Open Meandering at Midnight

[Adelaide Sitai]

14th Autumn 513 The Midnight Market There was something about the midnight market - a strange mix of strong smelling foods, perfumes, spices and the fumes that filled the air, the lamps that lit up the night like fireflies and the bustling noises from the crowds... it all contributed to making Adelaide feel more than a little sleepy. To start off with, she had had a long day anyway, up very early in the morning to go over new costume designs to be made ready in time for the many costume balls and parties coming up during the season. She had barely had a moment to rest, putting patterns together, serving customers and making lists of items and fabrics needed. Being a member of a dynasty, she felt free to say that the dynasties, thought the best of clients, were likewise very demanding. With all that taken into account, the meander through the market was a definitively surreal experience which Adelaide noted with concern, knowing that the midnight market, magical as it was, could also be dangerous. Half asleep, looking for a shop she couldn't remember the location of with a salesman she had only met once before, was not the safest situation to be in. 'At least nobody will try to molest me', she thought bitterly... one of the advantages of not having a lovely face. Now, if only she could find the fabric shop and start making her way back to the plantation, to bed. As Adelaide passed by a shop selling what looked to be fish, she was accosted by a tall man with a blond moustache, brandishing a trout in each hand. "No thank you." she said with a light smile, batting away one of the fish with a flick of her left hand, only for it to come back towards her, brandished even more ferociously by the salesman. "I'll do you a good price." "I'm not interested. Sorry." Her voice had gone icy cool. It was not in her nature to be rude, but she was not the sort to mess around when someone did not get the message first time. She did not spoon-feed imbeciles, especially when all she wanted to do was to get away from afore-mentioned imbecile. There had been many times when people had just laughed at her attempts to shoo them, at her coolness, and carried on insisting, but this was not one of them. The blond man shrank back as if he had been bitten by a snake. Spineless pillock, though Adelaide knew it was uncharitable to think so of a man who was merely finding a way to make a living. She turned away and drew her eyes up and down the rows of shops in front of her. Everything was sold here. Absolutely everything. In front of one shop with a grimy window, were small cages full of brightly coloured birds that were really too big for their container. Adelaide saw this with a pang of anger... animals shouldn't be treated that way. "Fabric. Fabric..." she murmured, ignoring the plight of the birds to turn back to the matter at hand. Why did she have the feeling that she wasn't going to get home, not even going to get back to the carriage, anytime soon?

[Inari Lorak]

Fall, Day 14, 513 AV Inari weaved her way through throngs of people of all shapes and sizes--rich, poor, free, enslaved, dazzling, intimidating--the list went on and on and on. She had left Pina behind to close the shop and told the child, quite sternly, neither to follow nor leave before she returned. If the sun had just been setting, it would have been a different story. But now it was well past midnight, and even the Lorak's good spirits from the recent performances did little to bolster her confidence amongst such a sordid crowd. Besides, it was best not to get Pina involved in such shady business. Finding someone to forge not one, but two Freeborn brands and discreet enough not to sell you out at the first possible opportunity was a rare commodity indeed. Should word ever leak, the last thing Inari wanted was to have all the blame fall on a harmless slave girl. No, this had to be done by her and her alone. Well, almost alone. She felt a twinge of familiar annoyance at that thought. Rowan was supposed to be helping, not making her do most of the work while gallivanting around doing whatever it was that he did. It was frustrating to say the least, worrying over the safety of her household with a perfectly feasible plan to counter the threat, yet being constrained to pacing back and forth in her room because her partner was less than eager to initiate said plans. Inari sighed, scratching at her wig. She was long past being angry; it was an old issue, and old pain. Right now, her only concerns were of finding the right artist and leaving Pina alone for as short a time as possible. The white of her wig was like a beacon in the dark, and hopefully her contacts had not led her astray. It was time to take matter into her own hands. That was her last thought before she walked right into someone, her eyes completely focused on scanning the crowd and not a few feet in front of her.

