come out, come out, to the sea [sindri]

London was so busy. A tiny hand tugged her jacket closer to her body as Maia wandered down the street. In her other hand was a map. She'd been to London once before, and the last time she'd been there she'd gotten lost, and she refused to do so this time. Her red hair gleamed brightly in the sun, and she moved back and forth trying to find her destination. According to the map with the blinking red light, she was right there. Big brown eyes lit up and she beamed.

It was only Maia's first week in London. She'd seen the touristy sites, but there was something fun about exploring her new stomping grounds. Gringotts had given her the week off to get settled, and she'd mostly done that. They'd fully furnished the home they'd loaned her so there was nothing much that she could do other than get things she'd like. She'd already purchased a cloak that sparkled with little swirls of gold, and an expensive bed for Amos. Her kitty cat deserved the best, and she could afford it. Luckily for her, there was always somethin going on in this big bustling city, and always something new to look at.

As a gift, Josepe had purchased her something. He wouldn't tell her what it was, only that it'd be available once she'd gotten to London. She was very excited, and confused, and overly curious. It was all these emotions that had her bouncing towards the address blinking on her map. She looked at the door, and as she knocked it opened. Just a crack, but that was enough. She slid her hand in the door, and pushed it open slightly. Maia inhaled softly, and the familiar scent of wood reassured her. Walking in (because opened doors meant come in, right?), she closed the door behind her and stepped forward.

"Halo?" Her soft spanish accented voice carried through the room, as she unbuttoned her jacket. She touched the pieces of wood furniture, not wandering too far from the door. This was a craftsman's home, and some of the pieces that she'd seen were beautiful. Why had Josepe sent her here? Her curiosity threatened to escape her frame as she danced in place slightly. Impatient, her voice rose with a slight musical undercurrent as she tried to lure whoever owned this place to where she was. What was his name? She stared at the paper. "Hello? I am looking for Sindri...Trickett?" She stumbled over the name, blinking. "I'm here to pick up something...?" All she heard after that was barking, and she looked around for the puppy.

"Hmpf," Sindri Trickett huffed, throwing down his carving utensils in disdain. He was far from happy with what he was seeing in front of him. It had been a particularly long Friday morning considering he couldn't seem to get one specific order completed in a fashion that pleased him. The man was a perfectionist when it came to his work, there was no doubt about it -- but this table for his neighbors' distant relative just wasn't speaking to him like most things did. Modern and rustic. Sindri couldn't keep up with all these new, hybrid genres of furniture that people wanted now a days -- either it was modern or it was rustic, nothing in between. The Ex-Gryffindor typically had no problem whipping up exactly what a customer wanted, but this couple had proved to be rather unsettling for him as a craftsman. Good thing he had the weekend to figure something out, or Sindri would have lost it by now.

The chesnut haired man pursed his lips, giving the table one last look over before giving up completely for the time being. If Sindri had learned anything through his hobby and side business, it was that forcing something would never work. The creativity had to naturally flow for him to be happy with the finished project. Besides, Sindri had a baby bird upstairs that needed tended to, after all. A snidget from the reservation had taken quite a liking to lead-caretaker, she refused to eat from anyone else's hand, and Sindri couldn't possibly dream of leaving her there the whole weekend to fend for herself. Taking her home so he could give her his full attention seemed like the only solution.

"Ember!" Sindri sang out as he bounded up the stairs of his loft. He had named the baby bird with a broken wing ember because of her unique, darker coloring. Giving his dog, Bear, who was lazily sprawled out on the couch a quick pat, Sindri made his way over to the makeshift home he had created for the snidget and peeked in. The tiny ball of fluff chirped back at him excitedly, obviously ready to eat. Sindri wasted no time to prepare the miniature bottle of formula for the bird that would provide her with the necessary nutrients to regain her strength and eventually get back into the wild. "Here, shh," Sindri said in an uncharacteristically small voice as he scooped Ember up to hand feed her from what looked like a baby bottle. Most would find it odd to see such a drastic change from channeling his utmost masculinity to this, but Sindri was right in his element.

