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It was raining. Echo rode on Sin as they went down the street. They had both just gotten off the ship and were on their way home. Sin dreamed of of sleeping by the fire, curled up on the rug and the heat permeating his wet fur.... oh the glory!

Echo huddled under her raincoat. She was just as miserable as her mount. His dislike for the rain had influenced her long ago. "I know, Sin," the woman said to him quietly, "Soon..." Echo had one regret.... with the daeka as wet as he was, the whole apartment would smell like wet-dog immediately... and that she was not interested in. Maybe she should buy some candles? The street was glittered with many shops.

The woman looked around, and a little store looked promising. Echo directed Sin with her legs. He knew what was going on... and really didn't want to. His loyalty won out, as the daeka did as he was told. "Just for a moment, Sin... I promise!"

Sin sighed and ducked his head under the pelting rain.

They got to the shop entrance. Echo dismounted and went in. She knew Sin wouldn't go anywhere. He did stick his head under the awny, to get any relief from the rain as possible.

The light was on inside, so Echo stepped in the store. Immediately the smells bombarded her. The woman swayed in the doorway for awhile, not used to the intense smell. Her eyes alsoadjusted to the soft light.

Olivia was sitting up at her counter in the middle back when she heard the familiar jingle of the door bell sound, alerting her of the presence of a customer. She lifted her head, the brown curly-cues that made up her hair bounced slightly as her gray eyes caught the sight of the customer who had entered from the dank rainy outside.

"Hello!" Olivia said, trying to eminate as much cheer as possible, hoping this would lighten the mood from the outside, "Welcome to Solace Scents! May I help you with anything?"

Placing down her writing utensil, she swiftly made her way from behind her cash register and over to the soaked customer.

Echo pulled her hood down, and took off her goggles to put them in her pocket. The woman was running her hand threw her wet hair whent he cheery curly-hair owner came to greet her. Echo half-smiled and walked in, her boots leaving a trail of water as she walked in.

"Actually, I believe you can." Already, she was warming up, and making the idea of going back outside daunting. "I was wondering if you had any nice scented candles. I'll be having a large wet dog in my apartment tonight and I'd prefer not to have to smell his presence." Echo sighed, cringing into her coat as her body was getting used to the warm shop and arguing with the cold wetness of her coat. She was sure everyone knew of wet-dog, but not what a wet daeka smelled like.... the woman was going for effect.

"I don't want something sweet, that just blends with his smell. Do you have something that is pleasant but not overpowering or sickenly sweet? My -dog- also has a sensitive nose." Not to mention herself, Echo decided not to mention that as well.

"Well, we don't have any candles persay, but we do have oils you can burn. They burn slowly too, so the smell can leak in naturally and not just be one burst of overbearing scent." She explained, motioning over to the various areas of the store. "I'm sure we have plenty of scents that can cover the wet-dog smell and adjust to your noses."

Echo walked in more, "Burning oils? That might work better. Candles can make such a mess and my dae-dog tends to knock then over and get wax buried in his fur."

She went to the first section and looked through them. She saw titles and fingered through them... lavender, cocunut, tropical paradise, brownies... they seemed still a little too sweet. "Do you happen to have a sea-faring kind of scent? We travel a lot with the ships... the scent of something like that may be just what we need. A kind of cedar, ocean breeze, or of the like?"

"Something sea-fairing? We had a lovely Ocean Breeze scent afew weeks ago, but someone came in an purchased it....I think we might have something similar though." She murmured, starring off at the ceiling for a moment as she thunk.

"Yes! I know which of our lovely scents has a sea-fairing waft to it." She smiled, nimbly pacing over to the other side of the room, to a stronger batch of oils. She picked up the little glass vial and took off the top to let Echo take a whiff. "The scents name is Calico Jack, it's a mixture sea water, several different kinds of woods used for boats, leather and some spices."

Echo followed respectfully, and when the taller woman uncorked the glass vial she leaned in to get an idea. Immediately, a grin broke over her face, "Mmmm, that's very nice! Smells just like the captain's quaters after a few days out..." not like she'd know.

There was a lingering smell. Echo took another sniff and paused silently... "What..." she tried again and waited for the after-scent to return, "is there something else in it? I'll take it... it's perfect... just wondering."

