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A day's shopping trip for our freed house elves in Lisbon. What fun! As you've probably noticed, I just love house elves and wanted to give them their own special shop. Hope you enjoy it!
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Meanwhile, the three house elves had arrived at the flat in Lisbon. Rico and Rica had not been completely good because their ears were singed and slightly smoking from playing with the fire breathing snap dragons, and the snarling tiger lilies were making a noise fit for the big cat house at the zoo. Chica stared at the two crups with a very disapproving air on her face and they sank to the floor covering their snouts with their paws looking very ashamed. When Chica was satisified that they had been 'punished' enough she ordered them into the kitchen where she cleaned them up. "Bad crups, you knows you shouldn't play with the plants; they fight back!"
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Mara and Mauro quieted the angry tiger lilies by scratching their petals lightly until they purred contentedly. The fire spitting snap dragons were a whole other cauldron of ripplies (TMQ #81): not content with a scratch on their petals, the two elves had to resort to spraying them with water. After the steam cleared, they were calm again. The rest of the plants hadn't been bothered.
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"It's a good thing they didn't go for the mimbulous mimbletonia; that stinksap really stinks," Mauro said knowingly.
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After the crups were brushed and watered, Chica invited Mara and Mauro into her bathroom where she opened her closet full of clothes: dresses, shorts, shirts, shoes and--of course--bandannas.
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"Pick out something to wear, yous can't go walking around in a tea towel in muggle land," Chica said to the newly freed elves with a twinkle in her eye.
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Mara and Mauro looked at each other for a moment and then they giggled, "You go first, Mara," Mauro said as they both turned to check out the contents of the closet.
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Mara picked out an outfit similar to Chica's--only in yellow--and Mauro put on a pair of red shorts, a striped T-shirt, red flip-flops and a red baseball cap. They were ready to roll.
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They strolled down the muggle street with Rica and Rico to the Albatroz cafe and entered St. Vincent's Square through the hidden back door. On a side street they came to a little shop called "Dona Mafalda's Elf Wear Ltd." situated between "Dona Ana's Ice Cream Parlour" and "Petra's Shoes and Boots", left the crups tied up outside and entered.
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"Good afternoon, elves, come on in," Dona Mafalda herself said to the three elves. "How are you, Chica? Who are these two, I don't think I've ever met them before," she asked as she stood up from behind the counter and went around: her greying hair was swept nto a bun and her brown eyes twinkled as she stood waiting to be introduced.
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"Good afternoon, Dona Falda, this is Mara and Mauro who have been freed and need some clothes. They will also need work smocks on top of all the regular stuff," Chica informed Mafalda.
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"How nice to make your acquaintance. Come over here and we'll see what we've got." Mafalda ushered them through the shop which had a section of tea towels as well as proper clothes. Mara got some dresses like Chica's. They both wiggled their toes into colorful flip-flops. They had a look at smocks and picked out some for hot weather. After that, they had a longer look at head gear: Mara picked out bandannas right away but Mauro tried on all the different hats.
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After trying on a fireman's hat, a police cap, a crown (with fake jewels), a bonnet with cloth roses, a tricorn and a beret Mauro tried on a hat that resembled a flower pot.
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"Does I look nice in this hat?" Mauro asked as he stood in front of the mirror with the silly hat on his head.
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Mafalda cocked her head to one side and closed one eye, "Personally, I think the baseball cap is the best."
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"Me too," Chica and Mara said in unison.
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"Then I will get the cap," decided Mauro.
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After getting some socks and underwear, Mara and Mauro looked wistfully at the tea towels and got one each.
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'Some habits die hard', thought Mafalda to herself with an understanding smile as she took the tea towels and added them to the pile of clothes. Chica had everything charged to the Silva's account.
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"Don't forget to come back in a few months when we get our shoes and boots in stock. We should also have our winter collection as well," Mafalda said as she handed over their shopping bags.
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"Don't worry, we won't!" Mara and Mauro said cheerily as they went out the door with Chica.
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After untying the crups, the three elves went next door and bought some ice cream cones which they ate happily as they made their way back through the Albatroz cafe.
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As they walked slowly towards the flat finishing their cones, Chica went into the local butcher shop after tying up the crups outside, "Good afternoon, Sr. Alfredo, I would like some pork chops, please."
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"Of course, Chica. Would you introduce me to your friends," Sr. Alfredo said as he sharpened his knife. He was a big man, with a full black moustache and black curly hair.
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"This is Mara and this is Mauro. They is visiting me today," Chica explained as Mara and Mauro stood silently by.
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"Nice to meet you, hope you have a nice stay," Alfredo said as he cut six pork chops from a piece of pork.
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"Oh, thanks, we will," said Mara.
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"Those are really good looking chops," said Mauro appreciatively.
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"Well, thank you very much, have a tasty dinner," Alfredo replied with a pleasant grin on his face. "Hope to see you again, any friend of Chica is a friend of mine."
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They left the butcher's and entered the grocery store next door to get some red peppers and onions to go with the chops.