[Verena Lorak]

Verena tugged at the hood of her cloak, concealing most of her face. Well, it was not her cloak exactly. It was Hallan's. her own cloak was far too fancy to look discreet. She was to blend in, to went unnoticed in the crowd of . So, here she was, wrapped in a worn dark fabric that smelled distinctly like her male slave.

It was unusual for her to explore the Midnight Market alone. Everyone had deemed it was too dangerous for a young woman to traverse the dark streets alone, especially one with such an ill repute. Either, Cas or a member of the Lorak guards would be with her typically. But lately, Verena had found it that it was easier for her to slip unnoticed if she was alone. All she needed to do was keep her head down and nothing will befall her. And admittedly, it was good to have some time alone. Without anyone recognizing her, knowing her, expecting something of her. Like a weigh on her shoulders was lifted, letting her stand tall.

Her dark eyes scanned her surroundings. She could spot more than a dozen hooded figures - she blended right in. Everything was concealed here in the Midnight Market. Merchants and shopkeepers cried out some prizes, claiming it to be the cheapest in town. Two slaves with the Konrath brand on their faces scurried into a small alley, doing who-knows-what.

There were some things she had to buy tonight. She need find the young man who usually sold herbs and plants native to the heart of the swampland - somewhere almost impossible to reach with the Rujaro activities and whatnots. Verena had been hoping that he might have exactly what she needed. She couldn't care how he had gotten them and she never asked. She required his goods and nothing else mattered. Then a magic book, if possible. Unconsciously, she reached for the pouch of gold hanging from her belt, making sure it was still there. It wouldn't take long. And this was not her first time here, either.

Still, Verena felt something uneasy settling in her stomach. Like something was about to happen and she would not like it one bit. So yes, she was eager to leave. The back of her neck tingle nervously, like someone was watching her. Gritting her teeth, Verena ignored her paranoia and walked faster. No one had any reason to follow her.

Out of nowhere, her eyes caught a flash of white. Very noticeable among all the darkness. And then a familiar face of a woman. Verena narrowed her eyes and tried to follow the slight figure. She could swear that she recognized her. Odd. Not many Dynasty members would risk going through these dangerous location, seeing that they might be a target for some sort of assassination. The young doctor had no problem with that, though. She was not as widely known as some of her relatives and acquaintances because of her habit of keeping to herself.

So, who it might be?

The young woman was so, so deep in thought that she did not at all notice that she was indeed being followed. Two men kept a close eye on her, weaving through the crowds without really bothering to blend in.

[Adelaide Sitai]

It took Adelaide a second too long to realise that somebody had walked right into her and, contrary to what one should probably be worried about in such a situation where one might be prey to a pickpocket or worse, she immediately hoped that her silver velvet cloak had not been damaged. That was her last thought before the impact of being walked into hit her, and too slow to regain her balance, she stumbled over forward and put her left hand out to stabilise herself as she made an awkward descent to the ground, realising as she did so that the woman had stepped on her skirt. Adelaide was surprised by this, because although a long black skirt, it only just brushed the floor every now and then. Still... it did not matter. Straightening herself up slightly irritably and haughtily, roughly pulling back her skirt, she came face to face with a pretty young woman, and let go of the hilt of her rapier slightly. Adelaide smiled genuinely at the woman, simultaneously raising her eyebrows. "Excuse me." She supposed that the woman was of a dynasty and that she must be a Lorak, something which any other Sitai might have noted with caution and even distaste. Her Vantha eyes were typical. "Sometimes I walk too leisurely." That was as much an apology as the woman could expect, since it was really her fault. Again, not that it actually mattered. Adelaide's eyes strayed, unabashedly taking in the woman's appearance, up from her shoes until her eyes arrived at the white wig and she smiled. The coiffure looked slightly dishevelled, but Adelaide rather liked the sartorial choice and decided, in its idiosyncrasy, that the wearer could not be wholly antipathetic to her. Finally she let her hand, which had still been holding the handle of her rapier rather nervously, drop. "Be glad. I am someone who, relatively speaking, does not react badly to being walked into." She smiled, hoping her comment would not be misconstrued, "At this time of night and with all this noise, sometimes, one's sense of orientation is perturbed." Maybe she was speaking in jest. Adelaide herself didn't know how serious she was being, preferring to be ambiguous. It all helped contribute to the dream-like feeling that she was experiencing, similar to that time when she stole her Father's smelling salts and tried them without realising how strong they were and how good the scent emanating from them was.