Just as he found himself lost in the tiny bird's gaze, something else had captured his attention. So much so that his feet had started to move on their own accord. Sindri was so lost, he hardly heard the sound of his own name being called or Bear bounding down the stairs to greet the visitor. In fact, he had forgotten anything that was a priority for the day. All he knew was that he needed to get downstairs, and now.

Ember still tucked away gently in his big hands, Sindri stumbled down the stairs, numbly following the black, grey and white coloring of his dog. Bear accosted the tiny red head stranger before the man could even grasp what was happening. "Bear!" Sindri groaned, suddenly aware of his surroundings. How had he gotten here, again? And who was that? He couldn't help but grin a dimpled smile in her direction as he moved forward to keep his dog from knocking him over completely. "I'm so sorry," Sindri struggled to tame the large dog with a bird in his cupped hand. "How can I help you?" He asked, self consciously giving the place a once over. It was mess. Usually customers didn't have to see this side of things, Sindri was happy to bring the pieces to them. "I swear it's not usually so much of a zoo," Sindri shrugged his shoulders with a grin, a bird in one hand and his dog's collar in the other. "What did you say your name was again?" With Bear safely sitting at his side, Sindri raised a free hand to work through his hair. Right, she hadn't.

"OH!" Maia giggled softly as she saw the big dog headed towards her. He looked so excited, and it was adorable. And following him was a man. Definitely taller than her, as most people were. And what was in his hand? A bird. It was an adorable baby bird, and she wanted to giggle. Here he was, tumbling down the stairs, carrying a bird, and a dog. When her eyes met his, she let out a little huff softly. At least he was clear eyed. She didn't intend to daze the man, and lucky she hadn't. Sometimes people were so soft-minded that a simple melody had them in a daze. This one was stronger, yes. Or maybe her lure had been weak. No matter, he was adorable. Dimples? Cute!

"Kaixo! I mean, Hola...Perdon. Hello." She finally sputtered her greeting out, her lips curved up in a sweet smile. "What are you apologizing for? I stepped in..." she trailed off, struggling for the english word for unannounced. "...Without announcement." She finally said confidently, tilting her head. Maia looked back down at the dog and at the baby bird, and shrug softly. This was no different from home, where animals roamed freely. Why should she judge him when she'd just appeared? "I am here to pick something up. My brother, his name is Josepe?, He...sent me here." He'd sent her here with solely an address and a name. Bastard. She was going to smack him when she saw him. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dog continue to wiggle. He was practically vibrating with excitement. "May I...?" She asked, before immediately kneeling down in front of the dog. She began to pet him gently, humming low under her breath. It was a very weak calming spell, used on children and animals. Bear began to slowly calm down, before laying down on the floor peacefully, staring up at them. Standing, she dusted her hands off on her rich blue skirts. OH! She'd forgotten something. Introductions! They were doing those, correct? She was good at those.

Shoving her hand out, she waited for him to shake it. "My apologies. I am Maialen. Maia...You are Sindri, yes?" His name practically rolled off her tongue as she got a hang of it. It was a new sound, and Maia liked new sounds. "You are a bird keeper or a carpenter?" She questioned gently, moving a bit closer to him, invading his personal space so she could get closer to him and the bird. Stroking it gently with one finger, she tilted her head to look up at him. "I am...confused as to why I am here. I do not mind meeting new people, but I think my brother did not tell you I'd be here...You may not even remember him. Did I interrupt you?" She swiftly changed the subject, curious. "You were making something? May I see it?"

Sindri was immediately taken by the petite red-head in front of him. Her accent was almost intoxicating to him, and he felt as though her words might put him to sleep in the best way possible. The chestnut haired man couldn't help but mirror her smile, his cheeks flushing momentarily. What was this woman doing to him? Sindri felt like he had no control of the stupid grin plastered stupidly over his face. Work. Business. Professional, right. He reminded himself that this anomaly of a creature was not just sent here to cloud his mental space, but actually purchase something. "Oh, for Bear!" Sindri spattered out, motioning to oversized husky next to him that looked more like a wolf than dog. "I, uh, yeah -- dog," He quickly added, giving the animal a quick squeeze on the ear to reassure himself that he wasn't going completely bonkers.

