41st of Spring, 519AV
Going to the Azure Market was a new luxury for Lani. Far from the scheduled buying days in Wind Reach, where her caste meant more than her pinions, the Azure Market was a boisterous plaza of vendors who would sell to anyone with enough Kina. Of course a majority of the things found here were mundane and necessary, but Lani was still enthralled by it nonetheless. Even today, as she searched for a simple ink well to replace her dwindling supply, she was excited that she could just go. That she wouldn’t have to scour her neighbors to borrow ink until she could purchase wells to repay them with. Although she was sure Madeira would not only lend her ink but provide her with some of the more rare colors, it was entirely unnecessary to ask. Because, she could just buy it.
The Azure Market was just beginning to pick up in pace as the midday rest passed. The sun glimmered overhead, shimmering through the skyglass buildings and casting faint rainbows in the shadows. Still donning her Inarta clothing, Lani had wore her emerald green Bryda and the white embroidered top. It left her middrift and arms bare, leaving her gilded Eypharian skin to show, but the weather did not otherwise require her to wear more, and she didn’t care that she didn’t look much like a Lhavitian. Per usual, Lani wore no shoes, but she did attach her talon sword to her hip. She had left Spider at the Manor, keeping him tied to his perch with a cabbage leaf to occupy him. She didn’t trust her skill with the crow to keep him out of trouble, or by her side, in such a crowded place. The half-Chaktawe was easily distracted on her hunt for ink, and found herself stoppec at a basket-weaver’s stall, admiring the intricate weaves. She didn’t need a new basket… but she wanted one.
”Well, if I was a smarter woman, I’d say you were Eypharian.” The old woman from behind the stall spoke out, and Lani steadied her desolate black gaze on the woman for a tick. She had heard that her gilded skin was that of Eypharian blood, but she had never met one, and so could not confirm for herself. Whatever an Eypharian was, she doubted this woman had seen one either.
”What gave me away?” She gave a shallow respectful bow and perked a brow, settling one hand on her hips.
”You look like them. But you don’t have so many arms, and your eyes are horrendous.”
”How many should I have?” Lani didn’t react to the remark on her eyes, suddenly curious where this woman had seen an Eypharian before. She asked, trying to carry the conversation, as the old woman adjusted her head-wrapping and shrugged.
”Go ask Masute, at the Good Book.” She replied, which confused Lani.
”What is the ‘Good Book’?”
”Girl, where have you been? The papermaker by the Tower’s Respite.” The old woman waved at her, as if she was a child.
”Oh,” She said, unsure if she was supposed to know this information or not. She had left this city when she was merely twelve years old, before she bothered with things like purchasing ink.
”Now, what sort of things do you need your basket to hold?” The woman asked, clearly trying to recover the conversation to a selling point from which she could take Lani’s money. But the novelty of the baskets was suddenly dim in comparison to the novelty of a possible Eypharian in the city, one that she could find… and speak to.
”Oh, I was just looking, thank you.” She said coolly, turning on her heel before she could give the woman a chance to sell to her further. She heard the old vendor mumble something, but Lani was already heading on her way out of the Market Place. It was possible she could purchase ink from the papermaker, but she was far more interested in meeting the man now.
As the afternoon set in, there seemed to be more people coming in than out of the market, and the half-breed found herself side-stepping a few people to get through. She tried to square her shoulders so that people instinctively moved for her, but as a fish up-stream, there was little hope. She was staring down faces and not paying particular attention when a wave of recognition washed over her as she looked into one set of eyes in particular. She could recall no name for the face, but the thick black brows set over black eyes rang an odd sort of familiarity to her. Although his eyes were not black in the way that hers were, they were somehow noticeable to her. Distracted again, her steps slowed, and a single word came to her brain. Weirdo.
Deciding she must be remembering him from her childhood, Lani quickly changed course, taking two steps over. Not paying attention, she shouldered someone, not hard enough to throw them, but to make them curse at her, but she did not pay attention. Reaching out, she grabbed the man’s scarred right forearm, immediately channeling her djed into the Chaktawe speckles in her fingertips and searching for any movement in his aura that she might recognize, feeling as if she must know him from somewhere.
”Do I know you?” She blurted, trying to stop the man so she could look closer at him, unsure what was telling her that she knew him, just that she did.
