Eta was late, and she wanted to kick herself for it. But she had work to finish up, for her dalliance at the stables had cost her some time. That, and a few unexpected things had come up that needed to be dealt with--one kaadir had stepped on a nail, and that was never fun to handle. By the time she finished, she was exhausted, but she still needed to get cleaned up before she could go anywhere public, and that had taken an extra hour. Kaadir shit was not fun to clean off clothes, not to mention the muck she'd gotten all over her.
She'd rushed out the door with her thick hair still wet, and dabbed on some perfume to be double sure she didn't smell like a hard day's work. And then she was off, bustling down the road and hoping she wouldn't be that one idiot that showed up after everyone had already left. Or maybe they hadn't come at all. Or maybe they thought she'd stood them up. Ughhh!
Entering the Llama's Lemons (a name that made her snicker in her head like a 12-year-old boy), Eta looked around awkwardly, feeling a little lame. She wasn't too late--five or ten minutes, maybe?--but she was already deciding on a back-up plan if no one showed. If no one showed, she'd stay anyway so she didn't look like too big of a loser.
But then she heard familiar voices, and caught sight of the two already at a table.
Relief washed through her, and her expression brightened. Thank Hakeshna she hadn't mucked this up entirely.
Heading over to the table, Eta gave a little wave. She looked a little different with her hair worn down and out of its loose ponytail, and dressed in a vibrant-colored, and nearly sheer, robe. It was clear from the fabric that she came from money, though she wore no jewellery but the kaadir-claw necklace and several pairs of earrings. "Hey, sorry I'm so late," she said. "Had a little trouble back home."
And then, standing back and looking them both over, her lips quirked into a small smile. Her eyes lingered longer than they should have on the woman, though--particularly, her scar--but she looked away when she realized that was rude. "You both clean up nice. Mind if I...?"
She motioned to a seat next to Harmanaija.