"You're quite alright,  I assure you," Sindri was quick to ease any tension the mystery woman with the accent might have been feeling. The man was a natural care-giver (as seen by Ember) and he was constantly worried about keeping those in his company comfortable. "Josepe?" Sindri repeated in a terrible recreation of her voice. "Josepe..." He repeated again. "Oh, Josepe!" Sindri nearly shouted, his English accent strong now. He had completely butchered that one, apparently. The man had been corresponding with him for weeks, commissioning a lovely treasure chest for his sister. Sindri was happy to be creating something new and fresh, and he took the project on happily -- he had never even dreamed of making a treasure chest previously.

Just as he was about to start babbling on about the finished piece in the back of his workshop, Sindri was cut off. The red-head had said something, that he was sure, but it had gone over his head. All he knew was that he was completely transfixed with the song she was humming to Bear. Clearly, he wasn't the only one. The usually hyper active animal fell to the floor lazily, looking up at the woman lovingly. Sindri had never seen anything like it, and he wasn't complaining. Again, he felt the strange sensation like he wasn't in complete control over any part of his body or mind. Sindri shook his head, forcing himself willfully back into reality. "Oh, wow," He was visibly amazed. "I've never seen 'em like this..." The man knelt down and poked the animal in the nose. Typically he would nip back playfully, but not today. He was mesmerized.

Maia, as she had identified herself as, was now right in Sindri's space and he felt a serious lack of air supply the closer she got to him. "I..." He paused, studying her for a moment before working up the courage to continue. "I am. Yes, Sindri." Idiot. He could have kicked himself for acting so clueless. "Well..." Sindri began timidly, gazing around the room and then back to the baby bird she was petting. "A bit of a jack of all trades?" He couldn't help but grin, hoping she knew the phrase. "And, no no!" Sindri was quick to assure her. "I remember, I have what you -" Again, he was cut off by her enthusiasm, but not upset by it. This strangers curiosity was oddly endearing, he found, as their encounter went on.

"I was..." How did she know? Maybe the sawdust and dried paint covering his old jeans and white t-shirt gave him away, Sindri mused. The man carefully placed the little bird in a crate on the table beside him and pointed to the hideous excuse for a table to their left among a sea of scrap work. "Be honest..." He walked over to the furniture with a grimace. "Does this look modern-rustic to you?" Sindri asked, flicking the edge of the table with disdain, not hiding the fact that he wasn't pleased. "I can't quite figure this one out..." He mused, unaware that this woman probably couldn't care less.

"It is very nice to meet you, Sindri." Maia looked up at the taller man with wide, innocent eyes. Attention being drawn back to the little bird, Maia was amused by Sindri's short and abrupt sentences. He was even more abrupt than she was, and she didn't think it was out of excitement. "Jack of all trades? I know this thing...You know a lot about a lot of things? Is that what that means?" She questioned, gazing around the room and back to the bird. How did one find oneself as a guardian of a snidget? It was cute, and the peaceful chirrups it made were adorable. It seemed very comfortable around the man, and as such, Maia did as well.

Following Sindri to the unfinished table, Maia tilted her head. It was...interesting. She didn't know much about furniture making, but it looked like an odd combination of something new and something old. Her hand slid around the top as she thought, brow quirking slightly. "I am always honest..." She laughed low, before looking back at the table as he gestured. Rustic? Modern, she understood, but rustic was a new word for her. Did it mean old...? Unable to contain her question, she tilted her head upwards towards him. "What is rus-tic? My English is only okay." She said slowly, stroking the table. "Your table...it looks confused." She continued. "Like it wants to be old-style and new...? Somebody asked for this?" Her nose wrinkled up in displeasure.

While she was talking, the dog, Bear had sidled up beside her. Digging her hand into the fur on his head, she began to lightly scratch between his ears. She loved animals. They usually responded well to her, and even to her magic. He was such a lovely dog, more of a very big puppy. Maia wanted a dog now. She wondered how Amos would feel about a new friend. Her thoughts were distracted, before a very disturbing thought. Josepe made an order here. If there was one person who would ask for something that was both new and old, it'd be someone like her little brother.

