2650/Gifts of a Kind

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Gifts of a Kind
Date of Scene: 28 July 2020
Location: A Renfaire out in Westchester
Synopsis: Piotr and Jean go to the faire and buy each other a gift. It's a magical moment.
Cast of Characters: Amanda Sefton, Jean Grey, Piotr Rasputin
Tinyplot: Zodiac Rising


Amanda Sefton has posed:
A sunny summer afternoon in upstate New York. Bright pennions snap in the warm breeze above castles made of plywood and stalls beneath brlightly coloured canvas. A renfaire has set itself up in a field they rented from a local farmer. People in 16th century dress mingle with tourists in t-shirts, shorts, and some combination between the two.

There are jesters in particolour, minstrels in bells, and nobles in courtly garb. There are also stalls upon stalls of craftsmen selling handmade goods and... well, smoked turkey legs, of course. Not to mention a few other more modern foodstuffs -- all with medievialish names. Because that's how renfaires roll.

Out on the jousting field, the champion has just been awarded his prize -- a trinket from Queen Catherine who ignores the knight in favour of glowering at Henry's regard of Lady Anne. As the crowd begins to disperse in search of the next entertainment, the hawkers start crying out for attention.

It's hot. It's noisy. But, it's perfect.

Jean Grey has posed:
Currently, Jean is dressed for the part, having done a bit of consultation with Emma a few days prior. She's wearing a forest green dress with a canary yellow lining and thread, mirroring her classic Phoenix look as she has her hair styled and flowing loosely from her shoulders, spilling down like an auburn waterfall. She hmms, currently by herself as she took the opportunity to tell her date that she was looking for something in particular.

And so, she's by the crafts shops, specifically the armorers, looking for something that Piotr would appreciate. With the crowds, she has definitely clamped down on her telepathy, not wanting to be overloaded by all the random thoughts around her.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr needed few reasons to go to the local Ren Faire. Costuming, however, not his strongest suit. It is rather difficult to find clothing that would fit someone of his size. He has a linen shirt on, unlaced at the top for comfort and a kilt and sporran, mostly because of the aforementioned issue of finding pants that would fit and be thematic. In one hand he has a cup of mead, so all-in-all the day at worst could be called mixed.

Like Jean, the large Russian is off gift hunting for Jean by himself, going by various merchant stalls to see if anything jumps out at him.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The armourer's display is a fantastic assortment of blades -- 17th century rapiers, reproductions of fantasy swords (Excalibur and Sting are perennial favourites), and museum quality replicas of classical swords ranging from the Roman gladius to the Scottish bastard sword. There are also an assortment of armour pieces in metal and leather, a few of them less functional and more ornate.

A sign hangs on the wall: You must be 18 to touch the merchandise.

Behind the longest of the display tables, a large man with long salt-and-pepper hair, a leather vest, and loose linen trousers, sits watching the browsers, his dark eyes hooded in that way longterm hawkers get.

At the other end of the fair, a robust woman in a scarlet bodice and matching skirt sits behind a display of delicate, handmade jewelry. She is threading glass beads along copper wire, watching the passersby as she does. "If there's anything you're looking for, just ask," she calls out to those that meet her eyes.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean hmms, looking at the swords for a moment, then she shakes her head, starting to look at the various armor pieces. She glances over towards the large man, smiling a touch, "I don't suppose you'd have anything originating from Russia... or styled as such? I admit I'm not /too/ familiar with that, but..." She shrugs a bit, asking for help as she doesn't mind being a damsel in distress for this particular instance.

She does, however, look over the armor pieces, as if something there just has a certain rightness. Though she couldn't narrow it down specifically...

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr takes his time looking through the jewelry, and wincing at some of the price tags on some. He may get room and board back at the school, but it is still a teacher's salary. The Russian takes a breath and eventually nods and walks over to the lady manning the shop, "Da. I am looking for a gift for my girlfriend, something that will like, but also be unique, something I could not just buy anywhere." His accent has mellowed a bit in his time here, but it still bleeds through when he speaks. Piotr continues looking over the case.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The armourer regards Jean thoughtfully for a moment. His lips purse faintly. "Russia, huh? I'm not sure about Russia, specifically, but I know I've got some pieces around here from an artist in Eastern Europe. Let me look."

He hauls himself to his feet and wanders along the back of the non-bladey displays, peering over at the various 'manly jewelry' displays. Finally, he taps on one display down at the very end. "Here," he says. "Those armlets and cuffs were done by a guy I know out of Romania."

