Open Absorbing the New Scene

[Kenept]

Kenept Oraji 68th Fall 512 AV Streets of Lhavit OOCSorry, it's a really short post and it took me a while to get it out, I'm out of town for the weekend... the next ones will be better. This city had already become more accepting of him than his own home life. He was here because of his interest in the arcane arts. His brother was no longer with him because of his interest, but nevertheless, he, as his brother would have wanted, was going to pursue them further. And this city had already seemed more obliged to help, from his perspective. Kenept smiled, "are these three houses on our path?" He was hopeful that he would find out where they were located. Eventually he would have business at one of them. The House Dawn, that was where he needed to look out for. Although, the mage that had initiated him had mentioned something about a couple other sort of magics, but Alses hadn't mentioned those. The more Alses had talked, the more interesting the city became. When Kenept had arrived in the city, he hadn't been completely sure about whether or not he would find interest here. But now that he had walked around and talked with Alses, he was becoming more confident in the choice that he had made.

[Alses]

OOCThat's quite all right, never fear – but if you're just going to be away for a day or two there's no need to feel pressured into writing a response . Take your time . If you're ever away longer, just a quick PM is all that's needed to let me (or anyone else) know to put it on hold for a bit. Life has to come first, after all. Alses frowned lightly at the question, mind racing through the route she had planned that morning. So...back along the Zintia and through the Azure Market, darting down the tiered labyrinth of blue-washed buildings and out along the Eagles' Bridge (so named for the elaborate skyglass sculptures of said animals that lined it, acting as ornamentation and drainage both) onto the Sharai, for a gentle amble among the Okomo pens and hothouses – and a delivery to the Villa there – then curving up, via the blazing Helios Bridge onto the Tenten, where she could show Kenept the Dawn Tower (or as much of it as she was able to stand) and the Basilika, then again turning clockwise onto Sartu peak, the tallest of them all, bulking large as the northernmost bulwark of the city of the stars. That might do – she had no business at the Dawn Tower, true, but given her starting point it was, more or less, on the way to the Twilight Tower, even if she did use all the half-hidden secret ways and shortcuts across the city that she'd found through long residency and chance both. “I suppose it can be arranged,” Alses allowed with a shrug. “You have some interest in the arcane arts, Kenept? Now, the Dawn Tower itself wasn't on my agenda for today, but it's not a great deal of a detour, since we planned to cross the Tenten anyway. Just a matter of climbing a few stairs and cutting across a tier instead of skirting the base of the peak on the Cloudward Pathway. A little busier, going up and over, but I have time.” A slightly wistful smile. “An endless supply of it, in fact.” Alses rose from her idle seat on the fountain lip in one smooth, fluid movement, turning to face Kenept. “No time like the present, yes? First, we'll head back down the Zintia and into the Azure Market. Stay close to me there – the streets are narrow, for a start, and often cluttered with...well, almost anything you can imagine, to be quite honest.” She gestured airily – part of her wanted to flash magic in the air and weave the images in shimmering light to illustrate her point, but she repressed it. It was still early in the day, after all, and whilst she could easily replenish her stores of djed from the endless bounty that Syna provided, she still wasn't entirely sure of Kenept's position on magic. He struck her as eager to learn, from the way his questions homed in on the three magical families of Lhavit, but how much actual working magery he'd seen was anyone's guess. “There are fruit stalls, clothiers' mannequins, sculptures...the list of things to trip over or get caught up in is positively endless. We'll leave the Market a couple of tiers down, along the Eagles' Bridge, which will put us in the orchard district of the Sharai Peak, close to the Okomo Villa itself. I've got a delivery there in any case, and it'll be good for you to spend some time near the Okomo fields. From there, we'll take Helios over onto Tenten Peak, where the Dawn Tower, the Bharani Library and the Temple of the Sun all are, along with the Basilika – we think you'll appreciate that – then we turn clockwise once more onto Sartu peak in the north, which holds the Twilight Tower, Tanroa's temple and the Observatory. Then it's a nice easy walk down to the Dusk Tower on the Shinyama for me to file our day's work with Mr. Secretary, and we're done with the whistlestop tour.” She smiled, winningly. “Of course, we'll be stopping for tea at Mhakula's at some point. Can't go without our tea-break, after all.” She turned, and then tossed over her shoulder: “Shall we, Kenept Oraji?”

