It Ain't Always What it Seems [Nira'lia, Sariana, Sylkra]

[Nira'lia]

Slightly startled at the events that took place, Nira’lia followed Pash’nar’s path. She had never been to The Bizarre before—never thought of looking for it. However, the Konti had heard about how it was a fantastic place, and at the moment, she was more than excited. Walking behind Pash’nar, she couldn’t help but look at the way he limped. A nagging feeling was bothering her. She had sworn an oath to Rak’keli, an oath to help the injured when she could. It was mentally painful for her to let this go, and she reminded herself to talk to him about it later on. Because, really, how was she supposed to mention it in front of Sariana and Sylkra? For some reason, it wasn’t difficult to find The Bizarre. It seemed to appear just when they wanted to see it. It was a building, though it didn’t look like much, and the only indication that it was The Bizarre was the sign outside. “Wow, you’re a better guide than I thought… we found it pretty quickly!” said Nira’lia, clueless at the fact that it had nothing to do with Pash’nar’s directions. Upon entering the building, she was instantly astonished. Just like the rest of the city, it seemed to be enchanted. The interior looked much larger than the exterior suggested. A huge number of people were around, giving the impression of a busy marketplace. Clapping her hands, she turned to her companions. “We’re here for food, right?” With that, she started to search for a good place to eat. Most of the food stalls had strange looking dishes, which Nira’lia didn’t find surprising, since they were in Alvadas. Her stomach rumbled as she searched, and she craved for some of the herbal soup that her mother used to make. Curiously, she discovered a stall selling a strange looking porridge. It was dark in color and she had never seen it before. However, it also looked delicious to her. The sign above the stall said it was called Bruka. Unknown to her, it was a blood based porridge. If she had known what it actually was, she would have been disgusted. Impulsively, she turned to her companions and pointed at the stall. “Over here! Look! Bruka!” she said, as if she knew what it was.

[Sylkra]

Sylkra let the three people talk, listening to their conversation intently. She didn't mind much for talking, she listened. Wolves were great listeners, you could talk all day and they would never get bored. Especially Sylkra. She wagged her tail as Pash softly let her go, and then padded back to Sariana's side. She looked back at Pash, feeling sorry for this whole thing. She certainly did not want Sariana and Pash together, but she also didn't want them hating each other. Pash was an evil, tall man, who was out to get Sariana. HIs looks looked so evil, all tall and stuff. All tall people were evil. This thought made Sylkra suddenly change feelings and want them to hate each other. She barked as they entered the restaurant. Sylkra smelled blood as they approached the stand filled with Bruka. Oh boy, Bruka! It must have been made of blood. It reeked of blood. Sylkra leaped up, and put her front paws on the stand wagging her tail and panting. She looked at the salesman with bright eyes. He staggered back in disgust, and then said, "No animals on the table!" He batted at Sylkra with his hat. She let go of the table, and then her paws hit the ground. She padded back to Sariana, a sorry look in her eyes that said, "Sorry Sari..." She whimpered to tell Sariana she was sorry. But she wanted some Bruka so bad.

[Sariana]

She caught his gaze, one last look before they set off, and fought the urge to cry. Tears of outrage she told her self. Of anguish and hatred and wounded honor.

Not the tears of a devastated heart.

Following the ethaefal reluctantly through the city and into the over crowded bustling bazaar, her mind was drawn out of its emotional roller coaster as Sylkra broke from the group to accost a food place and its owner. Bruka. It sounded....disgusting.

"Sylk, here now. Before the poor man looses his customers." She said softly, stroking the kelvics soft fur as she returned to her. Reading the description of the meal, Sariana shot Nira'lia a look that clearly indicated she was of no mood to eat that, the young drykas shrugged and smiled at Sylkra.

It was said you only lived once. If you didn't try...clotted blood pudding at least once in your life...then what was the point?

"It looks...filling." She said with another thin smile, before glancing back at Pash'nar.

"Perhaps our guide would be so kind as to introduce us to this..Bruka. I'm sure he's probably tried it at least once in his lengthy time here." Her words were without tone or sarcasm, but her smile was less than welcoming. At least, if anything, she would get some pleasure out of making the godling squirm whilst he was there.

After all, you only lived once.