Meanwhile, where the more delicate jewelry is sold, the shop mistress smiles brightly. "Oh, I'm sure I can help you with that, kind sir," she says, setting her beading aside. She rises to her feet, much as the armourer did, and approaches where Piotr stands. "What sort of jewelry do you think she'd like? A neckace or earings, or would you like to see some of our bracelets?" She taps her lips a moment. "I have some particularly beautiful and exotic pieces over here." Moving down the length of the display, she waves a hand over a display that has a selection of pieces reminiscent of jewelry that might be seen on an Indian bride, rather than the average American woman.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles, "Oh, fascinating..." She looks around, then examines the cuffs, her lips quirking a bit as she finds, "Oh, this golden one... is that a ram etched into it? That looks... positively delightful." Her eyes widen a bit, as she just seems to find that /perfect/. So perfect. Then she grins over at the vendor, "How much? I suppose this is where I mention I'm a schoolteacher with student loans?" A bit of a joke, but she definitely understands the art of setting proper pricing expectations...

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Hm," Piotr looks over the pieces, genuinely interested in a few, but as an artist there is some respect for others craftsmanship. The notion of something a little different, though, causes him to let his attention drift over to the more exotic options, where if the merchant was trying to guide him to buy a specific item, it is working. "That is certainly something different," Piotr ponders carefully, though not aware of its wedding connotations, looks it over and sees its is affordable, unlike well, most of the other jewelry that he had as his first pick.

"Is this for sale? If so, how much?" Piotr inquires.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The armourer chuffs softly at the pricing expectation. If he had a dollar for every bargain hunter... Well, he wouldn't need to hawk his wares any more, that's certain. "It's a handmade piece," he says. "See that hammering along the sides there? That's means it was worked and sculpted, not just cast in a mould. It's a one-of-a-kind. You can look for similar pieces on Etsy or Amazon, and you'll see. The good ones, like this, start at $200." Always start high. Then come down. The customer will feel they've got a good deal, and you won't hurt your profit margin. That's his theory. Cash in hand helps, too.

He purses his lips again, peering at her. "What do you teach?"

The lady in red nods her head as Piotr indicates the piece he likes. "Oh, that is a lovely piece," she agrees. "I didn't make that one, however. That one was imported all the way from India. But I think the filigree on the center piece is just amazing workmanship, don't you?" She picks it up and drapes it over the back of her hand. "It's $180, because it's real gold. However, if you can pay with cash, rather than plastic, I'm sure I could do better." She smiles at him, canting her head to one side. "You must love her very much."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean ahs, "I teach history and psychology, actually, at a private school." She hmms, "And two hundred? Oh my... I mean, a hundred-fifty I could possibly manage..." She grins a bit, understanding how the game is placed, cutting it down as she mmms, "But... Piotr would dearly love that, I think. It just seems to suit him."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr ponders and thinks as the piece is presented, imagining how it would look on Jean. He then hears the haggling start and then reaches into his sporran to fish out his wallet and $150 in twenties and a ten, and holds them out, "Will this be sufficient?" Piotr may not naturally be a haggler, but he can always try. Though the comment on him loving Jean causes his cheeks to redden a bit, well, a lot.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
History is a good choice. The man nods slowly to what Jean says. "If you can pay in cash," he tells her, "$150 is fine. Otherwise, $175." He watches her closely. Not everyone needs telepathy to guess what might be going on in another's head.

The lady in red looks at the cash the Russian presents and lets out a merry laugh. Though that might partly be because of the blush, too. "Yes," she says, fondness in her voice. "That will be just fine. Let me wrap it up for you."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins and goes into her purse, "Okay..." She counts out the bills, and produces two fifties, two twenties, and a ten. "Here you are, then?" She smiles cheerfully. "And I really do appreciate it. He's going to adore this, I'm sure."

She considers, "I would love to do a bit more research on where the inspiration came for this. It just seems so... interesting." She hmms, looking quite fascinated by the piece, though she couldn't understand why. Clearly it's because Piotr would love it.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr cracks a smile at the laugh and hands over the cash, "That would be nice, thank you." He takes a breath and calms for a moment, hoping to let the heat in his face dissipate before he takes the gift to Jean. There is the brief anxiety of if she would like it, as is not exactly regular jewelry, but it's worth rolling the dice. At worst he's out $150.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The man takes Jean's money and then procedes to extract the piece from the display and pull out a small box and some tissue paper for it. "To be honest, I'm not sure. It's not a classic example of early Romanian artwork. It's iconography is more classical in nature." He shrugs mildly, tucking the ends of the tissue into the inside of the cuff before setting it in the box. "The ram is a mountain creature, however, and Romania does have mountains. So, perhaps there's something in that."