[Kenept]

It appeared that Alses had quite the day planned. This was good though, it gave Kenept the perfect chances to see the city. He was surprised at how large a city that could sit on top of a few mountains could actually be. And thanks to his tour guide, Kenept was going to see a good portion of it. She had asked if he was interested in the Arcane Arts, but he felt that this was not the right time to answer her. Nor did he really have time. She seemed insistent on continuing their trek. But he would tell her, he just had to wait for the right time. Kenept stood up, following Alses lead, and looked at her as she finished talking. He lowered down the collar to his cloak, although it was still chilly outside. The skyglass seemed to be providing enough radiance to keep him mostly warm; that and the crowds filling the streets also had provided warmth on their walk through the Zintia. He didn't say anything as Alses finished talking, but he did smile as she asked if they should move on. He nodded, and began to follow close behind her once again. As soon as she was facing the other way, his smile would fade. Not because of her, but because he was happy. Happy that he was here, with her, walking around the city. But this happiness had come with a price, and that is why he lost his smile.

[Alses]

Kenept remained silent, true, but he followed her docilely enough down Koten Temple's steps – she took that as assent, schlepping down the dazzling line of prosperous shops towards the discreet archway of the Market and quickly slipping through the half-hidden entryway and out into the blue-washed maze. Incense-burners, advertisements for the various philtering shops that dotted the Market's winding alleys, hung on bronze chains strung everywhere overhead, spilling a heady potpourri of scents down into the narrow streets. They mantled the whole place in a gently shifting fug of ethereal smoke that shadowed the citizens who moved gently between the stalls and filled the air with the sweetest smells imaginable. Lhavit's playful winds whipped and skirled their lazy smoke into fascinating shapes overhead even as the ranks of banners and awnings snapped and raced beside them. The low hum of conversation was everywhere here, carried on the winds as they twisted and turned through Lhavit's glowing streets, complemented by the clinking of bottles from a philterer's store, the hissing sizzle of street food in enormous iron pans, the dull roar of a blacksmith's forge and other such noises, all combining to speak of money, commerce and trade, albeit trade at a more local, sedate level than that conducted in the Surya Plaza. Even given the narrow, snaking nature of the Azure's passageways, in keeping with the rest of Lhavit it still had its share of sudden squares and courtyards, fringed on all sides by exuberant shops bursting out of their buildings and onto the street, displaying yet more wares to all and sundry. Shinya were everywhere, but unobtrusive – Alses picked out a couple seated idly on benches, and one positioned more obviously near a clothier's fine display, but there were doubtless more blending with the crowd or simply out of her own line of vision. She was debating, as a test of herself, whether to try and use her auristic skills to divine their locations, but was distracted by a cheery call from several of the traders in the small courtyard they were traversing, stallholders who had been taking advantage of the lull in passing customers to have a little conversation of their own, gathered close around a brazier and sharing a convivial pot of tea – probably with something wicked in it to ward off the encroaching chill. “Any luck, m'lady?” one of them called, straightening up from a low bow – she turned to face the ruddy-faced proprietor of one of her favourite bakeries with a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Not as yet, Master Baker,” she replied with a self-deprecating laugh. “Have you any recommendations for us?” The man shook his head with a chuckle, the others quickly following suit. “Not since ye last asked, no! Zintila above, half of Lhavit will be on the hunt for a fur cloak by the time ye find one that's to your liking!” “I like perfection,” she shot back good-naturedly. “Besides, this garment hunt is a learning experience for us.” She nodded over the man's shoulder, towards his treat-bedecked counters where someone was apparently in a lather of indecision