[ much like back home, mercedes looks out of place amidst the soldiers and the general militaristic vibe of cadens; too soft, too pliant, a gentleness that doesn't seem to have a place here despite her years in war. although the uniform fits her, it's uncomfortable and stifling, having grown too accustomed to her robes. but she makes do, as she usually does — she gets along with the children, and they've all too easily roped her into helping with the talent show.

she's been mainly relegated to mending torn costumes and stitching together puppets, though she can be found helping to look for the missing instruments and props. likely not a very good idea when she's such a fresh face, especially when she ends up bumping into someone— ]

Oh! Excuse me. [ she takes a step back, an apologetic smile on her face. ] I'm very sorry. Are you all right?

It's certainly fancy.

[ the... laser tool, she means. what happened to just using a regular knife? but she's not one to turn down the opportunity to help, so she holds up her pumpkin and turns to the person next to her. ]

How steady are your hands?

[ while most people may be wary about the eternal night in nocwich, mercedes seems to find it charming, a pleased smile on her face as she wanders among the stalls in the marketplace. there's a vast variety of things she hasn't seen before, but chief among them are the glowing night blooms. rather than save what little coin she has, she ends up buying a few of them.

... only to turn around and offer it to the next person she comes across, slipping the stem into an empty button hole or a breast pocket. ]

For you.

[ feel free to catch her anywhere else in nocwich or cadens! hit me up if none of the above prompts spark joy and i can throw something together! as a note, i'm voicetesting so please be gentle with me. ]