Touch grass.

After the noble Lady Bianca heads out, you and Skip follow suit. You do as Yiiv suggested and let them work. Once again, you're greeted by the comforting sound and scent of a warm, bustling town in a medieval fantasy of your dreams. While you can't help but still feel like you stick out, it's really all in your head. Nobody is glancing to your strangely. You're just another guy. Skip starts walking towards the street, and after he gestures for you to follow, the two of you begin a leisurely stroll.

It's halfway through the day already. Tomorrow seems to exciting, so you eagerly await the sun to set. There are still hours still of vibrant light, however, but you're already planning how your business will go. You've obtained some prized stock to peddle.

"So were you born here, Skip?" you ask.

"Huh? Yeah. Born and raised. It's not the biggest city around, but it's nice. It has everything I really need, to be honest. Though I don't exactly know what I want to do with my life still."

"You know, neither did I... though maybe this whole camera thing is my calling. I could be somebody."

"Oh for sure. People are gonna love the idea of this photo. Nobles. Models. Maybe even just regular folk. You're gonna have to charge a lot, or everyone will be lining up. Think you're gonna focus more on the selling of them, or the actual sessions with people?"

"Good question. It's such a luxury, and yeah I bet I'll make way more selling them than actually taking them. We'll see."

"Wanna check out the market district and see if there's anything neat to buy?"

"I haven't made that money yet, but sure. Why not?"

It's a busy square of various stalls selling their goods. There's a fisherman peddling a large array of different fish, apparently all caught either in a nearby river or lake. You don't think you're actually near a coast. Some sell little knickknacks they've crafted themselves, while others have collections of weapons or pieces of armour. For a moment, you imagine yourself armed with a blade like some sort of knight out to slay the Demon King. It makes you chuckle.

"Ever like, fight monsters or something?" you ask, hoping that isn't a strange question in this world.

"A little actually." He slides his hands into his pockets and shrugs. With a deep breath, he casts his eyes off seemingly towards nothing at all. "Being an adventurer would be pretty wild, but I don't think I'd really want to leave this place. Also dungeons creep me out. What about you? I assume you don't have a class, or you'd be out slaying slimes and stuff instead."

A class? "Uh. Yeah, you're right."

"Maybe your class is photographer!" He laughs. "A 10th level photographer."

"What about you?"

"Ah. I'm actually a 1st level warrior, but I haven't been doing much training. Ooh, look at that! Someone's selling little animal dolls. That's adorable."

While he proceeds ahead to the stall in question, your eyes catch someone easily missed. They're small and blend in between the moving legs of all the hustle and bustle. This individual looks as if they're trying to sell something, but there's no stall. They have nothing. It's just them with a sack, and in their hand in a single sock. Upon closer inspection, it's a girl. She has a large set of mouse-like ears atop her head. Messy red hair fluffs down to her neck. Behind her back, you spot a spindly tail. What's strange is that despite her wardrobe being filthy, it's actually quite nice. She wears a poofy grey dress with white frills, and while the materials are simple, it's been crafted with such intricacy that you can't quite gauge what kind of person you're inspecting.

Is that a mouse? She hardly comes up to my waist in size. I wonder what she's doing here.

You look to her as she desperately tries to catch the attention of those around her, but her words are quiet, and her demeanour is timid. Nobody will even glance at the sock she holds. When your eyes catch it, you notice something more. It's actually a beautiful, human-sized, knee-high sock stitched with the pattern of flames curling up towards the top. There are even tiny sparks, sewn in like stars, that actually glisten under the light of the sun.

She stares up at you. Even her cheeks are dusty, but her amber eyes shine. "Uhm... Sir, do you... Actually, I--"

You kneel down to reach her level. "Are you all right, miss?"

The mouse appears surprised, as if this was the last thing she expected. Then she nods. "Yes. Thank you for asking. Would you like to buy some clothing? I don't have any outfits, but I have socks, gloves, scarves..." She trails off.

You hold out your hand, and she places the sock on your palm. Is she a beggar? Did she steal these?

"Hey, what are you up to down there?" Skip asks from behind. In his hand is a tiny plush cat. "Look what I got. Meow, I'm Bianca. Look at me."

"I'm just speaking with this merchant," you reply.

"Huh? Oh. I see her down there. Wow, is she okay? Listen. Take this coin here. Feel free to buy yourself some--"

"No!" she shouts. The sudden raise of her voice makes you jump. "S-Sorry."

You look at her expression for a moment. Then, you take a coin from your pocket instead. "I would like to buy that sock, though."

"Are you sure? I... lost the one that goes with it."

"I'm sure. But that's not a very good business strategy. Ah, look at that! Profit. How about you join us in buying some snacks? We were just getting hungry, and now that you've got that coin there, imagine all the tasty food."

She purses her lips and nods. "Okay." A smile appears on her face. "Thank you."

Skip gestures his thumb backwards. "That old woman over there is selling the shiniest apples I've ever seen. Let's all go grab one."