forum The Most Wanted Woman in Town [Romance o/o] (Closed)

Started January 22, 2023 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

The most wanted woman in town has announced that she’ll only marry the one who can open her front door with the key around her cat’s neck. Many men try to hunt the cat down, chase and trap it, but to no avail, the cat is simply too quick, smart and clever, and always finds a way to evade and avoid them.

You are the first one to figure out the obvious: Do not chase the cat. The cat is befriendable. Get the cat to trust you, to genuinely enjoy your company, and you can hang out with the cat. You may eventually be allowed to touch the cat. The cat will freely let you take the key.

Idea credit: https://pakastekaappihomo.tumblr.com/post/184616003264/story-idea-the-most-wanted-woman-in-town-has

Name: Eve Springett
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Species: Empowered Human
Appearance: Eve is a very attractive woman with hazel eyes and honey-blonde hair that goes down to just below her shoulders in length. She has a soft but defined jawline and soft, full lips. Eve is tall for a woman – 5'10" – and has long legs that aid her naturally lean and curvy figure. She wears light, appealing makeup and speaks with a light British accent. She usually wears dresses that flatter her figure in red or maroon shades, since that's her favorite color.
Outfit reference 1, Outfit reference 2
Personality: Eve was once an outgoing and hopeful person. Now, being put on the pedestal of the town and the object of some people's very intense desires, she has become closed off and isolated. She still hopes that one day, she can open up again to the right person, but the light at the end of the tunnel has been getting dimmer and dimmer.
Powers: Shapeshifting and "earth" abilities, like growing plants and flowers.
Backstory: Being a beautiful, heavily sought after woman in her town for many years has become tiresome for Eve. There are constantly men pining after her whom she feels no affection for whatsoever. Several have tried to gain her love, and all have failed. In the past, she allowed herself to hope that people would value her for more than her beauty, so she tried to extend her love to others. They all proved her wrong. Combining her shapeshifting abilities with her need to have the townspeople leave her alone was how she came up with the idea of the key challenge. But even then, they're not really leaving her alone
Other: She loves tea, flowers, and thunderstorms

Name: Ronaldo Vale, but he asks that you please don't call him Ronaldo. Ronnie or just Vale works.

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Appearance: Ronnie is roughly 5'11"/1.9m tall and weighs around 170lbs/78kg. He's Caucasian, with hazel eyes, dark brown hair cut in a classic 'high and tight' style, and the tan of a military man regularly out in the sun. He's relatively muscular, but not built, since the military pushes function over aesthetics.

Personality:Ronnie is a competitive individual, but is generally quiet about it. He excels at things because he pushes himself. He can be reckless and impulsive, but he usually has sound thinking, even if rushed. He's from an average background, so he's generally well-adjusted. Average intelligence for a military specialist- smarter than the average man- and good situational awareness. He also does well with empathy and understanding other people's emotional states. He's good with kids, not so good with the ladies, and gets along best with other military guys.

Backstory: Ronnie grew up in (insert town name here), but when his parents died in a freak accident on his 16th birthday, he left town to try to make a life for himself. He joined the military, and has seen action in the war. Now that oeace has come, he's decided to move back to his hometown.

Other: Extremely skilled in all kinds of things, from years in the military and as part of Special units. Tends to keep it hidden because his skill set makes people nervous

Midwinter in Ossiriand. The thick forest gave way to rolling plains, covered in a soft carpet of snow. From the top of a slight hill, a person could see for miles.
Endless white, broken only in one place, by a town. Tol Galen. A lovely little jewel sitting on a spit of land between the two arms of the river Adurant. Surrounded by fertile farmland in the spring and summer, with the forests of pine and yellow oak to the East, it was a scenic little spot.
It was to this town that a figure could be seen, making his way through the snow. Two figures, actually.
Ronaldo Vale, wrapped in his cloak, looked like a man-shaped blob on top of a vicious looking creature. Teben was a Warg, a large hyena-horse-leopard hybrid. He was much more friendly than he looked, and utterly loyal to Ronaldo. The cloaked man was riding his Warg towards the city, his face covered against the cold, but a small smile on it nevertheless.
He was nearly home.
………………………………………

