Completed [The Velvet Ear] Company Comes Calling (Inari, Adair)

[Fiora Radacke]

Fiora 19, Fall, 513 AV Fiora walked away from the building that would soon be her own tapestry shop with a satisfied grimace on her face. Her husband’s family had done a terrific job fixing up the old place, and it was in a prime location being right next to the Traveler’s Inn, but there was the problem of the smell. Blood and meat from the butchery across the road mingled with the bitter scent of brewed ale from her neighbor, Draer’s Bottled Dreams. The aroma filled her nostrils and seemed to soak into her brain it was so strong. She supposed she would just have to get used to it, though, and hoped that it wouldn’t affect her customers. “Come along, Thia!” she crooned and her young daughter hopped forward to take Fiora’s proffered hand. Another child, still a babe, slept snugly against his mother’s chest. A bright orange sling held him there, one that Fiora’s husband had purchased for her a few years ago, in a rare display of affection and thoughtfulness. Fiora smiled down at Lenthia now, admiring the girl’s energy, and wishing, like many mothers, that she could take some into herself. Though she was quite lively today, content to be off the plantation for a bit, and about to visit a dear friend. “Would you like to go see Pina?” she asked and Lenthia’s delighted noises permeated through the streets. A middle-aged man coming out of the Traveler’s Complex grinned and waved at them. Fiora dipped her head in greeting while Lenthia waved back wildly. The little girl had a way of bringing out the good spirits in people. Fiora led her daughter down the road to the right and across a bridge, where Lenthia would have happily stopped to throw pebbles into the water if she had been allowed. Instead, Fiora propelled her forward onto Oath Island, where the sour smell of alcohol and blood was replaced with the comforting aroma of fresh hot tea and baked goods. Inari sure was lucky to have such a sweet smelling shop next to her own. “Pina, Pina, Pina!” Lenthia squealed, spotting the entrance to The Velvet Ear. Baby Marco began fussing in his sleep. Lenthia tugged on her mother’s hand and Fiora relented, letting the girl run forward and burst through the door of the pretty little shop that Inari kept so nicely. Patting Marco on the bottom, Fiora followed her daughter and stepped through the doorway, gently pushing the door shut behind her.

[Inari Lorak]

Fall, Day 19, 513 AV "Give me your soul, puny mortal!" Inari roared fiercely, her voice amplified through the cavernous mask as she maneuvered the hinged jaw, clacking its wooden teeth furiously. "Nay," Pina cooly replied, brandishing a wooden sword from her invisible sheath. "I shall slay you, beast. For my soul ain't--I mean, doesn't. My soul does not belong to the likes of you, and never will!" Look at her, Inari thought, swelling with pride. Already correcting herself without my help. Such a bright child she is! Slipping back into her role, she chuckled deviously, moving the jaws a bit as she exuded nothing but evilness. The Beast grinned luridly, its painted lips curled in a perpetually fiendish smile, its eyes nothing more than inky black sockets. She was just about to engage in deadly combat with the tiny knight when a clarion ring of bells jingled through the air. The green shop door opened and a young girl burst through, shouting for Pina. "Aha! Another meal for The Great and Terrible Balrog to feast upon! Come here, tasty little human!" Thia screamed and ran for safety behind her friend, giggling uncontrollably as she watched the wooden monster approach with an agonizingly slow lumber. For the next few chimes, Inari stomped after her prey, growling and cursing complete gibberish as they evaded her time and time again."Bally Ducks! Snarkly Poop! Razzle McBlazzle!" The girls erupted in laughter at each ridiculous curse, probably storing them away in their little heads for later use. All the while, Pina valiantly defended Thia, blocking her from harm's way and slashing her sword whenever Balrog got too close. Finally, after one particularly forceful blow to the nose, the monster's face was knocked off entirely and fell noisily to the ground, revealing a rather stupefied looking Lorak. "By the gods, I am free! Oh, thank ye Sira and Lady Thia, you hath saved me from the terrible Balrog! How shall I repayeth you? Perhaps with a thousandeth kisses?" At that she scooped the girls in her arms and smothered them with sloppy affections, sending them into fits of equally mixed revulsion and hilarity. When she finally released them, she stood up and beamed at the sight of Fiora, the baby Marco held tenderly against her with an orange sling. Inari warmly embraced her friend and gave a small kiss on her cheek, as was customary, before sticking out a finger for the gurgling baby to grab. "Fiora! It's so good to see you and the children. How have you been? Tell me everything!"

