The village’s bazaars began preparing for their daily operations as the morning fog worked its way amongst the stalls. The soft sound of rustling gravel becomes louder as the vendors take a look to see a shadow running in the distance becoming larger. A young boy dashes through the mist with a sheet of paper in hand. The bright smile that’s cast on his face contrasts the excited look in his eyes.

His disheveled jet black hair sweeps through the wind as he runs at full speed. They glanced at his light blue eyes and then continued with their preparations, as they knew that boy all too well. The fruit stand’s vendor, a tall robust man that most people find intimidating, sets his sight onto the boy as he dashed through the stalls beginning to pass him.

A roaring voice broke this morning’s calming atmosphere, “Ven!”

The Vendor’s voice was so loud that it spooked nearby vendors into a sudden jolt. Ven slowed down his pace into a slow walk as he turned to see the frightening stall keeper. “Yes, Reno.” “come here.” Ven shifted his stance in Reno’s direction, as he began walking closer. He takes the paper he was carrying and quickly attempts to fold it behind his back with horrid accuracy as he shoves it into his back pocket.

He stands an arm’s length in front of Reno as he replies, “...What’s up?” with a nervous crack in his voice.

“You’re available right now, yes” “No, not--” “move some of the boxes from the shop over to the booth. The ones with pears, and don’t drop them, they're ripe so they’ll bruise easily".

''I’m kind of busy right now…” Reno’s expression changed from intimidating to terrifying “but you’re a second-ranked worker, isn’t doing stuff like this your job, what could be so important?” Ven straightened his posture and headed straight for the shop gestured by Reno.

“Just you wait, I’ll become higher ranked, and it’s mage not worker”, he whispered, admitting to the intimidation of Reno’s presence. Ven entered the shop as Marina greeted him from the counter, “Goodmorning Ven, oh, did my husband give you grunt work again” He looked up to meet her calm and soft expression, “pretty much, where are the boxes of pears?” “Sorry for the trouble, they’re over there” as she pointed to a group of boxes near the dragon fruit display in the far corner of the shop.

Ven swiftly moved to the pears as he attempted to lift the first box of the three,“He may come off as scary sometimes, but he’s a real softy. He’s just trying hard to make some money for our soon-to-be child” says Marina as she strokes her seven month old bump. 

Ven knees buckle from the weight of the box as he moves into a stance that better suits the action of lifting heavy objects, with a struggled voice he says “ Yeah no worries Ma’am, I can definitely tell he’s a child at heart, ugh--, well I’m off---” “be careful Ven”.