"Did Josepe ask of something from you?" She tapped his hand lightly, making sure she got his attention. Maia's brown eyes were focused intently on Sindri's. "If he asked for something foolish, my apologies...I will slap him one good time for you." Josepe had been known to give her foolish things. The last time she'd been home, she'd received a fishing hook. With no explanation. Before that, a bra made out of seashells. She supposed he thought he was funny. "Whatever you make of this table, I think it will be beautiful...will you paint it? Or varnish?" She wondered what it'd look like finished.

Sindri couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle as the red-haired woman in front of him struggled to work out his phrasing. He could have hit himself -- throwing out English verbiage knowing with near certainty that Maia was not a native English speaker. Though she had absolutely caught on fast. "Yes, you could say that," He nodded, his face flushing momentarily at the idea of him being 'good' at anything. Sindri didn't like to talk about himself, especially when it came to any of his success' or endeavors. "Really, just for a bit 'a fun," He lied, downplaying the success of the home business. Word of mouth in London had spread like mad after Sindri landed a few pieces in various bars and restaurants -- most of his clients were friends of previous customers who had raved about the man's natural woodwork, sans of any magical assistance. Sindri loved the distraction in getting his hands dirty but he couldn't bear to part with his job at the Reserve just yet.

Always honest, she said. He liked that. Having someone around to speak the truth no matter what the situation was something that he cherished. Sindri had the tendency to be very hard on himself when it came to his craft, so he was constantly second guessing his decisions. "Rustic," He repeated, unable to hide the dimpled grin from his face after her mispronunciation. This Maia and her accent were rather endearing, he decided. "Not old, necessarily. More..." Sindri reached both hands to his jaw to scratch the chestnut stubble in thought. He didn't even know how to describe it. No wonder, this table wasn't coming together. "Think... a cabin," He began, lighting up at the thought. "In the middle of the woods, completely untouched by the rest of the world," Now he was getting carried away. "...er, natural?" Sindri simplified it down to one word. It was the best he could do.

"Someone did order this believe it or not..." Sindri tentatively reached a hand to touch the dusty, dark wood. "But you're right... it is a bit confused isn't it..." He trailed off, shaking his head as his hazel eyes traveled the length of the piece of furniture with disdain. Just as he had nearly completely lost himself in thought, the sensation of a finger tapping his free hand brought him back to the situation. "Oh!" Sindri nearly jumped. "No, no, no," He couldn't help but laugh, amused that she was so concerned that this might be her surprise gift. "Your's is much nicer, I promise you," Sindri assured her, touching his hand to her significantly shorter shoulder to calm her nerves. "No slapping needs to happen," He clicked his tongue, turning to show Maia what he had made for her that was covered with a sheet near the back of the room. "Unless you hate it, I suppose..." Sindri flashed a playful smirk.

Maia's curiosity turned him right back around on his heels. "Ah, this guy..." Sindri bit down on his lip with the top row of teeth as he directed his gaze to the uncompleted work. "Might just scrap it and start over, honestly," He patted the top of the table hesitantly. There was no point in forcing it at this point, the thing was all over the place. "Didn't turn out how I had imagined..." Sindri turned back to Maia with a shrug. "Would you like to see your gift?" He asked, hazel eyes flashing to the covered chest to his left.

"I don't believe you." Maia stared directly into his eyes, lips curving up slightly. "You have a strange table that someone requested..." She tapped it with her finger tips. "You made something for me on an order from my brother. These are not the habits of someone who just does something for fun." She poked him the chest. "You must be good, and you will show me the thing so I may be in awe." Her demands were few. She wanted fresh fish, good sex, and shiny things. She didn't know if he had fresh fish, she didn't throw herself at cute men that she'd just met (even though he looked like he knew how to use his hands), but he made shiny things. Josepe knew she liked quality, and if she's sent her here, then this was someone of talent. She didn't understand why he was down playing his gift. Men were silly.

She tilted her head, thinking. "Rustic." She slowly, trying to roll the word around her tongue. "Rustic." She murmured again, before getting caught up in his explanation. AH! "I understand what you mean. My home is a cabin in the woods. It has a bridge over the water, but it has woods around it mostly. It is...fresh. Quiet and sacred. She nodded eagerly, her hand clapping together excitedly as she fathomed his meaning. He was very good. "I am very sorry.  I am from Basque. Spain, if that helps. English is hard." She smiled softly. "I know Euskura. Or Romani. and French and Spanish and Mermish, English is so...complicated. So many rules." She huffed, lips turned into a pout.