[Fiora Radacke]

Fiora Baby Marco was jostled fully awake as his mother could not hold in her laughter. He let out a small cry and Fiora patted him lovingly without taking her eyes from the adventurous scene before her. A young knight slashed at a ferocious beast, protecting the fair Lady Thia, until the monster's head was knocked clean off and the evil curse was broken. The performance was so enchanting that even little Marco watched in fascination, no longer resentful that his nap had been interrupted. The Benshira woman smiled at her friend as Inari swept Pina and Lenthia up in her arms and dabbled them with kisses. Inari was such a sweet soul, it was hard to place her among the Dynasty brats, usually so gossipy and acting superior. Taller than Fiora, the Lorak woman was also more slender and graceful, though Fiora knew that she only had to thank her two little ones for her ever growing hips. "I'm doing well," Fiora answered her friend's question after hugging Inari back. "I'll soon be in business with my tapestries and I'm really looking forward to have more of an excuse to get out of the plantation house...and away from Bice," she added quietly. Looking down, she laughed at Pina who was holding up her hands for the baby. Maneuvering Marco out of the sling, Fiora placed him in Pina's waiting arms and the three children made their way to a small table to play with some of the toys. "So, yes, things are good right now, thanks. Although, I must find a slave to help me with the children. Ever since the old Radacke nursemaid passed away, I've been so busy trying to care for them, all while weaving my tapestries and making sure things are in order for the shop...and you know my husband. It seems the more stressed I am, the more demanding and attention seeking he becomes." Fiora moved around the shop, feeling guilty for having rambled on. She breathed in the scent of freshly cut wood as a blanket of wistfulness fell over her. How amazing it would be to stay here, in this place, forever, with her closest friend and small, adorable loved ones. If only life could be so pleasant and simple. "Inari, these are wonderful," Fiora said, making her way to a shelf with some newly carved objects. She picked up a small one and turned it around in her fingers. "You have such talent with wood. It's so detailed..." she continued to admire the carvings for a moment before turning back around. "And how are you, Miss Lorak?" she asked in a mockingly formal manner. "Did you catch the eye of any eligible bachelors at your last performance? I'm so sorry I had to miss that one, but Marco was a little ill and I did not want to leave him with any of the Radacke family. How did it go?"

[Inari Lorak]

