~ Chromatober 2024 ~

Day 6: Origami/Shop

Welp, turns out I had a field day on this one too XD Enjoy the fluff!

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Series: Rainbow Quest

AU: Solace Abridged

Characters: M

Angst level: FLUFF✨

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Ding!

The little store bell rings as I open the door, the gentle smell of paper and earth filling my nose. A smile perks at my lips as I step in, closing the door behind me. My eyes trail over the store, seeing plants hanging up about the place. Little pots hung in the windows, some small planters positioned on shelves on the opposite side of the store, and vines hung from ropes than spanned above the main counter. The storekeeper looks up from his little project as I step in, pushing his glasses up his nose. He was a younger Orange Steve with flecks of lighter orange across his face and darker, more earthy tones of orange in his attire. He wore a vest over top a pale orange dress shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. A golden chain hung from his vest pocket and was clipped to his pants pocket. His hair was tied back in a small ponytail, with a small braid running along the side of his head.

With a smile, he straightens up, his half-rimmed glasses perched now perfectly on his nose. As I step over to him, he greets me cheerfully. "Welcome to the Origami Orange Shop! What can I do for you today, Red Leader?" It doesn't come to my surprise that he knows me. A few other-colored steves ran their stores within our kingdom, so I tended to check in every once in a while to make sure everyone was alright.

As gently as I can, I walk over to the counter to set my book down. "Hello, Derrek. I was wondering if I could request a special project from you?" I straighten my glasses as I open my book to the page I had marked. "Well, depends on the complexity and how quickly you want it done. What do you have in mind?" The eager orange steve watches as I show him the old image sketched onto the page.

"I'm wanting to give my beloved a gift for our anniversary. I'm wondering if it is possible to make a detailed folding of this specific species of snow-fox? It would be needed in about a month- On the 5th to be exact." I wait breathlessly, staring as the storekeeper eyes over the sketch. Then without a word, he reaches under the counter and then grabs out a pencil and paper. "I can do that! I just need to copy that sketch real quick for a reference and I'll break it down so I can work out the folds."

I can't help but smile and grin out of relief. "Ok. How much would this cost?" Pausing, the steve eyes me, then smiles. "How about the grand price of three gold." I start in shock. "That- That seems so little? Surely I should pay you more for your work and materials! This is such a complex design I'm requesting," With a shake of his head to cut me off, the orange steve chuckles.

"I think seeing your smile and care is enough for me, Leader. Now let me just copy this and I'll send a letter later for when I have a sample folding done." Shock simply fills my body as I stare in disbelief. But... It was a happy shock. "I- Thank you, Derrek. Genuinely, thank you."

The steve smiles at me and nods, then gets to work on copying the sketch. Without much prompting, I turn around to look more at the earthy interior of the store.

Ding!

The store door bell jingles again and I turn to look at the steve entering. A pleasant face greets me as his orange hair drifts into his face. "Oh, Red Leader! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Derri, the Orange Elite, walks over to me, his helmet tucked under his arm. "Hey twinsie! Was wondering when you'd show up!" Derrek laughs, reaching over the counter to playfully flick Derri's face. The elite makes a face and rolls his eyes. "Brother, please- refrain from making a fool of us both." Derri just smiles, the lighter patches of skin on his face shifting with his movement and highlighting his eyes.

"Oh lighten up, Derri! It's a beautiful day today!" The storekeeper smiles, seeming energetic, while his brother sighs. "Derek, the Red Leader is right in front of us both."

"So?"

Looking about ready to clock his brother upside the head, Derri gives his brother a look before rolling his eyes again. Just laughing lightly at their antics, I smile. "Oh don't worry, Elite Derri. I'm not as upstuck about the title as others would be." The elite turns to look my way, then sighs and smiles. "Alright then. If you say so."

With a clatter of the pencil on the countertop, I turn to see the storekeeper holding the paper beside the sketch, comparing the two. "What are you requesting anyways, if you don't mind me asking?" The elite draws my attention back to him and I can't help but let a gentle smile pull onto my face. "A gift for someone special. That's all." My simple reply prompts the elite to raise an eyebrow at me. I know he probably wanted to know more, but it wasn't something I wanted to entertain.

"Alright, I'll get to work on this as soon as I can, alright, Red Leader?" The storekeeper rolls up the sketch and then places it behind him into one of the many diamond shaped holes in the shelf. With a nod, I reach to grab the book and close it, then tuck it back under my arm. "Thank you very much, Derrek!"

"Headed out already," The Elite asks with a chuckle. I give him a nod. "Going to go return this back to my home. Time and Sabre are over for a visit at my home and I surely don't want to miss Time's cooking!" The elite and his brother both laugh. "Well of course! Say hello to Light for me by the way," Derri adds on, turning up confusion on my mind. "Oh, I'm not sure if Light is over."

A shrug and a bit of a smirk is what the elite gives me. "Well, I hadn't seen Captain at the HQ, so I think it's safe to assume that he might be here. It does end up that he spends a lot of time here in the Red Kingdom."

I feel a bit of some nervousness settle in my stomach and my face start to warm up as I quickly try to advert the conversation. "Well he goes all over the place, so I'm not sure if it's just here that he stays and such- I'm plenty sure he visits everywhere else as well." I quickly realize I was fiddling with my ring on my left index and quickly stop. With just a chuckle, Derri readjusts his helmet under his arm. "He does. But I'm holding you up- Have a good rest of your day, Leader! I'm sure the Lieutenant's wonderful cooking awaits you!" Relief and a minor confusion fills me as I nod. "Of course! See you later, Elite Derri! Wisdom and Creativity be with you!"

After I say my goodbye, I beeline to the door. As the door jingles and I quickly step out, I manage to catch a single phrase from the Elite. "He definitely has a thing for Light-" My face heats up a bit more as I simply step out into the throng of the crowd, receiving several greetings from my people as I go.

Oh why did talking about this still make me so nervous??