Ravak strolled through the city with a pleasant grin on his face. He did his best to stay out of the way of the preparations, and dodged around scampering kids. A few years ago and Kaira would have been one of the faces running around. Let someone else do the child-wrangling this year, he mused. It was still lonely without Kaira in the apartment, but all of the novices had to be treated the same. Would she even still wish to live with me, given the choice? His mood soured a touch further.
Beyond the street parties, the market and shops were still open. Before midday, shopkeepers would be physically dragged from their businesses to enjoy themselves, but it was still mid-morning. Rav dabbed at his nose with a handkerchief as he wheedled through the stalls. He had a late winter's cold coming, but it wasn't so bad to bother anyone with it yet. If anything, it helped to soften the general malaise of misdemeanours that were always present in a large enough gathering of people. He stuffed the kerchief back into his shirt pocket even as he sniffled.
Rav bought a few small gifts to hand out later. For Dax, he got a pair of leather gloves, so the Tairen wouldn't have to strike at everything with his bare knuckles if he so chose. A blacksmith's puzzle was acquired for his wife. Rav had a go at solving it, but the bent pieces of metal seemed quite happily intertwined with one another. Perfect for Katrie. For Kaira, he bought something more pragmatic -- stockings. She would need thinner pairs going into the summer, plus one could never have too many spare stockings, if his own socks were anything to go by.
Turning away from a fruit stall with an apple in hand, Rav caught the flash of a novice's dress amongst the throng of bodies. He made his way forward in the general direction, just in case it was Kaira. Once again there was that pang of loss that hit him every time he returned home, with no-one there to greet him. He saw the novice again, but her hair was too flaxen to be Kaira. Rav nudged through the crowd, and popped out right in front of Fiona.
"Why, hello there!" He was going for casual ease, but the surprise in his tone was evident. Which only heightened as he saw the eight banded lines of colour that surrounded the cuffs of her dress. "Accepted? When did that happen?"