"Apple!"
Chamomile trotted along the stone sidewalk in Prontera, emerald green ponytails bouncing over her petite shoulders, weaving through the crowd of vendors as she tried to spot a certain, pale green-haired creator.
"Aaaaaappllllle! Apple, where are yooou?"
Some merchants turned their heads to gaze at her curiously. To them, she might have appeared to just be calling out to a random fruit, however, Apple happened to be the name of Chamomile's current co-worker, based out of the alchemist operations building in Al De Baran. Sometimes they chose partners for certain advanced workers such as herself, regardless of their own personal preferences... not that Chamomile was complaining in the least, but Apple may have been more than just slightly displeased with the placement.
As the small woman creator finally broke away from the crowd on the streets, she headed for the alleys behind a few of the buildings. These alleyways were always clean, always upkept, but most Prontera visitors and residents still avoided them. Occasionally, mainly at night, a few gangsters roamed and loitered, laughing and being obnoxious from the shadows, but for the most part, the alleys were used for vendors who wanted a moment alone to sort through their wares, or customers who had bought something nice and wanted to play with it for a while. Not to mention all the private dealings that took place, or secret rendezvous's between young lovers.
As of right now, Chamomile had one thing and one thing only on her mind - finding that damned Apple and giving him a... well. She would try again at some point to give him that thing on her mind, since he had refused all of her previous advances, but right now she had to think about the important business she was attending to. Urgent messages from the alchemist guild were sent out to all the highest ranking creators and alchemists, including herself, her friend and old co-worker Midori, and Apple.
She'd already seen Midori. She had been all the way in Payon with a shop, and it had taken Chamomile a few hours to trek all the way to Prontera on foot. Damn those Kafras, too, for having something to do with the alchemist's guild and currently being indisposed for warping.
Now that she was back in Prontera, Apple was no where near where she'd left him.
"Gee, thanks a lot, Apple," she pouted as she crossed her arms and glanced around the empty alleys. The faint murmur of the busy street was off in the distance, but she'd been certain she'd find him back here to escape the bustle of the square. He was rather... anti-social at times.
Grumpy, she thought to herself, chuckling a bit. She found it so cute and charming.
Taking a few more steps until she rounded the corner of another building, Chamomile hummed to herself and grinned with a fang. There. She saw the back of a very familiar cart, and the green cape of a very familiar man. The noises he made were obvious that he was indeed privately rummaging through his cart, no doubt taking an inventory count.
As Chammie made the sneakiest, quietest approach she could while slinking up to him, Apple was bent halfway over and working steadfastly. When one of the kafras, Jasmine he thought her name was, came to summon one of them for an urgent message at the alchemist's guild in Al De Baran, he'd been more than relieved to push Chamomile off onto the journey. At least then he could stretch his arms and arch his back, and relax a little bit to help himself sell a little bit more. Around that crazy little woman, Apple was too tense, and made him more irritable than usual, which in turn scared off more customers.
Why was life so unfair sometimes?
At least he was spared the knowledge at the time of what was going to happen when two slim arms reached around from behind and locked themselves in a grip around his waist, one hand clutching his chest and the other hand dangerously close to his... essentials.
Apple froze, an exasperated expression on his face already, for he knew to whom these slender, groping arms belonged. They do say ignorance is bliss, and had Apple been ignorant of Chamomile's sudden schemes, he may have been a happier soul for a few moments longer.
But Chamomile seemed to have forgotten all about that "urgent message" she was to deliver to all the rest of the high-ranking alchemists and creators, Apple included. Right now, that tiny, devious thought from earlier tinkled back into her brain, and right now, it was demanding satisfaction...