Pillow's Streaming Adventure

Market and Murder, In That Order

Staring at Estel, Maria could only stare slack-jawed at the beauty before her. Estel was already quite the figure, but the dress and vines hugged her body in just the right places, accentuating her curves more. Her messy and grassy hair had been brushed to some success, messily spilling down her shoulders.

Smiling, seeing Maria stare at her, Estel claps her delicate hands together, snapping Maria out of it. "My my, do you like what you see?" Blushing a bit, Maria furrows her brows in a poor attempt to hide it. "No, not at all. Why do you ask. Anyway, can I get 3 apples..."

Voice getting softer as she spoke, Maria got more and more embarrassed about how Estel presented herself. Capitalizing on this moment to tease someone new, Estel leaned in, towards Maria's ear. Speaking softly, barely a whisper, Estel made sure to blow her soft breath on Maria's ear as she spoke. "What was that dear? What would you like?"

Straightening out again, Estel smiled softly before returning behind her stand, leaving the crashed mess of Maria standing there, before she shook her head. Slapping her face on both cheeks, Maria walked towards Estel's stall, picking out some very crisp apples, before handing them to Estel. "I'll take these please."

Estel smiled as she took them, weighing them, and giving her price. "Two copper and 13 iron coins." Maria smiled as she took out 3 copper coins. "Just a small tip for you." Handing them over, Maria watches as Estel smiled, accepted them, and handed her a small paper bag. "My, you know I can't be bought. What would be your name dear?" Blushing quickly at that, Maria grabbed the bag, replied a quick "Maria", and quickly left the Armancie area. She felt that if she stood there for too long, she'd explode.

"Maria? That's quite interesting. Perhaps she is a funnier tease than I think."

Nimbly hopping across the rooftops with his feline agility, Wraith followed Maria as she toured the market, whom still blushing every time she took a bite from the very sweet apples, remembering every word that Estel had said. He watched quietly as Maria continued to wander around, buying a few things she felt like she could need, and for some reason buying a kingdom listening device. 

Taking note of such a weird action, he shrugged. 'Was hers stolen? Broken perhaps? It doesn't concern me.' That's what he thought at least. He didn't even know why he was following her. She only lived in one of the places suspected to be Pillow Talk's base. Perhaps her master was Pillow, or she knew Pillow? There wouldn't be any benefit to following her and not kidnapping her, but Wraith trusted his gut more than his logic, and his gut told that he should wait.

As the day passed, he got some food from the market, paying as usual, always keeping Maria in his sight. He watched as she ate seemingly weird things. A dish created using a brown poisonous crop, moldy curdled milk being eaten like a snack, her eating habits confused him.

Deciding against asking her why, he ducked into an empty alley before jumping back onto the tall rooftops to continue observing her. It was almost dark out, and barely anyone was left. The last few stalls were packing up, the Armancie corner had been disbanded, and few guards patrolled at this time. It would be dangerous for her to stay out, yet she continued to wander the street, seemingly enjoying the few. 

Senses flaring, Wraith only watched in bated breaths as he saw what he knew would happen. A pair of hands reached out of the darkness of the alley, and dragged her in, covering her mouth as they did.

"These fools..." Unsheathing his sword, angry but not knowing why, he prepared to go down and attack them, probably saving Maria in the process. 'Perhaps she could lead him to Pillow as a sign of gratitude?' That thought leading his action, he prepared to jump into the fray, but before so, a deafening crack ripped through the air, a scream of bloody murder tearing through right after.