Re: Gwen's favor. {{Invite only now}}

[Gwendolan]

Gwen was about to put the apple down but when V mentioned the unicorns She smiled.

"I think they would love some apples."

She was glad that Venis took her actions for what they were, she understood.

[Guest]

The man handed Gwendolan a hemp bag big enough to hold apples and a lot more. Whenever you bought something from one of these booths, and you had nothing to carry it in they gave you a hemp bag, unless they were out. It was like their signature thing. So if they ended up filling the one she was given, a second would be offered, and so on.

Venis let Gwendolan pick the apples she was going to give the Unicorns and put them in the bag, Venis just paid for them. Then it was off to the next vendor of interest. A seamstress who Venis knew personally. "Hello Shelby, what have you today?" There was always something new and pretty to look at. And Shelby liked Venis. She even attended church at the Keep, though that was one church Venis wished would burn to the ground. "This is Gwendolan, she's Manny's girlfriend. Gwendolan, this is Shelby." She smiled at them both.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen took the bag with a smile and picked out several very juicy red apples. She thanked the man.

She followed Venis to the next vendor and smiled brightly. This woman was very friendly.

"Hello Shelby."

She held her hand out to the woman.

"It is a pleasure to make you acquaintance."

[Guest]

Shelby took the offered hand and gave it two firm, yet gentle shakes. "Pleasure Miss. Any friend of me Goddess' is a friend o'mine." She pulled a black dress from the rack for Venis to look at with her left hand and with her right she pulled a lovely cream colored frock for Gwendolan. It was of a similar style to the one she was wearing but slightly different. More for summer weather.



Venis looked to Gwendolan to gage her reaction, though she was already getting her purse out again. She loved the black one, would Gwendolan like the cream colored one as much. The look on her face would tell Venis her answer.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen looked at the dress and reached a hand out to touch it. The fabric was soft. She smiled and let her hand drop from it. She did like the dress but it was nothing she would be able to afford, she had not brought anything with her for trade.

"Yes, I am Venis' friend."

She liked the sound of that.

[Guest]

Before Gwendolan could even say she was Venis' friend, Venis had seen her react to the dress and she nodded to Shelby. Who in turn was removing both dresses from the hangers and folding them to put them in the bag that Gwendolan was carrying. Venis had a genuine smile as she paid for the dresses and threw in a bit extra because Shelby always cut herself short. There were times that she would sell a dress and replace the fabric and other things and it would leave her with barely enough to buy a loaf of bread. So Venis always payed more.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen looked at Venis and then at Shelby.

"The dress is lovely, thank you. You have to let me do something to repay you."

She really did like the dress and when they got back she would find something that Venis would like, or something that she could do for her.

[Guest]

Venis smiled as she looked at Gwendolan. "You already are" She looked back at Shelby and leaned in for a kiss to her forehead. It was a thank you, but she knew Shelby would take it as a blessing due to her involvement in the church she attended. Venis always let that slide because she did such lovely work. "Until next time Shelby" And she gave her a nod of respect before she began to move on, waiting for Gwendolan of course.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen took the bag with a smile.

"Thank you Shelby."

She was confused she did not know how she was helping Venis, she would have to ask her. She thought Venis was helping her.

"Venis, I don't understand what you mean."

[Guest]

Venis looked over to Gwendolan, a softness to her features. "I would never be able to go back to that keep without someone I trusted to help and not hinder. Without you." She smiled as they got to a stand that had some wine glasses and a dispenser of red liquid. "Ahh, my drink stop. Hello Steffen. I'll take one for here and one to go." Another of the vendors who would speak to her, who also attended church with Shelby.

[Gwendolan]

She smiled at Venis as she explained how she was helping her.

"In that case thank you for the dress and the trust you have placed in me."

When the came to the next vendor Gwen wrinkled her nose she smelled the blood. At least Venis was drinking from a glass and not a human. She would not think bad of her though, Venis stiull needed to eat to after all.

[Guest]

Venis saw the wrinkle of her nose as she warmed a glass of blood. "Sorry Gwendolan." She turned her back to her as she drank down that first glass. "Mmmm, this is young and sweet. Sixteen, seventeen?" Steffen nodded as he handed her a large cup of it in a recycled paper type product with a lid and a straw. She smiled. "Make it two to go then?" She smiled at the man as she produced the gold to pay for her drinks. He filled the second cup and Venis carried both to save Gwendolan from the displeasure.