[Pash'nar]

Pash'nar was hardly there for food. In fact, once he set sandaled feet inside the mind-boggling expanse that was the Bizarre, it was the tattooed sailor's goal to find his excuse to duck out of this entire, uncomfortable, somewhat forced situation and flee into the crowds to finish his shopping. Alone. He had no interest in facing any consequences for his actions or decisions involving Sariana in front of the Konti or the Kelvic, regardless of just how brazenly he threw words around like he did. It was easier to be on the offensive, to have the surprise, than it was to crawl back into his usual defense. It was just a way of keeping guarded, but it had backfired … here he was with all three of them, standing uselessly in front of some Bruka shop. Petching women. Scowling, he eyed the steaming bowls with an expression full of doubt and suspicion, resisting the urge to respond to Nira'lia's decision that, yes, he too was there to enjoy lunch with them when in fact he was not. He shifted his gaze up to the shop owner who was probably also the cook, judging by the dark stains on his apron. Smirking at the man's reaction to the eager wolf, his attention was pulled back to the bowls of blood as the Drykas felt it necessary to taunt him. The dark-haired navigator chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, as if he was somehow weighing his options. He wasn't. He already knew he had no interest in eating the stuff. While he'd long-since grown accustomed to Zeltivan kelp beer, and while he'd tasted plenty of blood (most of it his own), there was nothing particularly appealing to his palate about the dish in the little ramshackle stall they all huddled around, "I ain't gotta eat." Pash replied without hiding his disdain, playing the only valid card in his current hand—the ethaefal card—unhappy about being cornered, "But if this is really whatcha think y'want, go on." Cerulean gaze shifted to stare at the back of the shop owner's head as he'd returned to stirring some ridiculously large pot of the stuff boiling, "I s'pose if eatin' blood's your thing, then it ain't so bad." He just let that hang there in the air for a few moments without continuing. An inked hand raised briefly to thumb his nose, and he found himself helpless to hide his discomfort and his desire to be elsewhere if only to regroup his thoughts again standing so unexpectedly within Sariana's presence. Maybe admitting to the dish's ingredients would turn the stomachs of the three women, well, the two women and a kelvic. He knew it would be impossible to dissuade the wolf at this point, and while he could certainly imagine the swordswoman not having too many qualms about spilt blood (though perhaps not eating it)… surely Nira'lia would object. "Sylkra can 'ave mine." He added with a forced smile, though his tone was genuine, "An' y'all can spend all the time you want here, samplin' all the fixin's that come with't. I got shyke to do an' things to buy. Ship's empty an' I got'cha all 'ere jus' fine like y'asked, didn't I?" Pash'nar swept his calloused hand in the direction of other stalls, far from this one, attempting to make his errands sound much more important than eating a bowl of porridge with blood as the main ingredient. It wasn't inedible, but it certainly wasn't his first choice of nourishment. He was hungry, as dawn had since faded into day and with it, a revival of his more human metabolism. Not that he had any suggestions of where else to take their stomachs for something more palpable. He wondered if any of them could have ever agreed on a single meal anyway. "So, go'n an' enjoy't without me." He smirked, attempting to finally wriggle free of this uncomfortable social obligations and limp away to the safety of solitude again, "An' y'all know m'boat if y'need me." There it was. Some excuse to slip away. He was afraid he wouldn't make it, but he had to try anyway.

[Whimsy]

Pash'nar

Experience	Lore
+2 Rhetoric	Searching for the Past
+1 Storytelling	Encouraging Confrontation
+1 Land Navigation	A Woman’s Wrath
	Alvadas: Cuisine

Nira'lia

Experience	Lore
+1 Medicine	Yellow Snow
+1 Negotiation	Offering Medical Services
+2 Observation	Alvadas: The Bazaar
	Avoiding Conflict

Sylkra

Experience	Lore
+1 Foraging	The Joy of a Dog and her Master
+2 Intimidation	Protecting a Kelvic’s Master
+1 Observation	Extending the Olive Branch
	Refused Customer Service as an Animal

Comments
I wanted to see if Pash'nar managed to slip away! An interesting reunion thread. I liked the balance between tension and civility. Sylkra, I was going to say always write in first person, but it looks like you've sorted it out. If you have any questions or concerns, PM me.

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