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"Well that be all, Chica?" Dona Teresa (the owner of the store) asked as they went to the check out counter. As it was late afternoon, she was feeling a little frazzled, it had been a long, hot day. Her short hair drooped and her blue eyes were tired.
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"Yes, Dona Teza, that will be all for today. May I introduce my friends? This is Mara and this is Mauro. They is visiting me today," Chica explained.
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"Nice to meet you," Dona Teresa smiled at the two elves. "Staying long?"
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"No, we is going tomorrow," answered Mauro.
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"These red peppers be really juicy looking! Where does you get such good peppers?" asked Mara politely.
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"Yes, they are rather nice, aren't they? I got them at the market this morning, I think they come from the Algarve," Teresa replied, glad to have satisfied customers; she sat a little straighter and a sparkle came into her tired eyes.
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"Thank you, Dona Teza, see you tomorrow," Chica beamed at Teresa as the three left the shop and untied the crups and continued on their way home.
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As Chica started on dinner, Mara and Mauro tried on all their new clothes again before folding them up neatly and putting them back in the bag. They then donned their tea towels and helped Chica in the kitchen.
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They had a good time cooking, setting the table and talking about this and that until Diego and Tiago came home. Then they all sat down to dinner.
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"Something smells awfully good," Diego sniffed with appreciation.
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"Yum, there's nothing better than a delicious meal after a long day at the office," Tiago added.
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"So, how was your day, elves?" inquired Diego as he served himself.
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The three elves talked about their day; all the travels between the school, the forest and Lisbon, Mara and Mauro related their brief trip to the centaur settlement. They filled Chica in about the 'earrings of the princess' plant as she hadn't seen it.
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"Oh, I wish I had seen that plant, so fantastic it is," Chica exclaimed with wonder, her eyes alight.
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"Yes, it's a marvel alright. Don't tell anyone about it, we have to keep it secret," Diego admonished her as he took a sip of red wine.
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"Sure thing, Menino Iego, I keeps the secret," Chica mimed buttoning her lips.
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Then they launched into a detailed report of their shopping trip, Diego and Tiago grinning as they pictured Mauro trying on all the hats at 'Dona Mafalda's'.
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After dessert; a lovely fresh fruit salad, and a coffee, Diego and Tiago thanked the elves and went out for a stroll and maybe a drink somewhere. The elves cleaned up and settled on the veranda chatting while Chica worked on her rug.
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"What a lovely rug," Mara commented.
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"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Chica replied proudly.
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"When we gets to the Island of the Crow, we can makes rugs too," Mauro said.
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"Yes, let's do that," Mara looked at her brother suddenly feeling a little apprehensive. She could tell that he felt the same. She looked at Chica and asked, "Do you think wes is doing the right thing? Will we be alright?"
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Chica put down her rug, remembering what it was like for her as a young freed elf: it had been very hard at first, she was all alone except for Bernardo who was out all day. She used to be really scared of shopping in 'muggle land' every day; in the forest, the house elves never went shopping, they just tended to the house and the forest. One day, she went with Bernardo to St. Vincent's Square and they had a look in 'Moura's Menagerie' and she fell in love with the mokes: small silvery green lizards, they would shrink to the size of a knut if they felt threatened. 'That's how I feels sometimes' Chica said to herself, taking out her little purse and buying the pair that had slithered up her arm and were looking curiously at her face. Since that day, she would always take her mokes with her when she went shopping. They made her feel more confident, even if nobody could see them, she knew they were there. Chica took good care of her pet mokes and pretty soon there were lots of little baby mokes running around the flat in Lisbon; so many in fact, that she started selling them to 'Moura's Menagerie' when they got too numerous.
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Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of her mokes peeking at her from the vases containing the herbs she used for cooking, she winked at him and he winked back. Looking at the twins she said, "When I was freed, I be afraid too, just like yous. All you has to do is take it one day at a time. When yous get set up at the garden center, go out and meet all the local people and shops. Be nice and friendly. Always remember to wear clothes in muggle land. No magic except inside. I be all alone and I's ok. You will be too." She smiled encouragingly at the two of them; they seemed to feel better after Chica's speech.
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"That's it, one day at a time," Mauro repeated.
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"We be two, we always be together," Mara said as she took her twin's hand. Their slight fear vanished as they took heart from each other.
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"Can yous teach us to make those rugs?" inquired Mauro with interest.
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"Certainly," replied Chica and she happily explained the ins and outs of arraiolas rugs. The two newly freed elves picked it up quite quickly and were soon practicing on their own. It was a little late when they stopped and got ready for bed. Chica summoned three little elf beds onto the veranda and they went to sleep.
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The two brothers came in later to find the elves fast asleep. They quietly went to their own bedrooms and were astonished to find that the crups had curled up and fallen asleep, one in Diego's room, the other in Tiago's room: the crups usually slept on the veranda with Chica.
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"I guess they haven't gotten over the 'plant' episode," remarked Diego with a chuckle.
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"No, I guess not. I wish I could have seen that," Tiage grinned.
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They got ready for bed and were soon fast asleep. It had been a long day.
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