About an hour later, Ronaldo rode down Tol Galen's main road. There was the same old inn as when he'd left, the Blondwood Bed&Breakfast. He had to wonder if old Beanbelly was still the owner.
He slid out of the saddle, his boots making the snow crunch beneath his feet, and tethered Teben to the post of the porch, where he'd be out of the way. The town had changed a bit since he'd last been here, and he couldn't help looking around at the new buildings, the old recognizable sights, and the things that were definitely old, but different than his memory said.
It was…. strange, to be back here, but… he kept the smile on his face as he headed into the Blondwood.

Eve sighed and propped her elbows up on her desk. She'd gotten a job at the Blondwood Bed&Breakfast out of sheer desperation. She hadn't really needed the money, but she also really did. It was an odd situation. Everywhere she went, people would buy her things. Dresses, food, and accessories. Usually men, but occasionally there would be a bold woman who did the same. But Eve wanted to buy her own things without having to rely on other people.

She'd applied to be a housekeeper at the Blondwood since she didn't mind cleaning, but the owner had immediately put her at the front desk instead. Claimed it was because his housekeeping staff was fully stocked. Eve knew the real reason why though. She wasn't stupid. She was eye candy. Well, at least most of the men in town had been leaving her alone. Her human form at least. Her feline form wasn't as lucky.

The woman had lived her entire life in Tol Galen, and she wanted to leave. But everywhere else she went, people were always the same. They fawned over her and praised her beauty, crediting the goddess Lilith for gracing them with an angel's presence. Eve figured she might as well stay somewhere that she knew good hiding places for when things got a bit out of hand in public.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the door opening and a chill blast of air striking her. Eve shivered and looked up at the man who'd entered. She hadn't seen him before, but he was certainly attractive. He was definitely a man she would remember, so he had to be new. Though faces did blur in her mind after a while. There were so many new men asking for her hand every day that she could barely keep track of them all. It was ridiculous.

"Hello, sir," she greeted with a small smile. "Welcome to the Blondwood. How can I help you?"

Ronnie stepped through the door, closing it behind him quickly to keep out the cold. He stepped over by the fireplace in the large room, warming his hands and peeling off his gloves. He took his hood off and turned towards the front desk, rifling through his pockets for his money.
He didn't look up till someone spoke to him, and when his eyes met hers, he froze for a moment.
Wow… she's gorgeous….

He realized he was being rude after just a moment, and managed to tear his eyes off her lovely face.
"Umm, yes, hi. Just, uh, just looking for a room for a long term stay. I'll also need to reserve stable space for my ride." He kept his head down, fidgeting with his coins, suddenly aware of exactly how scruffy he looked. His hair had been in a hood for three solid days, he'd been bathing with melted snow and minimal soap, and he hadn't shaved in over a week.
Great first impression…
He didn't have a reason to care, but he found himself hoping she wouldn't notice.
"Does-… does old Beanbelly still own the place?"

Eve sighed quietly as she noticed his stare. But she was used to it by now, so she simply smiled in return and began to write up a room and board agreement for him. "How long do you plan on staying?" she asked, glancing back up at him.

His travel was written all over his appearance. Wherever he'd come from, it must've been a long journey. She couldn't help but become curious. "Where do you hail from, traveler?"

But her eyes softened with shock at the mention of the Blondwood's owner. "Yes," she answered. "He does." Her expression was both surprised and confused. "Are you…" She paused a moment, searching for the right question. "Have you been here before?"

She was sweet, and didn't slap him outright for his rude slack-jawed stare. Probably used to it, with a face like that.
"I'm moving back into the area, but I don't have a permanent place yet. Can I reserve a month at a time?" He realized he hadn't been counting his coins, just fidgeting, and set about counting out how much he had. He'd need a job, but hopefully he had enough for a little bit anyway.