"That may be the kelp used in the mixture you're smelling, I'm unsure. I don't take a whif of that too often, it's way too earthy for me." She admitted, smilling as she corked the vial and headed to her cash register. On the way she made a pit stop and grabbed a burner and candle for Echo, before ringing up the final purchase price.

"Ok. Calico Jack is approximately fifteen pieces, the burner is twelve pieces, and the candle will be four pieces. Totaling in thirty-one pieces altogether." Olivia said, bringing out a box and layering it with different kinds of paper to place the fragile items in. "By the way," She began, "There's been incidents where the burner has broken because it was left burning for way too long and shattered the glass or warped the metals. I'd advise you not to leave it burning longer than an hour and a half at a time."

"Oh, Alright," Echo nodded, taking that into account and again followed respectfully.

She reached into her pocket, pulling out the required amount of coinage. Echo was about to ask something, but just nodded. "Thank you for the warning. If I have any troubles, I can come back and ask to speak to...?" She asked, looking at the woman. She would do her best to not let it burn for more than an hour and a half.

"You can come back and ask to speak to me, Olivia Solace. More than likely my employee will be here at the register than myself. I'm usually in the back taking inventory and ordering supplies." She smiled, taking Echo's payment and placing it into the cash register with a clink.

"I wish you well with your new incense." She smiled.

"Thank you," Echo nodded her head. She huddled herself back up into her coat, grabbed the package and headed out.

Sin gave her a baleful glare, she had spent too much time in there. "Sorry, boy," Echo patted his cheek and mounted. They went back to their apartment, the pat-pat-pat of the rain the only sound that could be heard.

The trip home was pretty pathetic. Echo was soaked, Sin was soaked, and the rain was not letting up. The woman was cuddled in her coat, clinging to the packing box. Sin was on his own, expected to find the familiar place they both call home. Not that it was an issue, the daeka found it just fine. He crawled over the gate without any problems. His claws clicked along the cobblestone alley. Sin went to their stairs, walked up the planks and then stopped on the balcony… now impatiently waiting for the human to get off his back and open the doors for them.

Echo realized they were back. She dismounted and squeezed between the daeka and side of the building. "Sin, you're not making this any easier…" she growled through wet fur.

Sin snorted but didn't move; he would be the first one inside, no matter what his little human did!

She finally reached the door -which was larger than most doors to accommodate the daeka- and cracked it open quietly. Despite her efforts, Sin knew and pushed past her in the cramped quarters. With a squeal, Echo clutched her package and jumped back, "You're welcome!"… and then walked in herself, closing the door behind her.

The fireplace was already. Typical, for Lyllian usually did so on days like this and knew Echo was returning. Because of her foresight, the apartment was pleasantly warm. Sin had already shook out his fur and flopped by the fire, wings outspread and covering all the open ground. Already, the place was starting to smell like wet daeka. Echo went to the table and opened the package. She unwrapped all the little pieces. Fitting them together, the woman poured in some of the oils and put the lit tea-light candle underneath. The smell wafted ever so slightly. With a sigh, Echo stood back up.

Awhile later, Echo lounged on a plush chair. She had changed into a soft, warm, dry robe, and taken the saddle and packs off the snoring daeka. Her eyes were just about to close in contentment when she heard a soft "thumph" noise.

Immediately, Echo was awake and looking around frantically. What was that? She searched, her eyes scanning all the shadows the fire and lone candle created. There is was again?

Sin didn't seem to notice, he only twitched and rolled over so the fire would warm the other side of his body.

Echo walked around the apartment, now crowded with an out-splayed Sin. The soft sound kept sounding at random intervals, and she seemed no closer to finding it. Finally, her eye settled on her new purchase. There seemed to be a light brown… ship? No, surely that was a play of the light.

The woman walked over and knelt by the small table. Echo leaned in close, and then, there was the soft noise again! Out of the -yes, it was a ship!- diminutive form a smaller one 'shot' out of it. She jumped back, falling splayed on the couch, with a gasp. For a moment, the woman could only stare in shock at the oil, the candle… the… ship!

