd shown Maeva.  "My landlady likes the candles well enough--she's even bought a few of them and keeps them in her office," she said.

[Middy]

"I see," she said with a slight chuckle, "You will find someone eventually, but I am glad to hear of your progress on making candles. Plus, you have a customer already!" she thought about when she was just starting out, how many candles she had to scrap and melt back down, sometimes melting two different colors by accident-- but it did work on making some unique hues in the end. "I remember starting out, so many mistakes! But you learn well in time, and I think the learning process is what makes the hobby so exciting, especially when experiementing with new things."

"More like home... oh! I have just the perfect thing!" Maeva walked to one of the shelves, smiling back at Saldra, "I have some vases here with artificial flowers that really do carry a scent, or some decorative candle warmers. You are more than welcome to look through them all."

[SpringsSong]

"It certainly doesn't get boring," Saldra said with a chuckle.  "I've learned more since I first started carving candles, and I know that there's plenty more room for improvement," she added.  Compared to the more experienced person that she'd seen the special clip on TV about, she was still relatively slow, but she was improving.  When Maeva suggested a couple of items, Saldra followed after her, looking at the items curiously.  The flowers definitely perked her interest, as did the candle warmers.

"Do you have any flowers that smell like lilac or lavender?" she asked as she reached for one of the decorative warmers.  "And, perhaps, a warmer?  It's not a large apartment, but I want to have one scent for the majority of the apartment, and another for my own room and carving studio."

[Middy]

"I have many scents that are like that, yes. The selection of those scents are against that wall," she pointed towards a shelf lines with all sorts of purple and lavender flowers, some mimicking the appearance of the flower that the scent belonged to. "The candle warmers are over there, I have a good selection so far, but I really hope to get more exotic ones when I earn some more money," she gave a warm smile, just happy to have someone in her shop that she knew. She had to be honest that some of the people who came in her shop gave her some creepy vibes now and then, so she had to be as polite as possible despite not feeling entirely safe. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask! I will help you in any way possible."