An Offering

[Bambino Degrazzi]

It was one of my countless odd jobs, most of them were one time basis things, but I worked whenever I could, always returning to my flat feeling exhausted but entirely content. I was a frugal man, saving every penny and eating the cheapest of meals, after all, how was I to make it back to my home in a decent amount of time if I did not do so? Not everyone made a fortune so easily like my brother, Florence, who was gifted with money and cards as any other. I knew I did not have such a gift, but what I did have I used. Hard work, labor, saving. If there was any man that was good about keeping tabs on his money, it was me and I prided what skills I had been gifted by the gods, even if they were not the gifts of charm or even intelligence. My hands were calloused, my body tired, but I was happy. And there was noting else that I could have wanted more than that. I did not understand these d'Angeline gods of theirs and it almost felt like a crime for me to be delivering the supplies to their temples as I willed my poor mule, Emilia. I did not ride in the cart, rather, walked alongside her, leading her and stroking her neck. "Come on old girl, make me proud."

It was a ways up to the temple and when we finally arrived, I began to unload the boxes, though each one was a bit heavier than what I could truly handle. What was in these things? Though I supposed they did need to feed the priest and priestess and give them... I don't know... uh, healing... type... items. I was tall, just a bunch of arms without a hint of muscle though I was gaining it, little by little with all my labor. I grunted, beginning to make my slow and awkward shuffle up the last few feet to where I could drop the boxes off. When I slipped on the gravel, I did not know why it surprised me. I had always been too tall for my own good and I dropped the box, unfortunately, on one of my own feet and could only let out a loud, ear piercing, "AHI!" which would likely stop ANY temple prayer or rituals, much to my display.

"I'm sorry Eisheth!" I said in Caerdicci, tripping over the box as I tried to regain my balance, only to fall flat on my face, the box completely under me and the edge of the temple JUST within reach. Then again, maybe I couldn't even apologize to Eisheth, maybe it was that goddess you couldn't speak to without permission. I ended up sitting up, my hands above my head clasped over me as I knelt, begging for dear life. "I am sorry I spoke to you without being d'Angeline or truly believing in you... not that i think you are fake I merely do not UNDERSTAND what you are... I mean, I know you are a deity and a very powerful and ethereal being and that people here respect you and thus should I because I live here but I was just saying SORRY and please accept my humblest apologies... I mean, permission to speak first?"

It was a garbled mess of d'Angeline mixed with Caerdicci as I peeked up into the sky. "You... can understand Caerdicci, right?" I asked in slow d'Angeline, feeling as if I were going to be struck to death at any moment.

[Noelie de Maignard (H)]

I had been given a list of herbs by one of the Priestesses and was on my way out of the temple and to the market when I came upon an odd sight indeed. A young man kneeling on the ground amidst the spilled contents of a rather flattened box of ... I squinted as the light refracted off the many shards of glass that had been shattered all over the ground.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, immediately rushing forward and touching the lad on the shoulder. "Are you all right? There's glass everywhere!" He seemed so distraught that I thought he must be injured, though I saw no blood as yet.

[Bambino Degrazzi]

When a woman rushed towards me and touched me, I flinched, falling back on the slope of the hill, though not far, luckily and sat up, trying to pull a few shards of glass from my palms. I waved my hands at her, trying ot warn her not to get anywhere NEAR me. Last thing I needed to add on the list was defile a priestess of some sort and get this Eisheth person REALLY mad. "Delivery," I said with an awkward sort of smile, scrambling to my feet. "Fine. I'm fine," I said in my heavily accented d'Angeline as I pointed to the cart. "I get... no worries."

However I looked down at the box that I had dropped... and broken... and spilled its contents everywhere and looked absolutely distraught, running a hand down my face, only to let out a wince of pain from the glass embed in it. "MIO DIO!" I groaned, unsure of what I was going to do. "No worries... I will fix," I said, trying to smile at her though I looked like I was going to die at any moment. I cursed again and then winced. "Sorry for cursing Eisheth and for lying!" I said quickly in Caerdicci before turning to her. "Is this... Eisheth merciful?"

[Noelie de Maignard (H)]

I felt terrible when I saw the state he was in, especially when my appearance appeared to have caused him further injury.

"It's all right, calm down," I said, trying to use the most soothing voice possible. "Of course Eisheth is merciful, she is a healer. Now don't worry about the bottles, glass is only melted sand after all. Let me see your hands."

From his accent, I placed him as Caerdicci, and I did know a bit of the tongue, so I switched to his language and said haltingly, "Please, allow me to tend you, that must hurt."

I put my hands out toward him, hoping that he would allow me to at least look at his wounds. A few other people had come out the front door, and I was concerned that they would frighten him off before I would get a chance to look.