Echo scrambled forward again, and quickly blew out the candle, and waited. There were a few more cannon-shots from the small ship, but as the oil cooled the form in the fumes disappeared.

She continued to stare; maybe she had left it burning too long? Maybe this was what the woman meant by not letting it burn for more than an hour and a half?

Whatever the case, Echo yawned with exhaustion. She walked to Sin, who was successfully dry by now, and curled up next to his fur. A wing instinctively curled around her and the woman was soon asleep along with the daeka.

Echo was sitting by a roaring fire, basking in the warmth on a chilly night. She was sifting through the records of the shipment that just came in that afternoon. The last of her "Calico Jack" oil was being burned then, helping her focus on the task at hand. Echo made a mental note to buy another bottle tomorrow.

Sin ruffled his feathers as he shifted up in his loft. It was past his bedtime (or what he deemed as bedtime), and the daeka could not be convinced to come down now until dawn (unless there was major harassment and/or bribing involved).

"Three bolts of floral silk, seventeen cartons of spices - listed below, and --" Echo sat up in mid-sentence when there was a knocking at her door. Standing up, she went to see who it was and -more importantly- what they wanted.

"Yes?" the woman asked as she opened the door... and was looking straight into the chest of her ship's wet Captain. She had to look up, adding a scowl to make her look more fearsome. "Can I help you, Cap't?"
Obviously it had started raining. His jacket was completely soaked, the droplets cascading off his brimmed hat and oiled leather.

The hardened sailor shifted his weight as he looked down at the true power behind his ship. Echo didn't look like much, but she was an accomplished sailor, leader, and merchant. Despite the power that she commanded, she did not fight the Captain for authority on the ship - instead, they worked together and it was this that allowed everything to go smoothly.

Even so, he did not like having to go to her house - her personal area - to retrieve her. "We're having some troubles with the cargo. You need to come out at once."

Echo looked back into her dry-warm apartment with a forlorn expression as she grabbed her rain jacket and followed him out. So much to do....


The poor woman was soaked to the bone by the time she returned to her upper-level apartment, and her attitude was not very bright either. By now it was way past any reasonable hour and she'd be lucky to get any sleep that night. Actually, if her self-contained time-keeping watch was correct, it was just a couple marks before sunrise.

Echo opened the door to her apartment. Some heat still came from the fire, but overall it was down to coals. Sin slept noisily up at his loft. Everything was as it should be. She took a few steps into the main room, towards the fire to bring it back to life. Her jacket was thrown to the side, where the offending thing could dry off on his own.

But Echo didn't get too far. Her boots crunched on something on the floor. With a curse, she looked down; only to find her scent burner of glass and twisted metal before her. Oil was spilled as well, and a trail of it went to the door. "Sin! SIN!" the woman growled up at the sleeping daeka. He didn't even twitch - it wasn't morning yet!

Well, the chance that it was the winged creature was unlikely.

But the case wouldn't solve itself. Echo turned and followed the oil out the door. Outside, she realized it went down the stairs, around the courtyard and to... the kitchen?

She turned the corner and poked her head inside.

Cook heard the sound and glared at Echo accusingly, "Is this yours!?"

Echo moved her eyes to where the woman meant. There was a boy sitting on the counter. He had bare feet, which like his hands were now covered in white powdery flour. There was the strangest mop of hair on his head, and at his side was a wooden sword.

The woman opened her mouth, about to deny any ownership when she caught the scent. He smelled just like the oil she bought! Echo stared in surprise, her jaw dropped. Was it possible? How could a child come from candle oil???? But the evidence all pointed to this strange dark-skinned boy.

Cook waited, her hands at her hips. "Well, Miss Foxtrot? Is he?"

"I..." Echo stammered, "...guess... so..."

Meanwhile, the boy watched with a crazy grin on his face as he nibbled on a raspberry tart.

"Well, then, get him out of here! I have food to prepare and cannot babysit." The woman turned her back, knowing that unless she wanted trouble, Echo would remove the child from her tidy and organized kitchen.

"Ah...." Echo still stared. "Come along, Merrick," she picked just a random name and called it out.

It must have been the right one, because the boy jumped from the counter and trotted after the short ship merchant to start the story.

Plotness....

MEAGAN