Her heart twisted a little at Fiora's brief mention of Bice, whom she knew by reputation alone to be a controlling and hot-tempered man. When Inari and Fiora had first met many seasons ago, it had been difficult to get the wary Benshira to confide in her, but little by little the the truth of her troubled, private life was revealed. Now, Fiora confessed her feelings concerning Bice with little to no hesitance, although she still refrained from blatantly insulting him. Her husband, it seemed, genuinely loved her and the children, albeit in his own, brutish way. Occasionally, he would appear thoughtful or affectionate, which made things even more confusing and complicated than they already were. It was not enough, though, the momentary glimpses of humanity, the brief, shining lapses of caring and kindness. It couldn't be for any kind of woman. The young Lorak could see it in the way Fiora's eyes absorbed the simple pleasures of her shop hungrily; the mother of two wanted nothing more than a simple, peaceful life, away from her quick tempered and sometimes violent husband. Yet, she was unable to leave, despite the countless encouragements on Inari's part. It was not, however, a result of weak will. Though the Benshira looked small and delicate, Inari knew she was by no means easily broken. If anything, the young mother acted upon bravery, not cowardice. Even after everything she had been through, she remained strong, doing what she believed was best for her children and enduring her husband's anger with unflinching resolve. A true coward, Inari had long since realized, would have escaped, leaving everything behind, and a coward Fiora was not. She stayed, and she endured. And, somehow through it all, she still kept the flame of her spirit burning brightly, never letting it fully extinguish. Inari had yet to meet Bice in person, but judging from her friend's past descriptions it was probably for the best. Besides, she doubted he would much approve of his quiet, obedient wife hanging around babbling Balrogs and eleven year old, female knights. "Pfft, as if," Inari scoffed, leaning against a counter."You know how Dynasty men are. If they aren't absolute trouble, then they're absolute bores. Some of them were pretty talented, as always, but you should've seen how fast they went from lofty artist to sleezy scumbag. And I swear, some of the women are no better. As soon as the show was over it was like a tank of cannibalistic fish all over again. Honestly, I don't think I shall ever find a suitor who's only concern is whether he should go for my money first or the insides of my stockings." Actually, there was one such man who seemed interested in neither her money nor her stockings, as he seemed to have plenty of both. But that obviously did not make him a suitable candidate whatsoever, and the very thought of him tended to make her teeth grind. Maybe she should just forget the whole notion of marriage altogether. She was certainly happy enough with the way things were. Or, at least, that was what she told herself. "But enough of that. What's this of needing a new slave? If you'd like, we could go to the Auction House together. The children could stay here; I know you hate to leave them alone, but it shan't be for more than a bell or two. Besides, Pina would take good care of them, and I can bring one or two other servants who do well with the little ones. What do you say?"

[Adair Askara]

Just as Inari proposed a trip to the auction house to her friend Fiora, the door opened, and a most unusual looking man stepped into the shop.

Adair Askara, the nephew of Banjemin Askara, the head of the family, had braided his hair and weaved colourful ribbons into it that day. His clothes were made of silk, he wore boots of fine crocodile leather, and he had painted his arms with complicated black ornaments.

In short, he looked as if he were a traveller from a faraway land rather than one of those dreaded dynasty brats – although he didn’t have the mark of a freeborn or a slave.

He briefly let his gaze sweep across the interior of the shop before he approached the two young women that had been deep in conversation just a few moments before.

He bowed to them as if they were noble ladies and he just a lowly commoner that wasn’t worthy of their time and gave them his widest, most charming smile.

Fiora would notice that he had brilliant blue eyes, just like a Benshira although his skin was much too light, and his hair was the wrong color as well.

„A good day to you, ladies“, he greeted them. From the tone of his voice it was obvious that he was in an excellent mood. In fact he almost seemed to be brimming with energy.

„I hope that I’m not interrupting you, but I want to buy a few of your wonderful carvings. I need a few decorations for my funeral, you know? I’d like something unusual and appropriately creepy. I hope that you can accomodate me. I can pay well.“

He reached into one of his pockets and removed his purse that was filled with golden mizas.

“You will of course be invited“, he added.

[Fiora Radacke]

Fiora Fiora couldn't help grinning at her friend as she leaned nonchalantly on the counter and pretended that she wasn't interested in any men. If the Benshira knew Inari at all, she was certain the young woman was a hopeless romantic, just waiting for a noble and gallant man to sweep her up and whisk her away from her eccentric Lorak family. As if on cue, the door bells tingled just as Fiora was about to answer Inari's suggestion to go to the Auction House. But when a man dressed in silk and with ribbons braided into his dark blonde hair stepped over the threshold and looked around the shop, Fiora almost began giggling. Certainly this strange fellow was the last thing Inari needed. On closer inspection, however, the man's blue eyes were a lovely shade, although the marks all over his arms reminded her of the Radacke tattoos. Moving instinctively between him and the table with the children, Fiora raised an eyebrow as he plastered his face with a broad smile and bowed low. He seemed very excited about something, but when he told them that they were invited to his funeral, her jaw dropped. Surely he could not be so enthusiastic about such a proposition. She looked over at Inari, her eyes full of questions. Did her friend know this odd man? Was he really inviting them to his funeral, that he was going to decorate with creepy carvings? What was all of this about? Never the most social woman, Fiora was not going to be the first one to speak to the stranger. It was Inari's shop after all and he had addressed her specifically about purchasing some of her items. Letting her arm swing down, she rested it on the top of Pina's head. The children had not really noticed the man at first, as they were intent on their game, but when he spoke, the two girls looked up at him with wonder. Their twin expressions matched Fiora's own as they stared at him.