[Bambino Degrazzi]

She reached a hand out to me, and if I did not know any better, I would have thought that she was a goddess herself, as beautiful as she was. However, that was what they said about d'Angelines. Descended from the angels themselves, weren't they?

"Dios mio," I said, holding my breath a little. Cascading blond locks, she was so beautiful. And then she asked to tend to my wounds and I began to wave my arms frantically to try and ward her away. "No, no, it's fine, it's fine," I said, laughing nervously as I headed towards another box and picked it up, my eyes tearing completely as the glass dug in deeper in my skin. I was forcing a smile on my face as I made the way towards the temple. "So uh... where do I, y'know? Drop it off?" My voice was squeaky, trying to hold back the yelp I truly wanted to let out.

[Noelie de Maignard (H)]

I could see that he was in pain, it was obvious in the way he held the box, in his eyes, in the sound of his voice. Why he did not want me to tend him, I wasn't sure, but I could hardly force him.

Well, there were ways and ways, and so I said nothing but, "Follow me, then." Perhaps once I had him in a room, he would allow me to get a little bit closer. I ignored the people who had gathered near the door and entered the Sanctuary, glancing back to see that he was following. I had no idea where the box should really go, but I assumed it would not be difficult to move it later. Instead I led him to a small treatment room, one stocked with the things used to treat minor scrapes and burns.

"Right here is fine," I said, stepping aside and pointing toward the far end of the room. Then I positioned myself in front of the door, so that he could not immediately flee.

[Bambino Degrazzi]

I followed her, letting out squeaks and winces and all sorts of noises as I felt the glass dig deeper into my skin. Be a MAN Bambino, I told myself, puffing my chest out though that only made me hold my breath for a few moments before I had to release it in favor of something akin to a squawk. I could feel my eyes tearing as I entered the room with her and placed the box down.

"See? Nothing to it," I said, my voice wavering in an obviously pained way. But as I turned to leave the room, she had herself in front of the door and I wasn't going to MOVE her to do so. "I uh... I need to get the other boxes and you're...in...the..." I found myself staring at her a little, my face flushing as I forced myself towards the ceiling. "Y-You are beautiful, aren't you?" I stammered and caught what I was saying, "N-Not that I'm... you know... trying to... flirt just uh.... well I mean every d'angeline is beautiful I'm just not used to it. Maybe you are quite average." I groaned and held my head only to cut my face with a portion of the glass lodged within it. "I mean... no, no you're beautiful just uh... AHI!" I said in frustration.

"C-Can you just m-move away from the door before I act stupid again?"

[Noelie de Maignard (H)]

The poor man was stammering all over himself and I felt sympathy for him, despite his somewhat awkward and possibly insulting ramblings.

"Please, just let me look at your hands before you get the rest of the boxes, I promise I will be gentle..." I could sense that what he was really concerned about was giving offense, and I suppose it was a bit underhanded of me, but I added, "I should be quite put out with you if hurt yourself even more on my account."

I crossed my arms over my breasts and did not move from the doorway at all, wondering if he would finally relent, if only to avoid my displeasure, such as it was.

[Bambino Degrazzi]

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine I'm uh.... actually... used... to glass in my hands," I said this, albeit slowly since I KNEW how stupid that sounded and I could feel the loose tear trickling down my face which I rubbed off with the side of my jacket. "It's actually quite... uh pleasurable," I said, hoping she would just drop the manner but when she said she would be 'put out with me' if I got hurt over her account i began to panic. "No, please don't do that," I said quickly. She was a priestess, wasn't she? Or something of that manner. If I made HER mad then I'd make the god mad and I already must have irritated the hell out of him for dropping a box in front of his temple.

"No, no, no don't get mad. I'll let you look over my hands and any other part of my body you want to!" I said quickly and realized the error in my ways after about thirty seconds of silence. "Not in that way, I swear, I swear!"

[Noelie de Maignard (H)]

"You're used to it? Glass in your hands?" I raised a brow skeptically and honestly when he said it was pleasurable I had to laugh aloud. "Oh, come now, let me see," I said when he agreed.

I reached out for his hands and turned them palms up so I could see. I winced at the bright bits of glass that shimmered there amid the streaks of dark red blood. I shook my head and frowned slightly. "You should have let me see these before, now it's going to hurt more when I pull these out." Still holding his wrist, I guided him to a chair near the window. "Sit here and don't move." I instructed, watching him as if he might bolt for the door at the earliest opportunity.

I found a pair of tweezers and some antiseptic, along with something to wrap his hands with and then sat down in the chair across from him. We were in front of a large bay window, where I set my supplies and the sun streamed in to illuminate my workspace.

"All right, now let me see those hands."