Heavenly than a Flight of Angels [Kenna]

[RAPHËAL DE VALOIS]

Frustrated, annoyed, and displeased, Raphaël felt as he stormed out of his family home. The De Valois family had decided it would be a good idea to surprise him with a marriage candidate. Raphaël's mother had been begging him to choose someone to settle down with. As always, she reminded him it was his duty to marry, especially of the pureblood type. Raphaël wasn't one for this type of surprise. It felt forced. Raphaël didn't want to settle down with just anyone. If anything, he wanted a person he felt was an equal to him and, that would take some time. His mother needed to understand that.

For right now, Raphaël needs to calm down. A trip to the shops would do. Walking in the crowds made him feel like he blended in with everyone else. A wave of the noise in his head disappeared as he walked through the streets. Hand in his pockets Raphaël gazed into the shop windows. Nothing had really caught his eye but it was a good way to not think about his problems.

As he gazed into a window display suddenly a sweet aroma had hit him in the face. It was inboxing Raphaël thought something he had never. Raphaël walked away from the window and closed his eyes following the scent to a potions shop. Raphaël looked around through the window curious of what aroma was coming from the shop within. He opened the door slowly and walked in taking in the scenery of the place.

At one table he picked up a potion bottle giving it a sniff no thats not it. He placed it down trying the others on the table.

KENNA DE VALOIS // Notes:

[KENNA DE VALOIS]

France was the air in Kenna's lungs, warm but not quite yet hot since the sun hadn't reached its peak. It was in the only sweat at her temples being from delicately weeding the small herb garden to the back of the Potions Shop and carting around cauldrons to start the day of brewing. The shop wasn't much, but it was enough as the elderly woman who owned it was more than happy to take a well deserved vacation and let Kenna run it in exchange for a percent of the profits. Truly a beneficial arrangement that allowed Kenna to get to know the city without living on the streets (as if her family would let her).

Kenna lifted a hand to delicately wipe the sweat from her brow just as the bell on the door rung, a smile lighting upon her face. Her first customer of the day! At first the locals had been wary of someone else running the place, but once she had assured them their she wasn't staying forever and their beloved potions Mistress would be coming back they had warmed to her. Now she wasn't exactly popular but her potions didn't sit until they rotted either.

Pushing her way out of the back and onto the main sales floor Kenna made sure to softly clear her throat so as to avoid startling her customer. That was, until she realized what he was doing. "Oh, sir!" She exclaimed, rushing over in a bit of a flustered panic; handsome man making a poor potions choice and she was lucky that her mind was more focused on the latter. For the moment. Immediately using her hand to cap the potion she shook her head, "I'm so sorry, but you really don't want to smell that one, not good for your health. Best to just digest it quickly." She plucked it from his hand and plugged it with a spare cork from her apron.

Realizing what she'd just done Kenna flushed, taking a step back out of the man's space. "Apologies for the ... Surprise." She murmured, giving an apologetic smile. "I'm Kenna Stewart, current Mistress of this Potions Shop."

[RAPHËAL DE VALOIS]

Picking up the next bottle he was ready to sniff it when he was startled by a hand closing it on him. That was the last straw of the day. Raphaël was ready to start yelling at the person but when he turned his head to spite his fuery Raphaël was stunned into silence. This was a first for the angry beast.

Raphaël was known for his short temper everyone hid from it. In the past, Raphaël found himself in many bad situations. From the headmaster's office to sometimes his boss's office he had been told he needed to cool his temper.

If this was anyone else the woman in front of him would have had to call for an aurora but the moment his eyes laid on her he was lost. His heart raced as she talked. This wasn't the usual Raphaël De Valois. With women, he was a charmer and one who knew how to play the game. Now he was a bumbling idiot who could not find his words. Why did he feel like this? Was he starting to break a sweat? Say something, dummy.

"Ah that is ok Mademoiselle." Finally, words came out. "I should thank you instead of you, how you say in English excuses-moi?" After all, she was just looking out for his interest. "Ah nice to meet you, Ms. Stewart, I did not know there was a new Mistress of this Potions. I'm Raphaël De Valois." He introduced himself to her. "I only walked in from a lovely arôme from the street. I was hoping you could tell me what that is?" The man was curious what that smell was and if she had crafted then she was a master in his eyes.

KENNA DE VALOIS // Notes:

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[KENNA DE VALOIS]

Now that the minor crisis had been thoroughly avoided and the potions bottle was safely back where it was meant to be, it was time for Kenna's own crisis. From her heated cheeks to the tingling in her toes. Her experience with men her own age these days was sparing and far more tended to fools and even older hacks looking to pinch her bum (who summarily received a hex for their troubles). Never a polite young man with a last name that she knew her mother would reprimand her for not recognizing if she were here. As it stood, Kenna was almost happy he didn't seem to recognize her name or she his. Genuine. Meeting him felt genuine.

"Oh, well that is a relief," she smiled softly at him, face still flushed. "It really is me who is at fault though, perhaps I should relocate those potions in case a child escapes my eye and opens one." Her signage might be sufficient for (most) adults but that didn't mean a child would bother. Finally with something to do with her hands she began to shuffle the offending potions to the back of the shelf and out of reach of smaller hands … smaller hands than his, ahem.

"Mister De Valois, it is wonderful to meet you." Her flush deepened but she couldn't help it, really. He was an attractive man and she certainly wasn't unaffected, to say the least. "Ah, I'm a traveler you see. The original Mistress was kind enough to allow me to rent from her while I'm staying in France." Kenna smiled, "I'm not a permanent fixture like her, I'm afraid, but I'll be around for a bit."

"An aroma you say?" Kenna hummed softly as she thought, trying to come up with something that would be so enticing as to draw him in, and whatever it was she was finding herself grateful for it. "I do grow flowering plants for potions ingredients and some of them are hanging around the store, alongside the garden out back." She paused, humming again, "Perhaps the amortentia derivative perfume? It's greatly watered down so it can't cause harm, influence your mind or anything I assure you. But it does smell particular to each person." Getting that recipe down had certainly been difficult, especially eliminating the dangers even if someone was dumb enough to ingest it. "I can't say I'm certain you'd smell it from outside the shop, I'm afraid."

Kenna laughed softly, shrugged, "Did it smell of anything in particular?"