Chapter Text
Evangeline sees her first in the streets, after having knocked into her and spilled all the pomegranates she had purchased on the stone tiled ground.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" She's quick to recover and apologise but the other woman isn't offended. Instead, she is laughing, snorting and not even trying to hide it. It's the first sound Evangeline hears from her and yet it's already enchanting, she finds herself wanting to hear more.
"It's alright, they're only for my employer," she's still laughing.
Evangeline feels a twinge of guilt at that but the woman waves her hand, gets up on her knees, and begins to collect them from where they've rolled to a stop, picking even the ones that were bruised upon impact.
It's the first time she's seen her here despite frequenting the market many times before. She's... new, definitely not vesuvian. Nothing like the dark skinned, dark eyed, men and women that are Vesuvia's natives. Her skin white as porcelain, cheeks covered in freckles and a light pink dusting, and her hair is a vibrant orange, easy to spot, eye catchy. Her clothing are a little baggy, white top and blue pants, with a little something tied around her hips.
"Aren't you going to help me?" She asks, looking up from the floor, the pomegranate she's holding in her hand dripping it's dark red essence to the floor.
"I uh yes! I am." Evangeline scrambles to get off her rear end and kneel on the floor next to the ginger.
She smiles, blue eyes squinting adorably before she turns her attention to gathering her fallen fruits. Evangeline helps and with both of them collecting the pomegranates are picked and safely put back in her basket.
"Thanks!" She says, beaming brightly. Evangeline finds herself unable to look away from the sunshine smile on the shorter woman's face.
"Had I not knocked into you, we wouldn't have had to pick them up again. You shouldn't thank me," Evangeline say a little sheepishly.
"Hmm while that's true, had you not knocked into me I wouldn't have met you though would I have?" She says, a little quirk to one side of her mouth.
Evangeline laughs, "I guess not, no."
"Believe it or not, you're the second person to knock into me when I've been out getting m'lady pomegranates," she makes an exasperated face for a second, recalling the last encounter.
"I guess pomegranate runs are just cursed," Evangeline shrugs, watching the woman heft the basket back onto her hip.
Her hair moves as she turns to look at Evangeline again, a ginger curtain blanketing the right side of her face. Her blue eyes peer at the dark skinned woman, "I wouldn't call it cursed, both the people that have knocked into me have been really cute." She winks at the taller.
Evangeline's face heats up and the ginger giggles at her.
"I need to go deliver these quickly, but it was lovely meeting you!" She says regretfully.
"Oh! Right, it was lovely meeting you too." You rub at your neck, looking a little hopeful at her.
She tilts her head to the side, hugging the basket with one arm, looking like she's expecting something more, but Evangeline can't tell what it is. It seems she realises this and with a nod of her head at Evangeline she's walking past her, on the road back to her employer. Evangeline turns to watch as she goes.
Her smile grows, face still hot and a fuzzy feeling in her chest as well as the feeling of something missing.
"Wait!" She calls as she realises, "I didn't get your name!"
From where she was climbing up the steps she turns around and looks down at her, the initial shock on her face turning to a bright beaming smile.
"Portia! What's yours?"
She calls her name out to her and the ginger's smile grows into a grin.
"See you around!" She says, not knowing how Evangeline's heart fluttered in her chest. She wants to see her again.
"I hope to!"
She's out of Evangeline's sight and she finally turns around, walking back into the crowd and mixing with them, a wide smile on her face.
A few steps forward though, she stop as she realises with all the excitement of meeting Portia, she has forgotten what she came here to get.