Her hand slided along the table and she bent down to examine it again. "Hmm. I have an idea. Maybe old weathered wood pieces as a table top? Fitted together. From the forest? And the rest can all modern...I do not know, my brain is storming." She shook her head, brushing off the thought. "I am sorry some strange person ordered this from you." Maia's head tilted slightly at his statement. "What do you mean? I am not concerned about your skill. I trust you have created something beautiful."

Big brown eyes flashed to the covered chest, and she bounced up and down on the tips of her toes. "This is all very exciting. Whatever it is, it looks large! May I touch it?" Not waiting, she went to touch the sheet covered rectangular item. She felt all over it through the sheet, too excited to take it off. "Sindri! I am excited! This is mine yes?" She petted it again, before her hands clasped together. "Ooh! What is it? No. Don't tell me. But tell me...but don't tell me." She groaned softly to herself, before bouncing back over to him and grabbing his hand, trying to tug him over. "What did you make? It's big. Is it a bed? Or a fish pond? or or..." Her excitement got the best of her, and she clutched his hand. "Or a sideways bookshelf? can I sleep in it? Oooh."

This anomaly of a woman had seen right through his bluff all along. And to think Sindri thought he was being slick. Warmth flushed over his cheeks yet again at the mention of words like 'good' and 'awe' and the man shuffled a foot into the saw dust covered ground uncomfortably. "I don't know about in awe..." Sindri emphasized the last word, reaching a hand to his hair self consciously. Of course it was his hope that customers were pleased, but excessive praise in his direction always turned Sindri into a shell of the brave and confident man that he was regularly. "I think you'll like it though," He assured. Who was he kidding? Maia seemed to get excited about even the most ordinary things, this treasure chest would be something else entirely. If Sindri had impressed himself with it the woman was sure to be mildly pleased, he decided.

"Really?" The chestnut haired man couldn't hide the excitement in his voice at the mention of a cabin. It was not often females opted to live in the middle of the woods in a cabin, and he immediately wanted to know more. "Best way of life," Sindri mused with a nod of his head, deciding not to delve into the cabin that he and his ex-girlfriend had once shared. "Mermish?" His eyes widened. "You're getting more and more interesting by the moment, you know?" Sindri couldn't help himself. He hadn't met anyone in his life like this one. "I'll slow down," He added, referring to his choice of English words. "I'm sure it's not easy juggling all those," Sindri shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea, really. All he'd ever learned were English and a jibberish language he and his cousin made up as children.

"I like that..." Sindri replied dreamily, his hazel eyes carrying back to the table in thought. He could picture what she was drawing with words, and the gears in his mind started to turn. "You need a job?" Sindri turned back to Maia with a toothy grin, hoping she understood that he was joking. Someone like this one probably had some unattainably, interesting job where she got to travel the world and meet people and share her enthusiasm about life.

"Wow!" Sindri could practically feel the palpable excitement in the room when Maia began hopping around like a little bunny. In fact, it rubbed off on him. The man stifled his laughter as the small woman ran over to the covered chest. The order was strange. A treasure chest. This was Sindri's first attempt at something of this nature, but he was more than happy with how it came out -- in fact, the longer he was around Maia he was confident he had made something that suited her perfectly. Josepe, her brother, who had been communicating with Sindri had told the man about his red-haired sister, her affinity for things nautical, shiny and beautiful. Sindri didn't need to hear much else, the wheels were in motion before he could even grasp what he was doing. The chest, creatively, was a far cry from the confused table his hand was rested on.

Sindri would have kept laughing about Maia's child-like curiosity, but her delicate hand wrapped around his had proved to be rather distracting. Now he was the curious one. Hazel eyes flicked from her hand, back to her face, and he tilted his head. Maia, though, seemed to be too distracted by her excitement to even notice his internal flailing. "Not... a sideways bookshelf," Sindri couldn't help but smirk. What on Earth made her think of that? "Sleep in it?" He repeated, biting down on his lip with his top row of teeth, eyes shooting to the ceiling in thought. "Well I suppose you could if you liked..." Sindri's eyes traveled the length of her five foot nothing frame. "Someone like me on the other hand.... no," He laughed.

