ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 11 - Reminiscing

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Fantasy - khai dreams
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She was slinking through the crowds of Mondstadt, her target locked in her view. A fruit stand, but not just that: an unoccupied fruit stand overflowing with produce. Now and then, a person would walk too close and knock down the intricate stack of ruby-colored apples. If she watched long enough, more than just the apples would fall.

Despite the show in front of her, she couldn't wait any longer. Timaeus left his alchemy table, heading toward the Knights of Favonius' HQ. The lady at the register hadn't been by her stand for roughly an hour, even with several customers looming nearby in desperate need of fruit. It was a good sign.

Melanie walked through the crowds casually. After she snatched a pair of clothes hanging on a clothing line, she fit right in. A scruffy tan shirt and a blue skirt that reached her knees were all she could grab for this particular solo mission. A skirt wasn't optimal for running, but she could manage.

The bag at her side was unzipped, leaving it wide open. It was empty and light at the time. Acting like several of the previous klutzes, she bumped against the stand, causing an avalanche of fruit to fall. A few amused laughs sounded from behind her, though they faded away as the people moved on with their days. However, she was the one who should be laughing.

The new weight of the fallen fruit in her bag pulled her down, causing her to lose her balance. She tripped over an apple and fell to the ground in an unladylike display. Red in the face, Melanie quickly zipped her bag and made a scene to set up the fruit back on the stand before the shop owner investigated the commotion. There was nothing she could do about the smashed produce beneath her.

In a hurry, she left a messy stack of fruit and hurried away with a faint blush on her cheeks. Nobody suspected her of any wrongdoing, thankfully, as her haul was large enough to feed the others for roughly two weeks.

She turned and began to stroll away with a small smile lining her lips.

Everything was going to plan. There were no suspecting witnesses, plenty of fruit joggled around in her bag, and she could flee the scene with no panic. That was... until a man approached her with a smug expression.

His hair was ash-blonde and incredibly fluffy, a small braid bouncing whenever he moved. The first thing she noticed was his eyes, however. They were a marvelous teal color with a shimmer in them that complimented his smile. His skin was pale and his outfit was rather fancy and intricate... with a Knight of Favonia emblem.

Melanie swallowed hard to avoid cursing under her breath. Her smile returned, this time false, to play the part of a normal citizen of Mond. "Why, hello there!" she chirped as kindly as she could muster.

The man looked her up and down, his hand to his chin in thought. His smug expression remained, but he responded in a matching tone. "I happened to be on my way to Blanche's stand when I saw you take a tumble. Are you okay?"

Panic began to set in. Sweat formed on her brow, but she wiped it away with a quick sweep of her arm. She continued by fanning herself with her hand, saying, "goodness, it's hot out here. I felt a little faint over by the food stand and I guess I wasn't able to hold myself together..."

Once again, he seemed to lose himself in his mind. He cracked a smile and chuckled to himself, his eyes squinting in their own kind of smile. "It's a lot warmer than the places I've been," he admitted softly, mellowing his tone. "I suggest heading indoors to cool off, then make sure you aren't horribly bruised."