Going to the Azure Market was a new luxury for Lani. Far from the scheduled buying days in Wind Reach, where her caste meant more than her pinions, the Azure Market was a boisterous plaza of vendors who would sell to anyone with enough Kina. Of course a majority of the things found here were mundane and necessary, but Lani was still enthralled by it nonetheless. Even today, as she searched for a simple ink well to replace her dwindling supply, she was excited that she could just go. That she wouldn’t have to scour her neighbors to borrow ink until she could purchase wells to repay them with. Although she was sure Madeira would not only lend her ink but provide her with some of the more rare colors, it was entirely unnecessary to ask. Because, she could just buy it.
The Azure Market was just beginning to pick up in pace as the midday rest passed. The sun glimmered overhead, shimmering through the skyglass buildings and casting faint rainbows in the shadows. Still donning her Inarta clothing, Lani had wore her emerald green Bryda and the white embroidered top. It left her middrift and arms bare, leaving her gilded Eypharian skin to show, but the weather did not otherwise require her to wear more, and she didn’t care that she didn’t look much like a Lhavitian. Per usual, Lani wore no shoes, but she did attach her talon sword to her hip. She had left Spider at the Manor, keeping him tied to his perch with a cabbage leaf to occupy him. She didn’t trust her skill with the crow to keep him out of trouble, or by her side, in such a crowded place. The half-Chaktawe was easily distracted on her hunt for ink, and found herself stoppec at a basket-weaver’s stall, admiring the intricate weaves. She didn’t need a new basket… but she wanted one.
”Well, if I was a smarter woman, I’d say you were Eypharian.” The old woman from behind the stall spoke out, and Lani steadied her desolate black gaze on the woman for a tick. She had heard that her gilded skin was that of Eypharian blood, but she had never met one, and so could not confirm for herself. Whatever an Eypharian was, she doubted this woman had seen one either.
”What gave me away?” She gave a shallow respectful bow and perked a brow, settling one hand on her hips.
”You look like them. But you don’t have so many arms, and your eyes are horrendous.”
”How many should I have?” Lani didn’t react to the remark on her eyes, suddenly curious where this woman had seen an Eypharian before. She asked, trying to carry the conversation, as the old woman adjusted her head-wrapping and shrugged.
”Go ask Masute, at the Good Book.” She replied, which confused Lani.
”What is the ‘Good Book’?”
”Girl, where have you been? The papermaker by the Tower’s Respite.” The old woman waved at her, as if she was a child.
”Oh,” She said, unsure if she was supposed to know this information or not. She had left this city when she was merely twelve years old, before she bothered with things like purchasing ink.
”Now, what sort of things do you need your basket to hold?” The woman asked, clearly trying to recover the conversation to a selling point from which she could take Lani’s money. But the novelty of the baskets was suddenly dim in comparison to the novelty of a possible Eypharian in the city, one that she could find… and speak to.
”Oh, I was just looking, thank you.” She said coolly, turning on her heel before she could give the woman a chance to sell to her further. She heard the old vendor mumble something, but Lani was already heading on her way out of the Market Place. It was possible she could purchase ink from the papermaker, but she was far more interested in meeting the man now.
As the afternoon set in, there seemed to be more people coming in than out of the market, and the half-breed found herself side-stepping a few people to get through. She tried to square her shoulders so that people instinctively moved for her, but as a fish up-stream, there was little hope. She was staring down faces and not paying particular attention when a wave of recognition washed over her as she looked into one set of eyes in particular. She could recall no name for the face, but the thick black brows set over black eyes rang an odd sort of familiarity to her. Although his eyes were not black in the way that hers were, they were somehow noticeable to her. Distracted again, her steps slowed, and a single word came to her brain. Weirdo.
Deciding she must be remembering him from her childhood, Lani quickly changed course, taking two steps over. Not paying attention, she shouldered someone, not hard enough to throw them, but to make them curse at her, but she did not pay attention. Reaching out, she grabbed the man’s scarred right forearm, immediately channeling her djed into the Chaktawe speckles in her fingertips and searching for any movement in his aura that she might recognize, feeling as if she must know him from somewhere.
”Do I know you?” She blurted, trying to stop the man so she could look closer at him, unsure what was telling her that she knew him, just that she did.