over whether to plump for the honey-glazed chocolate pastries or the cream-filled dumplings. “Shop, I think?” He turned, and waved a meaty hand at her. “Good luck with yer fool's errand!” he called, before bearing genially down on the hesitant citizen. A group of Lhavit's younger set swept into the courtyard and the rest of the traders scattered to their respective booths to hawk their wares to the prospective customers, each trying to outdo the other. Alses watched the scene unfold with a small, secretive smile for a moment, then angled her head to address Kenept. “The thing to bear in mind about the Azure is that you're rather expected to haggle. They'll quote ludicrous prices at you – amounts even we understand to be beyond the pale - in the expectation you'll talk them down to something reasonable. The Towers and the Plaza shops don't do it so much – at least, not with visitors – but down here it's the norm. We like to watch it.” She fell silent, still, reaching inside herself and drawing the burning strands of djed up through her body to drive a synchronisation reaction behind her eyes, letting the vague mantle of colour and sound and scent and touch die away in favour of a singular point of focus. “See over there?” Alses murmured, after several chimes, her voice so quiet as to be almost a whisper. She nodded her head, as discreetly as possible, to where a rangy youth was discussing with a philterer a trade concerning a small vial of something sparkly. “First the trader flatters her customer's taste, their choice of clothing, looks...anything.” The philterer flourished the vial, turning and turning it so the thick liquid inside sparkled and shimmered even more, gesturing grandly to illustrate whatever she was saying. “Now she's extolling the virtues of whatever that stuff is – her own skill, how well it's made, the potency of its effects-” A word, 'Petchiroza', drifted over and she blushed, rubies suddenly colonising her cheeks. Sometimes having command of Nader-canoch could be more of a curse than a blessing. “-or something of that nature,” she continued, through the vague embarrassment. “He's now being very polite about it-” the boy bobbed a half-bow even as she spoke, punctuating his words to the philterer “-and talking her down. I think.” Alses squinted ferociously, firming her grip on the talent, on her concentration; talking with someone whilst attempting this was surprisingly hard. “There we are.” Suddenly, the scene changed abruptly, from showing every evidence of a spirited argument to a civilised exchange of goods and deep, deep bows on both sides of the trade. Alses grinned. “Chagrin, I think, on behalf of the trader. We could be wrong, though.” She shook herself, breaking the brief concentration completely, deliberately. “We really should come down here more often – it's an excellent practice ground, quite aside from its other delights.” A thought struck her, and she turned to fully face Kenept. “Are you hungry, or thirsty? You must tell us if you are – we aren't that adept at recognizing those.”

[Kenept]

"Actually, now that you mention it," Kenept spoke in regards to his guide's question, "I could really go for some tea. You mentioned it before. Kinda sounds nice." He smiled at her. "I don't know the way, so I'll just follow you." Something warm would be really nice with the slight chill in the air. Kenept always enjoyed tea, warmed the soul, he thought. After a nice cup of tea, even the meanest person in all of Kalea would have a smile on their face. "I sure am glad you're here to give me some pointers about the haggling that takes place here. I'd have most likely just walked up and paid what they said. Thanks to you I won't look like too much of a fool." Kenept watched a couple more people barter across the path as he spoke. It seemed that some girl, maybe about his age, was trying to buy a nice pair of shoes. Kenept looked down at his own shoes. They were far from clean, with the wear of a good travel on them, and mud stains from somewhere about his journey. But, they were comfortable, they suited him. The smell of some baked goods filled the air, which made Kenept take a deep breath. It smelled sweet, and not over or under cooked, perfect. He couldn't quite tell what it was that was baking, but it made him want some tea and perhaps a little something to eat that much more. He looked back at Alses, "After you," he said and smiled, bowing his head slightly.