[Inari Lorak]

Inari stared, a dozen thoughts pushing and shoving at each other in her head all at once. What was she thinking? Why hadn't she been more careful? All of sudden, her plans of this being a smooth and discreet mission crumbled. For one, it was stupid of her to be so conspicuous as to nearly run someone over. For another, she was completely caught off guard, both by the woman's words and the handle of her rapier. It wasn't until the stranger was halfway done speaking that the Lorak realized who she might be. The irregular nose, the crooked teeth, the proud and bold way she held herself...yes, this woman was one of the Sitai. Specifically, the one all the ladies tittered and gossiped about at parties, and the one all the men smirked and jabbed each other daringly over. Inari remembered more than one occasion when she hovered in the fringes of a gathering, unnoticed, and overheard those cruel, belittling comments. Always, such petty talk struck in her a familiar sort of loathing for her peers, for she never quite understood why some people felt the need to hate someone for the way they looked. What was the point of that, when even the loveliest of faces could hide the most hideous of hearts? "Be glad. I am someone who, relatively speaking, does not react badly to being walked into. At this time of night and with all this noise, sometimes, one's sense of orientation is perturbed." Surprised yet again, she stuttered a bit, then settled into a more diplomatic response."I am, very much so. Still, please accept my apologies, I was being careless and wasn't watching where I was going." Inari spoke with sincerity, but she wore a wry smile at the way the Sitai woman fearlessly looked her up and down. Something about this person kindled a desire deep down in Inari's very soul to be known, to be unafraid. Relations between the Loraks and the Sitai were strained, at best, but with all her experiences at The Velvet Ear, she often found herself ignoring such politics when meeting someone face to face. All her life, she had been kept to the sides, with or without her consent. Over time it had become as natural to her as breathing or blinking and she thought little of the issue. That is, until her midnight shows began anew, each performance allowing her to transform into someone she never thought she could be. Certainly, the woman before her had not the delicate or extravagant beauty one might expect of a Dynasty member, but the way she had handled Inari's clumsiness with neither an upturned nose or thinly veiled insult was proof enough that she, in the Lorak's opinion, possessed a much more valuable quality than a dainty nose or dimpled smile. She neither shunned nor hid her features, too, and this bespoke of courage and not misguided arrogance, the latter of which many of the elite seemed to favor. Inari suddenly had an impulsive idea. "Would you, um, mind terribly if I walked with you? Perhaps it would be safer, and offer some chance for company--and prevent me from walking into you again, of course. Ah, but gods, look at me, running my mouth off before I even properly introduce myself." She held out a gloved hand, allowing her small smile to turn into a sheepish grin. "This is downright embarrassing in terms of first impressions, but my name is Inari Lorak. May I have the honor of knowing your's?" Inari fidgeted a bit with the edge of her cloak, unsure of whether she had been smooth or utterly disastrous. Either way, she was never one to turn down an opportunity to make a new, fascinating acquaintance, and she was genuinely starting to feel uneasy, sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of a black market. The Sitai woman seemed wholesome, confident, and had a sword. Walking with her appeared as good of an idea as any at the moment, and the Lorak watched for her response with an equal mixture of excitement and apprehension.

[Verena Lorak]

Quietly, Verena followed the white-haired woman, woving through the crowd. She had hoped it was someone she knew, so that maybe she would have some to accompany her. Hastily, she bumped into a few people, but no one paid attention to another slight figure in a sea of humanoids.