She asked where he was from, and Ronnie glanced up, flashing her a smile. "I'm from here, actually. Just… haven't been home in 8 years. I've spent the last week travelling from where I was stationed with my regiment in Doriath. We were on the front lines in Rhun before that, but…" He didn't realize it, but his eyes went slightly glassy just then, as he paused for a moment. "… Well, there's peace now, so those of us who had served out our contracts and then some were sent home."
His expression perked up as she mentioned that Beanbelly was still around. "Oh, fantastic! Well tell him-…" he paused a moment, his face falling just slightly, before finishing his sentence. "Tell him Jathan Vale's kid says hello. He and my dad were good friends."

"Yes, that will work fine," Eve answered, making a brief note on her parchment. She glanced up from writing in time to see his smile. It was sweet and kind, not leering or flirtatious like the kind she normally got. But his words made her curious. Eight years ago…

She tried to process the information while also listening to him speak of his military experience. Eight years… eight years… Eve Springett had lived in this little town her entire life. If this man only left eight years ago, she should remember him.

"I could go and get him now, if you like," she remarked as the man paused. But it was the last name that tipped her off. "Vale?" she asked incredulously. "Ronnie Vale?" Her eyes lit up with recognition. "By the goddess, you've changed!" She blushed lightly at her own words. Wait, he might not recognize you. You didn't recognize him. "I'm Eve!" she blurted. "Eve Springett."

Ronnie nodded quickly at her. "I wouldn't mind seeing him, if you don't mind getting him."
Her exclamation caught him a bit off guard, but as soon as she said her name, it clicked.
"Tulkas' Beard, Eve Springett." She'd been part of a gaggle of girls a bit older than Ronnie, and he'd been so busy out on the farm outside of town that they hadn't really been friends. He knew who she was, but he'd last seen her at 18, and frankly, he'd been in no state of mind to remember what she looked like, then. "You've changed, too."
The words were barely out of his mouth before he realized exactly how rude that was. "I mean- you've grown up! Not that you weren't grown up then, just- you've aged- no, not like that, I just mean-…" he trailed off, his face beginning to heat up. "It's good to see you again." he finished, lamely.

(Do you mind being Beanbelly? 😅)

Eve giggled with amusement at his words. "It's alright, I know what you mean," she said with a smile. "It's good to see you again too, Ronnie. I can't believe you've come back…" She shook her head and blushed again.

Her eyes widened a bit as she remembered what he'd said before he recognized her. "No, of course, I don't mind. I'll go and get him now," she assured him. "Excuse me a moment."

With that, she slipped out from behind her desk and hurried to the back room. She burst through the door much stronger than she'd anticipated, scaring a young kitchen boy. Her eyes widened. "Sorry," she apologized before rushing along to find Beanbelly. She eventually tracked him down talking with Sylvia, the head housekeeper.

"Excuse me, sir," she said softly. "There's someone here who I think you ought to see. It's Jathan Vale's son."

(I do not mind. Usually if I introduce a side character, I'm down with playing them, but sometimes my rp partners prefer I don't do that, so I don't assume)

Once again, Eve didn't mock his awkwardness. Ronnie glanced up in time to catch the blush creeping across her face. He was determined not to stare again, but she was just so pretty, he had to physically turn his head to pull his eyes away. She excused herself, and he looked up as she retreated through the door to the back.
Smooth, Vale. Real smooth. He was in the process of rolling his eyes when he heard a familiar voice from down the hall.
"Jathan Vale's kid? Ronnie?" He had to smile. Beanbelly sounded exactly the same.