[Alses]

“Mhakula's it is, then,” she said with a smile – the place was one of her favourites in all of Lhavit, and fortunately quite close by, if one knew the intricate byways of the Azure Market. “I have a few deliveries on the way, but it won't cost us any appreciable extra time. Mhakula's doesn't get really busy until the eleventh bell-” she glanced up at the sun, unfazed by its blinding glare “-in any case, and we've some way to go until then.” The first call was to a clothier's cave of cloth, with a sheaf of papers for the proprietor. That one was easily enough explained; the Dusk Tower laying in supplies for the winter, replacing servants' livery and stocking up on warm hats, capes and gloves for its many minions. The Tower had evidently been using this particular shop for seasons, if not years – the proprietor (when Alses had managed to locate him amid the bolts of cloth and woven fabrics hanging from every available surface) showed absolutely no surprise at the Dusk Tower commission, taking it with a deep bow and very few words indeed before vanishing into the shadowy fabric recesses of his store. The second was to a potter's bright and cheery workshop, full of laughing apprentices treadling industriously away at their potter's wheels, shaping claggy mud – or so it seemed to Alses' uneducated eyes – by some arcane process (presumably involving fire, given the furnaces roaring cheerfully away in the background) into the beautiful ceramics that were on display all around. The potter was, appropriately enough, a beaming, pot-bellied gentleman whose bald pate shone brilliantly in the abundant light of his workshop and whose voice boomed effortlessly over the roar of the kilns and the chatter of his apprentices. He was easy to talk to, and listened attentively – keeping a weather eye on his apprentices as he did so, making the whole transaction business a delight with the occasional joke or surprisingly witty bon mot. Indeed, had Alses been on her own, after handing over the formal request from the Dusk Tower, along with a smaller one from the Respite (since Tahala had somehow found out she'd be putting in some of the winter requests to the Azure Market today), she'd have stayed for a chat, since one never knew when an acquaintance could come in handy, but Kenept was in tow, and hungry, so a polite fare-thee-well and a deep bow would have to suffice until her footsteps took her back that way once more. It would happen, soon enough. A Mhakula's Tea House was an oasis of calm in Lhavit, a welcome anchor and aegis against the world when it all got too confusing. As such, Alses was something of a regular there, and immediately recognized by one of the Interchangeable Yhavaos who manned the entryway (discreetly, of course). “Miss Alses! Welcome back to Mhakula's! And you've brought a friend?” There was a subtle lilt to the question, a suggestively-raised inflection that the Ethaefal was completely oblivious to. A gentle smile and a half-bow. “Indeed. A newcomer to the city. We're giving him the grand tour, as it were – and no tour would be even half complete without a stop here.” A half-shrug, and a slightly mischievous smile. “Besides, he was hungry, and your cakes are divine.” Alses nodded towards the entryway, with its elaborately-patterned silken curtain. “Our usual spot?” The girl on duty nodded, used to Alses' odd speech patterns. “I'll have someone come over when you've settled in. Your friend-” that inflection again “-will need to know what we serve, after all. You haven't quite made it through the entire menu yet.” Alses laughed briefly, and made her way inside, eyes fluttering closed in pleasure at the ambience of the place, the bright and cheery relaxed atmosphere of it all: the richly mingling smells of fine tea brewing – this was the centre of the tea addict's world, after all – and a variety of devilishly tempting treats, the gentle chiming ring of teacups on saucers, silver cutlery on plates and, above all else, the easygoing chatter of the steadily-swelling number of patrons, that atmosphere of easy camaraderie and the shared sense of 'we're all here to take a bell or two out of the hectic world and devote all our attention to tea and conversation'. She wended her way through the low tables with the ease of long practice, sliding elegantly onto a cushion that was flooded with light from a large window behind it, and smiled winningly up at Kenept, idly tapping the lacquered wood with a fingernail. “Do join us, Kenept. Sit, and take your ease in the most perfectly relaxed place in all of Lhavit.” She inhaled deeply, with a satisfied grin. “Marvellous, isn't it? All sweet serenity and good order up here, whilst down below the swords never cease their violent dance.”