They moved on to a booth that had tables set up. They were a fresh garden salad shop. "Perhaps the food here will be to your liking. You just go along and tell them everything you want on your salad or what fruits and they fix you a plate. They even offer salad dressings if you prefer. It's two gold for all you can eat." She set one cup down and got out two gold for Gwen to pay for her food.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen just smiled.

"I may not like it, but you have to survive too."

She waited as Venis got the cup to go and then they moved on. She smiled as she saw the next shop.

"This is very much to my liking."

She liestend to V as she explained how it worked and then took the gold Venis offered. She went through the line and got a very good looking green salad with a little cheese and some ranch dressing. Along side it was an assortment of fresh melons.

After she paid for the plate she went to an empty table and sat down.

"Thank you again Venis."

[Guest]

Venis smiled. "My pleasure, for more than one reason. After all, this town helps me keep my Keep afloat, and so I help this town stay afloat." She had joined her at the table. She sipped from one of the cups of blood. "I just wish that they would get rid of that church they built at my keep." She shook her head. "You'll see it when we get there. There are fifty-two of them around this planet now. I hate that they even exist." These weren't the type of churches that followed a previously existent organized religion. This religion was only about a hundred years old.

[Gwendolan]

She began eating her fruit and salad.

"Then you have a symbiotic relationship with this market. It benefits you both, this is a good thing."

She looked up at Venis as she sat down.

"They built a church at the keep?"

She was curious now, what type of church would they build in the house of a vampire? Then she remembered V was a Goddess.

"Venis, I can not begin to understand what you go through, but I am sure there are worse Gods out there that the people could follow."

[Guest]

Venis gave Gwendolan a half smile. "Symbiotic is a good way to put it. And yea, The Church of the Protective Fire. Go figure." She rolled her eyes. "I will never understand why though. And yea, I'm sure it could be worse. I take care of them though. They are, after all, lives that are to be protected." With the way Venis acted towards the church, one would have to wonder if she had ever even stepped foot into one of them. But, she had. All fifty-two of them.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen listened to her talk all the while thinking. She had a few ideas.

"Maybe if you had them move it outside the gate instead of inside the keep?"

Compromise was always good.

"That way they can still worship but it is not right in your face."

Hey she was trying.

[Guest]

Venis wrinkled her nose as she shook her head. "Naa, it's just something I have to live with." She took another drink of her cup of blood. She kinda wanted to let it drop there. Gwendolan seemed to be enjoying her lunch, which made Venis happy. When she was done, they would look over the rest of the market and be on their way.

[Gwendolan]

She smiled and let it drop as she finished her lunch. She was looking at everything. Taking it all in. Gwen was not that went to church, but she did think they were pretty.

She finished her lunch and put the plate into the trash.

"What else did you want to do, before you are ready to move on?"

[Guest]

Venis smiled. "Well I figured we'd walk the rest of the market and then get back to our ride." When Gwendolan was done Venis stood and joined her so they could walk the rest of the market. They stopped and looked at things, picked up some stuff for friends and family and jus because it was nice. Then they headed back to the Unicorns.

Once the apples were given to them they saddle up and headed out. They were back on their way to the keep. "So, Gwendolan, would you like to see more of the castle than just the closet?" It was an offer to give a tour, but also a way to face the demons head on.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen nodded and the small talk continued as they roamed the market. By the time they were done there were four bags being carried between them. When they got back to the unicorns Gwen dug around in the bottom of the first bag and fed apples to them.

She was back in the saddle glad that she had had the chance to stretch in the middle of the long ride.

"I think I would like that very much."

[Guest]

Venis smiled as they rode on towards the castle. "It's a big place, the Keep that is. The castle is huge. I never did get an accurate count of the rooms. I just wish ..." She was going to say 'that it wasn't haunted.' But they had covered that already. So instead she rode on.

[Gwendolan]

She smiled as well.

"So many room that you have not counted them? It must be really large."

She looked at her than.

"Wish what?"

[Guest]

The look on Venis' face said that she was busted. "That it wasn't haunted." She lifted her shoulders like she was trying to hide her head. It was a similar action as that which is taken by a child who is about to get smacked and knows it. Her tone reflected the same. Even if she didn't think Gwendolan was going to smack her.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen looked at her as she thought a moment.

"Venis, if you sent half his soul to hell, and wear the other half around your neck, then how is it possible that he still haunts the keep?"

She didn't know that she was sounding almost rude.

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