[Inari Lorak]

For a good handful of ticks or two, they all simply stared, mouths agape, at the man who had just walked into the shop. He spoke of needing decorations for his funeral, and Inari struggled to decide whether he was charmingly eccentric or potentially insane. Now, being a nightly miscreant of sorts, the Lorak was by no means unused to the strange and bizarre. She, however, had never been invited to a living person's funeral, nor had anyone ever walked right into her shop in broad daylight with ribbons in his hair, painted arms, and brimming with excitement as he made the strangest, most morbid request she had ever heard. Inari cleared her throat, disrupting the stunned silence that hung in the air."Um...yes, I think we may have what you're looking for. In fact, we have a whole shelf just for that sort of thing. Right this way, if you please." She led her unusual customer down to the last shelf on the far right, racking her brains the entire way as to how a person could look so cheerful for his own death. Surely it was a trick? A jest? Or perhaps he really was meeting his maker... She shuddered, hoping there would be no spirits involved. The very thought made her insides turn cold. Once they reached the section Pina appropriately called "that creepy shelf," Inari turned to the cheerful young man and picked up the Balrog mask she had been clowning around with earlier. "We have all kinds of ceremonial masks and artifacts, as well as some local pieces of art. They're all gloriously ghastly, especially this one. It's a piece made after the demonic image of Balrogs, and it can even talk!" She held it up before her face and clacked the teeth vigorously while growling unintelligibly, then peeked around it with a foolish grin. It wasn't often that she got to show people this section of the shop, and as eerie as it was, it was also her favorite. Setting the mask down, she led him further along, pointing out particular pieces here and there of notable ghoulish and unsettling repute. None of them were actually cursed or possessed, of course; that sort of thing would never get within ten strides near her shop. "So, does anything catch your fancy, Good Sir?" she inquired after the brief tour. With the first half of her job done, her mind was free to wander again and it inevitably arrived back at her initial questions. What was this business with a funeral? And being invited to one? It felt kind of terrible, now that she thought about it, showing him around the shop when he was about to die, as if it was no more urgent than a dinner party or hair appointment. Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out and her brows knit with a hint of worry. "Forgive me if I seem forward, but will your funeral actually be...well, that is...will it really involve your death?" Inari clamped her mouth shut as soon as the question was finished. She had never so blatantly asked of someone's impending doom before, but it seemed a shame if the young man were to really die. He was quite fascinating, as well as charming--albeit eccentrically so--and had a rich voice she suspected would be splendid for the spoken arts. She stared up at his blue eyes dubiously, breath held in worried anticipation as she awaited the truth.

[Adair Askara]

After a few moments Adair noticed that there were also three children in the shop. He smiled mischievously at little Lenthia and waved to her before he turned to face the two women again who seemed to be rather shocked by his request.

Should he tell them the truth?

No, the way they stared at them, with their mouths hanging open and their eyes ready to drop out of their sockets was just too funny!

„Wonderful“, he said as Inari told him that they might have something for him. „Lead the way.“

As they stood in front of the „creepy“ shelf it was Adair’s turn to stare.

„These are amazing!“ he exclaimed as he looked at the various masks and artifacts that were on display. „Did you make them yourself? You are quite talented!“

„I initially wanted to place a few wooden statues around the room“, he informed Inari and Fiora. „But I think I’ll just have the slaves that are going to serve my guests wear masks instead. Masks, bodypainting and costumes made of black silk. What do you think of that?“

He looked at Inari and Fiora questioningly, assuming that they both worked here.

„May I?“ he asked as Inari showed him the Balrog mask.

If she allowed him to take it, he would hold it up before his own face, growl as well – a rather deep and scary growl - and grin all over his face, like a little boy before he handed it back to her.