[Kenept]

Kenept sat across from Alses and nodded at her question "Marvellous indeed..." he said as he looked around the place. It was cozy, as he could tell from the moment that they walked in. Most of the light seemed to be coming from windows, placed relatively high, to allow for more light Kenept assumed. It created a nice atmosphere in the shop. Kenept had begun to look around as soon as they had come in. He hadn't heard much of the conversation between Alses and the girl at the entrance, but he had picked up up on the slight altercation of the word "friend" as she spoke. But, not being able to determine the meaning of it, he brushed it off relatively quickly. The shop, Mhakula's, as it had been called, had a nice aroma about it. The different teas mixed with what must have been the cakes that Alses had mentioned created a most intoxicating smell. The blend of teas mixed into a fine herbal aroma that reminded Kenept of the smell that came from the purfumary back in Alvadas. He had spent much time in the area around the shop, and at every breeze he would stop what he was doing and take in the sweet smells. Sometimes he could even pick out what he was smelling, but not now. There seemed to be too many teas mixing together to be able to pick them out individually; at least for now. Underneath his red cloak, his stomach growled slightly. Perhaps he was hungrier than he thought. But that would have to wait until the woman had come to ask them what they wanted. In the mean time, Kenept looked at Alses. "It seems like you come here quite a lot. You must really like it here. Any suggestions on what to get?" She had done good so far in leading him through the city, he felt that she couldn't lead him wrong in what to order. Although it smelled like just about anything they had would be delicious. Kenept had wanted to bring up an earlier question Alses had asked, about magic, and if Kenept practiced it, but he thought that he would wait until they had their beverages before them before starting a full conversation.

[Alses]

The question caught her off-guard; she floundered a bit before collecting herself. “I suppose we do come here quite a lot, now that I think on it. It's a nice break from dashing all over Lhavit with heavy wooden message-boxes, and everyone's equal before the tea here.” She let her eyes rove gently around the main room, drinking in the details – the Eypharian trader sipping tea and reading a book with two of his many arms, a Twilight Tower student group clinking cups together with Morphed tentacle-hands and talking good-naturedly amongst themselves, gossiping housewives hunched over a teapot and some cream cakes and many others besides. “It's a good place to watch people, too,” she observed. “Most people are focused on their tea or their company, so they don't watch me.” A slight smile. “For a change. You may have noticed Lhavit honours my kind somewhat. Anonymity is impossible in the daytime for us, and since I don't care to be out at night...we have to take our opportunities where we can. We've seen the Patriarch of the Dusk Tower here many a time, off-duty Shinya guards, priests and priestesses from the Temples, members of the other fine families...we never know who we'll espy next. 'Tis good practice as well, when we're in the mood.” She leaned back slightly, resting her intricate crown-of-horns on the sill of the window behind her and bringing the subject back round to Mhakula's. “Then, too, the Yhavaos – the owners of this place – have accepted our little idiosyncrasies. With a little explanation at first, admittedly, but that was only to be expected.” A wry smile, and Alses effortlessly pushed herself forwards from her relaxed, laid-back position, adopting an almost conspiratorial pose. “Now, as for what's good...a great deal depends on your own personal taste. We have a fondness at this time of year for a blend they call Twilight Dawn. It's a fruit tea – cranberry and raspberry essences, dusted with cinnamon and with a generous measure of brandy in it to ward off the chill. Other than that, Sunrise is a good morning pick-me-up. It's black, strong and flavoured with orange oil, I think. Certainly smells and tastes of oranges a fair bit. They have chais of all sorts, too – they're spiced teas, so you can pick your poison from the rack, as it were, and they'll brew it up for you. They do rose teas as well...which are really more for the summer now that I think about it. They're light and delicate and you smell them more than taste them, really.” She shook her head with a soft chuckle. “And there we are rambling once more. I would recommend either Twilight Dawn or Sunrise for your drink. To eat...off the top of our head, you understand, they do a divine chocolate cake, dripping with melted chocolate and lashings of cream, or if you're wanting something cold, they have a shaved ice dessert that they flavour somehow. Very light, very moreish. Everyone has that in the summer here, but you can see people eating it even in the dead of winter.” She smiled and nodded discreetly over Kenept's shoulder at the approaching waitress. “Whichever Miss Yhavao this one is – trust us, we find it impossible to tell them apart – will be able to fill you in on everything Mhakula's has to offer, from white tea to black, meringues to cheesecake. Quite often, we rely on their judgement of what I should have. They've not steered me wrong yet.”