She watched closely as the two women bumped into each other, stepping back and then started conversing. It seemed like she was not the only one who had wanted to conceal her identity. As she closed their distance, Verena's mind reeled as a name was matched with a face. Soon, she was standing right in front of them.

"Inari?" Verena's voice rang softly in a question, loud enough for the two woman to hear her clearly. The Lorak straightened, letting the hood fall behind her head. Not many would be able to recognize her in this attire. Instead of a dress, she was wearing a thin white shirt and a pair of leather pants. Added with her high boots and a worn canvas bag, she looked like any other traveler you might encounter anywhere in Mizahar.

Her eyes flicked to the woman standing beside this relative of hers, studying her clinically. Familiar-looking, but Verena doubted anyone would be able to forget her face. It had a most peculiar structure, almost disfigured even. "Who are you?"

[Adelaide Sitai]

Adelaide noted the woman's surprise followed by her awkward stuttering with a smile of amusement. If Adelaide would have given anything to not be the sort of person that unsettled others, she likewise revelled in causing them to feel jolted out of their comfort zone. "I do accept your apology, not that I believe there was a great deal to apologise about. You didn't do it on purpose after all." What she didn't add was that there were people who sometimes did, ready to be unpleasant before being caught in the act and often sheepishly looking at their feet when Adelaide would turn around, smile a sardonic, askew smile, raise an eyebrow then continue on her way. There were downsides to everything and, though at first there might not seem to be any upsides, Adelaide had - after all - had a relatively large quantity of artists wish to paint portraits of her, free of charge. Some paintings were admittedly very strange and distorted and apparently avant-garde but everyone said they were just mess. Still, she liked them, and others were truer to form. How would one paint this woman? Adelaide would do it with watercolours, pale, pale skin, maybe not even coloured, bud lips, a blur of pink that didn't quite fit in the lines of the lips and cheeks, and all the emphasis on eyes. Eyes of every colour... it would take quite a painter to do justice to a Vantha's eyes, but if one could only catch the spirit of them. Then topped my a mass of white hair, where one could catch the different shades of white. Yellowing white, shimmering blue white, fleshy pink white and silver threads. "Would you, um, mind terribly if I walked with you?" Adelaide registered the stutter with mild compassion, "Perhaps it would be safer, and offer some chance for company--and prevent me from walking into you again, of course." Well, that would be better, admittedly. Adelaide was not sure she could take being walked into so blindly a second time, "Ah, but gods, look at me, running my mouth off before I even properly introduce myself." Did this woman always talk so much? She appeared a little nervous and maybe that made her more than usually loquacious. Not that Adelaide minded. Although far from always being the case, in her experience, those who talked too much when nervous did so because they were a person who had lots to say. Hence, probably a more interesting prospect for conversation. As long as they weren't boring, Adelaide did not mind, though she did so loathe being bored... and loathed boring people even more, since it was not really the sort of trait one could point out as being a flaw. Boring people could not help being boring and pointing out their ineptitude at sustaining intelligent or interesting conversation seemed to be an uncharitable thing to do. This woman did not look particularly boring. After all, she was wearing a very nice wig and wasn't too shy to converse. "This is downright embarrassing in terms of first impressions, but my name is Inari Lorak. May I have the honour of knowing yours?" "Adelaide Sitai, and the first impression I have should not be of any embarrassment to you. It's pleasant and I am seldom wrong in judging a person's character." Well, that was not entirely true. Adelaide's perceptions were blurred if she was attracted to someone and she tended to overstate her judgement as a way of maintaining an element of control over a situation, but she supposed she was not entirely blind. "Which way are you going? You may lead since I am afraid that I have completely lost any sense of orientation, so I shall be quite happy tripping along in whichever direction you choose." Tripping was an unfortunate choice of wording, but Adelaide countered this with a smile. It was then that she noted another young woman approach Inari. Adelaide had seen her before, and knew her to work at the Mortal Solace. "Who are you?" Adelaide was not sure if the woman intended her question to sound so direct but it did sound almost discourteous. Of course, if Adelaide thought this, not even a hint of it was evident on her perfectly composed face. She raised a critical eyebrow over warm eyes and bit her bottom lip with half a smile. "My name is Adelaide Sitai. As for who I am, well, I'm still in the process of working that out... as is most of the world." She paused, before whispering kindly, her smile growing wider, "Now it is customary for you to tell me your name."