Eve's boss was a short, portly man, shaped exactly like a fat kidney bean with arms and legs. He had just looked at her for a moment when she burst in, but recognition had bloomed on his face, just before he nudged past her and went waddling up front.
The short owner came bustling through the door, and his face split wide in a toothy grin when he saw Ronnie.
"Ronnie Vale! Well, cover me in fur and call me a woodtroll, it's really you!" Beanbelly came around the desk, and grabbed one of Ronnie's calloused hands in his chubby ones. "Bombur's Belt, I never thought we'd see you again, boy." His voice cracked, just slightly, and he pulled Ronnie into a hug.

Ronnie hugged him back, the familiar smell of ale and bacon grease bringing up memories. "Well. I'm back now, old man."

Beanbelly sniffed, just once. "You look just like you father, boy…" He squeezed Ronnie, before turning and swiping at his eyes. "Miss Eve! Give this man the best room we've got available, free of charge! This is an old friend, and I'll not have him scraping and scrimping just to stay here." He turned and smiled at Ronnie. "What's it been, 6 years now?"
"8, but close enough." Ronnie recounted the entire tale to him again, obviously much more relaxed with his father's old friend.

(Makes sense :))

Eve followed in Beanbelly's wake as he headed out to greet Ronnie. She took up her place behind the desk again wordlessly and watched the exchange with a small smile. When she was addressed, her eyes widened, and she nodded. "Of course, sir," she replied quickly. "Right away."

She sat down and plucked up a parchment that listed everyone currently occupying rooms at the Blondwood. Her eyes occasionally glanced up as Ronnie retold his story to her boss. A smile played across her lips, and she rose to her feet. "I think room three will be perfect for you," she remarked once Ronnie was finished talking. She didn't want to interrupt him. "I can show you up to it, if you'd like. Do you have any bags I can help you carry?"

Her dress swirled around her legs as she came out from behind her desk again and met his eye level. How had she not realized before that they were incredibly close to, if not the same height?

Ronnie looked over at her and nodded. "I'd like that. And I've just got the one bag, lemme grab it." He turned and headed back out into the cold to grab his pack off of Teben's saddle. He patted the big animal. "We're home, boy."

Beanbelly turned to Eve as Ronnie stepped out. "You be nice to this one, he's a good boy. Who knows, he may be the one to catch that persnickety cat of yours!" He chuckled as Ronnie walked back in. "Ronnie, Miss Eve will show you your room. If you need anything, ask her or ask for me, and it's yours, son." He slapped Ronnie's shoulder. "I'm just glad you're back."

Ronnie smiled down at him. "Me too, Beanbelly." He looked up at Eve and was struck that she wasn't much shorter than he was, maybe an inch. Tall, beautiful, leggy- and smiling at him.
He fought down the instinct to stare once again. She's just being friendly, doing her job.
"Ready when you are."

Eve shivered as another chill blast of air came in from outside. She rubbed her arms to warm herself through the fabric of her dress. It was made for winter, but Eve still hated the cold. It made it harder to grow her beautiful flowers.

She turned to her employer as he spoke to her, and yet another blush painted itself on her face. "Perhaps," she replied vaguely, turning her attention to the door as Ronnie returned with his bag.

Her soft smile maintained itself as she nodded. "Alright. Follow me, Ronnie Vale." She grinned and led him up the stairs. She made her way down the hall after they'd climbed the first flight of stairs, and she slipped a key out of her dress pocket once she reached the door with a painted "3" on it.

"As Beanbelly said, if you need anything I'll be right downstairs at the desk. Ask, and it will be yours." She smiled one last time and held out the key for him to take. "And don't lose your key," she added. "I only have one extra of each."

Beanbelly headed back to his 'office' as they headed up the stairs. Ronnie watched him go, before hustling up the stairs behind Eve, pointedly keeping his eyes down. He took the key from her and looked up as she reassured him of her help.
"I'll do my best not to lose the key. Though it would give me an excuse to come talk to you again." The words were out before he could stop them, and he quickly stepped past her and unlocked the door in order to hide his face.
The room was warm and comfortable, with a soft bed in the corner, a small desk and a chair, and a bathroom off to the side. It had a view of the main street, and Ronnie could see Teben down below in the snow.
Which reminds me.
He turned back to Eve. "I, uh… I still need a spot in the stable for Teben. Do you know which stalls are available?"

