All For Love [Reth x OC x Jel]

Late Nights

Jel took a walk out to the small island between the ocean and the Fisherman's Lagoon every night; sometimes to watch the stars, others to gaze out at the water; but it was rare that anyone else was there, when he did. Tonight had started much the same; coming to stand out in the night air and look up at the stars; but just as the hour neared midnight, and both of the moons were well into the night sky, he heard something drop onto the wooden bridge to his left, and footsteps starting toward him.

He turned to see Azu running up to him, a cheerful smile on her face. It would have been four days since she'd left for the Bay, had morning rolled around. He tried to smile back at her, but found it difficult with all that was on his mind; though, her smile did ease his troubles, just a bit..

Azu could tell that the smile he tried to give her didnt reach his eyes as she stopped in front of him, and she raised a brow; deciding to skip the greeting and ask what was up instead. "Are you okay?"

Jel furrowed his brow a bit, sighing as he turned away. "Im sorry, you seemed to have caught me in a rather pitiful state.." he hummed, turning his gaze back to the sky. "...Do you ever find yourself weeping over the beauty of the stars?"

Azu furrowed her brow at his question; curiously tilting her head at him before turning to stand beside him and look up at the stars. Her gaze softened when she immediately began to find constellations; something she'd been doing every night, under the skies of the Bay. The stories that they told, and the memories she had of sharing those stories.. She took a deep breath, before she spoke; just to find her voice again, from where it tried to hide in her thoughts. "Surprisingly, yes.." she settled on saying. Perhaps it wasnt the stars specifically; but she could understand the sentiment all the same.

Jel sent her a side glance, studying her face for a moment. There was...a somberness, in her eyes; and he would be lying if he said it didnt surprise him a bit. "A kindred soul.." he hummed, turning his eyes back up to the stars. "Then you must understand what its like to know you will never make something that equals their radiant beauty.." They stood together in silence for awhile, wandering their thoughts, until Jel chose to break it. "..You see, I came to this village on a sort of artistic pilgrimage. For in Palia, there is no such concept as simply being born into greatness; even those born into artisan families, like mine, must earn their place. Before I can stitch the name 'Omiata' into my clothing, I must earn the right to do so.. I have an idea for a garment that will truly take Bahari by storm, but first, I need to find purple shells. And sadly, my search thus far has come up short.."

Azu glanced up at him with a furrowed brow, tilting her head. "Shells-?" she paused, taking her bag off of her shoulders and digging through it until she found the odd little seashells she'd found while out exploring the Bay. "Do you mean these?"

Jel's eyes widened a bit at the vividly colored treasures in her hand, in disbelief that things could really be that easy. "I- Well-" he stopped to clear his throat, shyly chuckling. "Yes, actually...they're used for a very specific dye Ive needed.."

"Take them then~" Azu laughed a little, holding them out to him without even a moments hesitation. "They'd just end up sitting in my chests anyways, at least you can make use of them."

Jel blushed a bit as he reached out to take them from her gingerly, looking at them a moment longer before meeting her magenta irises. Somehow, they looked even brighter in the moonlight than they usually did. He wondered if he could make a garment with that sort of color.. "Thank you so much, Azu. May I one day prove worthy of your patronage.." he chuckled softly, admiring the little grin she gave him.

"You already are, yknow." Azu giggled at the way his eyes widened; what was up with the people in this town being so blind to their own worth? "I mean if this outfit is anything to go by, your work is exquisite." she rose a brow at him, putting a hand on her hip as she turned to look back up at the stars. "It was real handy staying warm out there during the late nights.."