[Inari Lorak]

Thank the gods, she really isn't angry, Inari thought, all too used to false pretenses and feigned politeness. At Adelaide's congenial words, she let out the breath she had been holding and was just about to reply, only to suck that breath right back in as a familiar voice called out her name. "Inari?" Like a vivid apparition, a certain, long-haired doctor suddenly appeared before them, staring inquisitively. Not to Inari's surprise, Verena's tone was as straightforward as ever when she directed her next question at Adelaide. "Who are you?" For a moment, Inari entertained what Zorane's reaction would be. She imagined him popping up out of no where, smiling disarmingly and smoothing over his sister's blunt remarks with a joke or two, then popping back out like some kind of friendly poltergeist. As amusing a thought as it was, however, it did strike a spark of curiosity in the older Lorak. What was her technical aunt like in private, without the constant, hovering presence of family? Was she always like this? Couldn't be, no? Actually, Inari amended in her head, scratch that, she probably was like this. All the time. It wasn't very hard to imagine, in any case. Adelaide's equally blunt answer interrupted such inane thoughts. It was a bit tense, standing there in silence as two equally bold personalities met face to face. Even in her snowy white wig, Inari tried to remain as unobtrusive as possible, wringing her hands under her cloak as she waited for one acquaintance to answer the other.

[Verena Lorak]

If Verena noticed that she was being somewhat impertinent, she did not show it a bit. The other woman introduced herself as Adelaide Sitai. If she was any other Lorak, she would have brushed the member of rival family off. But just like Inari, Verena was not exactly the typical Lorak. Instead, she gave a weak smile - courtesy of her brother's constant coaching - and said, "Verena Lorak, pleased to meet you." The words sounded slightly stiff and unnatural in her mouth if one paid very close attention, but to most it would merely sound flat. She didn't even really look at the Sitai in the eye.

The young woman only bothered to exercise what little social courtesies she knew in front of the other Dynasties, sparing none of it for her family. For the sake of the family, as Lorana had warned her again and again. Verena knew she could not go around offending everyone, though she did not really understand what exactly she had done to irritate most people.

Her eyes turned back to the niece of her, once again taking in the white hair. "Why are you dressed so? It is most peculiar. What are you doing here too?"

[Inari Lorak]

Fall, Day 14, 513 AV Inari opened and shut her mouth like a clam in salty waters, caught off guard by the bluntness of Verena's question. She supposed it would seem strange, dressed the way she was, though the performer rarely dwelled much on it when she was in front of an audience. Now, however, she realized with a slight twist of panic, that one of her family had finally discovered her little secret. Well, it wasn't a very good secret, at least. She just didn't want to draw any attention to her antics, and hoped fervently Verena wouldn't care enough to act on her newfound knowledge. "Um, I was just in a little performance, tis all. I was playing the part of, uh...Lady Winter. Yes, that's it. And I was just looking for something interesting to decorate my shop with when I had the pleasure of bumping, quite literally, into Miss Adelaide here. We were about to walk together and keep each other company as we finished our errands. Would you...care to join us?" Inari winced a little, both because she had lied, which she almost never did, and because she had just invited perhaps one of the most antisocial Dynasty members in all of Kenash to engage in what the doctor must consider an utterly pointless activity. Still, it would be rude not to, and the older Lorak had a distinctly uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was amiss, and she could have sworn a shadowy figure had ducked out of sight as soon as her gaze swept over the crowd. It would, perhaps, be best for them to stay together, even if it was only to sate the growing paranoia that had lodged itself in her mind the moment she had set foot in the market.