Eve's eyes widened at his words, and she bit her lip, a shy tell of hers, when she was sure he wasn't looking. "You don't need an excuse to come talk to me," she replied, gazing out the window at the snow-covered street below. "I could use some sane company."

She found her gaze drawn back to him as he was speaking, and she nodded in response. "Yes. I'll go check for you right away." Her footsteps receded back through the hall and down the stairs as she headed back to her desk to check her parchment.

Ronnie did his best not let his happiness at her invitation for sane company show, but…
Well. It was written all over his face.
He managed not to say anything, but as she left, he felt his lips part in a huge grin. He immediately ducked into the bathroom and did his best to wipe the worst of the travelling grime off of his face, finger-comb his hair into something a little neater, and straighten the folds of his cloak.
After a minute, he headed back downstairs to check on the stable situation. He needed to get Teben somewhere warm, and then he could think about some food for himself.

Eve was at her desk, shuffling through her assortment of papers when she heard footsteps descending the stairs. She looked up and was glad to see Ronnie again. "As a matter of fact, I have several available stables," she remarked, glancing down at the diagram she held in her left hand and the list she held in her right.

"Stables one through five are being used currently, so you may take six if that's alright. Makes it easier for me to keep track of it the ones being used if I assign them in order," she explained, setting the parchment in her right hand down and jotting Ronnie's name down on it.

Suddenly, there was another pair of footsteps that descended from the stairs, accompanied by a suave voice. "Beautiful Eve. Today is the day I will succeed in catching your cat and making myself your betrothed."

Eve sighed quietly and looked up to see Ji're Northman smirking confidently at her. She offered a polite smile in return. "You may try," she replied simply before going back to her task.

"I will succeed," Ji're repeated before glancing over at Ronnie. "Hello, traveler. Who might you be? You haven't come to try for Eve's hand too, have you?"

Eve flushed lightly and dipped her head to hide it.

Ronnie nodded. "Stall 6 sounds good. Thanks much." He was about to ask where she would suggest he get dinner, when someone interjected with some nonsense about a cat. Ronnie turned to look at the guy, noting the polite but longsuffering look on Eve's face as she responded.
So I should probably NOT ask her to dinner tomorrow like I was thinking about…
Ronnie just gave the guy a level look. Years in the military had given him an innate sense about people, and this… boy was soft. Soft and comfy and untested. Spoiled, maybe.
"Name's Vale. And no, not specifically." He turned and tipped his head in Eve's direction. "Thanks again."
He turned and pulled his hood up, before heading out to put Teben in his stable stall.

Eve was even more irritated at Ji're interrupting their conversation when she saw Ronnie's mouth open again like he was going to say something more to her. She hid her annoyance by looking down and studying the diagram in front of her intently, though she already had it memorized.

She glanced up and smiled briefly at Ronnie before he headed outside. "Anytime."

Ji're leaned against the desk and winked at her. "So… mind telling me where your cat might be at a time like this?" he asked with a sly grin.

Eve collected her parchments on the desk and stacked them evenly. "No," she answered before seating herself and continuing to make notes of who needed what accommodations in which rooms. "Be on your way, Ji're. I have work to do."

The man frowned slightly, but he pushed away from the desk and left the lobby without a word.

Ronnie put Teben in the stall and took his saddle off. Stall 6 was next to a gentle looking mare, who was initially a little nervous with the big Warg next to her. He was all teeth and claws and muscles, after all, and probably set off all her predator! instincts. Ronnie just brushed down his fur, made sure he was fed, and petted him, talking softly. The horse eventually got used to him there, and even stuck her head over the stall wall for Ronnie to pet. He smiled at her, smiled at Teben, and headed back out into the snow.

He headed across the street, to a place called Marvin's Marvelous Meals!. This hadn't been here when he'd left, so he wasn't sure what to expect, but honestly, he was hungry enough to eat anything.