[Kenept]

Back home, Kenept had only drank the kind of tea that his mother had made for him. He wasn't completely accustomed to all of the different kinds. Though his mother had made a good chai tea that he was often given in the winter. He couldn't exactly describe the flavors, but he did know that it was a good blend of spices. But that was then, and he was no longer part of that life. He had turned over a new leaf coming here, it was time to try a new blend of tea leaves. Alses had suggested so many things that sounded good, and Kenept was having a hard time deciding on what it was that he might want. Everything was racing through his mind: different smells, tastes, blends, conversations between people. Thinking about so many different things began to cause his mind to wonder, and settle on a gentleman on the other side of the room. Kenept was positioned in just the right spot to see the side of the man's face. He was a big man, but not huge. Short black hair, and a full black beard. He was not dressed in a traveling cloak, like Kenept was, but instead, more of a blacksmiths type of clothing. The man had caught his eye, not only because he had reminded Kenept of his dad, but also because he was talking to someone that Kenept could not see about his shop. Somewhere in the Azure Market, but it was hard to get to because it was down one of the back alleys. Kenept desperately needed to go and see this man, at some point. "Are we ready to order sir?" The Yhavao had asked, for what seemed like the second or third time. "Have we made up our mind?" Kenept looked up at the Yhavao, "Um... yeah. The Twilight Blend please." He paused, debating on what he was hungry for. "And a piece of you're divine chocolate cake." Kenept looked from the girl across the table at Alses.

[Alses]

Alses inclined her head to the waitress' inquiring look. “That will be all for now, thank you,” she murmured with a smile. Twilight Dawn and the taste of chocolate cake together on her tongue, now that would be just the thing. Used to her habits, or perhaps having been told in advance of that particular little idiosyncrasy, the Interchangeable Yhavao accepted the dismissal without a waver in her smile and bowed as deeply as the clusters of low tables and silk cushions allowed, shimmering off to convey the order to the toiling workers in the complex of brewing chambers behind the serene tearoom itself. Alses allowed her posture to relax more-or-less completely once the waitress had gone; rather than sitting primly, formidably straight, she now adopted a much more loose, relaxed position, her elaborate golden crown-of-horns resting comfortably on the windowsill and body sprawled elegantly across the cushions on her side of the table. It was the most comfortable position that the tearoom's surrounds offered, she'd found, and so perfect for the practice of auristics above and beyond her own particular near-instinctive usage of it. Given the disparate variety of people who washed lazily in and out of Mhakula's doors, it was a prime spot in the city to undertake some serious practice. “Now, we've been doing most of the talking so far – which is only fair, we admit, since I'm playing at tour guide to relieve the monotony of my current employment – but our throat is definitely feeling the strain.” She smiled, to show it was merely a lighthearted observation, rather than a complaint. “Your turn, Kenept – what's brought you to our starry city? What made you brave the wastes to come here? You don't have to answer us, of course,” Alses was quick to add – everyone had a few secrets, she'd learned “-but I can hardly stop being curious.” A thought struck her, suddenly, and she asked, slightly anxiously:“Ah...you don't mind if we experience your food and drink when it comes, do you? When we're by ourself here, obviously we order something – it would be dreadfully impolite not to, but with company, well, it seems rather a waste, especially since you're matching my tastes this time around.”