"Are you ready?" Sindri teased, grabbing the thin, paint stained fabric with his free hand. He waited a few moments for the anticipation to build. Just as he was sure Maia was crawling out of her skin, Sindri pulled the sheet exposing her treasure chest. Everything had dried up just the way he wanted, the deep purple varnish that stained the surface nearly black had brought out the intricate carving work ornate with shimmering stones. As opposed to going literal with his work and plastering on a a mermaid and a life preserver, Sindri took a more figurative approach. His inspiration was the way that stones in a creek shimmered under clear water in the early morning. Suddenly, it dawned on him that Maia might hate it. Sindri faced her, nearly wincing in anticipation. "Is it okay?" He asked tentatively.

"Do I need a job?" Her head tilted to the side, as she contemplated his statement. "I have a job. I recover underwater treasure for Gringotts. Do you need help? I know how to paint things. My father is a carpenter, but he specializes in instruments. I can paint things for you." She'd help him with whatever he needed because she worked for fun. There was no real reason for her to have a career, but she'd grown up working, and she'd continue. "I can do preservation runes, making sure that they don't get ruined." Maia eagerly offered her services before turning back to the reason for why she was there.

Well. He'd shot down all of her ideas. What could it be? It was an unending mystery. What could he have made that was that big? Her hand squeezed his gently. "I could sleep in it? So it has space for me to sleep in..." She gazed at him before letting her body peruse his taller form. "You are very much taller than I...It is attractive." She turned back to the cloth, picking at it gently. "Is it time yes?" She was so very excited, and so very happy. New things were exciting. So were old things, and cuddly things. Everything was exciting, most of the time. Unless it wasn't.

"I'm ready!" She said, dancing in place. Her hand was clutching his tightly in anticipation. As soon as the cloth was off, she was struck. Her eyes flickered from here to there, examining the chest. It was a chest. It was a dark purple treasure chest with shimmering stones. Her mouth dropped open, and she hummed under her breath. It was beautiful. She made tiny footsteps, before kneeling beside it. Her hands paused over the dark wood for moments, before she gently stroked it.

Humming softly under her breath, an unconcious habit she had when she was pleased. She didn't notice the shimmering stones start to glow, but her fingertips trailed along the woodwork. "It's beautiful..." Shw whispered, unable to take her eyes off of it. "It's for me...?" She looked back at Sindri, trying to make sure he wasn't pulling a joke on her. Turning back to the chest, she fingered the wood and the fastenings. Opening it up like it contained gold and precious jewels, she let her hands smooth against the wood. It was like she was memorizing each whirl in the wood.

Maia stood and looked at Sindri for a moment, before wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you! It's so beautiful..." She squeezed him gently. "I've never had something so well made and pretty made for me." She stood on the very tips of his toes, kissing his cheek. "It is very much more than just okay, Sindri..." She fluttered away from him, moving back over to the chest. Her hands made light ghosting movements over it, before a thought occurred to her.

"...How am I supposed to get this home?"

Maia's utmost curiosity was endearing. Sindri found himself staring at the petite woman, studying her and watching the gears of her mind work to figure out what was beneath the discolored sheet. "Space... but not comfort necessarily," Sindri raised a finger in protest, hoping she hadn't got her hopes up that there was some grand bed under there. Maia would be sadly mistaken by a wooden chest that he was sure was not comfortable, even for someone of her stature. Attractive. Sindri followed the woman's gaze as it traveled the length of his body and he felt strangely self-conscious under her eye. Although it didn't quite feel scrutinizing, he found. The man couldn't help but offer up a goofy smile. "Nah..." Was all he could voice aloud as he ran a hand through his hair.

Sindri reveled in Maia's reaction, noting every smile, hum and adoring look she cast at the object. The answer to his question was quite clear to him now -- he would be surprised if she less than loved the chest based on that response. Sindri could feel the excitement level in the room rise, even within his own chest. The man typically was not easily excitable, he remained fairly level-headed all things considered, but this woman's presence had him in a frenzy that he couldn't work out. Sindri was constantly thinking things through a few steps ahead, but this particular evening he couldn't stop the words from flowing from his mouth without a care.

