Kieratandanu - Blog Posts
kieratandanu:
Kiera had learned earl on in life that food was a huge source of comfort. Maybe not for everyone, but for a lot of people. Whenever she had a bad day, her father’s food could cheer her up – or make a good day even better. Now she was happy to do the same for everyone in Corinth Bay who was willing to try her treats. And the expression on his face was pure gold, causing her to laugh. “I wish you could see yourself right now. Like a kid in a candy store,” she teased, as she picked up a piece of brownie to take a bite herself. Maybe one of the downfalls of running a booth at the festivities was that she was seemingly constantly eating herself. “I told you it’s a free taste test and I meant it. Let’s say it’s a thank you for your help with the mask – if you still remember. My aunt loved it.” Picking up a napkin that read love is love, she held it out to him. “You got a bit of frosting on your face. Not that it doesn’t look cute, but if you want to impress someone today, you better get rid of it.”
“How could I possibly forget,” which was a very true statement coming from the incubus. He had a habit of journaling the days to help him remember them, but placing the proper items with the right people never leaked from his memory bank. It also helped that he enjoyed Kiera’s company, even if most of the times they actually found a way to chat was when either of them was working. Delicate fingertips found their grip on the napkin that was offered, licking his lips to snag the reminisces of cupcake before pressing it against his mouth and cheeks. “I appreciate the kind gesture, as usual,” a gentle grin, charcoal irises still holding onto their childlike quality as he attempted to get all the frosting off his face, “Even if I’m not exactly looking to impress, still not sure I would want to walk around with food all over my face.” Though the color might match some of the displays he had seen as he meandered around the festival, Silas had always wanted to blend rather than stand out, “Been able to step away at all?”
kieratandanu:
for @silaskyun.
“You look like you need something to eat.” Kiera’s feet hurt from standing in her pride boots all day, and as the streets had lightened up a little, she had decided to take a break by taking a seat on the counter of her booth, legs dangling in the air as she presented a plate with rainbow colored cupcakes to anyone who passed. She’d recognized the man from the shop she bought a mask for her aunt from not too long ago, and pointed her free hand at him with a wide smile on her face. Most importantly, he looked like he deserved to have some fun, and she’d always argue that it was easiest achieved with some good food. “I’ll give you a free taste test if you want. There’s nothing better than some rainbows in your stomach at pride.”
The witch that ran Kiki’s was easily one of his favorite individuals in town, admiring that even at such a young age she could carry all that weight and still place a smile on her face. “I could always use something to eat,” charcoal irises landing on the cupcakes in her hand, an array of colors being presented and sparkling details, “And rainbow cake always hits the plot.” Feet gently made their way over, fingertips reaching for one that displayed a light blue frosting with what looked to be a rainbow sour gummy on top. A childlike expression found its way on his face as he shoved a large bite into his mouth, eyes gently closing with delight and Silas had to stop himself from chatting with his mouth full. “I couldn’t possibly take anything from you for free,” he finally stated, frosting still along the creases and on his cheeks, “How much are they?”
kieratandanu:
Kiera was proud of what she had achieved with KiKi’s. She often wished her father was still alive to see her open her own restaurant and succeed with it, but it wasn’t a possibility anymore, so she kept to just being proud on her own. “Yeah,” she confirmed, nodding a little. “It’s a small restaurant. I prepare all kinds of foods and change the menu every day. From Greek to Chinese you can get pretty much everything at my place. You should stop by some time.”
“I will,” he stated firmly, making a note mentally that it was important. Supporting locals was a quality instilled in the cubi long before he had to call himself one, the Kyun family always doing their part however they could. Dining at small businesses that started from the ground, purchasing directly from artists instead of big chains, sticking with artisans had always led to a better community all around. “What’s on the menu tomorrow?” a genuine grin and interest in his tone.
kieratandanu:
“That’s really cool.” It was, even if not everyone would see it that way. Kiera knew people often didn’t pay attention to detail or the work that had been put into gifts or items produced. She did, as it was how she earned her own income, and it put a smile on her lips to watch his hands wrap up the mask with great care. “Me? Oh, I cook. I have a small restaurant down the street. So I can appreciate someone treating their customers nicely a lot,” she smiled.