He walked in the door and spotted a table, off in the corner. He went and sat down, and a pretty teenage girl came by, all fluttering eyelashes and big smiles. She brought him the drink he ordered, took his food order, and kept up a constant chatter as she served. He honestly couldn't tell if she was being friendly or flirty, and you never could tell with teen girls.

Not like Eve… she was so… poised…

He was thinking about his next move in getting settled, when somebody walked up to his table and slapped two huge hands on it.
"So, you think you can come in here and just flirt with my sister, eh?"

Ronnie looked up, and up, and up, into the icy blue eyes of a mountain of a man. He immediately stood up and stepped around the table, squaring up with his much taller and more muscular antagonist.
"Yeah, I do, and what are you going to do about it?"
Several of the surrounding patrons looked up nervously, their eyes wide, as the two men glared at each other. There was a resounding thud as they clashed, lunging at each other.

And then muffled laughter as it became apparent their clash was just a giant hug.

"Ronnie Vale! Lana thought she recognized you! I had to see for myself."

"Romulus, you big hairless bear! It's so good to see you. And that's Lana!? I should have recognized her!"

"Well, she was eight when you left, and that was 8 years ago, so she's a bit different." Romulus's smile faltered, just a bit. "It's been 8 years, Ronnie. Everything happened, and then you just.. left. I thought I'd never see you again." Ronnie's childhood best friend pulled him back into another hug.

"Well." Ronnie's voice was quiet, and slightly husky from the lump in his throat. "I'm back now."
…………………..
The hours passed, and the two men sat and ate together, talking and joking and catching up the entire time. Ronnie told about his 8 years in the military, all his combat tours and where he'd been, and learned that Romulus had spent two years fighting in Rhun as well. That he'd been wounded, and sent home to recover, and then had married the nurse who brought him back to health. They swapped military stories, caught up on Romulus's family news, and eventually got around to filling in Ronnie on all the town gossip.

"So… I ran into Eve over at the hotel. What's up with her, and what's this about a cat?"

Romulus chuckled, shaking his head, and gave Ronnie a mock mournful look. "Oh friend. Don't lose your heart too quickly, you'd be in competition with all the single young men in town, and most of the single young men up and down the River."

Ronnie raised his eyebrows. "That many, huh? Still doesn't explain the cat."

Romulus nodded. "It kind of does. You see, she's got so much attention for so long, she's gotten sick and tired of it. And I can't blame her, the boys chase after her like puppies, or worse, like slavering dogs." The big man's face darkened. "As part of the police force, I've had to personally arrest, jail, and then escort men out of town who were a little too… Aggressive in trying to win her." He gave a low chuckle. "So she set up a challenge. She's got a cat, the cats got a key, and the man who can get the key from the cat gets the girl. Simple enough." He laughed loudly. "Except it's been years, and nobody can catch the darn thing. I tried once, just for the heck of it, and the little thing is fast, and far too intelligent for its own good."

Ronnie nodded slowly. "That explains the conversation I heard earlier. And I guess it means it's a good thing I didn't ask her out like I was thinking about doing, huh?"

Romulus nodded exaggeratedly at him. "At this point, I think even if she wanted to give a guy a chance, so many people have heard about the challenge and have tried, and are still trying, that she'd be stuck. There would be mass outrage if she abandoned it now."

Ronnie laughed, and the conversation moved on. The evening ended with Romulus promising to do his best to get Ronnie a job on the police force. They hugged, promising to meet up again soon, and Ronnie trudged through the snow back to the hotel.
As he opened the door, he had one thought in his head.
Well. Guess I got a cat to catch.

Eve sighed, looking at the door and waiting for Ronnie to return. She wanted to ask him what he'd been able to say before Ji're had so rudely interrupted. But a minute passed. Five minutes. Ten minutes.