"Of course it's for you!" He chuckled as he replied, nodding toward the chest and gesturing forward, as if telling her it was okay to get invested in the object. "Your brother told me a bit about the things you like..." Sindri began, hazel eyes carrying from the chest back to Maia. "And I just kind of went with my first instinct," He explained. "If you want something different I can fix it up, proper," Sindri backtracked yet again. He was finding that her response was maybe too good to be true. What if this was all some act and she was going to toss it as soon as she got alone with it.

Maia's next moves confirmed the opposite of his fears and before he knew it her arms were around his neck and her lips were pressed to his cheek. Sindri, at first, didn't know how to react. Customers generally were quite happy with what he came up with, but this was definitely a first for the budding business man. Sindri felt a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips as his body moved to compensate for the lack of thought in his head. Large hands squeezed back in return, not as all as awkwardly as he would have imagined. "I -- " Sindri began. "I mean wow, I'm so glad you're happy with it," He explained honestly. He felt the familiar feeling of pride swelling in his chest. This was exactly why he liked what he did so much.

It was colder than Sindri remembered it had been when Maia broke their embrace and flitted back to the chest to touch it again. The smile on his face dropped when she questioned how she would get the chest home. Sindri typically brought the furniture to his customers, or had friends help him if they were in the city. "Where are you living?" He asked. "I'd be happy to take it to you," Sindri glanced over to the oversized chest that was practically the size of the woman. There was no way she was traveling with that thing, apparating or not.

Maia was in love. Gold, and other shiny things would fit in this wonderous chest. It would go at the foot of her massive bed, and she would hide all of her treasures in there. OH! But maybe she should put clothes in there, that would make the most sense. She'd have to make sure it was closed most of the time because her lanky kitten would claim that at his own home, and it was Maia's. She was tempted to crawl in it and see if the theory of her fitting inside of it was true, but she was stuck staring at the purple wood. "What type of stain did you use?" When she turned her head, it was a bit iridescent, and that was gorgeous. "My father makes instruments, and on the instruments he uses a purple stain, but it isn't as deep and faceted as this...I'm quite jealous actually."

"Your first instinct was correct." Maia stared at Sindri, trying to figure out why it seemed as if he was trying to downplay  his skill. "...Why would I want you to change anything? It's perfect the way it is! I just do not know what to put in it." And she had so many options, but one was coming to the forefront of her mind. Maia loved maps, and her map collection was in the hundreds level. Some of them were rare and sought after. Others were just well known, and something she'd claimed after a job. This would be the perfect place to store them.

Biting her lip, Maia tried to contemplate how she was going to get her new treasure chest home. As a tiny woman, she was quite aware of her deficiencies. Her reach was short, and sometimes her arms were weaker than spaghetti. Sindri was a very handsome and strong man, and he could definitely help her with her new prezzie. "You are very helpful, Sindri!" She squeaked, clapping her hands together as she stood. Looking around, she found a semi clear table and bounced on her feet. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him over to the table. Once they got to the table, she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a map. Tapping it with her short wand, she watched it unfold in front of them showing the map of the world.

It only took a few short spells in Euskara before the map's focus had changed, instead of the view of the world, it showed the view of her little piece of earth in Combe Martin by the water, with trees surrounding the back of the property. She stowed her wand away, and grabbed Sindri's hand again, placing it right below a blinking blue light with nire hasiera scrawled next to it. "I live there! It's in Devon. We can apparate or I can use one of my portkeys!" She tapped her bag. "I have a few...the Floo makes me sick!" She chirped, like sick just meant nauseous and not deathly ill. "I don't like it. Boo. Fire."

Clearly pleased that Maia was genuinely interested in his craft, Sindri knelt down beside her, running his fingers across the dark purple wood. The way he was looking at the finished piece one would swear he was looking at his own first born child. The man was terribly shy about his accomplishments but he had to admit there were few things that felt better than the pride of creating something he was truly proud of. The chest was nothing short of just that -- no doubt in part because of Maia's animated reaction. "Well..." Sindri began, flicking his hazel eyes to the red-haired woman before looking back at the chest. "It's a gel based varnish I make here," He flicked a fuzz from the sheet off of a stone. "Then I put a protective finish over it, that's what makes it so shiny like this," Sindri motioned to the iridescent coloring as it hit the light above them.