The Carpathians are in Romania, after all. But an inspection of the piece later, when it's not wrapped in paper, probably won't reveal very much Romanian about it, since, as the man has said, it's far more classical in nature. Though, the ancient tribes of Thrace used to call its steppes home. Maybe there's something in that.

The lady in red finishes wrapping the piece, also in tissue paper, though she slides it into a paper bag, rather than a box. It's more discrete that way, since the haathphool -- as it's properly called -- is far smaller than the golden ram cuff.

As she takes Piotr's money and deposits it in a lockbox, she says, "It's good you love her so much. A gift like this is meant to be exchanged between lovers."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles, "Well, I appreciate it. And I'm sure he'll love it." She then takes the package, waving to the vendor as she makes her way out of the shop. Stepping out, she glances around, and... well, she does take advantage of her powers a bit, mentally scanning around for...

<< Piotr? All set? >> She doesn't pry because she knows why he went off, for the same reason she did, after all. Her lips curve into a smile as she looks into the bag, feeling unusually happy about the gift.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods, "I do care for her deeply," he says quietly, there's the red again. "Thank you," the Russian says as he takes the bag and gives a nod of thanks before making his way towards where the two had agreed to meet, though it seems his timing is good <<Da, I will see you shortly!>> Piotr hustles, though mainly by using his long strides to cover ground quickly, and hopefully not bump into too many people, having since drained his mead and letting the cup hang on the frog off of his belt.

When Piotr gets to the rendezvous point, near one of the stages, he waits patiently, holding the bag and taking a few quick breaths to calm himself a little.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The vendors watch their customers go, and turn quickly to the those that replace them. Browsing business is brisk, but purchases are more moderately paced.

A jester comes upon the couple as they rendezvous -- a short man no more than 4'6" tall, with a shock of red hair beneath his tricoloured, jingle-belled hat. He grins at them, juggling a pair of devil sticks, as he tumbles across the cedar-chipped earth.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean comes over at that, smiling at the jester as she then embraces Piotr in a swift hug, "Hey! So, how'd it go?" She grins cheerfully, looking at Piotr with a curious expression. Her head tilts a little bit, regarding the taller Russian.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr blinks when he sees the jester, but his attention focuses on Jean with her arrival and the Russian returns the hug. "It went well, how about you?" His tone is warm, matching his expression, as he holds out the bag, having kept a light grip on it, lest he crush it in his hand. "I hope you like it!" He even smiles, in public of all places.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The jester continues his capering, watching the couple -- mainly because they're attractive and make such a cute sight, which makes them ideal fodder for a scrappy little fellow like him. He doesn't interfere with them, however, pausing to show a pair of children how his juggling sticks work.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles and presents the box to Piotr with a warm smile, "Well, I'm sure you'll like it." She hopes, anyway! And then she takes the bag, looking curiously inside. Then she gasps softly, seeming quite surprised, "Oh, Piotr, it's /beautiful/." She picks up the delicate golden haathphool, looking almost hypnotized by it for a moment, then she impulsively slips it on without even a second thought.

"Oh, Piotr... this is perfect!" She smiles warmly over at Piotr, tilting her head slightly as she watches his reaction to his own gift...

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is relieved, at least internally, trying to not to have appeared tense before, but the success of his gift gives him a bump in confidence as he takes the package from Jean and opens and blinks, "Well, that is wonderful, Jean!" Piotr says as he rolls up his sleeves so that he can put the cuff on his left wrist, instinctively. He holds it up and says, "I think it looks good, what do you think?" The Russian is having a great day at this point. Absolutely nothing could go wrong at this point. Nothing at all.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles and stands up on her tiptoes, placing a kiss firmly on Piotr's lips, her now haathphool-covered right hand jingling softly, a seductive melody as she murmurs, "Want to stick around here, or head back to the mansion?" She grins, a hint of wickedness crossing her features for a brief moment as she regards the taller Russian.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
The jester points over the shoulder of one of the children towards a booth in the distance where wooden swords and shields are sold. There's a display of tassled devil sticks there as well. The children run off to find their parents and drag them that way.

As they do, the jester lifts his head, watching the couple kiss, seeing the gold sparkle against their skin. A smile touches his lips. His sticks fly high into the air, spinning like fireworks as they dance in the air. The batons he use to control them flicker with the speed they move at, flexing almost like serpents in his hands before he catches the spinning sticks that fall back towards him and dances by the happy couple.

Life at the faire is never dull. And just sometimes... its magic lasts much longer than anyone could ever imagine.