The young woman frowned and tapped her quill on the wood of the desk. Maybe Ronnie had gone out. It wasn't a crime. He was back in town after eight years. Eve assumed he might want to go see if any of his friends were still around. It made sense, so why couldn't she just let it be at that? Maybe he went out for lunch. That made sense too. So she shook her head to clear her mind.

After a while of waiting for someone to walk through the door or come down from upstairs, Eve took to doodling a little flower on the corner of her parchment. Its vines swirled and curved around the blossom. She wasn't sure exactly what flower she drew, but it looked akin to a tulip. She loved tulips. They were rounded and simple-looking, but she adored how different colors bled together through the petals and made a truly wonderful bouquet. Adding a few other herbs and blooms, of course.

Eve checked the time on the large clock opposite her desk. Nearly the end of her shift. The people would be wanting to see her cat today. Her work wasn't really done. Shame. She was a bit tired today. And she really hated the cold. Her fur wasn't really warm, but she'd get plenty of activity, no doubt. Many of the men, if not all of the men, in town were now able to recognize the sight of her cat, and they seized any conceivable opportunity to try and catch her. If only they would slow down a moment and-

Her thoughts on her feline form were interrupted as the door opened and a gust of cold wind snapped in. She shivered and saw Ronnie step through the door. She was surprised to see him back again, though she didn't know why. It was silly. Obviously, he'd be back. He was staying here wasn't her?

Eve parted her lips to speak, though she paused a moment, considering exactly what she was going to say. She couldn't very well ask him what he was going to say to her earlier. It would be a conversation much to out of place. Instead, she smiled and spoke softly, "Welcome back, Ronnie. Did you get everything settled with your stable?"

Ronnie glanced up, and his smile came quickly at the sight of Eve. "Yeah, got it all figured out, got Teben settled in, and went and got some food." He nodded towards the restaurant across the street. "How long has Marvin's been around? It's pretty delicious." He stepped over to the fire, warming up his hands. They had chilled, even in the short walk over. It was cold outside.
Seeing Eve made him think about what Romulus had said, and his heart went out to her. Ronnie couldn't imagine being in a situation where he was so sought after, it became a problem. In his life, he'd been loved by family, but once he got to the military, he found that it was less about him and more about what he could do for people. He wondered if that's how Eve felt as well.
"Also, how long is your shift? Don't lemme keep you if you need to get going." He'd stay and talk as long as she wanted to, but he didn't want to push her. She didn't need another man breathing down her neck.

"Lovely," Eve remarked. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "I believe it's been around five years. Why do you a–" She realized the answer to her question as she was asking it, and she blushed lightly. "Right, sorry. But yes. I've heard many good things about it. I don't get out to eat very much."

Eve had two reasons for not eating out in the local taverns like most other people in the village did. The first was that most of the things that she grew in her garden were deliciously edible. Her chlorokinesis abilities extended to all plants, not just her beautiful flowers. So she grew her own fruits and vegetables to use for her meals.

But the second reason was much more compelling. She was tired of all the stares. Eve wasn't necessarily shy, but she didn't like as much attention as she'd been receiving. That was partially why she'd come up with her challenge, to take the attention off of her, in a way. But still… it wasn't entirely off of her.

Suddenly, a realization occurred to her. Did Ronnie hear of her challenge yet? Rumor and gossip traveled fast in Tol Galen. She was sure that Ji're's comment from earlier must have made him curious. Had he asked around until someone had told him? Or had it come up naturally in the conversation?

Her eyes flitted to the clock again, and with a start, she realized her shift was over. Sure enough, Sylvia came through the door that lead to the kitchen and staff room in the back and approached the desk. "I've marked you out already," the older woman remarked as Eve made her way out from behind the desk. "Have a pleasant evening."

Eve nodded and slipped her arms through the sleeves of her coat. "I'd better get going," she said, looking over at Ronnie for a moment. "It's been lovely to see you again, Ronnie." With that, Eve pulled the door open and stepped out into the cold to head home while Sylvia took her place behind the desk.