Sindri felt his cheeks flush and he re-directed his gaze from the woman who was justifying his craftsmanship. "Just making sure is all..." He trailed off, unable to keep the small smile from appearing on his lips. As much as he hated to admit it, the complimentary nature of her visit had boosted his confidence more than it had been in quite some time. "All your treasures, of course!" Sindri chuckled, standing upright and brushing the sawdust from his jeans that he had just realized were terribly dirty from the day's work. If she didn't think so already, Maia had definitely labeled him as a slob by now.

"Oh," The chestnut haired man couldn't even protest to being dragged across the room. Although he was far more strong than his new friend, there wasn't a chance he would resist her direction at this point. When Maia pulled out her map and revealed her home, Sindri's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape. "Wow, it's unreal," He studied the cabin, surrounded by water and trees -- it was practically a dream. Carrying his gaze back to the chest, he weighed his options. Sindri was fairly sure he would lose a leg if he tried to apparate with that thing, so portkey travel it was. "Portkey?" He responded with a wry shrug of his shoulders. As Maia got the portkey from her bag and prepared their means of travel, Sindri made his way to the chest and studied the object. This would take some strength, he decided. The man bent down, taking both sides of the chest between the span of his long arms before standing back up.

"Not even heavy!" Sindri joked. Of course it was fairly sizable, but not impossible. He made his way over to Maia who had presented a small locket. The man braced himself as they both touched the trinket and were flung into chaos. Sindri held on to the chest for dear life as the imaginary force propelled him through space and time.

Portkeys were sometimes terrifying. As they whirled along the colourful way, Maia pressed her body to Sindri's side. He was solid, something to hold onto until the whirling suddenly stopped and they were in her cabin. Her arms, which had twined themselves around Sindri's waist, slowly unwound and she shook the colours from her eyes. Pressing her forehead lightly against his arm, she took deep breaths before pulling away to look at him. "You can place it on the floor..." She murmured softly, waiting for him to do so. Once it was there, she pointed him toward a comfortable couch that was facing the bank of windows that showed the water. "Have a seat Sindri!" Happily she bounced over to the kitchen, going to make something to drink. That was what one did as a hostess, right? She hadn't had many guests over for so long, so it was rusty for her.

As she stirred the horchata, a wave of dizziness shook her a bit. Tiny hands clenched the counter top and she took deep breaths, trying to keep herself balanced. It took a few sips of water, and a few moments before she was fine. Maia walked over to wear Sindri was, and handed him the glass which was beaded with droplets of water from the cold. "Sindri, try it." She bubbled eagerly, waiting for his consensus. It was one of her favorite drinks, and she wanted to know if englishmen liked it as well.

A loud mew echoed in the room, and Maia's eyes closed for a moment before they searched for the very territorial cat she'd taken in. Sliding from underneath her favorite seat was her fluffy cat, who went right up to Sindri and stared. "I am sorry. Amos is...very...strange?" She struggled, trying to find the english equivalent for possessive. She looked at Sindri, sighing. "It is all well, he takes a minute...brown up?" Was brown the same as epela which meant warm?  "He is very loving, I promise..." She bit her lip, looking earnestly into Sindri's eyes.

The next thing she knew, Amos' mewing became louder and louder, before disappearing entirely. She looked down, and the big bundle of fluff had decided that Sindri's feet where to be his next pillow, and he was curled in a ball, half on and half off of them. Snorting delicately, Maia rested her hand on Sindri's forearm. "Jack of many trades, I agree..." Giggling, she sat on the couch, gazing at the treasure chest. "Your work...is very beautiful. I have never had something crafted quite like it. It is very pleasing to me that it was made by your hand." Tilting her head so her hair moved lightly, she looked at Sindri curiously.

"I do not know many people in Britain...Would...Would you like to be friends...? I'd very much like it if we were friends.."