Only part of Silas was taken aback by her youth and owning her own restaurant, having seen many take over the family trade around her age back home. It just didn’t seem as prevalent in many if the European regions and it excited him, though his expression hardly showed it. Clearly this woman knew how to hustle, a quality he admired and reminded him of his sister. “Kiki’s?” the cubi asked, having seen it a few times during his walks into the store but had never stopped in.
kieratandanu:
“Hand wrapped? What a service.” Kiera smiled as she leaned over the boxes, considering her choice for a moment. Her aunt was an affectionate woman though, and so she quickly made her decision and pointed towards the box with the words on them. “I think I’ll take that one. I think she’ll love it.” She also liked reusing boxes such as this one, so Kiera was happy with her choice as she leaned against the counter. “Do you hand wrap everything you sell?”, she asked curiously, always interested in how other people handled their shops, whether they involved food or not.
“Yes, especially when I know it's a gift,” he replied as his hands fiddled with paper and bubble wrap. The sound made it a bit hard for the cubi’s softer voice to talk over, but managed to get the message across regardless. It was nice to get questioned on his work, even for something as simple as hand wrapping. It meant that someone was interested in more than what they wanted, curious about the workings of others. “You see what I do daily, how about yourself?” charcoal hues were still fixed on the task at hand, but was always interested in how his customer’s lived and their day to day life.
kieratandanu:
“Okay.” Her eyes looked down at the blue tinted one once more, and when he posed his question, she realized that he was right. It was the one her aunt would probably never pick for herself, and therefore the perfect gift. “You’re right, she wouldn’t. That’s a great idea. I’ll take the blue one then. Do you possibly have a box it can fit in as well?”
Gentle head nods fell from the cubi as he pulled the mask towards himself. Silas was sure he had the right gift wrap for this particular style, getting out two sleek black boxes. One had a gold tint in the writing, embossed with the words ‘with love’ in the center. The other was similar with silver instead of the gold, but held no words and displayed an abstract geometric pattern. “Take your pick and I’ll hand wrap it for you,” warm words fell from his lips, happy that the mask was going to go into a wonderful home.
kieratandanu:
“Well,” Kiera said slowly as she put both of the masks back down on the counter to look at them. Folding her arms over her chest, she pursed her lips, trying to find the best words to describe her aunt. “She’s… very warm and loving as a person. She enjoys nature and good weather, and tea. She likes to dance, too. And she’s a horrible cook,” she joked, tilting her head to the side as she looked back down at the masks. “Does that help?”
“I would go with the blue tinted one then,” he replied, an absolution in his voice that wasn’t present before. He liked to pride himself on knowing his clients and having a feeling about what items belonged with whom. It was something that he had practiced over the years, especially when his father had been training him. “It seems as though it might not be something she would normally pick out for herself, what do you think?”
kieratandanu:
She watched him move a step ladder to pick the masks from the wall, bending over them once he placed them both down in front of her. “That sounds great,” she said, though she was a bit distracted by the masks. Kiera wasn’t necessarily the best person at making decisions, and it showed again in this moment. After another moment of hesitation, she picked one of the masks up and held it in front of her face. “Do you think she’ll like this more–”, she switched it out for the other, “or this one?”
Both had their own unique style and Silas could see how the young woman was having difficulty choosing. One was dramatic, bright, and seemed to have a lot of personality. While the other was calmer, cooler in coloring, but gave off a ethereal feel. The cubi turned his head slightly as she head each mask up and tried to gauge which one was a better fit. “Tell me a little more about her?” he eventually asked, not wanting to make the wrong choice when it came to a gift, “That might help.”
kieratandanu:
These days it was rare that Kiera even had enough time to visit any shop that wasn’t her own tiny restaurant. But she had almost forgotten that it was her aunt’s birthday this weekend, and that she needed a gift. Luckily for her, her aunt wasn’t very picky, and for some weird reason entirely enamored with masks – and she knew where to get one, thanks to the fact that it wasn’t the first one she wanted to gift her. Eyes traveling over the masks on the wall, she shrugged her shoulders as the question was placed. “I’m not sure yet.” Her fingers were itching to just snap and get the masks from the wall herself, but instead she pointed to two of the colorful ones. “Could I take a closer look at those? I need a gift for my aunt.”
Grabbing the step ladder from behind the counter, Silas napped it open and proceeded to get the masks down. It was always an interesting experience working in the shop. Meeting all kinds of different styles of people and having a small peek into how they live. Individuals that found masks fascinating were more rare as he stepped out Korea, people finding them creepy or not wanting to feel as though the eyes followed them. Others, like many inside Greece, found them to be part of normal life. Performance tools that many used in theatrical performances, much like his own culture history and loved that he could use his talents again. Silas snagged the two and slowly came back down, placing them both in front of the woman, “We also offer gift boxes to fit the mask, along with wrapping paper to fit the occasion.”