„How much is it?“ he wanted to know. „I think I’d like to buy it.“

As Inari asked him if his funeral would really involve his death, he looked sadly at her for a moment, as if he were about to start crying, and then he replied, „No, not really. I’m just pretending that it’s my funeral. You see, the day before my birthday is the birthday of my dear cousin who will be the head of the family one day. And the day after that ‚Snick or Sweet‘ is going to take place. I decided to simply mix the two events and celebrate my death day to distinguish myself sufficiently from my dear cousin.“

„Don’t tell anybody though“, he asked her and looked at her pleadingly.

And then he added, „I hope you don’t think I’m mad. I’m really not. I swear it.“

[Fiora Radacke]

Fiora Fiora was just thinking that this odd man must be mad, but then he adamantly denied it. Some part of her though, felt that celebrating a death day instead of a birthday was absolutely brilliant. She couldn't help but feel delighted to be invited to such a unique event. She looked down at the children. The girls were trying to comfort Marco who had begun fussing. Lifting the baby up out of Pina's arms, Fiora settled him on her hip and walked over to Inari and the man who was trying on the Balrog mask. He confirmed that he was from a Dynasty family when he had said his cousin would soon be Head of Household, but she wondered which plantation he was from. Inari didn't seem to know him, at any rate. Speaking up for the first time since he'd strolled through the door, Fiora said, "Yes, Ari makes everything herself. She's very talented and a truly wonderful person. May I ask your name, Sir? I'm Fiora Radacke and I'm very glad that you are not actually going to be dying." At least, she hoped not anytime soon. Marco wriggled in her arms, trying to grab one of her earrings in his chubby fist. "And this lovely shopkeeper is Inari Lorak. Perhaps you've been to one of the Midnight Performances here? If not, you should certainly think about attending one." Not trying to advertise for The Velvet Ear, Fiora was afraid that was how she was coming across. She had merely thought that the ribboned and painted man would have fit in very well at one of the dramatic events held every fortnight. Casting her gaze on her friend, Fiora rocked the baby, twisting her body slightly from side to side. In her mind she pictured a party where the slaves were dressed in black silk and wearing macabre masks. She hoped that Bice would let her go! The Radacke's never threw soirees like that and they weren't invited to the events at the other plantations very often. Still, she could not imagine how her husband would act during such an occasion; she really should not bring him or he'd only succeed in embarrassing himself...and her. She would have to make up an excuse to tell him and go with Inari instead, if her friend was planning on attending. Of course Fiora would stay at home if the other woman did not want to go, for she'd never show up by herself, but she couldn't imagine Inari missing this type of party for anything in Mizahar.

[Inari Lorak]

For a while Inari had remained silent, her mind racing ahead with spooky imaginings of rows and rows of darkly clad figures leering down at passing guests with monstrous, macabre masks. Then the young man asked to see Balrog, and she happily handed it over with a wide grin, a little flustered but pleased all the same to receive so many compliments in one day. As he growled quite convincingly through the mask, prompting peals of laughter from Thia and Pina, Inari had a sudden, sinking feeling. There was no hard evidence as to what Dynasty her new customer belonged to, but his wild and eccentric behavior certainly narrowed the possibilities down. She knew Fiora to be far more open-minded than the rest of the Radackes, but Bice... There was really only one family she could think of that would allow such unconventional fancies and conspicuously-themed birthday bashes. If her guess was correct, and this young man was indeed from the Askara, then Bice would never in a million years allow his wife to attend. He'd probably snap one or two necks before even beginning to forgive anyone for bringing it up in the first place. They would have to find a way, Inari decided. An excuse, a lie, anything. Her mind was already spinning with possibilities, but she realized they needed more information first. "I think, for such a daring and special occasion--and an eagerly accepted invitation as well,"she grandly announced, winking at Fiora,"that you must consider Balrog a gift! Besides, he's too scary for most of my customers. Just been sittin' there, collecting dust. But do tell us, where and when will this party be, and what shall we call our most excellent and dashingly dressed host?"